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It's here. The winter snow sports season has arrived. Most of the resorts are open — with the rest making plans for this month. But there is already plenty to do out there. You can read about what's new at each resort in the Edge, our winter sports guide, which is available online. Each description lays out what's new, what the signature experience is at each resort, what to splurge on, how to go cheap and, of course, what to drink. In the meantime, here is what's coming in December.
December 1: Rise & Shine Rando Series, Arapahoe Basin. Join us starting at for a four-part series of uphill challenges two Tuesday mornings in December and January. Challenge yourself to all four or pick and choose which morning works the best for you and your workout schedule. Starting at 7 a.m. in the base area, at 10,780', and finishing near the summit, at 12,474', with twists and turns along the way, the early morning Rise and Shine Rando Races are a fun and challenging way to start your day (arapahoebasin.com).
December 3: Outdoor Divas Women's Demo Day, Loveland. This is your chance to come and try all the latest women's ski equipment before you buy it. To RSVP, contact firstname.lastname@example.com, or stop by one of the Outdoor Divas locations. There is no cost to participate, but a driver's license and credit card are required for deposit, as is a valid lift ticket. Brands available for demo include Kastle, Rossignol, K2, Icelantic, Volkl, Blizzard, Nordica and Dynastar. Please contact Outdoor Divas for specific model information (skiloveland.com).
December 4: 50th Anniversary Kick-Off Party, Purgatory. Come downtown on Noel Night, whee Purgatory Resort will have a special event to kick off its fiftieth-anniversary celebration (purgatoryresort.com)!
December 4-6: Birds of Prey Men's World Cup, Beaver Creek. See the fastest men of winter vie for bragging rights on what is regarded as one of the most difficult downhill courses in the world, featuring a vertical drop of 757 meters. The 2015 lineup offers a weekend of downhill, Super G and giant slalom, as the only domestic stop for the U.S. men on one of the world's toughest courses (beavercreek.com).
December 5: Summit for Life Uphill Race, Aspen Mountain. The 10th Annual Summit for Life Uphill Race invites local enthusiasts and regional sports junkies to strap on a headlamp and race up 3,000 vertical feet to the top of Aspen Mountain (aspensnowmass.com).
December 5: Lighting of Breckenridge & Race of the Santas. Participate in the Race of the Santas, when 100s of Santas race down Main Street to benefit Adopt an Angel, and continue the festivities with the Lighting of Breckenridge, when Santa greets holiday revelers from his horse-drawn carriage (breckenridge.com).
December 5-6: Colorado Demo Days, Copper Mountain.
December 6: Bent Gate Mountaineering Day, Loveland. Bent Gate Mountaineering visits Loveland to host a demo day with its line of Telemark and AT gear. Pre-register with Bent Gate to receive a discount lift ticket and lunch package. There is no cost to participate, but a driver's license and credit card are required for deposit, as is a valid lift ticket. Discount tickets available; inquire at the Bent Gate Demo registration the morning of the event (skiloveland.com).
December 7-11: U.S. Revolution Tour, Copper Mountain. The Copper stop of the U.S. Revolution Tour will include snowboard and freeski competitions for slopestyle and halfpipe. The Rev Tour has proven to be a progressive venue for today's top junior riders and skiers to take the competitive stage in multiple disciplines and is designed to serve as a stepping stone for athletes making the transition from competing at the grassroots level to the elite level. The series pre-qualifies a portion of its field and then opens registration to any athlete, but is focused on riders 13-19 years old. Top winners may earn an invitation to the U.S. Grand Prix, Junior Worlds, USASA Nationals, and participate in Project Gold camps (coppercolorado.com).
December 10-13: Dew Tour Mountain Championships, Breckenridge. The Dew Tour will descend upon Breckenridge Ski Resort for four days of snowboard and freeski competitions, and will air four hours live on NBC and four hours on NBCSN (breckenridge.com).
December 11: Night Skiing Opening Night, Steamboat. Steamboat expands night skiing and riding operations for the 2015-16 season from three to five nights a week, Thursday through Monday, through April 4 (steamboat.com).
December 11: Premiere of Fade to Winter and release of Crazy Mountain Brewery's Shane McConkey IPA. Screening and release at the Vail Ale House; all proceeds donated to the McConkey Foundation (crazymountainbrewery.com).
December 11-13: Vail Snow Daze, Vail. The annual early-season kickoff to Vail's winter season returns for its eighth year! A free weekend packed with activities for all ages, Vail Snow Daze is North America's largest early-season kick-off bash and features three full days of on-and-off-mountain action, topped with two packed nights of national-headliner concerts and parties (vail.com).
December 11-13: Mascot Stampede, Steamboat. College mascots from around the country will be coming to Steamboat for a weekend of friendly competition and rivalry (steamboat.com).
December 12: 3rd International Women's Ski Day, presented by SheJumps, Arapahoe Basin. Come out and celebrate the 3rd International Women's Ski Day with SheJumps and some of Arapahoe Basin's skiing and riding women (arapahoebasin.com)!
December 12-13: SoGnar Snowboard Camp Tour, Loveland. The 10th annual SoGnar Snowboard Camp Tour kicks off with a weekend of lessons with the pros to help you progress on a multitude of terrain-park features. Boulder's Evol Burritos will provide lunch, and tons of swag will be handed out all weekend long. Camp and ticket pricing TBD (so-gnar.com/camptour; skiloveland.com).
December 12: Opening Day, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk (aspensnowmass.com).
December 12: Opening Day, Ski Cooper (skicooper.com).
December 12: Kidtopia Snow Fort Opening Day, Keystone. This year, the World's Largest Snow Fort is even bigger! Join us from atop
Dercum Mountain as we celebrate the grand opening of the Kidtopia Snow Fort for the winter season (keystoneresort.com).
December 12: Santa Ski & Crawl, Crested Butte. Crested Butte Mountain Resort is sponsoring the "Santa Ski and Crawl" in hopes of breaking the world record for the most number of skiers in full Santa costumes. Participants need to be decked out in a full Santa suit in order to participate, and CBMR will offer amazing discounts on lift tickets and lodging for participants. Santa suits are available for purchase as part of the event ticket at cbsantacrawl.com. All Santas will meet at the Ice Bar at Uley's Cabin by 3 p.m. for a group ski to the base area at 3:30 p.m. (skicb.com).
December 15: 7 a.m. Rise & Shine Rando Series, Arapahoe Basin (arapahoebasin.com).
December 16-20: Rock on Ice, Crested Butte. The Rock on Ice team returns to Mt. Crested Butte for an ice-carving festival in celebration of the holiday season. Be amazed as two of the world's most renowned carvers create larger-than-life sized sculptures of animals, holiday characters and other iconic figures out of blocks of ice. The event will feature daily ice-carving demonstrations, including interactive sculptures perfect for family photos, and a dazzling ice sculpture garden in the Courtyard at Mountaineer Square (skicb.com).
December 17: Opening Day, Powderhorn (powderhorm.com).
December 17: I Ski with KBCO, Winter Park. 97.3 KBCO invites you to join the station for I Ski With KBCO at Winter Park Resort, where you can ski, win great prizes and enjoy world-class rock. Go to KBCO.com for details, and visit the KBCO tent at the bottom of the Zephyr Lift (winterparkresort.com).
December 17-31: Chocolate Village, Keystone. Don't miss this delicious homemade creation from Keystone Resort pastry chef Ned Archibald. The handcrafted holiday tradition features 8,000 pounds of chocolate crafted into a miniature alpine village, a working chocolate gondola, a cascading chocolate waterfall, and a four- foot-tall white-chocolate Christmas tree with chocolate presents, with a special new addition every year (keystoneresort.com)!
December 19-20 & 31: Vail Holidaze, Vail. Vail Holidaze is the perfect place for family celebration, as the town and mountain come alive with lights, sounds, events and cheer during the month of December. Embrace the holidays with the annual tree-lighting ceremony, lantern walk and New Year's Eve torchlight ski down and fireworks, all free and open to the public (vail.com).
December 19: Lift 8 Grand Opening, Purgatory. We've got a brand-new, high-speed chair ready to take you to some of the best terrain on the mountain. Come join us for the grand opening (purgatoryresort.com)!
December 19: Demo Day, Monarch (skimonarch.com).
December 19-20: 81433 Bootpackers Union Stompathon, Silverton. For each full day you stomp down the snow with the ski patrol, you'll earn a free day of unguided skiing. Reservations are not required; check-in is at 8:30 a.m. each day in the tent (silvertonmountain.com).
December 19-January 2: Beaver Creek Loves Teens Too. The mountain is all the entertainment teens need during the day, but what happens when the sun goes down? Beaver Creek is proud to announce the fifth season of BC<3T2, evening programming for teens only! Designed for ages 13-17, the Beaver Creek Loves Teens Too programs will entertain and engage teens in all things Beaver Creek and beyond. Registration available soon at beavercreek.com/teens.
December 20: Steamboat Holiday Festival, Torchlight Parade & Fireworks (steamboat.com).
December 24: Torchlight Parade & Fireworks, Winter Park. One of our most beloved traditions, the Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade begins with Christmas carols around the bonfire at 4 p.m. at the base of Winter Park Resort, next to the Zephyr Lift. At 5:30 p.m, a procession of torch-bearing skiers and riders begin their way down Lower Hughes trail, followed by Santa Claus and his merry helpers. A spectacular fireworks display and snowcats adorned with Christmas colors light up the slopes in a Christmas tree formation to conclude the festivities. Immediately following the show, at 6 p.m., visitors are invited to attend Christmas Eve interdenominational services in the lower level of the Balcony House and Catholic Church services in West Portal Level 4 (winterparkresort.com).
December 24: Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade, Copper Mountain (coppercolorado.com).
December 24: Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade, Crested Butte. Get in the holiday spirit as Santa comes down the mountain on a sleigh pulled by a snowcat and hands out candy canes to all the good little girls and boys. Then stay to watch the Crested Butte Ski and Ride School perform their famous torchlight parade down the front side of the mountain (skicb.com).
December 24: Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade, Telluride. Watch as skiers and snowboarders take a run down Coonskin and Telluride Trail carrying blazing red torches (tellurideskiresort.com).
December 24-30: Ragnar's Holiday Sleigh Ride Dinners, Steamboat. Visit steamboat.com or call 970- 871-5150 for pricing and reservations.
December 25: Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners at Uley's Cabin, Crested Butte. Tickets are $125 per guest and include a five-course prix fixe dinner and a scenic sleigh ride; alcoholic beverages, tax and gratuity are additional. The sleigh departs at 5:30 p.m. from the Guest Service Cabin at the base area. Reservations required. Additional sleigh departures available for special events. Learn more at 970-349-4554 or skicb.com.
December 31: 6:30 p.m. New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade & Fireworks, Crested Butte. Join us at Butte 66 for live music, drink specials, fireworks and a torchlight parade put on by Crested Butte's finest ski and snowboard instructors. During the torchlight parade, there will be a fireworks show, best seen from the base area of the mountain on the Butte 66 deck (skicb.com).
December 31: New Year's Eve Bash, Beaver Creek. Voted among the Travel Channel's top ten family-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations, New Year's Eve in Beaver Creek begins with a public glow-stick ski down, torchlight parade and fireworks over the village. At 8 p.m., the New Year's Eve Family Bash gets under way, with a DJ, games, dancing, raffle prizes and two balloon drops. Tickets go on sale in early November, and this event sells out, so purchase yours early (beavercreek.com/newyearseve)!
December 31: Moonlight Dinner Series: New Year's Eve, Arapahoe Basin. Ring in 2016 with a special dinner by Chef Christopher Rybak in a beautiful mountain setting. Celebrate New Year's Eve with New York at 10 p.m., with live music, a glass of champagne, party favors, a balloon drop, and a classic dinner with seafood appetizers and entrees of beef and lobster. This is a lift-service-only event; no snowshoeing permitted before or after dinner. Tickets are $100 plus tax. Learn more at 888-ARAPAHOE or arapahoebasin.com.
December 31: New Year's Eve, Keystone. Join us for an evening full of activities, including a Torch Light Parade on Dercum Mountain (visible from River Run Village), a firework shows in Lakeside Village, cookie decorating downstairs at the Adventure Center and much more still to come! Call 800-354-4386 for more information or to make reservations (keystoneresort.com).
December 31: New Year's Eve Celebration, Copper Mountain. Say goodbye to 2015 and hello to 2016 at Copper! Activities include a rail jam, fireworks, and a torchlight parade (coppercolorado.com).
December 31: Korbel New Year's Eve Party, Steamboat. Join us after dinner for the Korbel New Year's Eve Party. Take the gondola and celebrate New Year's in the Champagne Powder Room, overlooking the Yampa Valley and the sparkling town lights below. Dance the night away to live music and make merry with a balloon drop and Korbel® toast to ring in the New Year. Festive libations are available throughout the evening, including a complimentary desert bar, chocolate fountain and dim sum appetizer station (steamboat.com).
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December 31: Torchlight Parade & Fireworks, Monarch. Join us for our annual Torchlight Parade & Fireworks show. Family-friendly festivities from 4 p.m. to dark, parade starts at dusk (skimonarch.com).
December 31: Torchlight Parade & New Year's Eve Celebration, Powderhorn (powderhorn.com).
December 31: New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade (tellurideskiresort.com).
December 31: Torchlight Parade & New Year's Eve Fireworks, Purgatory. Durango loves a party, and we have a great one on New Year's Eve at the mountain. Enjoy the torchlight parade down the mountain, followed by fireworks and a party to ring in the new year (purgatoryresort.com)!


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For many novice investors, the investment outlook for precious metals has never been worse. They may fondly recall the times when gold was trading at well over $1,800 per ounce and silver was trading at around $40 per ounce. Now, they look at the prices and see gold in the range of $1,300 an ounce and silver trading at below $20 per ounce.
The average investor has a tendency to overreact in the worst possible way in these cases, selling the stocks when they are low and waiting for a big run up to buy in when it's too late to recoup those losses. Remember that it is always your goal to buy low and sell high, and take advantage of opportunities when prices are low.
Right now the prices for precious metals are so low that even with a lukewarm investment outlook for precious metals, there is an opportunity to profit off a purchase in precious metals.
The key right now is to be able to look toward the investment outlook for precious metals with an eye for the long-term. It is hard to imagine gold and silver trading this low forever, and it is also hard to imagine them going much lower than they already are. As a result, it is a pretty good buy to get them at these prices and then ride it out until they make something of a comeback. Even if it takes years, a comeback to $1,800 per ounce for gold is a profit of nearly 40 percent, while silver would have to double to get back to its old highs. That's a pretty promising long-term investment outlook for precious metals. You just need to have the stomach to ride it out.
Investment Metals versus Industrial Metals
Right now, there is a big difference between investing in gold and silver or platinum and palladium. Gold and silver tend to get a lot of their value from investors, as they are less commonly used in industry. As a result, they are prone to more dramatic swings. Gold in particular is known for a lot of volatility based on what is going on in the stock market. As a result, these two metals are probably the better buy for a long-term outlook, as the prices have swung pretty low.
However, the short-term investment outlook for precious metals may be more favorable for platinum and palladium. They get a lot of their value from industrial uses, given that they are used in many different industries. They are found in catalytic converters, which means that they are found on almost every automobile. That provides a lot of demand, driving prices upward as more and more cars hit the roads in developing countries.
It is a good idea to diversify your investments, even within precious metals, so that you are exposed to more than one investment outlook for precious metals.
However, things may change a bit in the future. As the electric motor is more commonly found in automobiles due to a desire to slow the use of gasoline, catalytic converters will be decreasingly common. At the same time, the industrial demand for gold and silver is growing due to their conductivity. With more and more consumer electronics being manufactured and sold, the industrial demand for all precious metals should only be on the rise. That could lead to increased stability in gold and silver prices in the future.
For now, though, their outlook continues to be focused primarily on investors, while platinum and palladium draw their value from industry.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cabinet frame and doors: frame glossy white MDF-board, doors glossy white or oak veneer.
Handles: black, white, aluminium.
Inside box, filing trolley, filing cassette.
Environmental information
The practical Big pull-out cabinet offers a space-saving storage solution for activity based offices. The pull-out trolley has ample space on three levels so that the contents are easy to see at a quick glance.
The cabinet provides privacy and divides the space between two workstations.
Large, unbroken surfaces lend the cabinets a peaceful and poised air, which makes them easy to combine with different kinds of interiors. The Big cabinets feature carefully selected, high-quality, durable materials, with two depths to choose from.
Designed by Pekka Toivola, the Big cabinets represent Scandinavian furniture design at its purest.
5268 = depth 80 cm
5269 = depth 90 cm


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Price Listed: $797,000.00
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Finished Size Lot: 2,413 sq/ft
Age: 46 years old
Description: Great street in Tsawwassen Central. Close to shopping, school and transit. In recent years, the house has been substantially renovated. New windows and carpet were installed last year. Newly exterior painting, new garage door. Great layout! Central Location, Fireplaces, Appliances Included


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The world didn't end on Inauguration Day, but there were anti-Trump protests and turmoil in the streets as Donald Trump officially became the leader of the free world. To cope with Friday's ceremonies and democracy's public demise, many of us nervously laughed the pain away before resigning to do everything we can to prevent the new POTUS and his Republican majority from undoing all the progress that we've made and making it that much more difficult to achieve the progress we still strive for. Laughter is not only great medicine, it's also what every other country on the planet is doing at us right now! So, as we join them in "WTF is happening," we look to the Internet's great minds to truly satirize this dark, dark day.
For the Trumps and the Obamas, the morning began with tea. (For me, vodka.) During the meeting, social media noticed an incredibly awkward moment when Melania handed Michelle, who strongly denounced the Donald during the campaign, a large box from Tiffany & Co. Michelle's face was priceless.
*record scratch* *freeze frame* yep. that's me. you're probably wondering how i got in this situation- pic.twitter.com/8lpCnM8rR4— talia jane (@itsa_talia) January 20, 2017
Michelle Obama is not impressed by Melania Trump's gift giving ability. pic.twitter.com/QxJzQGnQDa— Adam Johnson (@AdamJNBA) January 20, 2017
Kellyanne Conway's outfit was the subject of some criticism. Mainly because it looked like some form of Revolutionary War cosplay. Apparently, the Gucci coat was designed to honor London. Whose side is she on anyway?
Kellyanne Conway's 18th century cosplay is in honor of the incoming government's approach to science and women's health pic.twitter.com/mKFnGYYf8e— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) January 20, 2017
There aren't a lot of nice things I can say about Kellyanne Conway but one is I think she would have made a better Javert than Russell Crowe pic.twitter.com/AyEVSZNwDP— Michelle Collins (@michcoll) January 20, 2017
Kellyanne Conway's $3600 @gucci coat was designed to celebrate the city of ... London. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/OKC9Nr4Wdf— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) January 20, 2017
Barron Trump's reactions to the affair were oddly relatable: annoyed and exhausted.
Barron Trump will be mutilating cats on the white house lawn in like two weeks— joe mande ❤ China (@JoeMande) January 20, 2017
Hillary Clinton just whispered to Barron Trump that there is no Santa Claus— Matt Oswalt (@MattOswaltVA) January 20, 2017
Hillary made her first public appearance since Nov. 9.
"Girl"— love U forever (@jersing) January 20, 2017
"Girl I know girl" pic.twitter.com/f2YkzyDUWh
As promised, Hillary Clinton is wearing white. White has been a symbol of women's suffrage since 1908. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/WQx14NZmbx— Yashar (@yashar) January 20, 2017
Of course, all the dignitaries showed up.
Dignitaries Arrive at Capitol for Inauguration pic.twitter.com/BNKNiAfjWj— david r corrigan (@r0ckn3) January 20, 2017
But many, many people did not show up. Sad!
The crowd size comparison, from 2009 and today. pic.twitter.com/iMYZy9PRK8— Matt Viser (@mviser) January 20, 2017
"Massive Turnout"— Jay Franzone (@JayFranzone) January 20, 2017
Metro Ridership as of 11am
Trump: 193k
Obama 2: 317k
Obama 1: 513k
WBush 2: 197k
To all those who didn't watch, an excellent burn in your honor.
Oh wow! "The King and the Chorus Girl" is on @tcm right now! Super-underrated flick. Joan Blondell is amazing!— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) January 20, 2017
For others, it was like watching a car crash. You know you shouldn't look but you somehow just can't look away.
what a beautiful prayer. makes me wanna grab my puss— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 20, 2017
TRUMP: Most importantly, we will be protected by God.— Mike Birbiglia (@birbigs) January 20, 2017
GOD: I voted for Hillary.
A subtle reminder for Trump supporters who are upset about #DisruptJ20. https://t.co/iYCwCczYWB— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) January 20, 2017
Why the fuck does Trump do the Italian finger kiss move (👌) with his hands so much? How is THAT one of his default hand postures— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) January 20, 2017
People also had some critiques regarding the performances at the
nation's funeral inauguration.
Theory: Trump's Romney meeting was about getting the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for the inauguration, not for a cabinet post— Erin 🎶Gloria🎶 Ryan (@morninggloria) January 20, 2017
Isn't American Carnage opening for 3 Doors Down next week?— Full Frontal (@FullFrontalSamB) January 20, 2017
@Middleditch Cuttin to the core. Give Trump some credit for creating 5 new jobs because you know those dudes hadn't worked in a while. pic.twitter.com/tIhknugf8t— Zac Newton🐈 (@zacnewton) January 20, 2017
That's it. I'm throwing out all my 3 Doors Down cd's.— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) January 20, 2017
While others noted the changing of the guard on Twitter.
Donald Trump's banner image is from Obama's 2009 inauguration (h/t @4evrmalone) pic.twitter.com/TWMI1HryAh— Freddie Campion (@FreddieCampion) January 20, 2017
Citizen comrades goose step past inauguration, protesting Trump. "Make Russia great again!!" pic.twitter.com/A7TW0owAr3— Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) January 20, 2017
Also this perfectly normal man from Chicago, who screamed, "Daddy's home!"
My goodness this is terrifying pic.twitter.com/HjOHTjxSyD— Matt Franciscovich (@MattFranchise) January 20, 2017
Meanwhile, at 30,000 feet....
Correction. 90% of flight headed to #WomensMarchOnWashington. #planefullofnastywomen pic.twitter.com/UB4Y2xQwog— Andrea Addario (@addarioandrea) January 20, 2017
Following his speech, Donald Trump began tweeting again—first from his own account, then on the newly transitioned @potus account.
@realDonaldTrump lollllll k pic.twitter.com/DwjwUuQKmr— Jordan Uhl (@JordanUhl) January 20, 2017
This is the picture they CHOSE for his first post. Lol pic.twitter.com/XnKxvaZvRZ— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) January 20, 2017
Our old dad checked in on us….
Hi everybody! Back to the original handle. Is this thing still on? Michelle and I are off on a quick vacation, then we'll get back to work.— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 20, 2017
It also became clear in the hour following Trump's speech that he plagiarized a speech from Bane.
Donald Trump plagiarized Bane in his #inauguration speech: https://t.co/Vt3tISj9s9 pic.twitter.com/sSjkx7vcRJ— Jezebel (@Jezebel) January 20, 2017
And still….
This dude is STILL smarter than Trump pic.twitter.com/821RPsGFYg— Marcella Arguello (@marcellacomedy) January 20, 2017
Bikers for Trump was present, making its "wall of meat" against protesters. When interviewed….
this guy said he "didn't have time 2 protest bc he has a job" UR AT THE SAME EVENT AS THE PROTESTORS. UR ON THE SAME SCHEDULE AS THEM pic.twitter.com/fRRcVJfgnV— BRANDON WARDELL (@BRANDONWARDELL) January 20, 2017
Reactions to Trump's call for "America First" perked the ears of some history buffs….
#AmericaFirst— Russel Neiss (@russelneiss) January 20, 2017
Dr. Seuss 1941: pic.twitter.com/V6zD4QTIo2
Reminder that Trump's "America First" slogan was recycled from American Nazi sympathizers from WWII https://t.co/B4BMp5Nvk8— Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) January 20, 2017
This protester, at the parade, FTW….
she's my new president now, i don't care what the laws say pic.twitter.com/v4C7dH6wxX— Chai Goth (@Abid_ism) January 20, 2017


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Of course we are in a severe drought, and the day the skies decide to open up is the day we planned to go to the water park. (Murphy's Law, right?)
Watching the weather reports, we were suppose to go from 71 degrees and raining to 91 degrees and sunny by noon. So we packed our cooler, put on our swim suits, and headed out.
Hawaiian Falls.
It! Was! Awesome!
It was also chilly (by Texas standards.) But, the weather channel proved correct, and by noon it was turning into a gorgeous day. (Because of the early morning rain, and it being a Monday, there weren't a lot of people at the park. Lucky for us!)
Look at that! There's like no one in that water playground but my tribe. David told the dare devils to get going, take advantage of the no-lines at the big slides.
90 minutes into the day, the Texas sun broke out and things heated up pretty darn quick. The water ended up feeling so refreshing!
I didn't take a bunch of photos. Instead, I took a ton of video footage with my camera, hoping to make a fun movie out of it all! (That's my plan at least. Things always look better on paper.)
So I have to tell you about this Hawaiian Falls, folks.
Family Friendly :: GREAT crowd, bathing suit code, no alcohol, no foul language, family friendly music, clean, happy employees, (just to name a few.)
I cannot believe we haven't gone there until today. Our day totally blows Six Flags out of the water (even with our free Six Flags reading program tickets!)
I may get some reader hot under the collar when I write this next statement, but since I was so shocked over it, I have to share.
I saw only a few female bodies covered in tattoos today. And that floored me!!! Seriously, folks. Anymore, every Kit, Kat, and Katy has some body art displayed for all to see, except for me. ( I know I'm not the only one, but I am in the minority for having ink-free skin. Or so it seems.)
I degress...
This place had a "D.J" who organized umpteen games for kids to compete in. Miss Mabel and Miss Ester gave the hula hoop contest a whirl.
So how did we float this stay-cation day? Because these parks can cost $$, and I love a good bargain.
Cabana. We rented a private one. The rental gave us discounted tickets for the day, free locker, unlimited drinks, and our own private cabana waiter (very cool BTW!)
Cabana $100.00
Discount tickets for 6 @ $18.99 (two year old and under is FREE) = $113.94
Cooler Pass $10*
*We packed our own lunch items.
Bottled water. Bring your own at no charge.
Free drinks (Iced Tea, lemonade, powerade, soda).
Fees and taxes $15.68
Total : $239.62
Here's where it gets good! You may recall that I wrote a post back a month or so ago stating how I got David to "Patty-tize" the garage??
Well....he decided to sell two big ticket items (a lawn mower and a van/tent), receiving payment of $190 total.
Total : $239.00
$49.00 is what we paid out of pocket for today's festivities! (Insert snapping Z!)
And you ask...was the cabana necessary??
( I rest my case ;)
It really was an awesome day.
As I type this post? My kids were all in bed by 9pm. I'm on my way there, too.
Have a fantastic week!
BTW, how many stay-cation days do we have planned? Just one more. (We have something planned for when my mom flies down for the Fourth! Think cowboys, bulls, BBQ, and chuck wagon races! YeeHaw!)
~ Patty ~


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Patchwork Party
In 2009, I discovered an event called Patchwork Party. Twice a year a special fabric line is chosen and 12 different quilt shops across the country design 12 different quilt blocks from that line of fabric.
Each shop also designs a unique finishing kit. To participate in the event I had to visit each online shop and order the quilt block. Then I had to visit the finished quilt gallery to choose a finishing kit.
Patchwork Party
I really enjoyed participating in Patchwork Party. I ran into a bit of a problem when one of the quilt shops sent me the wrong fabric. I didn't realize this at first because I didn't start working on the blocks immediately. When I discovered the mistake, (about 9 months later) I contacted the shop.
I was a bit frantic because I didn't think there was any chance this shop still had the fabrics necessary to make the block. I was very surprised and happy to find out that they did have the fabric, and they promptly sent me everything I needed to complete my block...and eventually the entire quilt.
Hexie Sweet Hexie
Every year in the spring, many quilt shops in the state on New Jersey host a shop hop. I have participated in the hop a few times. Participants must travel to various shops throughout the state to collect fabric and patterns. Prizes are awarded daily, and at the end of the hop. I actually won a daily prize from one of the shops one year. Hexie Sweet Hexie is the finished quilt from one of the shops I visited. Unfortunately, the shop I got the pattern from has since gone out of business.
Hexie Sweet Hexie is available for sale in my
Etsy Shop:
Until Next Time.....Happy Stitching!!!


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Scoliosis – a disease in which saggital plane curvatures (kyphosis,lordosis) decrease or increase, side bending and rotation of the spine appear
What causes scoliosis? It can be caused by assymetrical position of shoulder blades or pelvis, assymetry in waste angles, shifted weight bearing, costal hump placed on the convex side of the curvature, posture deterioration during the maturing growth period, weak proprioception. All these factors lead to the wrong posture tendency being fixed, movement apparatus overloaded and prompter spine arthroses.
Structural scolisis affects children and adolescents during their spine growth. The most frequently it happens when they are 1-3, 7-9 and 12-15 years old. The sooner scoliosis appeared the worse the prospects.
- Functional – static or reflex. The spinal changes are restricted to the frontal plane. Scoliosis relief after the cause factor is eliminated,
- Structural – they are always a multi-plane deformation in frontal, saggital and transverse planes). They appear only in the growth period.
Idiopathic scoliosis
Is a development deformation of spine and thorax. The cause of the disease is not known. The deformation has three dimensions: in saggital plane – deformation of physiological thorasic kyphosis or lumbar lordosis, frontal plane – side bending and transverse plane – axis rotation of the verterbrae. Deformation appears in all three planes simultaneously. According to Scoliosis Research Society we can call scoliosis any curvature bigger than 10 Cobb degrees.
Therapy FITS
FITS method was created in 2004 in order to treat children with wrong posture, scoliosis and Scheuermann disease. The authors of the metod are Marianna Białek PT, MSc., PhD. and Andrzej M'hango PT, MSc., D.O. . The method was formed basing on many physiotherapeutical methods, whose techniques which the authors found useful were selected. Some of them were modified and customised to work with children. Moreover, the FITS method is full of techniques prepared by the authors themselves upon their long experience and observation of their patients.
Key of FITS concept:
- to individualise the approach to the patient,
- to make child aware of existing deformation of the spine and trunk, but also to indicate the direction of scoliosis correction,
- to examine the actions of active and passive corrective movement,
- to release myofascial structures which limit three-plane corrective movement,
- to teach derotative breathing in functional positions,
- to build and stabilise new corrective movement patterns,
- to teach autocorrection in functional positions and for daily routines,
- to correct the primary curve by adding activity compensation with a simultaneous stabilisation or correction of the secondary curve. Activity compensation refers to soft tissues and is not structural, which means that clinically there will be a rotation of the thorax above or below the primary curve (not bigger than 4-5 degrees) on the concave side of primary scoliosis and there will be no secondary curve visible in the x-ray image.
Considering trunk deformity due to scoliosis an individually adjusted programme of exercises is suggested, which depends on the size of the curvature angle and the result of clinical examination of a patient. As a result general and particular goals of the therapy are drawn.
The general goals of the therapy include the scoliosis stabilisation in children with a general flaccidity of the connective tissue or decreasing of the curvature angle in non-progressive scolioses or with an angle smaller than 30 degrees in children with correct muscle tension. Another general goal is to improve the clinical condition of a patient with a huge scoliosis whose parents are for some reason against a surgery. A general goal is also to make the scoliosis flexible in order to achieve a better correction during the surgical operation or correct the pectoral or pelvic girdle as well as to position head and neck, to improve breathing functions, patient's general fitness and efficiency after the surgery.
Particular goals refer to a particular therapy on a given treatment day, for example to position feet and knees, to try to achieve the symmetrical position of the shoulder blades, to increase the shift for scoliosis correction, to teach derotative breathing etc.
Basing on a long experience and a lot of research and scientific disputes held with orthopedists, biomechanics, physiotherapists and psychologists the FITS Method is still being developed and presented at numerous scientific conferences both in Poland and abroad. Our method was first presented during SOSORT Conference (Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment) in 2006 in Poznań. In the following years it was also shown at SOSORT Conference in Boston (2007), Athens (2008), Lyon (2009), Barcelona (2011), Milan (2012) and Wiesbaden (2014). Apart from the method being presented there were also organised scoliosis workshops with a patient and scientific findings referring to scoliosis treatment therapy effectiveness were demonstrated.
FITS Method is one of the seven methods in the world to have received the official recommendation of Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Treatment - SOSORT. The other methods in the group include: SEAS – Italy, BSPTS – Spain, DoboMed – Poland, Lyon Approach – France, The SpineCor – Canada, Lehnert-Schroth – Germany).
FITS Method stages
FITS concept consists of 3 stages:
- Stage I. Examination of patient using classical clinical assessment, but also in terms of using FITS approach.
- Stage II. Preparation for 3D correction. Detection and elimination of myofascial restrictions which limit a three-plane corrective movement, by using different techniques of myofascial relaxation
- Stage III. Three-dimensional correction – building and stabilisation of new corrective posture patterns in functional positions, instructing the corrective tension.


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Last week, the following comment appeared on the video page from Greg Pastic, the director's son:
Michael, I don't know you but I want to thank you so much for uploading this to YouTube. My father, George Pastic, passed away at the age of 86 on November 4th 2014, just six short days after losing his wife of 62 years in a tragic car accident. The accident happened on Oct. 30th. George had been ill for two years and my 83 year old mother and my younger brother Russell, had been caring for him at home. When mom was killed, he simply lost his will to live. This short film truly embodies my father's love of music, storytelling, the power of simple images, and most of all, his love for people. I hope that, at some time in the future, my family can afford to release it on DVD.Such sad news (an obituary for Pastic and his wife is here), but the film is certainly a wonderful tribute to Pastic's artistry, as beautifully described by his son. After seeing Pastic's comment, I noticed that an "official release" of the film on YouTube bad been posted back in August. You can view it here.
You can read a bit more about George Pastic here, and my original blog post from 2008 is here. The "print" of the film I'd posted is a bit darker in color, though I think the aspect ratio might be a bit more accurate. It would be great to see a fully cleaned-up transfer on DVD, but there's something about the old-world charm and simplicity of the film that easily overcomes these imperfections. A film about music and memory, it manages in less than thirty minutes to be lighthearted, bittersweet, and memorably musical.


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Although many people would brush it off, depression is a very real thing that leads to hundreds if not thousands of suicides every year. It is important to create awareness in schools, offices and even public places about the signs of depression in order for people to recognize it in other people, a recognition that could potentially save a life. Another reason that depression awareness campaigns are important is for people who are silently suffering from depression to become aware that they are not alone in this, as there are many other people suffering from the same silent killer and that help is indeed available. Although a person suffering from depression may feel like they have no way out, there are a number of ways to overcome depression if help is sort out.
Seeking help and being aware
Although there are many cures to depression such asdepression hypnotherapy, the depression first needs to be identified in aperson. Healing from depression requires the person suffering from depression to take action and seek out help but for the person who is depressed seeking help and taking that action is hard. Therefore it is up to the people around them to identify and help them.
Signs of depression
For the person who is depressed simply thinking about the things that have the potential to pull them out of depression such as going out for walks, cycling or taking time off with good friends can be an exhausting thought. In fact, the people suffering from depression themselves often do not know that what they are feeling is in fact depression. Healing methods such as depression hypnotherapy can be a long way ahead as identifying and admitting that you are suffering from it can be a big hurdle in itself.
Some of the signs of depression are loss of appetite or an over active appetite that is different to how you used to be, sudden changes in weight either by loss of weight or a sudden increase in weight, loss of interest in activities that you once used to enjoy and love, changes in you sleeping patterns, sudden reactions such as anger at things that you really shouldnt be too angry about, lac of energy and the feeling of constant helplessness and the feeling of hopelessness. If these are things that you experience in your daily life, it is important to seek out help as these feelings can only get worse and rarely ever get better.


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Mason Yarnell
San Diego
I design experiences. Previously led design at Mixpanel. Currently accepting projects. → email@example.com
dashboard, icon, ios design, marketing design, product design, software design, ui, ux, visual design, web design
PatientPop Medical Professional Dashboard, Patient Engagement — Typography is essential to any design project, especially in app design. In this dashboard, there are many data elements and key information condensed on a single screen. I'm working to make this as simple and easy to understand for often non-technical users—doctors and medical professionals. The graphs are aimed to be lightweight & clean and the I drew some icons that hopefully add a bit ...
Science, Dollar Shave Club Case Study — Hey folks! Here is a case study page design for the Science website where they discuss the brands that they've seeded and invested in, such as Dollar Shave Club. Let me know what you think! Take a closer look at the design → The retina version is a bit too large for Dribbble, so I posted it here: Take a look at the design in 2x→
Science, Venture Capital Website Header — Science is a venture capital company that has invested in and helped start-ups like Dollar Shave Club, Famebit and DogVacay. I have been working with them to redesign their corporate website. This first post is of the header which features a strong headline with particles illustrated the reflect the shape of their brand. Logos of companies in which Science has invested animate from the partic...
Mixpanel Benchmark Report Microsite — We are excited to share progress on a microsite that focuses on key industry benchmark reports. These help companies understand how they measure up against industry competitors utilizing over 50 million data points. Don't forget to check out the full presentation → Hope you dig it! Cheers!
Serverless Conference Brand & Website — I'm excited to share progress on the brand and conference website for Serverlessconf. This conference focuses on building applications with serverless cloud technologies across events around the world. Previous designs for the brand were inspired by graffiti. Our goal was to carry that through, but also bring some vibrance and electricity to the design. I collaborated with the amazing Roma...
Mixpanel Automated Insights Landing page | Motion Design — Today we are launching a new Mixpanel feature, Automated Insights, which answers complex questions about your data without all of the math and code. Big thanks to my man, @kajdax for working with me on the illustration! Check out the full page design See it live
Aquarium Design & Installation | Nautical Theme — Here is a concept for an aquarium design team in Los Angeles. They have created some of the coolest residential aquariums I have seen. This motion test all that I could fit into the size limit for the shot, but there might be a few video loops in the header section featuring a fish-eye view into their world. Take a peek at the full page → Hit me up with your thoughts!
Mixpanel Company Data Visualization Globe | About Us — We took a break from app design to focus on bringing some fresh ideas to the marketing site. I got to collaborate with my close amigos, @Julien and @kajdax to re-imagine a series of pages - including the Home, Company and Solutions. I'm excited to share the new company page with you. This was a venture into multiple concepts with some experimentation in 3D and isometric illustration. Check o...
Toasted Marshmallows Camping Badge — Toasted marshmallows over a crackling fire, cabins, hikes and hay rides. Ahhh, it's that time of the year again. The family on my mother's side heads out to a state park for some weekend shenanigans. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the reunion and someone suggested that we get some shirts printed up. I have been itching to try out a new badge design and this was the perfect opportunity...
Landing Page and Motion Design — Here are a couple of fresh cuts from the Famebit redesign that I worked on a few months ago. The site will go live soon. We took an over-the-top 80s approach to the design direction with some loud typography, vibrant colors, angular shapes and heavy doses Pop Rocks candy. It was a ton of fun iterating on this one! Big thanks to my man, @Christophe Zidler for help on the motion!
Mixpanel iOS, iPhone App — As we ease into the weekend, we are excited to announce the launch of @Mixpanel's first mobile application. One of the challenges with designing an enterprise app is nurturing design exploration without going overboard with the visual design. It's fun to mockup graphs with 3D to add some dimension and flare, but this can often bog down the speed of the application and potentially hinder the exp...
Website Design for Writer — Hey folks! My wife is putting the finishing touches on her first novel, Raindrop Parade. I am in the process of bringing the design of her new website to life. Typography is set in Playfair Display and National. The book cover type is Neutra Display. We recently worked with the talented @Daniel Haire on the book cover illustration. Hope you enjoy the work!
iPhone App for a luxury marketplace — Hey folks, Here is a design concept of a mobile app that serves as a platform for buying and selling fine goods. I've been taking After Effects for a spin to serve up a simple animation. It is sped up a bit in order to keep the file size in check. I probably should have made it easier and just posted the static eye candy. Working in AE can be tough. Take a peek at the attachment for the fee...
Icosahedron Spheres PSD — I've been experimenting with some simple icosahedron spheres for a couple of projects lately and wanted to share a few renders with you in case some of you find them useful for background art or space age madness straight out of the 80s. These were rendered in Cinema4D and the colors/gradients can be easily changed from the PSD. Download here: http://d.pr/f/V2x1
DDC Landing Page — Hey folks, I am excited to share progress on the landing page for this year's Data Driven Conference. We are polishing up the implementation, which will be completed shortly. Take a look at the attachment for a preview of the entire page. If you're interested in joining us, you can register here. Follow the @Mixpanel team account to stay in touch with our projects.
Mixpanel Uber Ride Landing Page — Hey everyone! @Julien, @kajdax and I collaborated on a lightning fast Mixpanel project. We had only couple of days to complete this from concept to finish in order to get it ready for an April 1st launch. The campaign? Mixpanel is offering clients an Uber ride to our HQ to chat with the support engineers. See it in action: https://mixpanel.com/black-car/
Survey Analytics UI/UX — Hello everyone, Here is progress on our ongoing product design evolution. This screen is for the new feature under Survey Analytics along with the new navigation and header design. We'd love to hear any thoughts you might have! Props go to Mr. @Dave Ruiz for collaborating with me on the analytics. Team work ahoy!
Mixpanel Navigation Menu Icons/UI — Hello everyone, Here is a peek at the new navigation that we're working on @Mixpanel. We've refreshed the icons and updated the colors to provide better contrast with the main content. I'm putting together a document that shows evolution the iconography and navigation that I'll share with you here soon. Take a look, we would love to hear your thoughts!
Mixpanel Formulas UI/UX — Here is design progress on the formula builder that we've been cooking up at Mixpanel. We've been thinking through how to make the interactions of building a complex formula simple and intuitive. Check out the 2 views in the attachment to see the real pixels and let us know what you think!
HR Admin Web App UI/UX — Happy Monday, folks! Here is a little side-project I've been working on to stay sharp. This is for an HR admin app that tracks goals and performance of team members. My goal is to keep things as simple and intuitive, but also conjure up a bit of sex appeal. I've been a bit obsessed with the grid, making sure everything is correctly spaced and optimized for getting tasks completed. Check ou...
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My next seminars will be held on Sat., Feb. 25 at the Springfield Sportsmens Show. This will take place at the Big E Fairgrounds in Spingfield, MA. I will be doing my new carp fishing seminar, New England Carp Fishing 101, at 11:00 in seminar room B. My new striper fishing show, called Tackling the Striper Surf ,will take place at 2:00 in seminar room B. I did these shows a week ago in Worcester at the ASA Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Expo, and they were very well attended.
The Springfield Sportsmens Show is one of the biggest shows in the northeast, held in three huge buildings at the Big E. It is loaded with fishing reps and tackle dealers, hunting reps, and just about anything outdoor related you can think of. They run a full schedule of seminars about freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing and hunting. For more information about the show and directions, visit their website at http://www.osegsportsmens.com/


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Guide to Evaluating Rural Extension
This Guide to Evaluating Rural Extension has been developed by the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS). The purpose is to support those involved in extension evaluation to choose how to conduct more comprehensive, rigorous, credible and useful evaluations. The Guide supports readers to understand different types of evaluation, to make decisions on what is most appropriate for their circumstances, and to access further sources of theoretical and practical information. The Guide is intended to primarily be used by four sets of evaluation stakeholders:
- Those commissioning and managing evaluations
- Professional evaluators and staff responsible for monitoring systems
- Professionals involved in training and educating evaluators
- Researchers looking for ways to synergise their efforts with evaluation initiatives
The process of preparing this Guide began in 2010 with the production of a Review of Literature on Evaluation Methods Relevant to Extension and a Meta-evaluation of Extension Case Studies. These materials, combined with extensive consultation with a range of stakeholders, were then used to as background for the development of a draft version of this Guide. During 2011 the Guide was finalised based on feedback received.


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Half Moon Outfitters
By Justin on Mar 8, 2010 | In Uncategorized | 2 comments »
Go to Half Moon Outfitters!
Typical inventory: Half Moon Outfitters carries the full line of Vibram Five Fingers models.
Typical purchase policies: Free ground shipping on orders over $49
Store Locations: W. Ashley, SC; Atlanta, GA; Athens, GA; Savannah, GA; Columbia, SC; Mt. Pleasant, SC; Greenville, SC; Charleston, SC
Phone: 877.846.7589
Live Product Feed from Half Moon Outfitters


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Praksis Arkitekter
Henry Jensen Rådgivende Ingeniører A/S
In the "Nordhavn" in Copenhagen, a worn out grain silo has been rebuilt into modern housings. "Frihavns Tårnet" is drawn by Praksis Arkitekter and has a living area of 11.000 kvm, which are spread on 12 floors with 3 - 3,7 meters to the ceiling and large balconies. The project has recently won the Concrete element price 2017 (Betonelement Prisen) and the Utzon statue.
Hicon has supplied the project with 197 balconies, 212 columns, 83 C-frames, 16 L-frames, 18 canopies, 28 facade shells and 1364 brackets in grey CRC i2® high performance concrete.
The architects says that they "... have placed great emphasis on preserving the historical identity and homogenous form of the building and at the same time added a modern ease by surrounding the appartments with large, generous balconies ..."
Share your dreams with us about spectacular designs and innovative products for your next building project. New builds or renovations.


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Vegas Baby!
The results are in from FHFA.gov's latest ranking of the top performing markets in the U.S.
Each quarter they track 245 cities across the country and rank their real estate markets by home price appreciation.
What's the highest performing city the the U.S.
Vegas! Their prices have gone up 17.63% in the last year.
How about the worst?
Bloomington, Illinois sits in dead last where prices went down 3.58%
Here's how Colorado cities are ranked:
• #10 Colo. Springs = 11.41%
• #16 Greeley = 10.68%
• #59 Fort Collins = 8.29%
• #64 Denver = 8.15%
• #97 Boulder = 6.85%
Posted on March 11, 2019 at 8:00 am Jon Holsten Category: Uncategorized Tagged Appreciation, Blog, Colorado, Fun Facts, Home Ranking, Las Vegas, Market, Ranking, Top Performing, Vegas


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In this part I rebut English/Irish physicist John Tyndall's claim to an atmospheric greenhouse effect.
In 1861 Tyndall presented a quantification of the EMR absorption of various gases in a lecture to the Royal Society of London [1]. Depicted in Fig 1 is a rig he worked on for several weeks.
Figure 1: Tyndall's Experiment


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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS | More
Youth around the globe have been showing the world how their voices matter. They have been taking action to create change. From Malala Yousafzai's activism for female education, to Dr. Ben Barry's desire, at age 14, to change the fashion industry's standard of beauty, to Craig Kielburgers dream at age 13 of ending child labour.
With a global platform available through social media and the internet there are more options for youth to be a part of the change. Whether it's volunteering at school, getting involved in ending bullying to becoming a mentor or being an ambassador for greener living, the possibilities of helping to create change are endless.
My guests today are two youth facilitators with the globally renowned social enterprise Me to We, who followed their passion in building a better tomorrow by lending their skills to empower youth to make a difference.
Some of the youth in my city showed up on a Saturday & Sunday, bright and early, to address some of the issues they felt were important and to talk about how they could make a difference in their community.


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Posts Tagged 'radon mitigation minnesota'
Radon Gas Dangers in Rochester Solved with Radon Mitigation
If you are a resident of Rochester, Minnesota, you should be aware of the potential negative effects of concentrated radon gas within your home. The substance is a dangerous vapor that rises out of the earth's crust. In some cases, the gas levels build inside an enclosed space, possibly causing lung cancer and other health problems in the home's occupants. In fact, radon is now the second largest lung cancer causing agent within the United States.
Radon gas is a substance that you cannot see, smell or taste. It is created as a byproduct of decomposing uranium in the earth's soil. Unfortunately, the dangerous vapor often manages to find its way from the ground into a building through cracks in its basement or foundation. The Environmental Protection Agency has determined safe levels of radon gas; you can have experts from SWAT Environmental test your home or office to check how much radon its air contains. If this test should confirm that gas levels are too high, then radon mitigation should begin immediately.
The home version of a radon gas test consists of an envelope that you must suspend in the lowest level of your home. The envelope should remain hanging for five day; at the end of that time, you must mail the test to the laboratory address listed on the envelope. The test results will be sent back to you several weeks later. Of course, this is not an entirely reliable testing method. For a significant improvement in both the accuracy of your test and the speed of its results, you should have it performed by radon gas test professionals from SWAT Environmental. These experts will bring a specialized meter into your home and provide you with immediate results. This test will let you know whether your home contains sufficient levels of gas to require radon mitigation.
SWAT Environmental Radon Mitigation Rochester, MN
Radon mitigation is actually a two-fold process that involves both active and passive prevention techniques. During passive mitigation, areas in the home that may be letting gas inside are sealed. For example, a basement's cement flooring and walls can often develop tiny cracks, allowing gas to trickle inside from the ground. On the other hand, active mitigation involves a system like sub-slab ventilation, which is designed to discharge the radon outside of the home through a network of pipes hooked up to a fan. SWAT Environmental's mitigation experts will drill a hole into the lower level of your home — generally in its basement or crawlspace. A pipe will then be fastened to the hole and routed to the outside of the home. Finally, a specialized fan is installed on the end of the pipe to pull the radon gas out of your house.
A radon mitigation system will allow you to feel safe in your own home. Moreover, working with the certified experts in radon mitigation from SWAT Environmental will add an extra level of security.
- Rochester, MN, 55902 USA
firstname.lastname@example.com • 507-282-3311
Radon Gas Testing for Rochester Residents
Radon gas is gaining notoriety as residents of the United States become aware of the role it plays in lung cancer deaths each year. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) more than 20,000 people are expected to die this year due to lung cancer caused by radon exposure. This is serious, especially if you live in one of the areas known for high levels of radon, including Rochester, Minnesota. Residents should arrange to have radon gas testing to identify their actual risk and to incorporate radon gas mitigation if necessary.
What is Radon Gas?
Radon gas is formed when uranium goes through the natural breakdown process in the ground. This carcinogenic gas builds up until it must search for a way to escape the small confines it finds itself trapped in. As it does so, radon snakes its way through the ground until it finds an opening that allows it to escape into the air or into a building. If radon escapes into your Rochester home, then it places your family at risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer. If you smoke and radon is present in your home, then your chances of developing lung cancer are even greater.
While radon can enter your home through cracks, holes, and openings in the walls and floors of your home, it can also enter through your water supply. You cannot see or smell this noxious carcinogen. You cannot taste it either. The only way to identify its presence is to arrange for radon gas testing to assess just how much contamination you are being exposed to each day.
Radon Testing Minnesota
Since radon levels fluctuate depending on the time of year as well as weather conditions, it is important to implement radon gas testing each year. In fact, it is highly recommended that each Minnesota resident test for radon contamination at least twice a year in order to determine whether or not this type of pollution has occurred. Each radon gas test kit is accompanied with specific instructions detailing how to use it properly. Failing to follow these instructions in their entirety could result in false test results, placing your family at risk of radon contamination.
Radon Gas Detectors
Choosing a radon gas detector is a simple matter of deciding whether you want to use a short-term device that assesses your level of contamination in a couple of days or a long-term device that takes several months to assess radon levels but provides a more accurate picture. Passive radon gas devices (do not require power to function) include alpha-track detectors, charcoal canisters, and charcoal liquid scintillation devices. Active radon gas detectors (do require power to function) are commonly used by home inspectors, radon gas professionals, and air quality technicians. Typically, active radon gas detectors are in place for several months as they determine the home's radon levels.


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Alba de los Infantes 2009 Gran Reserva
June 17, 2016 § Leave a comment
One of the things about the wine business is that it is a business of passion. I can tell you there isn't a lot of money in it, and if you were to ask anyone involved they are not in it for the money, they are in it because they love it. So it is sad when you hear that a talented, passionate importer has decided to pack up and move to a different industry because he can't make ends meet. The silver lining however is that he has reduced the prices on a number of products in his portfolio. Including the Alba de los Infantes 2009 Gran Reserva.
For those that don't know for a Spanish wine to be called Gran Reserva is must be aged 2 years in barrel and further 3 years in bottle. What this means is that the wine grower and the wine maker saw something in the quality of the grapes and resulting wine that was special. So special that they decided to assume the added cost of a min. 5 years of ageing.
Typically the price for a Gran Reserva wine from Spain starts at the $22 mark and goes up, way up from there. So when the importer told me what the 'clearance' price was I started to salivate. It took a while for me to find some bottles in stores, but when I did I was over the moon.
It is not too often that a wine gets a Best Buy rating from me, as it truly needs to punch well above its weight to do so, but this is one.
Price ~ $12.99
Score ~ 9.3/10 Best Buy
It may only be $13 but please let it breathe for at least 30 minutes. If you do you will be rewarded.
The colour is a dark red/purple and the nose shows bright red and blue berries, with some spice and leather.
The palate shows a ton of fresh fruit, while the texture is supple and richly textured. The finish shows generous berry and black tree fruits along with some sensuous savoury spices.
I know that I will be buying this by the case.
This weekend all the dad's in the family will be enjoying a barbeque, and that is exactly what I would recommend for this wine. Slow roasted ribs, grilled meats, chicken. This would also be a delight with some medium aged cheeses right up to some top quality manchego.
Grapes ~ Tempranillo, Garancha
Store Location ~ Spain
Availability ~ Limited to private stores. I got mine from Spinnaker's James Bay.
Dork UnCorked
Knock Out 2014 Red Wine
March 29, 2016 § Leave a comment
I'm always on the lookout for a bill buster wine that over delivers, so when I was cruising through my local store and came across Knock Out 2014 at $8.99, it was just cheap enough and unique enough to catch my attention.
I have had, and enjoyed, a number of wines from Bodegas Castano in the past, so when I saw their name attached to this wine I was sure I was in for a treat.
This is wine is fairly priced. If you are okay with fairly priced then this is a good wine. However I was looking for something that over delivered for the price and I just don't think this wine did.
Price ~ $8.99
Score ~ $6.3/10 Good Drop
The nose showed dark cherries and red berries with a hint of savoury herbs. The palate is medium bodied and well balanced, and the finish was okay with a touch of fruit flavour.
As for food, this would work okay with lighter comfort foods like simple grilled chicken with BBQ sauce, simple think crust pizza, that sort of thing.
Grapes ~ Monastrell (Mouvedre), Syrah
Store Section ~ Spain
Availability ~ Exclusive to BC Liquor Stores
the Dork UnCorked
PS- below is a link to the Wine Folly book on Amazon. Yes this is an affiliate program and it helps us keep the blog going, having said that I highly recommend this book and use it myself. It is colourful easy to read book that you can have a resource. Enjoy.
Castillo de Monseran 2014 Garnacha
February 16, 2016 § Leave a comment
Grenache, or Garnacha, is a grape on the rise and that is good news for those seeking great wines but don't want to sell the farm to do so.
Most famously Grenache is a key to Chateauneuf du Pape, but it is also the main grape in regions of Spain such as Calatayud and Carinena, and these are where some of the greatest buys are hailing from.
Garnacha is a late ripening grape that requires a lot of heat to reach its full potential, hence you will only find a few expressions grown in the very southern reaches of the Okanagan in BC.
Garnacha is truly a crowd pleaser grape. Dark juicy fruits of raspberry, plum and blackberry, low in tannin meaning very little pucker. The only challenge is keeping the acidity up in order to insure a balanced wine.
Crowd Pleaser is definitely the phrase I would use for the Castillo de Monseran. Dark juicy fruit, very soft and brilliant with casseroles, Mac N Cheese or Pizza.
Price ~ $8.99
Score ~ 7.3/10 Over Delivers
This wine scores high on the value meter and would have scored higher is there is a little more depth to it. Having said that as soon as I paired it with food it was brilliant.
If you haven't added Garnacha to your repertoire of wines, this is a great one to start with and it won't set you back an arm and a leg.
Grapes ~ 100% Garnacha
Store Section ~ Spain
Availability ~ available in both private and public stores.
the Dork UnCorked
Show Notes: Episode 11 – Bill Buster Wines
January 2, 2016 § Leave a comment
Well another holiday season has come and gone and all that remains are the memories and the bills that will arrive shortly. To that end this show is all about bill buster wines. Each wine featured is under $10 because after all why give up one of life's great pleasures when all you have to do is reduce expense?
Episode 11 – Link to Podcast
Segment 2 ~ Red Wines Under $10
Masia F Vino Tinto Tempranillo (Spain) – $9.99 (Private Stores Only)
I have mentioned this one before and ounce for ounce it is the best bill buster value on the market. The wine shows balance, ripe fruit, spice and a long finish.
McGuigan Black Label (Australia) – $9.99
This wine has been available forever in BC and as such it often gets overlooked. This is a blend that includes Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and offers ripe juicy flavours with a round texture on the palate.
Bleasdale Langhorne Crossing Red (Australia) – $9.99
A wine that has been delighting palates across BC for a couple of decades now. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Malbec is medium bodied and offer plenty of juicy fruit and lovely spices.
Segment 3 – White Wines
White wines are typically less expensive than reds. This is a simple function of supply and demand. The demand for white wine is not as great as it is for Red, and there is more supply than demand. The other function here is that white wines have a perception of not being as complex as reds and thus shouldn't drive as great a price.
Hardy's Riesling-Gewurztraminer (Australia) – $8.99
One of the most popular white blends and certainly the most popular Australian wine on the market today, and it is no wonder. Ripe, juicy fruit, vibrant, clean with just a hint of spicy character. This wine puts a smile on any ones face.
Millstream Chenin Blanc (South Africa) – $9.99 (BC Liquor Stores Only)
I know I said Millstone on the show and for this I beg your forgiveness and please don't take my mistake out on this wine as this wine deserves your attention, especially as a bill buster.
Vibrant, ripe fruit seems to explode onto the palate. Well, balanced, dry and an awesome introduction to Chenin Blanc if you have not tried it before.
Cono Sur Bicicleta Gewurztraminer (Chile) – $9.49
Very aromatic and expressive. Ripe generous fruit flavours that feature lychee nut and melon. Floral elements come alive. The wine is off-dry, meaning that it is a little sweeter than bone dry, which is really better shows the true nature of this wine.
Count Karolyi Gruner Veltliner (Hungary) – $9.99
Gruner is primarily found in Austria, however Hungary produces some incredible wines that if they were from Germany, France or Italy, the price would be at least $3-$4 more per bottle.
A vibrant wine that shows orange blossom, white peach, delicious apple and floral elements. A very easy wine to love and a great bill buster.
Segment 4 ~ Box Wines
Although the wines above will only set you back $10 or less (not including tax), some of the best value comes from boxed wines. Boxed wines have a reputation for being plonk. This is patently untrue. Boxed wines last longer not only because there is more wine in them but because the design of the bag in the box prevents oxygen from damaging the wine over time. Although they require a greater upfront cost, they actually save you money when you divide out the cost by regular bottles.
Hardy's Riesling-Gewurztraminer 3L (Boxed Wine Section) – $31.99 (BC Liquor Stores Only)
I have described this wine above so I will keep these comments to the value. As noted above the regular bottle cost is $8.99, however if you purchase this by the box the cost per regular bottle is $8.00.
Vina Borgia Garnacha 3L (Spain) – $34.99 (Private Stores Only)
Garnacha or Grenache is a great easy to love wine. Ripe raspberry and black cherry, very soft, almost no pucker (tannin), with just a touch of black pepper spice.
If you divide this out the cost per regular bottle is $8.74.
Best Buy of the Week ~ Masia F Vino Tinto Tempranillo
The house wine and the world's only 7 star hotel is still the best bill buster wine available in BC.
Have a Great Week
the Dork UnCorked
Episode 3 – The Wonderfully Colourful History of Liquor Laws in B.C. Part 1 – Show Notes
November 7, 2015 § Leave a comment
There has been lots of talk about the recent changes in Liquor retailing and laws in B.C. Have you ever wondered how we got here? It is a very colourful history and beautifully told in two parts by storyteller Chris Mathieson. Here are the show notes for Part 1.
Link to podcast: The Wonderfully Colourful History of Liquor Laws in BC Part 1
How to get a hold of Chris…
Facebook – Chris Mathieson
Twitter – @cogno
Website: Old Grist Mill & Gardens
Best Buy of the Week: Borsao Garnacha
Coming up next week – Part II
DYK (Did You Know) that Australian Shiraz is the same as Syrah? The terroir & climate insure that the Australian expression is unique in the world of Syrah, as such it didn't seem right to call it Syrah, so the powers that be in Australia decided to call their expression Shiraz after the name of the town in Iran where the initial clippings of Syrah were found.
Thanks for being a part of the Dork UnCorked, see you again next week.
the Dork UnCorked
Laya 2013 Almansa D.O.P.
July 10, 2015 § Leave a comment
The Laya 2013 is a great value for those looking for a big punch of flavour. If you are feeling bold and like a bull in a china shop, as my mother used to say, this is the wine for you.
Dark almost black in the glass with a huge nose filling aroma of crushed ripe black raspberry, bing cherry and black plum. There is also a hint of pastry and thyme.
The palate is big and bold and just a little boozy which is not surprising given that it is 14% alcohol.
A great wine for Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket or anything lathered in BBQ sauce.
Keywords: bold, juicy, boozy, bbq
Value: 7.4 – Over Delivers… as long as you are looking for a whallop.
Borsao 2013 Garnacha
June 5, 2015 § Leave a comment
8.7/10 ~ Over Delivers & I Love It!
Price: $13.29- $14.99
"Oh man!" she said "you really have a pair of nards if you think you can get Stone to drink wine."
"Good news! I have such a pair of nards" I replied. "Here goes"
Wines like this one make me want to share the joy of exploration with everyone, even those that may be dead set against trying anything new or different.
Upon tasting this wine I could see myself at a BBQ with friends and I was doing what I normally do when I come across a wine that I love, especially one that will set you back less than $15.
Garnacha or Grenache is a grape that one could easily love. Soft juicy tannins, doesn't like too much oaking, has fantastic fresh berry flavours and undertones of black pepper. For this reason it is the backbone of some of the biggest wine crazes and most sought after wines ever seen, and in my opinion for introducing the beauty of wine to new drinkers and generations.
Remember the tsunami of juicy red wines from Australia in the late 90's? That wave was fuelled in large part by Grenache's supporting role of Shiraz.
I'm sure you have heard of Chateauneuf de Pape? The wines of Chateauneuf de Pape are prized because of their balance between power, finesse and fresh fruit flavours. What is the backbone of Chateauneuf de Pape you ask? – Grenache.
Tasting: The colour is a deep purple red. The aromas are of crushed raspberry, blueberry, lavender and black pepper, while the palate is juicy, full, richly textured and balanced. The finish is a juicy kiss of purple flowers, juicy berries and black pepper.
Value: This is awesome value for the money. In fact I would suggest that you walk right past the California and Argentine sections and head right to the not-as-crowded-as-it-should-be Spanish section and load up.
Added Value: This wine has added value for so many occasions – it's a great Date Night, Movie Night, Girls Night Out, Comfort Food, Foodie, Exploration, BBQ wine.
Food Pairings: Anything BBQ'd including burgers, steaks, pork, chicken, even halibut. Also a great pairing for roasted meats, Pizza, cheeses like Gruyere, Gouda and Cheddar.
Service: Twist off the cap and let the pleasure begin.
Grapes: Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon
Store Section: Spain
Appellation: Borsao
Available: BC Liquor Stores, Metro Liquor
Alcohol: 14.5%


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By Fred Wallace
There was a story out of Nepean around Christmas where a neighbour cited an Ottawa bylaw and as a result a family backyard rink was altered.
The ice & rink weren't the issue, the problem was the boards that had been constructed by the family in theory to enhance to look and feel of the rink.
Actually, the boards weren't cosmetically appealing for the neighbour and so they squawked to the city & the bylaw officials.
The rink, according to the city, violated several bylaws:
- Possible damage to utility lines from stakes driven in the ground to put the boards up
- Driver sight lines and the chances a puck could hit someone passing by
- & Violation of zoning rules that prevent permanent or temporary structures on front or side yards
....and the boards were taken down.
All of which reminded me of days gone by.
The house I first grew up in was at 189 Robert Street in Midland, bordered by Nelson & Wellington Street, so essentially our family had most of a block for a tomato and vegetable garden.
In the winter, that garden became Wallace Gardens and there were great hockey games staged from the mid 60's until we moved to Donalda Street in 1971.
Kenny Desjardins, Frankie Palmer, Danny Lethbridge, guys from our neighbourhood & far beyond played on that rink for months each winter.
In fairness, Wallace Gardens had snowbanks & not boards, but even if we did have boards, I sincerely doubt that the neighbours would have squealed.


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In order to keep up in this hyper-competitive world, a business needs to run as effectively and efficiently as possible. With more companies going out of business each day, running effectively is not only important but it is increasingly becoming critical. It is especially critical for smaller and medium sized businesses to maximize efficiency because of their limited resources as compared to large conglomerates. To be resourceful, the businesses need to focus on their core competency and outsource the rest. Even though it may be very tempting to save additional expenses by doing everything in-house, outsourcing basic business tasks can be a clever and cost-effective leadership approach.
As data and applications grow more and more important for SMBs, the decision to opt for outsourcing can be a major hurdle to cross. When it comes to IT resources, it is always better to rely on dependable IT partners as trying to do it on your own may backfire and critically damage the efficiency of your business. Moreover, setting up IT infrastructure can be costly, time-consuming and incur recurring maintenance costs since a server requires uninterrupted power supply, backup, cooling methods, dedicated staff, security etc., everything adding to overheads, making outsourcing more palatable.
Data, being the brain of the company, it can be a daunting decision to opt for outsourcing the safe-keeping of the data and other critical resources. In simple terms, colocation denotes to the practices of using professional data centres to lease or rent server equipment, which allows businesses to control their hardware and software within a protected facility offering power and cooling to protect against power outages. Opting for a colocation service lets you take the advantages of low latency, better bandwidth, high security, better system efficiency, and it is much more cost effective.
Here are few essentials for businesses to consider before deciding on a colocation facility:Colocation Service Provider
Location is a very important element when it comes to deciding on a colocation service provider. A business can either opt for an off-shore location or a datacenter located nearby depending on the business requirements. Always keep your long-term goals in mind when opting for a location, after all a decision to choose a colocation partner is a huge decision and the location should serve the purpose.
Flexibility and Scalability
The decision to go with a colocation provider is definitely a long-term decision and a provider which doesn't provide you the option for flexibility and scalability may prove detrimental for your business in the long run. Check for the availability of additional connectivity and space to ensure that your provider can scale with your business with time.
Financial Stability
Before making a decision, always consider the financial ability of the colocation provider. It may be very tempting to opt for a cheaper colocation service however, investing in a data centre is a long term process and involves a lot of time and cost. It is always best to opt for a reputed colocation provider which can support you for few years as you wouldn't want to go through the hassle of spending time and money only for your colocation provider to fold their business the next year.
Weather conditions
Although most colocation providers would be built taking into account the weather conditions of the area, it is always better to double check everything. Check if the datacenters are located in an area which is not prone to hurricane, flooding, earthquake and the likes.
Reliability is very important. Choose a service provider which comes with recommendation. In datacenter industry, reliability is measured as uptime and a good ball-park for a reliable provider is that it should have 5 9s (99.99%) uptime.
Deployment Efficiency
When it comes to business, very few things are as or more important than time. Having a colocation partner which understands and respects your time and provide a clear timeline for the infrastructure deployment is significant.
Technical Support
In case of any technical difficulty, does your provider leave you in lurch? If your colocation provider is too difficult to get in touch with through phone, email or in person, you should get rid of such provider as soon as possible. Always ensure that your colocation provider has qualified professionals to help your business in technical difficulty regardless of the hour.
Security is a vital element when it comes to opting for a colocation provider. Choose a provider who will provide you high redundant facilities as well as good physical security measures to ensure maximum protection for your data and other resources.
A right colocation provider can really help you soar in your business and help your organization stay agile. Netrouting can be a right fit for you as it offers colocation at reliable and secure locations with no-break N+1 power and cooling infrastructure, backed by emergency diesel generators. With TIER1 powered network connectivity for optimal availability and performance, Netrouting guarantees a solid 99.99% uptime SLA on all services offered.


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Held since 2006, China's Olive Oil Expo attracts more than 300 enterprises from all over the world; it plays an important role in trade service and public brand's building. If you're part of this industry, don't let this event pass you by! It can definitely be a great opportunity for your business! In order to participate, you just need to book a stand and start preparing your best products. And, if you want to catch everyone's attention, contact our team of experts in trade shows: they'll find you the best Stand Design Contractors in Beijing!
Why exhibit?
Participate as an exhibitor and you will be able to:
- Generate sales leads and build relationships with prospects;
- Interact face to face with thousands of key buyers;
- Introduce new products to an expert audience eager to find new flavors;
- Gain greater visibility for your brand and products;
- Launch new products and survey attendees about new product ideas;
- Discover the trends that are shaping the industry;
- ... and so much more!
Exhibitor Profile
China Olive Oil Expo attracts exhibitors with the following profiles:
- High-end edible oil: camellia oil, olive oil, rice oil, walnut oil, grape seed oil, flax seed oil, etc.
- Nutrition edible oil: nutrition peanut oil, nutrition blend oil, salad oil, double low rapeseed oil, etc.
- Special healthy edible oil: avocado oil, deep sea fish oil, garlic oil, nut edible oil, pumpkin seed oil, delicate cotton oil, poppy-seed oil, etc.
- Many kinds of flavored oils: black pepper oils, ginger oil, fresh scallop flavored oil, animal flavored oil, bone oil, etc.
- Various oil-bearing crops: sunflower, camellia seed, corn-germ, Perilla seed, almond, pine nuts and other raw materials.
- Oil Equipments for: pressing, splitting, filling, printer, capping machine, sealing machine, container, label packing, packing design, advertising design, brand promotion, etc.
China's Olive Oil Expo is visited by professional visitors from all around the globe; according to official data, they're mainly dealers, agents, logistic warehouses, high-end edible oil suppliers, wholesalers, owners of oil chain stores, gift shops and supermarkets, import & export trade companies, industry associations, enterprises, senior managers, online distributors, online stores, etc...


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It's not our name that matters, but how £150m from dormant bank accounts is helping charities
Nick O'Donohoe
The Guardian, Wednesday 30 April 2014
We at Big Society Capital may be almost the last people still using the "big society" banner.
Big Society Capital was set up as an independent finanical institution two years ago to connect charities and social enterprises that want to borrow money with investors motivated, not just by financial returns, but also by a desire to deliver social change.
Since 2012, we have received £224m from dormant bank accounts and the four largest UK high street banks. And we have committed almost £150m of this to social fund managers around the UK, who then make the funding available to different charities and social enterprises that are tackling a wide range of social issues, from the crisis in social care to huge youth unemployment and young people at risk of entering care or custody.
At Oomph!, a social enterprise that provides fun and effective exercise classes for older adults, social investment is being used to scale up its programmes: running specialist exercise classes, including chair cheerleading in care homes to increase older people's physical strength and mobility. It will repay the investment through the fees it receives from the care homes.
At Energise, a programme run by the youth training and education charity, Adviza, 14-year-olds identified as likely to become unemployed are engaged in regular coaching and more intensive residential programmes. The success of the programme is measured on a range of indicators, from behaviour at school to improved GCSE results. Energise is already exceeding its targets, and this will trigger a payment from the Department for Work and Pensions, funded from long-term savings to the public purse. The social investors, who have financed the programme and assumed the risk, are being repaid based on payment by results.
These are just two of the 31 organisations that have received between £200,000 and £15m of social investment.
But we are well aware that for many organisations taking on repayable finance, rather than receiving income as a grant or a gift, is a new concept, and it can be challenging to navigate the social investment market.
We are working hard to make this process easier, and to share stories of how social investment is being used by organisations so that others can learn from their experiences.
So it seems that it's not really our name that matters. It's what we are doing, and what we are helping others to do.
via Big Capital Society is showing how successful social investment can be | Nick O'Donohoe | Society | The Guardian.


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Campus Services (CS) is facing some challenges with the University's installation of new standardized waste bins, including trash overflow during peak periods and missorted trash, according to Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Todd Kerzie. The new waste disposal system, which has already seen some improvement in landfill diversion, was part of the updated waste management policy implemented in January.
After CS purchased and installed new waste bins, people have been discarding items in the wrong bins. As a result, waste "rejections" have been occurring at an off-site collection facility. Rejections happen when a particular waste bag contains too much of another type of waste and the facility redirects the waste to a different recycling center or a landfill site. Indoor waste bins have also faced issues with trash being improperly sorted, with most rejections occurring in Greek housing, the DUC-ling and Cox Dining Hall, according to Kerzie.
The five different containers are compost, plastic/cans, mixed paper, white paper and landfill. CS spent between $200,000 and $300,000 on the new waste bins, the Wheel reported on Nov. 8, 2017.
"Implementing the policy has been the easy part," Vice President for CS Matthew Early said. "The only thing is people now moving forward with the policy, especially on the external containers across campus. I still see plastic and aluminum cans placed in the composting containers."
Within the first month of implementation, total waste diverted from landfill trash to recycling or compost increased by 5 percent to 66 percent, Kerzie wrote in a March 2 email to the Wheel. The University diverted 75 percent of its waste from landfill in February, Kerzie wrote in an April 10 email to the Wheel. For comparison, the diversion rate for the 2017 fiscal year ending on Aug. 31, 2017 was 59 percent, according to the CS website. The University's goal is a 95 percent diversion rate by 2025.
Cahoon Family Professor of American History Patrick Allitt, who lectures in Bowden Hall, said that people put food waste in the recycling or landfill bins that are not serviced as frequently, causing an unpleasant odor in the area.
"The problem … is that the food waste smells terrible and the container doesn't get cleaned out often enough," Allitt said. "So most of the time the entire History Department is contaminated with the nasty smell of old, almost rotten food waste."
Allitt added that he thinks that the new policy of sorted trash bins is "very sensible."
Matthew Callahan, a CS custodian who services recycling bins for fraternity houses on Eagle Row, said that missorted trash is a campus-wide issue but it is especially prevalent in fraternity houses.
Early said that CS custodial staff have shown him images of how one fraternity house has Hefty trash bags placed around the house to collect all forms of trash. These bags, containing unsorted garbage, are then disposed of in recycling containers meant only for plastic, metals and paper.
"I don't know if it's an education thing or if people don't want to take that extra second [to separate waste components]," Early said.
Kerzie and Director of the Office of Sustainability Initiatives (OSI) Ciannat Howett both acknowledged that recycling and compost bins outside Cox Hall frequently overflow during lunchtime.
"It's sort of a nice problem when your compost bins are overflowing because it means you're being successful," Howett said. "We need eyes and ears on the ground to help us … [students will email us] and say 'Oh, the bins are overflowing on Cox Hall Bridge' and we can say 'Oh, great, we've got to find a solution for that.' "
To resolve the issue, CS and Emory Dining are ordering Bigbelly solar trash compactors and increasing the number of bins that surround the staircases and elevator leading to Cox Hall, Kerzie said. A lease to pilot a Bigbelly compactor is "being worked out" with the Bigbelly company and the compactor will be placed near Cox Hall once it arrives.
As of March 5, there are 26 combined recycling and compost bins around Cox Hall. During the "two to three hours" of the lunch rush, those bins are serviced "every 15 minutes," according to OSI Intern Jamie Nadler (19C).
According to Howett, Emory's "Waste Think Tank," comprised of employees in OSI, CS, Building and Residential Services (BRS) and the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO), has been brainstorming ideas about how to move forward with the new policies in an attempt to address this issue.
OSI is responsible for educating faculty, staff and students on sustainability initiatives, according to the Waste Management Policy. Howett said the University is working with a team of faculty, staff and students who help Emory community members understand the new policy and how to sort waste appropriately.
Howett attributes the organization and coordination of the new waste policy to the work of the Waste Think Tank.
While CS has not yet reached out to Greek organizations about waste management concerns, "the Residence Life and Housing Operations staff has been monitoring and providing additional guidance to the individual Greek organizations as this sustainability initiative continues to be implemented and refined," Kerzie said.
Devin Bog contributed reporting.


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Federal Law*
Is a manufacturer's license required to acquire and mix binary targets?
If the individual purchasing the binary targets is engaged in the business of manufacturing explosives, i.e., mixes and uses them in the operation of a commercial business (for example, operating a quarry, or providing the service of removing stumps or boulders from a farm field), then a manufacturer's license is required.
An individual farmer who merely wishes to mix the binary targets to remove obstacles from his field and provides no other outside would not need a manufacturer's license.
Please note, however; A Federal explosives license or permit would be required to obtain any explosives device, such as detonators, used to initiate the mixed binary targets. In addition, transportation of any explosive material, including mixed binary targets, without a Federal license or permit is prohibited.
[27 CFR 555.11: Definition of "manufacturer"; 27 CFR 555.26, 555.414(b)]
Note: A person who combines binary targets for non-commercial purposes is exempt from licensing requirements under Federal law.
Do not use on Federal land when a Special Fire Order is in effect
When mixed and used correctly, Tannerite® brand targets should not initiate a fire. However, because of other reactive targets made with inferior raw materials that have been reported to start fires, the USFS has declared that all reactive rifle targets are forbidden on federal land when a Special Fire Order is in place. This normally happens in the Summer when the roads are posted with large orange signs stating that chainsaw use/campfires/etc are forbidden, although some dry parts of the Country have these Special Orders throughout the year. Please respect local land-use regulations.
*Check and follow all state, county, and/or local laws and regulations for any applicable permit or license requirements, or other potential restrictions and conditions in your area, for possession and use of Tannerite® brand targets in unmixed and mixed forms.
FBI Reactive Target Awareness
Binary Reactive Target Patent


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Bink.nu has the news that the land grab for Live addresses is apparently over for a time:
"Microsoft have patched a loophole in the Windows Live Signup program that allowed users to register any iteration of live.<countrytld>, e.g. live.co.uk, live.com etc. Now only live.nl is allowed as this is the only country where Windows Live Mail is currently available.
Congratulations to those who managed to secure their early-bird [email protected] address, comiserations to those who missed out… you'll have to wait for the world-wide launch of Windows Live Mail!"
If you've been reading LiveSide you should have a brand new email address to play with. If not, make sure to stay tuned to LiveSide (subscribe in RSS!) – we'll have the latest on the new addresses and lots more.