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About This Condition
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of the joints, especially the weight-bearing joints that develops when the linings of joints degenerate, leading to lipping and spurring of bone, pain, and decreased mobility and function.
Osteoarthritis is a universal consequence of aging among animals with a bony skeleton. Many factors contribute to the development of osteoarthritis; the disease is primarily associated with aging and injury and was once called "wear-and-tear" arthritis. Osteoarthritis may occur secondary to many other conditions. However, in most cases, the true cause of osteoarthritis is unknown.
The onset of osteoarthritis is gradual and most often affects the hips, knees, fingers, and spine, although other joints also may be involved. Pain is the main symptom, which usually worsens with exercise and is relieved by rest. Morning stiffness is also common and diminishes with movement. As osteoarthritis progresses, joint motion is lost, and tenderness and grating sensations may develop. Osteoarthritis of the spine may lead to shooting pains down the arms or legs.
Other Therapies
Treatment designed to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms includes the use of hot soaks, warm paraffin applications, heating pads, and joint support devices.
Reducing Your Risk
To help keep you in top health, our experts recommend these steps:
- Avoid extra weight. Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most important things you can do to minimize osteoarthritis risk. Making sensible, sustainable diet changes you can live with, even if these just result in a small weight loss, will put you on the path to better joint health. Select Eating Right, above, for more information.
- Support your joints. Some dietary supplements, such as a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin, supply the materials your body needs to build new, healthy joint tissue. This may help keep joints healthy before osteoarthritis sets in or becomes severe. Select Vitamins, above, for more information.
- Use medications wisely. If you are taking over-the-counter drugs as needed for pain rather than on a regular schedule, remember that pain medications work best if they are used at the first signs of pain. Select Medicines, above, for more drug-nutrient interactions and other safety information.
- Mobilize your motivation. Moderate, regular physical activity, such as brisk walking, is important for maintaining joint health. Consider a tool, such as a pedometer, to help you get more steps into everyday. Select personal care for more ideas on tools for a healthier life.
Living With It
Our experts recommend the following top tips to help soothe your joints:
- Assess allergies. Some food allergies and sensitivities worsen arthritis symptoms. If other therapies are unsuccessful in relieving symptoms, talk to your doctor about identifying and eliminating possible food allergies. Select Eating Right, above, for more information.
- Spice it up. Ginger, taken orally, and cayenne pepper, applied topically over the joint area, both have been shown to relieve osteoarthritis pain for some people. To learn more about these and other supplement options, select Vitamins, above.
- Master your medications. If you use medications to manage osteoarthritis pain, ask your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist for a complete explanation of how and when to take them, and whether they are safe used in conjunction with other over-the-counter and prescription medications. Medicines, above, will give you an introduction to medications commonly used to manage osteoarthritis pain.
- Use tools of the trade. Finding the right tools to manage your condition is important. A pedometer can be a useful way to motivate yourself to walk more, and if needed, canes and other mobility aids can significantly increase your ability to get around with less pain. Select Personal Care, above, for more ideas on tools for a healthier life.


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From: http://www.theestablishment.co/2016/07/02/despite-legacy-of-racism-black-women-rock-on/
"On their 1976 self-titled album, funk rock band Mother's Finest wrote a song ironically titled "Niggizz Can't Sang Rock n' Roll." Founded in the early '70s by black vocalists Joyce "Baby Jean" Kennedy and Glenn "Doc" Murdock, Mother's Finest made a controversial and bold statement against the idea that African Americans couldn't play or sing rock music.
Forty years after the song's recording, there is still resistance to black people performing and listening to rock music in the United States. Fortunately, black people—especially black women—have found ways to reclaim the genre in recent years.
These efforts are particularly significant when you consider that, though largely forgotten in our whitewashed annals of history, black women helped create the genre of rock, which has its roots in blues, country, jazz, gospel, and R&B. Sister Rosetta Tharpe became known as "The Godmother of Rock n' Roll" because she sang gospel while playing an electric guitar, and went on to influence Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard. The outspoken spirit and sensual vocal delivery of funk singer Betty Davis was also highly influential in the music's development, ushering in a style that can still be heard today in Toronto blues rock vocalist SATE and punk rock musician Tamar-Kali.
Bessie Smith, who became known as the "Empress of The Blues," was one of the first people to embody the spirit of rock 'n' roll, thanks to her hard-drinking, rough-and-tumble personality. She also embodied the difficulty many black musicians had in navigating the music scene, as they dealt with racism from white people and policing from black people (and, for black women, sexism on top of this). Though Smith was proud of her race and once stood up to the Ku Klux Klan when they threatened to disrupt one of her performances, she was shunned by black middle-class communities who felt that blues music degraded black people as a whole. In addition, her personality was considered too bold by some black people.
Why are the contributions of black musicians like these so rarely acknowledged? In part, it has to do with monolithic stereotyping of black musicians and black music listeners—the association of current black musicians and black music fans in the United States with only hip-hop, R&B, and pop. In her book What Are You Doing Here?: A Black Woman's Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal, music journalist Laina Dawes states that the monolith stereotype is the result of the whitewashing of rock music, as well as the black community's need to preserve cultural bonds and appear respectable.
Since slavery threatened to rob African Americans of emotional ties to past lives, codes of conduct were developed to help maintain these ties and ensure survival. These codes consisted of work songs, field hollers, dance, and other creative forms of communication that would provide the foundation for gospel, blues, jazz, and ultimately rock 'n' roll. In order to preserve their cultural heritage and stay on the good side of whites, the descendants of North American slaves would police black culture and each other based on what they considered to be "for blacks" and "for whites." Policing was often done when black people appeared to embody stereotypes or when black artists became dwarfed by white artists who commercialized their work and made it popular.
In What Are You Doing Here?, music professor Maureen Mahon explains how the whitewashing of rock 'n' roll began in the '50s and '60s, and how middle-class black Americans would process this. "As more white people started to be attracted to rock 'n' roll, black people started to think, 'This is for them, not for us,'" Mahon stated. "There were always black people participating and present, but they started to be outnumbered." Beyond the sheer outnumbering, white rock musicians often had more success performing songs originally recorded by black blues, R&B, and rock musicians. Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" got overshadowed by Elvis Presley's version, while Erma Franklin's "Piece of My Heart" was overshadowed by Janis Joplin's version.
By the 1980s, the only way that a black person could be commercially successful with a rock song was to do it with the platform of a commercially successful pop star. Prince did it with the album Purple Rain, and Tina Turner did it with the album Private Dancer. The commercial success of '80s pop (and later hip-hop) set the tone for today's music industry, while affecting how rock bands with black members could promote themselves. Prominent 80's bands such as Living Colour, Fishbone, and Mother's Finest had to use illustrations on their albums instead of band photos in order to dismiss the assumption that their music was pop, R&B, or hip-hop.
In the wake of appropriation and respectability politics, it's taken the concerted efforts of individual performers and organized movements to reclaim the genre for black audiences.
Last month, Rolling Stone published a feature piece on how Beyoncé's newest album Lemonade reclaimed rock's black female legacy. Two of the album's tracks, including "Don't Hurt Yourself" and "Daddy Lessons," are rooted in the blues and country genres that black women have historically participated in. Beyonce's unbridled vocals on "Don't Hurt Yourself" are reminiscent of Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog," while the production on "Daddy's Lessons" gives off the vibes of Memphis Minnie's "Me and My Chauffeur Blues."
Beyoncé is hardly the only black woman working to reclaim rock. Tina Turner and Janet Jackson paved the way for black women to reclaim rock through the pop genre. This past February, roots rock band Alabama Shakes won Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for their song "Don't Wanna Fight." Fronted by Brittany Howard, Alabama Shakes' win for Best Rock Song marked the first time a black woman has been nominated and victorious in the category since Tracy Chapman in 1997.
Outside the mainstream success of Beyoncé and Alabama Shakes, there have always been independent black rock artists making music in the United States. Alexis Brown sings, screams, and growls as the lead vocalist for heavy metal band Straight Line Stitch. Jackie Venson is an emerging blues guitarist with gorgeous vocals and down-to-earth, passionate guitar playing. Cindy Blackman is a jazz and rock drummer who has provided the backbeat for Lenny Kravitz, Carlos Santana, and herself as a solo artist. They may not have the gigantic following Beyoncé has, but they have artistic freedom that black music artists have been fighting for over many years.
There have also been more organized efforts to reclaim the genre. In 2004, poet Jessica Care Moore created the performance program Black Women Rock! as a tribute to Betty Davis, and to showcase the performances of black female rock musicians from across the country and the globe.
Another hub for black women and men in rock today is the Afropunk movement. The Afropunk movement began as a documentary film titled Afropunk: The Rock n' Roll N****r Experience. The film was shot between 2001 and 2003 and was released independently the following year. While the title seemed to side-eye the Patti Smith song of the same name, the content showed young black punk rock musicians and fans who enjoyed the scene yet felt alienated from it and other black people due to its association with whiteness. The film's creator, James Spooner, explained in a Racked article that he originally made the film for his younger self who was interested in punk rock. The documentary would eventually inspire the very first Afropunk festival in 2005, as well as a community website. Both the site and annual festival are still going strong, with thousands of attendees and social media followers.
A decade after the first Afropunk festival was held, the word Afropunk has become synonymous with something special to festival-goers and the musicians that perform there. "Afropunk means liberation of expression to black culture. People are free to be themselves, wear whatever they want, do whatever they want, and feel accepted," said Endigo Saaphyr, a 2015 Afropunk festival-goer featured in a Huffington Post article. Tamar-Kali, who was featured in the Afropunk documentary, stated in a Brooklyn Magazine piece that Afropunk is "the quintessential 'fuck you' to the monolith stereotype that plagues black Americans and robs us of our humanity and eclectic history."
Another movement working to combat the pigeonholing of black rock artists is the Black Rock Coalition, founded in 1985 by Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, music journalist Greg Tate, and producer Konda Mason. Thirty years later, The Black Rock Coalition continues to be a haven for black rock artists and independent black artists of all genres through programs that include showcases, independent compilation records, and more.
Thanks to The Black Rock Coalition, Black Women Rock!, and the Afropunk movement, black rock musicians without the platform of pop musicians can continue to reclaim rock as independent artists. Artists achieving mainstream success with their reclamation of rock, like Beyoncé and Alabama Shakes, have also been invaluable.
Despite dealing with respectability politics from some of their own community and racism and sexism from the music industry, black women in the United States have found a way to rock on."

subset: commoncrawl


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Juventus recovered to beat fierce rivals Fiorentina 3-2 in Turin but they will have to wait a little longer to claim the Serie A title thanks to results elsewhere. Gonzalo Rodriguez's early penalty looked like spoiling Juve's party - a celebration only possible if Lazio failed to beat Parma, which they
Tag: Fiorentina
UEFA Europa League Semi-final Draws
Holders Sevilla will take on Fiorentina for a place in this season's Europa League final. Retaining the title will see the Spanish club win the competition for a record fourth time, although overcoming La Viola will be a big ask. Fiorentina overcame Tottenham, Roma and Dynamo Kiev en route to the last
Europa League Round Up: Denis Suarez grabs late winner for Sevilla
Denis Suarez scored a late winner for Sevilla as they came from behind to take control of the Europa League quarter-final tie against Zenit St Petersburg 2-1. Winger Aleksandr Ryazantsev had given the visitors the lead in the first-half, scoring off his own rebound, before forward Carlos Bacca drew the
Inter Milan dream of signing Yaya Toure
Inter Milan sporting director Piero Ausilio has revealed the club remain hopeful of landing their dream transfer target Yaya Toure. Inter are looking to bolster their squad under head coach Roberto Mancini who is a known admirer of the Ivorian midfielder. Toure has been heavily linked with a move to the San
Carlos Tevez out of Coppa Italia second leg tie
Juventus forward Carlos Tevez will have to sit out tonight's Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Fiorentina. The Argentina international has picked up a thigh injury and will not be risked, possibly with an eye towards next week's Champions League quarter-final against Monaco. A Juventus statement explained that Tevez had left Florence
I deserve to be in Manchester City's Champions League squad – Stefan Jovetic
Manchester City forward Stevan Jovetic has slammed manager Manuel Pellegrini's decision to leave him out of the club's Champions League squad. City will face Barcelona in the last 16 on February 24 and March 18 but are forced to operate with a reduced squad of 21 after breaching UEFA's Financial Fair
Juan Cuadrado was no panic buy – Jose Mourinho
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is adamant new signing Juan Cuadrado was not purchased out of transfer deadline panic. On Monday, the Londoners allowed World Cup winner Andre Schurrle to return to Germany in a £22m move to Wolfsburg, before announcing the arrival of Colombia winger Cuadrado. Mourinho's Premier League leaders paid Fiorentina
Stefan Jovetic left out of Manchester City Champions League squad
Stevan Jovetic has been replaced by new £28m signing Wilfried Bony in the Manchester City squad for the Champions League. City boss Manuel Pellegrini has opted for striker Bony ahead of Montengro international forward Jovetic in his 21-man squad that was submitted to UEFA. The arrival of Ivory Coast international Bony from
Napoli through to Coppa Italia Semi-finals
Gonzalo Higuain struck in injury-time to give holders Napoli a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in their Coppa Italia quarter-final on Wednesday evening. Roberto Mancini's Inter have slipped down to 13th in Serie A after back-to-back defeats and had been hoping the cup would bring a change of fortune. But, with only
Andre Schurrle joins VFL Wolfsburg
Andre Schurrle has left Chelsea and joined Wolfsburg in a £24million deal. The German has signed a four-year contract believed to be worth £85,000 a week and his departure comes as Chelsea signed Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina for £27m. There were fears that Schurrle's move would not go through before
Chelsea complete Juan Cuadrado signing
Highly-rated forward Juan Cuadrado has completed his £26.1m switch from Fiorentina to Chelsea. The 26-year-old Colombia international has signed a four and half year deal and could make his Blues debut against Aston Villa this weekend. The transfer was completed following Chelsea's sale of Germany World Cup winner Andre Schurrle to Wolfsburg
Kevin Strootman set for surgery
Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman's injury-hit season is set to continue after Roma announced Thursday he will undergo keyhole surgery on his troublesome left knee. Strootman only returned to the Roma fray prior to Christmas, having missed the end of last season and the 2014 World Cup due to an anterior cruciate
Schalke sign Nastatic on loan from Manchester City
Schalke have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City's Matija Nastasic on loan. The agreement, which is subject to a successful medical, runs until the end of June when Schalke will have the option of making the transfer permanent. Schalke will reportedly pay a loan fee of around £1.6m to secure Nastasic's
Matija Nastatic 'close' to joining Schalke 04
Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic is near to a move to Schalke, according to the German club's general manager. The 21-year-old Serbia international is out of favour at City under Manuel Pellegrini, having not made a Premier League appearance this season. Horst Heldt told sources: "We are negotiating back and forth, that's
Matija Nastasic could leave Manchester City
Manchester City centre-back Matija Nastasic is looking to leave the City of Manchester Stadium, with Bundesliga side Schalke strongly linked with the player, sources say. Nastasic's move could be either be on loan or a permanent transfer, with the deal likely to take place in this month's transfer window. The Serbia international,


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Cute nevertheless cranky, Donald Duck is a forever-favorite of cartoon followers every youthful and outdated. Whether or not or not he's in entire Scrooge McDuck mode counting his worthwhile dimes or feeling all loved-up alongside along with his glamorous girlfriend Daisy, you might't deny he's one humorous man!
Now, attributable to nano blocks, you might convey this conventional cartoon couple to life in very good color and advantageous component! The superior Daisy and Donald Duck LOZ Blocks models are pleasing to assemble and full of true-to-character choices. From simple standard fashions to additional superior models, these brick developing toys are a should have for anyone quackers about Donald Duck!


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Swachh Bharat Internship - A grand Success.
3rd advance estimates of #Foodgrain production for the year 2017-18.
Secretary, Agriculture released reports for Site Suitability of Horticulture crops in Jhum lands of North Eastern States.
Kisan Channel
Signing of MoU between MoA&FW and MSDE on 20th March 2018 to promote Skill Development in Agriculture.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
This is to inform that official websites of Department of Agriculture, Govt. of India are registered on domain " .GOV.IN or .NIC.IN ". Any website other than these domains inviting job applications or seeking money from public in name of Department of Agriculture, may be fraudulent.
'Budget 2018 lays special emphasis on animal husbandry: Union Agriculture Minister.'
'Shri Radha Mohan Singh released Education Portal – ICAR at the Conference of Vice Chancellors of Agriculture Universities and Directors of ICAR Institutes.'
'Government's policy initiatives in last three years have led to record foodgrain production this year: Union Agriculture Minister.'
'Cabinet approved promotion of agricultural mechanization for in-situ management of crop residue in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi.'
'India to contribute to Nigerian Government's priorities in the field of agriculture and allied sectors: Shri Radha Mohan Singh'
'Overall fish production in the country increased from 0.75 million tonne in 1950-51 to 11.41 million tonne in 2016-17: Shri Radha Mohan Singh.'
'Shri Radha Mohan Singh addressed farmers at Kisan Goshthi Sah Prakshetra Bhraman in Patna.'
'The Union Minister of state for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Shekhawat inaugurated EIMA AGRIMACH INDIA 2017.'
'Indian and Italy signed a new MoU for cooperation in Agriculture and Phytosanitary issues'
'Shri Radha Mohan Singh launched Soil Health Card (SHC) Mobile App.'
'India has one of the strongest national agricultural research systems in the world: Shri Radha Mohan Singh.'
'Centre increased the agricultural education budget this year by 47.4 percent as compared to the financial year 2013-14: Agriculture Minister.'
Website Content Managed by Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperation, Last Updated: 7 May 2018
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Visitors : 2096912


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Carrick Town progress to U-12 semi-finals
In what could be described as cold but excellent playing conditions Carrick Town U-12's progressed to the semi-finals of the Sligo Leitrim League. Having won this league last year and finishing top of their group Carrick would be deemed as one of the favourites for this year's title.
The early stages of the game were end to end with both teams creating good chances. Following one of these Sam Barnes gave Carrick the lead with a fine goal. Ballisodare fought back to level when a high ball caught the Carrick keeper unaware and ended up in the net. Carrick's second goal came moments later with a powerful shot from left back Shane Crowe. Ballisodare tried to get on level terms once again but fine play from backs Jack Flynn, Paul Woods, Paul Keaney and Crowe kept Carrick on track. Further goals followed from Fiachra Henry, Diarmuid Kelleher, Donal Casey and Oisin Bohan left Carrick deserved winners.
It was great to see such a large crowd out to cheer on the lads. Training will continue next Tue and details of semi final to follow as soon as we hear.
Team: Killian Gaffney, Jack Flynn, Shane Crowe, Paul Woods, Paul Keaney, Donal Casey, Oisin Bohan, Sam Barnes, Niall Gannon, Fiachra Henry, Diarmuid Kelleher. Subs (all used) - Cormac White, Kevin Brady, Cathal Reynolds, Liam Phelan, Padraig Cryan, Eoghan Matthews.


text: Our Bump Steer Kit is for the type of person that desires maximum performance from their vehicle. The kit allows you to adjust the tie rod end vertically to optimize bump steer and comes with a tapered stud that fits into the Corvette spindle, so no modification of the spindle is necessary. We include everything shown in the picture along with instructions. Applications: -All FFR GTM kits. Technical Notes: The Bump Steer Kit is designed to be adjusted the same way as a regular Tie Rod End. To adjust the Toe-in of the car, only loosen the inside jam nut and TURN THE INNER TIE ROD. The inner tie rod is a ball pivot and is designed for this. Note, you may need to loosen the outer boot clamp so that the boot does not twist.


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Today's mani is the result of my sheer joy at being able to wear other colors besides pink again lol. I had bought O.P.I - It Girl before I started Think Pink week and couldn't wait to wear it. And then, on Friday when I got the Ginger scented polish at Forever 21, I was dying to rock it as well! I just couldn't decide between the two so I wore them both :D
Colors Used: O.P.I. - It Girl, Love & Beauty - Nude/Ginger Scented, Love & Beauty - Gold, NYC - High Line Green, Sally Hansen - Green With Envy, Sally Hansen - White On
All I can really Say about this mani is that I'm pleased as punch! 2 coats of each base color I used a dotting tool and striping brush for the flowers and then the gold glitter just kind of tied it all together :)
And last but certainly not least a pic of my nails with the lovely water bottle my honey bought for me (It has a built-in filter in the straw so that I can just fill it with tap water and go. I loves it!!)
I love this mani because it smelled amazing and looked really fun on my hands :)
That's all folks! Soooooo....
Until next time!
Stef <3


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The Sanity Company
By actively fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness through education we aim to provide additional tools to help people improve their own quality of life and the quality of life of those around them.
To this end The Sanity Company provides books and training courses designed to support the development, understanding and improvement of children's and young people's mental health.
We are dedicated to promoting an understanding of the importance of looking after both the body and the mind to achieve total well being for the individual.
We believe that individuals can make small changes that can have a strong impact for both them and their communities and we want to raise awareness and improve the understanding of mental health problems that can occur in communities.
Our society is becoming an increasingly difficult place for young people to survive in. We hear every day of another young person in trouble. If we can do anything to help the next generation avoid this then our business will have been worthwhile.
If you want to know more about us and what we plan to do next please contact us.


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Once a week high quality digital recordings of cassette tapes purchased at the Dalston Oxfam Shop in East London. I DO NOT WORK FOR OXFAM AND AM NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THEM.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Djing at new Bar Strelka in Moscow
I am going to Moscow this weekend to dj on Saturday night, the 29th of May, at the new Bar Strelka at the new Strelka institute. I am delighted with the chance to dj on the opening weekend of this bar and the ongoing relationships I have with the great people at lookatme.ru.
This Strelka Institute is set up in the former Red October chocolate factory and features a curriculum that combines different creative disciplines that was developed in collaboration with Rem Koolhaas. Should be a fun weekend.
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word up
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Moscow, July 3, 2014
"The Ukrainian Orthodox Church assesses this untrue information as a deliberate provocation on the part of the leadership of the UOC-KP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate]," the UOC said in a statement.
It was untrue information that the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church planned to invite the patriarch to celebrations of the Day of the Baptism of Russia, which would allegedly have led to protests in Ukrainian society, because of which the visit would have had to be moved to Khersones in Crimea, where senior bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church would have held an assembly and elected a new leader of the UOC, the statement said.
"We regret that state officials such as Vladimir Yushkevich, director of the Department for Religious and Ethnic Affairs of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, base their public statements on such unverified and openly provocative information," it said.
Yushkevich had said the patriarchal visit that was allegedly planned might "set off a wave of interdenominational strife."
"We believe that such statements bring tension both into public life and into denominational relations, and are assessed as interference in the internal affairs of the Church, something that is unacceptable conduct on the part of officials," the Church said.
"The official website of the UOC-KP is becoming a place for the publication of rumors, gossip, and unverified and provocative information that aims to bring artificial hostility and a schism into the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," it said.
"We believe that the information policy of the UOC-KP Press Center is by no means conducive to conciliation and dialogue, something that the UOC-KP is calling for so actively, and that de facto it is conductive to the opposite. One has the impression that one of the main objectives of the existence of that denomination is indiscriminate criticism of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and everybody and everything connected with it," the Church said.


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The revised Declaration of Geneva, 2017, and India's contradictory legal provisions
The World Medical Association (WMA) provides ethical guidance to physicians through its declarations, resolutions and statements. WMA first adopted its Resolution on physician participation in capital punishment in 1981, which was then amended in 2000, and 2008. The revised Declaration of Geneva was adopted by the WMA General Assembly on October 14, 2017, in Chicago. WMA reaffirmed that it is unethical for physicians to participate in capital punishment, in any way, or during any step of the execution process, including its planning and the instruction and/or training of persons to perform executions. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is a signatory to all these policies and resolutions since it is a founder member of WMA. Most other national and international associations of medical and other health professionals also forbid the participation of their members in capital punishment.
There are currently no refbacks.


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The point of reading James Baldwin or even seeing his thoughts on screen in the documentary, "I Am Not Your Negro," is not to revel in his telling off the "White Man" (the power structure) and putting him in his proper place, the point is to do something about the situation that he articulates.
And Baldwin drops knowledge in this documentary produced by Raoul Peck, as if they were bombs. Of US society he said, it "has no moral justification and thus no moral authority." He said of US history, "the story of the Negro [Black] history is the story of America." "Moral monsters" is what he calls those complicit in racism.
According to the writer, "White is a metaphor for power and it is simply a way for describing Chase Manhattan Bank." And with that he nails the confluence of race and class in North America.
While captivating its audience with brilliant and poignant videography, the film captures the US in all of its racial hypocrisy very neatly interweaving the conflicts in the 1960's deep South and Northern ghettos, with pictures of the conflict in Ferguson and the seemingly ubiquitous police violence.
The film reveals that Baldwin's witness was as much to White America as it was to Black America, he talked a lot about the idea that in solving the race problem White folks would in effect save their own souls and ultimately their country.
Speaking of souls, there is a particularly telling sequence in which a White Christian woman is pictured saying that God could forgive thieving and even murder, but "God doesn't forgive race mixing." Baldwin's mistrust of the Christian church was well founded.
When he rather poignantly states that the task of Americans is to find out why the Negro is needed in the first place, he comes closest to the understanding that leads us to the root cause.
As he correctly states in the documentary, by the time Malcolm X and Martin King died they were in the same place politically, they both understood that it was the social/ political/ economic system, capitalism that was the source and reason for the existence of racism. And as Malcolm had so plainly articulated, you can't have capitalism without racism. Why is the Negro needed? So that the White working class can be duped into a false sense of solidarity with the White ruling class rulers of whom they have nothing in common, except skin color.
Baldwin states that, those who have stolen us and are complicit in our present suffering require of us a song. The song is required to relieve the masters and the co-conspirators guilt. Because of this insanity and the enormity of the crime, this socio-path has a need to have you tell him "life ain't so bad" because if it is, it suggests he/she may be the cause of your unhappiness. And they can't live with that.
Like the liberal Yale professor that Baldwin puts in his place, they like the idealized version of the US; they don't really want to know the truth.
Unfortunately, the film includes a historical error that has to be corrected. When the narrator Samuel Jackson (whose somewhat haunting voice captures the spirit of Baldwin) claims that, "He [Baldwin] didn't hate White people and he rejected the racial politics of the Black Panthers and the Black Muslim movements." Baldwin actually repeats the misconception that was foisted on the public about the Black Panthers by the Big Business press. The Panthers were a revolutionary organization that was opposed to racism and capitalism and did not hate White people, but rather hated the White Power structure.
"I Am Not Your Negro," skims over Baldwin's homosexuality. But we should not skim over it, because Baldwin in every way was one of us. He stood by, for and with us! Some have convinced themselves that some of us count more than others and that male homosexuality is an affront to masculinity.
But who had bigger "balls" than James Baldwin?
Malcolm X (who respected Baldwin immensely, commenting on how the power structure controlled and orchestrated the 1963 March of Washington) laughingly said those running the program wouldn't let Baldwin speak because "he was liable to say anything [radical]."
Interestingly, Baldwin identified as Black and human, he assumed correctly that he like the rest of his brothers and sisters were catching hell first and foremost because they were Black. He was clearly comfortable in his own skin and didn't feel the need to separate his struggle from the broader struggle. He wasted little time (publicly) chastising fellow Blacks for their homophobia, though he took on those who tried to make an issue of it.
Everyone will likely take something different from the film, but it sends one unmistakable message, and that is something is deeply wrong and flawed with this nation that continues to be racist at its core. Baldwin said, "If I'm not a nigger here and you invented him — you, the White people, invented him — then you've got to find out why." And once we have discovered the truth we have to act upon it.
When the struggle for Black rights broke out in earnest in this country Baldwin recalled that, "I could simply no longer sit around Paris discussing the Algerian and the black American problem. Everybody was paying their dues, and it was time I went home and paid mine."
Indeed must Baldwin and our prophets Martin, Rosa, Gloria, Malcolm, Medgar, Fannie, Ella, Paul, Frederick, John, Harriett and countless others bear the cross alone? No the cross of justice, racial, social and otherwise should be borne by us all!
Justice then peace


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Joining the Master in Management as an exchange student
ESCP accepts only nominated students from partner institutions. If you wish to study at ESCP as an exchange student, please contact your home institution. The application is a long process and can be divided into different steps: nomination by your home institution, your application and acceptance by ESCP. Once students are accepted by ESCP they will receive an acceptance letter and their log-in information for the intranet. From that moment they will have access to all the necessary information on the intranet platform.
What you study
Exchange students are allowed to choose elective courses of 30 hours or 15 hours. When validated, the 30-hour courses are worth 4 ECTS credits, and the 15-hour courses are worth 2 ECTS credits.
Exchange students must register for their courses online (through the ESCP intranet). Detailed dates for online registration will be provided directly to the students, once available.
Master level students are also allowed to apply for a specialised track. To do so, they will need to contact the Programme Office as well as the exchange coordinators. Some courses are only for Master level students, therefore it is very important to read the course description carefully in order to make sure that the student meets the necessary prerequisites.
The maximum workload authorised is 180 hours (24 ECTS credits) per semester, which is a maximum of 6 courses x 30 hours, or a combination of 30 hours and 15 hours courses (excluding language classes and the European Introduction Seminar). For the Summer semester, the maximum workload is 15 ECTS credits.
Language courses:
Exchange students may enrol in a weekly language class upon arrival at ESCP at no additional cost. In this case, they must take a language test on the welcome day to evaluate their level. The course is two hours per week during the semester, and is for credit. Classes for beginners are also offered.
Buddy system and international associations
Tandem learning involves two people with different mother tongues working together to improve their foreign language skills and intercultural awareness.
At ESCP, the Tandem Program aims to enhance intercultural communication and to facilitate integration of different student populations on the Paris Campus. Students should contact the Language and Cultures Department for more information.
Shuffle is an international association at ESCP. It organises international events for students in order to help with student integration, promote the exchange programmes and the Erasmus programme.
International Fair
Every year at the ESCP Paris Campus the visiting students are invited to present their home institution to the other students. Remember to bring your national flag and some traditional clothing or food!
Finishing a period of studies at ESCP
Transcripts will be sent by email and mail directly to the coordinators of the student's home institution. Each transcript contains the following information:
- French grades (marked out of 20)
- ECTS grades (A-E)
- Number of ECTS credits per passed course
Grades in France are awarded on a scale of 1-20 but the tradition is such that grades higher than 16 are seldom awarded. The passing grade for a single subject is usually 10/20.
|ESCP Grade
|American Grade
|16 - 20
(very high honours)
|14 - 15.9
|Very good
(high honours)
|12 - 13.9
(with honours)
|11 – 11.9
|10 – 10.9
The ECTS grade is curved and depends on the results of the whole class on all five ESCP campuses on each specific course.
For example, for one specific course, the grade shows the student's performance as compared with the average grade of the class, the average grade of the students on the Paris campus and the average grade of the students on all the ESCP campuses.
|ECTS Grade
|Grade distribution
(EU recommendation)


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I hope you and your family had a wonderful Fourth of July.
Today I am sharing a recipe for Brownie Bites. These brownies are a little different. I found the recipe in a book about diabetes and how to reverse your risks for diabetes. Although I do not have diabetes, I have several families members with Type II Diabetes and my last fasting blood sugar was slightly elevated causing me concern. As many of you know I have been losing weight and exercising regularly for the past 9 months. I am down 30 pounds and many inches, praise God. However I still have far to go. I am excited about the healthy changes I have made in my life and know that as I continue, my risk for diabetes will continue to fall. So, I hope you like this recipe and if you do have issues with food, weight, blood sugar, let me encourage you and say you can do it. Keep up the good work, it is worth it!
Brownie Bites (Taken from Reader's Digest "Reverse Diabetes")
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1/4 cup prune butter
- 2 Tbsp plain fat-free yogurt
- 2 Tbsp extra-light olive oil
- 2 large egg whites
- 3 Tbsp semisweet chocolate chips (1 oz)
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven 350. Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Stir together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
- Beat together brown sugar, prune butter, yogurt, oil, and egg whites in large bowl with mixer. Stir in flour mixture just until combined.
- Pour batter into pan. Scatter chocolate chips and walnuts on top. Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Cut into 16 small brownies.
Per brownie: 145 cal, 5 g fat, 24 g carbs, 2 g protein, 1g fiber, 104 mg sodium, 27 mg calcium.


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Libya's oil output goes offline as force majeure declared in ports, NOC says
Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) declared force majeure on loadings from Zueitina and Hariga ports on Monday, resulting in total production losses of 850,000 barrels per day (bpd) due to the closure of eastern fields and ports.
"Despite our warning of the consequences and attempts to reason with the LNA General Command, two legitimate allocations were blocked from loading at Hariga and Zueitina this weekend," Tripoli-based NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla was quoted as saying in Monday's statement.
"The storage tanks are full and production will now go offline."
The NOC had warned of daily losses of $67.4 million and extensive disruption to oil, gas and power operations if force majeure was declared at Zueitina and Hariga.
Cumulative losses since June 14 stood at more than $650 million, it said


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I've been on a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean kick lately, as I'm sure you can tell with this recipe and the couscous a couple posts back. I think I'll go on record to say that this is my favorite cuisine. Ever. In fact I'll even go as far as to say that hummus is my favorite thing on the planet. Period. Point blank. I'd eat it every single day, If my mom would let me, but sadly I can already hear the "you need a well balanced meal, eat something else" lectures. Unfortunately this isn't a hummus post so let's turn our attention back to what's important. Although this here is a hummus post. I don't use the word "favorite" lightly (insert montage of the 250 times I've used it on the blog so far) so this is some serious stuff, but not really because I actually say it all the time. I have a new favorite every day. I'm sure half of you are looking at the title and content of this post and thinking "oh my gosh, what in the world did Jonathan make? Is he crazy or something? He's lost his mind. What is this weird flatbread looking thing with the reddish-brown stuff on top?" Well, if you're not familiar with this dish, you've been missing out and quite frankly I feel sorry for you. But have no fear, I'm glad to be the one to open your eyes. I feel honored. On the other hand, the rest of you are intrigued and maybe thinking, that Jonathan sure knows what he's doing. He's such a smarty pants, and what do you know I am wearing my smart pants today. Whichever group you fall under, you're all right. I have lost my mind, but in the best way possible, I promise. I'm coo coo for lahmacun, what can I say?
I know right off the bat that this post will probably—okay most definitely— bomb and go down in flames. (Weeeeeeeewhoosssshh KA-BOOM! See that friends? That's the post going down in fiery flames!) Most people won't like or appreciate it as much as I do, and I'm okay with that. More lahmacun for me. Really though, what isn't there to like? Crispy flatbread topped with seasoned meat and veggies? Yes please, count me in. I'm all about different textures and flavors when it comes to eating, so I decided to make a homemade tzatziki sauce to go on top of it. I live for the heat—hot from the oven not spicy heat—from the pizza and the cool freshness from the cucumber yogurt sauce. And because I know my mom would be reading this, I topped it with diced tomatoes and shredded purple and green cabbage. I'm sure she would have disagreed with me just eating bread and meat so I had to throw a few more veggies in there somehow. Plus I really like purple cabbage. In all honesty I just love the way it looks. It's bright purple for crying out loud! For those of you who do know what I'm talking about and happen to love this dish as much as I do, well then, we're now best of friends, write to me every five minutes. We'll share a few Turkish pizzas together and eat hummus everyday. It'll be a blast, I assure you.
We're dividing this recipe into three acts, as if it were a delicious play or story we're unfolding. It's really just so I can justify the fact that I was dying to play with my new chalkboard and take some fun photographs. So that's what I did. I mean after all I did go through all that trouble of painting and making the chalkboard so why not use it? The first act is the crust. That's what we're going to work on first as it needs to rest the longest.
The crust is the most important thing ever. If you screw this up, that's it. You can kiss your lahmacun making skills goodbye. Friendship over. Don't write to me anymore. Lucky for you it's the easiest thing to make. You can't screw it up.
We have to wake up the dry yeast with warm liquid of some sort. You can use water if you'd like, however I find that to be rather bland and one note. So I like to use milk instead. Of course if you're allergic to milk or don't have any on hand because someone finished it all and just left the carton in the fridge, well then by all means just use water. The milk needs to be warmed to about 110°-115°, it should be warm to the touch, but not hot at all.
**Note: If the milk or water is too hot, it will actually kill the yeast, and your dough won't rise. So make sure it's warm enough to waken the yeast but not too hot to kill it. If you dip your finger into the liquid, it should be bearable.**
Pour the milk into a medium bowl.
Just like you and me, the yeast also needs food to grow. So add in a bit of sugar. You can use honey instead also.
And of course we mustn't forget about the yeast. Add that as well. Give it all a gently stir.
Place the yeast mixture somewhere warm and allow it to do it's magic. I like to place it in an oven (that is turned off) for about 10 minutes.
**Note: After ten minutes the mixture should be foamy and the yeast should have expanded and appear frothy. If the mixture isn't foamy at all, then you didn't do it properly and you should start over. This step is crucial and has to be done correctly or else your dough will not rise. No pressure at all though.**
In the meantime combine the flour and salt in a bowl of a mixer.
Stir until evenly combined.
Add the yeast mixture and oil to the flour.
If you're doing this by hand, more power to you (you're a much better baker/cook than I am) but if you're doing this with a mixer (good for you, let's hear it for laziness), make sure you attach the dough hook.
Stir on low to begin with to allow the flour to mix into the wet ingredients properly. Once the dough has come together, raise the speed to medium-high and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky.
Once the dough is ready, remove it from the bowl and shape it into a ball. Grease the bowl with oil, add the dough ball and turn it over to grease both sides.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel, place in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Again, I like to place the bowl in the oven (not turned on) because it's warm and cozy enough for the dough to rise.
While the dough is doing its thing, let's turn our attention to act II. The second act happens to be (in my humble opinion) the most delicious act. It's the filling or topping, depending on how you look at it.
We begin by roughly chopping some veggies to add to the food processor.
We're going to need a few tomatoes, a red bell pepper, a green bell pepper, and an onion.
We're also going to need a few garlic cloves and fresh parsley.
Add them all to a food processor and pulse until broken down and the veggies are cut into tiny pieces. Almost like a smooth salsa.
Right now there is a ton of liquid in this "salsa," and it's unwanted liquid at that. The last thing we want to do is add this excess liquid to our meat, which will in turn make our dough soggy. So what we need to do is drain the "salsa" with a sieve. I'm using a little sieve for the purpose of the photographs, but if you have a normal sized one, then it will go much faster. Pour the veggie mixture into the sieve and push down with the back of a spoon to drain off the liquid.
Pour the drained veggie mixture into the meat, which you should have placed into a large mixing bowl. I forgot to mention that before, so I'm mentioning it now like if I had said it right from the start. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I did mention it.
Traditional lahmacun is made with ground lamb. I'm not the biggest fan of ground lamb so I decided to go off the beaten path and use ground beef instead. If you're a lamb fan, then by all means, use lamb. Either way, choose a ground meat that has very little fat in it.
We're going to season this with:
Crushed red pepper flakes
Flaked paprika
Tomato paste
Lemon juice
Give everything a rough and thorough mix with your paws. Just dig in with your hands and don't worry about grabbing a spoon or anything. Why dirty another kitchen utensil when you have two of the best utensils on you?
It's okay to get a little dirty in the kitchen every once and while or if you're like me, all the time.
Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge, to marinate, while the dough continues to rest and rise and double in size. I couldn't help the rhyme. I saw the opportunity and I took it, sorry.
And now for the final act. The tzatziki sauce. It ties everything together.
Tzatziki is actually a Greek sauce made with Greek yogurt and cucumber. It's not traditionally served with lahmacun, BUT I happen to love it. I think it's one of my favorites (eh there I go again) second to hummus of course.
I thought it would pair nicely with the Turkish pizza and this is my blog after all, the best part of calling all the shots is that I get to make what I want, when I want so I'm making the tzatziki.
We start by peeling a cucumber and cutting the ends off. Then with a vegetable peeler, we're going to peel away long ribbons of cucumber. That way we get thin slices.
Give the ribbons a rough chop and add it to the greek yogurt.
We're also going to chop up a pile of fresh parsley and mint. Run your knife through it and add it to the sauce as well.
Season the whole lot with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and lemon juice (lots of lemon juice). Make sure it's fresh lemon juice, don't use that bottled stuff. That's some really bad lemon flavor if you ask me, and I just know you were asking me so there you go.
Give it a stir, taste for seasoning, adjust accordingly, and you're done! Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. This is best if made earlier in the day or the day before so that the flavors can marry and blend together.
Let's get a couple toppings prepped. We need to dice a few tomatoes and shred some purple and green cabbage.
Set the toppings off to the side and grab the dough and the meat topping/filling. We are finally ready to assemble and make and cook and eat. And eat? Did I say eat?
The dough should have doubled in size, punch it down with your hand to let out the air.
Turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Cut the dough into 16 even pieces. I just sort of eyeballed the cutting process, making sure they are each similar in size. They don't have to be exact just close enough.
Transfer the dough pieces to a baking sheet, on a single layer and cover with a towel. This will prevent the dough from drying out while you roll out each piece.
So we're going to work with one piece at a time, rolling it out in a very thin circle. It should be as close to as thin as paper (or the thinnest you can get it).
If you have a pizza stone, that would be best but if you don't (like I don't) then you can just use a baking sheet.
**Tip: I turn over a baking sheet and line the bottom with foil paper. Lightly spray it with cooking spray, to prevent the dough from sticking and bake them in a 425°F oven until crispy. Using the flat underside of the baking sheet will achieve optimum crispiness.**
You will only be able to fit two pizzas per baking sheet so you'll have to do this in batches.
Top the pizzas with a handful of the meat mixture and spread it evenly into a thin layer, leaving about 1/2 an inch of a border around the edge of each pizza.
Bake in a 425°F oven for about 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the dough is crispy and golden brown on the edges and bottom. You might have to babysit them as they can cook rather fast depending on your oven. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow to cool. Transfer to a cooling rack and continue making and baking the pizzas until all the dough and filling has been used.
Once all the pizzas have been cooked you can rewarm the ones you are going to serve and enjoy right away with the sauce and various toppings we prepped earlier.
Let me show you the bottom of one of these just so you can see the crispy magic that is lahmacun and with that said, let's all just stare at the brown crispy bottom of this flatbread.
Okay, show and tell is now over. Thank you for paying attention. We're finally ready to eat this pizza and if you've never heard of this before I hope that this post has convinced you to give it a try. Sure, it might not be for everyone, I can accept that, but you have to at least try it once before you say you don't like it. Who knows, this might be your new favorite dish for all you know. I'll take all the credit, naturally. Now you don't want to pass on the opportunity for me to relish in the glory do you?
The best way to eat this is pretty much like a giant taco. We're being multi-cultural here, but really it's just the best way to describe it. Top it with a sprinkling of the diced tomatoes and shredded cabbages. Drizzle on the tzatziki sauce, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top, fold and eat away. They should be called Turkish tacos. Although I guess you can cut it into triangular wedges and eat it like pizza. That would be fine as well.
These actually freeze exceptionally well. You can bake them off, wait for them to cool down completely and then store them in a freezer storage plastic bag, zip it up tight and place it in the freezer. Then when you are ready to eat, just pull out a couple pizzas, place them on a baking sheet and warm them up in the oven until crispy once again. BOOM, weekday snack? Yes. Weeknight dinner? Hopefully! Breakfast? Why not?!
If you're not a meat eater, you can easily make this vegetarian. Just take out the meat and added tons of sautéed spinach instead. Keep the rest of the ingredients and you'll have the best meet-less lahmacun! That's actually the kind my sister likes as she isn't a big meat eater. She prefers the veggies. What a weirdo.
[Insert hilariously witty last sentence here.] The end.
Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza)
These Turkish pizzas are topped with a seasoned ground beef and veggie mixture and are baked until golden brown and crispy. Pizza with a twist, topped with a creamy tzatziki sauce, tomatoes and shredded cabbage. They're the perfect treat for any night of the week because they can be made in advance and warmed in the oven for a quick meal.
yield: 16 small pizzas
For the dough:
- 5 cups (625 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (356 ml) whole or skim milk, warmed
- ¼ cup (59 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons (18 grams) salt
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) sugar
- 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) (8 grams) active dry yeast
For the filling/topping:
- 1 pound ground beef or lamb
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons (32 grams) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) crushed red pepper flake
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) cumin
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) flaked or regular paprika
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- handful of fresh mint, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons (15 ml) olive oil
- chopped tomatoes, for topping
- shredded purple cabbage, for topping
- shredded green cabbage, for topping
1. In a medium bowl combine the warm milk, sugar and yeast. Gently stir and allow to rest in a warm place (I like to use the oven turned off) for 10 minutes until foamy and frothy. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour and salt. Add the oil and yeast mixture and stir with the dough hook until the dough comes together, on low. Raise the speed to medium-high and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky. Turn out onto a slightly floured surface and form into a smooth ball. Grease the same mixing bowl with oil or cooking spray and return the dough ball. Turn it over to coat both sides and cover with plastic wrap and a damp cloth. Place in a warm place (oven again) and allow to rest for at least 2 hours or until doubled in size.
2. In the meantime, make the filling/topping. Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. In a food processor, chop the tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, onion, garlic cloves, parsley and mint. Pulse until completely chopped. Transfer the "salsa" to a sieve and allow the excess liquid to drain off. Pour into the bowl with the ground beef and add the remaining ingredients. Using your hands, stir the beef mixture until evenly combined.
3. Line two baking sheets with foil paper and grease with cooking spray. On a lightly floured work surface turn out the dough. Cut into 16 even pieces and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent from drying. Working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough into very thin circles. Place the rolled dough on the prepared baking sheets, two on each sheet. You will have to bake the pizzas in batches.
4. Grab a handful of the filling/topping and spread it evenly on each of the circles leaving about 1/2 of an inch border. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the edges. Transfer the pizzas to cooling racks and allow the baking sheets to cool slightly before repeating the steps with the remaining dough and filling. Once all the pizzas are cooked you can serve with chopped tomatoes, and shredded purple and green cabbage. Serve with homemade tzatziki sauce (recipe follows). Any leftover pizzas can be frozen in freezer bags or containers and rewarmed in the oven. Enjoy!
Tzatziki Sauce
Make this sauce for all your dipping or topping needs. It's delicious dipped with warm pita bread or tasty in wraps and sandwiches. Whip up a large batch and keep it in the fridge for your weekly meals or snacks.
yield: about 1½ cups
- 1 cup (285 grams) greek yogurt
- 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced into pieces
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) freshly cracked black pepper
- handful fresh parsley, chopped
- handful fresh mint, chopped
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until evenly combined. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Store, covered, in the fridge. Will keep for up to 1 week. Enjoy!


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1. Re: Calculated Field to find visitor Drop-offsPrasanna R Jan 30, 2019 9:33 PM (in response to monica singh)
Hi Monica,
I have used Tableau Calculation to get the result. I have attached the 2018.3 version workbook for reference.
So you create lookup functions to see what is available in the next rows and compare them if they are in sequence as you want.
Note that initially you need to drag these 4 Stages into the row shelf as discrete and edit Table Calculation as shown below
Do the same for all the Stages so that we can fix how the table calculations work for these fields when used in any other calculated field.
Your final step will to check if they are in sequence
Best Regards
*If this helps, then please mark it Helpful and Correct to close this thread
Sequence.twbx 36.9 KB
2. Re: Calculated Field to find visitor Drop-offsZhouyi Zhang Jan 30, 2019 9:53 PM (in response to monica singh)
Hi, Monica
Not sure how you define the sequence of event name
One of the possible solution is to use parameters to define the sequence as shown attached workbook.
Below is the result, and you can drag the calculation keep or not to filter and select True only.
Please let me know if any question.
Book1_v10.2.twbx 28.0 KB
3. Re: Calculated Field to find visitor Drop-offsmonica singh Feb 4, 2019 9:51 AM (in response to Zhouyi Zhang)
I like both the approaches using Lookup or LOD to get to the results. Will work on it and ask more questions as my actual data is far more complicated.
Thank you Prasanna and Zhouyi


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Just a few feet away from where Elvis Presley himself lived is the newly opened The Guest House at Graceland, a full-service luxury hotel that reflects the one-of-a-kind style of the legendary singer. The Guest House boasts 450 rooms, two restaurants, a 464-seat theater for movies and live performances, as well as a number of other amenities.
Guests looking for something beyond The Guest House's standard issue Southern hospitality can opt for a VIP experience. The membership, dubbed The Founders, includes special access to Graceland, exclusive invitations to special events, and priority room and dining reservations.
For more on this story visit USA Today.
PLAN YOUR TRIP with the Memphis Travel Guide.


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The Walls Erected by Traditional Media
By: Tom Goldstein | SCOTUSblog
This was a morning of ironies. At 9:30 a.m., six members of the blog staff were live-blogging the Supreme Court's orders, followed by opinions at 10 a.m. There were 10,000 readers. The Standing Committee of Correspondents chose that time to release its ruling denying our appeal of its revocation of our press credential. We learned about it from Twitter.


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My ability to almost play the opening bars of Chopin's Revolutionary Study may seem like a futile skill to have. But I never lost faith that it was going to come in useful one day. I can only play the first bit because I was halfway through learning the piece as a teenager when my piano teacher informed me — compelled, I presume, by some music teacher's Hippocratic oath — that I would never make a concert pianist, and so I hadn't the heart to put myself through two hours practice a day any more. I went on playing, but without worrying too much about the precise coordinates of my fingers.
What I lack in precision I make up for in volume, however. It is a very good stress-buster, although not so much for the neighbours. I once knocked on the door of the flat upstairs to complain about an all-night party only to be told by the horrid woman who lived there, 'I hear you with your rubbish piano-playing.'
How did it come about, therefore, that my ability to hammer out an approximation of the opening bars of a Chopin study helped me to make my peace with call centres?
Well, like anyone who works from home, I am plagued about every 20 minutes by cold callers ringing my landline. I have toyed with the idea of disconnecting it, but every 32nd call it is my mother, asking whether I am alive or dead as I haven't replied to a text message, which invariably she hasn't actually sent.
So I pick up the landline when it rings and, 31 out of 32 times, there is silence at the end of the line for a few seconds, then someone chirpy says, 'Hello, is that Mrs Kite?' before security checking me to make sure I am who they think I am, even though they clearly don't know who they think I am, or they wouldn't call me Mrs Kite. Only then do they reveal what manner of payment protection compensation scam they are pushing.
'It's Ms Kite!' I say. 'Sorry, Miss Kite.' 'No, that's not what I said. I said Muzzzzzzz Kite!' 'I'm so sorry, Miss Kite.'
The other day, however, an idea occurred to me during the silence. The phone rang, I snatched it up and instinctively I took an enormous breath. And then when the chirpy voice said, 'Hello, is that Mrs Kite?' I let out the most fantastic roar.
And the line went dead.
Twenty minutes later, when the phone rang again I decided to try a scream. Not just any old scream, but a Hammer Horror film damsel-bitten-by-a-vampire scream. Click. This was fantastic. I had found a use for cold calls. Twenty minutes later, and largely because I was all screamed out and feeling quite mellow, I decided to develop the innovation still further. Ring ring… 'Is that Mrs Kite?'
'We've only just beguuuuun...to liiiiiiiiiiiiive! White lace and proooooomises! A kiss for luck and we're oooooon our waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!'
But the lady in Leeds, or possibly New Delhi, failed to appreciate any of it and put the phone down before I could get into my stride. Fine. No more Ms Nice Guy.
Ring ring… 'Is that Mrs Kite?'
'Out on the winding windy moors we'd roll and fall in green!' Click.
The next one got the chorus: Ring, ring… 'Is that Mrs Kite?' 'Heeeeathcliffe! It's me oh Cathy I've come home now! So coooooooooooold let me in your window woa-hoo-hooooo!' Click.
Thus emboldened, I sat down at the piano in my living-room with the handset of the landline perched on top and waited.
I can't put into words what my practice-less rendition of the opening bars of Chopin's Revolutionary Study sounds like. Suffice it to say it is not dissimilar in style to Eric Morecambe's brilliant performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto (by Grieg), as conducted by André Preview.
'I'm playing all the right notes, not necessarily in the right order,' said Mr Morecambe and I say, 'Amen to that.'
Ring ring… 'Is that Mrs Kite?'
'CRASH! Diddle-eedle diddle-eedle, diddle-eedle diddle-eedle BANG! Diddle-eedle diddle- eedle diddle-eedle…WALLOP! Diddle-eedle diddle-eedle…' Click.
Feeling positively elated, I decided to switch tactics again to really get my money's worth.
Ring ring…silence… 'Can I speak with Mrs Kite?'
'Do you ever wonder what it's all about?' 'Mrs Kite?' 'Let me put it this way. Have you ever had a dream where you're dancing a foxtrot with Eric Pickles? And the weird thing is…' Click.
Ring ring… 'If a tree falls in a forest when no one is there does it make a sound?' 'Is that Mrs Kite?'
'I don't know. Is it? Come on, think woman! If a cold caller rings an empty house is the cold caller really there?' A few seconds of silence. Then click.


text: HAPPY I'm SO HAPPY to share this update with you! Here's a sample of the arrangement my producer Peter Calo is working on for my song called GRACE. And, I'm also really excited to tell you the Kickstarter campaign "Because Everything Speaks" http://kck.st/2hdz3HI <3 is 25% funded! I always want to […] A Song Called Grace12 Oct, 2017 in Grace of Redefining Love / Inspiration and Motivation / My Music / No Fear Friday tagged compassion / connection / global thinking / musi / Music / music heals / musician / One love / possibility / songwriting / Wellness by yesrising


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Municipal Code
Search San Clemente's Municipal Code Online.
Click Here for Online Muni-Code
The City maintains an electronic version of the San Clemente Municipal Code online for your convenience. Click on the link below to open that site.
Although this site is updated periodically it is recommended you check with the City Clerk's department for the latest changes. (949) 361-8200
EMail about Search San Clemente's Municipal Code Online.


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Privacy policy on website What information do we collect? When you make order on our website ,these information will be collect: name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number or credit card information.
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1.Improve our website and the customer service our team strive to improve our website offerings, customer service , support functions based on the information and feedback from you
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NY trooper dies 2 years after plane crash response
Winston Martindale, Jr. sustained injuries during rescue
A New York state trooper has died from injuries he suffered two years ago while assisting victims of a double plane crash.
New York State Police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico says Trooper Winston Martindale, Jr. died Wednesday after surgery at a New York City hospital.
Martindale fell on a piece of equipment while responding to the crash of two small planes on May 9, 2011 in Wawayanda, in Orange County about 60 miles northwest of New York City. Despite suffering internal bleeding, Martindale stayed at the scene for six hours. Both pilots died.
D'Amico says the 40-year-old Martindale had several medical procedures since.
Martindale was a seven-year veteran of the state police and an Army Reservist who served in Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, two children, parents and siblings.


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50th birthday party
We celebrated our 50th birthday last Monday with a party. Unfortunately because of the freezing temperatures several of our members weren't able to get there and they missed out on a really good celebration. We had nibbles, bubbly, quizzes, entertainment in the form of singing by some of the committee with a bit of drama thrown in! And a birthday party isn't complete without a cake (which was made and iced by two of our members) with candles which were blown out by two founding members of Harden WI - Jean and Janet. We then surprised them with a presentation to commemorate their 50 years membership. Plenty of photographs were taken and as soon as I get them I'll post them on the website.
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Harden & District WI
January 2019


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LA BIOSTHETIQUE - Hair Conditioners - Mask
Biosthetique has developed GLAM COLOR ADVANCED a product that makes your hair more soft and fragrant, ensuring a brilliant color effect. The GLAM COLOR ADVANCED makes hair shine of new luster regardless of the color tone of the hair and independently from the fact that the hair is already colored, that has streaks or is natural.
Has an effect handling and its properties refresh the color. The conditioner is easy to use and gives the hair of vital reflexes, a very glam shine, protecting them in depth in a few minutes.
method of use : Apply evenly to damp hair immediately after shampooing. Disentangle with the comb, if necessary. Depending on the structure of the hair, leave on 3 to 10 minutes. In the case of dyed hair, the shutter speed should never exceed 3 minutes. Hair not colored, however, depends on the intensity of the effect you want to achieve. The shutter speed can go from three to ten minutes.


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Cut algorithmic trade risks, says FCA
Banks and hedge funds have been ordered to tighten their controls over computer-driven trading, only days after algorithmic trades were blamed for exacerbating stock market falls in the Wall Street sell-off.
The Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority each issued papers yesterday aimed at forcing firms into improved procedures to guard against computer-driven crashes and market abuse.
The timing, days after the share sell-off in the United States created global stock market gyrations blamed partly on computer-driven trading, was coincidence, the FCA said, adding that it had been working on the project for some time.
Algorithmic trading, also known as "black box trading", is carried out by computers pre-programmed to conduct trades in equities, bonds, currencies and commodities in response to market signals


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Each will give the player a difference gaming experience.
Atlus are no strangers to releasing teasers for their upcoming re-make of the 2007 RPG, but the latest give us an insight into different pathways a player can take.
Your choices matter in Odin Sphere: Leiftrasir and perhaps one of the biggest decisions you'll make is at the very beginning of your adventure. Do you take on classic mode? or refined mode? To help you decide, two trailers have been promoting each one.
Up first is Classic mode. As you would expect, this mode is almost identical to the original PS2 version, except of course the graphics look a lot better.
The big changes come with Refined mode. As well as new animations, additional voice acting and new areas to explore, an updated battle system will be implemented based on the one found in Muramasa: The Demon Blade and Dragon's Crown. Only the brave should tackle this mode however, as there will be improved AI for enemies and extra bosses.
Odin Sphere: Leiftrasir is due out on PS Vita in 2016.


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MIAMI COUNTY — Tornado sirens sounded off throughout Miami County as a severe thunderstorm with wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour swept through Miami County around 5 p.m.
Meteoroligist James Gibson of the National Weather Service in Wilmington said straightline winds up to 50 mph were the cause of the damage in and around Miami County. Gibson said the NWS did issue a tornado warning for northern Miami County at 5:23 p.m, and at 5:27 p.m. a cell favorable to turn into a tornado was located in Pleasant Hill. However, no tornado touched down. Damage was reported at 1945 N. Rangeline Road, Pleasant Hill.
For today, Christmas Eve, temperatures are to be again unseasonably warm with a high in the upper 50s and partly sunny skies. On Friday, Christmas Day, temperatures will again be in the upper 50s and partly cloudy. No more rain is expected until after midnight on Friday.
"So, basically, warm," Gibson said.
On Wednesday, there were multiple reports due to motorists trying to avoid debris in the roadways. Troy Fire Department medics responded to a report of an injury sustained in the Staples parking lot around 5:45 p.m. According to reports, a sign struck a van's windshield and injured a passenger. The passenger was transported for treatment at Upper Valley Medical Center with unknown injuries.
In western Miami County, a pole barn was destroyed, scattering debris into the roadway and surrounding properties in the 1700 block of N. Rangeline Road, between Pleasant Hill and Covington. Authorities closed the intersection of State Route 718 and Harshbarger and Shiloh and Harshbarger roads for road crews to clear phone wires and barn debris.
Downed power lines were blocking traffic around the Miami County government center on County Road 25-A in Troy.


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The Store: Ku De Ta (Chestnut Hill Location)
Earlier this weekend, I mentioned that I spent my Saturday afternoon at a boutique right outside of Boston. I was there to choose outfits that fit my needs for the events that occurred within the next 48 hours. Personally, I am so blessed to work with wonderful businesses, both large and small, so that we can help each other reach our goals. It excites me greatly to find local businesses that have great products to offer. Shopping small is so important in our economy and this boutique was definitely a hidden gem for me.
Ku De Ta in Chestnut Hill opened its doors in 2014 and I am astonished that I did not even know they existed until a couple of weeks ago. They also continue to operate the original location in Boston. As a lover of all things fashion, it is important to me to find unique pieces that are not worn by the masses. Ku De Ta does a great job of choosing memorable yet wearable works of art to sell in their boutique.
While they carry great well-known brands, such as my favorites Joe's Jeans and Free People, they also carry other brands that are extremely exclusive. The boutique's selections cannot be bought online since they only have a select amount of each item, but I promise you will never be empty handed when leaving their store.
The staff is also extremely helpful and will help you style whatever you need, whether you need something for a formal or casual occasion. You can contact the Chestnut Hill location at info@kudetachestnuthill or call 617-269-0008 to schedule your Girl's Night Out with 20% off of the entire store!
The Dress: Aratta by Susanna Karapetyan
As I mentioned previously, there are great exclusive pieces available in the boutique created by designers that you are most likely completely unfamiliar with. To be honest, I took this dress into the dressing room thinking absolutely nothing of it and expecting to hate it. I usually never wear prints and stick to a simple color palette of black with maybe a pop of color.
Being both a lover and worker of the fashion industry causes me to truly appreciate garments for what they are. When taking a chance on a new piece (or a new look in my case), it is important to understand where it was made and how much really went into it.
This long length dress is 100% Polyester with a slight high-low hemline. The bodice is buttoned up and also includes pleating detail. The trim on the button placket and hem of the dress is a dark blue colored velvet. There is also a shoelace-like belt used to synch the waist for a better fit that also compliments the full skirt. Although it may seem like a lot of dress with the all-over floral print, the fabric makes the dress lightweight yet still perfect for a fall day. The velvet fabric hemline is heavier than the polyester, allowing the dress to flow perfectly and move with you.
One of my favorite aspects about this dress is that it continues to be unique yet a timeless elegant piece. I really doubt that you own ANYTHING like this (I sure don't)! By wearing this, you will never be over or under dressed since it can be worn for pretty much any occasion. Also, it can be transitioned from both day to night AND season to season with the right accessories.
I also grabbed these great gold-dipped earrings to go with the dress. They are lightweight but have a great detail to them. The small gemstone drop adds a bit of excitement while keeping the earrings simple and chic. If you look closely, you can see that they are made of a very thin chain. You pull the chain through your ear to the length you want the earrings to fall. Not only are they convertible, but the best part is that they stay exactly in the same place all day and you don't have to worry about them falling out of your ears.
* All photos were taken by Alison Rugg Photography at the Hilton Garden Inn Providence
Last Words and Takeaways
Isn't it great that you can learn something when you never expected to? Life lessons come in all shapes and sizes. This dress taught me so much with just one wear.
When choosing special pieces for your wardrobe, I hope that you not only appreciate the look that it gives you, but also all that the garment is. Always remember to give local boutiques and less known designers a chance, you never know when you will score a gorgeous item unlike anything you have ever seen!
Also, never judge a dress by how it looks on the hanger. How something fits on your unique body is completely different than how it fits thin air. Your body is a temple, dress it in something you love that compliments everything that you are! After all, the world is your runway, darling.


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ELLE Japan published many messages of support sent in by celebrities to the people of Japan after disaster struck their country. Among them a particularly heartwarming message by Marion Cotillard:
Man is so weak against the uprising of nature, but man is also a force of that nature.
Your courage and life will bring this beautiful country called Japan to bloom again.
I'm thinking of you constantly.
I'm sharing your pain, we're all sharing it.
I'm sending you all my love.
• Source: Elle Japon (Translation by myself)


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Ohio City News
Check out what's been going on in Ohio City:
Urban Community School is expanding their campus to include a community health center (in partnership with MetroHealth ,) a day care facility, and athletic courts. Read the full story on cleveland.com.
Rendering Credit: Bialosky Partners Architects
The Creative Fusion Cohort, presented by the Cleveland Foundation, has brought 6 international and 10 cleveland-based artists together to create 11 public art pieces in the Ohio City neighborhood.
The Music Settlement, a century-old nonprofit that provides early childhood and music education, has announced its expansion to Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood.
Trevor Clatterbuck, the entrepreneur behind Fresh Fork Market, and local chef & butcher Adam Lambert have partnered up to open Ohio City Provisions- an all-local butcher and grocery in Ohio City. Read the full story on Cleveland.com
Photo Credit: Thomas Ondre
A long-discussed and oft-delayed apartment project in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood got the green light last week, as money finally fell into place to transform a vacant cluster of buildings on West 25th Street.
The Ohio City Safety Camera Initiative is designed to deter crime by installing, and identifying through signage, safety cameras in strategic locations throughout the neighborhood. Priority will be given to areas in the neighborhood with the highest incidents of crime according to Cleveland Police statistics, with the long-range goal of placing safety cameras throughout the neighborhood.
Press: Ohio City in the News
There's a lot going on in Ohio City. Check back often for the latest news and press pieces from local and national media outlets.


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'No precedent' for Bury re-admission, says EFL
The Football League played down expelled Bury's hopes of gaining re-admission next season into League Two, the fourth tier of English football, saying on Tuesday that the established procedure for all clubs is to win promotion from the lower leagues.
Bury, one of English football's oldest clubs, were expelled from the EFL last month after failing to resolve their financial problems or find a new buyer.
- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!
The side, which joined the Football League in...


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Wind River RanchVisit Website
- Desktop
- Tablet
- Mobile
Wind River Ranch is a Christian dude ranch for family vacations and retreats. Their ministry is located in Estes Park, Colorado. They offer luxury accommodations, dude ranch activities and programs in the majestic mountains of Colorado.
This is their second website with us. The first website was a major success, ranking them high in search engine results (along with the current website). This second website uses responsive design, making it more accessible on mobile devices. The beautiful, modern design makes it easy for people to see what they have available - along with great pictures of their cabins and facilities.
We love showing off the design of this website because it's very striking and professional looking. Their goal was to have the website convey the level of luxury and professionalism that the ranch provides.
Need a Travel Related Website?
Over the years (since 2001), we've worked on and developed a number of websites in the hotel and travel industry. Our team is ready to help you develop your website to help you rank high and get more bookings.
We can help with writing/developing copy as well as your marketing message. From there, our design team develops the website around the copy - not the opposite way. We first go through the copywriting process where we very often see some discoveries made - rather than just set up some buckets (pages) and write some copy to fill those buckets.
The result of this process is website that is more integrated with the message spoken in the copy. Everything just works better and both website visitors and search engines notice the great results.
If instead of just putting up another website, you'd like to actually develop and invest in your website (where you naturally expect a return), then contact the experts at Webstix today to find out more about our website design services.
What Our Clients Say
"I couldn't be more happy with the design of the website. Webstix has done a wonderful job! Thanks so much for your help throughout this process. It has certainly been a pleasure to work with the Webstix team!"


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Accessing the internet has really been expensive and researches has constantly been going on to figure out the cheapest legal way to access the internet and network providers has been trying to adjust there data allocation because of the competition.
However expensive it is, people must stuff the web. However,
After several hours of finding cheap data plan in Nigeria the MTN 1GB for 500 Naira happens to be the cheapest and here is the reason.
Normal data allocation by Nigerian Network providers is usually
3GB for 1400 or 1500 Naira
Now, if that is the case. With just 500 Naira you get 1GB valid for 7days. right?
If you repeat the 500 Naira subscription for 4 times a month you have
500 Naira x 4 = 2000 Naira spent and you get
1GB x 4 = 4GB of data allocation
So you are spending an additional 500 Naira to get 1GB which ofcus for many persons the 3GB may not even last up to the one Month and the additional 1GB for 500 Naira would go a long way.
Alos, this service is only available on the New MTN Pulse and you get an additional chance of subscribing 25 Naira and get 500MB for Night plan (valid from 00:00am to 04:00am).
- Good for heavy data users
- The night plan is cool when you want to download filed
- Works on both Laptop, Android and iOS device
- Cheap call rate at 11 kobo per sec after you use 10 Naira daily
- Only MTN Subsvribers
- Must be on the NEW MTN Pulse tariff
How to Subscribe
Step 1:
Migrate to the New MTN Pulse by dialing *406#
Step 2
Select "1" and proceed.
You will receive a success SMS welcoming you to New MTN Pulse.
Step 3
Repeat step 1 and now select 2 for 1GB for 500 Naira weekly plan or 4 for 500MB for 25 Naira Night plan
Disclaimer: This plan was released by MTN, no tweak is involved and can be changed anytime by MTN


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"For changes to be of any true value, they've got to be lasting and consistent"
Tony Robbins
Various researchers have proven that approximately 70% of major change efforts are destined to fail. Anecdotally at least, this would appear to be mirrored in the failure rate of OSS projects.
The level of interdependency within OSS has a direct relationship to the complexity of change management. To use an analogy, in a standard game of chess, each piece moves in isolation based on certain fixed rules. But in an interdependent system like an OSS, it is like having strings, pulleys, etc linking the movement of one piece to another. So when a player wishes to move their castle by 5 spaces, it also moves their Queen by a seemingly random half a space, two pawns by 2 spaces and their Knight by one space. Even with excruciating planning, such a game could easily disintegrate into mayhem. This is where clear guiding visions are necessary to keep pulling the project towards a desired end state, irrespective of the unplanned impacts that arise.
As vendors increase the functionality of their solutions and as new systems are integrated with legacy systems, the level of complexity increases. As described in the Requirement Capture section, focusing on a simple set of benefits rather than product functionality will also simplify the change management process. To continue the analogy above, the aim is to remove the strings and pulleys so that the pieces can move in isolation.
Understanding the Business Model
There are so many options in terms of products, bundles, content, solutions, etc that a customer can build their business model around. We currently have at our disposal the widest range of alternatives that we've ever seen in telecommunications. It is essential to understand the company's business model before attempting a change program. This often provides the guiding vision for what the project is trying to achieve.
Since there is already a significant body of knowledge relating to strategic vision, it is assumed that the business model is already clearly articulated and is suitable for basing an OSS vision upon it. In some cases, a new business model will be driving the OSS transformation, effectively making it the key reason for initiating the change.
The amount of change in technology innovation, process, regulatory, etc means that businesses are taking an almost Darwinian approach to business models, adapting to new opportunities and approaches. In response, this places an increased emphasis on the OSS's ability to facilitate those changes.
Implementing Change
Based on years of observations of OSS implementations, I have come to believe that organisational change management is THE fundamental building block around which an OSS project should be formed. An implementation team will typically focus on the functionality of the OSS rather than the organisation that will use that functionality. I have observed projects where the tools and data sets have been configured nigh on perfect for the customer's needs, but have seen the project fail due to the organisation being unable to cope with the change that the tools introduce. In these situations, end-users quickly lose faith in the tools and develop workaround solutions. This in turn leads to process inconsistencies and a reduced integrity of the data in the OSS, which in turn leads to a further loss in faith in the tools. It is a vicious cycle that dooms the project to long-term failure.
From these projects I have formulated a list of risks and associated actions aimed at managing the change created by the OctopOSS.
I have only recently become aware of the work of Dr John Kotter who presented the following 8 steps of change in a Harvard Business Review article. These 8 steps closely align with my independent observations on the successes / failures of OSS transformation, which are shown as dot-points under each of Kotter's 8 steps.
It should be clearly noted that Steps 1 and 2 are an unconditional requirement for the success of OSS transformation, but are commonly overlooked or not given the attention that is required.
Step 1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency
- Unless the organisation has an urgent, compelling reason for change then the project will not get the prioritisation and urgency of effort that it needs
- The compelling event for theOSS(eg impending crisis, competitive opportunity, etc) must be clearly articulated and communicated to generate a "call-to-arms"
Step 2: Creating the Guiding Coalition
- OSS transformation is so wide-ranging that a powerful force is required to sustain the project
- The guiding coalition must have multiple project champions that are required to have:
- Position Power – including business unit managers and/or key stakeholders
- Expertise – to ensure informed decisions are made
- Credibility – to ensure recommendations are taken seriously throughout the organisation
- Leadership – to drive the organisation through the transformation through a combination of vision and management
- The guiding coalition needs to agree on a common goal rather than the goals of individual business units
Step 3: Developing a Change Vision
- Must present a clear, concise future state as well as how it is to be achieved and by when
- Develop strategies for achieving the goal, so that team leaders can align individual goals with the organisation's top priorities
- Each individual or team can only focus on 1-3 high-level priorities at a time
Step 4: Communicating the Vision for Buy-in
- Use every mechanism available to reiterate the vision
- Perpetuate the vision through all members of the Guiding Coalition, business unit managers, team leaders, etc
- The reason most people don't reach their goals is because they never set them
- Leaders on the team must clearly define the activities to achieve the 1-3 higher-level goals
Step 5: Empowering Broad-based Action
- Transformation can only occur on the efforts of many, but most people are fundamentally change averse
- Understand and remove obstacles (behaviours, skills, attitudes, etc) thus empowering change
- Make changes to ancillary systems or structures that might undermine the vision
- Encourage innovative ideas, activities, actions
Step 6: Generating Short-term Wins
- Essential to show the team, stakeholders and opposers that progress is being made
- Examples of short-term wins can include:
- CommissionOSStools that have simple and/or one-way data flows (eg SNMP traps to an alarm management tool, or performance files to a performance management tool)
- Convince the vendor to establish a "sandpit" environment (an "out-of-the-box" version of vendor software that is functional but not yet customised for the organisation) for team members to begin using
- Rationalisation of infrastructure, particularly if it generates cost savings (eg reduction of licences or hardware replacement)
- Organisational re-alignments / re-structuring
- Implementation that overcomes immediate business needs
- Implementation that reduces revenue leakage or activates new revenues
- Create a compelling implementation scoreboard
- Plan for performance improvements that will be visible to a broader audience than just the implementation team, the implement the improvements
- Create mechanisms to recognise and reward employees who have been responsible for the deliverables
Step 7: Never Letting Up
- Hold each other accountable
- Build teams around those who can implement the vision
- Programs need reinvigoration. Projects, themes, processes, people
- Refine or remove systems, processes and policies that don't align with the overarching vision
Step 8: Incorporating Changes into the Culture
- Build upon changes that you've successfully implemented
- Refine the processes, training and mentoring to articulate the improvements
- Build a pyramid of support for the change, ensuring the change becomes inculcated in the culture
This blog entry goes as far as to suggest that an OSS apprenticeship is required to incorporate the cultural change required to support your new OSS.
For more information about The 8-Step Process for Leading Change, please refer to Dr. Kotter's book Leading Change.
In-flight planning changes
"In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."
Dwight D. Eisenhower
OSS/BSS projects often have complexities and dependencies that few others can match. Initial plans invariably don't fully reflect the obstacles facing the implementation team. As such, in-flight planning change is an essential attribute to build into your project.


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Mid-Year Update: Wellness Program Trends
Unique ID: 2f60aad9-db88-4fcd-b5dd-8eaa4dd66ad8
This is my favorite time of year. This is the time when my world gets in the spotlight – personally and professionally. January's New Year's resolutions are in full swing with goals of exercising more, eating better, drinking more water – we've all been here at some point. This is also the time when companies do a bit of self-reflection and strategize how wellness can fit into their overall game plan next year, or how to beef up the program they currently have in place.
Looking into my crystal ball, here are the top trends we can expect to see for the last half of 2015 when it comes to worksite wellness:
- Efforts to make wellness more personal. Out with the blanket programs and in with programs that can get down to the individual level. The more we do this, the more behavior change we can expect. Think 1:1 dietitian sessions, connecting employees with personal physicians, 1:1 coaching sessions, etc.
- Emphasis on 'financial wellness.' Employees have a need to understand and be more knowledgeable in areas outside of 401(k) education, such as paying off a mortgage, investing, estate planning, saving for children's college, etc. The workplace is proving to be a great avenue for this education. Did I mention the added benefit of stress reduction with this one?
- Leveraging activity devices. We're living in a world full of high-tech wellness devices – FitBit, Jawbone, MisFit, Garmin. Employers will be seeking ways to integrate these devices into their overall wellness program.
- Data integration. Getting our hand on data is no longer a "want to have" – it's a "need to have." This year, there will be an even tighter focus on the ability to integrate data from all sources of an employer's benefit plan – medical, workers' compensation, etc.. A true integration of data will offer a crystal clear picture of your population with the potential to provide predictive modeling on future costs.
If you have additional questions on maximizing your wellness program, reach out to an 'A' Team member and get your workforce healthy!
Related Resources:
- Wellness ROI & Beyond Webinar Replay
- Maximizing Wellness Program Engagement Webinar Replay
- The Power of Movement
Related Pages:
Jill Micklow