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I discovered philosophy firstly through psychology and then religious studies. I love the "big questions" that have occupied philosophers from various traditions, such as: Does God exist? What can we know, and how can we know it? What is the nature of the mind? How should we live? These are questions that everyone considers from time to time. I don't claim to know the answers to any of these questions; for me, the actual answers - if there are any - are less important than discussion about what possible answers there might be.
B.A. (hons) Lancaster
M.A. Sheffield
Ph.D Lancaster
Before joining MMU, Lloyd taught Philosophy at the University of Wales, Lampeter, Lancaster University and the University of Central Lancashire. He has also worked as a Marketing Manager for an I.T. support company, and as a freelance I.T. consultant.
Leader of Intellectual History research cluster
Faculty co-ordinator for distance learning PhDs
Combined Honours programme leader
Introduction to the History of Philosophy (1st year)
Philosophy of Religion (2nd year)
Key texts in modern European philosophy (MA)
Shandon Guthrie (PhD)
Karen Sieben (PhD)
Jack Read (PhD)
Oxford University (Department for Continuing Education)
His principal research interests are Early Modern Philosophy (especially Leibniz), and Philosophy of Religion. He has recently completed two book projects, Leibniz's Legacy and Impact (Routledge, 2019) and Leibniz's Key Philosophical Writings: A Guide (Oxford University Press, 2020), and is currently finishing another, Leibniz's Examination of the Christian Religion (for Oxford University Press). He also runs a website which contains many of his translations of Leibniz's writings: www.leibniz-translations.com . He would love to relax by lounging about, but doesn't seem to have the time for it these days.
L. Strickland (2018). The Philosophical Writings of Prémontval. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
L. Strickland (2016). Leibniz's Harmony between the Kingdoms of Nature and Grace. Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie. 98(3), pp.302-329.
L. Strickland (2016). Leibniz on God and Religion. London: Bloomsbury.
L. Strickland, M. Church (2015). Leibniz's Observations on Hydrology: An Unpublished Letter on the Great Lombardy Flood of 1705. Ann Sci. 72(4), pp.517-532.
L. Strickland (2014). Leibniz's Monadology. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
L. Strickland (2020). Leibniz's Examination of the Christian Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
L. Strickland, P. Lodge (2020). Leibniz's Key Philosophical Writings: A Guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
L. Strickland, J. Weckend (2019). Leibniz's Legacy and Impact. New York: Routledge.
L. Strickland (2018). Proofs of God in Early Modern Europe An Anthology. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.
L. Strickland (2018). The Philosophical Writings of Prémontval. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield.
L. Strickland, E. Vynckier, J. Weckend (2017). Tercentenary Essays on the Philosophy and Science of Leibniz. Palgrave.
L. Strickland (2016). Leibniz on God and Religion. London: Bloomsbury.
L. Strickland (2014). Leibniz's Monadology. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
L. Strickland (2011). Leibniz and the Two Sophies. Toronto: CRRS, University of Toronto Press.
L. Strickland (2006). The Shorter Leibniz Texts. London: Continuum.
L. Strickland (2006). Leibniz Reinterpreted. Continuum.
L. Strickland (2020). Prémontval's "General Misunderstanding on the Question of Optimism". Philosophical Readings. 12,
L. Strickland (2019). Staying Optimistic: The Trials and Tribulations of Leibnizian Optimism. Journal of Modern Philosophy. 1(1), pp.1-21.
L. Strickland (2018). The "fourth hypothesis" on the early modern mind-body problem. Ergo. 5(25), pp.665-685.
L. Strickland (2018). The Problem of Religious Evil: Does Belief in God Cause Evil?. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion. 84(2), pp.237-250.
L. Strickland (2017). Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Oxford Bibliographies in Renaissance and Reformation.
L. Strickland (2017). Leibniz vs. transmigration: a previously unpublished text from the early 1700s. Quaestiones Disputatae. 7(2), pp.139-159.
L. Strickland (2016). Leibniz's Egypt Plan (1671–1672): from holy war to ecumenism. Intellectual History Review. 26(4), pp.461-476.
L. Strickland (2016). Leibniz's Harmony between the Kingdoms of Nature and Grace. Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie. 98(3), pp.302-329.
P. Phemister, L. Strickland (2015). Leibniz's Monadological Positive Aesthetics. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 23(6), pp.1214-1234.
L. Strickland, M. Church (2015). Leibniz's Observations on Hydrology: An Unpublished Letter on the Great Lombardy Flood of 1705. Ann Sci. 72(4), pp.517-532.
L. Strickland (2014). The "who designed the designer?" objection to design arguments. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion. 75(2), pp.87-100.
L. Strickland (2013). Philosophy and the Search for Truth. Philosophia. 41(4), pp.1079-1094.
L. Strickland (2013). God's creatures? Divine nature and the status of animals in the early modern beast-machine controversy. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology. 74(4), pp.291-309.
L. Strickland (2011). God and Prepunishment. Philosophical Papers. 40(1), pp.105-127.
L. Strickland (2011). Taking scripture seriously: Leibniz and the Jehoshaphat problem. The Heythrop Journal. 52, pp.40-51.
L. Strickland (2010). The doctrine of 'the resurrection of the same body' in early modern thought. Religious Studies. 46(2), pp.163-183.
L. Strickland (2010). Leibniz's Philosophy of Purgatory. American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly. 84(3), pp.531-548.
L. Strickland (2010). False Optimism? Leibniz, Evil, and the Best of all Possible Worlds. Forum Philosophicum. 15(1), pp.17-35.
L. Strickland (2009). Leibniz, The "Flower of Substance," and The Resurrection of The Same Body. The Philosophical Forum. 40(3), pp.391-410.
L. Strickland (2009). The Philosophy of Sophie, Electress of Hanover. Hypatia. 24(2), pp.186-204.
L. Strickland (2009). Leibniz on Eternal Punishment. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 17(2), pp.307-331.
L. Strickland (2006). God's problem of multiple choice. Religious Studies. 42(02), pp.141-157.
L. Strickland (2006). Leibniz on Whether the World Increases in Perfection. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 14(1), pp.51-68.
L. Strickland (2005). Determining the Best of All Possible Worlds. The Journal of Value Inquiry. 39(1), pp.37-47.
L. Strickland (2005). On The Necessity Of The Best (Possible) World. Ars Disputandi. 5(1), pp.14-27.
L. Strickland (2005). How modern was Leibniz's biology?. Studia Leibnitiana. 37(2), pp.186-207.
L. Strickland (2020). Leibniz's Consilium Aegyptiacum. L. Basso, H. Rudolph, J. de Salas. In: Companion to Leibniz's Political Thought. De Gruyter,
L. Strickland (2020). Discourse on Metaphysics. P. Lodge, L. Strickland. In: Leibniz's Key Philosophical Writings: A Guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press (OUP),
L. Strickland (2020). "The Monadology". P. Lodge, L. Strickland. In: Leibniz's Key Philosophical Writings: A Guide. Oxford: Oxford University Press (OUP),
L. Strickland, J. Weckend (2019). Making Waves: Leibniz's Legacy and Impact. J. Weckend, L. Strickland. In: Leibniz's Legacy and Impact. New York: Routledge, pp.1-20.
L. Strickland (2019). Staying Optimistic: The Trials and Tribulations of Leibnizian Optimism. J. Weckend, L. Strickland. In: Leibniz's Legacy and Impact. New York: Routledge, pp.53-86.
L. Strickland (2019). Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. S. Goetz, C. Taliaferro. In: The Encyclopedia of Philosophy of Religion. Wiley Blackwell,
L. Strickland, P. Phemister (2018). Leibniz's monadological positive aesthetics. J. Dunham, P. Phemister. In: Monadologies. Routledge, pp.192-212.
L. Strickland (2017). Leibniz, Purgatory, and Universal Salvation. KKP. Vanhoutte, BW. McCraw. In: Purgatory: Philosophical Dimensions. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.111-128.
L. Strickland, J. Weckend (2017). Leibniz's Philosophy and Science. In: Tercentenary Essays on the Philosophy and Science of Leibniz. Palgrave, pp.1-16.
L. Strickland (2017). How Leibniz would have responded to the Lisbon earthquake. L. Strickland, E. Vynckier, J. Weckend. In: Tercentenary Essays on the Philosophy and Science of Leibniz. Palgrave, pp.257-278.
L. Strickland (2016). How sincere was Leibniz's religious justification for war in the Justa Dissertatio?. W. Li. In: Für unser Glück oder das Glück anderer. Hildesheim, Zurich, New York: Georg Olms Verlag, pp.401-412.
L. Strickland (2016). The reception of the Theodicy in England. W. Li. In: Leibniz, Caroline und die Folgen der englischen Sukzession. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, pp.69-91.
L. Strickland (2015). The use of scripture in the beast machine controversy. D. Beck. In: Knowing Nature in Early Modern Europe. London: Pickering & Chatto, pp.65-82.
L. Strickland, DJ. Cook (2011). Leibniz and Millenarianism. F. Beiderbeck, S. Waldhoff. In: Pluralität der Perspektiven und Einheit der Wahrheit im Werk von G. W. Leibniz. Walter de Gruyter, pp.77-90.
L. Strickland (2011). Leibniz's universal rational religion. . Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz-Gesellschaft. In: Natur und Subjekt. Berlin: Akademie Verlag, pp.1126-1133.
GW. Leibniz (2020). G. W. Leibniz, "The True Method" (translation). 14-16.
L. Strickland (2020). Review of "God, Evolution, and Animal Suffering" by Bethany N. Sollereder. Religious Studies.
L. Strickland (2019). Review of "Open to Reason: Muslim Philosophers in Conversation with the Western Tradition" by Souleymane Bachir Diagne. Reading Religion.
L. Strickland (2019). Review of "How the World Thinks: A Global History of Philosophy" by Julian Baggini. Times Higher Education. 2393, 52-52.
L. Strickland (2018). Review of "Leibniz: Protestant Theologian" by Irena Backus. Renaissance Quarterly. 71, 1545-1546.
L. Strickland (2018). Review of "Rebirth and the Stream of Life" by Mikel Burley. Numen. 65, 617-619.
L. Strickland (2018). Review of "After we die: theology, philosophy, and the question of life after death" by Stephen T. Davis. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion. 83, 321-323.
L. Strickland (2018). Review of "A History of the Concept of God" by Daniel A. Dombrowski. Reading Religion.
L. Strickland (2017). Review of "God's Goodness and God's Evil" by James Kellenberger. Reading Religion.
L. Strickland (2017). Review of "Leibniz's Mill: A Challenge to Materialism" by Charles Landesman. Heythrop Journal. 58, 545-546.
L. Strickland (2016). Review of "Sophia of Hanover's Memoirs 1630-1680" by Sean Ward. Renaissance and Reformation. 39, 212-214.
L. Strickland (2016). Review of "Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory" by Jerry L. Walls. Reading Religion.
L. Strickland (2015). Review of "Leibniz et le meilleur des mondes possibles" by Paul Rateau. Philosophy in Review. 35, 304-306.
L. Strickland (2011). Review of "John Locke and Personal Identity: Immortality and Bodily Resurrection in 17th-Century Philosophy" by K. Joanna S. Forstrum. British Journal for the History of Philosophy. 19, 826-830.
Multicultural Philosophy. A 2-day conference held at Manchester Hall, 15-16 July 2019.
The Last Things. A 2-day conference held at the British School at Rome, 25-26 October 2018.
Leibniz - Legacy and Impact. A 1-day conference held at Manchester Metropolitan University, 5 November 2016.
Leibniz - Scientist, Leibniz - Philosopher. A 3-day conference held at the Lampeter campus of the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, on 3 - 5 July 2015.
I have served as a reviewer for various journals, including Journal of the History of Philosophy, British Journal for the History of Philosophy, Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie, History of Philosophy Journal, Philosophical Quarterly, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences, European Journal of Political Theory, Philosophical Psychology, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, Estetika etc. I have also served as a reviewer for presses such as Edinburgh University Press, Routledge, Brill, Palgrave, and Bloomsbury, as well as for promotion committees.
British Academy mid-career fellowship (2017/18).
British Academy small grant (2016/17).
Various conference grants (2014/15-16/17) from the Mind Association, the Aristotelian Society, British Society for the History of Philosophy, Analysis Trust, British Society for the History of Science, and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.
"How western philosophy became racist" in IAI News, 8 January 2019.
"Four centuries of trying to prove God's existence" in The Conversation, 17 August 2018. Republished in The Beachwood Reporter, 20 August 2018.
Radio interview about the history of attempts to prove the existence of God, BBC Radio 4, 12 August 2018
"Talk to atheists on their own terms" in Church Times, 20 July 2018, p13.
"Stephen King's latest novel wrestles with the question of how to be in two places at one time" in The Conversation, 5 June 2018. Republished in Metro, 11 June 2018
"Western philosophy departments must open their minds," Times Higher Education (both print and online), 1 March 2018. Republished as an opinion piece on the MMU site.
"BBC's boost to religious programming is a good idea – no matter what humanists say" in The Conversation, 10 January 2018. Republished in The Independent, 15 January 2018.
Radio interview about teaching religion and values to children and older audiences, BBC Radio Northampton, 7 January 2018.
Radio interview about BBC's new policy on religious programming, BBC Radio Stoke, 24 December 2017.
"Who will fund the NHS?", MMU comment piece, 6 June 2017.
"Dear Hillary… a philosopher's guide to coping with disappointment" in The Conversation, 27 December 2016. This article was republished (in Romanian translation) in Digi 24, 4 January 2017.
"This could be the best of all possible worlds" in Church Times, 18 November 2016, p18.
"Answering the biggest question of all: why is there something rather than nothing" in The Conversation, 11 November 2016.
"Star Trek's version of time travel is more realistic than most sci fi" in The Conversation, 29 July 2016. This article was republished (in German translation) in Netzpiloten Magazin, 9 August 2016.
"Why ignorance is bliss, or, how to have a tranquil 2016" in Met Magazine, Spring/Summer 2016, p.48.
"What makes a good bad guy? Ask a philosopher" in The Guardian, 21 January 2016. This article was republished (in Portugese translation) in Universo racionalista, 4 March 2018.
"Which philosopher would fare best in a present-day university?" in The Guardian, 30 October 2015.
"Slow burn impact" in Times Higher Education (both print and online), 2 April 2015.
"How would you fit everyone who has ever lived in one valley?" in The Conversation, 18 December 2014.
Member of the AHRC peer review college.
Have also reviewed for the British Academy, Newton Fund, and DAAD.
British Society for the History of Philosophy.


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Body Care
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Magical treatment involving the whole body ZEN massage and facial therapies and natural semi-precious stones
(White crystal, amethyst, aquamarine, topaz, ...), the effect is deep relaxation, calm, stress reduction and proper conduct energy throughout the body, applied the stones retain their therapeutic properties and applied the appropriate technique to synchronize with the human energy balancing and regenerating it.
Cosmetic result is a deep moisturizing and nourishing the skin.
Time of treatment: 110 minut
Price: 390 zł
Take this treatments
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subset: commoncrawl


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Dr Vale Massey's Map showing trypanosomiasis areas and distribution of Glossina palpalis and moristans brought up to 14 February 1907 in the Belgian Congo, Africa. 1907, hand-drawn. LSHTM Library & Archives
Early public health was arguably more concerned with the protection of British interests overseas rather than serving the well-being of local populations, as evidenced in this map of Sleeping Sickness in the Belgian Congo. The map was used in Commonwealth Office meetings to highlight how the disease was spreading along the banks of rivers towards areas of British gold mining interest and the need for strategies to stop this.


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James Blake - CMYK EP (R&S Records) (2010)
R&S records still bringing the heat after all these years.....
02 Footnotes
03 I'll Stay
04 Postpone
"Blake's past releases on Hessle Audio and Hemlock have gathered him close to universal acclaim – not least from us – and 'CMYK' sees more of the fried synth torture and cut vocals that have become his trademark.
On the EP's title track, which is both its immediate stand-out and a staple of recent DJ sets by Ben UFO and others, the staccato vocals are maybe more in your face than any Blake track to date, and also like most Blake to date, sounds very good. The rest isn't bad either.
The 'CMYK' EP will be released on May 31, in digital and 12″ vinyl" (FACT MAGZINE)
GUARDIAN INTERVIEW - Future go-to producer of UK urban pop? James Blake
Hometown: London.
The lineup: James Blake (vocals, music, production).
The background: James Blake is a 22-year-old producer who has been studying contemporary music at Blur's alma mater Goldsmiths College, and in a way it sounds as though he's regurgitating a lot of what he's learned, in the best possible way. There's a lot of music to take in here; certainly it's going to be harder than usual to say what it is, although we can have a stab at saying what he does.
He does a few things – three, principally, only two of which we've heard. He's a dubstep artist who's just signed to the excellent R&S label, and although we're not as knee-deep as Mary Ann Hobbs in the stuff, his 2009 debut 12-inch Air and Lack Thereof places itself superbly – in terms of production detail, noir melody and sense of London as exciting psychogeographic space – alongside Aidy's Girl Is A Computer, Black Sun and the best of the Hyperdub label.
The second thing for which Blake is making a name for himself are his R&B/ hip-hop-sampling exercises that he records as Harmonimix, where he reworks tunes like Lil Wayne's A Milli and Snoop Dogg's Drop It Like It's Hot. And thirdly there are his hissy, scratchy, simple and plaintive piano tracks recorded on his laptop. They're supposedly primitive but personal affairs featuring his own, albeit treated, vocals – like we say, we've not heard them, but we're guessing at an approximation of Moby's field recordings, only think London Fields, not somewhere rural and American.
Actually, Blake's new EP, CMYK, appears to be a conflation of those first two ventures. It comprises four tracks, and they're based almost solely on R&B samples from the likes of Aaliyah, Brandy and R Kelly. There are micro-beats, lots of space (or do we mean "lost in space"?), some Auto-Tuned vocals, possibly Blake's own, as well as cut-up, chopped, diced and sped-up or slowed-down male and female vocal melodies from barely recognisable urban hits. It's a kind of dubstep R&B, but unlike, say, Squarepusher's 2001 single My Red Hot Car or Aphex Twin's Windowlicker, which were equal parts loving and facetious homage to UK garage and Timbaland's avant-dance, this stuff appears to be a reverential take on the soundtrack to the 6'5" wunderkind's youth. The title track, for example, is a beautiful piece of music: twitchy, tense, but captivatingly melodic and brilliantly arranged, it essays a new form of intelligent but never arid, electronic urban soul.
The buzz: "There's a unique and playful soulfulness to Blake's tracks, which often feature his own singing voice slowed down by intense digital effects. The result is a bit like a futuristic, lurching take on Moby's Play" – Pitchfork.
The truth: Welcome to Blake's heaven (rickety late-70s Brit sci-fi TV show pun intended).
Most likely to: Make Blake the go-to producer of UK urban pop.
Least likely to: Hang around Deptford any longer than he needs to.
What to buy: The CMYK EP is released by R&S on 31 May.
File next to: Beaty Heart, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Darkstar.
Pariah – Detroit Falls/Orpheus (R&S)(2010)
1. Detroit Falls
2. Orpheus
"Debut single for hotly tipped London based producer Pariah on the legendary R&S record label. Pariah is a precocious young talent, and part of the same London bass music scene that has spawned the likes of Burial, Bullion, James Blake, Pangaea and Untold. The two tracks on this debut single were the his first ever finished productions and snapped up by R&S under the noses of a whole bunch of interested high profile labels. Both cuts wear their influences on their sleeve, referencing the hip hop beat collages of Dilla and the moody atmospheric 2-step rhythms of Burial, Levon Vincent, Fennesz and classic Detroit techno as well as the likes of MJ Cole and Steve Gurley, but still contain the rich Pariah DNA which will be even more apparent on his future R&S singles." (PICCADILLY RECORDS)/


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For some investors, New Residential Investment Corp. is an attractive, high-yield mortgage real estate trust with a high dividend yield. That yield is currently sitting at nearly 12%. There is also the potential for capital gains over time.
Anytime a stock or REIT trades with a very high dividend yield, investors need to be a little wary. Is that yield sustainable? What other issues does the stock face?
With NRZ I was initially attracted to the high yield and decided to make a long-term play using options known as a Wheel Trade.
Back on November 7th, I sold two May 17th, 2019 $17 puts for $1.00.
At the time, NRZ had pulled back from the highs and it looked like the 200 day moving average would hold as support.
Fast forward to today and the chart is not looking nearly so good as NRZ has been crushed due to the potential inverted yield curve which will be bad for REITs.
Remember that mortgage REITs borrow short-term and lend long-term, so if short-term borrowing costs are higher than long-term mortgage rates, that's not a good thing.
Those $17 May puts that I sold for $1 are now trading at $2.28 so I'm down $256 on the trade. Hardly disastrous, but the question remains:
What should I do now?
The way I see it, there are three options:
- Close the trade and walk away with a small loss
- Hold the trade for now and see if it recovers. If I get assigned, I collect the 12% per year dividend while I wait.
- Sell some more puts and take a bigger position in NRZ
I'm reluctant to throw good money after bad, especially with the way the yield curve is looking. If I were to do that, I would prefer to wait for signs of a bottom, although NRZ has had some sharp recoveries in the past.
Access the Top 5 Tools for Option Traders
I also don't really want to close the position because it's a long-term play and I'm sure it will eventually recover.
If I'm assigned at $17, my effective cost will be $16 due to the premium received. So even with NRZ trading at $15.50, I'm not really down that much and taking ownership allows me to collect the dividend and sell covered calls if NRZ recovers.
What do you think I should do. Let me know in the comments below.
I'll be sure to keep you posted.
Trade safe!
Disclaimer: The information above is for educational purposes only and should not be treated as investment advice. The strategy presented would not be suitable for investors who are not familiar with exchange traded options. Any readers interested in this strategy should do their own research and seek advice from a licensed financial adviser.


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Marty Surf Delivery, numéro 1 sur TripAdvisor
Marty Surf Delivery, what is it ?
Marty Surf Delivery has been created following a Marty's desire to make surfer's life easier et to make their sessions as pleasant as possible. For this, he has set up three services that will the lover of this sport who doesn't have the chance to live near the Ocean.
The services :
Surboard rental
Marty Surf Delivery offers a service of surfboard's rental of each kind on the area of Biarritz-Anglet-Bidart. From beginner surfboards to performants ones, passing by longboards and several other models, there is for every taste and style !
You can choose to be delivered at home, but also upon your arrival at the airport or directly at the beach, you decide !
For this, nothing easier, it's possible to book the boards immediately on the website (martysurfdelivery.com), but you can also contact Marty by phone call or by the social networks and pay on the spot.
In addition of this, Marty Surf Delivery relying heavily on the service, you will receive real advices on the conditions and the best spots of the Basque coast to enjoy your experience the fullest !
Surf guide
Marty Surf Delivery offers surf guides too. We bring you to discover of the best spots of the region and make sure you get the best surf session possible, by adapting to the conditions, the tides and your level ! For 3 hours, let yourself be guided by the knowledge in surf and in the Basque coast of Marty. You won't be disappointed !
Surboard repair
Finally, Marty takes also care of surfboards repair. Thanks to his know-how and to the equipment it has at his disposal, you can entrust to him your planks with eyes closed, you will find them like new ones !
"Great repair ! Efficient, quick and really nice !
Marty has come took my longboard, and in 3 days he had made an impeccable repair on a rail broken by an unscrupulous surfer… For only 60€, the board is perfect, the broken part can hardly be seen (10cm to 3cm wide) and the resin is bright, without any trace of fabrics in transparency… Well done for this fast intervention, not too expensive, and all with a smile ! Thanks."
This year, Marty Surf Delivery is first on TripAdvisor in the category surfboard rental and circuits in the Biarritz area.
In addition, we have been honored with the TripAdvisor 2017 Excellence Award and are grateful for it !
We thank you for your confidence and hope to see you soon on our spots of the Basque Coast !


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Howard Marks, World Famous Cannabis Smuggler, Dies Of Cancer
Howard Marks, one of the most famous cannabis smugglers ever, has died from cancer at age 70.
Marks is perhaps most well known for turning a life of marijuana smuggling throughout Europe and the United States into a celebrity-like life as a writer and performer.
After growing up in a mining village in south Wales, Marks eventually attended Oxford University. It was while studying physics that his life with cannabis really started taking off.
By the time he graduated, he'd already started selling so much marijuana that he set up a boutique clothing store called Annabelinda as a front for laundering his hordes of drug money. Instead of sticking around to pursue a career in the academic world, Howard Marks decided to dive headlong into his growing smuggling business.
From there, he quickly rose to the top. He became one of the biggest marijuana smugglers in all of Europe. He also expanded his empire to include the U.S.
One of his most well known stunts was using the sound systems of rock bands to sneak loads of cannabis into the U.S.
But Marks eventually started running into trouble.
He was arrested in both 1973 and 1980. Both times the marijuana kingpin managed to escape with minimal punishments. And in both cases, he used a combination of charm, charisma, and some sort of half-baked claim to be working for England's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, to convince judges and juries to let him off easy.
Throughout those years, he continued expanding his marijuana kingdom, successfully using more than 40 different aliases along the way.
Simply put, Howard Marks was the ultimate drug smuggler.
Finally, in 1988, he was arrested by American officials. He pleaded guilty to charges of racketeering and was sentenced to 25 years at a maximum security prison in Terra Haute, Indiana.
He was released on parole in 1995, after serving seven full years.
After that, Howard Marks became a famous writer and performer, using his drug smuggling experiences as the basis for his work. He also became an outspoken political activist advocating for marijuana legalization.
"Of course, the legalizing of marijuana for medical purposes is to be welcomed," he once said. "But, personally, I never wanted to have to wait until I had cancer before I could legally smoke."
"I want it to be legalized for consuming recreationally—and I'm pleased to see they have now done this in four U.S. states."
"After my experiences at the hands of the U.S. legal system, America is the last place in the world that I thought would be leading the charge."
In January 2015, Marks told the media that he'd been diagnosed with cancer. News of his death broke on April 10.
(Photo Credit: The Sun)


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We, the undersigned, wish to voice our strong protest and condemnation of the continuing assault on academic and other forms of freedom of expression by members of the Sangh Parivar. In recent years, senior artists such as M.F. Husain have been targets of both violence and innumerable, scurrilous lawsuits whose intent is to browbeat and intimidate freedom of expression within the Sovereign Republic of India. Citizens' right to legal redress is being misused to harass citizens; court proceedings are being used to punitively target whomever the Hindu right deems convenient in order to obtain cheap attention for its nefarious goals.
The recent attack on a graduate student at the prestigious Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda, is the latest instance of this bludgeoning of public rights of expression. This was done with full state collusion. On Thursday, May 10, 2007,Mr. Neeraj Jain a known BJP activist, along with a group of Vishwa Hindu Parishad members, entered the premises of the Fine Arts Faculty where students' artworks were on display as part of the process of annual student evaluation. They used violence against Mr. Chandramohan, a Master's candidate, and the police arrested him. Mr. Chandramohan has been in jail since then. The charge levelled against him is that of hurting religious sentiments.
Students in the Department of Art History at the University then mounted a 'protest exhibition' that attempted to show historical and pre-modern masterpieces from the history of art which could, in today's charged atmosphere, be deemed 'offensive'. The intention of the show was to question misconceptions about 'art', 'tradition', 'obscenity' and 'transgression'. On May 11, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University
marched into the Department accompanied by four Syndicate members and ordered Prof. Shivaji Panikkar, the acting Dean, to shut down the exhibition. When Prof. Panikkar refused, the pro-VC had the exhibition brought down, and sealed the archive of the Art History Department. Prof. Panikkar, a highly respected academic with internationally recognized credentials, has since been suspended from his position and there is a demand to name him as co-accused in the case along with Mr. Chandramohan.
These kinds of attack on academics and artists not only represent the erosion of democratic freedoms, essential to the establishment of a vigorous and open society, but also destroy the very basis on which universities are founded. Let us make no mistake, the attack here is not merely on a particular artwork or form of expression, but on the very spirit of open-minded inquiry that is at the heart of the university's functioning. It is clear that since the rise of the Hindu right in the last decade and a half, India is descending into a dark prison for the imagination. And that, in states where the Hindu right or its allies are in power, state and police officials openly collude with their lumpen party mobs.
We, artists and art-related professionals, members of university faculties and administrations, and Indian citizens foremost, find this loutish behaviour intolerable. From these "narrow domestic walls", these "dreary desert sands of dead habit", as Tagore put it, may the people of India awake.
We appeal to all secular parties/organizations and individuals to raise their voice against the misuse of the police, judicial system and the state machinery to muzzle freedom of expression through coercion and intimidation.


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Beach Bonfire Scented Candle
Smoky Vetiver • Amber • Tobacco Woods
Warm, smokey and resinous. The rich and earthy scent. A night at the beach.
The place
Palm Beach. The combination of light sea breeze and a calm, soothing bonfire. Warm on approach, resinous and rich. This is the scent of a warm Winter's night. A scent for friends catching up or old friends reuniting. Igniting a fire off conversation.
Joined under the musk of the Pacific Ocean and the sand underneath your feet, this scent stands between land and ocean.
The warm and soft Australian aroma. The soaring flames and the Barrenjoey Lighthouse. A light wind and a softening fire. The scent continues into the night.
The feeling
The scent of a bonfire. Warm, rich and earthy. As amber reunites with old friends vetiver and tobacco wood, the fragrance combines as a combination of land and sea. The sandy bonfire meets the sea breeze. So came the Beach Bonfire.
- 100% pure soy wax
- Natural wood wick
- Veg tanned leather lid
- Burn time / approximately 45 hours
- Comes in a gift presentation box
- Hand poured in Australia
Make It Personal.
Our signature 'The Great Outdoor Collection' candles can now be monogramed; simply choose a name, initials or something a little more personal, to create something special for you.
How much does it cost to personalise an item?
Our embossing service is only $3.
What colours are available for embossing?
We have four colours you could choose:
Rose gold:
Blind (embossed with no colour):
How many letters could I have?
For the best result, we recommend no more than 3 letters. And the dot between letters are optional. For example: A.B.C is the maximum.
What kind of letters could I have?
They are all available in UPPERCASE or lowercase.
1. Simply choose the candle with the embossing colour you want, add it to cart.
2. There is a Order Note option in the bottom of the Cart, please input your initials in it.
How long will it take?
Please allow 1-2 business days for any order containing
a personalised item.
Can I return or exchange personalised item?
Please note that personalised items cannot be returned
for a refund or exchange unless faulty.
- During every burning, allow the candle to burn until the wax melts out to all the edges of the vessel. it may take from about 30 to 60 minutes.
- Always allow your BLACK BLAZE candle to cool completely before lighting it again.
We hope these tips will make burning your BLACK BLAZE Candles an even better experience.
SHIPPING within AUSTRALIA
For all orders, our promotional shipping rate within Australia start from $4.99. ALL of our domestic orders are sent out via SENDLE. Tracking numbers are used and deliveries require Signature on delivery. Standard post delivery times are approximately 1-5 business days from the time of order.
We ship internationally via Sendle with your major post carrier for a fast and reliable service. The shipping fee will automatically calculated after you input your shipping address.
1) INTERNATIONAL Taxes payable at port of delivery
Please be aware that packages may be subject to delays, additional taxes and duties at the port of entry of various international countries outside of Australia. We take every effort to ensure a quick and smooth delivery, but we do not take responsibility for any delays and extra fees which may be applied via customs and duty offices in the receiving country.
2) Zone and Target Delivery Days
Please note, we provide a target delivery time (in working days) in which you can expect that your items will usually arrive at their destination. Your orders will be delivered on weekdays, from Monday to Friday. Delivery may take longer to areas outside of major cities or if your items are held at customs.
Now you could place the order on our website and then pick up your items from our Paddington store anytime. After you placed your order, we will send you a confirmation email for your pick up.
Our store address is:
58 Oxford St, Paddington NSW 2021


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I was suffering from high blood cholesterol level. Then I took Kriella Krill Oil for three months, and I was surprised that the test results showed that the good cholesterol level has risen while the bad cholesterol has normalized. My doctor was also surprised about these amazing results.
Thank you Kriella for this wonderful product.
Alaa - Iraq


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TACMEP (Tendring and Colchester Minority Ethnic Partnership)
endring and Colchester Minority Ethnic Partnership (TACMEP) was formed in 2003 as a minority partnership to promote awareness and understanding of religious, ethnic and cultural difference in the administrative districts of Colchester and Tendring and to serve as a voice for ethnic minority issues for service providers.
Help with the English language, such as informal classes, conversation practice, assistance with filling in forms and accessing interpreters.
Advocacy and advice on matters of welfare, such as health, housing, education and the law.
Casework provision of information and support.
Organising events which celebrate all our cultures and the benefits of diversity.
For more information contact 01206 769789, email [email protected] or visit www.tacmep.org.uk


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Level Cap
Specification :-
- The A109 Level cap is made up of Light Weight Aluminium Material .
- It is Passed from Anodized Process .
- It is Used to Set the level of the Pot and the Wascover while changing the Diamonds .
Questions, issues or concerns? I'd love to help you!


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'100% certainty' MH370 crash was murder-suicide, former investigator says
Plane carrying 239 people took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, and has never been found
A Canadian aviation expert and former airplane crash investigator says he can state with "100 per cent certainty" that Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 was intentionally ditched in the ocean by one of the pilots in an act of murder-suicide.
"This is a criminal event. It's not an accident," Larry Vance, a former investigator with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, told CBC News in a phone interview.
"This was planned and conducted, carried out by one individual who had control of the airplane via his job to have control of the airplane," Vance said.
Either the pilot or co-pilot made the decision, "for whatever reason, to take it to a remote part of the ocean and make it disappear forever."
Many theories have circulated about the fate of the plane, with some believing it may have been hijacked or shot down, but Vance says his examination of some wreckage that was eventually found shows the plane was deliberately landed in the ocean.
Vance spent 18 months researching and writing his soon-to-be released book MH370 Mystery Solved. He was not part of the official investigation conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
He teaches courses in accident investigation and used the crash as course material. From there, he said, he and a few of his colleagues began to look at some of the details of the evidence that was available.
'Murder suicide'
Vance was also part of a group of international aviation experts who recently appeared on 60 Minutes Australia to share their conclusions that the crash was an intentional act.
"It would certainly fit to call it a murder suicide," he said.
This view contradicts a report put out in 2016 by the ATSB, which concluded that the plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean during a high-speed descent. It was the bureau's belief that the plane had been flying on auto pilot or without pilot input.
The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people took off from Kuala Lumpur at 12:41 a.m. local time on March 8, 2014, destined for Beijing.
According to the Malaysian government, the final voice transmission received by controllers at Kuala Lumpur's international airport at 1:19 a.m. local time on March 8 was "Good night Malaysian three-seven-zero."
After 40 minutes of flight time, the plane disappeared from radar, as the plane's transponder stopped transmitting.
Malaysian military radar later identified the plane way off course, in the northern part of the Strait of Malacca. A satellite, however, picked up seven signals, or "pings" over the next hours. This led investigators to conclude the plane flew another six hours, south to the Indian Ocean.
The plane has never been found, but pieces of wreckage have floated to the shores of eastern Africa.
Vance and his team examined detailed photographs of some of the wreckage and concluded the plane was deliberately crashed. Their belief was based on two pieces of wreckage from the flap system on the right wing of the airplane — the flaperon, and the section of flap that's next to it.
By examining the marks on the wreckage, they theorized that the flaps had been down when the airplane hit the water. This would mean that the plane had entered the water at a relatively low speed.
"We would call that a controlled ditching into the water. And the only way that could happen is if somebody was flying the airplane. In particular, if somebody selected the flaps to be in the extended position."
And if the flaps were extended, it meant the engines were still running and that the plane had not run out of fuel.
"I believe with 100 per cent certainty that the airplane entered the water in a controlled ditching with the flaps extended," said Vance.
The plane was piloted by Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah and 1st Officer Fariq Ab Hamid.
Vance said he can't say for certain if the pilot or co-pilot was the perpetrator, although it's his belief that it's more likely Shah was responsible because he had ordered two extra hours of fuel.
Turned off transponder
It was Shah, he believes, who turned off the transponder to make the airplane disappear from radar, and then turned off the lights in the passenger cabin and depressurized the airplane.
"And that's just one switch, he can flick one switch and the airplane is depressurized."
This would render the passengers unconscious and they would have died quickly from lack of oxygen, he said.
During that small window of time, Vance believes, Shah somehow eliminated the co-pilot. He may have made up some reason to get the co-pilot out of the cockpit and then locked the door, leaving him to die from the lack of oxygen in the passenger cabin. Or, Vance said, "He eliminated him in the cockpit."
The pilots have oxygen supplies that can last for hours. But after he depressurized the plane, it would have been very easy for the pilot to repressurize the airplane, Vance said.
Vance believes that after flying another six hours, the pilot made a controlled ditch to ensure there would not be massive amounts of wreckage, and instead, the plane would sink to the bottom of the ocean.
"My contention is that he had a destination in mind, he took it to that destination," he said. "He took an airplane and made it disappear so that nobody could ever find where it went and nobody would find it ever."
Vance's conclusions challenged
Martin Dolan, former head of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau who appeared with Vance on the 60 Minutes episode, challenged Vance's certainty on his conclusions.
"The evidence is not yet sufficient to draw as firm a conclusion as you appear to have done," Dolan said.
Dolan, who led the search for the missing plane, said there are two viable theories — that someone was in control of the flight when it crashed, "or they were not."
"There's evidence that supports both of those theories," he said.
It's only speculation that the flaps were down and that the plane did not run out of fuel, he said.
But Vance disagrees and believes the official investigators were not experienced enough to see the evidence on the pieces of wreckage .
"I think they got wedded to a theory."
As for the motive of the perpetrator, Vance said that's not his area of expertise.
"People who are specialists in human behaviour and psychology and those sorts of things can answer that."


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If you're training for a marathon, you're required to run 4 to 5 times every week. Doing this can take a toll on your feet, especially if it's your first time to participate in an event like this. If you're living in Texas, then it's a good thing since you can easily visit a foot care center in Irving, Texas to help your aching feet recover faster from your daily running ordeal. Specifically, you can opt for one or more of the following services:
- Laser Pain Management – Podiatric care experts in Texas can carry out a non-invasive treatment procedure that relieves soreness and chronic pain. This process is meant to eliminate pain and prevent swelling.
- Wound Care – Don't allow a minor wound to get aggravated before going to a specialist. Visit a specialist immediately to avoid experiencing pain during the running event. Specialists have the right concierge medicine, especially ointments and lotions that will nourish and refresh your feet.
- Foot Massage/Reflexology – During your rest day, make sure to visit a foot reflexology expert to relieve your overworked feet. This process also stimulates blood flow and muscle strength, which can make it easier for you to complete your next training session.
- Laser Nail Therapy – Don't run if you have chipped nails or a fungal infection because these will only exhaust your feet. Remember, these will make running uncomfortable, which can compromise your performance during the marathon. Visit a foot care center first and undergo a laser nail therapy to fix your split nails and treat your fungal infections.
A regular and effective feet care is extremely important for marathoners. If you're living in Texas, you can avail all these services at Divine Footcare Center, Inc. All you need to do is to set an appointment.


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The Saccoo Leather collection is still entirely hand-made and produced only from full cow leather. The exclusive tanning process of this leather takes several weeks in order to obtain the authentic look. The leather get it's slightly two tone effect, its durability, casual outshine and finally, its unique patina. Each bag is, because of these elements, an individual piece of craft. No two bags are the same.
Contact Us
We'd love to hear from you! Send us an enquiry about stock, sizing, or any other questions you have. If you would like to hear about new stock arrivals, promotional events and when our sale begins, let us know and we will add you to our mailing list. You can get in touch from our Contact Page.


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EasyRdf is a PHP library designed to make it easy to consume and produce RDF.
Installs: 8 915 384
Dependents: 58
Suggesters: 0
Security: 0
Stars: 504
Watchers: 34
Forks: 122
- php: >=5.3.0
- ext-mbstring: *
- ext-pcre: *
Requires (Dev)
- ml/json-ld: ~1.0
- phpunit/phpunit: ~4.1
- sami/sami: ~2.0
- semsol/arc2: ~2.2
- squizlabs/php_codesniffer: ~1.4.3
- zendframework/zend-http: ~2.3
- ml/json-ld: ~1.0
- semsol/arc2: ~2.2
- dev-master
- 0.10.0-alpha.1
- 0.9.x-dev
- 0.9.1
- 0.9.0
- 0.9.0-rc.5
- 0.9.0-rc.4
- 0.9.0-rc.3
- 0.9.0-rc.2
- 0.9.0-rc.1
- 0.8.1
- 0.8.0
- 0.8.0-beta.1
- 0.7.x-dev
- 0.7.2
- 0.7.1
- 0.7.0
This package is not auto-updated.
Last update: 2020-04-02 20:06:12 UTC
EasyRdf is a PHP library designed to make it easy to consume and produce RDF. It was designed for use in mixed teams of experienced and inexperienced RDF developers. It is written in Object Oriented PHP and has been tested extensively using PHPUnit.
After parsing EasyRdf builds up a graph of PHP objects that can then be walked around to get the data to be placed on the page. Dump methods are available to inspect what data is available during development.
Data is typically loaded into an
EasyRdf\Graph object from source RDF
documents, loaded from the web via HTTP. The
EasyRdf\GraphStore class
simplifies loading and saving data to a SPARQL 1.1 Graph Store.
SPARQL queries can be made over HTTP to a Triplestore using the
EasyRdf\Sparql\Client class.
SELECT and
ASK queries will return an
EasyRdf\Sparql\Result object and
CONSTRUCT and
DESCRIBE queries will return
EasyRdf\Graph object.
$foaf = new \EasyRdf\Graph("http://njh.me/foaf.rdf"); $foaf->load(); $me = $foaf->primaryTopic(); echo "My name is: ".$me->get('foaf:name')."\n";
The latest stable version of EasyRdf can be downloaded from the EasyRdf website.
- PHP 5.3 or higher
- API documentation written in
- Extensive unit tests written using
- Built-in parsers and serialisers: RDF/JSON, N-Triples, RDF/XML, Turtle
- Optional parsing support for: ARC2, Redland Bindings, rapper
- Optional support for
- No required external dependancies upon other libraries (PEAR, Zend, etc...)
- Complies with Zend Framework coding style.
- Type mapper - resources of type
foaf:Personcan be mapped into PHP object of class
- Support for visualisation of graphs using GraphViz
- Comes with a number of examples
More Examples
artistinfo.php- Example of mapping an RDF class type to a PHP Class
basic.php- Basic "Hello World" type example
basic_sparql.php- Example of making a SPARQL
converter.php- Convert RDF from one format to another
dump.php- Display the contents of a graph
foafinfo.php- Display the basic information in a FOAF document
foafmaker.php- Construct a FOAF document with a choice of serialisations
graph_direct.php- Example of using
EasyRdf\Graphdirectly without
graphstore.php- Store and retrieve data from a SPARQL 1.1 Graph Store
graphviz.php- GraphViz rendering example
html_tag_helpers.php- Rails Style html tag helpers to make the EasyRdf examples simpler
httpget.php- No RDF, just test
serialise.php- Basic serialisation example
sparql_queryform.php- Form to submit SPARQL queries and display the result
uk_postcode.php- Example of resolving UK postcodes using uk-postcodes.com
villages.php- Fetch and information about villages in Fife from dbpedialite.org
zend_framework.php- Example of using
Zend\Http\Clientwith EasyRdf
The EasyRdf library and tests are licensed under the BSD-3-Clause license. The examples are in the public domain, for more information see UNLICENSE.


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moringa all-beauty crème
hydrate + renew + balance
Classic all-round beauty cream with a light and dreamy texture that moisturises while promoting radiance. A synergy of uniquely nutritious ingredients melts deeply into skin, gently soothing dryness, tired skin & sensitivities. When applied to skin, this hydrating cream leaves a satiny, glowing complexion. It's the perfect prep for natural skin or makeup. Featuring moringa, known to accelerate cell renewal with potent vitamins A and amino acids. Boosting youthfulness with apricot kernel oil to firm and tone. Lemon balm offers powerful antioxidants, and prickly pear's famously high vitamin E content encourages healthy skin. Welcome to your next beauty staple.
Preferential price $680 find your distributor
Star Ingredients
moringa (moringa pterygosperma) seed extract
This extract gives a natural glow to our skin, helps fight acne, and acts like an anti-aging product.
cornflower (centaurea cyanus) flower wáter
this extract works as an anti-flamatory, skin conditioning and astringent.
apricot (prunus armeniaca) kernel oil
apricot is a great to moisturize and nourish all types of skin, mainly the mature skin, thanks to the concentration it has of vitamin A and E.
sunflower (helianthus annuus) seed oil
sunflower oil is edible oil compressed from the seeds of the sunflower. Rich in unsaturated linoleic and oleic fatty acids and vitamin e, it is used as a skin-conditioning agent.
lactic acid
Lactic acid (plant-sourced) is a powerful alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) with exfoliating properties. It slows cell water loss, considered to be beneficial for hydration and skin renewal.
lemon balm (melissa officinalis) flower/leaf/stem extract
A wonderful green herb that has been used since thousands of years thanks to its calming, soothing, healing and tightening the skin.
prickly pear (opuntia ficus indica) seed oil
prickly pear seed oil has a high concentration of fatty acids, making it have anti-inflammatory properties and reduction of the redness on the skin.
tocopherol (vitamin e)
tocopherol is derived from sunflower seed oil. Natural vitamin e has antioxidant and moisturising properties.
Data sheet
- Modo de Uso
- Aplica diariamente sobre la piel limpia y seca. Con las yemas de los dedos, frota suavemente sobre tu rostro haciendo movimientos circulares para estimular la circulación. Continúa por el cuello y el escote para mantener la elasticidad de estas zonas. Aplica en la mañana y en la noche para lograr un rostro luminoso.


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AUG. 28, 2017 | The author of the classic book "The Four Agreements," Miguel Ruiz, lists one of the Toltec-inspired agreements as being "impeccable" with your word: "Very simply to be impeccable with your Word is to use your Word in the direction of love and truth." Barbara Steinke and Sue Julian are impeccable people who have used their words and actions in the direction of love and truth in bringing yoga and meditation instruction to adults incarcerated in West Virginia prisons.
The word Laotong refers to an ancient Chinese relationship that bonded two girls together for eternity as kindred sisters ."That's what we thought. 'Wow, that's what we are! We're laotongs,'" Steinke said, in a Sept. 3, 2013 Charleston Gazette profile as they began their Laotong Yoga Prison Project. "'Laotong Yoga' just felt right to us — meaning kindred spirits, we're all connected. It's not just best friends. To us, it's being connected to everyone."
In the intervening years, the program has grown and they have awarded, as of August 2017, more than 800 certificates of completion to inmates taking part in their yoga classes. They recently launched a program to train inmates to become certified yoga instructors. This will benefit inmates headed back out into the world and ones with life sentences, as many an inmate has said how the yoga classes are an oasis of close human interaction and spiritual fellowship in places often absent of both.
Here is a video slideshow that will give a visceral sense of how the program works and what it means to inmates fortunate enough to encounter these two spiritual warriors. Disclosure: I wrote the Gazette story linked above about Laotong Yoga and was so impressed by their efforts I offered my services as a board member. I edited the video above, using photos by Mike Youngren, quotes from inmates and a soundtrack by Lucas The Flow, an electronic music composer and DJ whose excellent music I often use for videos (and not only because I raised him.)
~ Douglas Imbrogno
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NOTE TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN WEST VIRGINIA: 'Contribution Media" is a pro bono multimedia service of WestVirginiaVille. We offer free multimedia project work where possible to low-resource non-profits. We review submissions and pick projects based on available time, preferably a single video from 2 to 5 minutes long, press release or text profile, imagery or audio file, although we are open to media pitches of all kinds. If interested, submit a one-page proposal through our contact page with the SUBJECT LINE: Contribution Media Submission.


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Spa Luna Ljubljana
Hand and Feet care
Do you want well-groomed legs? Today we tend to have more and more problems with our legs and feet. Daily strains, too tight and wrong footwear as well as being overweight have unpleasant consequences, such as tired and swollen legs, corns … Pick your foot care.
Do you want elegant and well-groomed hands? Hand care is an important part of personal tidiness. Our hands say a lot about our personality, give away our age and are a form of personality … Pick your hand care


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Change management
We offer comprehensive change management services that are tailored to your business needs.
Implementing the change successfully and having it be visible in everyday life is one of the most critical success factors in work life. Instead of individual changes there can be a transformation of your business or the starting of a completely new activity and abandoning the old ways of working.
Individual coaching
Developing skills and self-leadership with the help of professional coaching enables the success of your company's key personnel.
The success of your business is built on a skilled and committed staff. By enabling a personal growth path for your company's staff, you are able to develop your performance to a new level. Individual coaching is the fastest and the most effective way to better both your own and your company's results.
Agile HR
Modern HR allows you to operate without time-consuming administrating.
By freeing the company's staff to do work that corresponds to their skills and by taking care of the administration's performance in a modern manner, you free your company's people and time for real work. We make agile and humane solutions to improve the support facilities.
Would you like to make successful changes?
We make changes, the results of which will be visible in your company already at the planning stage. If you want to make yourself and your whole staff a part of shared, motivating goals in a new way – we will be glad to make the change with you.
Be in touch, we will be glad to provide you with further information.


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Unlikely band of immigration officials jam for communities they patrol
ALTO BONITO - The show began with the gentle squeeze of an accordion, a strumming guitar and a call to residents of this tiny border hamlet.
"Good afternoon, Alto Bonito," shouted Manuel Maldonado, keyboardist and lead singer of Los Federales, a band made up of immigration officials. "You're few, but beautiful," he continued in Spanish, riffing on the town name to describe its people.
The residents of Alto Bonito looked on in befuddled wonder at these uniformed men jamming popular Tejano and Norteño songs.
Most people had come out for the free hot dogs and a glimpse of the 30-foot intrepid utility boat that patrols the Rio Grande waters nearby. Few expected to see the normally stonefaced U.S. Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection officers cut loose.
"They think we're out there just to arrest people," Maldonado said, moments before the show began. "We're human, too."
In recent months, Border Patrol has been putting on regular community outreach events that offer communities across the Rio Grande Valley an opportunity to meet the agents who patrol and sometimes live in their communities.
Los Federales has become an integral part of those outreach efforts, but this improbable union of musicians almost never happened.
One serendipitous day in September 2012, the agency was celebrating a Hispanic heritage event that called for music. Maldonado and a couple of other officers had agreed to bang out a few songs, but they were several men short of a proper band.
Amador Carbajal, a former assistant manager at Wal-Mart turned Border Patrol agent, offered to play bass. Quickly an amalgamation of weekend warriors and church band stars began to emerge from the agency's rank and file.
They played only a few songs that day, but the response from their comrades in blue and green showed they had been a resounding success. Los Federales was born.
Shocked reaction
After their inaugural show, interest in the band "blew up," according to Maldonado.
The band swelled into a nine-piece group with drums, guitar, keyboard, accordion and saxophone. With each gig, Los Federales has expanded its repertoire, adding country ballads, a few Ricky Iglesias songs, and fast-paced rock for good measure.
"I was shocked," said Nora Dams, 52, a city employee from neighboring Rio Grande City. "We thought they only had a talent for border crossing issues. Who would have thought they would be such good musicians?"
That sort of public reaction is typical, said drummer Edgar Sanchez.
His friends used to tease him about his days in the high school band. Earlier this year, Sanchez was the only agent in Texas selected to the national pipe and drum band. No one is laughing now, he said.
"Who would have thought?" Sanchez said. "I'm working customs and still playing drums."
On a sweltering afternoon, Erby Villarreal, a 28-year-old butcher, leisurely walked his family around the park, stopping to inspect the Border Patrol equipment on display. Villarreal had brought his wife and two young children to the event to prove to them that border agents were not to be feared.
"Sometimes the kids are scared of them," Villarreal said. "They're here to protect us."
Easing the suspicions that border communities sometimes have of the several thousand Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley is entirely the point of outreach events. The way Javier Nieto sees it, bridging the divide is easier to accomplish if you can make them dance.
"We want these people smiling and dancing," Nieto said.
Word spreading
Before joining Los Federales, Nieto played in fledgling garage bands in his hometown of Brownsville, and worked different jobs to pay the bills. When he finally joined the largest law enforcement agency in the nation, he figured his playing days were behind him.
Since then, word of Los Federales has spread across the borderlands and some of the band members have begun entertaining the idea of playing a gig north of Falfurrias and the Border Patrol checkpoint. No matter where they play, this band of men in blue and green are happy to jam every chance they get.
"It was good to come back," Nieto said during a break. "I never thought I was going to do it again."


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The Ballroom at the Ben was the perfect setting for the wedding of Marina + Steven. Thank you to this incredible vendor team! Two 15 Photography, Dreamtime Band, KMT Event Group, Anthos Floral Design Inc., C.E.Facial Artistry & Hair Design, LLC, and last but certainly not least Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral.
Pennsylvania Wedding at Union Trust | Chelsea + David
Chelsea + David were married at the chic Union Trust in Philadelphia. Thank you to the wonderful team we shared their special day with, M2 Photography; Lovesick, Inc.; Two Little Birds; Papertini; Aleksandra Ambrozy Makeup & Hair; and last but certainly not least Ray at Elegance Quartet.
"Thank you so much! This is even more special than we could ever imagine." Chelsea + David
Pennsylvania Wedding at The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia | Heather + Dan
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul in Philadelphia Pennsylvania was the perfect setting for the wedding of Heather + Dan. Their reception was held at The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia, where they celebrated with family and friends.
Thank you to this incredible team! Marie Labbancz Photography; Gina Sole; and Vincent James Band.
Pennsylvania Wedding at Philadelphia Country Club | Meredith + Scott
Join us in celebrating the wedding of Meredith + Scott, which took place at Philadelphia Country Club.
Thank you to this amazing team…Elizabeth Fogarty Photography; EBE Events & Entertainment; Lauren James Events; and Beautiful Blooms Events.
Pennsylvania Wedding at Hotel Monaco | Yinan + Stephen
Yinan + Stephen were married at the Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Many thanks to the wonderful team we shared their special day with… Daniel Fugaciu; Philadelphia String Quartet; Carl Alan Floral Designs Ltd.; and Monica Virga.
"Thank you so much for the beautiful video, we love it!" – Yinan + Stephen
Philadelphia Wedding at Tendenza | Lauren + Brian
Enjoy this beautiful Philadelphia wedding, starring Lauren + Brian:
We had a great time while collaborating with John Barone & Strangers.
Featuring another beautiful Cescaphe venue: Tendenza.
Philadelphia Wedding at Vie | Monica + Vu
Monica + Vu were married at Vie, and their wedding was a beautiful celebration of two cultures, and two families. Gifting Vu a watch, Monica's sentiment that they have so much time to look forward to as husband + wife is a beautiful testament to their enduring relationship.
Our day was made even more enjoyable by collaborating with one of our favorite photog teams – Laura + Easton of: LuRey Photography.
Philadelphia Wedding at Pen Ryn Mansion
We could not have asked for a better wedding to begin our 2015 season… Kaleen was all smiles, and up for anything (she literally walked barefoot across a field of snow for her photo & cinema session), while Matt was quick to cheer on his bride over a pint at Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company. To top it off, we spent the day filming next to the talented Tony & Amy Hoffer of Hoffer Photography.Nazareth Academy High School Chapel Music: Synergetic Sound + Lighting Photography: Hoffer Photography Reception Venue: Pen Ryn Mansion
Special thanks to Tony Hoffer for providing the images featured in this post!
Philadelphia Wedding at The Hilton City Avenue
Meghan & Andrew's Philadelphia Wedding at The Hilton City AvenueAccommodations: Hilton City Avenue Photography: 217 Photography Venue: Hilton City Avenue
Philadelphia Wedding at The Franklin Institute
Kate & Ted's Philadelphia wedding at The Franklin Institute was one of the most elegant events we've captured all year.
While Kate's gorgeous details provide serious eye candy, we think that you will truly relish the genuine emotion found throughout Kate & Ted's films. For instance, Kate's mom simply could not resist shedding a few tears as she watched her daughter get dressed. And, later in the evening she gave a moving toast to the happy couple, saying "it's as if love descended from heaven and manifested itself into what she is," when referring to Kate. Listen closely and you'll hear this heartfelt sentiment as Kate & Ted's Trailer opens.
The ability to capture words and moments like those featured here is truly what motivates us as filmmakers.Accommodations: The Four Seasons Philadelphia Event Design: I DO Wedding Consulting Music: CTO Park Central Photography: Marie Labbancz Venue: The Franklin Institute


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The Upper Peninsula is about to learn a lot more about a fellow known in some parts as "Crazy Joe."
It's a nickname the residents of small-town Tapiola already associate with the creator of the area's new and amazing food sensation, Crazy Joe's Cucumber Salsa. And that, folks, is just the beginning.
At a quaint country store near Houghton, Crazy Joe has sliced and diced his own sweet and spicy salsa. Using garden-fresh vegetables from local farmers and a secret blend of spices, Crazy Joe created not only one, but two varieties.
Crazy Joe's Cucumber and Tomato Salsas have hit refrigerated sections of more than a dozen major grocery stores from L'Anse to Calumet. Salsa lovers can opt for two heat levels — mild or spicy. The salsa is fresh and free of preservatives and are 100-percent gluten-free.
"We always knew it would go this far," Crazy Joe said. "No other company in the United States sells fresh cucumber salsa."
From humble beginnings in Tapiola to tabletops across the U.P., Crazy Joe's is here to stay. And that's exactly what Crazy Joe's son, Damien Waara envisioned. "People were driving long distances just to come and buy our salsa," Damien said. "We were going through 150 pounds of each kind of salsa a week. For a small country store, that says a lot."
It's been a fun and flavorful labor of love for Damien and his wife Katie, who help run the business from their home in L'Anse. Production of Crazy Joe's Salsas & Dips is done at the Baraga American Legion Post 444.
"It's taken a lot of thought and hard work, but it's a fun product to stand behind," Katie said. "Not only that, we get to spend a lot of time with customers, getting their feedback and developing additional products. Joe's recipes are so well-known. He does amazing things with food. He just adds this whole other aspect with salsa — it's crazy and it's Joe. So that's what we went with."
Crazy Joe's Salsas can be found at Pats Foods & Festival Foods, Econo Foods, Keweenaw Co-op, Jim's Foodmart, Louie's Super Foods, Larry's Market, Pines Convenience Center, Dick's Pump & Munch, and Baraga BP.
For more information about Crazy Joe's Salsa, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/crazyjoessalsa