text:
Environmentally-Sound Recycling Services
Schedule a Pickup
Schedule a bulk pickup of your ewaste, scrap paper, metal and other recyclables and get rid of your waste without the hassle.
Drop Off Your Recyclables
Drop your old mobile phones, aluminum cans, glass and other home recyclables at our local recycling center, and get top prices for select materials.
Broker & Funds
Whether you need recycling brokerage or assistance with your church or school fundraiser, we provide the necessary services.
Current Price of Aluminum
25 Cents Per Pound
In Business for More Than 30 Years
Who We Are
Go green with the help of recycling services from D & M Recycling, based in Onalaska, Wisconsin. With more than three decades of experience, we are a recycling company that provides ewaste, paper and scrap metal pickup services for businesses within 100 miles. We also provide a local drop off point at our recycling center off Highway 35 in Onalaska. Additionally, we broker products for those who are further away. We are local, and we're here to serve you as needed.
Serving Customers within a 100-Mile Radius of Zip Code 54650
Contact us in Onalaska, Wisconsin, or call 608-783-3030 for more information about recycling and bulk pick up services from our company.


text:
Sushi Go 55
333 S. Alameda Street, Suite 317
Los Angeles, CA.
(213) 687-0777
I learned about Sushi Go 55 from Kirk of mmm-yoso. Seeing the pictures of his post pushed Sushi Go 55 to the top of my queue, so on my last roadtrip, Boyfriend and I stopped there for dinner. I was happy to find out it was located in the same shopping plaza where I had eaten piping hot taiyaki and takoyaki.
Unfortunately, the stand was not there the night we went.
We had made a reservation since this is a small place. The restaurant sign isn't very visible. As we road up the elevator, Boyfriend kept pointing to large signs "this one? this one?" he kept asking. Inside, Sushi Go has a big sushi bar, and some small tables. We had made reservations at a table because we already knew what we wanted to eat and didn't want to be tempted by the fish at the sushi bar.
Kirk had taken a picture of the Chirashi lunch special on his last visit, which is what got me so excited about this place. The two layer Chirashi set looked so neat. And usually Boyfriend is the one who orders the Chirashi bowls, but with this one containing tako, tamago and other goodies I enjoy, I wanted the chirashi set.
There are two chirashi sets for dinner. Since I love uni, I had to get the chirashi matsu. Boyfriend opted to try the sashimi matsu dinner.
We ordered green tea. The tea was served in these interesting looking glass cups and had a very strong green color.
We were then presented a variety of small dishes and miso soup. There was pickled carrots, pickled cabbage, eggplant.
Finally, my chirashi set!
The two layer box set was such a neat presentation. The top box is full of the sashimi and the bottom one is full of rice, shredded omelet and masago.
I liked everything in my chirashi set, except the uni. The uni was not as fresh. Some of it was a bit bitter. So sad. I did like the tako though. It wasn't too chewy. It was crunchy, with just a slight chew.
Boyfriend's sashimi dinner looked good too.
He really loved the halibut and yellowtail. I liked it too. It practically melted in my mouth. After tasting those two, it was hard to eat the tuna and salmon.
The service was pretty good, and the quantity and quality of food was good for the price. I just wish my uni had tasted better.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Decorating is an opportunity to personalise your home and make it reflect you. It gives you the chance to make the spaces your own and can also be very fun to do. On top of this choosing, the right decorations can have a positive effect on your wellbeing, increasing happiness and quality of life.
When you decorate you need to make careful use of colours and patterns. It is important to plan ahead so you can utilise them in the right way, making spaces feel welcoming rather than confusing. A good idea is to use a board so you can see how well different options will blend together. This will help with your planning and make sure the elements will work together.
The one thing you want to avoid with your decorations is clashes. If you use too many different patterns or colours in a space you can make it unpleasant to spend time in. This is the complete opposite of what you want to achieve.
A good tip if you can't decide on a pattern for the walls is to paint them a neutral colour and then use the patterns in other places, such as curtains, carpeting, pillows, and even artwork. This way you can create a comfortable space but include touches of the patterns you like. Alternatively, you can create a feature wall with wallpaper whilst painting the other walls.
At Prime Finish we provide painting and decorating services for clients all across Cambridge. We can help home and business owners to get their decorations perfect, showcasing their character and style whilst also ensuring that each space is welcoming. Our team are well trained so you can expect a professional service and a quality finish with each decoration, from paint to wallpaper.
As part of our service, we can help you to choose the perfect colours and patterns for the property. You can discuss your ideas and aims with us and we will offer recommendations to achieve them.
Call Now for your FREE Quote
Call: 07889 822718


text:
Little League baseball has a proud history in Hong Kong, but the territory's budding baseball stars play under challenging conditions
By Paula Sailes
On a drizzly Sunday morning on a makeshift baseball pitch near Lion Rock, two groups of teenagers are playing their hearts out for the chance to be Hong Kong Little League Juniors Champions 2017.
Among the enthusiastic supporters is Owen Belman, CEO of Aon Risk Solutions North Asia, AmCham Treasurer and President of Hong Kong Little League. Owen comes from the U.S., but today his son is playing for a Japanese team, which also includes two local teenagers, one Korean American and one Taiwanese American. They are playing a local team from Sha Tin that won the championship last year.
"Watch out for this kid" he tells us as a teenager steps up to the plate "this is the best player in the league right here."
Owen Belman
The teams in the league reflect Hong Kong's multicultural environment. There are the Korean and Japanese Baseball Clubs, the Tai Tam Baseball Club which represents the western community, and four local Hong Kong clubs from Ho Man Tin, Sham Shui Po, Sha Tin and Aberdeen.
"The parents get used to a lot of different cuisines" one father jokingly tells me, as a bag of teppanyaki beef jerky is passed through the crowd.
Little League has a surprisingly long history in Hong Kong. The organization was founded in 1972, back when the territory was still a sleepy British colony. Since then it has grown to include more than 450 children between the ages of 7 and 15. Its goal is to introduce baseball to kids of all nationalities and to teach them the value of fair play and hard work through sport.
Baseball is extremely popular across Asia. Travel through Taiwan or Korea and you'll be struck by both the number and the quality of their fields. Korea has reportedly spent 10 million US dollars on a state-of-the-art facility outside Seoul which will host the regional Little League tournament for the next five years.
While Hong Kong's adult baseball players are well catered for, the territory's Little League facilities leave much to be desired. The field known as Lion Rock 2, where the Juniors championship is taking place, is owned by the Water Supplies Department and sits on top of a reservoir. To describe its surface as uneven would be an understatement.
"It's pretty bad" Owen explains, "my wife is from Minnesota and we have a house there. Within a three-mile area there are two fantastic complexes which each have six to eight immaculate fields, they are very flat and they are maintained. The fields here have a lot of grass growing where it's supposed to be dirt, they are fundamentally not level so when the ball is hit it can bounce all over the place."
Hong Kong Little League's board is in the process of raising funds to level and grade the fields at Lions Rock and Ho Man Tin West, to re-sod the infield and outfield and put baseball dirt in the infield cutouts. Raising the money is only half the battle. All improvements need approval from the Water Supplies Department.
Peter Tung is in charge of the fundraising efforts. As a parent and volunteer he wears many hats: most recently, chief molehill flattener.
"The space is beautiful and it's a great location. The only thing is that because we aren't able to use fertilizers on the grass, a lot of animals, rodents, moles have dug in beneath the subsurface and made the grass really bumpy so obviously that's quite dangerous. You need a flat area to make sure you have true roll on the baseball."
Upgrading the facilities would make a tremendous difference to the league and to the children that play in it. Better facilities would mean fewer rainouts and more practice hours which could translate into an expansion of the league itself.
Owen is hopeful that negotiations with the Water Supplies Department will prove productive and that the proposed improvements to the fields will be complete by August 2018.
"It's a shame that such a marvelous, international city as Hong Kong does not offer baseball fields meeting international standards for these kids to play on, and we hope to work with the Hong Kong government and Water Supplies Department to change this reality. It is impressive to me the number of local kids that are passionate about baseball - I just wish we could give them a world-class experience."


text:
Post a comment
Die, Zauberflöte! Die!!!!!
Katya and I got to see (most of*) The Magic Flute at the Lyric Opera last night. Hooray! It was very good, and quite different from my other Lyric experience--Wagner.
My boss is a Mozart fanatic, and had been telling me how wonderful the music was, and also what a brilliant librettist the man was. I think I missed a lot of that, though, due to my lack of expertise with music. I really enjoyed it, and I thought that it was quite beautiful, but I think that people who grew up appreciating classical music can interact with Mozart on a different level than I can. Katya, for example, thought that it was almost too beautiful (which I understand only slightly). She prefers the Wagner for that reason.
One of the big differences for me was that with Wagner I felt that I had to be constantly reading the subtitles the whole time, trying to keep up with his intricate plot, and I was constantly looking at the sheer neon-encrusted spectacle on stage. With Magic Flute, however, I often found myself staring at the ceiling or closing my eyes, the better to concentrate on the music. I certainly followed the story, and I enjoyed it (that Papageno is funny as hell, yo. More on him later), but the music seemed to be the key element here. Partially this is because Mozart is a musical genius and (brilliant librettist though he may be) the story was a little... uneven. It's also true that the Ring Cycle was my first exposure to the Lyric Opera and the first live opera I'd seen by one of the greats, so I may have been more hypersensitive to it, while perhaps I was able to relax more with Mozart. There also the possibility, of course, that when I saw Mozart I was still drunk*. At any rate, it was a very different experience.
I enjoyed the three Yoot, or Genii, a great deal. I'm too inexperienced to claim that I heard them sing notes poorly, but certainly I found that I enjoyed the phrasing of certain notes more than others... nevertheless the notes of theirs' that I liked (the higher ones), I liked a lot. I also really enjoyed Sarastro, although I wish that he had magically been even louder. I guess that's what the people pay all that money for, up there in the front rows. Far and away the best, however, was the Queen of the Night's second aria (her first one, presumably, was also quite nice). It was extremely difficult to believe that the sound I was hearing came from a human--extraordinary, with all these crazy trills and what-not. Wow.
I'm not quite sure why I'm writing about it, really. I thought it was amazing, but I don't really have the vocabulary to explain what it sounded like (does anyone?) and, moreover, it's one of the most famous arias in the history of civilization. Fercrissakes, you can google "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" and listen for yourself. I mean, you won't be hearing the same coloratura (Aleksandra Kurzak, in my case) but if I were you I doubt I could tell the difference.
One thing that surprised me was that, just as in the Ring, I noticed a few inexcusable (yet inarguable) technical faults. This mystifies me. Some are, perhaps, matters of personal preference. For example, in one seen Papageno is exploring this frightening place he has been lead to. He goes to lean against a rocky outcropping, but the lights brighten and it turns out to be a stone lion. He runs over somewhere else, but the lights come up and reveal a scary statue, &c. If I were designing it, I would want a fairly subtle increase in brightness, maybe a quick swelling or something, but last night it was more like a quick flash to "ON". It didn't look like the clouds parting and the moon illuminating, it looked like the stage manager "go"-ing and the board op pushing the button. As I say, that might be a question of taste.
Less excusable was the glow tape. I'm not against glow tape--certainly it's a necessity it any but the most simple of plays. One should avoid the "aircraft runway" syndrome, but obviously the actors will need an occasional spike mark to find their light in the dark, so to speak. My objection with last night's production, however, was that someone had traced out the four corners of the center trap door with glow tape, using a good four to six inches on each corner. First of all, I hate it when trap doors and elevators are visible on stage. I feel that either their existence should be a complete surprise to the audience, if possible. Now it isn't always possible, but one should never draw attention to it. I had a similar problem in the Ring, now that I think of it. There was so much tape around the trap door that I really thought it (the tape) was a scenic element. It looked like the sort of the Richard Foreman would do. The rest of the set was all threes (thee is an important number in Masonry, I hear. Apparently a lot of the music is in E flat, which has three flats in the scale, the score has a number of chords that were repeated thrice, and the stage had a number of triangles &c.). In addition, most of the scenery was rounded... there were a number of very rounded rocks, for example. So the outlines of a right-angled, four-sided square really stood out on the stage. I spent over half of the second act wondering what it signified, before realizing that it signified "Watch out, actors, there's a trap door here!". You can actually see it in the publicity image from their web site, just behind that guy in black robes. A little bit amateur-hour, if you ask me.
Ok, that's not at all fair, and Jörg Zimmermann, if you read this, I'm sure you did a better job than I could. I wonder if this sort of thing has something to do with Opera Singers' contracts. "That's it," says Papageno, "I'm not going on. I'll fall down the trap door and die, it's too risky" "But if I put glow tape around it, won't my set look silly?" "Jörg, either shut up or learn how to sing 'Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja', no one's paying to see your set."
I thought the animal costumes look silly, too.
Speaking of Papageno, he was hilarious. The opera, of course, is in German with English surtitles. At one point, Papageno shakes his magic rattle but it doesn't do what he wants, and he yells out, "Damn, this thing busted!". Everyone stops, and he looks really embarrassed and runs over to say something to the conductor, who nods. A surtitle comes up with, "Damn, this thing's busted" on it in German.
*So, yeah. I thought that if I left work at 6:00pm I'd have plenty of time to get there by 7:30... and I did. I got there around 7:28 or so. Katya had already started the long climb up to our seats, and the ticket's (I realized just then) were in her name only. I was even going to buy another ticket, right there, but by the time I thought of it the doors were shut, and there is no late seating at the Lyric.
Needless to say, I was pretty upset about that. After banging my fists melodramatically against a streetlight I went off to have a drink. On the way, I noticed that my ring was missing--probably flew off my finger at the streetlight, but I couldn't find it at all. Ouch, that's low.
So I went and had a shot of tequila and a black Russian and some curly fries, and I read synopses of Act One on my phone. I love having a phone that allows me to download opera synopses and read them in a bar. Around the time that intermission was beginning I left the bar and headed back to the theatre. On the way, to my great surprise, I happened to notice my ring lying on the sidewalk at Wacker and Randolph. I must have dropped it before I even got to the theatre, and I never would have found it, else! I still can't quite believe that it was just sitting there, nor that I happened to look down and see it.
I got to the theatre, Katya came out at intermission, and I got to see the rest of the show. Perhaps I even enjoyed it more, being tilted slightly toward the Dionysian side and away from the Apollonian. Certainly I don't regret missing Sarastro's monologue about why women need strong husbands, &c.
No comments about this post. Yet.


text:
Your votes have spoken! This is the first part of the "Super Seven" Ministers article. I have to apologize for taking such a long time with my articles. For the past few days, I have been away experiencing politics, Tom Yum style. Nonetheless, here is the article and hope that it is a useful and interesting read.
After each election, some of the new candidates will be thrown into the political office. In the recent GE, Grace Fu, Lui Tuck Yew and Lee Yi Shyan were the ones who became Ministers of State. In the 2001 General Election, seven were promoted to Senior Ministers of State and Ministers of State. They are, Tharman Shanmuguratnam, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Dr Ng Eng Hen, Raymond Lim, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Khaw Boon Wan and Cedric Foo. With the exception of Cedric Foo, who quit political office during the term, the rest of Super-seven made quite good progress. The first part will feature two of the six Ministers, Tharman and Dr Balaji.
In the past Cabinets, Singapore has seen several great Ministers who are Indians, such as the late S. Rajaratnam (DPM, SM and Foreign Minister), ex-Foreign Minister Dhanabalan and DPM Jayakumar. Following the footsteps of these giants are Tharman and Dr Balaji. Five years has passed and let's see the major issues surrounding these Ministers.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Current Portfolio:
Minister for Education (MOE)
Second Minister for Finance (MOF)
Deputy Chairman of Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
Previous Portfolios:
Senior Minister of State for MTI & MOE (Nov 2001 to July 2003
Acting Minister for Education (Aug 2003 to Aug 2004)
Previous Vocation:
Managing Director of MAS
Major Policies Introduced:
Reforms to Education System (Less Streaming, More Fuzziness)
Amendment to "Bilingualism Policies"
Promotion of Singapore as an Education Hub
Increase Number of Universities in Singapore
Promotion of Co-Curricular Activities in Schools
Social-Emotional Learning in Schools
Launching of Singapore Management University
Corporatisation of NUS & NTU
Life-sciences Education Programme
Bicultural Studies Programme
Compulsory Education Act
"Sticky" Point:
Ironically, his "stickiest" point was not during his time in politics but outside. December 1992, he was one of the five charged under the Official Secrets Act. The charges follow a 29 June 1992 Business Times article, headlined "2nd qtr: Flash estimates point to below 5pc growth" and written by correspondent Anna Teo, which said the early indications were of second-quarter growth of 4.6 to 4.8 per cent. The government later announced a growth figure of 4.7 per cent for the quarter. Tharman was charged with unlawfully communicating the flash estimate of 4.6 per cent given to him in confidence by the Department of Statistics to Mr Bhaskaran who faces three charges - receiving the information, and passing it on to Raymond Foo and BT senior correspondent Kenneth James.
The case lasted almost 16 months until March 1994 when the verdict was out. According to the AFP article dated 31 March 1994:
"The defendants are Business Times editor Patrick Daniel, 39, its technology editor Kenneth James, 46, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) director Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 36, and Crosby Securities economists Manu Bhaskaran, 36, and Raymond Foo, 29.
The prosecution claimed Crosby's Bhaskaran saw the secret estimate in a MAS report that Shanmugaratnam carried for reference during a meeting with him on June 19, 1992.
Bhaskaran is accused of passing the estimate to his colleague Foo and to James at the Business Times.
MAS's Shanmugaratnam is charged with handling secret information in a way that endangered its secrecy. Bhaskaran, Foo, Daniel and James are charged with obtaining the classified estimate from a government source and communicating it. All five have denied the charges."
On 31 March 1994, the verdict was out. Since the court had found "it was open to the prosecution not to accept the court's finding of no communication, but having given its consent and drafted an amended charge, it has accepted the court's finding of no communication by Shanmugaratnam to Bhaskaran". Thus, Tharman was only fined S$1,500 (US$955) on one charge of handling secret information in such a way as to endanger its secrecy.
This incident was the talking point of the 2001 General Elections, but had no effect on the electorates at Jurong GRC. Tharman and the PAP team resoundingly defeated SDP (led by Chee Soon Juan) garnering 79.75% of the votes. It must be said that this OSA incident did traumatized him somewhat. However, he has recovered well from it and did a reasonably good job in a very unpopular Ministry (of Education). If you are interested in the full media reports of Tharman's OSA cases, let me know via email.
Media Image:
In the media, he was always seen as the cool, calm and collected Minister. Articulated in words and responded well in dialogues and interviews. Comparatively to other new Ministers, he has gotten one of the most media spotlight.
Final Note:
Tharman meteoric rise is quite counter-intuitive. 14 years ago, he was involved in a highly-publicized criminal case and now, he is the Second Finance Minister. For people who are closed to him, would not have found it surprising. He is quite the same person as he is behind the scenes to in front of the media. He is eloquent, deep and methodical thinker, cool in the face of storm and well-liked by his followers.
Having taken over a "much-hated" Ministry, the Ministry of Education, Tharman has done quite a fair job in gradually removing the detested streaming system. To many, it seemed like a simple task for a Minister to direct the change but this is not the case in reality. While most might find it a necessary move to remove the streaming system, executing the change and not letting the public perceiving that it was a policy-gone-wrong is no simple feat. To execute it, he has to be careful not to be seen as correcting the ex-Education Ministers' (some of them are still in Cabinet) policies. To add to the challenge, Singaporean parents are one of the world's most difficult to satisfy bunch of people.
Despite these challenges, he has done a smooth job with relatively less troubles. I think there is room for progress for Tharman and he might take on more heavy-weight portfolios in the coming future.
Dr Balaji Sadasivan
Current Portfolio:
Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (MFA), Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA) Chairman of Committee on Ageing Issues (CAI)
Chairman of Service Improvement Unit (SIU)
Previous Portfolios:
Minister of State for Transport (Nov 2001 to August 2004)
Minister of State for Health (Nov 2001 to August 2004)
Minister of State for Environment (Nov 2001 to May 2003)
Senior Minister of State for Health (August 2004 to May 2006)
Previous Vocation:
Neurosurgeon, with external Law Degree
Before entering politics, he was the top neurosurgeon in Singapore and the only one that is recognized by the USA and Australian neuroscience boards. As full neurosurgeon in Singapore, he handles only the most serious brain surgeries but has a 100% success rate in operations.
When he was in Michigan, he was the neurosurgeon who extracts brain tissues (which has the most concentration of HIV virus) of HIV patients. Out of leisure, he also has a law degree. Unknown to many, he was a very successful entrepreneur as well. He had company that made medical surgery machines based on the global positioning to help the surgeon to make the incisions. Just when the company was about to take off and earn him millions in profit, he closed his businesses (he did not transfer it to any relatives) when became a Minister (as required by law). The pay he receives as a Minister is far less than what he earns as a neurosurgeon and director of the companies.
Major Policies Introduced:
General Election Campaigning (Podcasting and Internet Activities)
Curbing the Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
Biological Agents and Toxin Bill
Entry into World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Member Board
Curbing Dengue Fever, Aedes Mosquitoes
Curbing Stroke Cases
Amendment to Telecommunications Act
Amendment to Broadcasting Act
Amendment to Electronic Transaction Act
Amendment to Maritime Offence Act
Amendment to Infectious Disease Act
HIV-AIDS Public Education Campaign
Bird-flu Prevention Campaign, and representative to WHO
Human Cloning and Other Prohibited Practices Act
Security at MRT Stations
Policies for Aging Population
Eldershield Care
Reduction in Cost of Ez-link Cards
"Sticky" Point:
Perhaps one of the stickiest issues is the issue that no health Ministers ever dare to deal with: HIV. The reason that most health Ministers in any countries avoided the issue of HIV is that no country or government has ever succeeded in combating the disease. Given his background in neurosurgeon and his time in Michigan where he deals with brain tissues (most concentration of HIV virus) of HIV patients, it seemed logical for a "doctor" to deal with the issue. However, politically, this is was a landmine for any Ministers. When dealing with HIV, inevitably, you will clash into the paths of gay rights activists and other "anti-discrimination" activists.
Of course, another more recent sticky issue is the prohibition of Podcasting and certain online political advertising during the nine days of GE. I've given my take on the issue and would just like to stressed that no additional laws have been implemented by is just an interpretation of existing laws (such as political film acts – introduced by George Yeo and PEA). I am going to make a bold prediction that laws governing the internet political commentary will be removed before the next GE.
Media Image:
Maybe at most times, he was at the unfair receiving end of the bad media publicity. Strangely, being the Senior Minister of State of MICA, he has made no attempts to restrict any media from bad mouthing him (trust me on this one, as I have got some friends both in ST, MDA and MICA). Unlike Dr Vivian who has written to the Straits Times to correct the misinterpretation of his words, Dr Balaji has never done that.
However, as a Minister, he seemed to be too soft-spoken and doesn't have the assertiveness of Dr Ng Eng Hen or the charm of Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
Final Note:
Behind the public view, many would not have gathered the extent of work that Dr Balaji has put in. Singapore's recent entry to the Executive Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO), was almost the sole work of his. This is Singapore's first election as an Executive Board member in our 40 years of membership with the WHO. Dr Balaji's first active involvement with the WHO was during the SARS period. He acted as a "salesman" attracting and assuring the foreign investors that Singapore is safe from the disease, a task that he accomplished with merit.
As mentioned earlier, one of his greatest achievements was to lower the HIV infection rate. Not well-publicized in the media was the fact that Dr Balaji succeeded where no other developed countries or Health Ministers had; lower the HIV infection rate. Since his implementations, the number of HIV infected patients fell by around 20%. Transmission of the disease from mother to child dropped to zero since he imposed his policies on pre-natal detection. This is quite impressive policy result by any standards. Although some would be skeptical and doubt the methodology of measure or statistic interpretation, it is confirmed by WHO that Singapore is one of the few countries that managed to engineer such change in trend. Whatever the case, this is a high risk policy that no Health Ministers are willing to handle or have the capacity to take.
As a former medical doctor and top neurosurgeon in Southeast Asia, he certainly commands a great deal of respect from the medical community. Khaw Boon Wan, the Minister of Health, often is being seen tackling issues such as health care cost, medisave and operational efficiency, but seldom on specific medical issues. Dr Balaji provides the perfect contrast to Khaw, by tackling specialized medical issues such as gerontology as a compulsory part of the health education curriculum,
Dr Balaji has been representing the Cabinet in all international forums for Bird-flu and related dialogues. Should there be an outbreak, he will be the Minister-in-Charge. His recent appointment into the Foreign Minister suits him well given his Health and MICA background.
In MICA, he is a more liberal Minister compared to Dr Lee Boon Yang, who is slated to step down. Dr Balaji is influential in bring the gradual liberalization of the media and arts scene. Prior to his entry into MICA, the Ministry took a conservative stand against all media and arts affair. After his appointment in MICA, the gradual liberalization is seen in the permitting of "Crazy Horse", the non-implementation of the PEA (Parliamentary Election Act) on blogging and podcasting as well as the soon-to-be introduced satellite TV.
Thus, I think Dr Balaji has done a fair deal of work to earn him a promotion to a full Minister. The recent Cabinet appointments (and non-promotion of Dr Balaji) must have dented him quite a bit. My guess is that once Lim Boon Heng and Lee Boon Yang steps down, Dr Balaji should be promoted to Acting Minister within that same reshuffling.


text:
To drive a successful agile transformation, there needs to be alignment with the organization's overall strategy. For this to happen, you need to answer three important questions:
- What are your business objectives?
- What are the problems you are trying to solve?
- How will agile help?
Answering these questions involves rethinking all aspects of how you run your business.
- Vision and purpose: prior to committing to a transformation plan, executives and transformation leaders must understand the problems they are trying to solve and the goals they are trying to achieve. Organizations can fall into the trap of deciding to go agile because it's the trendy thing to do, without fully understanding the "why." Aligning on a vision and purpose will help establish the tone and speed of your transformation, as well as shape your communication strategy. Having a clear vision for your transformation is a critical first step to gain commitment from your people.
- Executive ownership and alignment: it's important for executive teams to be actively engaged in an agile transformation. In addition to understanding and aligning themselves with the changes that will come during and as a result of the transformation, they must also be willing to lead by example—by changing how they operate, improving transparency, and taking steps to create an environment of trust. Ideally, the organization should designate a single executive to drive the transformation, as "ownership by committee" has rarely seen favourable results. In addition, the organization needs to cultivate champions to drive the execution of the transformation.
- Agile transformation roadmap: having a living, breathing roadmap that guides your transformation journey is critical, as most agile transformations are often multi-streamed, time-consuming, and involve various groups that may not have worked together in the past. Each enterprise's transformation and transformation roadmap will be unique depending on its objectives, strategy, culture, and level of agile maturity, among other factors. A successful roadmap charts out the journey from your current state to your intended target state while listing out major intermediate steps. At the same time, your roadmap cannot be prescriptive. It needs to be flexible so that you can continually and proactively adapt throughout your journey.
- Business and technology roadmap: the success of your agile transformation hinges on the synchronization of your organization's business and technology operations. To better understand this relationship, consider the context of product development. In this example, the business owns the vision for the evolution of products and understands how their products will ultimately drive business outcomes. Technology needs to understand the vision so it can define the capabilities and technologies best suited to enable those business outcomes. By working together to keep their respective roadmaps in sync, business and technology can strike the right balance between predictability and flexibility to pivot when necessary. As your agile organization matures, your business and technology roadmaps should converge into one. When there is misalignment between business and technology, it can become a distraction and slow down product delivery and your transformation.
- Business outcomes and key performance indicators (KPI): if you can't measure it, you can't manage it. Ultimately, every minimum viable product (MVP) should be linked to a product KPI, and every KPI should be linked to a core business objective. By tying initiatives to business outcomes, you increase transparency and accountability at all levels. This results in a more effective investment of your resources. With the launch of each MVP, you need to be relentless about measuring KPIs and sharing the results enterprise-wide, good or bad. This creates a culture that is fundamentally rooted in achieving business objectives.


text:
Yueany Qisquina, 27, was killed in a Los Angeles car accident after he was struck by an elderly driver who apparently lost control of his vehicle. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Vermont Avenue and 8th Street in Koreatown, the morning of July 31, 2011. A 73-year-old woman driving a 2000 Nissan Pathfinder veered into the northbound lanes of traffic and went off the roadway. Qisquina was walking on the sidewalk when the car hit him.
The critically injured pedestrian was transported to an area hospital where he later died. Officials say drugs or alcohol were not factors in this fatal crash. The elderly driver has not been arrested and no charges have been filed pending an official investigation.
I offer my deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Yueany Qisquina for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Los Angeles Pedestrian Accidents
According to California Highway Patrol's 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 82 fatalities and 2,630 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in the city of Los Angeles. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 179 people died and 4,918 were injured due to pedestrian accidents, during the same year.
What Caused This Fatal Crash?
Based on this news report, it appears that the elderly driver lost control of her car and struck the pedestrian who was legally walking on a sidewalk. There are several questions that remain here. What led the driver to lose control of the SUV? Officials say she was not intoxicated. Was there an auto defect or malfunction in the SUV, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle? Was she distracted or inattentive at the time? Was she traveling at an unsafe rate of speed? Were any other vehicles involved in this incident? I trust officials are looking into these and other factors in order to determine precisely what occurred here and why.
Fault and Liability
If the driver is determined to have been at fault, she could not only face criminal charges, but can also be held civilly liable for Yueany Qisquina's wrongful death. The victim's family would be well-advised to seek the counsel of an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected.


text:
1. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityCiara Brennan Aug 31, 2018 2:58 AM (in response to Kyle Gupton)
Thanks for sharing Kyle Gupton , this is really useful
2. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityKyle Gupton Sep 4, 2018 8:06 AM (in response to Ciara Brennan)
You bet! I plan to add more to it over time as well.
3. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityLory Danganan Feb 11, 2019 3:56 PM (in response to Kyle Gupton)
Hi there,
My name is Lory and I work for a nonprofit agency and we're using JAWS software for our visually impaired employees. Do you have an example of a dashboard that JAWS software can read? I've tried several options in Tableau but it doesn't seem to read it. I just want to learn from a sample and see how I can incorporate that with our dashboards.
Appreciate your help.
4. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityKyle Gupton Feb 13, 2019 12:46 PM (in response to Lory Danganan)
Hi Lory -
Absolutely. The best example is the one hosted on our third-party accessibility consultant's web site: https://equalentry.com/tableau-accessibility-demo/
This is the page and dashboard they use for testing to prepare our VPAT for each release. In fact, if you look at the VPAT (links above), you can see descriptions of all the scenarios they test.
Note that dashboards are only accessible if they are published to one of our web-based platforms (Tableau Server, Tableau Online, or Tableau Public) and accessed using a browser. Dashboards in Tableau Desktop are not accessible. Also, we added the accessibility capabilities starting in Tableau 10.5.
5. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityLory Danganan Feb 13, 2019 1:17 PM (in response to Kyle Gupton)
Thank you Kyle! Do you happen to have a copy of the workbook package? I just want to test how JAWS software would read it.
Appreciate your help.
6. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityKyle Gupton Feb 14, 2019 11:38 AM (in response to Lory Danganan)
You can find the workbooks on my Tableau Public page here:
You can also just test the workbook that is published on our consultant's site. Otherwise, the workbooks do need to be published to Tableau Server, Online, or Public, and embedded in a WCAG 2.0 Level AA conformant web page before testing.
7. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityAmar Raol Feb 17, 2019 7:39 AM (in response to Kyle Gupton)
Sheet with Image for Action/Navigation.
On my dashboard I have a sheet with an image (Home icon) which I use to navigate to the Home dashboard. I use the Dashboard Action of 'on select' for this functionality.
Using keyboard navigation, when my focus is on this sheet (Home icon) and I click 'Enter' key - It will open up the 'View data' popup window.
is there a way to achieve the Navigation using keyboard?
The reason I need to use a sheet for the Image (instead of the Image object) is because I need to implement data level security. I have to show the Home Icon in some scenario and hide it in some scenario.
Any help is appreciated.
8. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityKyle Gupton Feb 20, 2019 9:12 AM (in response to Amar Raol)
Hi Amar -
I assume your Home image is a shape mark on the underlying sheet. Is that correct? In that case, there's not a way to use the keyboard to "press" that image. Opening the View data page is the behavior since what you are activating is actually a viz.
As of Tableau 2018.3, the best option for navigation is to use the Button object, though there's no way (unless someone has discovered some crazy way to do it, like people sometimes do with Tableau!) to get it to show/hide in different scenarios like you are describing.
Is there another potential design for the dashboard that would satisfy your requirements?
9. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityLory Danganan Feb 20, 2019 12:18 PM (in response to Kyle Gupton)
Thank you so much Kyle. These are very helpful.
Quick question, if you would know the answer – are natural language software like JAWS able to read underlying data like Tableau tooltips or labels? Do you know if that's specified in the WCAG guidelines?
10. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityKyle Gupton Feb 20, 2019 3:07 PM (in response to Lory Danganan)
Hi Lory -
At the moment, the only thing screen readers can read for a viz is the View Data page that shows the underlying summary and (optionally) full data. They can't read tooltips, labels, etc.
As for whether WCAG specifies this sort of thing, that's an interesting question.... I'd say that in general accessibility of a complex interactive visual display is not a solved problem (and is certainly not one for which standards exist). Under the WCAG we consider our interactive visualizations to be Complex Images:
In this case, the caption for a view can be considered the Short Description, and the View Data page as the Long Description. It's just that the View Data page usually isn't a very useful description. The whole point of Tableau is that a giant table of data isn't the best way to understand the data! And I don't think just providing screen reader access to the mark information or text in a Tableau viz is the right way to go here either. The visual layout of the various components of the viz is simply too critical to conveying the information it contains.
What's really needed is a mechanism to transform the delivery of the information from one kind of perception (visual) to another (typically audial (screen reader) or tactile (refreshable braille display).
Right now I think the most promising path forward is through the use of Natural Language Generation (NLG) tools like Automated Insights and Narrative Science. Both of these companies have Dashboard Extensions for Tableau that will generate data-driven, plain-language descriptions of Tableau visualizations that can be read with a screen reader. I don't think we're quite there yet, but I think this automatically generated textual description is a better transformation of the *information* that the viz contains from something that must perceived using sight into something (text) that can be perceived by either hearing (screen reader) or touch (refreshable braille display).
Note that this is just my opinion based on the state of things right now. I know there is active research going on within universities on these questions. Like I said, this isn't really a solved problem, so we're kind of making the standard as we go along.
11. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityLory Danganan Feb 20, 2019 3:42 PM (in response to Kyle Gupton)
Appreciate your help and sharing your expertise Kyle. Yes, our agency is looking into Automated Insights as an option too.
Thank you very much again!
12. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityKyle Gupton Feb 21, 2019 8:02 AM (in response to Lory Danganan)
You bet! I hope it was helpful.
13. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityAmar Raol Feb 21, 2019 9:11 AM (in response to Kyle Gupton)
Hello Kyle,
Thank you for all your responses.
Yes, I am using the Home Image as a shape mark on the underlying sheet. Due to the show and hide requirement, I think the button object might not work out and also I don't think I will be able to change the design also.
I will continue my research and update the post if I find anything.
14. Re: FAQ: AccessibilityKyle Gupton Feb 22, 2019 8:44 AM (in response to Amar Raol)
Thanks Amar. I don't have any other ideas at this point. I'm wondering if there are some ideas for new capabilities of the Button object that could come out of this. In general we want people to use the new Button object rather than the old way of hacking "buttons".


text:
Mission, History, & Facts of University High School
Below please find more information about the mission and core values of University High School, the story of the school's founding, and stats and facts about the 2019-20 school year.
The University High School Mission
The mission of University High School is to expand the hearts and minds of students and to nurture excellence through academic, creative, and physical achievement.
The University High School Core Values
The six core values of University High School are as follows:
- Diversity
- Commitment to excellence
- Commitment to personal responsibility
- Creativity
- Stewardship
- Mutual respect, support, and trust
A Brief History of University High School
Motivated by a perceived shortage of independent high school openings for qualified students in the mid-1990s, an exploratory committee comprised of parents from Sycamore School, The Orchard School and St. Richard's Episcopal School gained funding for a demographic study, began a discovery process, and eventually incorporated as the University High School Board in 1998. In December of 1998, Chuck and Nancy Webster, from the Roeper School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, were hired to serve as head of school and admission director respectively, followed closely by Chris and Carolyn Bradley in supporting administrative roles. After eliminating several suggested locations for the school, eighty-five acres on 116th Street was purchased by a limited liability corporation of board members and friends of University. The following year, Susana Bollinger was hired and the process of solidifying a curriculum began in earnest. In December 1999, Ann Andrews of Ann Arbor, Michigan, whose family foundation had been formed with the idea of supporting new private high schools, made a $1.5 million gift to University that, along with gifts from board members, allowed the school to build four modular classrooms, refurbish existing farmhouses on the property and begin school in the fall of 2000 with 28 students as a first freshman class and ten faculty. An 18,000 square foot permanent building was ready for the fall of 2001, and a 12,000 square foot addition was added in the fall of 2003. Additionally, neighbor Jill Perelman donated 30 acres directly west of the original property in 2004, making the total University site 115 acres. Finally, in the spring of 2007, Fairbanks Hall opened, eliminating reliance on portable classrooms and becoming the main classroom and administrative facility. In 2019-20, University has approximately 50 faculty and staff, more than 300 students, and is in our 20th school year.
|Type of School
|Independent, coed, college-preparatory program
|$21,190 for 2019-20 academic year
|Religious Affiliation
|Student/Teacher Ratio
|Average Class Size
|320 students in 2019-20
|50 full- and part-time
|Admission Deadline
|Early Admission Deadline: November 1
Regular Admission Deadline: December 15
Rolling admission after December 15
|80 acres, athletic fields, tennis complex, computer laboratory, theater, music and art facilities
|Two 18-week semesters plus three-week January Term
|School Day
|8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. most days. When school is in session on a Monday, the school day is 9:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
|School Year
|August 12, 2019 – May 28, 2019
|33 percent of student body
|College Placement
|100 percent
|Independent Schools Association of the Central States, North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement
|National Association for College Admission Counseling, Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling, National Association of Independent Schools, Indiana Association of Independent Schools, College Board, Indiana High School Athletic Association
|2825 W. 116th St., Carmel, IN 46032
|(317) 733-4475
|Head of School
|Chuck Webster


text:
Group Booking Terms and Conditions
Because you are making a Group Booking, there are additional Terms and Conditions that apply. Please read them and click 'I Accept' below to continue with your booking
General Group Booking Terms
By making a group reservation through Hostelworld.com you agree to the following terms and conditions as set by Hostelworld.com and as set by the hostel in question.
- In order to make a group reservation on Hostelworld.com it is necessary to pay a deposit. The balance is due directly to the hostel according to their payment conditions.
- The booking deposit is non-refundable.
- Please note that any cancellations must be notified directly to the hostel at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled arrival date, unless otherwise stated in the hostel's conditions.
- Hostelworld.com are not responsible for changes or amendments to your reservation once it has been processed. All correspondence with regard to changes to your booking need to be dealt with directly with the hostel.
- Cancellations for reservations must be made directly with the hostel and must conform with the individual hostels cancellation policy (see below)
- It is your responsibility to pay the balance of your accommodation cost to the hostel in accordance with their payment conditions (see below). Failure to do so may result in your reservation being cancelled by the hostel.
- Individual hostels may have special booking conditions relating to group stays, please read the hostel booking conditions carefully before making your reservation.
Hostel Specific Terms & Conditions
The remainder of the amount due will be charged to your credit card ???? Should numbers or room selection change, the per person deposit times the number of people who actually travelled will be deducted from the total accommodation charge levvied by the hostel.
The following group types are not accepted by this hostel: Holiday with Friends, Junior / Primary School, High / Secondary School, College / University, Business Trip, Stag/Hen/Bachelor Party, Sports Group, Cultural Group If you have misrepresented the type of group you are booking for, your booking may be cancelled by the hostel."
Any cancellations resulting from agreement to these terms and conditions under false pretences will result in loss of deposit.
Abychom vám mohli potvrdit rezervaci, musíte přijmout naše smluvní podmínky.
Popis hostelu
We pride ourselves in offering you a clean hostel and friendly service.
Close to the supermarket, Paradiso movie theater, and DOC office. We are a perfect location that is in town, but not in the main street of town and have a large sheltered garden for relaxing in. Off street parking, WiFi, BBQ, storage and drying room, hairdryers, coffee plungers, Backpacker phone and lockers in all rooms with extra lockers in the hallway.
We love having adventurers stay; cycle tourers, Te Araroa trail walkers, Mountain climbers, skiers, snowboarders. We are adventure people who seek adventure minded folk.
Mt View changed ownership and management in September 2016. We are loving restoring this beautiful old home and replacing things and making it a better experience for the traveller. Lots of new things... :) Lockable lockers in all rooms and usb plugs.
Mountain View Backpackers is a sociable hostel that makes an ideal alternative to the larger commercial chains.
****Check in is from 2pm til 7.30 pm. Late check in is by arrangement only.**** Zobrazit domovní řád
Zjistit dostupnost
- Parkování zdarma
- Včetně ložního prádla
- Zdarma mapy měst
- Zdarma přístup k internetu
- Zdarma WiFi
- Burza zaměstnání
- Fény
- Fény k pronájmu
- Kuchyň
- Lednička
- Microwave
- Nádobí
- Parkování
- Parkování pro jízdní kola
- Pračka
- Společenská místnost
- Sporák
- Sušička
- Teplé sprchy
- Venkovní terasa
- Výměna knih
- Šatní skříňky
- Žehlička / žehlicí prkno
- Faxové služby
- Prohlídka/Přepážka
- Prádelní zařízení
- Přístup k internetu
- Recepce (omezené otevírací hodiny)
- Ručníky k pronájmu
- Údržba
- Úschovna zavazadel
- Stolní hry
- Wi-Fi
Relace vypršela
Relace vypršela
Zadejte prosím heslo k účtu <% email %>


text: Any Girl Scouts in the house? Make new friends but keep the old – one is silver and the other gold! Our church leadership is changing. Our wonderful pastor, Ron Drake Sr, is retiring by the end of this year. He not only founded Community Church but he has pastored it for thirty years. He,… [Read More]


text:
Children's books: the new value chain is a work-in-progress
Submitted by Bibliofuture on September 12, 2011 - 11:48am
It occurred to us about a year ago that the children's book business was wide open for disruption from new players outside the publishing business. Already, two of the companies we mentioned in a post back then about the new entrants that might be the actual instruments of disruption have linked up with established publishers. That suggests that the legacy publishers and the new ones need some help from each other to deliver profitable children's book publishing going forward.


text:
Summer Beauty Favorites
I have always wanted to do a beauty blog post
to show you all my minimalist approach to
beauty. So, what better way than to show you
my favorites from the summer.
First we have the Wet and Wild Brushes
and Highlighter Pallet in "Cat Walk Pink".
I love the brushes. They are soft and easy to clean. And how cute are they?
I love the Highlighter colors I even dupe them as eye shadows.
Next, we have E.L.F's Mascara.
Its cruelty free and doesn't leave my eyes irritated or lash less. The price is pretty good too.
This next item is my all time favorite
fragrance, ever. Rhianna's "Rogue Love".
I feel so feminine when I have it on and it was so perfect for hotter days. Very crisp scent. The packaging is gorgeous too.
Now, facial wipes are new to me. My skin is so sensitive, I am always terrified of break outs. But to my surprise these
cheaper wipes worked well. They are at Big Lots for $2.00. LOL
I know, don't skip out on the cheaper products.
I have used pricier brands that have irritated my skin so much.
I have grown to love a facial wipe in the heat. Sometime you
just need something to wipe the sweat off. They smell wonderful too.
Lastly, whats a favorites post without a splurge item? This MK bag I have had for a while. But I started putting it to use this summer.
Girls, you need a spacious bag for the summer.
And Navy is slowly becoming my new favorite color !
I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know what your favorite
beauty products are for the warmer
Don't forget to check out
The Top 10 Deals at Sally Beauty
|Some links may be affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog.


text:
Follow us
Call us today
Or send us a message
Don't waste time and money taking your car to a less experienced or more expensive body shop! At Affordable Auto Body & Paint, we live up to our name by providing you and your car with the highest quality services at an affordable price. Find out what others are saying about us when you view our testimonials page.
Whether you're looking for collision and auto body repairs or custom painting for your vehicle, our friendly staff can help. We offer paint restoration for classic cars and service motorcycles and motor homes for your convenience! Call today to schedule an appointment.
Bring your car to Affordable Auto Body & Paint to avoid the hassle and cost of purchasing a new one. We repair collisions and auto body damages.
You won't have to worry about hidden fees or surprise charges when you get a FREE estimate prior to beginning work on your vehicle.
Whether you're looking for a simple dent repair, need complete body work or want to spruce up your car with a custom paint job, we can help!


text: Hmm it appears like your website ate my first comment (it was super long) so I guess I'll just sum it up what I had written and say, I'm thoroughly enjoying your wepost. I as nicely am an aspiring post postger but I'm nonetheless new to everything. Do you have any points for novice wepost writers? I'd certainly appreciate it. - visit also... wozki dzieciece wózki dziecięce, by wozkiennsourenseon.


text:
Main Page
Welcome to the Mindlabtech's Technical Support Wiki!
We are a bunch of fun loving fools yet smart and peaceful people that when together can somehow change the world a little bit better!
We do a lot of things and you can access here all the technical documentations.
Kasagaran nga Pangutana
Hisgutanan (Forum)[1]
What we do!
- Software Development
- Technology System Solutions
- Product Design and Development
MindLAB Program
Technology is quickly changing and mindlabtech need to cope with it through immersion and integration into the community that surrounds the company. Mindlabtech aims to break the barriers in a new way compared to traditional companies, more practical and open for continuous innovation, and the development of necessary skills to deliver;
- Creative technology solutions to the partners
- Maintaining the level of skill set to cope the ever changing needs
Mindlabtech believes can help achieve it by this program.
Key activities of the program are the following, but not limited to;
Train and Develop Technical skills of both our trainees as they are being coached and trainers as teaching is twice learning.
Discussion in the online forum to continue to challenge the status quo to improve it.
The forum efforts will not be enough if it is not implemented. Mindlabtech could sponsor a project that is feasible and aligned of what the company believes.
Development Boards
Research and Development Projects
The following projects serves as incubators for future products. Its more fun in mindlabtech!
Pugon: A Soldering Reflow Oven Status:Under Test!
Gahum VDS: PSU Programmable Voltage Drop Supply Status:Under Test!
TUYOK: Industrial Motor Controller Status:On-going!
TABANOG: The UAV project Status:Soon!
KUYANAP: I/O bord Status:Under Development!
MUGNA Cafe
PRODUCTS in MUGNA Cafe
R&D projects combined into new product lines.
eHAP, a Universal Counter board for Self Service Machine Status:Ready for orders.
Coin Operated Self Service Machine for Renting Computer Status:Ready for orders.
Coin Operated Self Service Machine for Drinking Water Status:Ready for orders.
Favorite Sites
Subscribe in our YouTube Channel


text: Proper alignment on the major principles and business goals across an organization establishes a protocol for decision-making and is a performance accelerator. principles and business goals across an organization establishes a protocol for decision-making and is actually a performance accelerator. Part of that alignment can be agreement upon when and by whom quick judgment calls can be made and acted upon, and when an issue needs to be a part of a larger discussion. Viewing alignment as not simply seeking consensus on every choice that presents itself, but as a framework for how to approach these decisions, is the key to enabling rapid action and speed to market. For example, BNY Mellon's enterprise-wide corporate strategy-devel12 PEOPLE + STRATEGY oped leveraging Lafley and Martin's five-step strategy model-sets out our company's strategy, linking our vision and mission with where we play, how we win, and the capabilities we need to succeed in the eyes of our clients, shareholders, and employees. Through a corporate narrative that provides clarity and builds confidence in our strategy, all employees are aligned to a shared road map for success and empowered to make thoughtful, strategic decisions more quickly and effectively. The result is an increase in our speed as an organization to deliver the power of BNY Mellon to all of our stakeholders and a more engaged workforce. We recognized the need to continue a firm-wide focus on changing the way we work and removing barriers so employees feel more empowered. In this year's employee engagement survey, 83 percent of employees strongly believe in BNY Mellon's goals and priorities (up four points versus the last full survey in 2014). Eighty percent of survey respondents said they feel they're able to communicate their views upward openly and honestly, reflecting a five-point increase over 2014. And our engagement score for leadership saw the biggest gain of all survey categories with a seven-point improvement. (Statements included, "Senior management has a clear vision for the future." "I have confidence in decisions made by senior management." "Senior management communicates openly and honestly.") Growing up, I played a number of team sports. When I consider alignment across an organization, I often remember the common mindset required to be a successful sports team. The same principle applies to successful organizations. Alignment is absolutely critical for both. However, true alignment shouldn't hinder quick and agile resolutions. Coaches establish a playbook, but are fully aware that playbook must adapt once the team finds themselves in unforeseen scenarios. As a company of our size and global reach, it's imperative that HR is fully integrated across all geographies and lines of business. As teams grow and develop, alignment-in organizational structures, management systems, prudent risk management, decision-making models, and talent-is key to maximizing effectiveness and eliminating redundancies. In a technological age where we expect rapid responses and solutions, it's even more critical that key decision makers are identified across business units, and that those people are in constant communication with each other and with firm leadership. Open lines of communication and clear guidelines are central elements of the framework of successful organizations. Monique Herena is CHRO at BNY Mellon. She can be reached at monique.herena@ bnymellon.com.


text:
Nonsurgical Tummy Tuck
Celebrities turn heads around the world with their gym-honed bodies. But don't think for a second they aren't getting a little bit of help with a nonsurgical tummy tuck to help them reach their lofty body goals of perfection.
Celebrities are giving fans on Snapchat and Instagram a sneak peek behind the curtain as they document nonsurgical tummy tuck treatments after weight loss. These savvy social media stars aren't the ones to shy away online, and they give their followers a glimpse of their procedures following recent weight loss.
You don't have to be a celebrity to get a nonsurgical tummy tuck. Celebrity-style nonsurgical tummy tuck treatments are one of the big reasons our nonsurgical tummy tuck procedure has become so popular. At the National Laser Institute Med Spa, our nonsurgical tummy tuck is affordable and non-invasive. You don't need to go under the knife, and there's no down time.
Nonsurgical Tummy Tuck After Weight Loss
Generally creams and exercise do not remove loose skin. Nonsurgical modalities are available at the National Laser Institute Med Spa and are highly effective at tightening loose skin without having to remove the loose skin with invasive surgery.
In the past, skin removal was necessary after significant weight loss or pregnancy to achieve the benefits of skin tightening and a subtle reduction of fat. After all, it's not unusual to see significant changes in the skin when one has been been carrying some extra weight for a prolonged period of time. These changes are especially noticeable in the midsection due to fat accumulation, sagging skin, weakened stretched abdominal muscles and stretch marks.
Are You a Candidate for the Nonsurgical Tummy Tuck?
Candidates for nonsurgical tummy tucks have a little extra fat but have reasonable skin tone. If the skin is not too loose, a nonsurgical approach may be able to tighten the skin after a moderate amount of fat loss. Moreover, if you absolutely do not want to have surgery, or are not a surgical candidate, you may be a candidate for the nonsurgical tummy tuck.
A nonsurgical tummy tuck can be used to treat contour irregularities and loose skin. If you have that last 5 pounds to lose to reach your weight loss target, we invite you to schedule your consultation for a nonsurgical tummy tuck at the National Laser Institute Med Spa.
"Many of our clients have just recently lost weight, and sometimes it's post-pregnancy weight that was really hard to lose. When the weight is gone, the skin can be loose, and most people want that tight skin back. Skin tightening is what the celebrities choose to firm up their skin after weight loss, but you don't need to be a celebrity to get the same treatments at the National Laser Institute Med Spa," says Louis Silberman, CEO, National Laser Institute Med Spa.
An in-person exam with an expert at the National Laser Institute Med Spa is the best way to assess your needs and provide the best nonsurgical tummy tuck advice. Call us at 800-851-0969 or click here to schedule your free consultation. We look forward to working together with you to formulate a customized treatment plan that will help you achieve your aesthetic goals with the nonsurgical tummy tuck.
Louis J. Silberman is the CEO and Co-Founder of National Laser Institute, the pioneer of the medical aesthetics training industry and one of the largest educators in the country.


text:
User Profile profile for richard.clark
Richard Clark
Professor, Political Science Program Coordinator
Castleton State College
Rich Clark joined the Castleton faculty as Associate Professor of Political Science in 2011. He also serves as the founding Director of the Polling Institute at Castleton University, which was initiated by Castleton President Dave Wolk.
Dr. Clark is the current coordinator of the Political Science major. He teaches American Politics and Government, Campaigns and Elections, Congress and the Presidency, Research Methods, and other courses in Political Science. His approach to teaching has two goals: to encourage students to engage in politics and government with civic mindedness and to approach the study of politics with empirical methods and open-minded curiosity.


text:
Top: Topshop
Pants: J Brand
Vest: BDG
Shoes: Target
Bag: Perlina
Berries, the first sign of spring…or at least in Texas anyway. I have been living in this tunic as of late, mainly because it goes with everything and it's super comfortable. Also comfortable, are these awesome mule kicks. Pretty sure I had a few different styles of these when I was in 7th grade. It's the transition heel in a way, and then they were gone. I'm so happy to see these make their way back into fashion right now, and so are my feet! Any favorite trends you're seeing that you can't get enough of?


text:
"In 2001, I was fed up with the shirt business," shirtmaker Carl Goldberg told me this week. "Guys weren't dressing as well as they used to. It wasn't as much fun. I would have closed up shop, if it wasn't for the Nazi stormtrooper shirts."
Goldberg reached into the middle of a rack—one of many that surrounded us in his lively Midtown workroom—and pulled out a Nazi stormtrooper shirt. It was brown . The label inside the collar said: "The Producers, NATZI [sic], Wm Ivey Long , Designer."
I spent an afternoon with Carl Goldberg from CEGO, a custom shirt maker in New York over for 25 years. CEGO's shirts appear in many leading Broadway productions, network television shows, as well as being worn by many stylish New Yorkers. I have tried on the different fit blocks and am very impressed with the fit (I am known to be extremely critical in terms of the fit). The shirts are slim in the all the right places and yet not restrictive for movement (a very important aspect for my active lifestyle). The shirts are all made in USA.
To the uninitiated, the idea of custom shirting might seem lavish. CEGO customers — made up mostly of savvy New Yorkers and commuters — know better. To this well-informed bunch, CEGO shirts represent true value and bare style necessity — a testament to proprietor Carl Goldberg and his decades of service at the storied shop. In Part I of a two-part profile, contributor — and Eating Everywhere editor-in-chief — Sam Jacobs uncovers what goes into the making of a CEGO custom shirt.
Worth Magazine: February - March 2012, Page 42 http://www.worth.com
Jesse Thorn visits Carl Goldberg, owner of CEGO Custom Shirtmaker in New York City, to learn the difference between a custom shirt and an off-the-rack shirt. Then it's off to Alan Flusser Custom in New York for a visit with the proprietor, a menswear legend. Flusser offers some tips on dressing for your body with the help of three associated of Put This On. Finally, a visit with Ryu Kwangeol at Pro Tailor in Los Angeles to answer a viewer's question about altering off-the-rack dress shirts.
Our favorite custom shirt shop, CEGO, has teamed up with one of our favorite eBay sellers for a very unique sample sale in Manhattan. Aaron obtained the stock of Alan Flusser's custom shop when it changed management, and is offering a sale of sample goods and fabrics from the store. The goods will pretty much run the gamut, and Aaron assures me there's lots of good stuff. Of special note to people who wear the sample jacket size of the show, 41L. (Like me, dammit, all the way out here in LA.) You can check out photos here.
Carl from CEGO tells me they'll be offering a special $100 labor rate if you buy shirting fabric from Aaron, and some of CEGOs fabrics will be on sale as well.
WHEN: Friday April 29 12-7, Saturday April 30 10-4
WHERE 246 Fifth Avenue (at 28th St), Suite 511, New York, NY


text:
Nana Vic's Word Art
|Description:15 beautiful grandparent related sentiments make up this word art sheet. I've also included a bonus word art sheet with the word: Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Poppy, Nana, Pop, Gran and Gramps written in 5 different fonts. There is even a little digital of two joining hearts with 'Me & My' written across the hearts. A great collection and one I'm sure you'll use many times over in your creative projects.
Other related digitals you may like:
NV_DS0003 Digital ~ Tadpole Hunting
NV_DS0007 Digital ~ Daisy Chains
NV_DS0018 Digital ~ Story Time
NV_DS0036 Digital ~ Grandpa and Me
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Grandparents Word Art
Labels: Family, Grandparent, Sentiment, Word Art
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Ottawa, ON (PRWEB) July 08, 2014
Lumenera Corporation, a leading manufacturer and developer of high-performance digital cameras and custom imaging solutions for scientific, industrial and surveillance markets, released its new INFINITY Fluorescence Series Bundle; a fluorescence microscopy imaging solution consisting of high-end scientific cameras, feature-rich software packages, and a 5-year warranty.
The INFINITY Fluorescence Series Bundle includes an INFINITY3 series camera, with feature-rich software packages to provide customers with a complete imaging solution for fluorescence microscopy. Each bundle comes with INFINITY CAPTURE, an intuitive image capture program, and INFINITY ANALYZE software for advanced camera control, image processing, measurement, and annotation. Customers that require a more comprehensive post-image processing, enhancement, and analysis software with extensive measurement and customization features have access to a free 9-month trial version of Media Cybernetics® industry leading Image-Pro Premier. Completing the INFINITY Fluorescence Series bundle is the INFINITY Advantage Pack (LuIAP2), which provides customers with an extra INFINITY advanced features software module, and the peace of mind that comes with one advanced loaner hardware replacement, and extension of the warranty on the camera from 2 years to 5 years.
Lumenera's INFINITY Fluorescence Series cameras have a new sleek black enclosure, and feature Sony CCD sensors to offer high dynamic range, high sensitivity, and optional thermoelectric cooling, resulting in excellent quality images and fast preview speeds. Customers can select the INFINITY3 series camera model that best meets their application needs, in color or monochrome. The cameras included in the series are the INFINITY3-1URF, INFINITY3-3URF, and INFINITY3-1PF.
"Lumenera's INFINITY3 series cameras have proven to excel in fluorescence imaging – even under challenging conditions," said Eric Ramsden, Product Manager at Lumenera Corporation. "We are excited to provide our customers with a high-value, quality solution for a wide range of fluorescence applications, a field that has historically been dominated by much more expensive cooled cameras. Bundling the new black enclosure INFINITY3 series cameras with feature-rich software packages is a way to offer more value to our customers while maintaining world-class quality and support."
As industry leaders, Lumenera and Media Cybernetics® have successfully partnered before to offer user-friendly integrated software solutions. "Lumenera's Fluorescence Series cameras are fully integrated into Image-Pro Premier software with a custom Capture Interface, which gives fluorescence microscopy customers complete access to maximum frame rates, live image adjustments, and all the benefits available from INFINITY cameras. This integrated solution enables users to easily access Image-Pro's sophisticated image processing, measuring, counting, and robust reporting tools to share image results," said Nick Beavers, Global Sales and Marketing Manager at Media Cybernetics.
The INFINITY Fluorescence Bundle is now shipping. For additional information on this product or any of Lumenera's INFINITY microscopy cameras, visit http://www.lumenera.com/products/microscopy-cameras/index.php.
About Lumenera:
Lumenera Corporation, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, is a leading developer and manufacturer of high performance digital cameras and custom imaging solutions. Lumenera cameras are used worldwide in a diverse range of industrial, scientific, security, and astronomy applications.
Lumenera solutions provide unique combinations of speed, resolution, and sensitivity in order to satisfy the most demanding digital imaging requirements. Lumenera customers achieve the benefit of superior price to performance ratios and faster time to market with the company's commitment to high quality, cost effective product solutions. For further information about Lumenera, please visit http://www.lumenera.com or call 613-736-4077. To receive Lumenera press releases as they are issued, contact us at marketing(at)lumenera(dot)com.
About Media Cybernetics:
Founded in 1981, Media Cybernetics develops image informatics solutions to automate research, development, and quality control processes in life science and industry. The company's products simplify and enhance image-based data collection and analysis to increase the accuracy and productivity of its customers. For more information about Media Cybernetics, visit http://www.mediacy.com.
Media Contact
Lumenera Corporation
Skylar Davies, Marketing Communications Specialist
(t) 613-736-4077 x 120
Media Cybernetics
Stephen Hart, Marketing and Communications Manager (t) 1-301-495-3305 x 216


text:
Salaam Walakium
Reading Quran has many benefits. Here are some surahs that the prophet Mohammed (pbuh) recommended for us to recite…
Surah al Fatiha (1)Once the Prophet was traveling when he disembarked and began walking alongside a companion. He asked him, 'Shouldn't I tell you the best part of the Qur'an?' then he recited 'Alhamdu lillahi rabil alameen' (Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds). (First verse in Surrah Al Fatiha (1:1)Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:"Whoever mastered the first seven (chapters or verses) from the Qur'an is a pontiff."Also Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:"In the Fatiha of the Qur'an, there is a cure for all maladies (illnesses)"Surah al Baqara (2) Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:"The Qur'an and those who committed themselves to it will be presented on the Day of judgment, preceded by Surrah Al Baqara and Surrah Al Imran."Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) also said:"Learn how to recite Surah Al Baqara for there is a blessing in it, and there is sorrow for abandoning it, and it is unbearable for the idle' and that Al Baqara and Al Imran are like two flowers which will shade their learner on the day of Judgment, as if there were two large clouds or two flocks of birds."Also Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:"Recite Surrah Al Baqara in your dwellings and do not keep them as tombs. He also said that whoever recited Surrah Al Baqara at night would be crowned with a crown of paradise."Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:"Do not make your house as tombs, for Satan averts a dwelling wherein Surrah Al Baqara is recited"Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was asked, 'Which part of the Qur'an is the best?'. He replied, 'The Surrah in which the cow is mentioned'. He was then asked 'Which part of that Surrah?'. He replied, 'The verse of the Throne and the last part of Surrah Al Baqara came down from under the Throne'Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'Whoever recites 4 verses from the first part of Surrah Al Baqara, the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three verses from the last part of Surrah Al Baqara, Satan would never come near him or the members of his family on that day, and nothing he despises would come near him or the members of his family, and never are these verses recited over a madman without him regaining his consciousness'Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be please with him) said, 'Whoever recited ten verses from Al-Baqara in the night, Satan shall not have access to that house, during the night till he wakes in the morning. These are: Four from the first part of the Surrah, followed by the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three from the last part of the Surrah'.
Surah al Imran (3)
Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'What an excellent treasure Surrah Al Imran is to the pauper when he recites it in prayer during the last part of the night'Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'Allah's most magnificent name, which when used to implore Him, He responds, is found in three Surrahs. Al Baqara, Al Imran and Taha'
Surah al An'am (6)
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'This Surah was seen off by as many angels as could block the horizon'Surah Yusuf (12) Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'Teach your relative the recitation of Surrah Yusuf, for, any Muslim who recites it or teaches it to his family, Allah shall ease for him the agony of death, and give him the strength that will prevent him from envying a fellow Muslim'
Surah al Kahf (18)
The Prophet (PBUH) said:'Whoever recited Surrah Al Kahf on a Friday, Allah will kindle for him abundant light to illuminate the period between the two Fridays (the Friday on which he recited the Surrah and the next Friday)'
Surah al Mu'minun (23)
Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him recited (Surrah Al Mu'minun from verse 115 to 118) in the ear of an afflicted person and the man was cured.Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'What did you recite in his ear?' Ibn Masud told him, and the Prophet (PBUH) said, 'By He in Whose hand lies my soul, Were a believing man to recite it over a mountain, it would have melted'.
Surah as Sajda (32)
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) would not sleep until he recited Surrah Al Sajda.Khalid ibn Ma'dan (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Recite the Deliverer, which is Alif Laam Tanzeel, for I have heard that a man who had committed many sins used to recite it and nothing else. It spread its wing over him and said, 'O' My Lord, forgive him, for he often used to recite me.' So the Lord Most High made it an intercessor for him and said, 'Record for him a good deed and raise him a degree in place of every sin."
Surah Yassin (36)
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'Whoever recited Surrah Yassin at night seeking Allah's pleasure, Allah would forgive him'Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:"Whoever recited Surrah Yassin would seem (in terms of reward) as if he had recited the Qur'an ten times."
Surah ad Dukhan (44)
Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'The 'ha-meems' are the embellishment of the Qur'anThe 'ha-meems' refer to the seven Surrahs which have ha-meem at the start.
Surah al Fath (48)
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'A Surrah of the Qur'an was revealed to me tonight, indeed it is the dearest Surrah to my heart, than anything under the sun'. Then the Prophet recited Surrah al Fath verses 1-5
Surah Al Rahman (55)
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'Everything has a bride, and the bride of the Qur'an is Surrah Al Rahman'
Surah al Waqiah (56)
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'Whoever recites Surrah al Waqiah at night would never encounter poverty' Also Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said:'Surah al Waqiah is the Surrah of Wealth, so recite it and teach it to your children'


text:
(translated by xia0xiao1mei)
(edited by anniaxx)
Kun Lun Heaven Worshipping Ceremony
On this new year's day, Wu Lin welcomes an event that comes once every four years, the Kun Lun Heaven Worshipping Ceremony.
Historically in the Jiang Hu, there has always been the practice of having the Supreme Chief of Wu Lin to lead all the sects to worship the heaven, on one hand to pray for the blessing of the gods, on the other hand to display the Supreme Chief's absolute power as the one in command, and incidentally giving all the other sect leaders seating arrangements.
Gu Xi Ju succeeded the position as Supreme Chief of Wu Lin four years ago, thus accepted the Jade Dragon Token from his predecessor during the Heaven Worshipping Ceremony, at that time, he took the seat as a newcomer in his early twenties, hence gaining many protests and doubts. Now that four years have passed, he has successfully crushed Bai Yue Sect's power, the two huge sects of Kun Lun and Shaolin has also expressed acknowledgement of his position, so no matter how one looks at this Heaven Worshipping Ceremony, it just looks like a big show of his magnificence.
The auspicious hour has arrived, tall stacks of wood has already been put up at the circular altar on the peak of Mount Kun Lun, offerings such as jade and silk covering the top of them. Following the ritualist's order, Gu Xi Ju dressed in a body of purple slowly steps forward, personally lighting up the wood.
Black and grey smoke shooting straight into the clouds.
The ritualist then sounds another order for people to bring up a spotted deer, a black cattle and a horse, Gu Xi Ju draws out his treasured sword from his waist side, one by one stabbing into the necks of those poor animals, fresh red blood trickles into a bronze cauldron that had long been prepared.
When the bronze cauldron is filled with fresh blood, the animals are carried away, and only then do the servants bring up the fine wine and great dishes, a group of costumed dancers appears on the site and starts presenting a dance. Gu Xi Ju accepts the handkerchief handed by the servant and cleans both his hands, smiling as he watches the dancers.
In the distant, there is a little little black shadow hiding amongst the crowd, eyes fixed as they watch his every move.
How is he still this calm and composed? She thinks in puzzlement.
With one dance performance of {{Cloud Gate}} finishing, the climactic moment of the ceremony begins, the ritualist takes out a golden silk scroll and reads out to the heaven, a chronicle of events that have happened in the Jiang Hu within these four years, summarising the performance and results of all the different sects, and finally have the Supreme Chief of Wu Lin take out the Jade Dragon Token, the symbol of his title, requiring him to stamp it down on the historical records, for the ceremony to be considered completed.
"……as acknowledgement of the achievements, a Deputy Chief position is to be specially added, with the Yellow River as boundary, the affairs within the northern area shall fall into the hands of Sect Leader of Kun Lun Sect, He Shan Nai."
After the ritualist finished saying this, the whole audience is immediately thrown into an uproar.
All these years in the Jiang Hu, such thing like a Deputy Chief has never existed, didn't think that this Gu Xi Ju would actually create a precedent, nor is it clear if this is of decentralisation or offering amnesty?
"So peculiar." That black shadow quietly murmurs, fortunately the voice drowns within the sea of discussion, not at all attracting any attention.
Under the shocked eyes of the crowd, Gu Xi Ju and He Shan Nai both steadily sit there immovable like Mount Tai, the latter's face is even revealing a trace of an unpredictable smile.
"May Supreme Chief stamp down!" Having said this, the ritualist respectfully hands him the golden silk scroll with both hands.
Gu Xi Ju accepts the golden silk scroll, and takes out a little command token from his sleeve, dipping it in the red mud and was just about to press down.
"Wait!" In this crucial moment, a voice finally sounds in a timely manner.
"Can Supreme Chief let everyone take a look at the Jade Dragon Token?" The person speaking is leader of the Beggars Sect, Shi De Duo.
"For what reason?" Gu Xi Ju highly raises both his sword-like brows.
With a little hesitation, Shi De Duo deeply says: "If Supreme Chief can excuse me, to tell you the truth, these past few days, many sects have received a letter from an anonymous source, stating Supreme Chief doesn't actually have the Jade Dragon Token, and had even secretly courted Bai Yue Sect, the real token had already been given to Bai Yue Sect as a keepsake, even at the bottom of the letter, there is an imprint……"
His words comes to a pause here.
Gu Xi Ju good naturedly smiles: "An imprint of what?" His voice gentle like a wisp of breeze.
"An imprint of the Jade Dragon Token stamp!" Shi De Duo still manages to speak the truth with gritted teeth, the disciples of the Beggars Sect have always been fearless anyway.
The crowd quickly starts buzzing in discussion, whilst that lurking shadow lightly laughs.
——let's see how you will explain this! See what lie you will come up with! She thinks, not without pride.
However, in the end she has underestimated Gu Xi Ju.
He instead smiles, lightly sounding a clap, he says: "Please invite Sir Ye Gui Nong up."
Ye Gui Nong, is precisely the former Supreme Chief.
"Elder Ye, may you take a look at the Jade Dragon stamp in my hand, is it real or fake?"
Gu Xi Ju spreads his hand towards the fifty-year-old elderly.
Ye Gui Nong squints his eyes as he takes a look, a resounding voice saying: "It is indeed the same one I passed on to you four years ago, definitely not fake at all!"
Gu Xi Ju nods, then turns to say: "May the Abbot of Shaolin and Kun Lun Sect Leader come forward to take a look, does this Jade Dragon Token perhaps look any different from the one four years ago?"
He Shan Nai and Master Zhi Kong both stands and takes a look, both shaking their heads as they say: "There is no different at all."
That shadow covers her own mouth, having almost screamed out loud. She can clearly see the fake Jade Dragon Token in Gu Xi Ju hands contain green amongst white, completely different to the suet white jade one in her sleeve, with such a significant different that can been spotted at a glance, why are all these people lying without batting an eyelid?!
Gu Xi Ju has that Jade Dragon Token in the palm of his hand, proudly exhibiting it as he walks around in a huge circle, asking over dozens of highly respected sect leaders at the table, the answer he got from each of them being "this token is not fake."
And only then does he puts away the token, gracefully smiling as he stands in centre stage.
"Don't know if Sect Leader have any other doubts?" Gu Xi Ju holds his fist out as he bows towards Shi De Duo in a reasonable manner.
Shi De Duo's eyes circles his surrounding, only to find himself in an isolated spot, receiving no echoes from others, keeping to the principle of the less trouble the better, he too, bows and says: "Shi De Duo has caused offense, and has no further objection."
Gu Xi Ju smiles, once again taking hold of the token, staining it in the red mud and presses down on the golden silk scroll with a "pa".
Surrounded by cheering, Pang Wan's heart turns cold.
——how did it turn out like this? why did it turn out like this? This isn't the same as the preconceived script of hers ah! In her imagination, the other sect leaders should immediately discover the Jade Dragon Token is fake, and then interrogates Gu Xi Ju on the spot, this way, the people she planted would have the perfect chance to cause a scene of trouble at the altar, how come these people just wouldn't believe the token in Gu Xi Ju's hand is fake?
She couldn't hold back on wanting to charge out from the crowd, but someone had grabbed hold of her arm.
Someone gently covers her mouth.
"Hush~, come back with me." That masked man in black whispers to her.
Pang Wan turns to face that pair of black eyes like paint, eyes instantly shining brilliantly: "Brother Nan Yi!"
"Let's go, he won't be able to stay smug for long."
The masked man mutters this next to her ear.
The Heaven Worshipping Ceremony smoothly finishes with no real danger, after saying his goodbyes to the other sect leaders, Gu Xi Ju complacently returns to his room to rest.
He had just took a seat and had a sip of tea, when he hears the maid hasty voice sound from outside the doors: "Fairy, you cannot enter, you cannot……"
Before he had placed the cup down, a wisp of a white figure charges in like a whirlwind.
"Gu Xi Ju! How could you treat me like this?!" Sang Chan beautifully refined face is filled with rage, "Didn't think you are actually such an ungrateful person who burns down the bridge after crossing the river!"
Facing the question, Gu Xi Ju does not show any care at all as he hooks up the corners of his lips.
"Junior Sister, why the hurry? Why not sit down first and have a cup of tea I made?" He stands up and pours a cup of tea, leisurely placing it on the little ebony table in front of Sang Chan.
However that cup of tea sounds a "peng" as it is swiped onto the ground, high quality celadon smashing into pieces.
"Why did you not go through with what you promised me?!" Sang Chan's originally tender voice instantly sounds high-pitched and ear piercing.
"Chan-er, listen to me explain." Gu Xi Ju steadies his expression, before softly saying, "That Deputy Chief position was indeed originally arranged for you, but an error occurred in the final moment, hence why I could only let Kun Lun's people take up the position first."
Sang Chan coldly laughs: "What kind of error requires having you put out such a high price in exchange? Could it be that everything that He Shan Nai is capable of doing, is much more, much harder, than everything I had done for you these past ten years?"
With a sound of "shua" she draws out the long sword from her waist side, placing it against his neck.
"These past ten years, I have dressed myself up well in order to collect information for you, willingly becoming your excuse to block off marriage alliances, and even at the cost of abandoning the maid I adored the most, also giving up Ninth Prince's proposal, what was all this for?"
Her eyes like frosty stars wells up with tears.
"You tell me, what exactly did I do wrong? Why did the position you promise me go to another person?! Why?!"
Speaking up to hear, the beauty is already starting to choke.
Gu Xi Ju's brows furrows almost undetectably, with a turn of a head, he had already replaced it with an appeasing expression like the warm spring.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Chan-er, it's just that it's not yet the right time." He reaches out to pat her shoulder, voice so gentle is can practically be dripping with water, "You are only in your early twenties, quickly ascending to the Deputy Chief position isn't exactly a good thing, it is better to wait a few years until your influence grows much vaster, it can just be following a logical train of thought."
Sang Chan stops wailing, looking up at him: "Wait a few years? Or wait another few decades? Do I have to wait until that He Shan Nai dies before I can give in?! Is my current influence not vast enough? The entire Jiang Hu knows of me, this fairy's existence, could it be you want me to wait until I'm old and wrinkly before I can reasonably deserve the position?"
With one "pa" she throws off Gu Xi Ju's hand, face revealing a look of disgust and contempt: "Gu Xi Ju, in fact, you simply have never thought of passing on the title of Supreme Chief to me! From the very beginning to end you have done nothing but use me!"
Gu Xi Ju's face sinks.
"Chan-er must you speak so horribly, could it be, we're not in relationship of mutual cooperation? Had it not been for me keeping everything in check from behind the scenes, you really think your great reputation as Fairy would be able to spread so quickly?" He harrumphs from his nose, "Junior Sister, you too shouldn't overestimate yourself."
Sang Chan is finally angered to the point of laughing.
"What? Is Supreme Chief planning on tearing apart our mutual respect? Now that you have firmly secured your position, you're starting to clean out your manpower?" She overturns the sword in hand, the shining frosty light is thus reflected on Gu Xi Ju's face.
However, Gu Xi Ju laughs.
Laughing at her stupidity, laughing at her lack of understanding of her own abilities.
"Chan-er, why must you be in such a rush to pierce through this layer of paper window (say the truth out loud directly)?" He regretfully shakes his head, "Other than me, what other backing do you have? Even if you find a new backstage supporter, you think that the heroes of the world will really openly make an enemy of me, just for a beauty?"
"Beauty grows old within a moment; youth is but only a passing instant." He quietly pushes away that frosty sword, faintly sighing, "Serving with beauty alone, for how long can it last?"
This is precisely the reason why his heart has never been moved for Sang Chan.
Since the ancient times, it is said heroes have difficulty overcoming the obstacle that are beauties, his path of walking on clouds (be someone in high position) needs a peerless beauty of a generation to act as an embellishment, and this junior sister with far-reaching ambitions, is undoubtedly the best candidate.
Speaking in terms of public opinion, such thing that is an idol, is an unseen yet also very powerful weapon.
However, it is just another weapon.
"You carefully think about this, don't be in such a hurry to draw a clean break with me." He looks at Sang Chan with a smile filled with goodwill, "Go back and calculate your bargaining chips, it will not be too late for you to come finding me again once you thought it through."
Sang Chan glares at him, entire body trembling.
However no matter how angry she is, she too, knows, in terms of martial arts, this man and her are fundamentally on two completely different standings, acting up against him will simply be humiliating herself.
What's more terrifying is, finally, she can clearly see this man's heart —— his heart is empty, there is simply no one else inside, she cannot count on him to be lenient on her.
Tossing aside the sword with a sound of "pa-da", she holds back her tears as she throws back her sleeves and leaves.
Watching Sang Chan's gradually fading figure, another slender figure enters through the doors from around the corner.
"What caused her to fall out with you?" The youth in white greeting Gu Xi Ju, is precisely Bai Xiao Sheng.
Gu Xi Ju turns his head to see the arriving person, smiling: "Advisor is worrying too much, Chan-er is only throwing a little temper."
Bai Xiao Sheng sighs, faintly saying: "Right now everyone outside are discussing, why Supreme Chief would suddenly establish the position of a deputy chief, and even gave the title to He Shan Nai, who you previously had a rift with?" He blinks, "Everyone is speculating, could it be something of Supreme Chief's has fallen into the hands of Kun Lun Sect?"
Gu Xi Ju shakes his head as he laughs: "What Advisor had just said, with the two of us accompanying one another through life and death for more than ten years, are you still unable to trust the kind of person I am?"
"He Shan Nai wants power, Sang Chan wants reputation, I am only satisfying them." His face like pale clouds and light breeze, "Every single person has a desire, as long as you grasp hold of the thing they want, matters will always be easier to handle."
"What about you? What do you want?" Bai Xiao Sheng's voice quietly sounds.
Gu Xi Ju is stunned.
"This, it's roughly……" Halfway through his sentence, the pleasant expression on his face suddenly disappears, and a look of disbelief replaces it.
"You actually……" He looks at Bai Xiao Sheng, the fierce light in his eyes looking just like a ball of raging fire wanting to have him burnt down.
A stream of fresh blood runs down from the corner of his lips.
"I actually poisoned you?" Bai Xiao Sheng's face of pure and refined handsomeness turns twisted, he coldly laughs as he steps forward, "Why wouldn't I dare to poison you? Not only would I poison you, I'd even use the sword against you!"
With a sound of "chi-la", a long sword pierces into Gu Xi Ju's clothing.
Gu Xi Ju could only feel the severe pain in his chest, before his eyes suddenly sees white, a man's sad and shrill voice floating over from afar.
"You think I don't know about the deal between you and He Shan Nai? You have never trusted me, the Jade Dragon Token you gave me to keep custody of is actually a fake! You had merely treated me like a live archery target made of human flesh! Today you are able to discard Sang Chan, this pawn, another day you will also discard me, Gu Xi Ju! You deserve this punishment!"
Gu Xi Ju opens his mouth wanting to say something, but is unable to issue any sound at all, his eyes see black as he comes crashing down to the ground.


text:
STORY FROM: Superstorm Sandy Insurance Litigation
Majority of Issues in Ill. Federal Condo Storm Damage Action Sent to Appraisal
May 17, 2017
CHICAGO — An Illinois federal judge has sent a majority of the issues in a condominium storm damage coverage action to appraisal, finding they do not present legal questions that can only be resolved by the court.
In an April 25 order, Judge Elaine E. Bucklo of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois did, however, reserve for the court the issue of whether the policy requires that certain undamaged portions of the property be replaced so that they are visually indistinguishable from portions of the property to which repairs are made. That issue involves "a paradigmatically ...
Associated Documents