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The mural saga at Susy's Market in East Hollywood continues. A new mural of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is getting repainted by Jorge Lopez, also known as Marciano, to replace the vandal laden one painted by mural artist Rabi.
Lopez has painted all of the previous murals at Susy's Market except for the last one who was painted by the talented Rabi.
Lopez, who was commissioned by Susy's Market, vows to keep up the mural from vandals.
Photos by Ted Soqui © 2009


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Recent Posts
- Depths of emotion: divers say a damp goodbye to the RMS (and they took their own 'prop' for the picture)
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- Conflict claims 'unfair' to Dax Richards, says chief secretary
- DFID accused as 'broken spending promise' leaves island unable to heal 'weeping sores' and end dependence on aid
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Category Archives: Exco
Secrecy critics form new Executive Council
The five politicians who polled most votes in the 2013 St Helena general election have been named as the island's new executive councillors. Each will chair one of the five main committees of the government. They are: Lawson Henry (Economic … Continue reading
Posted in Democracy, Exco, Government/Politics Tagged executive council, Saint Helena, St Helena, transparency Leave a comment
Rules laid down for new radio stations – for now
A battle for the airwaves has led St Helena Government to lay down temporary rules on how radio licences should be granted. It says it would be unfair to make applicants wait for a fully-researched policy to be in place. … Continue reading
Council to meet in public for airport buildings debate
Members of the public are invited to observe a special meeting of St Helena's executive council to discuss the island's proposed airport buildings. Councillors will discuss the exterior finishes of the terminal and the building that will house the control … Continue reading
Posted in Airport, Exco Tagged executive council, planning, St Helena airport, St Helena Government 1 Comment
UK group backs campaign to end secrecy in The Castle
A call for more open government on St Helena has been backed by a leading group in the UK. In a message of support, Katherine Gundersen of the London-based Campaign for Freedom of Information says open, honest debate leads to … Continue reading
Jobs for island contractors after years of under-spending
Island businesses are being asked to help with a backlog of "challenging" work to improve infrastructure on St Helena – such as roads and buildings. It follows a rebuke in early 2012 by aid advisers over delays in spending several … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Exco Tagged budget, buildings, DAPM, DfID, Exco, executive council, freedom of information, infrastructure, Mark Capes, roads, St Helena, transparency Leave a comment
Minimum wage moves to start 'without delay'
A law to introduce a minimum wage on St Helena is to be brought into force as soon as possible. Protection against being unfairly sacked is also set to be brought in under the 2010 Employment Rights Ordinance. It comes … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Exco Tagged Employment Rights Ordinance, Exco, executive council, Julian Morris, minimum wage, St Helena, St Helena Government Leave a comment
£46,000 a year to make island finances more transparent
An adviser is being recruited to help deal with weaknesses in St Helena's public services. The job will include making the island's budget system more transparent. The £46,000-a-year role is to guide the modernising of public service on the island … Continue reading
St Helena Online joins a campaign for transparency
Ignorance may be bliss, but it's not good for democracy. St Helena's elected councillors are making decisions that will set the course of the island's future, but we are rarely told what they will talk about in advance. That means … Continue reading
Posted in Comment, Exco, Law, Legislative Council, Media, Politics, St Helena Online, UK overseas territories, White Paper Tagged Andrew Mitchell, democracy, John Salt, John Turner, St Helena, St Helena Freedom of Information, transparency, UK Overseas Territories, UKOTs, White Paper Leave a comment
'We honour the spirit of freedom act' says The Castle
St Helena Government says it is committed to open government, even though it has not adopted the UK's Freedom of Information laws. It said: "We do honour the spirit and intent of the Act, but without adopting its cumbersome formality. … Continue reading
Posted in Exco, Media, News, Politics, St Helena Online Tagged Enterprise St Helena, freedom of information, open government, SHG, St Helena, St Helena Government Leave a comment

subset: commoncrawl


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Srikalahasti Temple: is located in the city of Srikalahasti, in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is one of the most important God Shiva temples in South India. Sri Kalahasti temple situated 36 km away from World famous Tirumala Tirupati, and one of important places to visit in Andhra Pradesh. This is a Vayu linga, one of the Panchabhoota Sthalams, representing Air (Vayu).
This is the place where Kannappa was prepared to tender both his eyes to cover the blood flowing from the Siva linga, but before to that Lord Siva stopped him and given Salvation or Mukti.
The inner temple was constructed in 5th century by the Pallava Empire and the outer temple was constructed around 12th century by the Chola kings and the Vijayanagara kings. Vayu is incarnated as Lord Shiva and worshiped as Kalahasteeswara.
Legend says, Sri Kalahasti is named after the loyal devotees of God Shiva. They were the Spider (Sri), the Serpent (Kala) and the Elephant (Hasti). Pleased with their persistent devotion, God Shiva rewarded them a boon, their names will be combined with the Vayulinga and called as Sri Kalahasteeswara.
According to Ethics in Hindu Srikalahasti is one of the panchamahabhoota places – representing five basic elements of universe. Srikalahasti is the Vayu Sthalam representing Air element. The other are – Tiruvannamalai (Agni, Tejo sthalam – Fire), Kanchipuram (Prithvi sthalam – Earth), Tiruvanaikaval ( Jal sthalam – Water), Chidambaram (Akasa sthalam – Space).
In Srikalahasti Temple, Lord Shiva is worshiped in the form of as Vayu Linga, the God of Vayu ( wind). A light up present in the Garbhagraha of the temple flickers even though no wind can enter the shrine. This is the skill of Yadav architecture of the temple indicates the presence of a shaft of wind nears the God and hence the fire in the lamp flickers.
This temple features a huge, ancient gopuram (entrance tower) over the main gate. This main gopuram is 36.5 m (120 ft) high. 100 pillar mandapam were constructed by Krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagara king in 16th Century. The entire temple is carved out of the side of a huge stone hill.
Srikalahasti is popularly known as "Dakshina Kaashi". This is the only Hindu temple which remains opened in the Solar Eclipses and Lunar Eclipses time in the Universe.
The major festivals celebrated in Srikalahasti Temple- are Mahashivratri, which falls in the month of February and March and lasts for 10 days.
Sri Kalahasti Temple Guide to Rahu Ketu Puja
Everyday hundreds of devotees visit Sri Kalahasti for Kaal sarp dosh puja or Rahu – Ketu Puja . Most of them are visiting for the first time. This is guide lines to help those who are visiting for perform the Rahu Ketu puja.
Best Time: to visit and perform the Kaalsarp dosh puja during the Rahu Kaal is treated as the best time to visit Sri Kalahasti. Performing the Rahu Ketu puja during Rahu kaalam is considered to be very powerful and effective compared to other day timing.
This Puja begins in the temple at morning 6.30 am and it will continues till 6pm in the evening.
It takes about 45 minutes to complete the Rahu Ketu puja. So plan yourself so that you could perform this puja exactly during the Rahu Kaal.
Kaal sarp Dosh (Rahu Ketu ) Nivaran Puja at Srikalahasti
Srikalahasti Temple is mostly suggested for Rahu Ketu or Kaal Sarp dosh nivaran Puja other than normal Darshan. This temple hosts various pooja, there are specific counters for getting tickets for Kaalsarp dosh pooja.
Ticket Charges: Rs 600 per person. Only 3 people are allowed on one ticket of Kaal Sarp Dosh Pooja. This charges includes Puja ingredients also.
A special Rahu Ketu puja can be performed by paying Rs 1500 (excluding the dakshina).
Puja Samagri: Two metal image of Rahu and Ketu, Prasad of Laddu and Vada, Flowers (from next counter), Vermillion (Sindoor) and Turmeric (haldi)
The Pooja: The Rahu ketu Pooja completes in 40-45 minutes, and it is always better to perform this pooja during Rahukal, if possible on Saturdays. Unlike other pooja consisting of hawan or homa (Agni ceremony), the Rahu-Ketu Nivran Pooja is done by chanting mantras for two metallic snake strips which represents Rahu and Ketu. Flowers and vermillion are sprinkled over the Rahu-ketu and the mantra is cantillated to complete this puja. Mantras are recited with ones Gotra, Name and Janamnakshtra. The person, in whose name the puja is offered, is required to discard their clothes and take bath after the pooja. This act is in representative of doing away with the ill effects.
Rahu Kal Timings:
Monday 7.30 am to 9 am
Tuesday 3 pm to 4.30 pm
Wednesday 12 O'clock to 1.30 pm
Thursday 1.30 pm to 3 pm
Friday 10.30 am to 12 noon
Saturday 9.00 am to 10.30 am
Sunday 4.30 pm to 6 pm


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Alleviating Pain and Suffering with Medical Marijuana
Despite the number of states that have already legalized the recreational use of weed, Michigan is not on board with this idea. There have been proposals made to get the state on board with the decision, but it is still up for discussion.
As with several other states, the medicinal use of mary jane is acceptable and this is the reason why there are dozens of dispensaries in Michigan. If you have a disease that has been clinically proven to be alleviated by the use of weed, you can always search for marijuana dispensaries near me.
When you swing by in one of these dispensaries, they will be asking for your doctor's recommendation before they will allow you to make any purchases. You cannot just fake your diagnosis as most dispensaries will be asking for your prescription. The below health conditions are among the most common conditions known to benefit from the use of cannabis.
Chronic pain is one of the most common health problems that is known to benefit from the medical use of marijuana. Several studies have shown that moderated dosage of cannabis can help patients in dealing with chronic pain issues especially with back pain. Opioid painkillers are very addictive thus most doctors recommend cannabis as an alternative. In addition to not having any serious side effects, the effects of marijuana can be felt within minutes after smoking.
Medicinal marijuana is also known to treat women who have issues with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). By smoking a joint, they can alleviate severe abdominal cramps and pain. Additionally, cannabis is known for treating the irritability of women when having their bout of PMS. This medical fact is backed by numerous studies conducted across the country and abroad. For these reasons, dispensaries in Michigan also list PMS as one of the conditions that are approved for medicinal use of cannabis.
Patients with HIV/AIDS are known to benefit from medical cannabis thus marijuana dispensaries near me list the condition as among the health issues that can benefit from marijuana. Several studies support the claim that cannabis can aid in changing the appetite of a patient thus they can regain their lost weight. Additionally, it can also help address depression issues that is the result of HIV/AIDS.
A person with gastritis is also allowed to use marijuana in regulated doses. When the condition flares up, a patient can smoke medical cannabis to stop the condition from getting worse. The muscle relaxant properties of cannabis is very good in treating the problem especially in the gastrointestinal area.
Other than the conditions above, there are several other conditions that can be treated using marijuana. What is really needed is just your doctor's prescription so you'd be allowed by marijuana dispensaries near me to purchase your dose of medical marijuana.
Lessons Learned from Years with Cannabis


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Moreland Zebras Senior Women today progressed to the Second Round of the 2017 Team App Cup by scorching Warrnambool to the tune of 14 zip.
With conditions in the coastal town blistering, the Zebras we're untroubled in dispatching the hapless Wolves.
After a slow start, as both teams tested their respective potency; it was the Zebras who would force the floodgates open on 18 min through Amira Idris. From there it was a progression, as the Zebras went into the halftime break comfortably 4 nil up. The second half and player rotation brought no respite for Warrnambool with the Zebras piling on another 7 goals in a blistering 20min spell. More goals followed until the Referee called a halt to proceedings, the score by then 14 !
The Zebras Coach Stephan Achilleos has been pleased with the continued development from his young squad and how quickly the newcomers have settled within the Club.
Goals: Amy Johnson 4. Amira Idris 3. Kayla Richardson 2. Maneesha Patterson 2. Georgia Kennedy 2. Liz Madsen 1.
Round 2 has the Zebras pitted against Div 1 outfit Essendon Royals.
#mzfc #coyz #forzajuve #oneclubonelove
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Is Microsoft about to take on the iPad, PlayBook and Kindle with a tablet computer of its own?
Tech blogs are abuzz today with the possibility that Microsoft is set to announce Monday it's launching a new tablet computer, likely running Microsoft's Windows RT software.
Some blog postings suggest the company might be manufacturing the device itself, while others hint that the software giant is more likely to have a Microsoft-branded tablet made by a company such as Nokia. Microsoft's X-Box 360 video game console is made by outside manufacturers.
So far, there's no response from Microsoft to the rumours, but the company has invited reporters to an "exclusive Microsoft media event from Microsoft" in Los Angeles Monday.
A report by pcmag.com suggested Microsoft could instead be unveiling details of its Xbox Music service, which the company announced earlier this month.
According to a report earlier this year from research firm International Data Corporation, Apple's iPad is still the overwhelming leader in the tablet computing market, accounting for roughly 68 per cent of global sales. Roughly 17.4 million tablet computers were shipped from manufacturers to retailers and wholesalers around the world during the first quarter, according to IDC's estimates.


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Join Jonathan Organ (MFA) and Jessica Pearless (MFA) of Paragon Matter Art Services on a fascinating 9-week journey exploring modern art and art history from the turn of the century to the present day.
On this fun and informative course, we will cover many popular art movements from surrealism to post-modernism as well as looking at the world of conceptual art. We will enjoy discussing current exhibitions around New Zealand and overseas and learn about the history and culture of art in society.
Come along to start or expand your knowledge of art in a welcoming environment.
Suitable for all art enthusiasts from beginners to advanced learners.
Refreshments provided.
For further information email: email@example.com or phone Jessica on 021 115 4479.


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With cash counters, law enforcement officials are able to deal with significant issues that come with seizing money during raids or arrests. Police and sheriff's offices often use the ability to seize civil assets as a way to stop criminals, particularly terrorists and drug dealers, from using their savings to post bail and escape from the authorities. While there has been some pushback over the use of civil assets as a way to cover for budget cuts in local departments, the concept still has its utility for the time being. Using these machines will help determine what was seized much faster and more accurately than by hand.
Police departments around the country use the civil asset forfeiture, which was created by the U.S. Department of Justice in the 1980s, to stifle criminal activity. The Drug Policy Alliance noted in a report that the situation has changed somewhat due to reforms, but it's incomplete, especially given the reasons that states seize the money in the first place. In many cases, any money recovered by the state can be distributed as it pleases. While a significant number of states are sending forfeiture revenues directly to their general or education funds, the majority allow the police force that seized the money to take a cut of it. Exactly half the nation allows law enforcement to take the full cut. Federal forfeitures, handled by the FBI through equitable sharing, offer 80 percent of the revenue.
Owners of the cash assets can contest the seizure. Depending on the state, the government can prevail if there is clear and convincing evidence, belief beyond a reasonable doubt, preponderance of the evidence, probable cause or some variants thereof that money was to be used in criminal activity.
In California, a spate of budget cuts affected several small towns and their police forces. In response, law enforcement used civil asset forfeiture to close the gap. In Beverly Hills, the amount of money gained from equitable sharing with the DOJ was $2,292,323 in fiscal year 2011. With this much money, cash counters becomes very useful. Their ability to rapidly sort, scan and count bills received by law enforcement help gain an accurate idea on how much revenue will come from the forfeiture, which departments can then budget accordingly.
May 21, 2015


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Visual Journaling – Lettering Variations
- This event has passed.
May 23, 2019 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm$210
Mary Alice Ramsey will offer classes in Visual Journaling during the months of April and May at Pink Dog Creative in the River Arts District of Asheville. A visual journal is a sketchbook containing both words and mixed media art. No artistic background or drawing experience is necessary to be very successful in this creative expression.
This second class, entitled Lettering Variations, will meet on Thursday evenings in May from 5:00 until 7:00 in the same location. Those dates are May 9, 16, 23, and 30. Weekly topics will be Form, Placement, Variations, and Elaborations. Tuition for May is $200 plus a $10 materials fee.
These classes are designed for either artists or non-artists who wish to create mixed media pages that include varieties of expressive lettering. Each participant will produce several complex colorful journal pages and will gain the expertise to continue working independently. It is recommended, for best results, that students take both series of classes. All classes are high-energy and hands-on.
Mary Alice Ramsey is an artist, teacher, book-maker, writer and performance poet who has kept visual journals for twenty-five years. Contact her for additional information or to sign up at firstname.lastname@example.com or at 828-275-7071. Enrollment is limited.


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Meijer reduces SG&A costs and creates a "culture of thrift"
Meijer is a large retailer operating more than 160 supercenters across the Midwestern United States. The stores feature a supermarket, health and beauty care and pharmacy, plus more than 40 hardline and softline departments, including fashion, automotive, home decor, pet care, and electronics.
Facing increasing margin pressure due to the expansion of national discount retailers into its region, Meijer needed significant and sustained reduction in its cost of business to enable future growth.
Validate, quantify, and consolidate
The project began with a six-week diagnostic and ASE session designed to validate, quantify, and consolidate transformation opportunities into an integrated program. After achieving two-thirds of the projected savings, a second ASE was conducted at month 15. The follow-up ASE was conducted to reinforce the capture of the remaining first-ASE savings and to add the required transformation line items, which would ensure the achievement of the SG&A goal.
Transformation methodology accelerates time to benefit
ASE sessions drive collaborative solutions and ensure buy-in within a compressed time frame.
Contact us
Learn how the ASE can help your team achieve results you never thought possible.


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I'm not sure if I've found all the root causes to my model issues, but I know I've found two potential issues.
Pat, sorry to keep you waiting on this one. It sounds like Ben diagnosed the second problem already. As for the first one, I think you uncovered a little-known "feature" of Skuid, which can be really useful (but resulted in a conflict in this case). When you have a filterable condition of a certain name, you can control this condition with a url parameter of the same name as the condition's name. For example, if you have a condition called OppId, you can activate and set the value of this condition by including OppId=006U0000004I3zOIAS (or whatever the opportunity Id is) in the url. You can also activate or deactivate a condition by including OppId=-on- or OppId=-off- in the url. And since url parameters are case insensitive, since you named your condition Id, including either Id or id as a url parameter would try to populate the filterable condition. So in your case, it will work correctly if you either remove the second condition or rename the first condition. Hopefully this is helpful information for future use!
Fair enough. Can the please have this updated in the help button.


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When you host with NodeSpace, you are Hosting Assured.
We have the following Code of Ethics we must abide by. We promise that…
All All information and claims presented to the customer will be 100% accurate.
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Every effort will be made to resolve all valid complaints in a professional and timely fashion.
If we're doing a great job, please feel free to write a review about us!


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Our lesson in church today was on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As my husband and I were walking home after church we got into a discussion about if the prophet will know when Christ is going to come again. He mentioned the scripture in Mark 13: 32 that says, "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." Meaning that no one knows when the Lord will come again, not even the angels in heaven. But then I mentioned the scripture in Amos 3:7 that says, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, until he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets". Meaning that God doesn't do anything without first revealing it unto his prophet on the earth.
We discussed these scriptures for awhile, but I wasn't feeling satisfied with any of the conclusions we came up with. I felt certain, deep down in my heart, that God's prophet would know when Christ was coming. When He came for the first time several prophets knew when he was coming, Samuel the Lamanite even knew the exact year. Mary and Joseph had an angel appear to them who announced His coming. Ding, Ding Ding! An answer came to me.
Mary knew that Jesus was coming. Both her and Joseph had been visited by an angel and she had been overshadowed by the Holy Ghost. When she conceived a child, she knew that she was carrying the Son of God. There could have been no doubt in both Mary and Joseph's hearts that Jesus Christ, their Redeemer, was coming to the Earth. Mary's pregnant belly was evidence enough. Yet, they also knew that it would take about nine months before He came. During that time Mary could feel Him getting bigger and stronger inside of her. She could feel Him begin to move and develop. She could feel her body change and prepare for labor, and as she rode to Bethlehem she must have known her time was close. Yet despite all these signs, she didn't know exactly what day or hour Jesus , her child, would come. All she knew was that He was coming and that His coming would be preceded by pain and suffering. And that after the pain would come a joy and a peace beyond all description.
I can't help but think that Jesus's Second Coming will be much like His first. We know He will not come again as a baby, rather He will come as a resurrected being in glory and power. Yet just as Mary could feel and see His first coming getting closer, the righteous will know with the same certainty that His second coming is close. They will see the earth growing ripe or pregnant in preparation for His coming, and they will anticipate with joy the coming of the Son of God. They know there will be pain, even for the righteous. Yet God has promised that, just as in childbirth, the pain will be followed by the most divine and consuming joy and peace.
I think that the prophet will know when Jesus Christ's second coming is going to be. No, he won't know the day or the hour, but he will know that the time is VERY near. He, like Mary, will watch the belly grow big and feel the first signs of labor; he will be prepared and ready to welcome the Son when He comes. It is my hope that each of us will be prepared and ready to meet our Savior when the day comes, whether in this life of the next. Remember that, "...if ye are prepared ye shall not fear. " (D&C 38:30)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Mary Knew
Posted by Heather@Women in the Scriptures at 1:54 PM
4 comments:
Every Christmas I start thinking about Mary. As a mom, I am drawn to her role in the life of Jesus Christ. I really liked your post today and I have to agree, that it makes sense.ReplyDelete
Awesome insights! Glad I found your blog:)ReplyDelete
This is lovely. I quite agree. No c-sections, no inducements. It will happen on its own and those in tune will know the signs of His coming.ReplyDelete
who is the prophet you are speaking about? Are you speaking of the God's elect-the Body of Christ- or of a specific person?ReplyDelete
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Pascal Hitzler
Krzysztof Janowicz
Editorial Board
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Freddy Lecue
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Cogan Shimizu
This paper presents an approach and a system called PoDiGG for generating synthetic public transport networks. The generator produces a synthetic transport network, which includes stops, edges (connections among stops), routes (combinations of edges) and trips (timetables). The generated data are transformed to RDF, thus producing datasets that can be used as Linked Data benchmarks. The main goal is to produce synthetic data that are realistic, i.e., mimic as closely as possible real-world transport networks. The main hypothesis, upon which the generator is based, is that there exists a significant correlation between transport networks and population distribution. Hence, the algorithm starts with a grid where cells are annotated with population density, and generates stops based on that. Then, the rest of the components of the network are generated based on assumptions and heuristics drawn from transport network design methodologies (e.g., producing a connected network, maximizing area coverage, maximum route length, etc.). The generator is experimentally evaluated using the actual transport networks of the Belgian railway, the Belgian buses and the Dutch railway. Randomly generated networks are used as baseline for comparison.
The paper addresses an interesting and challenging problem. A synthetic data generator for public transport networks can be very useful not only as a Linked Data benchmark but in several other scenarios as well, e.g., for testing and evaluating route planning algorithms. Indeed, the system is designed in a modular way so that the core generator produces a GTFS dataset and then transformation to RDF is done via an extension. This is a good design choice that makes the generator more easily usable by a broader community. Moreover, the generator is provided as open source software, which again greatly facilitates reusability and extensibility. Regarding the approach itself, using population density as a driving factor for generating the transport network seems an intuitive and reasonable assumption.
However, the paper also has some important shortcomings. Especially, my main concern is about the experimental evaluation of the approach. Using a randomly generated network for comparison is a very naive baseline. Comparing against a random method makes sense in relatively simple problems, e.g., in binary classification, where even a random algorithm has reasonably high chance (50%) of correctly guessing the outcome. However, a transport network is highly complex, thus randomly generating one will naturally fail miserably in mimicking a real-world network. I imagine that any method that is even slightly based on some reasonable assumptions for the structure of a transit network would significantly outperform a randomly generated one. Therefore, this comparison is hardly informative in my opinion. Instead, a less naive baseline should be used, so that it is possible to assess the accuracy of the generator more convincingly.
Moreover, although it seems reasonable that population density is an important factor for the design of the network, other factors can be significant too. One particular type of data that intuitively seems highly relevant is Points of Interest. Usually, bus and metro stations are located not only in areas with high population density but also in places where there is a high concentration of POIs (e.g., shops, universities, government buildings, tourist attractions). In fact, in certain areas, such as commercial or industrial zones, population density may be low but they may still contain a large number of stops and routes. Such information is not mentioned and is not taken into account in the paper. It seems however that it would be intuitive (and perhaps relatively easy) to extend the described approach to incorporate also POI data (e.g., from OpenStreetMap) and use POI density (or more elaborate features based on certain POI types) alongside population density. This point is also related to the previous comment, because then the authors could compare and evaluate three methods: (a) using only population density, (b) using only POI data, (c) combining both. This could potentially improve the accuracy of the generator, and in any case it would provide a much more plausible alternative method for comparison.
Other comments:
- Section 5.1: Requirements. This part seems a bit out of place and probably out of scope too. In my opinion, the inclusion of this detailed list of requirements here is a bit unexpected at this point and loses focus for the reader. Up to that point, the text is quite coherent and focused around a clear and concrete problem statement: how to produce synthetic transport networks that are *realistic*. This section suddenly changes the focus to a system perspective, introducing a list of requirements that (although reasonable and desirable) are orthogonal to the discussion and objectives so far, e.g., whether the generator offers visualizations, whether it is easy to use, whether it is open source, whether it runs in all major operating systems, etc. In my view, this part could be removed, and could be instead substituted by a short paragraph simply stating the characteristics of the implemented system.
- Functional Requirement 2: Mimicking querysets. It is not clear if, where and how this requirement is addressed or discussed.
- I do not see how the coherence metric (Section 6.1) is relevant here. As explained in the paper, this is a measure of structuredness that refers to the degree to which the instances of a type have values set for all attributes applicable to that type. This is a measure that makes sense for datasets with entities adhering to a schema where attributes vary or are optional, or where real-world data have a large portion of missing values. In this case, i.e., GTFS data, the schema is quite concise and concrete, and it is expected that all information is present (as indicated also by the values shown in Table 3, which are around 98-99%). Even if there are some missing values in the data, it is not clear whether the expected behavior of a synthetic generator would be to introduce missing values in the data too. Thus, I think the authors should clarify this point a bit more, explaining whether and how this metric is relevant and applicable here.
- Performance issues and evaluation. During the experimental evaluation, the authors mention that there are also performance issues when generating and evaluating large networks. They also point out the complexity of the operations performed while comparing the generated network with the actual one. Understandably, this is a valid point and worth mentioning, but it raises again a question of focus. If the authors consider efficiency and scalability to be within the scope of the paper, this point should be already mentioned much earlier, in the beginning of the paper, alongside the main objective of providing realistic output. In that case, the authors should also put more effort on showing how these performance issues are addressed in order to achieve better efficiency and scalability. Otherwise, if performance is not the focus here, it might be better to restructure a bit the text moving all such mentions to a separate subsection, in which to point out the problem, show some indicative measures and perhaps state that this is a potential aspect to be addressed in future work.
The paper is very well written and straightforward to understand. The main contributions lie in the design of the dataset generation algorithm following the public transit planning methodology (as well as the population distribution) and a set of evaluation metrics for comparison with other (real) datasets. The generated datasets are of potential value to the research communities to benchmark different storage, query and search techniques.
Having said that, I would point out that it is not easy for me to find very notable novelties from the paper, although there are some interesting ideas in it. This is my major (and only) concern, and the reason that I would not recommend an accept immediately. The work in my opinion represents a significant amount of engineering effort and has achieved reasonably good results with respect to the evaluation metrics. Some parts of the paper are written in a style very much like a project deliverable (details can be found below). The authors are suggested to revise them. Below are some of the other comments that might be useful to the authors to further improve the presentation of the paper.
- in introduction, the authors claim that the main contribution of the paper is a mimicking algorithm for generating realistic public transport data. However, in the 1st paragraph, they also say that "different information architectures with varying trade-offs exist" and then quickly discuss the architectural choice. How is the architectural choice influencing/related to the focus of the paper?
- in introduction, "Our second main contribution is an implementation of this algorithm…". This could be combined with the 1st contribution as they are both about the algorithm.
- in introduction, "semantic data models. [9,4]", -> "semantic data models [9,4]."
- in section 2.1 Spatiotemporal Dataset Generation, "…over which objects can move at a certain speed based.", remove "based".
- in section 2.1, "…are represented as two-dimensional areas that exist for a period in time over the network, which apply a decreasing factor on the maximum speed of the objects in that area.". This sentence does not read well and needs to be rephrased. How can one represent weather conditions and event as a two diminutional areas?
- in section 2.1, for the three methods to select the starting node, it would be better to present them in bullet points or a table. It would also be better to explicitly mention what the two/one dimensional distribution functions are.
- in section 2.1, "…generate new instances based on a set of dependency rules (called "rules" [20]).", what is an instance here? It would be better to briefly mention what the instance represents in [20]. "(called "rules" [20])" can be removed. It would be better to present these dependencies in bullet points or a table.
- section 2.2 also discusses methods for synthetic datasets generation but with RDF, it can be combined with section 2.1.
- in section 2.2, "…since this level of structuredness will have an impact on how certain data is stored in RDF data management systems". I am not able to understand what is meant by this sentence here.
- I feel that section 2.3 is a specification or requirement for public transit design. It does't seem appropriate to be under the "related work". Also the section can be shorten in my opinion. It would be better to present those items for objectives, metrics and so on, in either bullet points or tables.
- section 2.4 on transit feed format talks about the specification and knowledge representation in the domain. It seems not appropriate under related work. Section 2.4 and section 2.3 are both about the background of the public transit domain. Separating them from the literature review might be a better idea.
- section 3, "The main objective of a mimicking algorithm is its ability to create realistic data.", remove "its ability".
- section 3, "by first comparing the level of structuredness of real-world datasets compared to their synthetic variants". This sentence does not read well and needs to be rephrased.
- section 3, what are meant by "macroscopic coherence metric and domain-specific microscopic metrics"?
- section 4, Connection is an important entity in the design. It is worth explaining a bit more, e.g., how it is instantiated in the dataset? How to define the two ends of a connection?
- section 4.2, page 7, Eucilidian distance: is it calculated using the geographical coordinates or the indices of the two dimensional area for the region (matrix)?
- section 4.3, under "Short-distance", "…maintains its center point that represents the average location of all stops…", I would suggest to use centroid in this case, especially you have explicitly named the clustering algorithm. "…make sure that nearby clusters are merged before more distant clusters…". This seems unnecessary as the standard agglomerative clustering will do that. What you need to is to choose an appropriate cutoff value on the dendrogram.
- section 4.3, under "Cleanup", "…that the amount of stops…", "…significant amount of loose stops…", the number of stops seems better here.
- Figures 3, 4, and 5, add some extra space between all the sub-figures.
- I can somehow understand Algorithm 1, but there are things to be clarified. Line 8, why do you use multiplication of the difference between coordinates and Radius? Line 10, what does the index i mean? What is "I"? Line 12, it does not show how the random station s' is calculated.
- Equations 2, 3, and 4, the symbols should be explained in text.
- section 4.5, under "Delay", it is worth explaining how the delay factors as in the transport disruption ontology affects the trip, for example, how the trip time is updated in the presence of different delay types.
- section 5.1, first, these requirements are best to be enumerated in a project report, while not in a research paper; second, if they are to be kept in this paper, it would be better to make them short and to list them in a table.
- section 5.2, compossable -> compossible. "Node module on NPM and as a Docker image on Docker Hub", it would be better to use one sentence or two to explain what they are. I think many people, including me, don't really know.
- Figure 6, "Each route has a different color, and darker route colors indicating more frequent trips over them…", I am afraid that one cannot see the "darker" one from different colors.
- Table 2, would it be better to provide the table as a footnote with a link? Similar to the requirement specification in section 5.1, it is of less interest to the readers of the paper, who are primarily looking for novel ideas on design and implementation.
- section 6.1, under "Metric", "…the coherence metric [14] measures the structuredness of a dataset." -> "the coherence metric [14] measuring the structuredness of a dataset is used."
- section 6.1, under "Results", "That is because of … and the fact that they originate from GTFS datasets that have the characteristics of relational databases.". Is there a correlation between high structuredness and the fact that the data is from a relational database?
- section 6.1, under "Results", "the same amount of stops, routes and connections", -> same number of
- section 6.2, "…and the other way around given a distance function…", what is meant by "the other way around" here? It is obvious that the function in (6) is symmetric.
- section 6.2, under "Edges Distance", "…weighed by the length of the edges", -> "weighed by the difference of length of the edges". Why there is a "+1" in equation (9)?
- section 6.2, "the realism of stops and routes is lower, but still sufficiently high to consider them as realistic". But from Table 4 the data for routes is not sufficiently high. Also, it doesn't seem reasonable to average the values across stops, edges, routes and connections. They are better to be discussed separately.
- section 6.3, under "Results", "…but now the increase for routes and connections is higher than for the connections parameter.", do you mean higher than the stops parameter?
This manuscript was submitted as 'full paper' and should be reviewed along the usual dimensions for research contributions which include (1) originality, (2) significance of the results, and (3) quality of writing.
This paper presents an algorithm for creating more realistic benchmark datasets based on population distributions.
According to the authors, previous benchmark datasets weren't generating realistic enough datasets.
The paper is well structured, easy to read, its contributions are clearly stated, and all of the results are published online.
However, the motivation that the existing benchmarks are not sufficient seems to be rather thin. Is there evidence that system evaluations failed in the past because the synthetic datasets weren't realistic enough?
"We observed a significant correlation between transport networks and the population distribution.."
Isn't it rather one of the causes they are built? Transport networks are built to move either people, goods or animals.
Which makes the research question seem to be rather obvious to answer.
"Can population distribution data be used to generate realistic synthetic public transport networks and scheduling?"
The figures 7-9 could be bigger.
Smaller things:
p.1: There is a use for .. -> There is a need for .. (?)
p.11: compossable -> composable
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Indie Holiday: RL Linden Ironwood Perfume Oil
Scents and smells have such a special way of conjuring up memories, of taking us back to a place or time. Once in a great while, when the temperature and dew factor align, I will get a whiff of damp leaves and grass and be immediately transported to my morning runs in Hyde Park when I lived in London. When a scent is so true, so alive, it can bring tears of nostalgia to your eyes. I have a feeling that the ladies of RL Linden had a similar sentiment when they created a collection of fragrance oils inspired by their beloved Denver town. These were definitely created with heart, using only pure, plant-based, organic, raw and wildcrafted essential oils. Although Ironwood doesn't conjure up a specific memory for me, it does make me want to build a fire, slip into a navajo sweater, and curl up with a juicy novel and spot of whisky. It's intoxicating, warm and mysterious in the most delicious way . . . even Vogue Paris approves of Ironwood so there's definitely something je ne sais quoi about it. In other words, you'll take two.
More lovely gift ideas from our Indie Holiday series right this way . . .


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Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Strategy Development for Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
Final Report:
Report Appendices
- Appendix A: Climate Science Primer: Tillamook Estuaries Trends and Projections
- Appendix B: Tillamook Estuaries and Watersheds Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
- Appendix C: Communicating About Climate Disruption in Tillamook County
- Appendix D: Complete List of Risks, Strategies, and Actions
- Appendix E: Relevant Resources
The Geos Institute worked closely with the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP) and local stakeholders to develop a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and a Preparedness Strategy for the Tillamook estuaries and their watersheds. The five estuaries of Tillamook County and their watersheds are home to ecologically important species and resources that also support the local economy, provide recreational opportunities, and bring natural beauty and overall well-being for people throughout the region. TEP plays an important role in the restoration and management of natural resources throughout the county, especially by working with partners, land-owners, and other stakeholders throughout the region.


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US Geological Survey Water Programs in Washington State
Barton, Cynthia
MetadataShow full item record
Cynthia Barton will outline a brief history of the USGS, including its recent reorganization and mission. Next, she will describe how the USGS carries out the Water Program through a structure that consists of: 1. Headquarters a. Technical b. Program c. Support 2. Science Center (one in each state). The program conducts basic and problem-riented hydrologic research. The funding model will be presented. Finally, she will survey the Water Programs' studies that address critical water issues in the state of Washington: understanding ecosystems, climate change, energy & minerals, national hazards, and water census.
- The Water Center [316]


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Casey Stoner crashed on the last lap of the German Grand Prix at Sachsenring today as his Repsol Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa claimed his first win of the season.
The defending champion looked to have second place wrapped up when he slid off the track with only a handful of corners to go.
Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha Factory) came through to take second instead and establish a 14-point lead at the top of the standings, with Andrea Dovizioso (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in third.
Stoner dropped 20 points off the pace in the championship, with Pedrosa moving ahead of him into second spot.
Australian Stoner started the race on pole, but Pedrosa, starting from third, passed his team-mate to lead going into turn one.
Stoner soon hit the front again, though, and the pair continued to battle for the lead, while Ben Spies, who started from second on the grid, ran wide to let his team-mate Lorenzo into third place.
The Repsol Honda pair pulled further clear from the Spaniard as he tried to chase them down, but their thrilling neck-and-neck battle for the lead proved costly for Stoner as he crashed out.
Lorenzo, who had been well clear in third, followed Pedrosa home, while Dovizioso, who had made it past Spies, was next across the line.
Spies was fourth, with Stefan Bradl fifth, Valentino Rossi sixth and Alvaro Bautista, Cal Crutchlow, Hector Barbera and Nicky Hayden completing the top ten.


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Day Twenty Five: Healthy Pumpkin Spice Muffin Recipe
I'm going to say you're welcome now, because after you try these Pumpkin Spice Muffins, you'll be thanking me. Not only are they super easy to make, they're healthy and damn tasty. My wife and I got the recipe from her Aunt, and since October is a month where pumpkins are in the forefront, I just had to share these instant Fall classics with all of you.
So, to begin, here's what you'll need:
1 Box Spice Cake Mix (either Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines)
1 16 oz can canned pumpkin
1/2 cup egg beaters
Mixing Bowl
Mixer (or a big spoon)
Ice Cream Scoop
Non-Stick Spray
Muffin Pans
Here's what you need to do:
(I just love pictures, so you'll have to follow the link to expand)
Step 1 – Dump cake mix, pumpkin, and egg beaters into a mixing bowl and stir.
Step 2 – Scoop batter into greased muffin pans (we use non-stick cooking spray). If you don't want to do that, use muffin tin liners.
Step 3 – Read the back of the cake mix box and follow heating and cook time instructions (We had to cook for 15 minutes using our oven)
Step 4 – Enjoy!
Added Bonus – Candids of me eating muffins!
Special thanks go out to my wife for making these awesome muffins tonight and being patient with me while I took pictures. For the record, about 50 pictures were taken…this is what I narrowed it down to. You're welcome.
Also, one other thing to note…I mentioned these were healthy muffins and they are. I recommend eating them in moderation and not like I did (even though, I ate them for the art and to get the best picture for you, my readers….yeah…that's it).
Added Bonus Part Two – The Halloween House was at it again, this time with "This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas.


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More than fine
How is it that November is already here?
October was a blur, starting with the two-week "welcome to winter" in Calgary that threw me for a bit of a loop. We had So. Much. Snow I was certain it was here to stay. And so, after grieving the shocking loss of an autumn that hadn't really come yet, I resigned myself to what I thought would be the first of many long months of winter.
But, as always, God is full of surprises and the snow melted and autumn came after all. All the seasons, just in the wrong order.
Year after year, I quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) dread the shortening of daylight hours and the steady tumble of leaves, knowing that on the heels of autumn follow days and months that are characterized by darkness—long after I wake up and well before I go to bed. It happens every year, I know to expect it.
And, year after year, I resign myself to it. Seasonal depression grips me and I let it weigh me down. Treading water for the next several months, hoping that I can stay on the surface for the duration of the winter.
Year after year, I acknowledge it, saying things like "winter is not my best time of year" and when people ask me how I'm doing, my response is always qualified by this fact, "Not bad, considering…"
You might say, year after year, I even embrace it. I know it's coming, I relax my posture and I let the tide pull me out to sea. "This too shall pass." "I'm fine."
I have a lot of people asking me how I'm doing these days. Not because winter came early, but because I'm in the middle of a six-month dance with chemotherapy. And I have to say—with all honesty—I am more than fine.
For the first time in many years, at this time of year, I am not dreading winter. I am not mourning the darkness. I don't find myself being pulled down and dragged around by the circumstances of my life or even the weather.
The other night I wondered aloud to my husband if the reason I seem to be faring so well during chemo might be the fact that I started from a place of good physical health and strength. And he looked at me and said, "Well, you do have a ridiculous amount of people praying for you…"
And it hit me that, yes, a little divine intervention goes a long way.
I've written before about the physical reminder that I daily wear on my wrist. (If you want, you can read that little post here.) A little bracelet that continually reminds me of these verses:
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." ~Psalm 46:1-3
Our day-to–day walk through life can often feel like the earth is shifting beneath our feet, am I right? Relationships, jobs, health, parenting, grieving, loss, uncertainty, politics; I know a lot of people walking through some really hard things right now. I suspect you do too.
In this dance with cancer and now with chemo, I don't know the steps or the moves. It's new territory and I'm navigating a road that often feels unsteady and quaking. But I have this reassurance in Scripture that whatever life looks like on the surface; I know that I am not alone.
"Be still, and know that I am God…" ~Psalm 46:10
Be still. And know.
In Psalm 40:2, the psalmist writes, "He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadies me as I walked along."
And so, right now, I am more than fine, because I know that I'm not walking this road alone. He sets my feet on solid ground and steadies me as I walk along.
It doesn't mean that my road is easy or perfect, (I wasn't sidelined by a mystery fever this month, but I did have a mystery rash!) or that I'll miraculously know all the steps.(Yes, I called the emergency triage number and had several conversations with my team.)
It means that I have the assurance that whatever my road happens to look like—piled high with snow or covered with a blanket of leaves (or, as the case may be, an itchy, red rash)—that my ability to walk confidently on it doesn't depend on my abilities at all.
Treatment update: here's a little picture of my current road this month…
With CLL (the type of Leukemia I have) the treatment protocol involves a first line of attack, which is traditional chemotherapy with some tried-and-true drugs. If my cancer journey was laid out on a directional map, there would be a little sticker reading, "You are here."
BUT, in the event that traditional chemo isn't effective, there's a second line of attack treatment with some other drugs. I confess, I don't know too much about these, because, when it comes to cancer, I have a policy to only fill my brain with what I need for the moment. There is just way too much information, variables, best and worst case scenarios to allow myself to entertain more than what's in front of me at the moment. You could say—possibly for the first time in my life—I'm focused.
Last-ditch treatment efforts usually involve a Bone Marrow Transplant. Which is, by my limited understanding, pretty serious stuff, and so relegated to the "Does not currently apply" category I mentioned above.
So, why am I telling you all of this?
Excellent question!
I don't know how it works everywhere, but at our local Cancer Centre, Chez Tom Baker, I don't get to book my chemo appointments; they're booked on my behalf and an appointment confirmation is mailed to me.
Imagine my surprise last week when I received my November appointment confirmation and saw that I was booked into a bed in the BMT department. That would be Bone Marrow Transplant. Clearly, this was either a grave mistake, or my doctors had maybe missed giving me some critical information regarding my treatment plan. Maybe it wasn't actually going as well as we thought?
Also, I emptied my mailbox at the end of the day Friday and would have to wait until Monday to discuss either scenario with my team. You could say I was a little unnerved throughout the weekend.
The great news is that it turns out when chemo is scheduled for the weekends it takes place in the Bone Marrow Transplant unit. Go figure. So, I'm not getting a bone marrow transplant yet. Just chemo in a different location.
In other excellent news, Round Two is done. I'm one-third of the way finished! Hard to believe isn't it? And the blood work done after Round One was outstanding; for the first time in more than four years my white blood cell count is within normal range. I've never been so happy to be normal! (No comments from the peanut gallery!)
So, here's the one thing: I feel a bit bad that I'm not doing worse. But the truth is, I am amazed at how good I'm feeling. It would be easy to attribute my positive outlook to my initial low expectations. (I guess I could also thank my doctors for managing those expectations downward.)
However, as I mentioned in my reflection above, I know that I have more people than I even know of praying on my behalf and I believe God hears and answers those prayers. (I John 5:14, 15)
I owe a debt of gratitude to the people in our lives who have made meals and sent baking, who offer rides and company, and send texts, emails, messages and cards of encouragement. There is not one good wish, act of kindness, thought or prayer that doesn't move me in some way. In short, we are overwhelmed.
And, quite honestly, there is a part of me that feels undeserving of the goodness coming our way because I'm not "sick enough" to warrant the kindness. I'm just trying to work that out with God and receive the grace being offered.
In the meantime, I continue to embrace each good day as it comes and to walk the delicate tightrope between living and not dying, but really, for right now, the reality looks a lot like living and I'm so grateful.
A few last things:
If you're new here and you want a more comprehensive picture of my cancer journey to date, here's a few archive posts to get you up to date: My diagnosis, the decision to stop watching and waiting and actually do something, some thoughts on bravery and the subsequent fall out (of my hair).
In case you're wondering, I do still have hair, although it's significantly thinner than it was. I acknowledge that I started at a very good place in terms of how much hair was on my head at the beginning. (Thank heavens for THICK hair!) But, there is something a little unnerving about cleaning out a small handful of hair from my brush or the shower drain every day. I also now have a couple of hats at the ready in the event that I'll need them, so I'm not overly worried.
Second, you guys are TV experts and, because I apparently have a thing for British accents, (LOVED Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife) I finished the Crown during Round Two. Round Three begins November 10 and I'll be picking something out of your recommendations for sure.
If you've enjoyed this little musing, it would mean the world to me if you subscribe to receive future blog posts. On the sidebar of my homepage, you'll find a Subscribe button. Feel free to enter your email and use it! Thank you to those of you who've trusted me with your inbox.
I'm doing my best at navigating the twists and turns of this life with faith, hope and humour. I'd be so honoured to share the journey with you. Putting one foot in front of the other, and—hopefully—not in my mouth.
Based on my previous track record, I don't promise that my posts will be consistent, or inconsistent, but I'll try for amusing. At the very least, I hope you'll come away encouraged.
Thanks so much for visiting,


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Now, on to our plans we accomplished this week :-)
Day 12 -
Day 13 -
Holiday Kids Crafts. The boys colored to their hearts content. Then, when they told me they were done, I cut them out and attached them to the Toilet Paper Tubes. I thought they would play with them but they didn't. Imagine that.
Day 14 -
Oopsey Daisy (and you can print them too!)
Day 15 -
2 Teaching Mommies and she also shares some links to other Nativity sets that you can print and cut that are for older children as well.
Day 16 -
We did nothing. This was not my original plan but on the 16th, I spent the whole day getting ready for Nate's birthday party. The boys played well together and even helped me out some and when they asked for "The Box" - they even understood that we didn't have anything in it today because Mommy had to work on Nate's party. Both boys are SOOOO excited about the party!!
We'll hopefully pick back up with a few last activities next week. We have some busy days so I don't know if we will get it in on all 5 days be we are going to aim for at least 2!


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Good workout for both sides really, win for England but means not a jot.
Good workout for both sides really, win for England but means not a jot.
India vs Pakistan starting shortly
Originally Spoken by Brendon McCullum
You have got to earn the right to be aggressive.Supporting XI
Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, Pinak Ghosh, Mominul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain, Nazmul Shanto, Shabbir, Nurul Hasan, Afif, Saifuddin, Mehedi Miraz, Abu Hider, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman
Australia can't justify playing White over David Hussey. Woop de do White had a good IPL against hacks. gtfo of my Australian team.
Parmi | #1 draft pick | Jake King is **** | Big Bash League tipping champion of the universeCome and Paint Turtle
I'm sure if Spikey was here and not moving house he'd have my back.
Hey, Sky are covering the India/Pakistan warm up. Get in!
Tanvir's action unfailingly weird; looks like he's bowling off the wrong foot, but he actually isn't, just seems to arrive at the crease all at once with no clear delivery stride as such.
Cricket Web's current Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"Raab gives the 5pm press conference with the air of a man who strongly suspects theres a chalk penis drawn on his back, but is just going to butch it out by facing forward till the bell goes." - The Guardian's Marina Hyde on the UK's supply prime minister
Milne 2 for 4 from 2 against the saffers atm, good signs for him after a decent showing against Aus.
Last edited by wellAlbidarned; 17-09-2012 at 02:43 AM.
Exit pursuing a beerOriginally Posted by Jimmy Neesham
Sami looks like he's been cracking the weights in his absence from the national side; has really bulked out.
Still likes a leg-side half-volley tho, but. Ha, & then over-corrects to a juicy off-side long-hop. Ah, bless your heart Mo, don't ever change.
Ugh. Horrible attempted short-arm pull from Gambhir and he drags Gul on. Ball wasn't short enough for the shot.
Augustus's boyfriend to the crease.
EDIT: Jeez, that's the shot of a bloke in touch. Creamy clip off his pads. Gorgeous.
Last edited by BoyBrumby; 17-09-2012 at 02:58 AM.
Sehwag carves a friendly long-hop from Ajmal to backward point.
Ha, if the warm-up is anything to go by it looks as if Broad v Bailey is going to be as a big a crap-off as Collingwood versus Clarke was last time. #t20captainsaspassenegers
Bloody hell, with Hafeez and Ajmal bowling in tandem I'm going to need my anti-emetics for every Pakistan game.
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Author: M.J. Arlidge
Series: Helen Grace, #4
Published: June 2016, NAL
Format: ARC E-copy, 432 pages
Source: Netgalley
Detective Helen Grace gets caught in an inferno of death and destruction in the red-hot new thriller from the author of Eeny Meeny, Pop Goes the Weasel, and The Doll's House…
Detective Helen Grace has never seen such destruction. Six fires in twenty-four hours. Two people dead. Several more injured. It's as if someone wants to burn the city to the ground...
With the whole town on high alert, Helen and her team must sift through the rubble to find the arsonist, someone whose thirst for fire—and control—is reducing entire lives to ashes.
One misstep could mean Helen's career—and more lives lost. And as the pressure mounts and more buildings burn, Helen's own dark impulses threaten to consume her…
My thoughts: This is the 4th book in M.J. Arlidge's Helen Grace series...a series I am absolutely loving for the crazy twists and way it continues to keep me on my toes with each new book. You just never know what's going to happen or what direction the story will take.
What I love about this series is that the crimes that Helen and her team set out to investigate are never as clear cut as they first appear to be. This time around they are investigating arson attacks in what first appear to be random attacks, but of course are anything but. As the attacks escalate, and Helen's team finally start to figure things out, the pace of the book picks up...and boy do things get crazy! The pace of the book matches this and you sure don't want to put it down - I found myself having a hard time walking away until I knew how it was all going to end, and WOW - I didn't see any of that coming!
Helen Grace is the perfect detective for this series - she's complex yet flawed; she's intriguing with all her history, yet she's got sass and is not afraid to stand up for what she believe's is the right course of action when it comes to her team or her investigation. I just can't get enough of her and love that there's just enough time devoted to her personal story as there is to the case.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series, especially since there's a little teaser about what might happen in the next book... a teaser that has to do with Helen personally, but still...I'm quite anxious to get my hands on that next book!!! Now I just have to wait for it to be available in the US!!!
Books in this series:
- Eeny Meeny
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- The Doll's House
- Liar Liar
- Little Boy Blue
- Hide and Seek


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He was Handsome, and very good criminal.Candy
It was hot, the wax was melting off the trees.Candy
When I first met Candy, those were like the days of "juice" when everything was bountiful.Dan
I wasn't trying to wreck Candy's life. I was trying to make mine better.Dan
The future was a thing that gleamed, the present was so very very good...Dan
We had a lot going for us. We'd found the secret glue that held all things together. In a perfect place, where the noise did not intrude, our world was so very complete.Dan
They say for every ten years you've been a junkie, you'll have spent seven of them waiting. On the one hand it was nice having all that time to think. On the other, anxiety was a full time job.Dan
Everything we ever did, we did with the best of intentions. But events tumbled and the years piled up. The world is very bewildering to a junkie.Dan
The world was full of startling new concepts. I couldn't think; I couldn't breathe. I was waiting for her to come back because she was everything. She was everything to me.Dan
When you can stop, you don't want to. When you want to stop, you can't.Casper
This is Jorge. Very limited English, but very large penis! Isn't that right Jorge?Casper


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Alimos Marina is one of the most popular departure points for yacht holidays, in addition to being one of the largest marinas in Greece. It has space for up to 1000 permanent positions and it is well-connected to Athens via public transport. It is just 30km from the airport.
The marina has around 1000 places for servicing cruise boats and yachts up to 40 meters long. The maximum depth of the Marina is 6.5 meters.
The services available in the Marina include:
Entrance Lights for safe navigation
Electricity supply
Water supply
Refueling services
Able Car Parking in several places around the Marina
2 Restaurants-Bars
VHF Communication (Channel 71)
First Aid provisions
Security and PIR automatic lights around the Marina.
Well-known as one of the most popular archaeological sites in Greece, Epidaurus is sure to amaze you.
It is most famous for its Ancient Theatre that was built in the late 4th century BC. Its symmetry and acoustics bring it fame, and it is certainly not to be missed. With the beautiful views and ancient Greek dramas regularly performed in summer, it can be a delightful stopping point for everyone.
Hydra is famous for its beaches and ancient archeological findings. Although emigration began before the Homeric period, it later developed as a place for farming.
Because the beaches offer easy sea-access, it is a great stopping point for our trip. Spilia is one of the most-well known areas, with crystal clear waters and gorgeous harbor views.
Hydronetta (near Spilia) offers a great place to take a dip in the sea.
Vlychos Plakes is a beautiful beach offering bed and umbrella options.
Palamidas offers a gorgeous sand beach. Next we can head to the quaint Kamini harbor.
Mikro Kamini is a good option for families. A small pebble beach with plenty of dining options.
Vlyho and Bisti Unique are our other two options. Both offering a variety of choices for sea-lovers.
With Byzantine churches and cobblestone streets, Spetses is charming in its own unique way. With Dapia at the center of the town, it is a popular tourist spot. You'll find plenty of local dining options and cafes with some incredible sea views. The almond toffees and fresh fish are typical of this area.
If you are looking for a lively night out, Spetses does not dissappoint!
We'll have the option to visit some of the best Spetses beaches from Agia Marina to Agios Mamas, Kounoupitsa and Agios Nikolaos, and even Agia Paraskevi. With lush greenery and crystal clear waters, the views here are truly spectacular. Zogeria, a peaceful beach and cove, offers a more tranquil environment to relax in peace.
Poros is a magical island with lush vegetation and idyllic beaches. Its capital offers quaint streets, typical cafes and restaurants - a perfect place discovery the rich history and culture of this island. With a touch of city-life so you can still enjoy a night out!
With a variety of beaches lining the coast, Poros is a must-see for beach-lovers. With buzzing nightlife and lush nature, it is the best of both worlds.
Aegina, the hometown of Achileas and Aiada, is a bustling place rich in historical figures and sites to see.
Souvala, on the north of the island, is truly picturesque, ideal for groups and families.
Agia Marina is another option with sandy beaches, sun beds, umbrellas, and a popular spot for hotel-goers.
Perdika is another great option if you are looking to try the fish at a local tavern.
Saronic Gulf– 1 week / Athens – Athens
Step aboard for the sailing holiday of lifetime! We'll depart directly from Alimos marina, and set sail to explore the magical islands of the Saronic and Argolic Gulf. With quaint towns, and ancient temples, in addition to the traditional fishing harbors and safe ancorages. If you want to experience the best of ancient and modern Greek culture, a yacht holiday is an ideal option!
Athens itself is a great place to start and end your trip. With plenty of accommodation options, you can relax and explore the Parthenon and new Acropolis Museum or other major attractions. Get lost in the narrow streets, relax in the Plaka, or enjoy some local tavern offerings. The choice is yours!
This is a well-loved route because of the reliable sailing winds and the shelter offered from the meltemi wind which is in full-force in the Aegean in summer.
Saronic Golf
Alimos MARINA (Check –in at 17:00) Distance
Epidaurus 31NM
Hydra 32NM
Spetses 15NM
Poros 26NM
Aegina 13NM
Alimos Marina (Check-out at 9:00 am) 17NM


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Visiting Seoul, South Korea's eclectic and bustling capital, doesn't have to be an expensive experience. There are plenty of things to see and do for free (or on the cheap) that will keep you busy whether you're on a shorter visit or a longer stay. The city offers a great balance between the modern and the historic, as well as cheap (and delicious) street food, enough parks and green space to make it easy to spend time outdoors and an efficient and affordable public transit system get you where you need to go.
So, find your flight (Cheapflights.ca can help) and get ready to start exploring with the best cheap and free things to do in the city.Search for flights to Seoul
Getting around
Once you arrive in Seoul, get yourself a T-Money card, which can easily be purchased from most convenience stores, including those at the airport. The card costs an initial 2500 won (around $2.85) and can then be loaded with more money depending on how long you're staying. The card works on buses and subways throughout Seoul and districts beyond and makes for a cheap and easy way to get around when you're not on foot. Some taxis also accept T-Money cards, but ask before you take a ride.
Walk around the city wall
If you're looking for a scenic way to see the city on foot (at no cost), make some time to walk the old city wall, originally built in 1396. You might not get around the whole thing as it's nearly 19 kilometres long, but a walk on the wall means you get Instagram-worthy views of Bugaksan Mountain, Naksan Mountain, Namsan Mountain and Inwangsan Mountain.
Visit Bukchon Hanok Village
Located in north-central Seoul in the neighbourhood between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace, this area has a large concentration of 'hanoks' (traditional Korean homes). There are around 900 hanoks here and though many are still private residences, many more have been converted into cafes, art galleries, shops and tea houses. If you don't want to spend any money, just go to explore and take in the historic atmosphere. If you do have some cash to spare, stop in a tea house or café to relax and people watch. There are also several hanok guesthouses here, which make for a unique place to rest your head during a visit to Seoul.
See the world's longest bridge fountain
Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain, the longest bridge fountain in the world, is found on Banpodaegyo Bridge and features 380 nozzles spraying water from the river below into a display of water, light and music that happens several times a day. The show is especially beautiful at night when 200 coloured lights illuminate the flowing water.
Listen to some live music in Hongdae
This neighbourhood in Seoul surrounds Hongik University and, being a university-centric area, there are an abundance of bars, cafes, art galleries and music venues here. There's lots going on day and night – browse a gallery (many of which are free), grab a coffee or drink at one of the many funky cafes, or browse indie boutiques for unique fashion finds. At night, stay for some live music at one of the many bars and clubs offering free shows.
Wander along Cheonggyecheon Stream
This 11-kilometre stream runs through the heart of downtown Seoul, starting at Cheonggye Plaza and passing under 22 bridges before flowing into the Hangang River. A walk along the stream is a good way to take a break from the fast pace of city life and, in addition to a tranquil way to pass a couple of hours, you can see some colourful street art and murals along the way, as well as a fountain and a small waterfall that is lit up at night.
Check out Gyeonbokgung Palace
Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395 and was the first royal palace built by the Joseon Dynasty. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces in Seoul (the others being Gyeonghuigung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace), Gyeongbokgung Palace is a sprawling complex well worth an afternoon of exploring the various courtyards, pavilions and gates on the premises. The entrance fee is 3000 won (around $3.40) and free 90-minute guided tours are offered daily in Chinese, English and Japanese.
Explore Myeongdong
Ok, so shopping isn't a free activity, but it really is worth checking out Seoul's primary shopping neighbourhood for its vibrant atmosphere. The pedestrian-only area is lined with shops — both local and international brands — and if you're into skincare and cosmetics there are stores aplenty to browse. The best part is, many of these beauty-focused stores are generous with samples (like free face masks) so you might end up with a pocketful of items to try out. If you want a less-hectic experience, go in the morning. If you do go in the later afternoon and evening, street food carts set up making it easy to grab a cheap meal.
Visit Dongdaemun Market
Speaking of shopping, Dongdaemun Market is a retail mecca and, like Myeongdong, even if you don't want to reach into your wallet, it's worth visiting just to look around. The word "market" doesn't do the area justice as it's home to 26 shopping malls, 30,000 specialty shops and 50,000 manufacturers. Almost anything you might need (or just want to look at) is likely to be found here and, if you do want to buy anything, prices are known to be very reasonable. If you're looking to take home a few Korean fashion finds, you can find some good bargains. Bonus: When you get hungry, make your way to Dongdaemun's famous food alley, Mukja Golmok, for cheap local eats.
Head up Mt. Namsan
Get some fresh air and exercise by making your way up scenic Mount Namsan and exploring Namsan Park. There are several walking trails here and you can choose to either walk or take a cable car to the peak. The hike to the top is a moderate one and it does involve lots of stairs. A one-way trip on the cable car (if you want to ride up and walk down instead) will set you back 6000 won (around $6.70). The views over the city are worth the hike (or the ride) and you can also check out a few other attractions while you're in the area, including N Seoul Tower.
Take selfies at Ihwa Mural Village
In an area that was once scheduled to be demolished, you can now find a totally unique attraction in Seoul known as Ihwa Mural Village. Located atop Mount Naksan, about a 10-minute walk uphill from the Daehakno area, this street art filled village is home to narrow lane ways covered in colourful and interesting murals, as well as painted staircases and metal sculptures.
Take a walking tour
Whether you're visiting for a few days or a few weeks, you can learn more about South Korea's capital with a free walking tour organized by the City of Seoul. Tours include stops at a wide array of the city's top attractions and cover everything from history and culture to architecture and markets. Tours are run by Seoul Cultural Tourism Volunteer Guides and take place in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. They run weekdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on weekends at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Simply sign up online and then get yourself to the starting point.
Visit some free museums
If you're craving culture on your trip to Seoul, there are several museums in the city you can visit at no cost. If you only have time for one, make it the National Museum of Korea, which is the largest museum in the country. The museum is home to a huge collection focused on Korean history and art and also close to scenic greenspace at Yongsan Family Park. Other free museums in Seoul include the War Memorial of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea and the Seoul Museum of History.
Now that you have your Seoul to-do list figured out, head to Cheapflights.ca to find the best flight to get you there. Any great cheap and free things we missed? Let us know in the comments below.


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Steve tip-toed barefoot into my shop; he was bleary eyed and disheveled. Clearly, he had just tumbled out of bed.
'Hi mate…..got any milk?'
I pointed to the chiller at the back of the shop. The young man walked delicately over the wooden floor past the shelves of Whole Earth peanut butters, the sugar-free jams and the wheat-free pastas.
'Any regular milk?….you know…not this organic stuff or soya?'
'Sorry Steve, that's all we have. Try Iceland across the road,' I suggested.
'Never mind. Can't be arsed with that…I'll take a pint of this……errmm, can I pay you later?'
'Oh,' he said turning back at the door, 'there's like a damp patch appearing on my ceiling…..just above the window. You couldn't take a look at it and let the landlord know, could you?"
'Will this evening be a good time?' I enquired.
Steve, an under-graduate studying French at Goldsmiths College, lived in the flat behind my wholefood store. I was unofficial caretaker to the property, a role Mr Markovic had somehow tricked me into.
When I got to the flat that evening, Steve was out but Justine, his girl-friend, was there.
The flat was a mess. Clothes lay strewn all over the floor, you could barely see the carpet. There were trousers and shirts draped over the furniture too. Justine mumbled her apologies as she tried to clear up the cups with ancient tea dregs and cigarette butts in make shift ash trays. The smell of cigarette smoke pervaded the air. I peeked into the kitchen. The sink was piled high with unwashed crockery, saucepans and cutlery. A little saucepan with dried pasta sauce over the edge lay on the cooker which had not seen soap or scourer in a while. What could one expect anyway? It was a student flat after all.
By the exhausted sofa lay a beautiful guitar on a stand. I drew a finger across the strings and it sang its E tune.
'Please don't touch,' admonished Justine. 'Alex….I mean Steve, doesn't like anyone touching his guitar.'
'I didn't know he played the guitar,' I said.
'Yeah, he's in a band and all and they're going to be famous, you know?'
'Really?' I said, disbelieving. 'I hear him and his mates listening to ABBA over and over.'
She ignored my snide comment and pointed to the patch on the ceiling. Despite the landlord's attempt to tart up the flat with his job lot of magnolia and white there was something Dickensian about it all. You could smell the damp and the mildew. A crop of mould had worked its way through the paint in areas. The chip wood wallpaper, designed to conceal bad plaster work, bubbled and peeled in places.
I gathered a pile of clothes sat on the chair and, handing them to the girl-friend, dragged it near the cracked sash window and stood on it. I put my palm against the patch on the ceiling. It was wet and cold.
'Yes, looks like a slow leak. I think it might be a pin hole in the lead pipe leading to the tank just above here. These old lead pipes can't take it any more. It's happened before. I'll let Mr Markovic know.'
'Thanks Des, ' she said.
I picked my way past the detritus on the floor and left.
A week later Steve came over to thank me for sorting things out and to pay for the pint of milk. He was fresh this time and looked his handsome self in a casual sort of way, his shock of hair draped over his left eye.
'By the way, who's Alex? Justine…'
'That's my stage name,' he interrupted. 'It's ….errrr…it's a literary reference.'
'Oh. She tells me you're going to be famous. What's your band called? ….so I can keep an eye out for your name in the bright lights,' I said cynically.
'Ya, I play bass. We've been signed up and everything. Big bucks coming our way and I can get a mortgage soon'.
Mortgage? Now that doesn't sound like rock and roll to me, I thought. Was he being ironic?
As it turned out, Steve and his mates did go on to become world famous as a Britpop band. A couple of years after fame, world tours and fortune the band performed at the Goldsmith's College union bar and half an hour after that gig Steve, aka Alex, came down to our shop and asked for me. I was not in. When I did get in my staff, mostly young Goldsmith's students, were beside themselves and breathlessly asked: 'How do you know Alex James of Blur? He came down here this afternoon specifically to see you!'
My minor claim to fame is that Alex James lived behind my store and he did say nice things about me in 'Bit of A Blur', his memoir, too. That's my 5 minutes of fame done; another 10 to go, Warhol.
*NB: these scenes are composites.


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Saving Mr. Wu (Movie)
Saving Mr Wu 2015, 解救吾先生, Jie jiu wu xian sheng
In this suspenseful crime thriller, Mr. Wu, a Hong Kong movie star, is kidnapped by six unpredictable criminals disguised as police officers. The story is based on the 2004 real-life celebrity kidnapping case in China.
Category: Chinese Movie
Status: Completed
Released: 2015
Rating: 6 (2 Votes) Rate it!
Cast Overview:
Saving Mr. Wu (Movie) English Subtitle:
- Saving Mr. Wu (2015) Dec 26, 2015
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A firefighter in China rescued a little dog that fell into a squat toilet.
The unfortunate incident happened at its owner's home in Mengzi, southwest Yunnan Province.
As the dog peered from inside the latrine, the firefighter reached inside to pull it up through the hole.
YouTube link.
The yelping, but apparently unhurt bedraggled canine, was then reunited with its grateful owner.


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This is a guest post from Kimberley Watson. Kim is a proud mummy and wife herself, but when she gets chance, she's also a keen writer, having graduated with an English degree. As a bit of a free spirit, she believes travel is the key to a happy life, and she's going to make sure her kids see the world, too. On the off chance she's not writing, with the family or off exploring, you can find her curled up with a good book or enjoying some delicious treats. Her 20-year-old-self would be kicking her for not saying 'partying', but sadly that's just not true anymore! You can find her on twitter here.
The world isn't the place it once was. These days, women's place isn't in the home – unless of course, they want it to be. Choice is a brilliant thing, which is why deciding to be a stay at home mother, or to go back to work almost immediately after having a baby are both fine – providing choice is there. Of course, there are loads of reasons why some might pick one or the other, and sometimes, these choices may seem almost forced in themselves, due to things like financial pressures.
However, in line with basic equality laws elsewhere in other areas of our lives, there are now some better legal implementations in place for all new parents, which allow families to choose how best to choose parental responsibility after having a baby. Although the entitlement for new mums and dads will stay the same – 52 weeks – there are now things in place which will allow them to share the maternity and paternity time equally or any way they'd like.
For some, it'll make no difference. However, for some two-parent families, this will be a welcome piece of news which might help them make a better future for their little one and themselves. Not everyone's eligible to share the time, but many will be, and it'll mean life may well get easier!
Take a look and see what you think. There are some interesting facts on here – it's no wonder changes are finally being made!
Infographic courtesy of Taylor Rose.


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"Alex's Brother, Maximan" is the twenty-sixth episode of Wizards of Waverly Place.
Alex goes on her first date with Dean at the roller rink, while Justin builds a robot for the Robot Olympics. After hearing from Jerry about a robber who steals tip jars and cupcakes, Max dons a superhero costume and plots to stop the thief. When Justin finds out, he is worried that his brother is heading into danger, so he tracks Alex down at the roller rink to ask for help. Alex is reluctant to leave Dean, but her family is more important. It turns out the story of the "robber" was all a plot by Jerry to get his children to work together and realize what is really important.
- Havity No-gravity – Defies gravity by making a person climb a flat surface, can only be used when two other wizards use it in another person
- Soap on a rope, soap fell off a rope, rope shot out of my hand, rope tie up that man – Ties a person in a rope
Magical object:
- Magical Rope – can tie a person. Can be used only with help from another two wizards.
Co-stars: Jack Sanderson as Roller Rink MC
Guest stars: Daniel Samonas as Dean Moriarty
Note: In the end credits, Dan Benson is listed as guest star for his role as Zeke, but Zeke didn't appear in this episode.


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That it is really me u are having this internet affair with. As u lay with ur back turned towards me and text away to a girl. It is really me , your wife, that you are arranging to meet up with and telling your dirty thoughts about her to. She is fake, I confess to stealing some girls pics of the internet. You have been talking to her for about 2 weeks now. I'm laying here next to u crying....but u don't care, and u dont know why
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thats f***** up. s***** that he would text another girl and basicly cheat but you are one slinky b****. its your own fault.
If you like Pina Coladas
And getting caught in the rain
If you're not into yoga
If you have half a brain
If you'd like making love at midnight
In the dunes on the Cape
Then I'm the love that you've looked for
Write to me and escape
I wonder what you're getting out of this.
Now you know the truth and you want emotional support.Don't tell this to anyone.Family members may blame you and curse you, most may deny the truth.If your husband comes to know I assume he will torture you.Read pain relief prayers from internet whenever you remind him of cheating on you.Because sadness is the key to physical diseases.
Don't TELL anyone ? What are you, f****** stupid ? of COURSE she's going to have to confront him and let him know exactly what a cheating piece of s*** he is. He expects to meet "her" doesn't he ??
holy f***. now that is one helluva way to spy on someone.


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SFCS 1001, 1002, 1003 Certification of sustainable forest management
Sustainable forest management is environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests for present and future generations.
Sustainable forest management is a constantly evolving process, where requirements change over time depending on the latest scientific knowledge and understanding of the concept of society. This means that the criteria for sustainable forest management must be constantly adapted to new conditions and take into account national objectives and the specific ecological and environmental conditions as well as economic, political, cultural and spiritual dimensions.
Basic criteria for sustainable forest management:
- Maintaining and appropriate development of forest resources and their contribution to the global carbon cycle
- Maintaining the health and vitality of forest ecosystems
- Maintaining and promotion of productive functions of forests (wood and non-wood products)
- Maintaining, protection and reasonable development of biological diversity of forest ecosystems
- Maintaining and appropriate development of protective functions of forests (especially soil protection and water protection)
- Maintaining of other socio-economic functions and conditions
Certification of sustainable forest management is the process by which an independent certification body assesses if the forest management certification meets the conditions of certification - criteria for sustainable forest management defined by certification scheme.


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PrimusGFS is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and internationally recognized
food safety audit scheme and smart system, owned and managed by Azzule.)
7 Module Design
PrimusGFS is designed on a flexible module based system to for maximum efficiency and usability.
In transitioning to Version 3, we'll move from 4 to 7 modules to better match the specific needs of our clients.
This design allows PrimusGFS to be used across all fresh produce commodities (berries, leafy greens, tomatoes, etc.)


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RIAs believe market volatility in the past 12 months has made clients more risk averse, according to an Invesco market research study released Wednesday. Only 15% believe clients will become more tolerant in the next year.
It's not just that clients are more risk averse; 70% of advisors said volatility was their clients' top concern and 99% said it was in their top three concerns. Accumulating assets barely registered, with just 6% citing it as a top concern.
"This new investment environment and the resulting change in investors' risk tolerance is prompting advisors to re-evaluate how they manage client assets and which methods are most effective in mitigating risk," Andrew Scherer, managing director of Invesco's RIA Division, said in a statement. Forty-five percent of advisors now say managing risk is their top portfolio priority, ahead of wealth preservation, exceeding benchmarks and delivering absolute returns.
One strategy many advisors have adopted, Invesco found, is to combine actively managed products and exchange-traded funds. The report found RIAs believe ETFs will represent on average 22% of client portfolios in the next year and 30% by 2014.
Scherer cautioned that the industry has a long way to go to educate RIAs on the benefits and risks of ETFs in general, and which products are best for their clients' needs, in particular. "Thirty-nine percent of RIAs say they don't have an above-average understanding of ETFs and 53 percent say don't have a high knowledge level of existing ETF products," he said.
On Oct. 19, Eileen Rominger, director of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Investment Management, told a Senate panel that the commission would begin reviewing the adequacy of investor disclosure about ETFs, their liquidity and whether they contribute to market volatility.
Others in the industry argue that ETFs do not contribute to market volatility, though. Scott Burns, director of ETF Research at Morningstar, told AdvisorOne that "if the SEC is looking at the same data we are, they won't find anything."
Eric Noll, executive vice president of transaction services at NASDAQ OMX, said, "We are seeing no signs that ETFs add to volatility in the market. [There are] other factors in the market that far overwhelm any effect ETFs have" on market volatility.
Communicating strategies that help manage risk to their clients is another challenge advisors are struggling with, Scherer said. Just 55% say they are very confident in their ability to explain complex investment principles to their clients.
"While 83 percent of RIAs are using tools developed internally to help guide those discussions, 83 percent also have an interest in seeking guidance from trusted investment management firms on this topic," Scherer said.
For more on risk tolerance, read Olivia Mellan's article from the October issue of Investment Advisor in which she plumbs the risk-wise mind of Geoff Davey of FinaMetrica.
See also Davey's latest blog postings on risk at AdvisorOne.


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Xavier University Earth DayDate: April 21, 2017
Time: 11:00 am
Location: Xavier University 1 Drexel Dr. New Orleans, LA 70125
The Sewage and Water Board Environmental Team has been coordinating with Dr. Latonia Viverette, Xavier University's Sustainability Coordinator to help plan a Xavier Earth Day/Career Opportunity Earth Day event. The event will take place on campus at XULA Friday April 21, 2017 from 11 am-2pm. The audience is Xavier students, staff and faculty and we hope to share with them environmental opportunities, information about local environmental jobs, internships and/or volunteer opportunities, and to promote environmental stewardship.


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Graphic designer Michał Kulesza has a range of different work in his portfolio, but the Lego projects he has created certainly stand out. In 2015 Kulesza created a 'Lego photo project' by capturing every day objects featuring parts made with Lego, in part 1 'Daily Lego Project'. The project started in 2015 and lasted 135 days, capturing a new scenario every day.
I created different grotesque or even absurd daily situations. I took photos in minimal composition and every time I showed new ideas. In my work I just wanted to make people smile.
You can view all the images here, but here are a few of my favourites:
Part 2 of the project, named 'Legoman Daily' features a narrative where Kulesza falls into a box of Lego whilst photographing Part 1 of the project, and subsequently turns into a Legoman himself!
The surprising effect of this crash was that my hands and head were transformed into parts of lego man figure. In this way I created an everyday photo journal after weird accident. How I have to struggle with life challenges and how looks my sad reality. Project was realised as previous, everyday I took just one photo for 106 days.