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This year's edition of your favourite reality TV show, Big Brother Naija has seen a lot of people been won over by various housemates.
Its just two weeks into the reality TV show and some of these housemates have already started giving everyone a reason to watch the show. From the conflicts to the diary session and even tiny bits of romantic affections shown by some of them, it has been an interesting ride.
So guys, here is what happened on day 9 of your favourite reality TV show that you should know.
Thelma and Esther's heated argument
Esther and Thelma from all indications aren't really fans of each other and this came to play on day 9. The housemates had gathered to come up with ideas for drama rehearsals, while that was going on, Thelma and Esther got into a heated argument. The argument rose after Esther had confronted Thelma over the use of the word 'imbecile' which according to her is a very sensitive word and topic. Thelma, however, didn't take Esther's statement kindly as she challenged her.
It took the other housemates to calm the tension down as the screaming and shouting match between the two ladies disrupted the drama plans. All efforts made by Tuoyo to reconcile both housemates proved abortive as they both refused to call a truce...does this mean we have our first Big Brother rivals?
The animal costumes
All housemates received a special package from Big Brother on day 9 and it wasn't just your ordinary package. They all got costumes of different animals which was part of the plan for the task ahead. Even though they all looked funny wearing the costumes, it didn't take long before they all settled into the outfits and continued their routine for the day.
The Dairy session
Everyone loves the Diary session as it gives fans to see their favourite housemate have a personal time with Big Brother. There are a few housemates who have become favourites when it comes to visiting the diary room. Omashola and Ike appear to be the viewers favourite as they always trend on social media every time they visit the dairy room.
Day 9 wasn't any different as Omashola in his natural frisky and humourous manner gave everyone a reason to laugh while answering questions at the diary room. One shocking diary room revelation was the moment KimOprah said she likes Omashola. That became a trending topic on social media as many felt she was only trying to get votes from the viewers since she is up for eviction.
The animal farm
Well, Big Brother in his usual manner gave the housemates a rather noisy task to perform later in the night on day 10. Recall that during the diary sessions, Biggie had instructed the housemates to get ready to make sounds like the animals whose costumes they were wearing at the sound of the buzzer.
Trust the housemates as they complied when the buzzer went off. Even though it was a very noisy and funny task, the housemates gave it their best. It didn't come as a surprise that the housemates were able to pull this through...as they say 'The game is the game.'


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Headfirst into the Taboo
Without fail, we're put under the financial spotlight at least once per conversation when we're chatting with the locals. We're used to it, because no matter how modestly dressed we are, we're gringos on bicycles. At first, we'd hem and haw, but after six weeks of practice here in Bolivia, we've honed diplomatic responses that satisfy curiosities without delving too deep into uncomfortable political and cultural truths. Here's how a typical conversation might unfold…
Question #1: How much do your bikes cost?
A: $800 (half the actual cost of the basic bike, and we don't include gear costs)
Question #2: How much does your trip cost?
A: $450 per month (again roughly half the true amount)
Question #3: How much is rent in California?
A: $800 for a room in a shared house in San Francisco, and that we can't afford to live alone. We quickly follow with "but in Indiana, a state in the middle of our country, you can find rent for $350."
Question #4: How much do you earn annually?
A: People our age generally make roughly $30,000, but it depends on the type of work and the cost of living is also higher.
Question #5: How much does a plate of food cost in the US?
A: $8-10 for lunch and $15-20 for dinner
There's an obvious trend in our responses. We continually try to reel in the Hollywood impression that everyone in the US is a privileged millionaire, which is a difficult and delicate an issue, when in a relative sense, we are.
Our Coin Purse, and Theirs
No doubt, we feel conflicted about our newfound purchasing power in Bolivia. We're relieved to be saving money as long-term travelers, but not accustomed to the status of high-rolling Americans. For context, here's a glimpse into the cost of living in Bolivia, prices we've encountered first hand and those we've learned from asking point blank, as the locals do. All prices are given in US dollars, converted at the current rate of 6.87 Bolivianos per dollar.
At the market…
- Bananas, 3 for $0.15
- Mandarins, 5 for $0.30
- Avocado (large and glorious), 1 for $0.60
- Bread roll size of tea plate, 1 for $0.07 (national rate based on a flour subsidy)
- Water crackers, one sleeve for $0.21
- 2 liter bottle of water, $0.90
- 2 liter bottle of Coca Cola, $1.75
- 2 liter bottle of Coka Quina, $1.02
- 660ml pilsner, $1.89
- Potatoes, 3 for $0.15
- 2 onions, 2 carrots, and a hot pepper, totals $0.30
- Corn cobs, 8 for $1.50
- Whole chicken, $1.05 per pound
Typical Meals:
- Breakfast that includes a fried dough and a glass of warm api (made from white corn meal, cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice), $0.45
- Lunch and dinner follow the general formula of a soup and a plate of rice topped with a fried chicken breast and side of fries, $1.75-2.18
- Internet, $0.90 per hour
- Toilet paper, $0.15 per roll
- Electric heater shower head (terrifying), $11.35
- Coca leaves, $5.09 per pound
- Bar of soap, $0.60
- Rent, small shop in tourist town of Coroico, $291 per month (terribly expensive, according to the tenant)
- Bed for a night, $2.90
- Four hour bus trip, $4.36
- Four hour hitch in a dump truck, $1.45
- Electricity for small apartment, $36.00 per month (incredibly expensive)
Four Figure Living
We've been able to live comfortably in Bolivia for roughly $11 per person, per day. That comes to $4,015 per year, including accommodations, transportation, food for cooking breakfast and dinner, snacks for lunch, internet time, James's Coca Cola addiction, and Katie's sweet tooth. Our bus costs can be heavy in one day, but over time they average out. (Yes, as unexpected as it may seem, we've found ourselves being transported, instead of transporting, in Bolivia, a necessary evil in this muddy mountainous paradise.)
So there it is, a piece of our financial story -and theirs- laid out. With it all in words, the US really does sound astronomical, but as we've learned, it's complicated to take it at face value.

subset: commoncrawl


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23rd September, 2015


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Here are my results:
Not bad, but could be better- I might have to brush up on my internet history… How did you do? Take the quiz and see how your knowledge of the internet compares to Americans…
Do you know Twitter's character limit? Or which is bigger: a megabyte or a kilobyte? Take our quiz to see how your knowledge of the web and digital technology stacks up against the online Americans in our survey.
Source: www.pewinternet.org
See on Scoop.it – ipadyoupad


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Framgångsrika utvärderingar på socialtjänstens område är beroende av information från både forskare, socialarbetare och brukare. Det skriver Sten Anttila på SBU och Björn Blom, professor i socialt arbete i Umeå.
Hvordan skal arbejdet med socialt udsatte mennesker organiseres? Det er et spørgsmål som har været aktuelt i den vestlige verden siden slutningen af 1800-tallet, da fattigvæsen og finantropi overgik til at blive det vi nu kalder socialt arbejde. Idag arbejder socialarbejdere i de nordiske lande næsten udelukkende i organisationer, først og fremmest i kommuner, regioner eller staten. I denne rapport, som handler om socialforvaltningens arbejde med børn og unge i Danmark, bliver det tydeligt, at spørgsmålet om, hvordan det socialt arbejde skal organiseres endnu ikke er besvaret, selv om problematikken har eksisteret i mere end 100 år.
Både under och efter studierna i socialt arbete kan det vara svårt att ta ett steg tillbaka och reflektera över vad det innebär att vara socialarbetare. Med det som utgångspunkt diskuterar Att bli socialarbetare kunskapsbasen i socialt arbete – från mänsklig utveckling till det sociala arbetets praktik – och undersöker hur dina egna värderingar, principer och erfarenheter tillsammans formar din identitet och praktik som socialarbetare.
The focus of my presentation is generative mechanisms, a basic concept and phenomenon within the meta-theoretical perspective of critical realism. Briefly, a generative mechanism is as a trans-empirical but real existing entity, making events occur. Mechanisms are mostly possible to grasp only indirectly by analytical work (theory building), based however on empirical observations. More specifically I will concentrate on generative mechanisms in social work practice, and how they differ from other types of generative mechanisms.
• Summary: A present trend in social work is the focus on evidence-based knowledge. This kind of knowledge does fill a purpose, but is not sufficient on its own. The article argues that social workers need a complement to knowing, and this approach could be conceptualized as un-knowing. In this article, a theory of un-knowing for social work practice is outlined. This implies a theoretical scrutiny of knowing and un-knowing and a discussion of how it can be used in practice. Moreover, the article presents findings from an empirical study of social work students who describe their usage of different forms of knowledge reflexively.
• Findings: The article presents the results of a study in which social work students' usage of different forms of knowledge in their field studies was examined. The results demonstrate that social work students use different forms of knowledge in practice, and un-knowing is one of the actively used forms. Women tend to use un-knowing somewhat more than men.
• Applications : The article is a contribution to the ongoing debate on evidence-based practice in social work. It is argued that it is important to teach social work students to understand un-knowing in theory and to use it in practice, and in combination with other forms of knowledge in social work.
Since the end of the 1980s, the introduction of market mechanisms in the public sector has been a dominant feature in Sweden. The same is true for the social services in several municipalities, where business style behaviour and organisation, and competition have become salient features of market-oriented social services.
The aim of the study is to describe and analyse: the structural conditions for market oriented personal social services; how social workers pursue client centred work in market oriented personal social services; the consequences of this market orientation on the personal social services.
The empirical study is a case study of the personal social services in the municipality of Linköping. The purchaser-provider model in Linköping is one of the most advanced and discussed in Sweden. The research comprises a quantitative pilot study and a qualitative main study. The main study is based on twenty semi-structured interviews with experienced social workers and their immediate superiors.
The analysis of the interviews reveals that the personal social services are only achieving to a lesser extent the ends that a quasi-market, theoretically, should achieve. The conditions that have to be satisfied to achieve the ends of the quasi-market are only partly met. Bureaucratic control is one important reason why the personal social services are imperfect as a quasi- market.
The re-organisation has resulted in a number of, to some extent, positive consequences. The re-organisation has, however, also resulted in some negative consequences. In the thesis these are categorised in terms of fragmentation, antagonism and obscurity. A linguistic change, in market oriented personal social services, appears to have influenced social workers to think and act differently in relation to their work.
The most important conclusion drawn from the study is that the market oriented personal social services partly function as a responsive quasi-market for strong, rational and well- informed clients. However, in relation to the most vulnerable, it is failing in many respects.
Research on evidence in social work, inspired by evidence research and evaluation in medicine, mainly builds on empirical correlations between standardized methods and its effects on clients. This kind of research is a prerequisite for evidence-based practice (EBP). The ambition is to verify that certain methods probably are more effective than others, but the content and processes in between interventions and results remains a black box. This kind of research and evaluation is mainstream in the field of EBP, and randomised controlled trials usually are regarded as "gold standard".
However, if the ambition is to explain how and why results emerge from the content of interventions and its contextual contingencies – to open up the black box – the research or evaluation task will be quite different. In order to discover the powers and causes in the social reality, that in a deeper sense explain empirical observations, we have to turn to a meta-theoretical perspective taking us beneath the empirical surface. Powers and causes in social reality are seldom observable, rather we must grasp them in terms of abstract entities like structures and patterns of generative mechanisms. It is a matter of developing theory about these structures and mechanisms, based on empirical observations. The meta-theoretical perspective critical realism can work as guide to this sub-empirical dimension of social reality.
This presentation presents the CAIMeR theory that connects critical realism to social work research and evaluation. This theory can help us explain the way results in social work practice arise from the content of interventions and its contextual contingencies.
Data from large-scale registers is often underutilized when evaluating addiction treatment programs. Since many programs collect register data regarding clients and interventions, there is a potential to make greater use of such records for program evaluation. The purpose of this article is to discuss the value of using large-scale registers in the evaluation and program planning of addiction treatment systems and programs. Sweden is used as an example of a country where register data is both available and is starting to be used in national evaluation and program planning efforts. The article focuses on possibilities, limitations and practicalities when using large-scale register data to conduct evaluations and program planning of addiction treatment programs. Main conclusions are that using register data for evaluation provides large amounts of data at low cost, limitations associated to the use of register data may be handled statistically, register data can answer important questions in planning of addiction treatment programs, and more accurate measures are needed to account for the diversity of client populations.
This collection provides new insights about current welfare professions in a number of European countries.
Focusing on research representing different types of European welfare states, including the Scandinavian and the Continental, the book offers in-depth understandings of professionals' everyday work within different contextual conditions, explored from empirical and theoretical perspectives. Subjects covered include knowledge and identity, education and professional development, regulation, accountability, collaboration, assessment and decision making.
This is a valuable contribution to the discussion of professionalism and welfare professions, offering lessons learned and ways forward.
Currently there is an effort to make social workers act according to principles of evidence-based practice. This approach assumes that by supporting social workers with reviews of "what works", or practice guidelines, decision-making, and knowledge use will improve.
Our paper discusses decision-making and knowledge use in social work practice. What kind of knowledge is used? How is decision-making conditioned by contextual contingencies? What are the implications for social work research?
The paper draws on two studies of social workers. From the study Social Workers and Doctors Use of Knowledge in Practice, written narratives describing problematic situations where decision-making were hampered were collected. The participants (29 social workers) were experienced and came from different areas of the Swedish social services.
The project "Specialization or integration in the Personal Social Services?" studied how specialised respectively integrated organisations condition interventions and outcomes. We studied three organisational models using several research methods: 1) survey among social workers, 2) interviewing politicians, mangers and social workers, 3) focus groups with social workers, 4) analysing official documents, guidelines etc.
Decision-making and knowledge use proved to be more complex than usually assumed within the EBP paradigm. It is seldom just a matter of rational decision-making and matching specific interventions and well-defined social problems. The character of the interaction with clients conditions social workers' decision-making and use of knowledge. Interaction with clients, perceived as being "problematic", causes a rupture in social workers' professional routine practice, which affects decision-making and knowledge use.
The predominant discourse on decision-making and knowledge use focuses on "the best" kind of knowledge, how knowledge should be implemented, as well as professionals' motivation and competence. Professional action is largely viewed as a rational cognitive process. However, this is insufficient and policy-makers and social work researcher should focus more on social and relational aspects (i.e. client encounters) of decision-making and knowledge use.
The presentation covers a comparative analysis of social services organizations in Sweden and China, which includes lessons for social work and social development practice.
The presentation describes how social services organizations in Sweden and China have developed since the 1970s, as well as their current state. This is followed by an analysis of these country's social services organizations, which focus on main advantages and disadvantages, for social workers and service users/clients. In conclusion, we present lessons for social work as well as the social development practice. The presentation is based on our own empirical research and a review of previous research in this area.
Sweden is one of the world's most developed welfare states and has had publicly organized social services, on a municipal level, since the 1950s. China has not had well-developed and modern systems of social welfare and social service. Moreover, the traditional social welfare system in China, formed during the planned economy era (1953-1978), is not adequate for the modern China. However, China is currently developing a welfare system with publicly organized social services. The Chinese transformation project is partly inspired from other countries, including Sweden.
The presentation includes a discussion of two common assumptions: 1) that social services organizations in western welfare states have been developed optimally, and that non-welfare states only need to copy them to obtain well-functioning social services, and 2) that welfare states like Sweden have little to learn from countries like China, concerning social services organizations. We argue that these assumptions are incorrect, e.g. by showing that social services organizations are not universally appropriate, and that such organizations cannot be detached from the culture and mentality in a country.
The focus of this article is the analysis of generative mechanisms, a basic concept and phenomenon within the metatheoretical perspective of critical realism. It is emphasized that research questions and methods, as well as the knowledge it is possible to attain, depend on the basic view – ontologically and epistemologically – regarding the phenomenon under scrutiny. A generative mechanism is described as a trans empirical but real existing entity, explaining why observable events occur. Mechanisms are mostly possible to grasp only indirectly by analytical work (theory-building), based however on empirical observations. In order to achieve such an explanatory analysis, five methodological steps are suggested and discussed, among them abduction and retroduction. These steps are illustrated throughout by examples drawn from empirical research regarding social work practice. The article is concluded with a discussion of the need for knowledge of generative mechanisms.
This theoretical article describes and discusses the concept of quality in relation to the evaluation of social-work practice. Of particular interest are the difference between quality of services and quality of life and the importance of balancing the stakeholders' different interests in order to make a sound judgement of quality in social work possible. This article begins with presenting some basic perspectives on quality as well as the transference of the concept of quality from manufacturing industry to social-work practice. Thereafter the two main issues are discussed: the concepts of quality of service and of quality of life and the importance of balancing different stakeholders' perspectives in the evaluation of quality in social-work practice. This article concludes that: 1) it is crucial to be aware of and to consider the distinction between quality of service and quality of life; 2) clients' perspective on quality of life is an aspect of outcome that currently receives insufficient attention; 3) clients' subjective experiences of welfare of well-being deserve greater attention for ethical as well as methodological reasons; and 4) judgement of quality in social work are inevitably dependent on different stakeholders' perspectives.
Summary: This article presents the CAIMeR theory, consisting of a conceptual framework and a theoretical model, which can help explain how results in social work practice arise from interventions and its contextual contingencies. The theory has been developed over several years in connection with empirical studies, and together with social workers. Findings: The article starts from the meta-theoretical perspective critical realism and its notion of explanative knowledge as a stepping stone to open up the so-called black box. A fundamental concept in critical realism, generative mechanisms, is discussed and elaborated. Applications: The CAIMeR theory can be used in several contexts: social work practice, and for evaluation of social work, and, moreover, for organization development in social work. We argue that social workers, evaluators and decision-makers need accurate theory about the core activity (work with clients) within its contextual conditions. The CAIMeR theory pays attention to generative mechanisms at different levels, which is necessary if one wants to understand what is going on in a certain agency, and explain the results in a more qualified way. The theory can also be useful for researchers and university students that need a comprehensive explanative framework when studying phenomena in social work practice.
I den här boken redovisas en teori som har ambitionen att både beskriva och förklara hur det sociala arbetet fungerar. Det är den första svenska boken i sitt slag som presenterar teori utvecklad specifikt ur och för det sociala arbetets praktik. En av grundfrågorna är: Hur kan man förklara hur resultat i socialt arbete uppstår som en följd av socialarbetares och klienters insatser under vissa kontextuella villkor? Teorin går under benämningen KAIMeR, vilket innebär att den på ett systematiskt och sammanhållet sätt beaktar teori om kontext, aktörer, insatser, mekanismer och resultat. Ett centralt inslag är begreppet generativa mekanismer, med vars hjälp man kan fånga de ofta icke observerbara krafter som gör begripligt hur resultat i socialt arbete uppstår som en följd av insatser och kontextuella villkor. I boken beskrivs också en domänteori som klargör hur socialarbetares professionsutövning betingas av politik, förvaltning och institutionella förhållanden i samhället. Boken vänder sig till studerande i socialt arbete och angränsande områden, men även till forskare, chefer och socialarbetare verksamma inom det sociala arbetets område.
This book presents a theory with the ambition of both describing and explaining the nature of social-work practice. It is the first book that presents an explanative theory developed specifically from and for social-work practice.
One of the fundamental questions is: How can we explain how results in social-work practice emanate from social worker's and clients' actions under certain contextual conditions?
The theory presented in this book is named CAIMeR, which means that it takes a systematic and coherent approach to the theory of Contexts, Actors, Interventions, Mechanisms and Results. The meta-theoretical basis is critical realism, where a key feature is the concept of generative mechanisms. This perspective can help us capture the often unobservable powers that explain how results in social work emerge as a consequence of interventions and contextual conditions. The book also presents a domain theory that explains how social workers' professional practice is conditioned by politics, management and institutional conditions.
This book is essential reading for students in social work and adjoining disciplines, but also for researchers, managers and professional social workers.


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Christian boys,
I know it is hard to resist the urge when you develop thoughts about your little wiener becoming erect. Whenever this happens, you must NOT give in to the devil, for spilling your seed, unless it involves special relationships with a married female, is WRONG and immoral! If you feel the urge to touch yourself inappropriately, try putting your hands on the Bible and remember that you must not give into sin. You will feel happier and more confident once you learn to overcome temptation. And while your at it, avoid looking at Maxim magazines or other pornographic magazines that are full of sinful images. These magazines come from the devil, so don't let Satan destroy you relationship with Jesus. Say NO to masturbation.
Martin Baker


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Wellington business welcomes cut-price fuel retailer
Businesses will welcome the arrival in the Wellington region of fuel cost-cutter Waitomo, says Business Central.
"This is good news because competition is always good for any market, and particularly when it involves a disrupting company like Waitomo," says Chief Executive John Milford.
"Their move into Upper Hutt today, and their plan to do the same in Wellington City in July, are welcome, because not only do they offer cut-price fuel but their presence tends to force down the price demanded by other companies nearby.
"It's all good news for businesses that rely on transport in some way to enable them to go about their daily business, and it's also good news for the public."


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Mining and energy ministers descend on TXF Africa 2017
From MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – AFRICAN mining and energy executives will together with ministers converge in Kenya at the end of the month to discuss prevailing trends in the industry.
Dan Kazungu Muzee, Cabinet Sectary at the Ministry of Mining in Kenya, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker for the event tagged TXF Africa 2017 (http://APO.af/NtdnQm), March 29-30, in Nairobi.
Muzee joins Hon. Armah Kofi-Buah, Minister of Energy and Petroleum for Ghana until December 2016 and current Shadow Minister and Chairman of the West Africa Pipeline, to bolster the presence of ministerial seniority at the pan-African event, which covers project, export and commodity finance.
Muzee will speak on a mining panel with leading mining figures, to discuss trends in commodity pricing, current opportunities in mergers and acquisitions, and whether producers active in Africa should invest in technological upgrades to existing projects.
Last year, the sector accounted for just 1 percent of the country's GDP, with Kazangu citing an 'historic lack of investment' and 'outdated national mining legislation' as the root of the sector's low output woes.
He has written a 20-year strategy which aims to double last year's government mining revenues by June this year, while setting a goal of 10 percent of GDP by 2030 – a figure likely to be well over $7 billion.
– CAJ News


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The month of December has been a very interesting one for me. This year I've been fortunate enough to celebrate Chanukah, Christmas coming tomorrow and next week is Kwanzaa. Tradition is interesting, even if it's not your own. Several of us celebrated the 6th night of Chanukah with our neighbor Dan and we got to learn some Israeli folk dances and eat traditional food. Tradition and the holidays give us an excuse to give gifts, give thanks and get together with people who are important in our lives.
This year I had a "family" party, Italian Night at the Calandrino's for 30 of my friends. We sang holiday songs; ate the best food (cooked by all), drank wine, sang, ate lots of desserts and sang some more. It was wonderful; everyone was kind, concerned and it felt like family. I reminded me of the Olive Garden commercial, "when you're here it's like family." I received so many nice notes thanking me for getting everyone together.
It has made me stop and think; why do we wait a year to get together with people that are important? I mean, how many years do we have on this earth? Let's say you have 70 years left, does this mean you'll only see your best friends 70 times? It's also possible you won't recognize anyone after year 65 from now. Getting together once a month makes more sense, doesn't it? I have discussed it with my friends and they all agree and have offered help to make it happen.
Caring about others is never as striking as during "the season." Today I was in the beauty salon and one of the technicians said, will I be able to get my paycheck today? The reply from the owner: I don't think so; we didn't take in any cash, only checks. Of course that put the technician in a snit. Single mom with two kids. While the owner is out shopping and telling everyone that she has her shopping done. On the other side, my downstairs neighbor, Irma, received a surprise bouquet of roses. The florist sent them because Irma was kind enough to accept a delivery for me and the delivery man was going to be late! It made Irma's day; and I hate to throw this in, but that's what I call Red Hot Customer Service!
Unexpected, out-of-the-ordinary and very nice.
Now it's your turn. What will you be doing for the holidays and whose day will you make?
I want to thank all of you for the support you've given me this year while I have been growing my blog and testing new waters. It's wonderful to know that you are out there; many of you drop me an email now and then or comment on my blog. How about this year you leave more comments and ideas so we have new things to talk about? Let me know what's going on in your neck of the woods and what you're doing through the holidays?
Whomever thought that cyberspace was impersonal didn't know what they were talking about.
Happy Holidays, and love to you all.


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Michelle Pfeiffer has gone vegan — and she'd like to thank CNN and a certain former president for the push.
"I was finishing up working on, I think it was 'Dark Shadows.' And I was watching CNN, and 'The Last Heart Attack' came on," she told Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The actress, who describes herself as a "foodie," said Clinton's success with the diet also made her a believer. "OK, Bill Clinton loves food, so there must be something to [veganism] that's making him stick to it. And also, he's smart, so he's not going to do something unless he really thinks there's some science behind it," she said.
Pfeiffer, 54, went on to read the book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" (which advocates for a plant-based and oil-free diet) and determined that going vegan was the best option for her.
"I just felt like ... there was science behind it," she said. "And, you know, it was sort of irrefutable. ... I couldn't not listen to it. My father died from cancer, and the older you get, there's a lot of disease around you. And you see people struggling with chronic disease. You see people dying with terminal illnesses. And if in any way ... this is true, then you kind of have to listen to it."
Pfeiffer is the latest in a long line of celebrities embracing veganism for better health and looks. Other recent converts include Lance Armstrong, Carrie Underwood, Jason Mraz and even NFL player Deuce Lutui.
"If you were to go to my house and open up the fridge, you'd see all-vegan, all-natural products," Lutui recently said. "I'm glad I've educated myself about what's going in my mouth. I've educated myself, and that's what's causing my fitness and how I've really taken care of myself physically."
You can see some of Pfeiffer's chat with Gupta below. The full interview airs this evening on "Piers Morgan Tonight" at 9 p.m. ET.


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If you can't get enough of your iPhone, then visit Jailbreak Toys for some wonderfully crafted App Magnets for $13. These magnets are perfect for hanging up a young child's artwork from school, a note to pick up something from the grocery store or simply to hang your cell phone bill.
For whatever you need to use them for, there's an app magnet for that!
Those magnets looks very cool!!
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Forced by Wizards of the Coast, the website is permanently closed.
No, not Zeromagic. Magic Draft Simulator. Obviously, WotC have the right to do this. Obviously, they also think it's a great idea.
I, on the other hand, see a site closed which has been doing free PR for Magic. I fail to understand how its existence could hurt, in any conceivable way, WotC's sales. I have quite a good idea, however, how its existence could help these sales. Well, but maybe I'm just naive.
At least, there is no longer a hard choice between MagicDraftSim or LeBestiaire if you want to do a few practice drafts to get a feeling for a draft environment. Well, at least as long as WotC don't close LeBestiaire as well, that is.Explore posts in the same categories: Links
Tags: closed, Draft, LeBestiaire, MagicDraftSim, Simulator, WotCBoth comments and pings are currently closed.
9 Comments on "Forced by Wizards of the Coast, the website is permanently closed."
April 18, 2012 at 3:44 am
There is zero chance that you know what you are talking about. there is/was NO connection between magic online and draftsim.com. NONE. ZIP. ZERO. ZILCH. NADA. the 2 are COMPLETELY unrelated. You can't draft a deck on any sim and then magically import it to magic online. Not in this universe or any other. Not sure where you came up with that doozy ….
April 19, 2012 at 7:22 am
MagicDraftSim was an awesome draft practice tool with limited effectiveness. It did a great job of simulating drafts (to a point) and did not threaten MTGO in the slightest. In fact, it linked MTGO and provided info on how to download it. The site, I am sure, did much more to add business to WOTC than ever take anything away. If the members of WOTC who had a hand in this had any brains at all, they would have bought out MagicDraftSim to replace its own ineffective and useless Draft Simulator.


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|Il Nido
The writer shuffled and reshuffled the pile of papers on his desk. The sudden urgency in organizing the organized desk was directly proportionate to the growing lack of inspiration. The white screen showed no text whatsoever and his demeanor shifted between utter helplessness and violent indignation.
If he could, he'd steal someone's work, although he would never admit to even remotely considering doing it.
The writer turned to his computer to browse writing sites for new ideas. After several hours, he tripped over a shadow writer offering an unpublished manuscript in a writing forum. He called the man and set up a meeting.
The manuscript was surprisingly fresh and it had it needed to be a worldwide success. The writer took it under his name without changing anything but a few typos. The shadow man took his money, an extravagant million dollars, and disappeared.
When the book was published, a scandal broke out. The manuscript turned out to be an exact translation of a book recently published by an obscure unknown Portuguese writer.
No one ever heard of the uninspired writer again or of the shadow.
The Portuguese became famous worldwide, understandably.
And one could undoubtedly say that this was the best paid translation in the history of publishing.


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NEARLY a dozen Hampshire Police employees have been arrested, including one officer on suspicion of rape, in recent years, the Echo can reveal.
Figures from 2015 to 2018 reveal eight police constables, two volunteer constables and one police staff worker were arrested for a variety of alleged offences, including drink-driving, threats to kill and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.
One special constable was arrested on suspicion of rape – though he was not charged and police took no further action.
Figures show only one of the 11 employees was jailed.
This was a police constable who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for indecent assault.
Hampshire police say all 11 employees were either dismissed or resigned while under internal investigation.
The figures have been described as a "shock" by MP Royston Smith.
But the Southampton Itchen MP also praised the force for dealing with each case "quickly and appropriately".
He said: "It is of course a shock to discover police officers have been charged with crimes but they are people like the rest of society.
"It is a relief that in each instance they have been dealt with quickly and appropriately and that they are no longer serving police officers."
The figures were released as part of an investigation by the Daily Echo's parent company, Newsquest, who sent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to 43 police forces across the country.
In total, 31 forces responded with figures, which showed a total of 913 officers and 272 staff members had been arrested across those areas between 2015 and 2018.
Among the arrests disclosed to and analysed by Newsquest's Data Investigations Unit were more than 300 violent offences, 142 sex crimes (including 13 rapes) and at least 100 traffic offences, with several employees apprehended - and 43 banned from the roads - after being caught drink or drug driving.
Hampshire Police initially refused Newsquest's FOI request on cost grounds.
But the force later released the figures, which they say do not include Hampshire Police employees arrested in other areas of the country.
Detective Superintendent Nigel Lecointe, from Hampshire Constabulary's Professional Standards Department, said: "Hampshire Constabulary expects the highest standards from its officers and staff and will take action against those who commit criminal offences or breach the standards of professional behaviour."
One figure not included in the statistics was that of ex-Hampshire Police officer PC Keith Burgess, who was jailed for 30 months in 2017 after he was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in public office in connection with "inappropriate" behaviour towards two teenage girls.
The case involved "sexualised" messages and actions towards two girls, in 2014 and 2015, while the 44-year-old was working as a neighbourhood officer in Southampton.


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One Stop from Londonderry on the road to global business success
Employees at a Londonderry data research and tele-marketing centre, which has been assisted by Invest Northern Ireland, have helped to ensure the success of a big Asian investment conference.
One Stop Data (OSD), an inward investment company based at Skeoge Business Park, worked with the host government to ensure the attendance of key global decision makers at the conference. OSD has its head office in Ewell, near Epsom in Surrey and recently celebrated its first year operating at Derry.
OSD's success in global markets was outlined by Pauline Murphy, the company's managing director and founder, during a meeting with Des Gartland, Invest NI's North West Regional Office Manager. Invest NI has provided a range of financial and other practical support to the company including for international marketing to assist OSD's growth in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Murphy said: "In the first year of business in Northern Ireland we've surpassed the key targets set when we started up here in terms of business to business and client telemarketing projects. The results far outweigh any expectations we had a year ago. Invest NI's support for the business and particularly our marketing drive has been invaluable.
"In addition to a highly trained team of callers, we have achieved a global expertise not found anywhere else in the industry. Language capabilities from French and Spanish to more specialised language requests, make the One Stop tele-research team here the only one of its kind with such quality and international reach. The work to ensure the success of the Asian investment conference is an excellent example of this dedication and expertise.
"I have been so impressed with the professionalism of the team in Derry. They tackle all the projects with great enthusiasm and dedication thatresults in suchpositive feedback from our clients. Some of our projects are very challenging and needgreat attention to detail but every single one has been successful. We are looking forward to expanding our tele-research team to meet the growing need for high quality and compliant marketing," she added.
Mr Gartland said: "One Stop Data is a tremendous success story and one which has showcased the outstanding quality and versatility of people in Derry and from other parts of the North West. We assisted the company to set up in Northern Ireland and to grow its operations through a range of support including from the Jobs Fund.
"The company is benefiting substantially from the high quality office accommodation and high-speed internet connections in Londonderry, connections which will be further enhanced by Project Kelvin.
"We have worked closely with management to assist in achieving targets particularly in terms of business outside Northern Ireland. Encouragingly the company now draws more than 70 per cent of its business from good quality customers in locations outside the UK."
Established in 2001, One Stop Data is now a market leader for local and global lists, databases and lead generation. The company opened the operation in Londonderry in 2011 and has achieved Investor in People status.


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Tag Archives: 15 minutes
Welcome to the New 15 Minutes of WoW
Hello and welcome! If you're a returning reader coming over from the old site – thanks for following me here, stalking is normally weird but this time is appreciated! For those just joining, you won't notice that I'm using a … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged 15 minutes, 15 minutes of wow, move, new site, site, transition, warcraft, webhosting, website, wordpress.com, wordpress.org, world of warcraft, wow Leave a comment


text: Wellness Coaching offers members the opportunities to problem solve and break through barriers in order to achieve personal goals. One on one support from a trained and certified Wellness Coach will not only help you work toward your personal goals but also help you discover your best self. Sessions can be tailored to weight loss,


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Do you want to maintain the Green Line and Bidwell Ranch, balanced growth, conservation, and promote local businesses, vote for Ann Schwab for City Council.
I have known Ann since she was on the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission. Ann is a good listener who will base her decisions for the common good.
— Gerda Lydon, Chico


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How can Yoga help you sleep?
Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep as it is commonly known, is an immensely powerful meditation technique, and one of the easiest yoga practices to develop and maintain. While the practitioner rests comfortably in savasana (rest pose), this systematic meditation takes you through the pancha maya kosha (five layers of self), leaving you with a sense of wholeness. No longer do you have to dread spending hours sitting on the floor waiting for liberation. Here are five benefits of developing a yoga nidra practice.
1. Anyone Can Do Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra is a practice that everyone, from children to seniors, can do. It's easy to follow at any age. All that your body needs to do is lie down on the floor, in the rest pose. And even if you can't lie down on the floor, you can still do this practice seated.
Yoga nidra … is a practice that everyone, from children to seniors, can do.
2. You Cannot Practice Yoga Nidra Incorrectly
As you lie down, all you have to do is follow the voice that is guiding you. It's likely that you will remember certain parts of the meditation and not others. Every time you come to the practice you encounter a new experience—none of which is wrong. Falling asleep is okay too, as you will still receive benefits while the unconscious mind is absorbing the practice.
3. Yoga Nidra Is Easy to Incorporate into Your Daily Life
Seated meditation can be frustrating—trying to clear the mind, bring awareness back to the breath, or find inspiration for focusing. Yoga nidra is always guided, so there is no intense thinking or wondering why you are staring at a blank wall. A yoga nidra practice can be as short as five minutes and as long as an hour. You choose the length. You may find that the easiest way to accommodate a yoga nidra practice is to make it part of your daily bedtime routine. Put the headphones on, practice right in your bed, and then drift off to sleep. Although this is not the most conventional way to practice yoga nidra, you have no excuse not to do it if you're going to be lying down anyway.
4. It's a Simple Way to Reduce Stress
Yoga nidra promotes deep rest and relaxation that isn't found in your average meditation practice. The stages of body scan and breath awareness alone can be practiced to calm the nervous system, leading to less stress and better health.
5. Yoga Nidra Offers the Opportunity to Learn About Yourself Intimately
Some people crave the profound relaxation that this practice instils, while other practitioners use the non-judgmental and secure atmosphere that yoga nidra provides as a window into themselves. Yoga nidra offers a space to explore what you need in the moment, as well as an opportunity to work on releasing long-held emotions. During yoga nidra you are able to experience an emotion and come "face to face" with what you want to overcome, without "diving into it" completely—meaning without feeling the emotion so completely that you become overwhelmed. Over time you continue to experience the emotion and associated feelings, moving deeper into the practice.
Yoga nidra offers a space to explore what you need in the moment,
as well as an opportunity to work on releasing long-held emotions.
Anyone wishing to look into Yoga further should contact Yoga Dragon, who run classes from the same building as our Lancaster store is located or go to facebook.com/YogaDragonStudio/


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G2 Mobile Advanced AMR
Interactive chart- Click on subsystem for info
Endpoint Radios
The M2w is a remote radio with compatibility for most water meter registers. The M2w provides 2-way RF datalogging down to 1-minute resolution and also provides data pre-processing for common consumption patterns such as leaks, high usage, backflow and zero-usage/theft.
The innov8 register can be ordered with an embedded M2w radio. This solution provides a register + radio with compatibility for most water meters. The innov8 provides all functionality of the M2w plus the convenience of a register that can improve low flow accuracy and log every rotation of the meter's magnet.


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EU Ecuador Conference
The Daily Brief – Ecuador and the EU Conference
A far cry and centuries removed from the days of European colonialism, the continent of Europe is rediscovering the bounty which the market of Ecuador represents. This month ushered in the grand Unión Europea Expo (European Union Expo) – the EU Ecuador conference in Quito, Ecuador. Amidst much fanfare and an elaborate ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ecuador welcomed the friendly "European invaders" ashore and into the new world of dynamic economic investment, development and progress which is Ecuador, under the Correa Administration.
The press was welcomed into an event designed to place both the Ecuadorean private and public sectors center stage in the world of Foreign Direct Investment, finance and capital investment. It was a well-designed showcase, featuring the vast array of opportunities which now exist throughout Ecuador. The event program welcomed this opportunity as, "…a way to reinforce and assist the mutually complimentary objectives of both communities."
A well assembled delegation of European Union (EU) member states met directly with the highest ranking officials of Ecuador's Foreign Commerce Department, to find ways to enhance cooperation and economic market progress, especially along the lines of production based and industrial sector development within Ecuador, targeted at exportation to Europe. This directly addresses two central themes in the Economic Development Plan of the Correa Administration, namely, the greater emphasis on domestic production of goods and services, as well as an emphasis on growing Ecuador's still nascent exportation base.
However, the topics addressed for the evolution of Ecuadorean and EU trade were vast in scope, including technology, infrastructure development, telecommunications, logistics, financing and educational initiatives. Ecuador representatives cited as the most critical aspect of these discussions the development of an ongoing dialog and understanding, as to how Ecuador and the EU can establish a long-term, mutually beneficial framework for the advancement of private sector capital enterprise between the two regions. Another recurring theme was the central issue of educating and training an Ecuadorean workforce to meet the demands and standards of the EU marketplace, again emphasizing a central plank of the Correa Agenda, in the promulgation of higher education initiatives.
Perhaps most center stage of all, was the Yachay City of Knowledge project, more prominently known as "Ecuador's Silicon Valley" initiative. European investment was requested in terms of providing technological assistance, educational initiatives and infrastructure build-out, to assist in the rapid advancement of the project, to be located approximately 30-45 minutes outside of Quito. It was emphasized that while 60% of current Ecuador product export is focused on "primary products", the Ecuadorean marketplace is evolving into a more diverse export market economy. The application of greater technological advances is essential in promoting and expanding the exportation of more advanced and more profitable export product.
Lastly, the topic of creative, non-traditional financing was also a "hot button" issue at the Ecuador – EU Conference. An emphasis was placed upon the need to locate funding for private sector projects in Ecuador and it was noted that European capital markets could gain a strong return on investment ROI) by considering Ecuador as a fertile market for financing initiatives.
Overall, the conference was a very positive, accommodating event, with all parties appearing to enjoy the dialog. The impression was that greater accord between the EU and Ecuador was beyond a promising possibility, but a clear reality today, if one has watched the progress of EU private sector entities in Ecuador, from countries such as Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. During a time when the Western mainstream press continues to be mired in some odd 1970s-style "cold-war" mentality, the EU and Ecuador grow considerably closer in establishing long-term economic ties. A positive progress that offers much promise for both regions. That was the energy reverberating throughout the 2013 EU Ecuador Conference.
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Then make sure to check out our Bookstore... we have titles packed full of premium offshore intel. Instant Download - Print off for your private library before the government demands we take these down!


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Global Eagle Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ:ENT) (GEE) is unveiling its new Airtime Portal for cruise ships at Seatrade Cruise Global 2017 in Florida this week. This new service keeps passengers busy enjoying Wi-Fi, instant messaging, social media, live TV, movies, games, news and more directly to passengers' own mobile devices anywhere on the ship.
The Airtime Portal is derived from Global Eagle's proven platform which has been deployed on hundreds of commercial airlines. The company will transition its existing cruise ship portals to the new technology over the next 12 months in a way that minimizes disruption for ship operators.
When coupled with Global Eagle's patented SpeedNet™ web browsing technology, the new portal will give passengers a high-speed Wi-Fi experience similar to what they get on shore. With Global Eagle's selection of fully licensed award-winning movies, destination guides, port information, scheduled activities, special promotions, ship tracking, near-real-time news and sports clips and televised events. Content is available in multiple languages and can be tailored to passenger demographics. The Airtime web user interface provides an electronic program guide that mimics an in-home entertainment center allowing passengers to see what is up next on live TV through the convenience of their own device. It is fully customizable to maximize brand engagement and create special promotions.
Global Eagle's Airview reporting dashboard is a suite of data-rich back-office tools to monitor and analyze portal performance. Payments, performance data and logs are offloaded, and fresh content is uploaded, via a Wi-Fi connection when the ship is in port.
The flexible Airtime Portal also provides a host of opportunities for cruise operators to generate incremental revenue by monetizing passenger interactions with engaging content, enabling real-time transactions with built-in security and digital ads and sponsorships. It enables payments to be made to credit and debit cards or to the folio. It also integrates with the company's loyalty programs to deliver customized pricing depending on the passenger's loyalty status.
Ole Kristian Sivertsen, president of Global Eagle's cruise, ferry and yacht services commented that with the launch of the Airtime Portal, they can now offer their customers a fully integrated package of connectivity services, live TV programming and content browsing, all merged together with a highly flexible front-end that supports the optimal onboard guest experience aligned with the cruise line's profitability. http://geemedia.com


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As part of a European Social Fund (ESF) sponsored scheme, the University of Exeter is offering FREE short courses and taster sessions aimed at increasing knowledge and developing skills in the workplace and also to help you to prepare to enter a different job sector
These courses and taster sessions form part of the ESF- funded Widening Participation in Education Project. They are designed to give an introduction to higher education and allow you to learn more about a subject you might be thinking of studying, in an informal setting.
In addition to their 'Mining 101' short course, Cornwall Mining Alliance member, Camborne School of Mines (University of Exeter) is offering a free 'Geology & Gems' taster session at the Penryn Campus on Tuesday 28th August, from 10.00am to 2.00pm. There will be a two-hour lecture on Geology and Gems delivered by the Camborne School of Mines and short talks on finance and student services. Current students will be on hand to answer any questions and lunch will be provided.
This is a great opportunity to take a tour of the campus and explore the world-class facilities. More information can be found HERE and any interested individuals are invited to contact email@example.com.


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Erin Lynn
Assistant Director of Creative Writing
Creative Writing Program: AUST 146
Long River Review: AUST 147
Creative Writing Program
University of Connecticut
215 Glenbrook Road, U-4025
Storrs, CT 06269-4025
Submission Guidelines
Poetic Journeys invites UConn students, faculty, and staff to submit poems for consideration for publication in next year's series.
The poems that work best for Poetic Journeys are short—no longer than eight lines. If you would like to submit a longer poem, you may suggest an excerpt that stands on its own by highlighting the lines within the Word document.
Submissions may be emailed as Word documents to: firstname.lastname@example.com
You may submit up to three poems. Please be sure to include the following information for each poet:
—Full name
—University affiliation
—Contact info (address, phone)
—Email address
Winners will be announced in Spring 2018.
Entries must be received by.


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Correction Appended
Western and non-Western (or "ethnic") clothes used to be defined in terms of fashion versus costume or national dress. Fashion was dynamic and inventive, eager to borrow from all kinds of cultures. Dress and costume were bound first and foremost to tradition; shaped of ritual and social practice committed to cultural preservation, not change.
Then again, the divisions between art and craft used to be absolutely fixed as well; likewise those between high and popular or vernacular art. As recently as the 1980's, visitors to museums were sternly warned not to view exhibitions of work from Africa, Asia or South America as "art" per se, but rather as collections of objects for religious and social use.
Of course there is historical truth here. But truth is much more varied and mutable on both sides than we once thought. Context matters.
We are still left with the problem of how to organize. How should we categorize all those rooms in museums given over to French, English and Early American furniture, to jewelry and silver? What about religious paintings or portraits commissioned by kings and wealthy merchants? Art or objects for social and religious use?
Nothing embodies the shift in categories and ways of seeing more than clothing. For as it turns out, there is no part of the world where traditional dress and modernity -- where group and individual styles -- don't meet.
Last week I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute to see "Rara Avis," an exhibition of clothes and accessories from the collection of Iris Barrel Apfel. Mrs. Apfel is much more than a connoisseur, she is an authoritative collector of antique fabric, a restoration consultant and, with her husband, the founder of Old World Textiles.
She loves nothing better than prowling through thrift shops, salons and flea markets. (She jokes that she must have been a hunter-gatherer in a previous life.)
Designers often call women with great style their muses. Mrs. Apfel has been her own muse. She has used her body as a meeting ground for the designs of haute couture and hoi polloi; of modernity and antiquity. The clothes of celebrated designers -- Nina Ricci, James Galanos, Lanvin, Geoffrey Beene -- are her palette. (So is upholstery fabric in the case of a leopard print A-line coat with matching boots and bag.) The work is finished after she has added a truly wondrous range of objects -- bracelets from Turkey, cuffs from India, necklaces from South America, belts from North American Indian tribes, wraps, tobacco pouches and cuirasses. They are like found objects.
Much of the jewelry, Western and non-Western, is mounted in cases or placed on scarlet-gloved hands. Each piece begins to look like a separate life form. Surely there is a species of black leather dragonfly somewhere, or a coal mine that produces lumps shaped like cuff bracelets and studded with rhinestones.
A few days after seeing "Rara Avis," I went to the Axis Gallery in Chelsea to see "Mfengu: Personal Objects and Textiles from South Africa." It is an elegantly small collection. Skirts, cloaks and headscarves hang on the wall: this is dress as art. It is refined minimalism. (My colleague Holland Cotter cited the delicate severity of Agnes Martin.) The patterns of detailed, whimsical beading made me also think of Paul Klee. And the black headscarves look like constellations, with patterns of pale thread and white buttons that form circular and geometric shapes.
It was tempting to think of this art as timeless. But then there was the fabric, which had once come from cattle skin, and had long since been adapted for use as British military blankets. The second room of the gallery was filled with mannequins dressed in 1960's clothes -- pleated, wrapped, draped and always marvelously beaded -- worn by South African Zulu and Xhosa women.
What a glorious mélange of tradition and innovation! Dress had long been a code in these societies; you could tell a woman's ethnicity, age group and marital status from the color, shape and beading of her clothes and by her accessories. But here were beaded sunglasses fit for Bootsy Collins and Elton John, and a beaded headband topped by a western kerchief.
Engaged women wrapped beads around thick bands of industrial steel brought to them by fiancés who worked in South Africa's mines. In some cases, glass beads that were once Venetian had given way to state-of-the-art plastic. Necklaces worn by nursing mothers (called "nursing charms") were traditionally made from wood. Now, some resourceful craftswomen were making them from empty syringe cases and toothpaste caps.
Western fashion lives by the myth of individuality even when it is dictated ("In: Purple. Out: Turquoise"), duplicated (ready-to-wear clothes) or mass-produced with a brand (Stella McCartney for H & M). How little we know about the individuality of non-Western clothes, especially among groups determined to preserve their traditions. Joan Broster, the fashion historian who collected South African clothes, was a pioneer in the field.
Iris Barrel Apfel is truly an original. I expected that, and it delighted me. What I didn't expect -- and what delighted me just as much -- was the originality to be found among these rural South African women whose names we will never know.
"Rara Avis" continues through Jan. 22 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue at 82d Street, (212) 535-7710. "Mfengu" continues through Dec. 22 at Axis Gallery, 453 West 17th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues, (212) 741-2582.
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK Correction: December 14, 2005, Wednesday A Critic's Notebook article yesterday about two clothing exhibitions misstated the name of the textile company co-founded by Iris Barrel Apfel, whose collection of clothes and accessories is used in the "Rara Avis" show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is Old World Weavers, not Old World Textiles.


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This morning the Juventus team trained at Vinovo in preparation of the trip to Bologna, taking place this Sunday 17 December (15:00 CET), at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
The emphasis of today's work was on strength and conditioning, under the watchful eye of Massimiliano Allegri. The team will again be back on the field tomorrow afternoon, as they move a day closer towards Sunday's challenge.


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32 Shadowing Experiences via InfoTechWNY Shadow Days
On the days of January 17 and 18 of 2018 a collaboration between InfoTechWNY, various local colleges, and many companies in Western New York provided shadow opportunities to several college level students. Every year, the planning starts early for InfoTechWNY and the program leader Melissa Ruggiero, an InfoTech WNY volunteer and Sr. Associate Director of the Career Resource Center at University at Buffalo School of Management.
After a call to InfoTechWNY member companies and various local colleges, the match making process starts. Melissa works directly with the WNYACCC (Western New York Association of College Career Centers), an association of all college career counselors that have the ability to message students in specific programs and forward messages to key faculty. Each student signed up is able to select which type of industry shadow opportunity that they are interested in, while Melissa works to provide the best opportunity by matching that student with a similar participating company or industry opportunity. The 2018 Shadow Days program allowed 29 college level students to shadow at 9 different companies in WNY. 32 shadowing experiences happened overall in 2018, as three students shadowed on both days with two different companies.
Students from the following companies participated:
- Buffalo State College – 9
- Canisius College – 1
- Erie Community College – 4
- University at Buffalo – 15
The following companies participated:
- Applied Sciences Group
- Clinical Support Services
- Computers For Children / Mission: IGNITE
- HealthNow - BlueCross BlueShield of WNY
- Shatter I.T.
- Superior IT Innovations, Inc. an Aleron Company
- The Buffalo News, Inc.
- TxMQ
An example taken from University at Buffalo participating students displays the various levels and industry opportunities that were placed for InfoTechWNY's Shadow Days. Six of the University at Buffalo students were Bachelor of Science level in the computer science program. The remaining students from UB were from the School of Management; three students were Bachelor of Science students in management, two were MBA students; and the remaining students are earning their master of science in MIS.
A comment from the program's anonymous student evaluation offers, "Overall, this was an absolutely amazing experience! I wish there were multiple throughout the year and that I knew about it earlier than my senior year." One of the shadow providers responded to the survey with "Our student conducted himself in a very professional manner. He'd be someone I'd consider hiring if I had an opportunity for someone with his skill set and experience level."
InfoTechWNY cannot thank the participating companies enough for offering such an important educational experience to college students of WNY this past week. If you are a company, educational institution, or college level student interested in participating in our next Shadow Days program, please contact Melissa Ruggiero, InfoTechWNY Volunteer, at email@example.com.


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VIC Office Market Report Lunch
Click here to launch PDF file: Office Market Report Slides Feb 2017
Click here to launch PDF file: Office Market Report Slides Feb 2017
Unlisted property funds allows for a system for buyers searching for commercial and industrial property to take part in a investment purchase they might not possess the funds to normally invest themselves.
Unlisted property funds or trusts are also known as syndicates, are an alternate method to purchase large property. Traders purchase 'units' in a trust qualities or holding investment property, that are handled with one of our qualified investment managers.
Usually the first capital remains used before property resource(s) comes once the trust ends, and any net profits are spread amongst the buyers. Throughout the trust's existence, investors receive income distributions which are settled at set times (e.g. monthly or quarterly).
As the managers of the trust, Terraplex handles the related management maintenance and book collection. The home category might be industrial, retail, professional or various others including schools.
Gearing levels in unlisted property funds are usually moderate (in comparison) and so fit more fairly inside the banks hunger for financing in the present environment.
There are numerous elements when evaluating a possible investment within an unlisted property fund that buyers should think about:
Terraplex have many customers who've committed to unlisted property funds which have seen tremendous success. If you are interested in more information about our unlisted property funds and property trusts contact us today.
Terraplex is a boutique Australian property investment management and investing company specialising in the acquisition and management of investment grade commercial property.
Terraplex's company objective is to provide its investors with access to Australian real estate investment opportunities which deliver superior returns and generate sustainable income and capital growth through prudent acquisition and active management. The opportunities are provided in simple investment vehicles that offer complete transparency.
We offer investors the focus, energy and commitment of a 'boutique' fund manager, whilst providing institutional grade reporting and deal sourcing capabilities which allows our property investment company to avoid conflicts and inefficiencies that often exist with larger organisations.
We recently received approval from Heritage Victoria for the proposed subdivision into 12 allotments. This approval was conditional on four conditions, three of which were painting (some of which we were already intending to do). The fourth point related to some patching of some rendering on certain chimneys. Our consultants Lovell Chen advise us this is a very good outcome.
As prefaced in the last update, we now have the majority of approvals required for the subdivision from the various Authorities, which is very pleasing.
The painting will require specialist resources as it includes the extensive verandah and restoration of the painted façade above the Bendigo Bank. We are sourcing quotes at present. The large number of power lines along the Clarendon Street frontage make it a more complex job as we need to deal with CitiPower, Yarra Trams and of course Council.
Terraplex continues to closely monitor the retail market in similar established shopping strips. The market remains very strong with yields regularly ranging in the 3.0% to 4.00% band.
There was a very encouraging sale at 278 Clarendon Street in April. The shop was leased to hamburger franchise Grilled and sold for $3.36m which reflected an initial yield of 3.4%. Another sale in May at 182-188 Clarendon Street was a standout result with an owner occupier paying $5.985m for a retail showroom. It was $2m over the reserve price.
CBRE are auctioning a retail shop at 268 Park Street which is very close to our property. There was some very interesting information in their marketing material which we thought we would share with investors:
• Population growth throughout South Melbourne is being driven by a number of small to medium size boutique developments. There are around 800 apartments under construction in the immediate area which will lead to an increase in the area's population leading to higher foot traffic and larger retail spend.
• South Melbourne residential house prices have grown by an average of 19.65% per annum since 2013.
• 40% of South Melbourne's population is aged between 20-39 with significant discretionary income to spend on food and fashion.
A summary of key demographic indicators in the area as noted by CBRE are outlined below:
The Port Melbourne investment market continues to be tightly held. Major works continue in the immediate vicinity with the massive extension of Web Dock well underway.
The GMH site opposite our building remains in exclusive due diligence with Goodman Group. They are planning a major commercial/industrial development on this strategic land holding. Closer to the CBD, construction has commenced at a number of residential development sites. The new Planning Minister is still reviewing the Fisherman's Bend planning controls so no new permits are being approved pending the outcome of the review.
There have been a number of sales of permitted sites in Fisherman's Bend with Little Property recently selling a site in Lorimer Street for $60m. The site had approval for 940 apartments in two towers and was purchased by a Shanghai based developer. It is this buyer's first acquisition in Australia.
There continues to be a lot of infrastructure spending in the area with major intersection/road upgrades at Todd Road where it connects with the Westgate Freeway.
In our last update, we informed investors of a pending leasing of the balance of space on level 2. We are pleased to advise that leases have been signed with K Line for a term of 7 years. K Line is moving out of another Terraplex asset 570 St Kilda Road and this move was facilitated and negotiated by management. K Line initially appointed a tenant representative to review their accommodation needs. After focussing on a couple of options, we were able to negotiate a suitable new leasing deal for both parties.
Emirates Leisure Retail (operator of the Hudson's Coffee business) moved into their new offices in February and a new Hudson's Coffee Cart commenced operations in the foyer in March. It has been an excellent addition to our building. As part of our ongoing capital improvement program, we have re-tiled the walkway to the entrance and added a wooden deck to the right hand side of the main entrance. Hudson's Coffee will be using this area for outdoor seating.
The building is now fully leased for the first time since our acquisition back in May 2014. More importantly, our list of occupants is first class and the WALE (weighted average lease expiry) is an attractive 5.5 years.
The Fisherman's Bend precinct was formally adopted by the previous Liberal State Government. Since Labour came into power, they have reviewed the precinct and recently made some significant changes to the boundary. Our building is now included (which is very positive) and we are seeking advice as to how this will impact 187 Todd Road. This is one of the largest urban renewal projects in Australia, which will significantly transform this area over the next 30-50 years.
Recent Sales
Port Melbourne continues to be a tightly held market. There are no recent comparable sales to report.
1) Interest rates and the A$ have been supportive for Real Estate Valuations
2) And the outlook remain "lower for longer"
Appendix 2 – Hudson Coffee Fitout
The supply of office space in the St Kilda Road office market has shrunk by almost 20% from its peak in 1992. In the last 6 months, over 15,000m2 of space has been withdrawn for residential redevelopment alone which is equivalent to two buildings the size of 570 St Kilda Road. Virtually no new office construction has occurred in the last 25 years to compensate for the withdrawal. Due to the diminishing supply and consistent demand, the vacancy rate in St Kilda Road is forecast to fall to 15 year lows in the next 18 months. Office rents have continued to grow and importantly incentives have fallen, the net effect being very positive to building owners in St Kilda Road. Investment yields have compressed over the last 12 months and are predicted to firm further due to the "low for longer" interest rate cycle we find ourselves in.
The confirmation of construction of the new Domain rail station will be a big boost for the precinct. With Melbourne projected to be Australia's largest city by 2030 and the growing momentum by people preferring to live closer to places of work, buildings like 570 St Kilda Road will continue to be eagerly sought by investors.
The city fringe office market continues to perform very well from a leasing and sales perspective. There has been six years of positive net absorption of office space and continued steady employment growth which augurs well for the inner suburban office markets. Major companies are focussed on attracting and keeping quality staff and this has resulted in a move to vibrant, well public transported suburbs like Richmond.
With no new office supply and the CBD office vacancy rate predicted to decrease further, city fringe office rents are predicted to increase with prime properties anticipated to outperform.
The investment market has started the year on a very strong note. Frasers (previously Australand) has sold Building 10 in the Richmond Corporate Park to an overseas investor BlackRock for $45.5m.The sale price reflected a tight yield of 7.21% and a capital value of $5,761/m2. This is the largest office investment sale in Richmond for over 12 months. It is situated in an inferior location to our buildings.
The leasing market continues to be very strong with limited supply in the Richmond/Cremorne precinct. Bauer Media recently leased 823m2 for 5 years on the ground floor of Building 8 in the estate. The rental rate was $365/m2 with a low incentive of 12% which is excellent news for our building.
1) Interest rates and the A$ have been supportive for Real Estate Valuations
2) And the outlook remain "lower for longer"
3) Real estate remains one of the highest yield asset classes
4) While volatility is the new normal in global equity and commodity markets the relatively stable real estate has been the beneficiary of the flight to safe asset classes
5) Over the next 20 years, a further A$380 billion of demand for real estate investments will come from Australian superannuation


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Contact Us
Church Office
9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Monday – Thursday
(217) 356-3635 (phone)
firstname.lastname@example.com (email)
Mailing Address
St. Peter's United Church of Christ
905 S. Russell St
Champaign, IL 61821
Rev. Deborah Owen, Minister
Rev. Mark Jacobs, Outreach Minister
LiAnne Kitchen, Parish Nurse
Meagan Glaser, Administrative Assistant
Janet Martin, Custodian
Jodi Prosser-Muller, Choir Director
Linda Vaughn, Instrumental Music
Bria Morrison, Nursery Attendant
Brittany Hancock-Brown, Health Advocate Intern
Justina Uchenna-Amadi – CPA


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SB 320: Requires Colleges and Universities to Provide Abortions
Should California College Campuses and Universities be required to provide on-campus college women with chemically induced abortion methods?
California Senate Bill 320 would create a privately-funded State account to finance and provide on-campus college women with free abortions via "medication techniques" (pills) to terminate a pregnancy up to 10 weeks. The funds would be available for all publicly funded student health centers, and if the funds are sufficient, private colleges that request funding as well.
As some ungodly state legislators are determined to "terminate" pregnancies at alarming rates, your phone call and email can go a long way to "terminate" this BAD bill. SB 320 has passed through the Senate and is now waiting to be considered in the Assembly.
Please pray now and be ready to request a "NO vote" on SB 320 when we receive further movement on this bill.


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How to Paint Slovenya Bled landscape painting. I am Valery Rybakow, in this painting lesson accelerated many times I tried to show the whole art process of painting an acrylic painting. Together we paint Slovenya Bled lake painting landscape step by step from a blank paper.
You can paint together with me an Slovenya Bled landscape painting with gouache as well — your art will turn out to be just as beautiful!
We paint a magical landscape in acrylic on paper in detail and in stages for beginners with explanations!
Share your impressions in the comments!
If you liked the video «How to paint Slovenya Bled landscape Time Lapse painting by artist Valery Rybakow» painting lesson for beginners — then put the likes!
Download the sketch here:
★ Materials for drawing a Tuscany painting landscape:
— oil, acrylic or gouache
— brushes
— paper or canvas
— palette
— a cloth for wiping brushes
— a glass of water for acrylic
— great mood!
★ By supporting, you greatly help the development of the channel, contribute to improving the quality of content, motivate and inspire you to further creative achievements!
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#SlovenyaBled #paintiglesson #HowtoPaint #landscape #acrylic #Artlesson #paintTimelapse #artStepbyStep #Rybakow #Timelapse #Art #ValeryRybakow


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A high-loft 700 fill power duck down jacket which is super comfortable. Strategically-placed baffles keep the certified Allied® down in optimal sections for ideal warmth. YKK® metal front zipper chest and hand pockets, faux leather trim, and padded shoulder inserts further an already distinctive design. Special Sizing available.
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A strategic location, certes, allowing a broad view of the Gulf of Ajaccio, Capu di Muro and the Sanguinaires Islands, and during those times this was indeed an important factor. Let us remember, it was imperative to be as far as possible away from the swampy areas, on the other side of the city, thus, this ideal setting would allow the military to settle in with ease – and the continual result of their important investment since 1453, and whereupon in 1492 the Saint George Bank was to develop.
During the 16th century, there would be three colonies in the town.
The citadel, the older part of town where we now find the Place des Palmiers/Place Diamant and the Rue Fesch (which used to be U Borgu). Peasants and immigrants mainly populated the inner districts; rue Bonaparte, rue Roi de Rome etc., and this continued to be as such for a few centuries, 16th – 19th.
Amazing, when you note that there was only one entrance at this point, one door at the rue Bonaparte, permitting to enter these districts.
Between 15th-19th centuries, catering for provisions of water clearly showed difficulty. And there were only three existing fountains: Place de Palmiers, rue Fesch just opposite the Chapelle Impériale and on the Cours Napoléon (near what is now Monoprix). Over the summer months, the fountains became almost dry, water was then brought from the Gravona river just around where today's airport stands. (Napoléon did however, manage to make good use of the reservoir behind the area of 'Grand St Roch' and this between 1801-1810).
Relating to the Bonaparte family, let us recall their first arrival from Toscany at the beginning of the 16th century, whereupon they settled at the foot of the fortifications.
Who influenced the citadel ?
Three influential and striking figures: Sampiero Corso, Napoléon, and Fred Scamaroni.
He was on leave in Ajaccio, this was on the eve of the French Revolution, and was walking around the citadel, when he met some artillery officers, mortar firing. Thereupon, he was asked if he would like to show his capabilities, upon which he did exactly that – with three fires and each time, he reached his target, which led to the applause of the public and the shame of the soldiers …


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All client comments represent the opinions of the people who provide them. All potential clients are urged to remember that no two cases are ever completely alike and that the result in one case does not guarantee a similar result in another case.
Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
The partners of Adler Cohen are well seasoned and obtain good results. They are pleasant and effective to work with.
Adler, Cohen is an excellent team of very approachable individuals.
You are very important to us, all information received will always remain confidential. We will contact you as soon as we review your message.
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City News
St. Petersburg will celebrate the 110th Anniversary of tram
31 August 2017
On 30 September 2017 citizens and guests of the North Capital of Russia will see some extraordinary trams: from first-ever standards to the most modern models.
This day a big celebration, dedicated to this kind of transport will take place in the city. Kronverksky prospekt near Alexandrovsky park will become a venue for this event. Here the Museum of Urban Electric Transport will present "konkas" (the very first trams that is now named "grandmothers of trams"), retro-trams and he latest developments in tram technology – the low-floor trams.
The beginning of celebration will be at 11 o`clock.
We remind that the first rail public transport appeared in our city on 29 September, 1907.


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Ben Crehore: Westport Island Renaissance Man
Some thoughts on a life well lived…
As word spread 'round the Island when Ben Crehore passed on June 1 this year, Dennis Cromwell voiced a remembrance that stuck in my head, "He always met us with molasses cookies when we were plowing after a snowstorm. He was a nice man. My wife had him as a teacher in Topsham, my son had him as a substitute teacher in Wiscasset, and he was a Town Father. He'll be missed." Those thoughts, in a nutshell, attest to Ben's range as a human being.
The thoughts and cards that poured in from those whose lives have been touched by Ben filled an "almost-bushel" basket. And today, more than 100 people gathered at his home to say goodbye.
It was generally acknowledged that Ben was a devoted husband of 54 years and a devoted father and grandfather. But, Renaissance man? I came to think so in the days following his death.
When Roger and I arrived at the Crehore's in the ensuing days to help with some chores, Sandra handed me a 10-pound bag of King Arthur flour, "I'll never use this; Ben was the baker." When explaining to Roger what she needed help with, she pulled out notebooks full of carefully written instructions about caring for the house and yard that Ben had compiled in the event he died first. She also pointed out a letter Ben was writing to granddaughter Emily. Then there were the tidbits that popped into Sandra's head that defined Ben for her: his patience and support in whatever endeavor she chose; the fact that he, not her, named all their children because it was important to him. He gave his son the family name. Daughter Karen — pronounced "Karn" — was named after a woman he admired from New Sweden; "because Ben really liked Maine and the character of the people in it". Kirsten was named after a Danish heroine from one of his favorite books, The Tall Ships by John Jennings.
Ben lived a civic example, he served as a Westport Island Selectman, participated on town committees, and served as President, Instructor, and always-on-call volunteer for the Lincoln County Rifle Club. He was an avid reader with a collection of books by John Gould, a "soulmate" of sorts, who believed that "humor can make even dullness agreeable". Ben was a shooting enthusiast; an antique gun afficionado; a Mason; a Revolutionary War re-enactor; a baker; a boater; a detailed planner and organizer; a woodworker, and above all — so integral to who he was — he was a teacher. Although educated and trained to teach math, he was a teacher by personality and temperament in all his life's roles. He left everyone with a kernel or two to remember him by.
Ben's life was a life well lived. He gave what he had to give — to his family, his students, and his community. A life well lived doesn't end with a period; it ends with a comma. His spirit, good example, and contributions will live on.
Like a character in a John Gould story, Ben also left us with a little smile. He died having just hung a target to spend some time with his life-long passion: shooting. One can only think that passing from this world to the next while doing what you love is a blessèd way to pass – unless you knew that Sandra woke with a start later that night remembering words he'd once spoken to her, "I don't want to die shooting, because I couldn't stand to leave a dirty gun."
Photographs from the Lincoln County Rifle Club were taken by Susan Hartford
My heart aches for the Crehore family. Having worked for and with Ben for quite a few years, he was truely a "gentle man" and will never be forgotten. I am thankful to have had the pleasure to work with you and to have met your family.


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By now, many people are aware that olive oil is very high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). And those MUFA's have been medically proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. However, nothing is 100% foolproof, and if someone you are with were having a heart attack or stroke, would you know what signs to look for?
Someone sent me an email the other day and mentioned how helpful a page in my cookbook was. It is only one page, but that page teaches you how to recognize the signs and symptoms associated with a heart attack or stroke in progress. Sometimes the person who is displaying these symptoms may not know what is happening to them.
Please read an excerpt from Olive Oil Desserts and learn the signs. Who knows… someday you may save a life with this simple information!
Heart Attack Warning Signs
• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of the chest
that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of
the body.
Stroke Warning Signs
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
Not all of these warning signs occur in every heart attack or stroke. If some
start to occur, get help immediately. Heart attack and stroke are medical
emergencies! Call 9-1-1
Source: American Heart Association
I am wishing you a sweet day, filled with healthy and happy baking, without trans fats and hydrogenated oils!!! Go olive oil!!!! (can you tell I love the stuff?)
P.S. Recipes and olive oil info coming soon!!!
Source: American Heart Association
I am wishing you a sweet day, filled with healthy and happy baking…. without those yucky trans fats and hydrogenated oils!!!
Go olive oil!!!! (can you tell I love the stuff?)
P.S Recipes and olive oil info coming soon!!!


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Tyrannosaur (2011)
★★★★ / ★★★★
A man leaves a bar so angry, he ends up kicking his dog dead. After a sharp yelp and its body lie limp on the ground, Joseph (Peter Mullan) realizes what he has done, picks up his friend's carcass, and takes it home. The next day, he gets involved in a pub brawl with three young men playing pool. The first ends up unconscious, the second manages to escape, and the third cowering in fear. Horrified with what he has just done, Joseph leaves the pub and goes into a shop run by Hannah (Olivia Colman). Sensing that the man before her is deeply troubled, she asks if it is all right for her to pray to God for him.
"Tyrannosaur," written and directed by Paddy Considine, is about a constant battle with inner demons but the demons are not explained, only observed. Coupled with intense and calculated performances by Mullan and Colman, the human afflictions are unveiled with poetry and their consequences with realism.
It is almost as if Mullan intends to play Joseph as straddling the line between sanity and insanity. The suggestion as well as the actual acts of violence are ugly to imagine and look at, but the camera has the tendency to linger on the central character's reaction once an action has been taken. The way he is jolted into awareness after it is too late to undo a deed is similar to that of someone who has snapped out of a hypnosis or trance.
As the capacity for evil is found in all of us, so is Joseph's capacity to do good, as recognized by Hannah. Although Hannah is a Christian, Colman makes the smart decision to play her as someone who hangs onto her religion almost as a source of escape. Her life at home, especially when her husband, James (Eddie Marsan), comes in after a day's work, is most abusive. Images where we are witness to Hannah being humiliated and functioning as a punching bag are nothing short devastating. Still, Colman plays Hannah with a sort of sick dignity afterwards, coming to work the next day covered in bruises as if they were badges of honor, proof to herself (and maybe others, too), that she is strong because she has endured.
Living a life in fear is a life not truly lived is its most powerful recurring theme. There is Hannah and her violent husband, a neighborhood kid and his mother's boyfriend's dog, Joseph and his thoughts about his life amounting to nothing more than anger that spills and floods, and Joseph's dying best friend who is afraid that he will die knowing that his own daughter hates him. Each strand is not given equal time but they are allowed to mature, sometimes in the most surprising rate. It does not feel like observing events in a film but that of lives which happen to be captured on celluloid.
It avoids a romantic relationship between Joseph and Hannah, appropriate because there is nothing romantic about the issues the picture tackles. Instead, Joseph tells Hannah about his deceased wife, how he called her "Tyrannosaur" because she was a big lady, citing a scene in Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" prior to the cloned carnivore attacking the children. But I think a Tyrannosaur is also a metaphor for a bully, like the neighborhood dog and James. Most importantly, Joseph, too, is a Tyrannosaur, rampaging and causing destruction wherever he goes. Perhaps it is in his nature.
Categories: Film