text: On the Farm Donkey Sounds Like Opera Singer Better voice than me By Jordan Kranse Published On 01/07/2019 donkey Share on Facebook Tweet this article Pin it Email Comments Donkey Sounds Like Opera Singer Share on Facebook Tweet this article View the Comments UP NEXT On the Farm Adorable Alpaca Terrorizes Her Home This alpaca terrorizes her home 😈😂 On the Farm Cat Loves Giving His Pig Friends Massages Cat can't stop massaging his favorite pigs 😍 On the Farm Baby Donkey Falls Asleep When His Dad Sings A Lullaby Every animal should be this loved ❤ In the Wild Baby Animals Who Got Rescued At The Right Time These baby animals all got help at just the right time 💞💞💞 On the Farm Donkey Loves Jumping With Her Mom This donkey loves when her mom rides her and takes her jumping! On the Farm Dog Just Wants His Donkey BFF To Be Happy When Lily the donkey was rescued as a baby, she felt so alone until Yoda the dog started tucking her into bed every night. Today on Odd Couples, watch how Yoda decided... Subscribe to The Dodo Oops! Hooray! Sign up for your daily dose of animals Looks like that's not a valid email address Looks like something went wrong. Please try again later. Looks like this e-mail is subscribed already. Try other one. You've been added to our list, you'll be hearing from us soon Subscribe


text:
Whiston, John (DNB00)
WHISTON, JOHN (d. 1780), bookseller, was the son of William Whiston [q. v.], and was probably born within five years of his father's marriage in 1699, though he is known to have been a younger son. He set up as a bookseller in Fleet Street, and enjoyed the coveted, though nominal, distinction of being one of the printers of the votes of the House of Commons. He was one of the earliest issuers of regular priced catalogues (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. iii. 668). In 1735 he bought and issued a priced catalogue of Edmund Chishull's library. Shortly after this date he seems to have been in ship with Benjamin White (d. 1794), but White subsequently withdrew and specialised in natural history and other costly illustrated books. In conjunction with White he issued in 1749 'Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Mr. William Whiston.' His mother died in January 1751, and his father followed her in the year ensuing, whereupon in 1753 John Whiston issued a 'corrected' edition of the 'Memoirs.' His publishing trademark was 'Boyle's Head.' With Osborne, Strahan, and other bookseller-publishers, Whiston took a leading part in promoting the 'New and General Biographical Dictionary,' issued in twelve volumes at six shillings each during 1761–2. The British Museum possesses a copy with a large number of marginal notes and addenda written by Whiston. Other biographical memoranda of no great value were supplied by Whiston to John Nichols, and acknowledged by him in his 'Literary Anecdotes.' Whiston's shop was known as a meeting-place and house of call for men of letters, and a comic encounter is reported to have taken place there between Warburton and his adversary, Dr. John Jackson. In 1765 Whiston bought the library of Adam Anderson (1692?–1765) [q. v.] He probably retired soon after this, and nothing further is known of him save that he died on 3 May 1780. His elder brother, George Whiston, is stated to have been for a time associated with him in the Fleet Street business (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. viii. 376), and to have died at St. Albans about 1775.
[Nichols's Literary Anecdotes and Lit. Illustrations, index, freq.; Allibone's Dict. of English Literature; Timperley's Cyclopædia, 1842, pp. 772, 782.]

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell must be getting desperate. After the utter fiasco that was the 2013 government shutdown, no Republican in their right mind (clearly, I'm not talking about the Tea Party) would risk, much less engineer, another one. Yet that is exactly what McConnell is planning on doing if the GOP takes the Senate in November's elections:
HENDERSON, Ky. — Mitch McConnell has a game plan to confront President Barack Obama with a stark choice next year: Accept bills reining in the administration's policies or veto them and risk a government shutdown.
The emerging strategy: Attach riders to spending bills that would limit Obama policies on everything from the environment to health care, consider using an arcane budget tactic to circumvent Democratic filibusters and force the president to "move to the center" if he wants to get any new legislation through Congress.
In other words, McConnell is planning on running the country by blackmail: Pass our legislative agenda or we'll shut the country down.
Remember the rending of garments that went on when the Democrats took away the Republican's ability to endlessly filibuster the president's judicial appointments? "Tyranny!" they cried. Now? Well, it's perfectly OK to completely circumvent the minority party and attack the powers of the president because Republicans don't like what he's doing with them.
This is not forcing the president to "move to the center" and it's certainly not, despite what McConnell will claim, a way to force the "dictatorial" president to negotiate. Negotiation would require Republicans to give something in return. History tells us that will never happen. The GOP has lost the ability to compromise on anything unless forced into a corner. Typically by their own actions.
It's true that McConnell is facing a brutally close election and could well lose to Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes. This talk of assaulting the presidency and forcing a shutdown could simply be tough talk to appeal to the Republican lunatic base. If so, I'd like to point out how many on the right swore on a stack of Republican Bibles that they didn't actually want the shutdown. If McConnell's promise of another fires up the base, perhaps next time, the "liberal" media will stop pretending that "both sides" are to blame? Just kidding! Of course they won't.
If McConnell DOES carry out his threat, he'd be setting a dangerous precedent that could come back to bite Republicans in the ass in 2016. While 2014 has more Democratic than Republican seats up for grabs, 2016 will be the reverse. Add to that the deep unpopularity of the GOP combined with the backlash of a second shutdown and Republicans could lose the Senate AND the House. If that happens, there would be exactly zero reason for Democrats to put up with another 4 years of GOP filibuster obstruction. They would either end the filibuster or use McConnell's "arcane budget tactic" to bypass Republicans all together. Republicans would entirely lose their ability to help shape policy at all.
The question becomes: Do Republicans hate Obama enough to risk everything just to sabotage a presidency they've already been obstructing since day one? Based on the last six years of unprecedented GOP rage and insanity, I'd say yes.


text:
All posts tagged stencil
Tejn is a Danish who began his artistic work as a street artist in 2008 and now also can be found inside the galleries. Based in Copenhagen, Tejn's street art has made its mark on most bigger European cities. His art often addresses political or philosophical themes. Tejn is best known by his trademark: "Lock On´s" which are sculptures, typically welded in iron and chained to the street, often with a bicycle lock. His second most preferred media is drawings or paintings on paper, pasted up with wheatpaste on a wall (communicating in interaction with the local environment). Tejn also makes installations, stencil-art, and conceptual art. more
The natural territory of the street artist Shepard Fairey would seem to be as all-American as it gets. Emerging from the country's skateboarding scene he achieved global prominence with his much copied. Shepard Fairey is the man behind OBEY GIANT, the graphics that have changed the way people see art and the urban landscape. What started with an absurd sticker he created in 1989 while a student at the Rhode Island School of Design has since evolved into a worldwide street art campaign, as well as an acclaimed body of fine art. In 2003, Shepard founded Studio Number One, a creative design firm dedicated to applying his ethos at the intersection of art and enterprise.
The agency produced the cover work for The Black Eyed Peas' album Monkey Business and the poster for the film Walk the Line.Fairey has also designed the covers for The Smashing Pumpkins' album Zeitgeist, Flogging Molly's CD/DVD Whiskey on a Sunday, the Led Zeppelin compilation Mothership and Anthrax's The Greater Of Two Evils.
In 2005 he collaborated for a second time with Z-Trip on a limited edition 12-inch featuring Chuck D entitled "Shock and Awe." In 2005 Fairey also collaborated with DJ Shadow on a box set, with t-shirts, stickers, prints, and a mix CD by Shadow. In 2005 he showed abroad, for instance in Paris at the Galerie Magda Danysz. In 2005 also, he was a resident artist at the Contemporary Museum, Honolulu. Also in 2005 Fairey contributed the artwork for the posters, cover art, and graphics for the biopic of Johnny Cash, Walk The Line. In 2006, Fairey contributed eight vinyl etchings to a limited-edition series of 12″ singles bypost-punk band Mission of Burma, and has also done work for the musical group Interpol.
Shepard's art reached a new height of prominence in 2008, when his "HOPE" portrait of Barack Obama became the iconic image of the presidential campaign and helped inspire an unprecedented political movement.
In addition to his successful graphic design career, Fairey also DJs at many clubs under the name DJ Diabetic and Emcee Insulin, as he has diabetes.


text:
Rogue Won: A Star Wars Podcast for Winners Episode 150: Let's SPECULATE! Fun EPISODE IX rumors plus KENOBI clues & JJ speaks on IX!
On this episode of "Rogue Won: A Star Wars Podcast for Winners, Johnny, Hawes, and King Tom talk EPISODE IX & more!
• FanthaTracks reports SERIES/Production names!
• Kenobi!? Luke KNOWS Old Ben
• JJ Abrams speaks on Episode IX
• Star Wars: Always Topher Grace
• Episode IX speculation/rumors
• Jordan (Tattooine? Jakku? Pasan?)
• Lu'uke?
• Kylo & Vader's helmet Rey with Luke's?
• Kylo offspring (Johnny's rumor)?
• Rogue Winner's Circle of emails!
• NEW SEGMENT: 'Facetime' with The Rogue Won Army!
• DO YOUR iTunes reviews! Big Prize at 300th review!
• We are now on iTunes! Google Play! Podbean! Everywhere a podcast can be got, we can be gotten!
• Check out Rogue Won donated music by Stoned Cobra on iTunes, Spotify or at http://stonedcobra.bandcamp.com
• Get our new T Shirts and other swag at teepublic https://www.teepublic.com/user/roguewon
Be a Rogue Winner and subscribe! iTunes, Google Play Podbean, Stitcher, etc.
Do NOT forget to rate and review on iTunes because one out of every 10 reviews WINS Star Wars prizes!
Follow us on twitter @roguewonpod, @roguewonjohnny, @blueharvestpod, @maximumpaps and find us on Facebook Rogue Won Army! Also instagram @roguewonpod
Rogue Won: A Star Wars Podcast for Winners Episode 150: Let's SPECULATE! Fun EPISODE IX rumors plus KENOBI clues & JJ speaks on IX!


text:
Varicose veins develop when the tiny valves inside the veins stop working properly, enabling blood to "pool" and causing vessels to bulge. In addition to their unattractive appearance, varicose veins can cause symptoms like pain, itching and burning, as well as feelings of heaviness or weakness in the affected areas. Some varicose veins may also be a sign of a more serious underlying vascular disease, such as venous insufficiency, that can cause significant medical problems.
Radiofrequency vein treatment, or RF vein treatment, is a technique that uses radiofrequency energy to heat up the inside walls of varicose veins, causing controlled damage to the vessel walls that cause the vessels to close. RF treatment is minimally invasive, using small puncture-like incisions into the varicose vein so a special RF device can be inserted. Once inside the vein, RF energy is directed at the vessel walls in precise locations needed to collapse the vein and cut off the flow of blood.
Absolutely; the special RF device enables extremely precise administration of heat energy to destroy the vessel tissue without causing damage to healthy tissue.
Treatment is performed in the office using a local anesthetic to prevent discomfort. A tiny incision is made in the affected vein, and the radiofrequency catheter is gently inserted into the affected area. Once in the vessel, the device releases RF energy along the affected portion before being removed. A bandage will be placed over the incision, and you'll be able to walk around. After your procedure, you'll need to wear compression stockings during healing to help the vein close properly and speed recovery. During a follow-up appointment, ultrasound may be used to ensure the vein has closed.
Please keep in mind some insurances require referrals.


text:
Week 1 of my photo-a-day challenge wrap up! I've decided to make it a weekly thing since it's going to get really long if I put a whole month's worth into one post.
My IG: @crackegg
Leave your IG name on the comments so I can check yours out too!
Day 9: This is the weather today
– Hot. Scorching, ice cream melting, sweat dripping, dehydratingly hot. Like summer only it's not summer.
My initial thoughts on this prompt: "there's going to be a plethora of various sky and outdoor shots". Such is my nature to think of something different (don't we all? >.>) so I brainstormed on what I could possibly do and I ended up with this doll.
After taking some shots, I left it on top of our gate with a message asking passersby "Init brad?" which roughly translates to "Feeling hot bro?" People's reaction to it were quite entertaining. The following day, we had an hour of power outage and a little kid asked where the doll was and that the message this time should say "Brown out pre!" ("No electricity man!").
Day 10: R is for…
– Relo, Rosetta
I've been meaning to get myself a new watch/relo and it just so happened that my mom sent me the money for it on this day. What's more of a coincidence is that the automatic Swatch watch I got is a Rosetta Nera! Fufufu… Day 10: R is for… Reg! 😀
Here's some randomly useless facts: Rosetta, the watch's model, means Rose (R is for rose!). Clearly. But I did some research (R is for research!) and in German it can also translate to "horse" (R is for rse!.. ok that was bad). Coincidentally, I was born on the year of the horse! It can also translate to "noted protector" and prior to knowing this, I intended to have something engraved on the watch if possible. Yeah, I'm sentimental like that.
Day 11: Green
– John Green
These words could be found on John Green's Looking for Alaska, my favorite John Green out of the four I've read so far. Who's with me on the "this was better than Fault in Our Stars" bandwagon?
Imagine those last 2 words bleeding… now what do you think the story would be about?
Day 12: Joy is…
– a dish washing liquid
When you're in med school, your brain's power get sucked out by the middle of the week that you start thinking of totally senseless things. Maybe I should plan things out in advance next time? But hey, if my powers of stupidity turns someone's frown upside down then at least I get at least 1 good thing out of it.
But when you actually think about it… it still fits the prompt. >.>
Day 13: Composition
– "Music is the composition of the inner workings of the soul." -RegRR
The prompt was actually suppose to be composition in photography's definition but, you know, since when did I really follow the prompts for its original intentions? :3
This was a music sheet of a piano piece composed by Nobuo Uematsu and transcribed by Althea Chia which I printed some years ago but still haven't mastered. The print says "Tidus and Yuna's Theme from FFX" but it's actually from a theme song from a Korean film which I vaguely remember was entitled "Sky Theme". A fan-made music video (which I can't find anymore) for Tidus and Yuna of Final Fantasy X uploaded on youtube with this piece as accompaniment went sort of viral and thus it became popularly known as "Tidus and Yuna's theme" instead.
Day 14: Drink
– Special order: crab extract!
I'm stumped so I went looking for an old shot to post instead. Didn't find the exact one I wanted but this was good enough too I guess. *sigh*
Day 15: Lights
– Tiny star, big star, macroed star… I shall name it Macro! Because I'm so original like that.
Bravo to me! I actually followed the prompt for it was meant to be! I'm so feeling the Christmas vibes right now that I couldn't think of a photo that's something from my usual line of thought.
I've been dying to see what I can do with the Christmas lights. The results actually made me want to make my own Christmas cards. It's a good excuse to see how my photos would look like on print.
And that's it for my 1st week of participating on #FMSPhotoADay prompts by Fat Mum Slim!
How do you think I did? Comments and suggestions are highly appreciated! How about you? Did you participate on any photo-a-day thingies? Why not me tell all about it? 😀


text:
Special Correspondent
MYSORE: Renowned Yoga exponent K. Pattabhi Jois (94) passed away in the city on Monday after a prolonged illness. He popularised Ashtanga Yoga and was instrumental in making Mysore an internationally renowned centre to teach Yoga. His disciples included pop star Madonna, rock icon Sting and Hollywood actor Gwyneth Paltrow.
Born in 1915 at Koushika in Hassan district, Pattabhi Jois studied Yoga under the renowned T. Krishnamacharya from 1927 to 1945. He then enrolled in the Sanskrit Maha Pathashala at Mysore and learnt Sahitya Veda and Advaita Vedanta from 1930 to 1936.
Pattabhi Jois was introduced to Yoga when he was 12 years old when he witnessed a demonstration in school. He left Hassan for Mysore to meet T. Krishnamacharya and became his disciple.
Pattabhi Jois studied Yogic texts such as Pathanjali Yoga Darshana, Hatayoga Pradeepika, Suta Samhita, Yoga Yajnavalka and the Upanishads and went on to establish the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute where thousands of students from around the world received training in various forms of Yoga. He caught the attention of the then Majaraja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar who persuaded him to teach Yoga and extended him an invitation to join the Maharaja's Sanskrit College. At his invitation, Pattabhi Jois joined the college and taught in the Department of Yoga between 1937 and 1973. He was also the Honorary Professor of Yoga at the Government College of Indian Medicine from 1976 to 1978.
Guruji, as he was reverentially addressed, was honoured with the title of Yogasana Visharada by Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Puri in 1945. Among his many books, Yoga Mala in Kannada is reckoned to be the last word on the subject and has been translated and published by major publishing houses.
In 1986, the Karnataka Government conferred him with the Pathanjali Gold Medal and in 2002 he was conferred the title of Shastra Nidhi by Veda Shasthra Poshini Sabha.
As the news of his death spread, a large number of his disciples, followers and admirers arrived to pay their last respects. Veteran photojournalist T.S. Satyan, who knew Pattabhi Jois personally, described him as a cultural icon steeped in knowledge and best representing classical Mysore.


text:
- E14 House Removals
- E14 Man and Van
- E14 Removals & Storage
- E14 International Removals
- E14 Office Removals
- E14 Removal Services
- E14 Packing Services
- E14 Moving Company
- E14 Removals
- E14 Movers
|Removal Services We Offer in E14
Looking for E14 Removals? Call us now on 020 3970 0488 to book the best Removal Service in E14 with Amazing Moves.
|Removal Services We Offer in E14
When Amazing Moves's workers unloaded all of my items to my new flat in E14, I was very pleased to realize that there were no damages to anything! Thank you!
Handy Services AppBringing Joy to your Home!INSTALL


text:
In March of 2016, Carla Spurgeon heard a thump in another room and found her husband lying on the floor.
Spurgeon said it's one of the hardest things for a caregiver to witness. At first, she thought it was just a minor scrape, but a couple days later the cut got worse.
Spurgeon said she wasn't taking any chances, so she took him to a nearby free-standing emergency room in Richardson called First Choice.
The latest news from around North Texas.
"I said all the right things when I went in," she explained.
Spurgeon said the receptionist confirmed they were in network, so they went on with the appointment. Their insurance covered most of the bill, but First Choice apparently forgot to bill Medicare, leaving her with a balance of $269.
Health care providers that accept Medicare are required by law to submit bills on the patient's behalf, but Spurgeon says that never happened.
"So I called and, 'I said you need to charge Medicare,'" she said.
But a year later, Spurgeon said she received a collection notice for $6,098. She then called First Choice and was told they'd look into it, but months later, nothing.
So she got NBC 5 Responds on the case.
We reached out to Adeptus Health, the parent company that owned First Choice ERs at the time of their visit. The company never got back to us and has since filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
But days after we reached out, Spurgeon said she got a call from First Choice letting her know they would stop all collection attempts and that her bill was taken care of.
The NBC 5 Responds team has received a half dozen complaints about first choice facilities. The state is now cracking down on free-standing ERs and a new law went into effect that requires these facilities to post which providers are in-network.
But if you're having issues with a Medicare claim, like Spurgeon did, you should visit medicare.gov. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE if you believe a health provider hasn't billed Medicare.


text:
Like Pachelbel with his Canon, or Allegri with his Miserere, Samuel Barber has become one of those composers who is mostly remembered for just one piece, the grief-stricken arrangement for string orchestra of a movement from his Opus 11 quartet that has become known simply as "Barber's Adagio".
If you've seen already Barber's name on our summer concert posters you may possibly be expecting us to sing the later reincarnation of the "Adagio", set to the words of the Agnus Dei, but we're singing reincarnations of an entirely different nature.
The three part songs that make up the set called Reincarnations draw together all the themes of our summer concert: Ireland, America, love and home. Barber's mother came from Irish descent and he turned to Irish poetry on a number of occasions – his solo vocal works include settings of Yeats, Joyce and medieval Irish texts. The texts Barber uses in Reincarnations are by the Irish poet James Stephens, drawn from a larger collection with the same name, which in turn are Stephens's own translations from the Irish of poems by Antoine Ó Raifteirí (usually known in English as Raftery). Raftery was the last of the great Irish itinerant bards: blind from a young age, he wandered the country, taking shelter where it was given in return for his poetry and songs.
Stephens called his work Reincarnations because he felt his own Irish language skills weren't good enough to justify calling his poems translations. It's a particularly apt title though, as Barber's songs stand at the end of a chain of reincarnations: Barber giving musical life to Stephens's poems; Stephens bringing Raftery's voice to a wider English-speaking audience; and Raftery himself creating vivid portraits of real people, who come back to life when we sing about them.
Mary Hynes, the subject of the first song, was a legendary beauty, known as "the shining flower of Ballylee". Although a poor peasant girl, she dressed only in radiant white, and was said to have refused eleven offers of marriage in one day, and another drowned, drunk, in a bog after travelling to see her – although in the end, she succumbed to a rich seducer who abandoned her, and cast out by the community she died of pneumonia. Raftery's original poem runs to many more verses than Barber and Stephen's version: Mary's beauty must have been truly dazzling for a blind man to write such passionate verse to her. Barber's music pours out praise of her beauty and womanly qualities in a stream of passion that pauses only to declare "she is the love of my heart", before ending with a lyrical picture of the girl and her home town.
Anthony O'Daly was quite a different character. He was a member of the Whiteboys, a group who resisted encroachments on peasants' rights to their land with a mixture of rent strikes and violence. In 1820, Daly was wrongfully accused of shooting at a local landowner, and condemned to hang, and although the local population acclaimed him as a hero and attempted to help him escape the gallows, he went quietly to his death.
Anthony! Since your limbs were laid out the stars do not shine! The fish leap not out in the waves! On our meadows the dew does not fall in the morn, for O'Daly is dead!
Barber's song feels like a huge public outpouring of grief. It begins with the basses repeating Anthony's name on a drone, whilst the upper voices sing a keening melody, and the piece builds to hysteria as the sopranos and altos take over the chanted name. There are also suggestions that Raftery's poem is not a lament but a traditional poet's curse, calling down retribution in response to Raftery's own outrage at Daly's execution.
After the passion and intensity of the first two songs, The Coolin brings sweet tranquility, and some exquisite music from Barber: it's in this song that we can see the composer of the "Adagio". The word "coolin" simply means a sweetheart, deriving from a word for a curl of hair, and variations of the song go back far beyond Raftery. The words sing about a couple who are so comfortable with each other and so deeply in love that they need no more words; it's enough for them to hold hands, and look into each other's eyes whilst they share a drink, cuddled together under a coat, on the hillside, perhaps looking out at the view on our concert poster. The music lilts along gently, suggesting a folk song, and there are some truly ravishing shifts of harmony as this set of very different songs draws to a peaceful close.


text:
Schoolground Fantasy Malevolently Monstrous
Etching Edge have added to the pile of erotic side-scrolling action games with Schoolground Fantasy, a perverted contribution to the eroge community that pits a well-loved teacher against a horde of monsters and playing out as well as those experienced with such eroge can expect.
Players take on the role of Yuriko-sensei and are tasked with felling the grotesque monsters that invaded her school, additionally helping students when she can but only after players are content with subjecting her to the lust of the game's numerous monstrosities.
The fairly buggy Schoolground Fantasy is available for purchase now.


text:
Pamela Keller, Keller Homes
Ask Pam Keller how she's been able to accomplish so much in her life, and she points to two key factors: One, her own innate determination to achieve objectives; and two, a supporting cast of folks who have helped her overcome challenges.
"My story," she says, "is one of pure grit and determination to be the best that I can, combined with the good fortune to have a wonderful family, husband and mentors along the way who believed in me through thick and thin.
Pam Keller was born in Daytona Beach, Fla.; her family moved to the Springs when she was eight. By age 11 she was helping to sell flowers in her parents' floral shop. At 19, after a year of college, she dropped out to sell real estate.
She flourished in that business, married and had a child, but never gave up on a college degree. She received encouragement from Dr. Pam Shockley-Zalabak, UCCS chancellor; last May, she got that degree. "Pam is very influential. She just kept after me," Keller says. Another tribute to determination and a good mentor.
Relationships have been the joy of her life, and none is more important than the one she shares with her husband. "After all these years working together, we feel lucky that we still get along so well," she says. "We both think the same way about business — we're early adopters. We're asking ourselves, 'What's the next horizon?' The next one is never far away these days."
One memorable homebuilding experience was the project Keller Homes took on for the television show, "Extreme Home Makeover." They were touched by "the selfless commitment of the Barrett family," she says. The Barretts are a local family that has adopted five children. "We did so with the hope to encourage other people to follow the Barrett's example and consider adopting children that are looking for a place to call home."
Pam volunteers for myriad nonprofits and community-based organizations, devoting considerable time to economic development initiatives. She chaired the Springs Economic Development Board in 2007-08. "I am passionate about our community and believe that it is my responsibility to give back as so many have given to me. We have a great community, and we need to keep it that way."


text:
There is currently no text in this page. You can search for this page title in other pages, or search the related logs, but you do not have permission to create this page.
This page has been deleted. The deletion and move log for the page are provided below for reference.
- 14:56, 14 May 2008 Karajou (Talk | contribs) deleted page User:ArseBiscuits (bad name; content was: 'I just arrived so could anyone suggest something to do? Thank you.' (and the only contributor was 'ArseBiscuits'))


text:
At some point of for three hundred and sixty five days, over 50% of the us consumers begin on cutting down on calories in losing weight. For the general public, it isn't always smooth to lessen pretty a few pounds, and a few end up a hit in maintaining their reduced frame weight. The mission in dropping a few pounds and staying lean causes a lot of human beings to exchange right into a specialised or commercialized weight loss machine support. In relation to subscribing to a fat loss application, make a choice intelligently.
Seemingly, some of the expert weight reduction programs may assist, supplied that it keeps you encouraged efficaciously to improve how you normally devour or raise the extent of fat you lose at some point of strenuous activity regularly.
What Do I need to take into account when attempting to find a fat Loss gadget?
• Ensure it is secure to use. Even in case you make your specific fat discount plan or employ a expert one, make sure it's miles relied on. A good ingesting habit ought to include every of the prescribed ordinary leeway for supplements, enzymes, and protein-wealthy meals. The nutritional plan ought to be decreased in excess fat (stamina) totally, afar from critical dietary dietary supplements or vitamins. Universal, a diet regime consisting of 1,000 to 1,two hundred calories from fat each day need to be diagnosed for a whole lot of ladies; an eating plan among 1,two hundred calories every day and 1,600 energy an afternoon must be preferred for men, on the other hand, discuss with your health practitioner initially.
• Slower, constant weight reduction. This device desires to be redirected to progressively; constant weight loss except while your health care issuer thinks your kingdom of fitness might advantage from extra faster fat reduction. Expect eliminating no a couple of pound weekly proper after the first week or two. With numerous fat decreased food regimen plans, there is a initial instantaneous weight loss during the first one to 2 weeks, but this unique discount is largely fluid. Your initial brief reduction in liquid may be also obtained speedy after you resume an average fats food intake. As a end result, a sensible reason of dropping weight can be expected. The tempo of slimming down need to actually be 1 pound to 2 kilos weekly.
Each time you are trying to find a commercialized food regimen software, you must really understand the costs and charges for additional products like weight-reduction plan dietary supplements or ingredients. Different critical things to ask to invite any prospective eating regimen include:
• Are the staffs qualified consultants or health professionals like authorized dietitians, physicians, and workout physiologists?
• Are the food selections suitable and perfect?
• Are the weight loss targets set with the aid of the health professional/or the customer?
• precisely how tons is the average weight loss many of the folks who finished the program and at 365 days?
• Are there side consequences or another problems that the clients are having with this application? What precisely are these?
• Is a renovation program available to maintain or hold the load off as soon as it is lost?
In case you intend to lessen about 15 pounds to 20 pounds, having any health troubles, or undergoing remedy constantly, your medical doctor need to assess you before setting out to a weight loss plan. Your physician may want to evaluate your modern health conditions that might be affected by weight loss and dieting.
It is of slight advantage to lose a massive quantity of weight most effective to reclaim it. Your weight loss program ought to encompass plans for weight upkeep after the program is over.
Body wight maintenance is the hardest part of controlling weight and isn't constantly carried out in weight loss applications. This system you select have to help you progress your dietary conduct, increase your activity, and allow you to change different way of life behavior that brought about your weight advantage earlier than.


text:
"Family is like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain the same".
Greetings Family,
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge, our strength, a very present help in times of need.
Love and Blessings to my family in the name of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the strength and protection of the almighty Lord that has kept this family even in the midst of sickness, loss of love ones, and trials of many kind. But we know in the book of James that we should count it all
when test and trials come because it builds our faith in Jesus Christ.
This website is dedicated to the memories
W Charles Shavers and Ada Walker Shavers
Robert J Boles and Mary Jane Washington Boles
and their decendents
This website is intended to provide information and to serve as a vehicle to communicate between family members near and far.
Ada Walker Shavers
Mary Washington Boles
****Please click each of the weblinks on the top right side of this page to see specific information regarding this site ****
Welcome Family
Family Tribute
Family Directory
Family Reunion 2021
Site Map
Guest Book
Contact Us
Powered by MyEvent.com


text:
HEATHROW CONNECT TRAINS - Heathrow Connect Trains Ticket Prices, Timetables and ReservationsYou will pay less for your Heathrow Connect Trains train tickets when you book your tickets online in advance
4.4 stars - Based on 266 Verified Customer ReviewsHeathrow Connect Trains
Heathrow Connect Train Ticket Prices, Timetables and Reservations
The best deals on train fares and the cheapest tickets from Heathrow Connect Trains.
Travel in comfort and style for less to Heathrow Airport from London with Heathrow Connect Trains
Heathrow Connect is the only direct rail service between central London and Terminal 4. What is more, it offers excellent connections to the London Underground network at Ealing Broadway and London Paddington.
Heathrow Connect offers excellent connections to the London Underground network at Ealing Broadway and London Paddington.
Trains run every 30 minutes from London Paddington, calling at Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall, Hayes & Harlington, and Heathrow Central (Terminals 1 & 3). For Terminals 4 & 5, change at Heathrow Central and take the free transfer service departing every 15 minutes.
Heathrow Connect is a cheaper alternative to Heathrow Express, and takes only ten minutes longer between London and Heathrow.
Rail Saver finds you the most cost effective Heathrow Connect Train fares for your rail journey quickly and easily. Enjoy more rail travel for less when you use Rail Saver to book your Heathrow Connect Train tickets online.
United Kingdom


text:
You know what they say. 'A messy desk is the sign of a creative mind.' If that's the case, then one look at my Mac's Desktop should put me in Einstein territory.
My Mac's screen is as littered and cluttered as they come, too, despite trying out a dozen Desktop and app window screen organizers. The problem is I can't stick to an app that helps reduce the onscreen clutter– they're extra effort. Until Cinch. Yes, this window manager is a cinch to use (pun intended).
Use Cinch to setup up hot zones on the edges of your Mac's screen. Then, grab an open app's window and drag it to a hot zone and drop it. The window gets docked to the hot zone.
End result? No more window clutter.
Cinching an app window to the right or left edges of the Mac's screen will automatically resize the window to fill half the screen.
Cinch a window to the top of the Mac's screen, above the Menubar, and the app window opens to fullscreen mode. Grab a window and move it away from the Cinch hot zone and it restores itself to the original size and dimensions.
No more window clutter. No more messy screen. Oh, and split screen, too.
That takes care of app windows that get spread all over the screen, but there are other solutions that work much the same way including the popular Magnet and an old favorite called Split Screen (guess what it does?).
Wait. Doesn't Apple build in a fullscreen and split screen option into macOS Sierra? The problem with Apple's solution is choice and flexibility. The fullscreen mode can be useful and help reduce distractions, but it's also not so easy to manage and set up and doesn't work on every Mac app or utility. For those of us will much larger screens, being able to put app windows into a corner can be a godsend. Cinch works. So does Magnet. Fullscreen and split screen, not so much.


text:
I have a vodafone vodem for my laptop for when im out and about to access the internet,I got a TP-Link TL-WN422G usb wireless adaptor which says it supports soft AP as i want to use this as a access point to give the internet from the vodem to my PSP over wifi. I can't work out how to get internet working this way,I can set the wireless adaptor up as an access point which the psp can find but it cant get internet.
Could anyone give me some ideas here on what I could be doing wrong.


text:
Image Credit: Universal Pictures
Before we begin this review, a major pinch of salt. As someone who once read every Apollo mission's Wikipedia entry, I may be a little bit obsessed with the Space Race. Anyway, First Man is the latest from Ryan Gosling and Damien Chazelle, on the back of their success with La La Land, exploring NASA's attempts at putting a man on the moon, via the eyes of its most famous participant, Neil Armstrong. I had been waiting for this film for some time, and it does not disappoint.
The film is one of contrasting parallels, with the balance of the more mudane, family life with the extraordinary work in space. Upon first arriving, Patricia White welcomes Janet Armstrong to the astronaut's community. After the death of her husband, it is instead Janet's turn to provide support. The film is quite deliberate in the manner of what it does and doesn't show, ensuring that as the film progresses, Neil Armstrong is developed by the lessons he has learnt upon the way. At times, this means the film feels as though it is straying much closer to a biopic than intended, with many important figures in this period of NASA reduced to bit parts. Of course, moments and people of NASA history need to be skipped over in order to get to the moon landing, but I feel that a few could maybe have been lingered on for longer. One especially is the inherent tragedy of Gus Grissom and the AS-204/Apollo 1 test that left three astronauts dead, particularly as the door that sealed their fate had come about as a result of one of his earlier missions. This is also not the film to see for a more critical approach to NASA at the time, and in some ways can only be complemented by watching the excellent Hidden Figures for another, more diverse, perspective.
Continuing the contrasts within the film is the spectacular use of sound. Not since Gravity have we seen such a vivid portrayal of space and spaceflight, and this surpasses even that. Space is a place of contrasts, with the huge, swelling orchestral score giving way to silence on the drop of a hat as the astronauts move between their ship, space, and the lunar surface. Sound is also key for tension, especially in the case of the ill-fated Gemini 8 mission, with a combination of intense sound, light and spectacular cinematography bringing the true dread of the situation to bear. Compare this with earth, which is relatively quiet in comparison. Silence still reigns, but is only matched by an unobtrusive, 60s-tinged score, and the use of the theremin drives home the fact that the astronauts are essentially living science fiction-much of what they learn and use was only created as the result of the Space Race, living on the frontier of scientific development.
As mentioned, the film strays close to being a biopic at times, and as such, a strong portrayal of the central characters are needed. To quote Elton John's 'Rocket Man', Neil Armstrong is not a man who "miss[es] the earth so much". Arguably, he doesn't miss his wife either. After the opening scenes seeing the death of his daughter Karen, Neil is always emotionally distant, responding to questions from his children in the same manner as he would journalists at a press conference. The film hangs the emotional weight of the film on Karen, which while effective, it may have been slightly truer to life to instead focus on Apollo 1, and the commemorative pin that he did leave on the moon.
Semantics aside, Ryan Gosling brings a real personality to Neil through few words, and anyone who can portray emotion via the body language of a space suit is surely something that deserves awards recognition. Awards recognition is also very much deserved by Claire Foy, who as Neil's wife Janet, carries much of the emotional weight that he can't. While she isn't the focus of the film, and doesn't appear as regularly as you might expect, Foy really wrings out everything she can get from the character, providing the balance that her family requires.
From a humble beginning, Neil Armstrong became the first man to visit our lunar companion. This could describe the film as well, starting in a local, family setting before reaching for the stars. While I may prevaricate about what might have been, First Man remains an excellent piece of cinema and I would highly recommend you seek it out.


text:
Brexit debate begins with row over broadcasters
PUBLISHED: 11:18 29 November 2018 | UPDATED: 12:32 29 November 2018
PA Archive/PA Images
The date and time of the BBC's televised Brexit debate has been announced - but so far only Theresa May is signed up.
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism
The BBC's debate will air on Sunday 9 December - most likely at 8pm - a time which would clash with the final of I'm A Celebrity.
Jeremy Corbyn's team have yet to agree to the plan, with opponents accusing the BBC of trying to help the government force Corbyn into a debate while negotiations are still on-going.
Number 10's preference is said to have been with the BBC, as it was the most "rounded" and focused on the prime minister's deal, not the wider political situation.
MORE: Michael Gove tried to speak French in the Commons and it all went wrong
Labour prefers ITV's proposal - which would have also aired on the same day - and would be worked around the I'm A Celebrity final.
A spokesman for Corbyn refused to comment further saying: "Negotiations about the debate are still ongoing."
The BBC said in a tweet: "Like everyone else, we've just heard the prime minister has accepted the BBC's offer to take part in a debate on the Brexit deal on Sunday 9 December. We're delighted she's agreed and hope to hear soon from the Labour party.
"We have been discussing debate formats with both parties and will announce further details soon."
MORE: Ministers accused of misleading parliament over Brexit legal advice
Nicola Sturgeon responded to the BBC by claiming it was a "travesty of democracy" to exclude a Remain voice.
She said: "If this or any Brexit TV debate goes ahead without all options - including that of remaining in the EU - being included and given a voice, it will be an absolute travesty of democracy."
People's Vote supporter Gary Lineker tweeted: "Why have a debate on television, which is presumably an attempt to sway people's opinion one way or the other, only then not to allow the people to decide what the outcome should be?"
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.Become a supporter


text:
Summer's almost here!If you still have a book it is OVERDUE! Bring in all materials and clear all late fines. Bring your ID to the library if you are unsure and we will check your account.
May 26-29 the library will be open for book collection and fine clearance ONLY.
Hours: 8am-3pm and Nutrition. Closed during lunch and Period 4.
June 1-5
Same as above, but also closed during Nutrition.


text:
In an interview with a reporter from TechCrunch on July 6, Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin commented, "I definitely personally hope centralized exchanges burn in hell as much as possible."
According to Buterin, decentralization is paramount to the core principles of transparency and openness in the cryptocurrency space by getting rid of the "stupid king-making power."
Buterin's assertion has generated debate on the value of centralized cryptocurrency exchanges versus decentralized ones.
Changpeng Zhao — CEO of Binance, a leading, centralized cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2017 — responded to Buterin's comments on Monday. Zhao tweeted: "Got asked a few times, re: 'Vitalik's burn in hell'. Let's not wish others to 'burn in hell'. Let's have a bigger heart, and appreciate the fact that we are part of an eco-system [sic]."
According to Rumi Morales, venture capitalist and partner at Outlier Ventures, it's understandable that many people opt for centralized platforms since they feel more comfortable with the technology, comparing it to the turbulent early days of the Internet.
Centralized exchanges have made significant strides in contrast to decentralized ones for that very reason. Winklevoss twins' Gemini platform was recently licensed to exchange Zcash on their site. It was also the first licensed Ether exchange platform and expects to be able to trade Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin in the coming months. Meanwhile, countless unlicensed, decentralized exchanges have been shut down by government regulators, damaging crypto's reputation in the process.
Morales expects a shift in popularity and widespread use of decentralized platforms in the future, as people become more comfortable with the concept. Meanwhile centralized networks are working to gain users' trust. One route to this, they have decided, is championing projects for the greater good. For instance, Binance donated over $5 million USD to victims of flooding in Japan in July 2018, and Ripple, a centralized cryptocurrency, has also contributed to the fund.
According to JP Morgan, one-third of centralized crypto exchanges are hacked. Decentralized ones are not immune, though. Just 24 hours after Buterin's colorful comments, decentralized exchange Bancor suffered a security breach resulting in roughly $13.5 million USD in losses.
Bancor commented on Buterin's contentious comments, tweeting, "'Burning in hell' is a bit extreme, but we do agree with Vitalik Buterin that decentralized solutions — such as Bancor — are the future of blockchain and value exchange."
- Chicago Blockchain Project to Hold First Voice of Blockchain Event - July 31, 2018
- How the .HIVE Gaming App is Buzzing Into the Cryptosphere - July 25, 2018
- What Would Happen if Bitcoin Crashed? Not Much - July 23, 2018
- Venture Capitalist Rumi Morales on the Crypto-Space - July 23, 2018
- Brian Armstrong and Vitalik Buterin Make a Rihanna Sandwich in Fortune's "40 Under 40" - July 23, 2018
- This Week on Crypto Social Media: Barry Silbert, Bernie Sanders and 'Supine Ignorance' - July 20, 2018
- What Do Jeremy Renner of 'The Avengers' and a $40 Million Bitcoin Heist Have in Common? - July 17, 2018
- Bitcoin Will Reach $20,000 USD by End of 2018, Says Expert - July 16, 2018
- Accenture and Thales Debut Blockchain Technology for the Aerospace Industry at Farnborough - July 16, 2018
- This Week on Crypto Social Media: 'Burn in hell,' Facebook Acquiring Coinbase? - July 13, 2018
- Quantum Computing Will Impact Blockchain Technology — Find Out How - July 13, 2018
- Behind the Scenes of Ivan on Tech's Crypto YouTube Channel - July 13, 2018
- Taking on Alexa and Cortana, Snips Debuts Blockchain-Based AI Assistant - July 13, 2018
- Trump Delivers Executive Order to Establish Crypto Fraud Investigations Task Force - July 13, 2018
- How Vitalik Buterin's "Burn in Hell" Comment Sparked Discussion on Centralized Exchanges - July 12, 2018
- Google Missed Out on the Blockchain Frontier: Sergey Brin - July 12, 2018
- FinTank Panel: Blockchain Beyond Banking - July 11, 2018
- Bancor Set to Reactivate After $13.5 Million USD Security Breach - July 10, 2018
- Walmart Files Patent to Use Blockchain in Securing Package Deliveries - July 10, 2018
- YouTube Named in Class-Action Lawsuit Against BitConnect - July 10, 2018
BLOCKTV is the premier televised news source for the blockchain and cryptocurrency community. They are a live, 24/7, TV news channel dedicated to premium reporting on the blockchain and cryptocurrency markets.


text:
Palmdale Best Janitorial Services
At Palmdale Best Janitorial Services, we provide customized Palmdale Janitorial Services to give your building a healthy shine. Our comprehensive janitorial services clean, sanitize and disinfect the surfaces, hardware, offices and common areas of your facility from top to bottom and are customized to meet your frequency needs―daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. Our goal is to have your building make a great first impression on clients and visitors and a lasting impression on employees, boosting their productivity and pride in their workplace.
Palmdale Best Janitorial services offers:
-Palmdale Janitorial services
-Palmdale Commercial cleaning services
-Palmdale Office support services
-Palmdale Day porter service
-Palmdale Steam extraction carpet cleaning service
-Palmdale Floor refinishing, stripping, waxing and sealing
-Palmdale Window cleaning (interior and exterior)
-Palmdale Clean room cleaning (Hepa vacuum and wipe down)
-Palmdale Interior Lighting Maintenance
-Palmdale High Pressure Mobile Wash
-Palmdale Additional Facility Services Available Upon Request
- Customizable Green Cleaning
- 24/7 Service
- Day or Night Cleaning Options
- One-Time Services Available
- Porter or Matron Services


text:
Most firms avoid calling their competitor or colleagues to find spare capacity when they are in immediate need of skilled labour. They may engage a contractor they don't know well, often with mixed results, or hire too fast or too early. They rarely spend the appropriate time to do their due diligence including calling references, especially if their reference is a competitive firm, checking prior work experience and credentials or observing competency and fit.
Hiring is one of the most important activities in any business, especially when hiring for technical expertise. Hiring without serious consideration of culture, the incumbent's history or long-term intentions, can be very costly. When I ran my business, I experienced the impact of the wrong hire on my team and overall performance. It sends the wrong message to the team, can cost money and can jeopardize relationships with key partners and customers. And yet, when firms are in 'react' mode, that is what they often do. "Find me a person with experience now".
Slowing down this process and looking at other options for filling gaps in manning, can provide breathing space to hire well, while at the same time creating a viable option to access experienced, quality personnel for short term needs.
Here are five reasons for using strategic partnerships in your marketplace to address this challenge:
- Growing networks can help expand your business. By creating and working with strategic partnerships, you may be able to tap into certifications, experience or synergies that you typically don't offer, to add greater value for your customers and perhaps your partners as well,
- Tapping into a pool of experienced and skilled resources can address peak demand more effectively, economically and quickly,
- Having a network of competent personnel gives you the time to ramp the business and prove the need for additional staff, which leads to the next reason,
- Very often firms that depend on competent skilled labour, experience what is known as the glass ceiling. It is very hard to take the firm to the next level, often peaking into higher sales, but dropping back, unable to sustain growth. If personnel are hired too early, overheads rise, while profits suffer or stagnate. Manufactures deal with this by triggering additional resources at a sustained utilization for their equipment, monitoring their numbers and planning expansion using known and proven protocols. In this way, facilities follow growth rather than lead it.
- Cultivating strategic relationships provides the flexibility to handle unpredictable peaks, even if there is no intention to push revenues to new levels.
Many trades do not have the infrastructure or systems in place to capture critical metrics such as: revenue per billable hour, effectiveness and efficiency percentages, callbacks, or to directly isolate the productivity of the last 5% of the job. Often the last 5% literally eats profits and customer goodwill, and is more typically a result of the challenges created by peak periods. In these periods two few or the wrong people are sent to site or workers are called off sites to address other demands, disrupting their focus. These are all very critical elements to manage and monitor.
Demands placed on crew and businesses to navigate the many priorities during peak periods create employee fatigue and cost the firm in many ways, not the least of which is lost productivity or quality, trying to do too much, with too little resources, in too short a timeline. Perhaps an overstatement, but I believe that the bulk of callbacks are related to protracted and poorly executed workmanship during peak periods, creating challenges in and for the last 5% of the job. These can be better addressed and benefit from creating strategic relationships in your marketplace and avoiding over working employees or letting key relationships down.
As I've been introducing LincEdge, I have noted that many Electrical Contractors have relationships in place to reach out to, for just these reasons. We believe that our tool makes this connection easier and faster, while ensuring documented communication. This also engages staff that would not otherwise be billable or productive, which improves profitability and can put revenue into the business, while reducing costs in slower periods.
We're seeing a shift in how business is conducted with more and more online solutions. The sharing economy can have a positive impact on your bottom line, especially when it is done safely and efficiently. Check out LincEdge and give us a call with your feedback. We can make a difference.
Join our Blog Mailing List!
Marilyn Sanford is the co-founder and CEO of LincEdge.
In the past, she had co-founded and ran a custom install firm for 24 years.
You can find Marilyn on LinkedIn.


text:
{{item.Town}} | {{item.County}} {{item.PostCode}}
Our ref # {{item.BCId}}
You have {{cartItemCount}} properties on your shortlistClear all
{{item.Town}} | {{item.County}} {{item.PostCode}}
Our ref # {{item.BCId}}
This Business Centre is on the 5th & 6th Floor of the The Hive and offers Grade A, Serviced Office Accommodation. 120 workstations available on flexible agreements. The Hive has a BREEAM rating of Outstanding and is fully DDA compliant. Superfast Business Grade Connectivity and Telecom services available. Offices range from Executive Offices to Team Space. The Hive is just five minutes on foot from Piccadilly Railway Station and the Metrolink and Bus interchange at Piccadilly Gardens, providing great public transport links across the region and the UK.
{{ bc.Town }} | {{ bc.Location }} {{ bc.PostCode }}
Our ref: #{{ bc.RefNo }}
Loading ...
{{ text }}


text:
3x4: 100
The appearance of a new character is a mystery for everybody, and gets darker when he seems to be linked with the zombie crisis.
Datos sobre el episodio y opinión
We do not have a review about this episode yet, but... You can collaborate by writing your own review! You can upload it by clicking here
Caution: the comments section is located below this text. It is impossible for us to moderate everything said by the users due to high traffic volume. Please, if you did not watch the episode yet, be careful with spoilers


text:
This Podcast Will Change Your Life, Episode One Hundred and Forty-One - Semi-Plausible, starring the Leland Cheuk.
We are so semi-plausible and so This Podcast Will Change Your Life. We are also Leland Cheuk, not to mention The Misadventures of Sulliver Pong, the Chinese Exclusion Act, fathers and sons and estrangement and maple donuts, identity, Halt and Catch Fire, cancer and bone marrow donation, the Bay Area, Letters from Dinosaurs, immigrants, going too far and much, much more. So do hit it, it will most certainly change your life.


text:
$300,000,000—that's how much De Beers is paying to make its American legal problems go away. (See sidebar for description.)
If you're a trade member—which includes retailers—who has bought or sold diamonds over the last 13 years, you are entitled to part of that $300 million. Here is how it breaks down: Some $27 million is going to direct purchasers from De Beers and other rough suppliers. That leaves $270.25 million, which will be split 50–50 between consumers and the trade.
Trade members likely will share about $140 million, minus about 20 percent for attorney fees, as well as a couple of million for administrative costs. The money is divided according to how much was bought, so high-volume buyers get the most.
Even so, there is money coming your way. To get it, class members must file a claim form and submit it to the legal authority that's distributing the money. Those claim forms were not available at press time but are expected to be ready around December.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the De Beers antitrust settlement:
How do I file a claim? When they're ready, the claim forms will be mailed to a list of jewelry retailers and trade members. In addition, they will be posted on a new site, www.diamondsclassaction.com, as well as on the Jewelers Vigilance Committee site, www.jvclegal.org. Both sites will include guidance on how to complete the form and where to send them.
Class members can direct questions about the forms to the claims administrator for the class-action suit, Rusk Consulting, (800) 760-5431, or to Cecilia Gardner, JVC's president, CEO, and general counsel, at firstname.lastname@example.com. The lawyers intend to allow six months for the forms to be completed.
The forms require you to list two years during which you made diamond purchases in the period between Jan. 1, 1994, and March 31, 2006. The two years need not be consecutive. Obviously, you're advised to show your two highest-purchase years.
When will I get the money? Joseph J. Tabacco, one of the attorneys behind the suit, thinks that, given the complexities involved, settlement checks probably won't be mailed until late 2008.
Should I use a service to help me fill out the forms? Doing the most to publicize the settlement are services that offer to help class members file their claims, in exchange for a percentage of the settlement. The lawyers behind the settlement say they don't think the services are necessary. "I would not recommend them," Tabacco says. "When people see the claim forms, they will see it's a relatively simple process to fill them out. If they have trouble, the claims administrator is going to be available to help them. We understand some of these [services], who have no connection with anybody, are charging up to a third [of the settlement]. If there is a problem, the same people who want a third are also going to have a problem filling it out."
JVC offers no opinion on the value of these services but agrees the forms will be easy to fill out and notes the services cannot provide the most important information—your two years of diamond sales. "You are going to have to do your own homework," Gardner says. "No one is going to be able to come up with your sales figures. You are the only one who can provide that information."
Will this get me a lot of money? Probably not, Gardner says. "People often get stars in their eyes when they hear they are getting a share of $290 million," she notes. "Obviously the bigger players will get the bigger pieces. It all depends on how many people apply. But I do think there are going to be a lot of claims being made."
Tabacco says, "We think it's a large number of potential class members. Usually only about 10 percent make claims, but we can't predict how many people will fill out the forms. [The checks] will only likely be a modest percentage of their overall purchases."
Gardner adds that while no one is likely to get rich off this settlement, everyone eligible should file a claim, since it is money they are legally entitled to.
What about the consumer component? The settlement allots $140 million for consumers who bought diamonds during the period. Although jewelers are not directly involved in this, some fear they could be drawn in peripherally. "Consumers may be confused as to how to go about making their claim and may approach their local retailer," Gardner says. "This would be incorrect—they have to make the claim against the fund, as the instructions will provide." She also worries that consumers might think the problem was with their retailer. "Of course, the retailer had nothing to do with the claims settled in the lawsuit," she notes.
Tabacco doesn't expect a problem. "We are not directing consumers to contact retailers, and I don't think they will," he explains.
Other concerns have been raised about public relations implications, especially since the settlement will be widely advertised in magazines and newspapers. This is an industry whose image has taken some hits, and many worry about the fallout when reports about a "diamond antitrust suit" begin appearing in the media.
De Beers spokeswoman Lynette Gould doesn't anticipate a problem. "There is bound to be some noise during the notice period, but this is pretty inevitable," she says. "In our view, the fact of this settlement does not make diamonds less attractive, less aspirational, or less valuable."
Tabacco, the company's courtroom antagonist, agrees. "It's a pretty esoteric issue—monopolization of the trade in rough diamonds," he says. "There is some concern that some journalists will write articles about this, but the story of De Beers and their monopolization of the diamond industry has been out there for some time. And they are the ones with the stores on Fifth Avenue."


text:
Hello and welcome to the M Inspired community!
As a certified Life Coach, here you will find a loving space in which I share thoughts and advice on living from a place of love. When we live from the natural state of love and peace, abundance naturally flows into our lives.
My passion is to inspire and show people that there is a silver lining in each and every day, although some days you may need a magnifying glass to see it, it's there, I promise ;)
This is a safe space to share thoughts and feelings so I please request that you respect other's opinions should they differ from your own. Any ill hearted comments will be deleted.
Much love to my M Inspired tribe!
~megan xo


text:
Lights, camera...copyright infringement!26 September 2017
The Federal Court of Australia recently handed down orders in two cases concerning access to copyright infringing websites. These are the latest in a string of cases under s 115A of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), which allows the Federal Court to order internet service providers to block access to overseas websites that facilitate copyright infringement.
In Foxtel Management Pty Limited v TPG Internet Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 1041, Foxtel sought orders against TPG, Telstra, Optus and Vocus to block access to 17 copyright infringing sites, including WatchSeries, Project Free TV and Putlocker. The sites in question were hosting a number of unauthorised streams of film and television content without the licence or approval of the copyright owners of the works. Justice Burley granted orders blocking access to all 17 sites on the basis that their primary purpose was to infringe, or facilitate infringement of, Foxtel's copyright over a number of television series.
In Roadshow Films Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Limited [2017] FCA 965, Roadshow Films sought orders against the same internet service providers (being TPG, Telstra, Optus and Vocus) to block a further 49 copyright infringing websites including The Pirate Bay, EZTV and Demonoid. Justice Nicholas held that the sites "flagrantly" facilitated the infringement of Roadshow Film's copyright by allowing internet users to directly stream or download copyright infringing material.
Since the enactment of s 115A of the Copyright Act in 2015, the Federal Court has ordered more than 340 domain names be blocked by internet service providers in Australia.


text:
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'rain' tag.
Snowflakes dove from high clouds, mimicking their northern sisters who had successfully decorated the landscape for Christmas. Tropical breezes dissolved the flurry into tiny droplets. The parched earth embraced the saturated air. Glimmering mist kissed tree trunks, leaves, and noses of all who turned out to receive it. Heaven's dew returned to bless the pleading world with an affectionate, I mist you…
While setting up Christmas lights today, I squinted to see a silvered version of neighboring homes. Though too fine for my eyes to see, the water's effect remained undeniable. No matter how I might try to ignore the moisture, it enveloped me. I walked across the glistening lawn to get an extension cord. The yellowed grass squeaked a chorus of praise beneath my soles. Ah, how water revives and transforms our perspective when we feel the need for its quenching power.
The fine mist thickened within an hour. We could no longer ignore the rain's presence. I prayed over my husband's footsteps on the slick rooftop and ladder. And marveled at the promises spoken through our tropical flurry. The message of Christmas reigns over the world, despite its attempts to deny the true presence of Living Water.
We could look for Christmas at the mall, on Hollywood screens, or in the platitudes of cheery cards and carols. The marketplace attempts to whet our appetites for celebration, but fails to quench our thirst for life. Many feel estranged and disenchanted from this plasti-perfect requiem to build happy facades with our good fortune. Misfortune seems out of place among 'the holidays,' but the Lord crafted Christmas for those with no hope left in the world.
Christ laid aside his royal splendor to take the helpless form of a human infant. Born in a barn. To a homeless and outcast couple. Among people so oppressed and heavily taxed by foreign government that they could barely afford to eat. In a world starved of good news or any word from God. Despair, crippling diseases, and chronic illness ravaged the nation. Corruption infiltrated governments and worship leaders. The parched earth cried out for God's presence. Jesus poured Himself into the midst of the horror. He starved, endured betrayal, and suffered unfathomable pain. He walked hundreds of country and back-alley miles to offer the quenching presence of God to remain with us forever. He didn't spare a single drop of His life.
As the world's thirsty plea for hope rings on today, Jesus still offers the fullness of Himself to slake our deficiencies. He refreshes our dusty flesh-state and revives our souls. Christ descends on us like gentle, yet saturating mist. Even when we fail to notice, His presence envelops us and all our circumstances. Hardships lighten in the silvery mist of eternal hope. Our strength renews, and we no longer feel as if we bear our burdens alone. Unlimited joy seasons the breezes from beyond the horizon, where our destined home holds an eternity free from problems. Heaven awaits as our next step, and the Author of Life promises to walk alongside us on the way there. We can stretch out our arms and sing in the glimmering rain.
As Living Water transforms our vision, we recognize those withering neighbors who need to hear the songs of heaven's dew. This Christmas, will you join me in reaching out to offer a sip of refreshing hope to those who thirst? Be part of of the flurry. May Christmas pour Christ's blessings through you until the world shimmers.
"The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them" (Isaiah 41:17).
"In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you. . .They will neither hunger nor thirst. . .Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who hope in me will not be disappointed" (Isaiah 49:8-23).
"Therefore, 'they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
'Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,'
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
'he will lead them to springs of living water.'
'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes'" (Revelation 7:15-17).
"He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today. . . a Savior has been born to you. . . This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger'" (Luke 2:5-12).
"whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14).
"Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty'" (John 6:35).
Ruach gusted from the Creator's lips into soulless forms on the earth. Life billowed into flesh and gave significance to the carcasses. Darkness shattered the perfection of Eden. Creation turned from its direct connection to Pure Lifebreath and distracted itself in a clamor to gasp for its own survival. The earth staggered and suffered in its putrid marshes of paganism and humanism while a remnant lifted their heads for the lilt of the Father's breeze. After salvation dawned upon the world, new life rushed into a cloistered group of terrified disciples. Pneuma, as their language described it, set their breath ablaze with the advent of the Holy Spirit among believers. Revival whooshed across continents with unceasing demand.
An ongoing need to inhale fresh Spiritbreath persists. The breath of God alone begets life. Without His wind in our souls, we deflate to a gasping existence on dead calm seas.
We all need refreshment. In this stale pit of tragedy and confusion, our shoulders sag after so many miles of care. The norm can easily fade to drear and our words begin to lack flavor. Without a gust of divine breath, we suffocate in the dismal valley. We must seek His presence continually, and ask Him for renewal.
Florida's sticky heat clutches at my chest as a constant reminder of my own Pneuma dependence. Our tropical summer waxed on for an extra month. The peak of hurricane season had passed, but the rains continued to pelt us. Nineteen inches drenched our September lawn. Temperatures wavered between eighty-eight and ninety-three, but steam hung in the air long after dusk. I attempted a prayerful walk around my neighborhood one evening. After less than a mile, I fought for breath.
Focus on circumstances had recently mired my soul in the doldrums and I struggled to keep moving in the work before me. Hot, sticky despair daunted my steps. Gloomy skies stretched beyond their due season. I pleaded for breath. I searched the heavens for a gust of Spirit to raise my flattened soul. And when I asked, ever faithful God demonstrated His goodness and breathed Pneuma into my spirit. Much like a gust of fresh, autumn-like air.
This weekend's front gusted away the humid doldrums with a cool, refreshing wind. I snatched a sleeved blouse from the closet and leapt outside. Grins bloomed across the landscape–in passing cars, along the sidewalks, and throughout church. We held Sunday school outdoors to celebrate the occasion. Sighs floated on the breeze with contented remarks such as, "It's so nice."
I rolled back my sagging shoulders and drew in long drafts of rare autumn. Blues saturated the heavens, where the birds soared and dove to immerse themselves in fresh air. I closed my eyes to offer prayers of gratitude. How magnificent is the Lord, revealing His creative glory in a breath of wind! Thank You, Father, for much-needed refreshment .
The temperatures will rise again mid-week. Humidity lurks in the near forecast, too. When the tropics settle over me, I can now face each day with the energy of revived breath. Pneuma alone renews the spirit. Thank You, Father, for a gust of Ruach to refresh my stagnant soul each time I ask.
How long will you gasp before calling for the LifeGiver to breathe refreshment into your soul?
"Send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground." Psalm 104:30
and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
his word runs swiftly…
He sends his word and melts them;
he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow." Psalm 147:15, 18
Rain cascades from the grey mists above to saturate vegetation and the aquifers beneath it. Drops tinkle against windows and tin to craft a natural melody for the tree frog's song. The first day of rain sets the outdoor world in gem-like sheen.
We dust-beings observe from shelter. New scenery delights the eye–until the novelty tarnishes. A month's thirst fades from our mind after one wet day too many. Well before a storm threatens to flood our property, we bewail the missing sun. Our complaints against its harsh rays slip out from memory as we begrudge the clouds' unwelcome shade. We plead for showers, then wish them to end. How our fickle hearts betray us!
Discontent plagues the human race, for we do not align our hearts with the Wellspring of Joy. Happiness eludes those who stare from cave-like holes at the circumstances, impaling their hope on "whether" forecasts.
Joy assures us of life breathed into our dry carcasses, regardless of heat or storms. Christ calms the storms within so we can dance with Him in rain or shine without melting.
I praise You, Lord, Maker of all things from grey to gold. You hold my hand and quiet my thundering heart. In You, my Savior, I can rest with content. You are all I need, and my true thirst is quenched by Your Spirit's spring of life within me. Thank You, Lord Jesus. May all Your works drum and shine together as a melody of praise to which Your children sing. Amen.


text: I was the most reluctant to believe essential oils actually held the power to change my mood or my emotions. But one day during a particularly stressful day working in the ICU I had happened to wear my diffuser necklace with a powerful uplifting oil blend. I found myself routinely raising the necklace to my … Read More


text: Sage offers one of the most memorable fine dining experiences on the Strip thanks to its sexy lounge decor and a fresh, ever-changing menu from James Beard Award-winning Chef Shawn McClain. Purple and yellow tones fill the space -- from the ribbon-patterned carpet to the warm mood lighting cast by tasteful chandeliers -- and match the equally vibrant menu, which has featured items including grilled Spanish octopus, black bass, and Wagyu filet. Sage is a favorite in the area for its inventive cocktails, too, including one mixed with cotton candy.


text:
Great interracial scene I did with this big guy and his big black cock. In the first part of the video I sucked his cock and taking into my mouth I makde it wet for my pussy, then I fucked myself in the pussy with it. He drilled my pussy so good.
- 04:32
- 7534
- 2017-12-29
Link follow:
Link nofollow:
Link nofollow:


text:
Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city.
She will stop at nothing to end them.
Even if that means becoming a slave again.
Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won't know who she is or what she intends to do. She's prepared for every complication.
Except him.
The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart.
Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He's also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy.
Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her?
Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?
It is recommended to read after Deliver & Vanquish, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
Pam Godwin is an automatic One-Click for me, her books hold so much passion and emotion this book was no different.
It is the third book in an amazing series, however it can be read as a standalone. This whole series tells the story of courage, redemption, strength and endurance, as well as absolute total and complete undying love. It was SUCH a beautiful story. I can't recommend it strongly enough!
It gave me chills, made my heart pound and my mind race, it was on my mind all through out the day and kept me up at night. Most of all, this book made me FEEL.
I don't want to say anything more about it because you just have to give yourself over to this story and see where it takes you.
Amazon US: www.amazon.com/dp/B01L2G3R3C
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.
Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.
You can follow her at:
Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.
You can follow her at:


text:
4100 Alien aggravator
It is convenient that when I cannot put a tag on a build I can name it 'alien'. While this is another variation of the previous models the main distinction is that it has four exhausts in a row, making the back section quite wide. It was also the starting premise of this design and the front section had to be just as wide to make a nice fit. I didn't want to copy previous setups of wide front sections so in this case I put two windscreens next to the large chimney-like brick and worked my way around it. This gives the front section a very different look and that was what I was looking for. It is too easy to fall back to familiar patterns.
Already have some of the parts? Use the Build this MOC page to only show the parts you are missing.
Waiting for Inventory to load
Use LEGO Digital Designer to open these files and generate step by step building instructions.


text:
Popular Links
CCS Response to COVID-19
In an effort to slow the threat of coronavirus (COVID-19), Gov. Roy Cooper extended school closure to May 15 and ordered group limitations to 50 or under.
More information from the school district.
News Releases
Message from the Superintendent to the Class of 2020
As we work through this 'new' reality, it is important to our system that we make a commitment to our seniors to hold a graduation ceremony as well as prom. We can't confirm specific details, but we want to let our students know that we will make sure these events happen. We are aware that other senior activities have been postponed, and these will be rescheduled if possible.
Limited Operations During the Stay at Home Order
As ordered by Gov. Roy Cooper public schools are closed until May 15 and the Governor's recent announcement of a 30-day stay at home order means that the already limited operations of the school system will be reduced further.
School Closure Extended to May 15
Gov. Roy Cooper extended school closure to May 15 in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
No School Visitors Please
To limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), all schools are closed to students as directed by Gov. Roy Cooper. Effective Friday, Mar. 20, the school district will restrict visitors who are non-employees on all school campuses and educational sites.


text:
All these U Crate 100's have just been unloaded out of a 40 foot container arriving Charleston USA from Rotterdam. The ship arrived earlier this week, they have cleared through customs and we will be arranging deliveries across the USA next week.
Curb to curb with UPakWeShip. Great rates, Fast service, awesome customer service and one company in control both sides of the pond.
www.upakweship.com Safe shipping with U Crate 100's


text:
Why Home Alone 2 is the perfect sequel
In his video "The Day Alien Died", YouTuber Adam Tinius highlighted the five major steps to creating a good sequel in relation to James Cameron's Aliens. When I think of sequels that remain as enjoyable as - or even surpass - the original, I think of films like Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Dark Knight and Toy Story 2. In my mind, each of these do exactly what they set out to accomplish, while also following the five steps that Tinius mentions in his video:
1. Give the audience something new
2. Identify what worked and build off of it
3. Change the stakes
4. Add new memorable characters
4. Add new memorable characters
5. Play with expectations
With it being the Christmas season, I took the time to a watch a few of my festive favourites again. Besides Gremlins and my annual rewatching of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I sat down with my family and went through the first two entries of the Home Alone franchise.
Directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the original Home Alone was released in 1990 and has remained a cult classic with many families over the years since. It featured rising child star Macaulay Culkin in the role of Kevin McAllister, who is mistakenly left home alone when his family flies to Paris for a Christmas holiday, and is forced to contend with two burglars who attempt to rob his house. Critics praised Culkin's performance, the slapstick humour and the creativity of the booby traps as particularly high points of the film. It also earned enough money to become the third-highest-grossing film of all time at its release.
Directed by Chris Columbus and written by John Hughes, the original Home Alone was released in 1990 and has remained a cult classic with many families over the years since. It featured rising child star Macaulay Culkin in the role of Kevin McAllister, who is mistakenly left home alone when his family flies to Paris for a Christmas holiday, and is forced to contend with two burglars who attempt to rob his house. Critics praised Culkin's performance, the slapstick humour and the creativity of the booby traps as particularly high points of the film. It also earned enough money to become the third-highest-grossing film of all time at its release.
It was a no-brainer that 20th Century Fox would eventually greenlight a sequel. Columbus and Hughes both returned to do Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The setting was moved from a quiet suburb to the bustling streets of Manhattan, with Kevin once again being separated from his family and spending Christmas trying to foil the plans of Harry and Marv - the Wet Bandits - who escape from prison and are plotting to rob a toy store. I believe that Adam Tinius' rules for making a sequel apply here too, as Home Alone 2 ticks all of his boxes for how a film like this should be made.
Give the Audience Something New
Give the Audience Something New
With the setting moving to New York City, there became more opportunities for Kevin's shenanigans. Being a ten-year old left alone with his rich father's credit card in one of the biggest cities in the world, naturally he spends money at a large toy store, on an expensive hotel room, and plenty of room service. This also allowed the film to work with more subplots besides the return of the Wet Bandits - now calling themselves the Sticky Bandits - such as Kevin's encounter with the pigeon lady or the hotel concierge attempting to have him arrested. It may have felt like Home Alone 2 recycled parts of the original, but there were also new things to work with.
Identify What Worked and Build Off of It
As previously established, critics found the creativity of Kevin's booby traps as well as the slapstick humour to be particular high points of the original film. This was dialled up for the sequel, with many of the traps being more elaborate and causing greater injuries to Harry and Marv during the final act. In fact, many of the injuries the two criminals endure would be potentially lethal if it happened in real life. Have we forgotten that Marv is literally electrocuted by a rigged AC/DC Arc Welder for the better part of half a minute? What about Harry dunking his burning head into a toilet filled with some kind of flammable liquid, enough to create an impressive light show and give him third-degree burns? Bigger is always better, and the increasingly lethal properties of these moments is what made Home Alone 2 so memorable.
Change the Stakes
The stakes are already larger when Kevin is no longer in a familiar environment such as his home, but a busy city filled with strangers and dangerous criminals. His mother knew where he'd be in the first one, she'd just have to journey back to find him, but in the sequel, she's left scouring the streets, desperately searching for her son. Not only that, but the threat of death is also increased. In the first Home Alone, no matter how close the Wet Bandits came to catching Kevin, he was never really in any sort of fatal danger. They were likely going to tie him up and steal from his home. But this time, Harry has a gun and states several times throughout the final part of the film about how he plans on shooting the boy.
Add New Memorable Characters
Home Alone 2 is filled with new characters that are just as memorable as the ones in the first. The hotel's concierge and bellhop as played by Tim Curry and Rob Schneider act as the main degree of comedy for the first half until the main plot with the Sticky Bandits is set in full motion. The pigeon lady and sweet old Mr Duncan provide the more sentimental moments, echoing the scenes between Kevin and Old Man Marley in the first film. All of these actors did a fantastic job of creating new memorable characters in Home Alone 2, and are a big reason of why this film is just as good as the original.
Play with Expectations
There are two scenes in particular that I feel toy with people's expectations quite well in Home Alone 2. The beginning reuses a joke from the original where the family accidentally sleep in and are pressed for time to make it to the airport. The déjà vu kicks in for Kevin's mother as she gets in the car and exclaims "where's Kevin?", before he turns around from the front seat and grabs his plane ticket. Of course, anyone knowing the film's subtitle would realise it's obvious he wouldn't be left behind in the suburbs again, but it's still a funny "gotcha!" moment.
The second moment is much smaller, but still comes as a shock. It's during the scene where Harry and Marv are going around the townhouse laden with traps. When they come to the stairs, they quickly deduce that Kevin will try the paint can trick again like he did in the first film. They pretend to walk up the stairs, but narrowly avoid getting smacked in the face both times, only to instead meet a very painful fate as Kevin throws down a metal bar that knocks them down into the basement. It's probably one of the funniest moments in the entire film, and a good example of how it defies expectations.
There are many great sequels that manage to tick only three or four of these boxes, but what makes Home Alone 2: Lost in New York the perfect sequel is how well it manages to qualify in each of these steps. Both films are pretty perfect Christmas films in my eyes, and have been a big highlight of the holiday for me over the years. I can't wait to watch them both again next year!
What are your thoughts on the Home Alone films?


text:
BEIRUT — U.S.-backed Syrian forces are clearing two villages in eastern Syria of remaining Islamic State militants who are hiding among the local population, and detaining others attempting to flee with the civilians, the U.S.-led coalition said Thursday.
The clearance operations are taking place in the villages of Shajalah and Baghouz, near the border with Iraq, a coalition statement said, hours after scores of militants from the Islamic State group — including many foreign fighters — surrendered to U.S.-backed fighters known as the Syrian Democratic Forces on Wednesday night.
The developments brought the Kurdish-led force closer to taking full control of the last remaining area controlled by the extremists, a Kurdish official and activists said.
Ciyager Amed, an official with the Syrian Democratic Forces, confirmed that a number of IS fighters who had been holed up in the village of Baghouz gave themselves up, without giving numbers. He said most of those remaining were Iraqis and foreigners and that few civilians remained in the tiny sliver of land still in IS hands, although women and children are continuing to trickle out of the enclave.
The capture of Baghouz and nearby areas would mark the end of a devastating four-year global campaign to end the extremist group's hold on territory in Syria and Iraq, their so-called "caliphate" which at the height of the militant group's power in 2014 controlled nearly a third of both Iraq and Syria.
President Donald Trump has said the group is all but defeated, and announced in December that he would withdraw all American forces from Syria.
A coalition official, however, reiterated on Wednesday that IS continues to pose a threat to the security of the region even if their hold on territory is ending.
"While ISIS is on the verge of collapse, and the end of the physical caliphate is at hand it does not signal the end of this campaign," said U.K. Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika, using another acronym for IS. "We will pursue them until that threat is eliminated."
The coalition statement said SDF forces are detaining IS militants who are attempting to escape among the civilians fleeing the fighting in Baghouz. Those "arriving to be screened are the wives of ISIS fighters, some of whom sustained gunshot wounds while fleeing from ISIS," Ghika said.
Mustafa Bali, an SDF spokesman, said hundreds of women and children came out Wednesday. He said the fighters who remained appeared to be among the IS elite who have lots of experience and are fighting "fiercely.'
"They also don't have other options. Either to surrender or die," Bali said.
Amid the exodus of people from the last pocket of territory held by IS, scores of foreign women married to IS militants have come out, including French, Canadian and other nationals. They are being held in SDF-run camps in eastern Syria, which have been overwhelmed with newcomers and lacking enough food, water and medical care.
Among those is a British teenager, Shamima Begum, who ran away from Britain four years ago to join the Islamic State extremists. The 19-year-old was found by The Times newspaper in a refugee camp in northern Syria. According to the story published Thursday, she is nine months pregnant and worried about the health of her unborn child.
"In the end, I just could not endure anymore," she said, describing the death from illness and malnutrition of her first two children. "Now all I want to do is come home to Britain."
Meanwhile, the leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran are meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Thursday for talks hosted by Vladimir Putin about the latest developments in northern Syria.
Russia, a key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, is getting increasingly impatient about militants in Syria's Idlib province.
Russia and Turkey, which supports the Syrian opposition, had brokered a cease-fire for Idlib, the last remaining rebel stronghold that averted a major government offensive but that deal has been strained as al-Qaida-linked militants seized towns and villages in Idlib.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russia is going to raise its concerns at the talks about the presence of "terrorists" there.
Associated Press writer Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.


text:
There's no question that most of us identify with our online MMO characters. To that end, the name we choose generally -means- something to us. In a new editorial today, we take a look at how and why we name our 'babies' as we do. Read on!
Starting a new MMORPG is one of my favorite things, because this is a time when you get to be really creative if you want to. After selecting your perfect look, deciding between those last two hair styles or armor pieces that will top off the image you want to project of your brand new superhero, spy, bounty hunter, elf, or giant feline, is naming your character. Do you use the random generators? Not care much and just take whatever's available? Come up with a jokey moniker? Reuse the name you've been using since your MUD days in 1996? Or are you like me and invest time and thought into each character's name based upon multiple factors?