text:
Friday, October 09, 2009
Last night Jen & I cooked up a half-assed plan to bring a cake up to surprise my father. Today, the 9th, is the actual birthday. We had dinner on Wednesday at the Chart House. This was because my parents don't like to eat out more than once in a day and Friday is a standing date. On Friday's they go out to lunch with my mother's brother (who was my Dad's BFF, that's how my parents met) and his wife. They usually go to the Warren Tavern. Now sometimes they go somewhere else, or one or the other couple is on vacation. But 9 times out of 10...it's the four of them at the Warren Tavern. Which by coincidence was mentioned in an article in the Herald recently.
So we decide to leave work, bring a cake, say "Hi" and go back to work. I text my boss "Is this ok?" and she says yes. Jen is clear for take-off as well. It was late, so we waited until this morning to ask Grace. But she couldn't because her car was in the shop.
I go grab a cake at the Plympton Bake Shop, which was out of the way, but Nic is always raving about it....and she was right. Great cake.
Jen & I head in but we already know it isn't going to work because traffic headed south out of the city was backed up and it was just 1 pm. So I called the office and apologized and we called Grace and said that we would be over to her house later and she was responsible for us.
It was great, we didn't just drop off the cake. We stayed and had lunch with them and it was very enjoyable. If you go to the Warren Tavern for lunch I reccomend the "Tavern Burger".
So, the bullshit flag......
On the way up I was....of course.....ranting about the stupid Nobel Prize and Jennifer is yelling at me that it's my own fault that I care. I said that I didn't necessarily need to agree with the person's politics to approve and cited Shiran Ebadi. I heard her speak a few years ago at Tufts. She was blaming America for all kinds of nonsense. I didn't participate in the standing ovation for best in class Bush-bashing. But she won the NPP for her accomplishments as an advocate of civil rights for women and children. It was an accomplishment.
Jennifer countered with the true statement that I am often yelling about this, why do I still expect good results if I only applaud one winner. I said there was more than one. She challenged me to name the ones I agreed with in the last 25 years. I named Lech Walesa, Desmond Tutu, Elie Wiesel and Muhammed Yunis. I said that I had just about given up on the prize when they awarded it to Yunis. She asked who he was and I gave her the very sketchy outline about micro-loans that I knew. I was suprised that she didn't know about him because Jen is so smart about all things accounting and banking. But I explained that Yunis's award sucked me back in like Lucy telling Charlie Brown that she wouldn't pull the football away. She said "Five? Five in twenty-five years? That's pathetic. That's a failing grade. If you still believe it's a sign of a mental defect."
So on our way home I was repeating an ironic line about how the Nobel Peace Prize winner declined to meet with the Dalai Lama. This led to a discussion about the Dalai Lama about whom we know very little and his situation vis-a-vis the Chinese government. I said every country over there has some dissident/house arrest/government oppression situation. Like Aung San Suu Kyi. then I said "Six! She makes six I approve of in the last twenty-five years!" Then I told her about the reporter than got her in trouble by swimming over to her when that violated her house arrest conditions. We agreed that we would have held his head under water. I said he was an American and someone had to go negotiate his release...Gore...Clinton....(turns out it was Sen Webb - I knew it was someone I didn't like).
That's when Jennifer yelled (and yes, she yelled, we yell at each other all the time) "Wait, this is getting ridiculous! How do I know you aren't making these people up? Muhammed-something..." "Yunu" I interject. "Whatever and now Sue-see and people swimming to her island. I might have to throw the bullshit flag."
"How is this any different than you knowing all the ins and outs and players to do with Sarbanes-Oxley?" I ask.
"They're Americans!"
So here's the question - Which are you more likely to know -
Muhammed Yunus
10/10/09 1006
OK, this doesn't move me ahead really. However this morning while I was making my bed I remembered about the lady who worked against land mines. I went to the Nobel site to get her name. Jody Williams of Vermont. She won in '97 for her work on the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. But then I noticed that Lech Walesa was 26 years ago....so one in/one out.
3 comments:
- Darrell Campbell said...
Muhammud (Yunus)
My hero. Hello Maggie. Darrell here, of Turtle Airships.
Like you, I virtually ignored the Nobel Peace Prize, until my hero won. Deservedly. I glowed for weeks! (more to the point I suppose, is that MILLIONS know "Grameen Bank". Try using that on your friend!
I'm afraid the other name, I'd have to look up.
Sadly, didn't Gore "win" too? the world is a strange place.
- 10 October, 2009 08:03
- BostonMaggie said...
Darrell - welcome. You are right, Mr. Yunus is heroic.
Also, I am going in and update the blog. My email this morning reminded me that there is another heroic winner.
- 10 October, 2009 09:02
- Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...
One of the biggest causes of global warming is the livestock industry. Until the former Vice President acknowledges this fact, he has precious little credibility on the issue. He certainly doesn't deserve a prize for it.
- 11 October, 2009 22:26


text:
The California Public Utility Commission has revised its registration requirements for uncertificated non-dominant interexchange carriers to require existing registrants to obtain a performance bond no later than December 1, 2010, that is equal to 10 percent of intrastate revenues reported by the registrant during the preceding calendar year or $25,000, whichever is greater, and to pay an annual user fee based on the Commission-established rate in effect at the time (currently 0.18% of gross intrastate revenues) or $100, whichever is greater. Annual Advice Letters demonstrating continued compliance with the performance bond requirement will thereafter be required by March 31 each year. If a registrant is deemed delinquent and is more than 120 days late in providing the executed bond, the Communication Division is required to prepare a resolution for the Commission's consideration to revoke the registration.
The requirements only apply to registrants such as pre-paid calling card providers that obtain authority pursuant to Section 1013 of the Public Utility Code and do not currently apply to a carrier that holds a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) pursuant to Section 1001 of the Public Utility Code or that holds both a CPCN and is a registrant for certain services. However, the Commission indicated that it may in the future apply similar performance bond and annual fee requirements to carriers with a CPCN.
If you have questions regarding this matter or would like further information regarding the specific filing obligations, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Danielle C. Burt, Counsel
email@example.com, 202.373.6039
This article was originally published by Bingham McCutchen LLP.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Disclaimer: Press sample. See bottom for more
I've enjoyed the bright lip trend – I've been wearing hot reds and pinks for months now – but as summer draws near, I'm craving a juicy lip look. I want bright colors, but with a glossier finish.
Youngblood Cosmetics is launching a new lipstick shade that fits the bill, with a formula that's creamy shiny, and soft on my lips, too. The new shade is called Dragon Fruit, and it launches on June 1st.
I've worn Dragon Fruit a lot since The Makeup Show NYC, where I received it, and I've been impressed with its wear, too!
Check out my swatches! I might have gone a little crazy with them haha. The first one is with flash, the others are natural light.
This lipstick is not just the perfect shade for my skin tone and for summer, with a creamy formula, it's paraben and cruelty free. I can wear this for hours without touching up. It also stains your lips a little so by the time I felt it wearing off my lips, I still had color left behind.
It isn't totally kiss proof – it does come off, something I discovered after repeated kissing during our engagement photos!
Youngblood lipstick retails for $19 through the brand's website here.
Have you ever heard of Youngblood?! Youngblood is a mineral makeup company started by Pauline Youngblood, who started her career as a medical aesthetcian and designed her makeup line for patients and eventually founded her commercial line 17 years ago.
So what do you think of Dragon Fruit? I think this would work on a lot of different skintones. What about you? Would you rock Dragon Fruit?!
And are you craving juicy lip color now that summer is coming closer?! I'd love to hear your comments!
Disclaimer: I received Dragon Fruit for review from the PR Firm/Manufacturer. Please visit my Disclosure tab for more information on how BeautyJudy.com keeps it real!


text:
The building process often starts as an idea in the owner mind that they express in words or sketches. At EMKAAN, we provide the necessary means for these words and sketches to become a concrete reality that will help the owner visualize their idea. This is the story of our name, which is derived from the Arabic verb makkanâ, which translates to enableâ. We consider it our mission to enable ideas and to transform them into reality.
We set our quality standards and Client services high, whilst maintaining a competitive edge in the market. EMKAAN achieves this through efficient management, good leadership and the dedication of the EMKAAN team.
EMKAAN was founded in Dubai, 2009, by a multi-national team of experienced architects and draftsman. They had a vision for an architects company that was in itself unique, original and delivering the highest quality standards and client services.
Today we are pleased to say that the team has grown, the vision is stronger, we have many satisfied clients, our work is unique and our standards compete with the best.
So what is left for us to achieve… Everything! We are constantly working to improve ourselves and our team. Now we are looking for clients with the same passion, the same vision, the same desire for unique, original and quality design, to work with us in realising and delivering quality products to the region!.
Our professional team at EMKAAN are dedicated to the quality of our designs, the quality control of the construction and the satisfaction of the client in each and every project.


text:
CDP Kids presents SPOT based on the books by Eric Hill.
Spot is one of the most loved dogs in the world, and he's coming to Australia!
Spot and his friends are off on a new adventure to visit Spot's Dad on the farm and meet the farm animals. But when they arrive, all the animals are lost! Can Spot and his friends find them all? They might need a little help from their new friends in the audience…
Eric Hill's beloved puppy comes to life on stage with puppetry, songs, and puzzles for children aged 2+ and their adults.
Presented by arrangement with Penguin Books Limited.
2019 Children's Shows presented by:
Empire Cardholder $21.00
All Tickets $25.00
Groups 6+ $20.00


text:
Patient Service Representative
Manage scheduling and patient flow adhering to corporate protocol while upholding a positive, professional, and courteous manner
- Maximized schedules, resulting in increased performance metrics within the practice in 2013 and 2014
- Adapted easily to increased responsibility including managing and monitoring patient accounts, such as billing and statement issues
- Managed account and patient records according to HIPAA confidentiality standards
- Worked closely with insurance companies, identifying, verifying, and applying insurance coverage for patients
- Provided superior patient satisfaction, resulting in gold star award at clinic for excellent patient service in 2013 and 2014
at this job
Patient Service Representative
Responsible for providing high quality customer service to all visitors arriving at the clinic. Efficiently manages patient flow, including patient registration, coordinating with clinical staff, answering patient questions and/or referring patients to other AMDPI services or departments.
- Identified, referenced and applied insurance coverage and billing
- Answered phones using proper telephone etiquette
- Performed all necessary paperwork(i.e. patient charts, referrals, welcome packets and treatment plans)
- Present financial policies and arrangements accurately to patients
at this job
Pediatric Patient Service Representative
- Supplied all stakeholders with necessary paperwork and communication
- Checked-in all guests and prepared all paperwork required for the visit
- Streamlined efficiency of the check-in and check-out process
- Created Patient Service Representative Training Manual for hospital and clinics
- Improved patient 1:1 ratio by integrating and launching new technology
- Served on the Waiting Room Board to improve patient satisfaction
at this job
Patient Service Representative
Handled inbound and places outbound phone calls from / to Veterans, providers, VA and other customers to obtain and communicate appointment information.
- Reviewed and entered complex authorizations and referrals from VA and providers.
- Processed healthcare authorizations received from the VA or directly from the Veteran. Ensured accurate data entry and completion of authorization data, documented all contact interactions in the CRM application.
- Further, ensured accurate data entry and completion of authorization from referral/authorization forms, medical documentation Contacts providers to obtain missing medical documentation to assure compliance with timelines.
- Reviews complex authorizations and referrals from VA and providers.
at this job
Patient Service Representative
- Greeted and checked in patients in a friendly manner
- Collected co-payments and verified insurance coverage
- Prepared new patient charts carefully and accurately
- Scheduled and confirmed patient appointments
- Responded to patient billing directed to suitable departments
- Collected and posted payments and recorded receipts
at this job
Patient Service Representative
- Created special forms and wrote training materials for PSR's
- Participated on Check-in Committee, wrote 2 new S.O.P. that have been implemented.
- Complete registration process for new patients including verification of insurance coverage.
- Check patients in for appointment with providers, collect co-pays and direct patients to the correct waiting area.
- Create, schedule and complete check in process for the walk-in-clinic.
- Provide outstanding customer service using the H.E.A.R.T.model.
- Handle phone coverage which includes: scheduling, messages and refills.
at this job
Patient Service Representative
- Served in a lead position to other peers which involved coaching and feedback
- Volunteered to lead and organize a yearly charity event for three years
- Provide excellent service and foster patient satisfaction in a fast-paced dental clinic
- Responsible for working dental claim reports, including unpaid and unfiled claims
- Maintaining provider schedules to meet production goals
- Training and coaching other patient services representatives
- Effectively communicating treatment plan details to patients
at this job
Patient Service Representative ∙ Wooster, OH
- Checked in and checked out patients' for appointments
- Collected copayments
- Answered phone calls and patient questions
- Efficiently used Epic (Electronic Medical Record software) to assist physicians in various scheduling aspects including scheduling needed bone marrow biopsies, testing in numerous Radiology modalities, cardiac testing, and minor surgical procedures
- Scheduled chemotherapy treatments, infusions and injections on a daily basis following specific guidelines/regimen protocols
- Maintained up to date CPR/AED certifications according to Red Cross guidelines
at this job
Patient Service Representative
- Provide high level of customer service to all visitors, patients and staff.
- Scan, index and enter patient medical records into EMR using Centricity, IDX and Meditech following strict HIPPA guidelines.
- Schedule/follow up on appointments for patients.
- Verify insurance elegibility for patients.
- Answer questions for patients, physicians and medical staff regarding medical records via telephone and in person in a polite, detailed manner following HIPPA regulations.
- Perform EKG's on patients.
- Provide front desk coverage to greet/schedule patients and answer multi-line telephone in busy Cardiology medical office.
at this job
Patient Service Representative
- Welcoming patients, assisting them with paperwork, and answering questions about insurance, appointments and medical services.
- Providing information regarding patient accounts to authorized callers while complying with HIPPA guidelines and regulations.
- Accurately entering/updating patient information in the eClinicalWorks system.
- Verifying insurance eligibility, financial status and assigning correct copay amount.
- Managing cash, checks and credit card payments.
- Processing mail received from patients, attorneys, hospitals etc. and updating the accounts with detailed notes regarding the mail received.
- Setting up follow up specialist appointments for patients with multiple doctor offices.
at this job


text:
Black History Month Theme Month Programming
Independent Lens: The Powerbroker—Whitney Young's Fight for Civil Rights
Monday, February 2, 2015 at 7pm
This film follows the journey of Whitney M. Young, Jr. from segregated Kentucky to head of the National Urban League.
AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange—Sound of Torture
Monday, February 2, 2015 at 8pm
Follow the efforts of Swedish-Eritrean journalist Meron Estefanos.
America ReFramed: Our Mockingbird
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at 8pm
A documentary that uses Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird as a lens to view race, class, gender and justice - then and now.
A Reason to Dance
Friday, February 6, 2015 at 6pm & 9pm
China Smith is on a quest to spread awareness about the mixed nature and diversity of the African diaspora.
PBS Arts from Chicago: American Masters—Bill T. Jones: A Good Man
Friday, February 6, 2015 at 7pm
Bill T. Jones has been named "an irreplaceable treasure" by the The Dance Heritage Coalition.
The Education of Harvey Gantt
Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 11:30pm
Learn about the pivotal, yet largely forgotten, story of desegregation.
Independent Lens: More Than a Month
Monday, February 9, 2015 at 7pm
Shukree Hassan Tilghman, a 29-year-old African American filmmaker, goes on a cross-country campaign to end Black History Month.
AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange—The Triptych
Monday, February 9, 2015 at 8pm
The Triptych is a unique and profound documentary series profiling some of the most outspoken visual artists of our time.
Frontline: The Interrupters
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 6pm
An intimate journey across the violent landscape of our cities through the eyes of those fighting to sow peace and security.
America ReFramed: The Hill
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 8pm
Clinging to the last affordable housing in a rapidly gentrifying city, a determined group of neighbors struggle to save their homes from destruction.
Summer Hill
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 9:30pm
A compelling look at the influence of one small, tightly knit community – its school, churches and civic leaders – on its residents.
A Harpist's Legacy: Ann Hobson Pilot and the Sound of Change
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 8:30pm
The inspirational life and distinguished career of the revered harpist.
The Black Kungfu Experience
Monday, February 16, 2015 at 7pm
How a group of African American pioneers became respected masters in a subculture dominated by Chinese and white men.
AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange—The Abominable Crime
Monday, February 16, 2015 at 8pm
A story about a mother's love for her child and an activist's love for his country.
Independent Lens: The Trials of Muhammad Ali
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 6:30pm
Witness Muhammad Ali's toughest bout, his battle to overturn his prison sentence for refusing U.S. military service.
America ReFramed: Shell Shocked
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 8pm
Shell Shocked starts at the surface of the teen murder epidemic and delves into the hearts and minds of those whose lives are most deeply impacted.
POV: 15 to Life—Kenneth's Story
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 9pm
Follow a boy's struggle for redemption in a place that routinely condemns children to die in prison.
The Artist Toolbox: Sam Gilliam
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 7pm
Sam Gilliam invites John Jacobsen into his private studios to discuss the importance of exploration and a curious mind.
Independent Lens: Through a Lens Darkly
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 7:30pm
Learn about black photographers who recorded the lives of generations, from slavery to the present.
Colored Frames
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at6pm & 9pm
Reflect on the last 50 years in African-American art by exploring the influences, inspirations and experiences of black artists.
Instruments of Change
Friday, February 20, 2015 at 6pm & 9pm
The power the performing arts has in bringing a community together.
American Masters: Sister Rosetta Tharpe—The Godmother of Rock & Roll
Monday, February 23, 2015 at 7pm
Discover the life, music and influence of African-American gospel singer and guitar virtuoso Rosetta Tharpe.
American Masters: August Wilson—The Ground on Which I Stand
Monday, February 23, 2015 at 8pm
Examine the legacy of the man some call America's Shakespeare.
Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 6pm
The film sheds light on this dark moment in history through interviews, academic commentary and archival footage from the era.
Independent Lens: Spies of Mississippi
Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 7pm
Learn about a spy agency formed by the state of Mississippi in the 50s-60s to preserve segregation.
Independent Lens: American Denial
Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 8pm
American Denial explores the power of unconscious biases and how the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice still impact notions of race and class today.
Black/White & Brown: Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka
Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 6pm & 9pm
On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.
Queen of Swing
Friday, February 27, 2015 at 6pm & 9pm
The true story of a Jazz Age trailblazer — 95-year-old entertainer Norma Miller.


text:
Integral provides a full range of commercial construction services which include:
Integral provides every client with cooperative, solution based service adhering to the highest standards of quality, safety, & integrity. Integral's strength comes from its large, stable, CLAC union workforce, which, in cooperation with our clients, allows us to complete projects on time and on budget.
Integral's safety performance exceeds industry standards. Our safety program includes daily, weekly, and monthly safety meetings, as well as daily tailgate meetings and regular vehicle inspections. All employees participate in mandatory safety training and must adhere to strict safety standards.
Integral's track record of success with emphasis on service, safety, and quality has earned us a reputation of being "Best in Class".


text:
What are your biggest nutrition or fitness challenges?
What's been your biggest nutrition or fitness challenge in 2016?
What would you like to be different in 2017? If you're tired of setting goals and New Year's resolutions that don't work for you, watch the video below:
Creating goals and action plans don't always work for health and fitness because there's something missing from the equation: habits and skills.
To get the body you want, to improve your health and nutrition, first define what you want (your goals). Break down your goals into skills and develop those skills on a daily basis with healthy habits or actions. The more you improve and build your skills, the more likely you are to achieve your goals.
Tell me your biggest health challenges in the comments section below.
Based on your questions, I will prepare a Facebook Live presentation (date to be announced) to offer strategies to help you successfully meet your health and fitness goals in 2017.
Be well


text:
NEW ZEALAND Roller-coaster election ends with conservative win
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS Making housing affordable for young couples
SOCIETY Seven pillars of the family-centred economy
OPINION Terrorists can be defeated by fighting fear with co-operation
ECONOMIC AGENDA Critical China free trade agreement based on what?
EDITORIAL Hong Kong: China's litmus test
CLIMATE CHANGE Obama's rhetoric doesn't match his actions
CANBERRA OBSERVED Greens' bid to legalise overseas same-sex unions rebuffed
MOSCOW FORUM Large families' vital role to protect civilisation
DIVORCE LAW No-fault divorce and the moral basis for spousal support
EDUCATION Why more parents are choosing home-schooling
POPULATION Taiwan bracing for demographic winter
CINEMA Magical romantic comedy set in Paris
BOOK REVIEW Britain's Faustian bargain with the United States
In a recent article about marriage, American writer Phyllis Schlafly said this about the Marxist war against the traditional family:
"Marx hated the bourgeois family, not only because it provided the means of transmission and accumulation of private property, but also because the family controlled the formation and education of children. Marx wanted to break the family so that children could be raised and educated communally, free from patriarchal ties and religious beliefs" (Townhall.com, August 19, 2014).
Phyllis Schlafly
In the 1848 Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels blasted the "bourgeois claptrap about the family and education" and insisted that "we replace home education by social". They demanded free public education for all children as a means by which the state, not parents, could control children.
This battle over the control of children did not stop with the death of Marx, but has been an ongoing battle. The coercive utopians of the state always see autonomous groups such as church and family as a threat to their hold on power.
So education is always heavily regulated and increasingly brought fully under state control. Subservience is what most states prefer. Those states which allow independent, critical thinkers to move about unchecked will always feel uneasy.
This is why all the great works of fiction warning about a future totalitarian state deal with the issue of education. Whether it is George Orwell, Aldous Huxley or others, they rightly warn about how the total state must have total control over education.
If you think all this is just the stuff of science fiction, or of past communist regimes, think again. It is still happening, as I have documented often. Homeschooling, especially, is seen as a threat by many governments.
The most recent clear example of this comes from Ireland. Consider this shocking story.
Steve Weatherbe reports: "Irish mother of six Monica O'Connor, 47, spent three hours in jail Wednesday as punishment for homeschooling her two youngest children in violation of new Irish regulations.
"The controversial case isn't over by a long shot, however. The child protection agency TUSLA could go after her again next year, and her husband Edward O'Neill, 49, must still serve time for the same offence.
"'We don't intend to take it to a higher court. We think that's what they want,' O'Connor told LifeSiteNews. But neither will the couple back down. 'We clearly have the right to home school under the Constitution,' she added. But unlike Canada and the United States, Irish law does not allow a constitutional defence in the lower courts.
"O'Connor, a home birth facilitator, and O'Neill, a teacher, homeschooled four older children to adulthood, and all have done fine since: the youngest has just been admitted to university to study classical music.
Genevieve Wood
"What's changed, Jane Donegan of the Irish Home Education Network told LifeSiteNews, is that Ireland has a relatively new law governing homeschoolers, and a very new agency, called TUSLA, to enforce it. Homeschooling parents are now treated as if their children are truants until they apply for permission to homeschool and get assessed for their suitability" (LifeSiteNews, September 5, 2014).
Jailed for homeschooling! Hitler also made homeschooling illegal in Germany — and incredibly that law still stands! As I said, the state brooks no competition, and the more big government you have, the less tolerance there is for independent education — or even independent thinking.
Because of this, throughout the Western world more and more parents are turning to homeschooling. As the West gets more and more secular and sleazy, and hostile to Christian values and beliefs, it is becoming a necessary option for many. Consider one American state where it has really taken off.
Genevieve Wood, a public affairs commentator at the prestigious Washington-based Heritage Foundation, writes: "In North Carolina, the number of homeschoolers has now surpassed the number of students attending private schools. That statistic may seem shocking if you've been a stranger to the growth of the homeschooling movement, which has rapidly increased in recent decades.
"In 1973, there were approximately 13,000 children, ages 5 to 17, being homeschooled in the United States. But according to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of the 2011-2012 school year, that number has grown to almost 1.8 million or approximately 3.4 per cent of the school age population. Other sources report numbers well over 2 million.
"In the Tar Heel state alone, homeschooling has increased by 27 per cent over the past two years.
"Those are pretty impressive numbers for a movement considered 'fringe' not that long ago and that has only been legal in all 50 states since 1996.
"So, why are more parents making the choice to homeschool? As with many decisions, it's rarely one single factor. The Department of Education, which surely isn't happy with the trend, has tracked the issue since 2003. According to its findings:
"• In 2003, 85 per cent of parents said they chose homeschooling because of 'a concern about the school environment' which included worry about safety, drugs or negative peer pressure. That number jumped to 91 per cent by 2011.
"• In 2003, 72 per cent said 'a desire to provide religious or moral instruction' was a major reason. In 2011, that number had increased to 77 per cent.
"• In 2003, 68 per cent said 'dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools' contributed to their decision. By 2011, that was up to 74 per cent" (The Daily Signal [Heritage Foundation, Washington DC], September 8, 2014).
Australia too has a growing homeschooling movement — and for good reason. A recent article by a Victorian writer highlights the truth that education is all about control. Susan Wight says that the "history of Australian schooling is a history of social control".
Her concluding thoughts are these: "Today school has become so entrenched in society that it is unquestioned by the majority of citizens. The social control is so complete that people actually believe that going to school 'socialises' their children.
"Although most teachers have honourable motives of helping children learn, their efforts are lost in the huge machine of the modern system which now has a life of its own.
"The original premise of social control underlies the current system and is continually perpetuated by teachers who grew up in the system and approved of it enough to make it their career" (Otherways Magazine, October 30, 2003).
There is an educational war going on in the West, part of the larger cultural wars. Abraham Lincoln was quite right when he stated that "The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." That is why the state is so keen about education, and why so many parents are so worried about it.
In his 2011 book After America, Mark Steyn wrote: "For four decades America watched as politically correct fatuities swallowed the entire educational system, while conservatives deluded themselves that it was just a phase, something kids had to put up with as the price for getting a better job a couple years down the road. The idea that two generations could be soaked in this corrosive bilge and it would have no broader impact, that it could be contained within the precincts of academe, was always foolish."
Or, as 19th-century English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon put it from a more religious point of view: "To leave our youthful population in the hands of secular teachers, will be to sell them to the Ishmaelites."
All concerned parents need to think long and hard about how they will educate their children — especially while we still have some limited freedoms to explore various options.
Bill Muehlenberg is a commentator on contemporary issues, and lectures on ethics and philosophy. His website CultureWatch is at: www.billmuehlenberg.com
Phyllis Schlafly, "Faulty ideas about marriage", Townhall.com, August 19, 2014. URL: http://townhall.com/columnists/phyllisschlafly/2014/08/19/faulty-ideas-about-marriage-n1880159/page/full
Steve Weatherbe, "Irish mother of six jailed for homeschooling", LifeSite, September 5, 2014. URL: www.lifesitenews.com/news/irish-mother-of-six-jailed-for-homeschooling
Genevieve Wood, "In one state, more children homeschool than attend private schools: Why that shouldn't shock you", The Daily Signal (Heritage Foundation, Washington DC), September 8, 2014. URL: http://dailysignal.com/2014/09/08/one-state-children-homeschool-attend-private-schools-shouldnt-shock/
Susan Wight, "Australian schooling: a history of social control", Otherways Magazine (Home Education Network, Inc., Sunbury, Victoria, Australia), October 30, 2003. URL: www.home-ed.vic.edu.au/2003/10/30/australian-schooling-a-history-of-social-control/
Join e-newsletter list
ROYAL COMMISSION Hatchet job on Cardinal Pell breached basic principle of fairness
COVER STORY Gearing up to ditch free-trade policy
CANBERRA OBSERVED Regret over our rushed marriage to China
NATIONAL AFFAIRS Crucial to get Virgin Australia flying again
CANBERRA OBSERVED What's China's beef with our barley?
EDITORIAL Rebuilding industry won't just happen: here's what's needed
EDITORIAL Post-covid19, create a national development bank


text:
Everyone loves flowers and they just brighten up our day and make us smile as soon as we see them.Flowers are always a fun crochet project to make at any time of year.
If you need a little flower for dressing up your crochet projects,then give this simple flower a try.
If you are a beginner,chances are that you are looking to learn how to make a simple flower to start with.Well,to begin with these flowers are very easy work up with no complex stitches involved.Materials Used:-
- 8 ply Acrylic Yarn
- 5mm Crochet Hook
Check out the video tutorial here:-
Start with a Slip Knot.


text:
"I don't know what to say. Normally, I'm a pretty talkative person, but right now, I'm speechless."
That's how Byron Velvick described his second day of competition on Falcon Reservoir, when he brought 41 pounds, 11 ounces to the scales, giving him a near unbelievable total of 76 pounds, 9 ounces.
And he's not even leading the tournament.
He's three pounds behind Aaron Martens, who brought 42 pounds to the scales during Thursday's opening round, and added 37 more today, and has a two-day total of 79-13.
Even more amazing, Velvick and Martens are sharing the same spot, meaning it has produced more than 150 pounds of bass, plus what their non-boaters have taken — over 50 pounds -- and while their total area might be 200 yards wide, the absolute sweet spot they're both keying on is less than 30 yards across.
No, Velvick isn't the only one who's speechless here. Everyone knew this would be a great tournament, but no one expected these kinds of numbers.
"Post spawn fishing is all about location, location, location," noted Mark Davis, a three-time BASS Angler of the Year and former Classic winner, whose second day catch included an 11 pounder and three more over 6 pounds. He's in third with 68 pounds, 13 ounces.
"The majority of these bass spawned here several weeks ago, have left the flats, and are now concentrating in different areas where they're also roaming and feeding heavily. These are pretty specific spots, normally, and it's easy to miss these types of fish, but when you do find the spot, the catches are pretty awesome, like we're seeing Aaron and Byron making."
At the same time, there are also a few pre-spawn and spawning bass, as well, and while many are in shallow brush where the flipping pros can catch them, some of the pre-spawners are actually out with the post-spawners. Davis, who isn't flipping shallow brush, brought in his 11 pounder, Martens had a 9-7, and Velvick caught a 10-10 today.
All three pros are reporting catching more than 50 bass a day en route to their heavy weights, although some, like Kelly Jordon, who brought in 34-1, caught their fish quickly. Jordon had 25 pounds in the boat in his first seven casts, and that does not include the 9-15 he added later.
"It can be very precise casting, because the bass are so bunched up," added Paul Elias, who brought in 39-1 today, including a 9-13 and sits in fourth with 67-6. He had more than 25 pounds of those fish in less than an hour.
"On my depthfinder I can see V's moving across the screen, and at first I thought they were some other fish, but I threw out a drop shot and caught one," said Martens. "It was a four pound bass. All the V's were bass.
"They're just cruising and feeding, which they do after spawning. I have also noticed huge balls of baitfish in the water, as well as some of the biggest crawfish I've ever seen. These fish have plenty to eat, and we're here just when they really want to start eating again after the spawn."
Falcon has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest bass lakes in Texas, but that reputation has also been tarnished at times by the lake's water fluctuation, caused by having to share the water with Mexico's agricultural industry as well as by regional drought conditions.
Today the lake is 21 feet below full pool; if it drops nine more feet, virtually all the boat ramps — and there aren't many here — will be unusable. That has happened several times in recent years, and sometimes Falcon will stay low for months.
While the spring drawdowns by Mexico have not helped the fishery — many beds get left high and dry because the drawdowns occur quickly -- those fish that have survived have not had heavy fishing pressure. There is an enormous population of bass in this 83,000 acre reservoir.
Today's low water conditions may be helping the pros in that it has pulled bass out to the specific structure features Martens, Velvick, Elias, and some of the others have found.
Like Davis said, post spawn bass fishing is all about location, and that's exactly what is happening this week at Falcon, and it's why pros like Velvick can hardly believe what they have found.


text:
Students at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy began the new academic year exploring the newest building on campus. The new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) center, which opened August 22, is the first and only high school facility of its kind in Detroit. The center represents the largest dollar investment in science and technology at any Michigan high school in recent years. The building is entirely privately funded through the generosity of the school's alumni, parents, and friends.
The four-level, 40,000-square-foot STEM center doubles the space for biology, chemistry, and physics programs, and provides labs for engineering and for the school's nationally recognized eco-car and robotics programs. The center includes a spacious science classroom and laboratory exclusively for students in the seventh and eighth grades.
"Preparing our young men to be tomorrow's leaders continues here and now in Detroit, in the 465-year-old Jesuit tradition of formation of the whole person in mind, body, and spirit," said school president Fr. Theodore (Ted) G. Munz, SJ. "Critical thinking informed by theological inquiry prepares our students to serve others in many fields when they go out into the world."
Since the June 2015 groundbreaking, Senator Gary Peters, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Vatican astronomer Br. Guy Consolmagno, SJ, and several leaders in the sciences and arts have publicly acknowledged the school's commitment to the quality education of youth.
"Our city and state need home-grown scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to continue to fuel Detroit's economic growth," said Mayor Duggan at the groundbreaking ceremony. "I applaud U of D Jesuit's commitment to providing young men in the City of Detroit with access to a world-class education and the opportunity to make a difference for the rest of their lives."
The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy is the largest and oldest of Detroit's three Catholic high schools. The STEM center is the largest addition to the school's campus since the main school building was constructed on West Seven Mile Road in 1930. The original high school was built in 1877 on Jefferson Avenue, near where the General Motors Renaissance Center stands today.
U of D Jesuit's students achieve among the highest average ACT scores in the state, and every graduating senior is accepted at a college or university. Members of the 2016 class matriculated to the military service academies, Michigan's leading colleges and universities, and Jesuit and Ivy League educational institutions.
The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy is Detroit's second oldest high school. Founded in 1877, it has educated young men to be "men for others" through academic excellence, faith formation, and community service. It remains Metro Detroit's most ethnically, geographically, and culturally diverse high school. Nine hundred students are enrolled in grades seven through twelve, from more than 70 communities in six counties. One-third of the students qualify for tuition assistance totaling $1.9 million annually.
For more information about the Science and Engineering Center, visit www.uofdjesuit.org/newsroom.


text:
State of the Art: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle
February 9, 2013 - June 2, 2013
In the century following Pyle's 1911 death, American illustration has diversified into a creative empire that includes a wide range of exciting art forms. From animated feature movies and computer images to graphic novels and conceptual art, America's storytelling artists use the latest technologies and the newest media to tell an ever-richer blend of stories to ever-broader audiences.
For this exciting contemporary exhibition, Guest Curator David Apatoff, illustration scholar and author of biographies on Robert Fawcett and Albert Dorne, highlights the following eight artists: story illustrator Bernie Fuchs; graphic designer Milton Glaser; MADcaricaturist and comic artist Mort Drucker; The New Yorker cover artist and character designer for animated films, Peter de Sève; editorial artist John Cuneo; painter and book artist Phil Hale; painter and magazine illustrator Sterling Hundley; and Pixar production designer Ralph Eggleston.
Clockwise from top-left:
Who Died and Made You Boss?, August 2007
John Cuneo (born 1957)
3 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches, Ink and watercolor on paper
Collection of the artist, Copyright © 2004-2012, John Cuneo
All Rights Reserved.
Suicide, illustration for 'A Twilight's Last Gleaming' by Frank Deford in Sports Illustrated, November 19, 1984
Bernard Fuchs (1932-2009)
Oil on canvas, 22 3/4 x 32 inches
Private Collection
Secession, 2001 Cover for Goad, The Many Moods of Phil Hale (New Hampshire: Donald M. Grant, 2001)
Phil Hale (born 1963)
Oil on linen, 50 x 62 inches
Collection of Robert K. Wiener, © Phil Hale 2012
Tailed, cover for The New Yorker, January 24, 1994
Peter de Sève (born 1958)
Watercolor, colored pencil and ink on paper, 15 x 10 inches
Lent by the artist
|Browse the online catalog to learn more about the artists featured in State of the Art: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle. You can order the print catalog online through the link below and copies are also available in the Museum Store.
View catalog as a FLIPBOOK online.
|Bernie Fuchs began his career creating highly realistic paintings for automobile advertisements. By the 1960s, he was at the forefront of a wave of innovative illustrators whose impressionistic works redefined the field. Before his death in 2009, Fuchs enjoyed a long and distinguished career and became well-known around the world for his sense of color and design.
|Milton Glaser is among the world's most celebrated graphic and architectural designers, recognized for the diverse richness of his inventive work. His achievements range from the iconic "I love New York" logo to complete graphic and decorative programs for public spaces. He has been the subject of one-man shows at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
|Mort Drucker is one of MAD's most famous artists. An influential caricaturist, he is internationally renowned for his pen and ink work and his TIME covers are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
|Phil Hale pushes the boundaries between fine art and illustration, consistently making powerful compositions and combining traditional realism with moody, complex, and evocative themes. Although highly regarded for his covers for books by Joseph Conrad and Steven King, Hale is recognized internationally for his work in the field of fine art.
|Sterling Hundley seamlessly combines traditional artistic media with digital tools. His work has appeared inRolling Stone, Vibe, and The New York Times. Hundley has won gold and silver medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York and the Illustrators Club in Washington, D.C. An influential teacher and mentor, he is an instructor at The Illustration Academy and a Professor in the Department of Communication Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.
|John Cuneo's powerful drawings have appeared in many major publications, including The New Yorker, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and The Atlantic. He is highly regarded for the humor in his work and has been awarded several medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York.
|Peter De Sève began as an editorial illustrator in the 1980s and is well known for his covers for The New Yorker, along with his illustrations for TIME and Newsweek. He has also created character designs for animated films produced by Disney, DreamWorks Studios, Pixar, and Twentieth Century Fox, includingMulan, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., and Ice Age.
|Ralph Eggleston was the Art Director at Pixar for Toy Story, the first full-length computer-animated film, as well as for The Incredibles. He was also the Production Designer for films such as Finding Nemo andWALL·E. His work has been recognized for its color and composition, as well as its sense of fantasy.
|This exhibition was organized by the Delaware Art Museum.Additional support is provided by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.Click here for a PDF of the Press Release.
Images in About the Artists section, top to bottom: Their happiness was all mixed up with being young, 1959, for "A Small Miracle," by Mary Augusta Rodgers, in McCall's, June 1959. Bernard Fuchs (1932 – 2009). Gouache on illustration board, 17 1/4 x 19 1/2 inches. Collection of Anna Lee Fuchs. | Untitled, second study for cover of The Atlantic, not dated. Milton Glaser (born 1929). Colored inks on cardboard, 12 1/2 x 10 inches. Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives, School of Visual Arts. |Put*on, for MAD, January 1971. Mort Drucker (born 1929). Ink on illustration board, 25 1/2 x 20 inches. Private Collection, © Mort Drucker. | Nostromo, 2007, cover forNostromo, by Joseph Conrad (London: Penguin Classics, 2007). Phil Hale (born 1963). Oil on linen, 33 x 33 inches. Private Collection, © Phil Hale 2012. | Vertical Hold,2009, for the Illustration Academy. Sterling Hundley (born 1976). Acrylic, gouache, and watercolor on illustration board, 20 x 12 15/16 inches. Private Collection. | Philip Larkin and Bob Dylan go antiquing, 2011. John Cuneo (born 1957). Pen, ink, and watercolor on paper, 8 1/2 x 7 inches. Collection of the artist, © 2004–2012, John Cuneo. All Rights Reserved. | Scrat, character study for Ice Age figure (Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, 2009). Peter de Sève (born 1958). Wax pastel crayon on polyester film, 15 x 11 1/2 inches. TM & © 2012, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. | School, sequence pastel for Finding Nemo (Pixar Animation Studios, 2003). Ralph Eggleston (born 1965). Pastel on paper, 6 x 8 inches. Artwork provided by Pixar Animation Studio.


text:
Kings Under Mountains is a game by Anatoliy Shklyarov, Alexey Konnov and Alexey Paltsev published by Rightgames. It is for 2-4 players. In this game, players are the rulers of one of four fantasy races. During the course of the game they will use the other 3 races to obtain mines and develop them in order to score victory points.
To begin, the 4 king cards are shuffled face down and each player chooses one, placing it face up in front of him. This is that players race. The rest of the cards are shuffled with the top four cards played mine side face up on the table. These are the starting mines that the players will be competing for. The next four cards are played race side face up with the same race being played on top of each other. This is the mining camp that players will be able to draft workers from later on. Lastly, each player is dealt 6 cards and play can now begin.
On a player's turn he can perform one of two actions. He can play a race card other than his own race on a mine in the center of the table, or he can play a race card on one of his already captured mines. Each mine card has a mine size, mine defense and value in victory points. To capture a mine players will play a card from their hand to one of the mines in ascending order. In other words, if another player has played a 3, then a card of 4 or higher has to be played on it. Players will continue playing race cards until the defense of the mine has been met. The last person to play a race card on it will acquire that particular mine. Mines vary in cost so it's all a matter of knowing when to play a card on it.
That's only the first part though, as players will need to develop the mine before being able to score points. To develop a mine, players will need to play race cards from their hand to meet the mine's size. If there is an overseer icon on the mine, they will have to play a race card of their kings to be able to score that particular mine. Once a mine is developed, the scoring mine cards go underneath the players king and will be added up at the end of the game. Any undeveloped mines at the end will be subtracted from his points. So it makes sense to keep an eye on the deck as well as not acquiring too many mines at one time.
Players will continue to go back and forth playing a race card from their hand. Each time they do, they will draw a new card from the deck or they can draw the top card from any pile in the mining camp. This allows him to get race cards of his kings if he's not able to draw them from the deck. When the last card in the mine deck is depleted, the game is over. Therefore, if a player is constantly drawing from the mine deck the game will end a lot quicker.
Once all the mine deck has been depleted, scoring begins with players adding up the point value of each completed mine and subtracting the undeveloped mines points from them. The player with the most points wins.
The only components to this game are some beautifully artistic double sided cards. I think the artwork is great and each race looks amazing. The opposite side shows the mines which look like any fantasy mine should. There is a real feel of beauty to each card. They're a little thin but still feel strong enough for lots of play.
9 out of 10
The rulebook for this game is a small double sided poster. In my copy there were two posters, one with English rules and one with German. The rules are very straight forward and easy to understand. It didn't take long to read and I was ready to play. There are pictures to help players understand the mine card icons as well as understanding the capturing and developing aspects of the game as well.
9 out of 10
This game can either be very fast or really slow, depending on how players play. If players constantly are going for the mine deck, the game will rush by. Likewise if players are only drawing cards from the mine camps, it will take forever. Thankfully when we played, we did a little of each. That made the game play just right. It's really simple and quite fun. The theme feels rather good as well. It felt as if I was a king enslaving other races to do my bidding. Unfortunately for me though, the goblins were just not strong enough to win, falling to the orcs instead. All in all, I really enjoyed the game.
8 out of 10
Kings under Mountains is a very light game of hand management. It's seems to me that this is a great filler game or warm up for more intense games. I enjoyed how easy it was to play and how fast it could be played. All in all, if you're looking for a game with great artwork that's fast and easy to play, this might be the game for you. I enjoyed it.
9 out of 10
For more information, please check out RightGames at their site.


text:
someone engaged or elected to speak on behalf of others
A spokesman (spokesperson or spokeswoman), or spokesmodel is a person who speaks on behalf of others, but is understood not to be necessarily part of the others (e.g. hired to represent the others).[1]
- ↑ Goodman, Michael B. (1998). Corporate communications for executives. Albany, N.Y: State University of New York Press. p. 13. ISBN 0-7914-3762-0.


text:
A Lesson in Glaswegian…
So, I got a newsletter today telling me that the countdown is on for SES San Jose…
As my friend Morag would put it: "Away and bite it, Fandango!"
That is Glaswegian for Nic n Cher won't be attending.
3 comments
Dan July 30, 2008 at 8:55 pm
lame, definitely not a power move
David Temple July 31, 2008 at 9:10 am
Too bad, I'm coming half way across the world and was hoping to meet you there. No problem, planning a trip to Scotland next year, maybe then?
Cher July 31, 2008 at 5:30 pm
@Dan: Yep lamest of the lame! Don't count us out on the power moves though my friend…
@David: Foiled again! We'll get it together eventually.


text:
Bachelor Games is a smart and efficient thriller. It's humorous, it's tense, it's well-acted and it's well worth ninety minutes of anybody's time.
~ Battle Royale With Cheese
All in all, this horror-comedy is interesting because it decided to dabble with some weighty themes. The subject matter was well executed and the characters were engaging. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a horror-comedy that skews into a darker thematic territory.
~ Nightmarish Conjurings
Nightmarish Conjurings on Facebook
The setting is gorgeous and intimidatingly isolated a perfect setting for this kind of story. Even the few shady interiors we see are really nicely shot (and eerily designed) as to give stark and ominous contrast to the sunny paradise of the mountains. Composer David Julyan, known for work on The Cabin in the Woods and The Descent, provides a subtle, but tonally perfect soundtrack which knows exactly when to get us worked up.
~ Starburst Magazine
One of the largest horror sites in the U.S. ran an exclusive clip from Bachelor Games. It was also shared on their Facebook page. Watch the clip on ShockTill You Drop and check out their post on Facebook.
Much more than a brainless horror. Relationships are tested, the hunter and hunted confused, and blood spills from arrowheads and splatters from leg wounds. Each death is a well-crafted snapshot of suspense – real stalker-savvy stuff – and nicely framed around entertaining mood-lightening banter, as Bachelor Games, to its credit, relentlessly pulls you across the safety line and back.
Bachelor Games, the latest film by Edward McGown, takes the worst stag story you can think of and multiplies the terror exponentially. What's the worst thing that could happen? Well, since you asked, quite a lot actually….
~ The Totality
Bachelor Games is well-crafted and entertaining. The performances are good to very good; the writing brings a potentially very basic story into a more interesting one. The film is shot beautifully and makes you want to travel even with the risks shown. The whole of the film is good and worth a watch for sure.
Watch this exclusive clip on Blumhouse.
ICON VS ICON – Interviewed Charlie Bewley on behalf of Bachelor Games
Read Charlie's interview.
Bachelor Games is an action adventure horror thriller that never once loses it's suspense.
~ Here Is The City
Bachelor Games is a good film. Heck, it's even great. Director Edward McGown implements dark humour and fear within is movie that, thanks to the performances and an astute script, feel terribly real. Tense and fun, Bachelor Games is a great play on the genre.
~ We Make Movies on Weekends
I loved that the story wasn't straight forward and that it kept you on your toes the whole way through. Fun, funny and a really great watch!
~ Is This Real Life
A thoughtful drama and thriller where friends hold long-time secrets and use them against each other. Bachelor Games is one of those slow-burning films, one without gallons of blood and copious violence. It may not win accolades from strict horror fans but it plays with the overused terror tropes found in similar movies. That itself makes Bachelor Games a winner.
~ Edge Network
DAILY DEAD – Interviewed Charlie Bewley on behalf of Bachelor Games
Read Charlie's interview.


text:
Home Inspections 2
"The Handy Man"
Once the inspection is completed and the report is issued it's time to deal with the items on the inspection report. Often times, the issues may be minor in nature and are more of a maintenance issue that needs attention before the issues cause larger and more costly repairs in the future. We may note […]
The "Million Dollar Question"
Often times, when the inspection has been completed and the items to be repaired have been reviewed with the client, I get what I call the "Million Dollar Question". The client will ask "Would I buy it?"
Choosing the right home inspector can be difficult. Unlike most professionals, you probably will not get to meet me until after you hire me. Furthermore, different inspectors have varying qualifications, equipment, experience, reporting methods, and yes, different pricing. One thing for sure is that a home inspection requires work, a lot of work. Ultimately a thorough inspection depends heavily on the individual inspector's own effort. If you honor me by permitting me to inspect your new home, I guarantee that I will give you my very best effort. This I promise you.
-Doug Cornell


text:
Firstly, the organisation this year was far better than last year and the crowds seemed to be under greater control. As with last year we'd purchased Early Bird tickets, so the crowds weren't really an issue for us and so we wandered in to find the place buzzing.
1. A large fandom marketplace, and this basically dominates the layout.
2. Celebrities - a variety of celebrities, and others who have acted or contributed to various films, TV shows etc. Typically they do a meet & greet panel and autograph sales thing, and some also contribute to various formal 'breakout' talks.
3. Cosplayers - attendees often turn up in the costumes of their favorite fandom or character.
Ultimately its an opportunity to spend time among like-minded individuals of all ages, and to express and enjoy being immersed in a culture of unrestrained joy.
The Marketplace
OK, well, sure the chance to pick up a few purchases is always welcome and I purchased a few things, as did my wife (pop vynals are her new thing). I'm always interested in the artists who pitch up to show their wares too; from professional comic artists, to other more general semi-pro and amateur people. Of those present, I was particularly taken with Kate Mia White.
Her work reminds me of Russ Nicholson's stuff, which i'm a huge fan of.
Other than that the marketplace is a good place to wander and view the cool stuff on display, like this...
On the first day the marketplace was heaving, but nowhere near as crammed as last year, i think in part due to the better organisation this year. It never felt overwhelming, although you did need to do a few circuits to be able to get to see everything you wanted to through the crowds.
Generally i'm not starstruck, so these hold little interest for me. My wife on the other hand was specifically interested in meeting Louise Jameson, here childhood heroine, who among other things played Leela in Dr Who.
We only managed to get to one talk this year and it was with the Dr Who panel; Louise Jameson, Bonnie Langford, and William Russel.
William Russell as Ian Chesterton.
Louise Jameson as Leela.
Bonnie Langford as Mel Bush.
Of course I'm rather more interested in Star Wars and it was great to see Jeremy Bulloch.
Perhaps he's better known as Boba Fett.
There was also KITT from a rather, ahem, show from back in the 80's...
But for me the highlight of the whole weekend was on day two with an impromptu display from Ray Park and Garret Wang.
Does it get anymore awesome than Harry Kim...
...having a lightsabre duel with Darth Maul...
...??? I'll admit, I nergasmed a little bit.
Ray was so fast, the camera couldn't keep up with him...
Garret was watching in joyous awe like the rest of us, and then he wanted in on the action...
Ray Park showed him the moves...
And it all kicked off...
Bloody awesome!
Someone else managed to get video footage of the whole event...
This year there was a fine crop of excellent costumes and people indulging their fandom fantasies. I'll let the evidence speak for itself.
|I find your lack of costume...disturbing...
|Star Lord...there were a LOT of these!
|A female Comedian. My wife's favourite, and this cosplayer certainly did the job!
|Impressive groinal attachment you have their Kryten...
|So refreshing to see the Good Guys for a change!
|Poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need...
|Could I get away with this at the office?
Overall, an excellent weekend. Can't wait for next year!


text:
- Crum MSS 1.2.5
- Pièce
- n.d.
Fait partie de Walter Ewing Crum Collection
Photographs: (a) 51278-9 Jeremiah. Note by Crum "joins B.M. 51 - Schleifer I p.28".
Includes letter from A.J.B. Wace (Department of Textiles, Victoria & Albert Museum) relating to a Coptic inscription, 25 April 1931, and correspondence from A.J.B. Wace and Muriel Clayton relating to an inscription on a Coptic embroidery, 1928-1936.


text:
Almost every small business owner that I have met, has complained that they have had a bad experience with a credit card processing company. Examples of grievances range from, I was promised a certain rate which I did not receive, or my bill is not the same as it was last month even though i did the same volume, or that my processor is charging me junk fees and so on .
Let us be clear on one thing. More that 90% of your fees are taken by Visa / MC / Discover and Amex, the banks and the actual processors such as First Data, Elavon, etc. However, 90% of the blame and anger is placed on the company that makes 10% of the money. (A lot of it is deserved)
Let us start by tackling a subject called interchange.
Interchange is a rate set by the Visa / MC / Discover on any card that they offer. These rates vary from card to card. For instance, exchange on a debit card can be 0.95% whereas a visa rewards card can be 2.65%. (The exact interchange rates can be found on Visa / MC websites. Be warned there are hundreds of different types of cards). Processing companies pass though these costs to the merchants. Now the processing company that helped you set up your account will make money when it charges anything over the passthrough charges. These interchange charges make up the bulk of you processing bill every month.
Time to answer one major question. Why does my bill differ month to month. Take for example New York City. I have a merchant whose bill increases exponentially during the summer. Why? Since NYC has a large number of tourist who visit from overseas, they use international credit cards. Interchange on international cards are the highest (why exchange differences from card to card is an article for another day). When 70% of your business is on international cards, the cost is bound to be higher. If 70% of your business was in debit cards, it is guaranteed your processing cost would be lower, but a merchant is in the business to make money and he has to accept whatever card is presented to him. (It annoys me when I offer my Amex card to pay, and the store guy says, "we do not accept Amex")
In the next article, I ll go more indepth of how credit card processors price merchants.


text:
KPCC Staff (scpr.org, 4-1-16); Seth Auberon, Pat Macpherson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly
|Vikings' gang member former LA Undersheriff Paul Tanaka in 2012 (Bear Guerra/KPCC).
Tanaka convicted! Is Baca next?Crooked Sheriffs on trial
- Breaking news, while former L.A. Sheriff Baca awaits sentencing and possible indictment on other felony charges, his Undersheriff Paul Tanaka has been convicted. More to come on this breaking story.
|I was just following orders.
- L.A. Sheriff scandal: Tanaka says he was following former Sheriff Lee Baca
- Failed candidate for Sheriff: What happened to Tanaka?
- Real Housewives daughter Alexa raped by OC cop
Tanaka, the former second-in-command, is charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy in a sweeping federal investigation into abuses and corruption in L.A.'s jail system. Federal prosecutors have accused Tanaka of masterminding a plot to thwart the FBI's investigation into the jails — largely by moving a jail information from jail to jail to keep him away from investigators.
They've also accused Tanaka of creating a culture of violence in jails and turning a blind eye to deputy misconduct. Eight former department employees have already been convicted for their roles in the case. Tanaka's ex-boss, former Sheriff Lee Baca, pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and will be sentenced next month.
Tanaka testified for nearly three hours in what was the main event of the day, according to Celeste Fremon of Witness L.A., who's been following the trial. The prosecution rested Friday morning after a week and a half of testimony on Tanaka's alleged crimes.
Tanaka answered questions trying to dismantle the structure of the prosecution's arguments Friday, Fremon said. The judge began to allow cross-examination, but when prosecutor Brandon Fox started to ask about Tanaka's involvement with the deputy gang known as the Vikings, the defense objected. More + AUDIO
Gang member Tanaka ran L.A. Men's Jail
|Korean leader full of bluster, just a distraction. Real day-to-day abusers hold down American citizens, no one notices or says anything even when they're caught and tried (pri.org).
|Rock 'n rollers are evil...or is it the police?
The former Sheriff Lee Baca bailed out to avoid prosecution and left the department to his heir-apparent Paul Tanaka, a corrupt official who is a member of a police-gang. Both engaged in felonies, but Baca was smart enough to make a deal, plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a sweetheart deal, and is awaiting sentencing. But Tanaka failed in his election bid to succeed Baca and is now exposed. Seven previous sheriff and L.A. Men's Jail officials have already been found guilty and sentenced. Tanaka is next, and he is dropping the criminal "code of silence" and blaming Baca. But it's too late. Baca already made his deal, and Tanaka as a minority is set to become the sacrificial lamb. Police often commit crimes, but when the pressure gets really bad one member of the force, almost always a racial minority is sent to slaughter to prove that police can police themselves. They cannot. Tanaka tried to lie his way out of it, but he failed on the stand. He is to be sentenced soon. The Occupy Movement was against criminal bankers and police state troops. And what has happened since the parks were occupied? The slow hand of justice has turned on the very officials that run the show -- bankers, money managers, cops, sheriff's deputies. Occupy said, "There's the problem right there, right in the officials most people put their trust in." What chance do we have if we keep believing liars? Vote for Hillary Clinton and face four to eight years of more-of-the-same? Obama was a great disappointment, promoting Bush Administration policies and seeing them through. Clinton would do the same.


text:
David Pesetsky, the Ferrari P. Ward Professor of Modern Languages and Linguistics, was recently named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Pesetsky, who is also a Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow at MIT, was chosen for "his innovative and critical research on syntactic theory, connecting it to issues in phonology, morphology, reading, language acquisition and neuroscience, and for his contributions to linguistic education at many levels." He is the author of two groundbreaking books on syntactic theory as well as numerous articles that have contributed to the understanding of "Universal Grammar." Pesetsky spoke about linguistics recently with writer Kathryn O'Neill.
Q. What does the study of linguistics tell us about how we think and learn?
A. It teaches us that there are laws governing how we think and laws governing how we learn. They're so much a part of us that even though they characterize every second of our existence, they are not really accessible to consciousness — you hardly know they're there. So it's a scientific activity to try discover what they are. These laws are hidden, the way most interesting ones are.
Q. Why is the idea of Universal Grammar controversial?
A. I think to some extent it's because you have to dig a bit to discover what languages have in common. This is a young science, so there isn't as much agreement about precisely how to dig — compared to other sciences that have been going for 500 years or more. I also think some people hear the term "Universal Grammar," which is perhaps an unfortunate phrase, and instead of trying to understand it as a technical term, they just treat it as a grammar that is universal, which is not quite what the concept is.
Q. How would you define Universal Grammar?
A. We say Universal Grammar because [MIT Professor Noam] Chomsky decided to use that term in a famous and influential book written in the early 1960s called Aspects of the Theory of Syntax — and he didn't invent the term. He was reviving and adapting a term that French grammarian philosophers from the 17th century had used; their idea was that there was a logical basis to the structure of all languages — a proposal somewhat different from modern linguistics, though clearly related. One of the things Chomsky was doing in Aspects was looking for historical roots for the ideas he was coming up with as a result of his own technical work. So he borrowed the term from Enlightenment philosophy, and we're stuck with it now, but it doesn't quite mean what it sounds like.
Q. So what does it mean?
A. It's whatever underlies our ability to acquire and to use the languages that we as a species do in fact acquire (and use) — in particular those aspects of this ability that seem to be particular to language. Obviously there are a lot of preconditions to speaking English, like having a mouth that's a particular shape, so that's not part of Universal Grammar. But the mental properties that seem to underlie the laws that govern the structure of sentences — those fall under Universal Grammar to the extent that they are common to English and all the other languages of the world.
Q. I hear you have been working on the relationship between language and music. How did you end up working in that area, and what have you learned?
A. I spend a lot of my time working with the fantastic students we have here, and much of what I learn, I learn from working with them. This music work is an example — it's a joint project with a graduate student who just finished his PhD last year (in phonetics, in fact): Jonah Katz. Our starting point was a brilliant 1983 book that was itself a collaboration — between a linguist, Ray Jackendoff PhD '69, and a composer, Fred Lerdahl. This book asked the following question: if we were to look at the structure of music with the eyes of a linguist, what might we learn about music?
Now what they came up with was a model that benefited from the insights of linguistics, but didn't look very much like language. So, if they were right, we have these two complicated cognitive systems in our head, one of them that underlies our ability to use language and this other system that underlies music — both fascinating, but quite different. What Jonah and I tried to argue is that if you ask their questions in a slightly different way, their own results might actually support the opposite general conclusion. Music and language might actually be one and the same cognitive system. That's the claim we're making, and of course it's pretty controversial.
After all, there are big and obvious differences between music and language. No language uses pitch, for example, in anything like the way music does. And no musical system has a lexicon (learned pairings of sound and meaning — e.g. words) the way language does. Those are big differences, and they are real. But our thought is that once you acknowledge that the basic building blocks of language and music are different (words vs. pitches, for example), the ways in which these building blocks get combined and recombined, maybe that's the same in the two systems. A slogan we've used to summarize the proposal is "same recipe, different ingredients."
It's really a bold paper in that sense, and that's what excites us.


text:
About WhatsON Media and Consulting
Who we are
WhatsOn Media and Consulting is a registered Namibian company, founded in 2014 by Delia Magg-Thesenvitz.
What we do
As WhatsOn Namibia, we promote events and specials on our website, our Facebook page, and through our mailing database.
We are also the marketing partner of Webtickets Namibia, Namibia's fastest growing and most innovative company for ticket sales and event registration.
Besides that we also consult in the field of marketing, PR, project and website management.
When you should contact us
When you want to promote your event, your venue, bar, restaurant, gym, sport club, theatre, cinema, museum, lodge in general.
When you want to advertise your weekly menu, your holiday specials.


text:
|Almami Taal, GCCI CEO
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
GCCI to stage mini-trade fair for youth entrepreneurs in Brikama
7 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 31, 2012 at 7:13 PM
However, in all of the discussion on this topic, one subjectReplyDelete
is usually overlooked. Joseph's Medical Center, a regional medical center in Maryland, receive from $19. The treatments and care an RT provides to these patients would be drug and oxygen administration to the lungs which may also call for cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Look into my webpage - depression problems making decisions
- AnonymousJanuary 27, 2013 at 1:23 PM
This article will help the internet users for creating new website or even a weblog from start to end.ReplyDelete
Also visit my web page : soccer transfer news 2010
- AnonymousJanuary 27, 2013 at 6:45 PM
If some one desires to be updated with most up-to-date technologies after that heReplyDelete
must be go to see this web page and be up to date every day.
My page > latest mufc transfer news man utd
- AnonymousFebruary 24, 2013 at 5:57 AM
This individual who is in the ocеаn of sаmsarа,ReplyDelete
on sеarch of eonian is сonѕtаntly
ԁesireԁ, partners cаn leaгn how to pегfoгm tantric
massаge on еаch οthеr as intimately.
Ιts use іs to actualize and ρrоlong the deеper levels lotion of
ρreѕsing, stretch amԁ motility to
your feеt.
Here is my homepage: erotic massage
- AnonymousMarch 28, 2013 at 2:31 PM
Have fun and if you are not sexcam in agreement on whether this is a veryReplyDelete
important question: why we have too few women leaders.
My page: sex cams
shijun 7.20ReplyDelete
burberry handbags
coach outlet
michael kors uk
ray ban glasses
louis vuitton handbags
michael kors outlet
caoch outlet
louis vuitton handbags
cheap oakley sunglasses
mont blanc pen
retro jordans
jordan 11
jordan 11 snakeskin
michael kors outlet online
michael kors
michael kors outlet online
cheap oakleys
cheap lebron james shoes
coach outlet
coach outlet
cheap jordans
longchamp outlet
jordan retro 9
michael kors handbags
ray ban wayfarer
coach factory outlet
michael kors outlet
air max uk
coach outlet
coach outlet store online
louis vuitton
gucci outlet
hollister outlet
mont blanc
louis vuitton handbags
ray ban wayfarer
coach factory outlet online
kate spade purses
oakley sunglasses cheap
white timberland boots
ugg outletReplyDelete
nike shoes
ralph lauren outlet
basketball shoes
true religion jeans
stuart weitzman
adidas soccer cleats
air max
converse shoes


text:
I was about four or so. This story again takes place at church, I was in the preschool class. I distinctly remember a lesson about how God created ALL of the animals! Then the our Sunday school teacher asked all of us children sitting at the table what our favorite animal is and to make the animal noise. Everyone was saying things like cows, dogs, cats, and even a mouse. While everyone was answering I was thinking fast. I liked Giraffes but who knew what they sounded like. So just as the teacher reached me, I had decided on an animal! I have no clue where I came up with this animal! But here is what I said, * I like Llamas! They say `Llama Llama Llama!!!!`* My teacher definately rolled her eyes that day!! My mom just laughed.. it would be like me to pick such an obscure animal and make up a sound for it!
Side note- It was about a year or so ago and I was watching a three year old girl, and I definately convinced her that llamas say *llama Llama llama!!!!* Her mom looked at me and was like... *Really Em... really! I am not getting into this one!* And I just smiled and the little girl walked around that day telling everyone that Llamas say *llama! Llama! Llama!!!*
What was your favourite animal!


text:
Jan 22 2009
Our Personal "Dog Whisperer"
We have hired a dog trainer to help us with our Great Pyrenees puppy, Maverick. He is not less affectionate, he is not more aggressive, but he is big. BIG. HUGE, in fact. In sheer affectionate joy, he can knock me over and walking him is not fun, it's an exercise in who is strongest and he wins.
He is one and 1/2 months shy of a year old. He hates my mouse because he thinks I'm petting it instead of him. He loves hugs. He's sweet.
He's uncontrollable. And he barks incessantly.
Needless to say, my neighbors are not fond of his nocturnal barking. Nor would we be if we could hear it. Our neighbors have had their houses soundproofed by the Airport Authority as well as ours is… it is merely the location of their bedroom relative to our dogs' pen that matters.
We really like our neighbors, for the most part. So, what to do. We like our dogs and we like our neighbors.
We've hired our own special "dog whisperer" to help us understand the needs of the dog as well as our own. His website — alldogscan.com – states his methods and goals for dog training.
So far, we've had only one lesson and Maverick has half way mastered "sit" "down" and "stand" and my husband has 1/3 mastered the training techniques.
Yes… the dog is smarter in this respect than my husband. Dog trainers will tell you that they train the owners more than they train dogs. This is, of course, because the owners are smarter! (I tell myself….)
Here's our dog whisperer's website – All Dogs Can.


text:
The Caravan and Motorhome Club Caravan Design Awards 2019 & Lightweight Leisure Trailer Awards 2019
The results of the twenty fourth Caravan and Motorhome Club Caravan Design Awards and the
seventeenth Lightweight Leisure Trailer Awards were announced at the NEC on Friday 19 October
2018. The awards were presented by Club Chairman, Grenville Chamberlain, and Club Director
General, Nick Lomas.
Judging took place during the Motorhome and Caravan Show at the NEC in October. Ninety vehicles
were submitted for the Caravan Design Awards and thirty two for the Lightweight Leisure Trailer
The purpose of the Awards is to provide guidance for Club members who are looking to change their
current caravan or trailer tent. The Club's Award results are always eagerly anticipated for this very
reason. The Caravan Design and Lightweight Leisure Awards offer fair, independent and objective
assessments of the vehicles submitted for scrutiny. All caravan and lightweight trailer
manufacturers, importers and dealers are invited to submit entries.
The panel of independent Judges for the Caravan Design Awards follow rigorous scoring checklists.
Judges assess everything from sitting comfort, standing headroom, kitchen design, storage,
switches, wiring, security, repair and warranty arrangements to general safety.
Similarly, Judges for the Lightweight Leisure Trailer Awards assess everything from weights and
measures to Thermal Insulation Grade and recommended tyre pressures. Further scrutiny awarded
merit for build quality, setting up on site, together with sleeping and living accommodation.
Grenville Chamberlain, Chairman of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, who announced the results
commented, "The information and data gathered during the judging process is invaluable to our
members – and the caravanning community as a whole. This unbiased information enables people
to make informed choices when buying a caravan or trailer tent. The Club extends its
congratulations to all the worthy winners, and its sincere thanks to the industry for their continued
support of these competitions."
Judges for Caravan Design Awards
Andrew Ditton – Journalist
Nick Haynes – Events Committee, Caravan and Motorhome Club
Gary Martin – Editor, Caravan and Motorhome Club Magazine
Alison Owen – Journalist
Martin Spencer – Technical Manager, Caravan and Motorhome Club
Dan Cartwright – Journalist
Judges for Lightweight Leisure Trailer Awards
Martin Dorey – Journalist
Richard Evans – Technical Advisor, Caravan and Motorhome Club
Barrie Livesey – Caravan and Motorhome Club
Dave Rickard – Caravan and Motorhome Club


text:
05.04 - 26.08.2018
The Goal exhibition is the result of cooperation between the Volga-Vyatka branch of ROSIZO and the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow. The project is timed to the World Cup, which Nizhny Novgorod is hosting in 2018.
Address: Arsenal, building 6, Kremlin, Nizhny Novgorod
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00 - 20:00
Opening hours for the days of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia from June 5 to July 16: 11:00 - 20:00 (the Museum will be closed on Wednesdays). FAN ID entitles its owner for a 50% reduction.
If you want a guided tour in Russia or English, please submit your application to the email email@example.com or call 8 930 803 27 75 (Elena Blinova).


text:
I stumbled into a small amount of extra cash and I'm considering buying an Xbox 360 to play Forza Motorsport. I will definitely not be playing online. Is there any reason not to buy an Xbox Live banned console? They are like $50 bucks less than non-banned consoles on eBay.
Thanks for any help.


text:
Dialog boxes
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg18836] Dialog boxes
- From: "Sortech Limited" <sortech.limited at virgin.net>
- Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 08:19:45 -0400
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
I would be grateful if someone could tell me how to go about creating a Dialog Box for inputting several parameter values used in my notebooks. I would like to create something that looks like a standard windows dialog box where the user inputs data into named boxes and then clicks on a button to run a particular set of cells, plot graphs etc. Are there any example workbooks someone can point me to? Or can this only be achieved using a VB from end? My key objectives are 1) to create intuitive data entry dialogs, and 2) to create notebooks that are novice/casual user friendly. It's quite important for me to solve this one having recommended the use of Mathematica in an engineering design house where I'm now meeting resistance from the other system fans. Basically, I think I can stave off criticism if I can demonstrate Mathematica delivers an I/O edge.


text:
Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
Norvell Road is slated to begin Monday, April 15, 2019. The project involves crushing and shaping the base, trimming and removing trees, widening shoulders, new ditches, driveway culverts, and 5 inches of hot-mix asphalt paved in 3 layers of 2", 1.5", and 1.5".
Norvell Rd. will be closed to through traffic for the duration of this project with completion anticipated in mid-November. Local traffic access for residents will be maintained during the project. The posted detour route will be along Michigan Ave., Wolf Lake Road, and Phal Road.
This project is made possible in large part by a grant from the State Transportation Local (STL) Federal Program administered by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The grant provides $1.26 million of the total cost of $2.97 million, and the remaining funds will be provided by JCDOT as approved by the County Board of Commissioners.
Norvell Road is a 6.2 mile-long project being completed in two phases. The first phase of the project will begin April 15th between Michigan Avenue and Phal Road and is scheduled to be completed in July. The second phase will begin in July from Phal Road to Sharon Valley Road and is scheduled to be completed mid-Nov.


text:
What is your comment policy?
The objective of the Monitor is "To injure no man, but to bless all mankind." This principle extends to our comments.
Comments are not screened before publication. Constructive debate about our stories is welcome, but personal attacks on other commenters are not. Please do not post comments that are commercial in nature or that violate any copyrights. Comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence will be removed. If you find a comment offensive, you may flag it. Please note that, when posting a comment, you agree to our Terms of Service.
How do I post a comment?
You can find links to make comments and to read other readers' comments at the bottom of each page on most stories. Clicking either "view reader comments" or "comment on this story" will open the comments interface and reveal all comments.
Do I have to sign up to make comments?
We require readers to log in to make comments.
How do I login?
You can use your Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, or Disqus accounts to leave comments on our site. You can log in by clicking the gray 'DISQUS' icon above the 'Add New Comment' box or by clicking 'Post as ...' after writing your comment.
What is Disqus?
Disqus provides comment software for many websites, including ours. If you don't have a Facebook, Twitter, or Yahoo profile - or don't wish to use them to comment on CSMonitor.com - you can create a Disqus profile. Simply click the gray 'DISQUS' icon above the 'Add New Comment' box, and click the Disqus icon. At the bottom of the resulting window you will find a link to register a new profile.
Why do I have to log in?
We require logins so that readers can have a persistent profile on our site, and as an attempt to raise the level of discourse. We encourage all commenters to use their real first and last names.
How do I post with my Facebook or Twitter account?
You can log in with your social media profiles by clicking the gray 'DISQUS' icon above the 'Add New Comment' box, and choosing either Twitter or Facebook.
Why are these comments appearing out of chronological order?
Readers can choose the order in which comments appear. Above the list of reader comments, you can 'Sort by' rating, newest first, or oldest first.
What do those "Like" and "reply" buttons mean?
If you like what someone has said in their comment, click the "Like" button. You can only "like" a story once. Your "like" vote will help other readers find useful comments. If you want to respond directly to what someone has said, use the reply button. This will group your reply under that person's comment. Please refrain from personal attacks on other commenters.
How will I know if someone replies to my comment?
If you use the 'Subscribe by email' or 'Subscribe by RSS' buttons you will be notified whenever anyone leaves a comment on that story. We would also encourage you to visit again and see where the conversation has gone.
What are the "reactions" I sometimes see in the comments section?
This is a list of those who are linking to the story from Twitter.
I see a comment that contains something rude, spam, or something else that shouldn't be here. What should I do?
Comments can be flagged for attention by our moderators. Please flag the offending comment and we will take a closer look at it. Comments should be flagged only if they violate our comment policy. Please do not flag a comment simply because you disagree with what is being said.
Wait a minute, that commenter's name is rude!
Flag the comment and we will take a look.
How do I flag a comment?
When moving your mouse cursor over the offending post, you should see a blue 'Flag' link in the lower left corner of the comment. Just click that link.
My comments didn't show up. What should I do?
The system was designed for quick commenting, but it's possible that your comment may be processing by our system. Wait a couple minutes and check for your comment again. If your comment contained obscenities or terms that often appear in spam messages, it may have been caught by our automatic filters. Try making the comment again and leaving out those words.
Are you censoring me?
We will never remove comments for containing unpopular ideas or sentiments, but we will remove defamatory, obscene, violent, copyrighted, or commercial comments, as well as those containing personal attacks on other commenters.


text:
Welcome to Pet Care Center! We bring together technology, experience, and compassion to give you and your pet the care they deserve. We look forward to helping you with your pet's needs.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns prior to your appointment.
Hospital Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7 AM - 6PM
Saturday 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Closed Sunday
Resort Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7:15 AM- 5:00 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday 1:00 – 3:00 PM
Doggie Day Care
Monday – Friday: 7:00AM – 6:00 PM
Closed Saturday and Sunday


text:
Words: Simon Powers
Published:13 July 2012
We are all familiar with many of the riders and coaches responsible for the great performances of the Great Britain Cycling Team. But in the lead up to this summer's Olympic Games, we're taking the opportunity to have a look at some of the staff who support the Great Britain Cycling team who tend to go unnoticed but without whom, the team couldn't functional optimally.
Dave Parsons is the Purchasing Manager for the Great Britain Cycling Team. He is responsible for looking after all programmes right from promising young hopefuls selected for the Talent Team all the way to the Podium Programme athletes such as Victoria Pendleton or Mark Cavendish.
Dave lets us in on what his role entails: "There's no typical day for me really. My responsibility is the provision of all material goods to all programmes. This includes all clothing, bikes, wheels and nutrition right across all the Olympic disciplines within which we compete. This means making sure that the store room is always full. I work alongside a team of two others who make sure that everything is where it should be so that we can allocate it efficiently when the athletes come to the stores. With around 200 athletes and 120 staff members each with their own individual requirements, this really is a lot of people to cover."
In addition to having a well-stocked storeroom, Dave is also responsible for making sure that all required items are sent to the various events and training camps which the team attend all over the globe, year-round. These includes items such as clothing, bike spares as well as the vast array of CNP and Gatorade nutrition products which form a crucial part of riders' pre and post training and racing rituals.
"Once the Games start, if we haven't done what we need to do, then it will almost certainly be too late."
Dave Parsons
Cycling has never been a cheap sport and when you have around 200 athletes needing to be catered for, someone has to keep an eye on budget as Dave explains: "I am the direct liaison with our major suppliers such as Adidas and Pinarello. We have a certain amount of money which can be spent on clothing so part of my job is making sure that this is spent properly. The same goes with our bikes from Pinarello, we get a certain amount of value in kind there and I have to make sure that it is distributed properly across all programmes. In an ideal world, everyone would be riding the best kit all of the time but there isn't a bottomless pit of money so we have to work alongside the coaches to assess what each rider actually needs."
Dave's role also extends to making sure that the kit the team receives is fit for purpose and doesn't contravene any UCI design regulations. "I am involved in helping Adidas, for example, in understanding the UCI regulations with regards to clothing layout and telling them what parameters the goods need to be made to."
As this summer's main event approaches, all hands are on deck to make sure that athletes are able to focus solely on the job at hand, namely performance. This also goes for other members of the team such as coaches, mechanics and soigneurs who all rely on Dave and his team to have everything they may need right, from a simple plastic water bottle to the very smallest of components that may need replacing on any rider's bike at any time.
Dave explains: "We are really here as planners. Once the Games start, if we haven't done what we need to do, then it will almost certainly be too late. We aren't needed to be on hand at the specific venues during Games time, we just need to make sure that the athletes and staff on the ground are catered for as well as they can be before things kick off in London. Every time an athlete or one of the mechanics comes to the hatch we always make sure we are well stocked enough to have everything they could possibly need."
Dave and his team won't be at the various venues during Games time but were heavily involved in things such as the kitting out days held in Loughborough last month due to their comprehensive database of each athlete's every dimension. They will also be prepared should any emergency items be required at any of the cycling venues during the Games.
"We will check meticulously that every possible item needed is packed and sent down to London, hopefully nothing unexpected happens, but if it does, we will always be on hand to jump in a van and head down the M1 at a moment's notice."
Having a purchasing department was unheard of before Dave started work with the team a little over six years ago. Back then the Great Britain team was a much different 'beast' than the post Beijing example we have today. Winning a total of 14 medals in Beijing was not only a source of great national pride but was also the beginning of a new era. British Cycling and its team of record breaking riders were now well known not only to avid cycling enthusiasts but to those outside of the sport as well. From being labelled as 'the most successful Olympic Team in history' came a great deal of commercial interest which obviously needed to be managed correctly.
"I used to work in a tiny room under the track no bigger than a cupboard. As time went on, it became very apparent that this was simply not going to be enough. After the success of Beijing, with a lot of commercial sponsorships that came off the back of that, I have also had to become much savvier with regard to commercial contracts and have learned a lot from that."
Dave elaborates further on how the role has assisted the team during his time at British Cycling: "we have also taken on two new staff in the department. This has meant that other support staff have now been liberated from a lot of tasks that they had to perform previously. Mechanics, for example, can now concentrate on the things really they need to get in place pre major events rather than constantly worrying about having enough stock of key consumables such as tyres or tub glue. I'd like to think for the programme as a whole, it hasn't contributed an insignificant amount to our overall successes."


text:
Natural fit leather thimble made with three dimensional stitching allowing tough stitching without the pain! Naturally fits the curve of your finger tip so is very comfortable to use.
Size: Medium. Also available in small and large.
Code: 6029
Prym 431845 - Metal Thimble - Small 15mm
Prym 431141 - Ergonomic Silicone Thimble M
Clover 6030 - Leather Thimble Large
Prym 431841 - Metal Thimble - Medium 18mm
Merchant and Mills - Tailor's Thimble
Prym 431142 - Ergonomic Silicone Thimble L
Prym 431140 - Ergonomic Silicone Thimble S
Clover 6028 - Leather Thimble Small