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(Reuters) - Fashion designer Brandon Maxwell used denim for the first time ever as he showcased a classic American style in bold colors with a hint of nostalgia for his Spring/Summer 2018 collection at an offsite venue of New York Fashion Week: The Shows.
Maxwell booked some of the biggest names in the industry for his show including Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls, Taylor Hill and the modeling sister duo Gigi and Bella Hadid, whose mother, Yolanda Hadid, watched from the front row.
Jenna Lyons, the former creative director of J. Crew, was also in attendance.
For daywear, models strutted the catwalk to Britney Spears' throwback song "Hit me baby one more time," and Destiny's Child's "Independent Women," wearing flared, high-waisted jeans with high-neck chiffon tops and crepe blazers.
"Our classic pants that sell the best for us, like our cigarette and our boot-cut, we translated those into denim," Maxwell said.
"I always had a hard time seeing how I could translate what I do into daywear and this time it was very easy for me."
For Maxwell's evening looks, the designer stayed true to his signature sleek style with piped hem dresses but also invigorated the collection with large and intricate pastel ball gowns made of leopard jacquard.
The proud Texan, who has dressed U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, Uma Thurman and Gwyneth Paltrow, broke out from his signature black and ivory composition, shifting to a diverse color palette of red and fuchsia, pale pink, mint, emerald green and orange.
The long-time Lady Gaga stylist dedicated the show to his 'Nanu', his grandmother who recently passed away. Reflecting, he said, "Her spirit was with me the entire time I was making the collection."
Although he was busy with preparation for the show, Maxwell said he thought a lot about his home state this week as it dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which unleashed unprecedented flooding in parts of Texas.
"I think it's really hard to sort of go into this week with what's been going on in Texas and you know it's such a happy joyous time for us here," he said. "It's really hard to think about so many from where I'm from that are not having a happy, joyous time right now."
Maxwell said he planned to make a donation to the relief effort and also said he auctioned off tickets to his show to help benefit the victims of the powerful storm that killed as many as 60 people and caused damages to about 312,000 homes along the coast of Texas.
"Whether it's a nice thing this week or in the next few months we'll always be thinking about how we can help," Maxwell said.
He is part of over 100 designers who are showcasing their latest work at New York Fashion Week, which ends on Wednesday. This year, the event is a day shorter than usual in order to accommodate buyers and editors who must fly out next to London Fashion Week.
Reporting by Yahaira Jacquez and Elly Park


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Attn: BBM users.Posted: 03/21/2011 Filed under: Bitching | Tags: BBM, bitching, blackberry, iphone Leave a comment
Y'all need to get a freakin' life. Honestly. I don't care if your so-called boyfriend didn't BBM you back for 3 minutes. I don't care that you can tell if a person has read your BBM message. I don't care if someone stole your BBM profile picture. I DON'T CARE. Do you seriously think that me, a non-BlackBerry user, a person who has real issues to worry about honestly gives a crap? Please. Get a life and/or grow up. Seriously. So sick and tired of hearing this crap.
Another reason why iPhone > BlackBerry users.
130.0 lbs

subset: commoncrawl


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By Stephanie Skordas, Sr. Associate Director, Communications
"If you had told me this would be my path, I wouldn't have believed you," Elizabeth Lucas-Averett (MBA '01) told the members of the Graduate Women in Business organization at the School of Business on February 22. She said we are conditioned to think of our careers as a linear progression, but career paths are often more winding or prone to taking sudden leaps.
The owner of Trivista Group, LLC, a consultancy with a focus on the aerospace industry, Lucas-Averett is also co-owner of Village Juice Co., a Winston-Salem cold-pressed juice company, and the host of a podcast on fitness, health, and mindset. She admits it is a diverse set of interests.
"I learned that I am a facilitator," Lucas-Averett said. "I love to grow my passions." Part of what makes her passionate about the business world is the role she plays outside of it. "Being a wife and a mom is a part of what makes me, me."
Lucas-Averett offered the students and faculty members in the audience seven lessons she says she learned the hard way.
- The imposter syndrome
"We're all making it up as we go along. Everyone's doing the best they can. If I had known there was no magic formula for success, I would have started everything I'm doing sooner.
- Results, not effort
"Women, more often than men, wear busyness like a badge of honor. But there is no prize. Busyness is not the same as productivity. Focus on the results you are bringing to your organization."
- Extreme accountability
"The buck stops with me. I make sure my clients know I will take full responsibility for solving problems that come up. And if you own the problem and solution, you've just put yourself in charge. People know they can trust me."
- Stop nodding
Lucas-Averett says many women are conditioned to show they are engaged and listening through this body language. "But what it actually shows is that you are agreeing with everything, even when you shouldn't be." She encouraged the students listening to stop nodding, and remove the words "just" and "I'm sorry" from their day-to-day conversation.
- There's no pie (So share it!)
Lucas-Averett says success is not a pie with a predetermined number of slices. "There is infinite success. Another woman's success does not mean less success for me. We don't have enough cheerleaders. We need to remind ourselves that there is infinite abundance for success. Your success is my success."
- No, you can't have it all
Articles on the internet and in the media promise women the ability to have great personal lives, work lives, relationships, health, finances, and more all at the same time. "It's like a sound mixing board. When the bass is high, the treble is low. When you focus on one area, the other areas suffer." She says keeping an eye on this balancing act calls for course-correction – the chance to figure out the amount of time you have, the number of resources you have, and what you want to accomplish.
- The power of story
"The stories we tell ourselves are the ones we live. Are you the victim in your story? If you think you're put-upon, guess what, yep, you sure are. What do you want to be? Write out your brand story. If you write it, you will live it. When you articulate who you want to be, you will live it."
"Having this advice fresh in our minds as graduation approaches is key," said Caroline Magee (MA '17). "One of her points was about surrounding yourself with people who inspire you to be a better person, so we'll be taking this advice into our careers."
Magee said the group plans to invite Lucas-Averett back to the School in April to talk with a larger group of students about career advice as they prepare for Commencement.


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Lillian Glanzer
Posted in:
Lillian Glanzer, 100, of Marion, S.D., passed away on Tuesday, April 3 at Oakview Terrace in Freeman. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 14 at 11 a.m. at the Salem-Zion Mennonite Church of rural Freeman. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 13 at Walter Funeral Home in Freeman.


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American History TV on C-SPAN 3
October 15, 2016
Scholars talked about the life and legacy of novelist, journalist, photographer, and social activist Jack London. They showed a selection of London's photojournalism and spoke how the author of The Call of the Wild influenced generations of Western novelists and writers.
Read more about the Jack London symposium: A Century After His Death, Scholars Examine Jack London's Enduring Legacy
Watch: Complete video on C-SPAN.org


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Go to Original
By Lori Montgomery
Spending Package Would Rival Financial System Bailout
Facing an increasingly ominous economic outlook, President-elect Barack Obama and other Democrats are rapidly ratcheting up plans for a massive fiscal stimulus program that could total as much as $700 billion over the next two years.
That amount, more than the nation has spent over the past six years in Iraq, would rival the sum Congress committed last month to rescuing the country's financial system. It would also be one of the biggest public spending programs aimed at jolting the economy since President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.
Hints of a hefty new spending program began emerging last week. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D), an Obama adviser, and Harvard economist Lawrence H. Summers, whom Obama has chosen to lead his White House economic team, both raised the possibility of $700 billion in new spending. Yesterday, Obama adviser and former Clinton administration Labor secretary Robert Reich and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) also called for spending in the range of $500 billion to $700 billion.
Transition officials would not confirm that they are considering spending of that magnitude, but they made clear that economic conditions are dire, and suggested that Obama might be forced to delay his pledge to repeal President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy.
Last week, Goldman Sachs said it expects the economy to shrink even faster by the end of the year, at a 5 percent annualized rate. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 5.3 percent for the week; and the nation's largest bank, Citigroup, sought government assistance to avoid collapse.
While Obama has set a goal of creating or preserving 2.5 million jobs by 2011, his economic team -- whose members are scheduled to be formally introduced at a news conference today in Chicago -- have yet to decide how that would be accomplished or how much it would cost.
Still, Austan Goolsbee, a spokesman for Obama on economic issues who is in line to serve on the White House Council of Economic Advisers, yesterday acknowledged that Obama's jobs plan will cost substantially more than the $175 billion stimulus program he proposed during the campaign.
"This is as big of an economic crisis as we've faced in 75 years. And we've got to do something that's up to the task of confronting that," Goolsbee said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "I don't know what the exact number is, but it's going to be a big number."
Republicans quickly criticized the idea of such a vast initiative, saying Congress should instead cut taxes to spur economic growth.
"Democrats can't seem to stop trying to outbid each other -- with the taxpayers' money," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a statement. "We're in tough economic times. Folks are hurting. But the American people know that more Washington spending isn't the answer."
With financial markets fluctuating wildly and unemployment rising, Democrats want to push a stimulus package through Congress in January and have it ready for Obama's signature when he takes office Jan. 20. Over the weekend, the president-elect announced that he had instructed his advisers to assemble a massive jobs program that also would make a "down payment" on much of his domestic agenda.
The plan would include new funding for public-works projects to repair the nation's crumbling infrastructure, as well as a fresh infusion of cash to promote green technology and alternative-energy sources. It also would include targeted tax cuts for working families, students, the elderly and job-creating businesses that Obama touted on the campaign trail.
It may not, however, include one of Obama's central promises: to repeal Bush's tax cuts for families earning more than $250,000 a year. Speaking on ABC's "This Week," David Axelrod, Obama's chief political strategist, said the president-elect is weighing whether to let the cuts for the wealthy expire on Dec. 31, 2010, as provided in current law. Such a delay would permit Obama to avoid raising taxes during a recession.
"He's committed to getting middle-class tax relief in the pipeline quickly, and there's no doubt that we're going to have to make some hard decisions in order to pay for the things we need, whether it is through repeal of those tax cuts for the very wealthiest or whether we simply allow it to -- allow those cuts to expire in 2010," Axelrod said.
The projected cost of an economic stimulus package has been rising steadily as economic conditions have worsened. Economists who were calling a few months ago for $150 billion in government spending to offset flagging demand elsewhere in the economy are now pushing for $500 billion or more. Adding tax cuts to the package is expected to increase its cost to the Treasury by as much as $200 billion, Democrats said.
Even some conservative economists have endorsed the larger numbers.
Harvard economist Martin Feldstein, the former director of the National Bureau of Economic Research and an adviser to Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign, said he thinks the government should spend "a minimum of $300 billion a year for at least the next two years."
"The cumulative multi-year deficit would have to be about $700 billion or even more," Feldstein said in an e-mail yesterday.
Reich, speaking on CNN's "Late Edition," said the middle class is being squeezed by mountains of personal debt, plummeting home values and a vast tightening in available credit. As a result, he said, "there's not enough buying power in the economy," forcing the government to step in as "the spender of last resort."
In an interview, Schumer said the nation is on the brink of the same kind of deflationary spiral that pushed down prices, closed businesses and obliterated jobs during the Great Depression.
"The economy is in worse shape than people think," Schumer said. "The safest thing is to do anything you can to avoid deflation."
Even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), whose aides have in recent weeks balked at suggestions that Democrats might spend as much as $300 billion, conceded yesterday on "Face the Nation" that the price of a stimulus package is likely to be "in the several hundred billion dollar category."
There are downsides to such a dramatic increase in government spending, especially at a time when the annual federal budget deficit already is spiraling toward $1 trillion -- about 7 percent of the gross domestic product -- a level not seen since the end of World War II. Increasing the deficit means increasing the national debt, which eventually will have to be repaid, with interest, to largely foreign creditors. It also means the nation will be even less prepared to cover the skyrocketing costs of Medicare and Social Security as the baby boomer generation retires.
Washington also could overshoot its target, sparking rampant inflation when the economy recovers. Or the money could be poorly directed and fail to efficiently stimulate the economy.
"The 1930s recession became the Great Depression because policymakers didn't take the necessary actions. Nobody wants to make that mistake this time around," said Jared Bernstein, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute who has been advising Democrats. "Is there a possibility that we could overshoot? Of course. But from what I've seen, the danger is not doing enough."


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Iraq -- The World's Most Dangerous Place
With the worst scores in safety and security in society, level of trust in other citizens, homicide rate, level of violent crime and the potential for terrorist acts, Iraq is, by Global Peace Index (GPI) standards, the world's most dangerous country. The GPI uses a weighted scale of one to five to measure a country's level of peace. Iraq comes in with the highest score of the 144 countries surveyed, with an average of 3.341. Has Iraq always been so dangerous? Let's take a brief look at its history.
Often referred to as the "cradle of civilization," Iraq occupies the former Mesopotamia. It's located in the Middle East between Iran and Saudi Arabia. In the Middle Ages, Iraq was the centerpiece of the Islamic Empire, with Baghdad serving as a cultural and political capital to the entire surrounding area. Its influence began decreasing around the 13th century with Mongol invasions. But it began a slow rise to prominence again in the 1930s after attaining independence from British control. Around the late 1950s, oil production made Iraq one of the richest countries in the world. Saddam Hussein became president in 1979, and the country went to war with Iran, which lasted from 1980 to 1988. The first Gulf War started soon after, in 1991, after Iraq invaded Kuwait. International sanctions, war and Hussein's rule destroyed Iraq's economy and way of life.
In 2003, the United States and United Kingdom invaded Iraq, with military support from other nations. The war continues today. Elections in 2006 installed a new post-Saddam Hussein government, but the country continues to face many challenges and conflicts. Its economy is crippled and internal tensions run high. Hundreds of Iraqi civilians reportedly die each month due to these conflicts. Insurgents have driven entire communities out of their neighborhoods, resulting in the displacement of some four million people [source: Amnesty International]. Many Iraqis also suffer from restricted access to clean drinking water and live on less than a dollar per day. Many more Iraqis lack basic services and live under threat of disease and malnutrition [source: Oxfam].
Credited with a spate of recent bombings and terrorist attacks, Al Qaeda plays a key role in the Iraqi insurgency. Additionally, human rights abuses still run rampant, especially for women. In 2006 and 2007, more than 20 percent of Iraqi women reported experiences of physical violence [source: WHO].
The U.S. Department of State warns against all but essential travel to Iraq. As its security remains unpredictable, attacks against both military and civilian targets are common. Dangers include killings by armed groups, multinational forces, Iraqi security forces and private military, as well as detention without charge or trial, and kidnappings.
It should go without saying that it's not very safe to work in Iraq, either. Since 2003, approximately 190 journalists and media support people have died in Iraq due to hostile acts [source: CPJ]. Civilian contractors -- usually working on reconstruction -- also find themselves in danger. In 2006, insurgents abducted five civilian reconstruction workers. A recent discovery proved two of the five dead, and the remaining three are still missing [source: Essop].


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While there is always need for improvement, Georgia is making more progress toward raising academic performance and closing achievement gaps between students than it might seem, state Superintendent John Barge told Richmond County educators Tuesday.
Schools are graduating more students than ever before, he said, and Georgia is the only state in the country that showed increases on six standardized tests such as Advanced Placement exams and the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2011.
"We're headed in the right direction," Barge said. "We haven't arrived, but the good news is the things that we're doing with a more rigorous curriculum are
Barge discussed academics, charter school legislation and graduation rates with the Richmond County Board of Education during a visit organized by the local legislative delegation.
About 60 principals, teachers and community members heard his comments, which focused on education statewide rather than just Richmond County.
With concerns about continued state funding cuts and the proposed charter school legislation steering money away from local school districts, board member Jack Padgett said the state's educational priorities mirror concerns in Augusta.
"I think overall his concerns were pertinent to what we're doing here," Padgett said.
Barge said Georgia is gradually closing the achievement gap between students of all races and increasing the number of black students who graduate on time. There is an 8 percent gap between the state's 67 percent graduation rate and the black graduation rate, but a
change in the approach to curriculum should help that, he said.
Georgia is implementing the College and Career Ready Performance Index, which will allow students to choose career paths in high school that align with their interests, among other initiatives.
Educators hope that specialized learning will keep students interested in school and reduce dropouts.
"An overwhelming number will tell you that they dropped out of high school because they find it unrelentingly boring and irrelevant to what they want to do," Barge said. "We can keep children in school if we help identify their interests and their passion and we help plan
an academic program for them that guides them down a path to be successful in that area."
Barge said Georgia continues to have achievement gaps in subjects and demographics but is closing
those gaps at a more rapid rate than the national average.
In 2012, Georgia had a 13.5 percent increase in the amount of students passing AP exams and earning college credit. The state's black students had a 17 percent increase from the previous year.
The state ranked 13th in the nation in 2011 for students passing AP exams. The College Board will not release the 2012 rankings until February.
In other standardized tests, Georgia is doing better than it might appear, Barge said.
Georgia ranked 48th in the nation for SAT scores in 2011, but Barge said that ranking portrays an inaccurate picture because students are not required to take the exam.
In 2011, 80 percent of Georgia's students took the exam, while states ranking near the top had 5 percent of its students participate.
Barge said he isolated the scores of the Georgia students who performed in the top 5 percent in 2011, and the new calculation was
several hundred points ahead of the top-ranking states that had 5 percent participation.
"Not to say we're there, guys, not to say we're perfect, but if you want to get close to an apples-to-apples comparison, we're probably doing pretty well compared to us ranking with other states - if not better," he said.
While the nation saw a
2 percent drop in SAT scores in 2011, Barge said, Georgia had a seven-point gain in the average score and a one-point increase in participation.
Most of the questions from the audience focused on Barge's stance against the charter school constitutional amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot. The amendment would allow the state to form a committee to approve charter schools against the wishes of local school boards, circumventing the current process for local boards and the state board to approve charters.
Barge said that until all school districts in Georgia are back to 180-day school years and fewer districts are on the verge of bankruptcy, he cannot support the legislation.


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30 Heartfire, 3E433
Imperial Bridge Inn
My time in Leyawiin was short-lived. I had expected to spend the day tracking down the city's Mythic Dawn agent, but this morning the agent revealed himself for me.
The man was identified as Cingor, a Bosmer with the local Fighter's Guild who styled himself a sort of crime-fighter, patrolling the city himself alongside the city guards. However, when he saw me he yelled that paradise awaited him and unsheathed a war-hammer from his back, charging at me.
Right past two guards.
They yelled at him to stop, but after realizing he was intent on my death, they drew their weapons and dutifully engaged their fellow citizen. With a swordsman at his front and an archer at his back, Cingor stood no chance and fell with two steel arrows planted into his back.
A search of his home revealed the expected "Commentaries" volume of the Mythic Dawn and satisfied that the city was clear of their malevolence I set off for Cheydinhal.
The road between Leyawiin and Cheydinhal is the longest between any two cities in the province and was not particularly well-traveled during my previous time in the province, people largely preferring to go through Bravil instead. The resulting privacy is well-suited for some folks, Cingor one of them, as I found out, as well as worshipers of Nocturnal whose roadside shrine I passed by. I may visit the shrine tomorrow to see if I can receive a boon from the Daedric Prince.
Further up the road I found an Oblivion Gate, which I closed, but then I found a second one, then a third, then a fourth! Cingor had apparently been busy. It was too late in the day for me to consider closing anything other than the first Gate, so I marked the latter three on my map and will be returning to them at a later date.
I also encountered my first Spriggan since my time on Solstheim years ago and she (it?) was no less a capable opponent as her cousins on that frozen island, but fortunately she came alone and I had no trouble.
After finding the fourth gate I figured there would be more ahead and that I was just setting myself up for a lot of work come tomorrow by pushing forward to Cheydinhal. Fortunately there is a small Inn along the road halfway between the cities that serves as a good place for me to temporary base myself while I plan on taking on the opened Gates. The innkeeper also informed me that there is a nearby Daedric shrine to Peryite that I may also visit, though I do not know much about Peryite as I do Nocturnal.


text: Rates fell last week, but mortgage demand was unimpressed.DISCLAIMER: Many of the pages and articles on this website contain information and excerpts provided by third-parties from around the web; as such, the operators of this website assume no liability or responsibility for any of the contents contained herein, or the contents of websites that we may link to. Furthermore, all copyrights belong to their original creator(s). Use of any portion of this website constitutes full acceptance of this disclaimer.


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Gaven's late strike helps Crew down Union
Chester, PA – Eddie Gaven struck in the dying minutes to help the Columbus Crew claim a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park on Wednesday.
The Union spoiled a one-goal lead handed to them by Carlos Valdes' deflected free kick in the 29th minute.
Josh Williams equalized just before halftime, heading home a free kick delivery from Federico Higuain, but went from hero to goat in the 68th minute when he was issued a straight red card.
Playing down a man ultimately made no difference for the Crew as Higuain, Justin Meram and Gaven connected deep into second-half stoppage time to lift the visitors to all three points.
The telling goal came in the fifth minute of stoppage as Meram drew Zac MacMath off his line and squared the ball for Gaven to convert his seventh goal of the campaign.
Columbus (11-8-6) sits tied with the Montreal Impact on 39 points apiece, one point shy of a playoff spot despite having played three fewer matches than the Canadian club.
Philadelphia (7-13-4) is winless in its last five league games, staying third from bottom in the Eastern Conference with 25 points.


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Calories may count, but most people aren't counting them.
Only 9% of people in the USA can accurately estimate the number of calories they should eat in a day, and 9% keep track of their calories every day.
People have plenty of excuses for not tracking: They say it's extremely difficult, and they lack the interest, knowledge and focus. Some say they're not convinced that it matters all that much.


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CHICAGO (CBS) — Remember when you opened the door on Christmas Eve and it was Uncle Charlie with an armload of presents? Today, it's the FedEx man, and you wonder: Did mine get there on time?
There's nothing worse than getting the perfect gift, only to miss a shipping deadline and leave someone empty-handed on Christmas.
Several people showed up at a Roscoe Village FedEx store Friday, which was a critical deadline.
"It's always a concern because you want your gift to arrive on time, and I'm sending some things to my godchildren and I know they're super excited," Esther Kashkin said. "I don't want to disappoint them."
Business was brisk at Federal Express for good reason. Friday was the last day to ship via ground service, manager George Santos said.
But if you're willing to pay for express mail, you have right up until Dec. 23rd.
If you're planning to use the U.S. Postal Service, you have until Monday Dec. 20 for ground shipping in time for Christmas. You have until Dec. 21 for Priority Mail — including those flat rate "if it fits, it ships" boxes – and Dec. 22 for Express Mail.
Some folks simply won't have to worry about it.
"I'm not stressing out about being late for once," Leslie Suder said. "This is the first time I think I'm ahead of the game — completely done."
Besides shipping early, there's another way to save money: shipping online at www.usps.com.
"You can pay there for postage, print labels and schedule a carrier to pick up you package from your home or office for free," Mark Reynolds, the USPS' Chicago district spokesperson, said.


text: Coming soon: shorter articles and posts with a cultural geography flavour, on the broad theme of London. Most of the articles in our archive are relatively long, and focus on a small geographical area of London. This new part of our website will instead act as a blog, on which we will share shorter insights


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Washington, D.C., counsel Bradford Campbell was quoted in PLANADVISER in an article titled, "DOL's TDF Guidance 'Mischaracterizes the Market.'"
The article compiles industry practitioners' reactions to recent guidance from the Department of Labor (DOL) on selecting and monitoring target-date funds (TDFs).
The DOL's guidance suggests plan fiduciaries inquire about whether a custom or non-proprietary TDF would be a better fit for their plan than a pre-packaged TDF product.
Brad said that, at the end of the day, the plan fiduciary must have a prudent process that takes into account the relevant factors when deciding whether to offer a TDF and when selecting a particular fund.
"DOL's single paragraph of guidance on proprietary or custom funds says little more than that these are different product variations, and as such, are additional factors to consider in a prudent process."
Brad said in his view, they are no more or less important than any of the other relevant factors considered in making a fiduciary decision, such as cost or glide path. "There is nothing inherently superior about one class of products over another-the issue is how a particular product suits the needs of a particular plan," he stated.


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Sony Xperia
Repair all models of the Sony Xperia at Linkadot for your rest of mind! Our service covers all kinds of Sony Xperia faults and problems. Irrespective of the extent of the repair your phone requires, we have you covered, from a smashed or damaged screen, water damage (although this often results in a 'write-off'), crashed Android, broken case to sundry software or hardware problem.
We offer free, no-obligation quotes for all repairs – so you'll know the full cost before any repairs are carried out.


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An American observer comments on French politics.
I'd guess the relevance of the time series is more for comparison within a country across time than between two countries at the same date, as the differences in the nature of the data between countries make realistic comparisons a bit hazardous.
Post a Comment


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CLoW – Children's Liturgy of the Word – is designed for students in 1st thru 5th grades. Students are dismissed from the 10:30 am Liturgy to hear a "kid-friendly" version of the Sunday readings and a homily; they return to Mass for the Liturgy of the Eucharist (after the homily). Registration is not required.
Sunday School – designed for those children age 3 thru Kindergarten. This class takes place during 10:30 am Liturgy. A minimum of 8 registered students is needed to form this class. If your child is in this class please consider being a teacher for a month.
Elementary RE – Religious education classes for students in 1st thru 5th grades. These classes meet on Wednesdays, 3:15 – 4:15 pm. A small snack is provided before classes begin (no snacks during class).
Sacrament Classes – Students in 2nd grade will spend their RE class time preparing to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. Family Sessions are also required for students preparing to receive the Sacraments. These Growing-up Catholic family sessions assist parents and children in understanding the importance of the Sacraments.
Older students (3rd grade and up) needing to receive the sacraments will have separate classes that will be determined as the school year gets under way. In order to be ready to receive the Sacraments in the spring, these students must attend their assigned RE class and the separate sacrament classes.
Mass attendance is a great family activity for all students but a must for our Sacrament Prep students. Please plan on attending Mass regularly.
Middle School RE – The Edge for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders – Edge Nights are Monday evenings from 7:00 – 8:00 pm in the parish hall. Please look for snack sign-ups. Friends and parents are always welcome to join us!
High School Youth Group – Sunday evenings 7:00 – 8:00 pm. Teens will deepen their knowledge of our faith, and be given opportunities to live that faith in the parish and larger community. We are growing and your student can help shape our direction, but only if they come! Friends are always welcome, as well as delicious snacks from home!
We are always looking for additional faithful, loving, kid-friendly volunteers to continue our programs success.
All catechists (teachers) and helpers must be fingerprinted and take the class "Protecting God's Children for Adults." Ask the parish when the next class is being offered.
If you would like to join the fun or have questions about what is involved, please contact the office (702) 293-7500


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Scala declares May event "a big success"
Posted: May 31, 2018
Scala has announced that its first 'In-house Experience Event' was such a success that it will be staging another from September 3rd-5th which will be open to all its customers. The event was held on Monday 28th May at its premises in Wijchen, The Netherlands, and guests were given the opportunity to tour the new Experience Centre and attend product training sessions provided by CalExotics, ToyJoy, and Kama Sutra.
"Scala is constantly looking for new, exciting ways to engage with our customers," the distributor said, "and the concept for the Scala In-house Experience Event came from this ambition, plus our desire to inform, exchange knowledge and connect face-to-face in an informal setting."
Guests were divided into groups of six and were given a tour of the Experience Centre, a walk-through of the warehouse – including a demonstration on how orders are processed and prepared for shipment – and the three workshops where brand representatives shared tips and tricks, marketing advice, and showcased their company's latest releases. A buffet lunch was provided, plus cold beers and savoury snacks at the end of the day.
Spaces on the next In-house Experience Event in September will be limited so guests will be required to pre-register to guarantee a slot. More details will be provided closer to the time.


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- "Ifranji" (ie Frank) letters, that is to say lower case Latin
- Greek (also "Sabi" and "Rumi") and Coptic
- Hieroglyphics (barbāwī) - see also "Suli" and "Qinani". Needless to say, none of the values given bear any discernible relation to their actual sound values.
- The "letters of India", rather reminiscent of the Maldivian thaana
- Syriac, listed as the language of Adam (putting it several generations back from Ibn Hazm's more conservative description of it as the language of Abraham...)
- "Jacobite", basically Hebrew, and the "letters of Aaron", basically Samaritan
- Armenian
- Kufic (early Arabic)
- A table of the directionality of various scripts
- A comparative table of magical alphabets
- A Hermetic alphabet (attributed to Hermes, that is) called "Secrets of the Stones"
Knowing my readers, I suspect I'll have identifications of several of the alphabets I didn't recognise coming soon - although many, perhaps most, of them are certainly made up. Extra points for anyone who can come up with a picture of a magic bowl or something actually using one of the made-up alphabets.
Two other Arabic manuscripts there of potential interest: The conquest of Africa, from Qayrawan to Zab; Book of the Roman months.


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Last month Restaurant News released its chef predictions for restaurant food trends in 2012, and there's a lot to be cautiously optimistic about. Why cautiously optimistic? Read on and you'll find out.
Locally sourced meats and seafood are trend number one; locally grown produce is trend number two. This is great, depending on what the definition of local is. Remember, Restaurant News isn't just a publication for small, independent restaurants. It covers everything from fast food to chain restaurants to small local independents. Consider that McDonalds recently launched a Meet Our Suppliers campaign that smacks of localwashing and one upscale chain restaurant that focuses on regional seasonal menus just emailed me and asked if I'd like to come in and try their winter seasonal menu with a tomato salad first on the list (local tomatoes aren't very easy to come by in my region in the winter). Restaurants may say things are locally grown, but local has turned into a rather loose term. It's best to ask questions.
Healthful kids meals came in at number three, but Restaurant News' example of that trend was that McDonalds increased their commitment to a more healthy menu. That's not encouraging. However, number 19 is more encouraging — children's mini-meals (smaller versions of adult menu items). I find this encouraging because perhaps the trend of offering kids only chicken nuggets, burgers and sad little mini pizzas (all with a side of fries) is ending, and restaurants are beginning to realize that children can eat the same foods that grownups eat, only in smaller portions. Whole grains in kids' meals, number 10, is also something that could be a good thing. I'd like to see an example of how whole grains are being incorporated.
The item I'm most optimistic about is locally produced wine and beer, coming in at number eight. Unlike foods that are labeled local yet the exact location can be frequently unknown, wine and beer are labeled sometimes down to the town where they are produced. In the South Jersey/Philadelphia region where I live, local beers appear on bar menus all the time, but local wines are few and far between on menus. When local wine is on the menu, I'll almost always choose it.
Other items to be cautiously optimistic about are the culinary themes that are trending: sustainability (number five), children's nutrition (number six), and health/nutrition (number 16). Like the term local, however, those terms can be interpreted in many ways, so it's best to ask questions at restaurants.


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Economic recession is a very real and a very scary situation that countries have been in before and this will continue to take place. Recession has very dire consequences such as high unemployment rates, fall in profitability of firms, fall in living standards. While governments continue to try and fight it off, it is very important to take necessary steps to ensure your well-being during a time of financial crisis.
Take a look at how you would be affected during such a time:
- Employment: When recession hits, one thing that starts happening is that people start being fired. It happens in companies big or small. You never know if you will be laid off next and end up being in a perpetual state of fear. In case of a scenario where you are laid off, where will you find another job. Finding employment will become tougher than it already is
- Getting a business loan: At a time of financial crisis, you will never hear about how well an industry is doing because they're not doing well at all. This means that the government has to take necessary steps to ensure that the right industries are being stimulated so that the economy doesn't collapse completely. At this point of time the bank doesn't have much money left to give out to other industries, mainly start-ups and SMEs
- Getting a personal loan: As the amount of money in the economy dips, you start to struggle to pay bills. When families fall short on money, they turn to banks and other financial institutions to get loans but the problem there is that even though they've become more relaxed with their eligibility criteria, they haven't forgotten about it completely. Which means while it's easier than before to get a loan, it's still quite a task. At the same time, most of the money has anyway been pumped into the bigger industries so personal loans are not a priority for banks to disburse.
- Investment options: The economy is failing bit by bit and it's taking all investment opportunities with it. Be it real estate or stocks, all prices are falling and falling drastically. There won't be any place where you can invest without losing all your money.
Enter Peer-to-Peer Lending.
Peer-to-Peer lending is one financial instrument which will survive the recession. While rates will fall and the money to be made will be relatively less, even then there will be money to be made. Here is why:
- Borrow: With majority of the money being pumped into the priority sectors, all borrowers will turn to alternative finance solutions. This will result in a great demand for capital funding which will come from private investors. P2P lending will, at that time, receive a great increase in the demand for personal as well as business loans.
- Invest: With such a boom in the demand for loans, ample supply must also be provided. This is where private lenders, who have no other financial instruments left to invest in, will move in. Private money at this point becomes extremely valuable as personal and business loans start being funded at competitive rates.
While when recession hits us we will see a great decline in the rates given by market lenders, it will still be a much better bet than any other options that will be available in the falling market. Peer-to-Peer lending is here to stay whether during economic boom or recession.


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Unreal Developer Day - Thursday, 17th April
Thursday, 17 April 2014 from 09:00 to 17:00 (BST)
Event Details
Unreal Developer Day is made up of two half day sessions, a morning and an afternoon session for you to choose from.
Epic Games has released Unreal Engine 4 for everyone under a new subscription service that gives members access to the full engine, tools and C++ source code.
Epic invites anyone with an active subscription to attend the first Unreal Developer Day crafted especially for ground floor members of the new UE4 ecosystem.
Through this event, available for registration on a first come, first served basis, Epic's engineering, design and support team members will provide insight into the latest tools and technologies, as well as a look into the future of UE4.
Only one ticket per registration, please register for one session only and delegates must bring their registration ticket on the day or entry could be refused.
Any queries may be directed to Carri on +44 (0) 7881 833443.
There will be free parking on site
Please note the organisers have the right to refuse entry to this event and tickets are on a first come first served basis
When & Where
Epic Games Centre,
Ruxton Technology Centre,
ST18 0AD Staffordshire University
United Kingdom
Thursday, 17 April 2014 from 09:00 to 17:00 (BST)
Add to my calendar


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I´ve been a Dental Assistent for 25 years. Appart from the Clinical practice I´ve always invested on Continuing Education attending several courses in all aspects of dentistry.
Along this path , my greater satisfaction is to contribute to the health and well-being of the patients who experience a considerable improvement in their quality of life by the treatments we now can provide for them.
This is why I´ve embrace this area with much enthusiasm and continue with the same passion as 25 years ago. The patient support, and their well-being, it is my motto.


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Zach Hershey
How Much Damage Tornadoes Cause
There are many tornadoes in the world they are all life threatating and if you don't read this page then you will not know how to stop them. Even though tornadoes do not have names they can be strong storms. Like when tornadoes struck Britain during a race, in that year 306 vessels entered, but only 85 completed. That is because a very strong tornado hit the seas as they were crossing the waters like they were supposed to. Hurricanes are worse than tornadoes, but tornadoes can sometimes be just as bad as hurricanes.There a lot more tornadoes and I will describe a lot of them in the next paragraph. There are a lot of tornadoes and there are about 800 tornadoes and 80 deaths each year from all around the world. Tornadoes even strike the driest places like; Texas. On April 10, 1979 at Wichita Falls it destroyed nearly 8,000 homes and killed 44 people.
There was a mail truck in Edinburgh, and it was carrying people to the north, it was carrying 75 to 90 people when about halfway across, a tornado struck the bridge and knocked off 13 spans of the bridge and it collapsed. The train fell into the water. There were no survivors because of this horrible tornado. In 1973 a weak tornado with only a 100mph winds struck San Justo, Argentina. It lasted 3 minutes, but it killed 60 people and injured more than 300 people. There was also a tornado in northern Delhi on March 17, 1978 that tornado only took 2 minutes for 32 people to die and 700 to be injured. The last tornado was in Noakhali on April 12, 1983. It killed 70 people and injured 1,500 and left 15,000 homeless.
Those are all the tornadoes that I read about there is a lot more storms in the world so you might want to watch out. There could be a tornado near you and you might not even know. Watch the weather report and stay safe. The worst storm was in Noakhali. I don't know why, but there is probably a reason for that so I should try and study that. I hope you enjoyed reading this!
Here are some pictures!
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Cannot fetch Flickr photo (id: 947454906). The photo either does not exist, or is private


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Mayor and Mayoress get stuck in at Preston Vocational Centre
The Mayor and Mayoress of Preston, Councillor Brian Rollo and Trisha Rollo, got stuck in at Preston Vocational Centre (PVC) last week, practising their bricklaying, plastering and woodwork skills.
During the visit the students shared some of the brilliant projects they had been working on and their ambitions for the future. The Mayoress was also presented with a handmade wooden flower basket, crafted by the young people themselves.
The Mayor said,
"It has been great seeing what everyone has been working on and all the good work happening at the centre. We've really enjoyed ourselves."
We'd like to say thank you to the Mayor and Mayoress of Preston for their ongoing support. Our team mates and students at PVC thoroughly enjoyed having you!


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-- Chris Jericho fills in for Nikki Sixx this Wednesday on XM Satellite Radio's Sixx Sense.
-- John Cena has been doing media this weekend in Tampa, FL to hype WWE's Extreme Rules PPV tonight. Here is a video of Cena on Good Day Tampa Bay:
John Cena talks to Good Day: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com
-- Check out the trailer for WWE's new The Very Best of WCW Monday Night Nitro DVD:


text: Tentipi don't use an off-the-shelf fabric for their tents. Instead, they've developed a special fabric with much better water repellent properties. Their Nordic Tipis are designed and developed in Lapland. They have been tried and tested in the rigours of the harsh environment there. Click the link below to find out why we insist on using Tentipi.


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Extensive searchable archive of recipes. Offers a wide range of specialty food products and gadgets for novice and expert cooks.
|Cucina Direct
U.K. mail order and online catalog offering kitchenware, tableware, picnic and outdoor cooking equipment, and ovenware. Includes a selection of recipes.
Source for recipes, gourmet foods and cookware. Choose small kitchen appliances, cooking utensils and decor that match your cooking and entertaining style.
|World Kitchen
Manufacturer and distributor of bakeware, dinnerware, kitchen and household tools, cookware and cutlery products. Brands include CorningWare, Pyrex, Corelle, Revere, EKCO, Baker's Secret, Magnalite and Chicago Cutlery.
|Appetizing Aprons
For the best apron patterns and designs for men, women and children.
|Bon Chef
Manufacturer of chafing dishes, coffee urns, buffets and other food serving equipment. Provides a dealer locator, product care and warranties, quote request, and catalog information.
|Bulk Cutting Boards
Bulk Cutting Boards is a north american cutting boards manufacturer. Wood species Maple, Walnut and Cherry. They are available in a variety of designs and custom designs and can be laser engraved.
|Buy Copper Cookware
Sells a variety of cookware online including Mauviel Copperware, Terre e Provence pottery, John Boos Cutting Boards and furniture, Bourgeat Cookware, Emile Henry ceramics and Ruffoni Cookware.
|Cajun Outdoor Cooking
Source for Cajun outdoor cooking equipment including burners, stock pots and Cajun cooking tools. Also includes Cajun cooking spices, special Louisiana grocery section and gifts.
|Cake Decorating Store
Online shop selling cake decoration supplies and equipment. Also sell decorating essentials such as sugarpaste, fondant icing, cake toppers and sprinkles.
|Chef's Resource
Sells small appliances, cookware, cutlery, glassware, cutting boards, furniture and other products for the kitchen.
Sells cookware, cutlery, tools, bakeware, furniture, and accessories.
|Cook a Storm
For Home and Kitchen enthusiasts. Reviews and tips on cookware, cooking and other household items.
|Cozy Pineapple, The
Offers a variety of dining accessories. Search by category or brands that include Lenox, Waterford, Spode, Reed & Barton, Wedgwood, and more.
Buy fine dinnerware, flatware, stemware, glassware, crystal, cookware, kitchen utensils and cutlery.
|Ideas Etcetera
Bilingual, English-Spanish, shopping site offering name brand cutlery, cutting boards, knife sharpeners, cookware, cooking tools, kitchen electrics, barware, tableware, gifts, recipes and more.
|Instawares Kitchen Supplies
Offers quality kitchen supplies and cooking equipment. Affordable prices and names brands.
|Joanne Hudson Basics
Kitchen design studio based in Philadelphia offers dinnerware, cookbooks and outstanding kitchen design.
|Kirkplan Kitchens
Affordable way to make your dream kitchen or bathroom come true. With a design team with 90 years of experience, we/'ll create the kitchen you,'ve always wanted
|Kitchen Accessories Unlimited
Retailer offering a collection of products for kitchens and homes. Specialities include range hoods, kitchen islands, pot racks, trash cans, bakers racks and more.
|Kitchen Cookware Direct
A selection of cookware, bakeware, cutlery and utensils at factory direct prices.
|Kitchen Kaboodle
Selling cookware, kitchen and dinnerware, furniture and accessories. Includes product advice, recipes and a gadget of the month. Stores located in Portland, Oregon.
|Kitchen Niche
Kitchen store offering knives, gadgets, pepper and salt mills, cookware, bakeware, and other useful kitchen items.
Features upscale kitchen and gourmet cooking products including professional cookware, cutlery, tools, kitchen carts and other storage. Search or browse for cookware, housewares, and dinnerware. Includes photos, descriptions, and pricing.
Features products for entertaining. Buy pepper mills, bamboo, fondue, raclette, wine accessories, and more from trusted brands such as Peugeot, Metrokane, Borner, Mauviel, Dalla Piazza and Swissmar.
|La Belle Cuisine
Offering high-end cookware, bar tools, serving pieces, small kitchen appliances, cutlery, and kitchen linens. Also has a gift registry and downloadable recipes.
|Le Creuset
Recognised the world over for market-leading, premium quality ranges of enamelled cast iron cookware, multi-ply stainless steel, toughened non-stick, stoneware and ceramics.
|Maison De Kristine
French country home decor and accessories including linens, baskets, candles, furniture, and more.
Online retailer of cookware and cutlery by All-Clad, Wusthof, Henckels and other brands.
|Optiplan Kitchens
We have a proud history of cabinet making spanning over 30 years. We are now one of the UK's leading kitchen manufacturers and retailers, selling high quality, handmade kitchens.
|Pink Princess
Retailer that specializes in pink kitchen and home items. Worldwide delivery is available.
|Richmond Cookshop
Offers kitchen knives, pans, gadgets and bakeware. Plus tableware and barware. Brands offered include Alessi, Wusthof, Henckels and Global.
|Smart Cook, The
Source for quality cookware, bakeware, and kitchen gadgets. Offering clay bakers, stainless steel pots and pans, baking sheets, cake pans, and more.
|Sur La Table
Online store offering a wide collection of bakeware, barware, cookware and dinnerware. Also find recipes and a local store locator.
|Sushi Knife Store
Carries quality Japanese cutlery: chef, kitchen and sushi knives.
Shop by category, price, or occasion. Recipes, gift ideas, or search for a consultant in your area.
|VisionUSA Mugs
Online store that provides water bottles, mugs, tumblers and more.
|Wares of Knutsford
Provides preserving and baking equipment as well as jam making instructions, recipies and accessories.
|Wren Kitchens
Uk supplier of traditional and modern kitchen ranges. A free online kitchen planner tool is available at the website.
|Chef Depot
Almost everything the gourmet cook or chef needs. Recipes, cooking tips, cooking utensils, gourmet and specialty foods and spices.
|Chopping Block Co, The
Sell engraved chopping boards, carving boards, cheese boards, bread boards & butcher's blocks which can be personalised with names, dates & sayings. Offers advice on board care.
|Cookmate Kitchen Shop
UK online catalog supplying chef quality cookware, kitchen equipment, knives and accessories.
|Cookware for Home Cooking
Sells a variety of cast aluminum cookware, stainless steel cookware, and coffee makers for home cooking and entertaining needs.
|DSN Kitchen Utensils & Accessories
An online retail store which offers kitchen utensils, accessories, dinnerware, kitchenware, cutlery, bakeware and other kitchen products.
|Extra Ingredient, The
Offers culinary and gourmet items for the kitchen including glassware, barware, serving pieces, bakeware, linens, and small appliances.
Manufacturers and distributes the E-ZEEWRAP 1000 plastic wrap dispenser and 1000' refills. Features a product description, dealer and ordering information.
|Gourmet Kitchen, The
Cooking products including bakeware, glassware, cookware, clay bakers, thermos containers, kitchen tools, utensils, and appliances.
|In Stock Kitchens
Has over 50,000 all wood discount ready-to-assemble kitchen cabinets in stock at wholesale prices.
|Kitchen Shoppe
Sells cookware, cutlery, appliances, gadgets, racks, cookbooks, linens, bowls, and gourmet foods.
|Kuhn Rikon Switzerland
Producer of pressure cookers and kitchen tools. Catalog, safety, and FAQ.
|LSA International
Contemporary glassware ceramics and porcelain for use as serveware, drinkware and tableware. Elegant jugs, bowls, and vases.
|Mini Coolers
Online retail company offering mini coolers, fridges, freezers and coolboxes for home, office and portable use.
|My Pro Kitchen
An all-in-one, professional 36-piece kitchenware set. Includes cookware, cutlery, and utensils.
Designs and manufactures fine stainless steel cookware. Also offers an extensive line of kitchen utensils, gadgets, bakeware and cutting boards. Features company profile, a product presentation and contact information.
|Pots and Pans
A UK based specialist online discount cookware shop. Sells a range of pots, pans, knives, coffee makers, toasters, kettles, tableware and dining accessories.
A retailer for tea kettles and electric tea kettles. Shop by type, material, or color.
|Tin Woodsman Pewter Company
Wedding gifts, kitchenware and Christmas ornaments including measuring spoons and cups, wall decor, bath accessories, and replacement pieces.
|Trifle Recipe Cards
Specializing in recipe cards, personalized recipe cards, and other fun things for your kitchen.
Retailer offering kitchen range hoods including island, under cabinet, and wall mounted. Includes a 7 year service warranty.
Clay Chinese teapots in a variety of shapes and colors. Provides teapot information, a catalog, loose-leaf teas, gift wrapping, and ordering information.
Copyright © 2001-2020 JoeAnt.com. All rights reserved.
Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Service.


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Book your appointment with us now!
Firstly choose your service and stylist, then time and date from the list of available appointments.
See you soon!
About the room
Established in 2016, The Room is the new go-to hair salon in Halifax West Yorkshire.
The wonderful quaintness of The Room boasts friendly stylists and traditional salon experience.
Enjoy a girly chat and a cup of tea whilst you have your pampering session to get the hair that you deserve.
Brand new to the Dean Clough this is the perfect location for a luxury hairdressers.
Come and experience the room today, call now or book online, it's that simple.
Cut & blow dry £29.50
- Re style £33.50
- Blow dry £19.50
Gents & Kids
Gents £10.00
- UNDER 16s Girls £20
- (includes wash and blow)
- Boys £10
- Under 6s Boys and girls £5
- Put ups £15
- Wedding hair p.o.c
Colour placement
- Full head highlights £60
- Half head highlights £50
- Crown and parting £45
- Ombré £60
- Colour melt £60
- Balayage £60
- Total Colour
- All over colour £50
- Roots and refresh £40
- Gloss £45
- Full head pre lightener £50
- Gents £15.00
Find Us
The Room is located in K Mill
in the Dean Clough mill complex Halifax.
We are easily visible from Dean clough road
The Room
K Mill
Dean Clough Mills
West Yorkshire
Opening Times
Sunday – Tuesday (Closed)
Wednesday 10am – 6pm
Thursday 10am – 8pm
Friday 10am – 6pm
Saturday 8am – 6pm


text:
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text:
Importance of New Website & Company Name
Your website and the name of your company name perform an important task in pulling in customers to your business and converting them to more likely than not make a buy and increase your sales and assure that there is the soundness of your business. Now, in this talk, we are going to look at different parts of learning that will exhibit to us how important a new website and company name is and how they can increase sales of your business and even lead to the enhancement and advancement of your business thoroughly. You find that a huge number of individuals are always looking for information online which is able to assist them to be able to make solid purchasing decisions in order for them to get value for their money. This means that when you are creating a new website you have to make sure that you have the relevant keywords which will be able to attract customers to your site and ensure that there is a flow of traffic in order for you to get a good number of customers to convert with your content. All together for your business to be effective and stay applicable in the competitive world of business, it is essential to have a new site which isn't just appealing yet can be proficient and can furnish the client with whatever they need in the briefest time conceivable. For more info click on this website and get to discover more about this topic and learn.
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More information: go


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On Feb. 2, 14 men and women proudly graduated from the East County Drug Court. The completion of the 18-month program was celebrated with friends and family in a well attended ceremony at the Lakeside Community Center. The occasion was one of joy and hope as each graduate embarked on a positive course for a better future.
On Feb. 2, 14 men and women proudly graduated from the East County Drug Court. The completion of the 18-month program was celebrated with friends and family in a well attended ceremony at the Lakeside Community Center. The occasion was one of joy and hope as each graduate embarked on a positive course for a better future.
The first Drug Court was established in 1989 by Miami-Dade County in Florida, eventually coming to San Diego County in January 1997. The idea was to try something new in the old fight against crime and drugs, two societal evils that are intrinsically connected. The traditional criminal process was not having any impact in reducing recidivism and the cycle of crime was playing out time and again. Drug Court was created in an attempt to alter this cycle.
Drug Court targets addiction. Selected non-violent felony and misdemeanor cases are referred to the court, which is overseen by a collaborative team. The Court's mission is to improve the lives of drug addicts, as well as to increase public safety by reducing drug-related crime. National statistics show that 75% of graduates have stayed drug-free for at least two years after the program, compared to a 70% recidivism rate without the court.
Once admitted to Drug Court, treatment includes individual and group therapy, regular and frequent drug testing, and possible placement into an appropriate substance abuse program such as detox, residential or sober living, or a mental health program. Regular status hearings are held to evaluate the participant. Sanctions are imposed for relapse and failure. Successful completion can result in the termination of probation and, in some cases, reduction or dismissal of the original criminal charges.
The Honorable Judge Patricia Cookson oversees the East County team, supported by the offices of the District Attorney, Probation, and Public Defender. Judge Cookson was on hand to recognize and congratulate the most recent graduates. She pointed to "transformation" as the key to success for these 14 people, that with this graduation, their "… love of drugs and alcohol has been replaced with a love of self and family."
Roxy Walnum, program manager for the East County Center for Change, introduced the graduates, who were required to speak to the crowd. Each graduate shared a very personal story, without excuse or excuses. It clearly wasn't easy for them, but their struggle at the podium mirrored their battle with their addiction. The audience cheered and applauded in support – a reminder that these folks are not alone in their fight and they have friends and family to support them.
Donald B. said Drug Court forced him to stay clean and to realize how addicted he was. Thaddeaus C. learned there was more to life beyond drugs and alcohol, and that he could become the person he wanted to be. "Recovery is a lifelong process," he said, "sustained by support."
One graduate proclaimed, "Today is a good day." Another, who had suffered multiple relapses, said that "life continues to get better every day." Yet another – a self-admitted heroin user, explained he was "not planning much for the future" before, but that sobriety has changed that attitude.
Each graduate was accompanied with a "before and after" photograph on a large screen on the stage. Their physical transformations were evident and symbolic of their internal achievement.
These 14 new graduates have secured an important triumph in their lives. The individual stories of each man and woman are constant in one aspect: each began with a failure and ended with a hard-earned success. Their words were both sincere and heartening. As a group, they reveled in their achievement – and rightly so. The best of luck to them all.
New trees for Lindo Park Elementary
I love non-profits, especially the kinds that are geared toward community support and our kids. This is a tale of two such organizations.
The Lakeside Garden Club has been around for over 50 years. Their membership and fundraising has created Ornamental Horticulture scholarships and benefited community gardens at Lakeside Middle School, the Lakeside River Park, and the Water Conservation Garden. They are dedicated to promoting the use of plants in the landscape best suited for the hot, dry climate that is Lakeside.
Common Vision is a California-based group all about creating a "healthy and just society" by growing fruit tree orchards in low-income schools. Their vision is "a world where sustainable agricultural provides all people with access to high quality and culturally appropriate foods; a world where agriculture is a tool for reversing climate change and supporting social equity."
Put these two groups together and you get 20 fruit trees just planted at Lindo Park Elementary School this past February 1st. Angi Mosier of the Garden Club was the lynchpin that brought these two groups together to benefit this local school.
The new trees came in 17 different varieties (such as apple, peach, apricot, nectarine, and more). The project included an irrigation system and plans for future care visits. School Principal Nina Drammissi was happy to have her students help with the project, all learning a little about farming and eco-systems. Some kids helped with the planting while others made signs to identify the various trees, all overlooking the beautiful (and rain-filled) eastern basin of Lindo Lake. It will take a few years for the Lindo Park Orchard to bear fruit, but it will remain an ongoing learning tool for the current and future students of Lindo Park School.
Upcoming Lakeside stuff:
Eastbound Bar and Grill, the successful and popular Downtown Lakeside restaurant, is celebrating its seventh year in town on Saturday, February 11 with a little all-day anniversary party! Known for its great food and drink, the establishment also regularly allows local groups to host fundraisers there – a great way to support their community. So support Eastbound – the fun begins at 8:00 a.m. and goes until closing at 10:00 p.m.
Before or after your trip to Eastbound, head over to the Lakeside Branch Library at 2:00 p.m. for a Winter Concert featuring Alex Koeppel.
The Woman's Club of Lakeside is hosting the 24th Annual Children's Art Show at the Lakeside VFW on February 10 and 11. The Art Show hours are 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. There will also be performances by local school bands.


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Boston College
Top 5 Ways to Bribe Your BC Teachers Out of Taking Finals
Around this time of year at BC, it's easy to panic and stress over how to handle the oncoming storm of finals. But in all the chaos, you often lose the most obvious solution — just cheat your way out! Follow these ways to bribe your teachers, and your professors will gladly look the other way when you play hooky on test day.
5.) Invite them to a Mod party:
As pop culture have taught us our entire lives, the old resent the young with a smoldering passion. They will stop at nothing to punish us for our Rubinoff tolerance and shiny, full heads of hair. Therefore, inviting a professor to your Mod/Walsh 8-man is more than a casual night out. It fools them into thinking you respect them even a little bit. It dispels the bitter, ever-present shadows of age constantly creeping into their Newton townhouses. It makes them feel ALIVE. You'd better believe that's worth one goddamn A+.
4.) New tweed jacket with elbow patches:
These things are like sartorial catnip. Before them, even the strongest-willed of professors will melt like chocolate furnaces. Perhaps it's the drive to match the preppiness of BC's overall community that drives this hunger. Having a Ph. D essentially disqualifies you from wearing Canada Goose, but it only enhances the dusty, knowledgeable aura of tweed and elbow cloth. One little jacket, and your professor's mind will be putty in your hands.
3.) Sweet, stanky weed:
Just because you get old doesn't mean you necessarily stop hitting the bong… quite the contrary. Any job that requires constant contact with teenagers necessitates constant breaks from reality. However, your professor also needs to maintain base level decorum and reputation; the cocaine you used to bribe your high school teacher is no longer viable. Fortunately, Dr. Mary Jane has the perfect solution, and it's legal in MA now, right? One eighth pressed between the pages of a homework assignment is nothing compared to the sweet vibes you'll be getting from that A in Econ 305, man.
2.) Apple on the desk:
An oldie but a goodie. The classic teacher's bribe, giving an apple says it all. You want to help give their desk some style, Lord knows O'Neill classrooms could use some. Your love for their subject burns as red as a ripened macintosh. YOU ARE THE APPLE. THE APPLE IS YOU. THE APPLE SHALL NOT NEED TO SIT THE FINAL. It also serves as a healthy snack in between manic episodes, or after a Plex trip to work off years of pent-up rage towards the students who take you for granted and sneak into your classroom to fuck on the desk. So many uses! They'll be too flattered to refuse.
1.) An Eagle's Deli Challenge Burger:
Who could refuse a 5-pound meat pile delivered straight to the windpipe? Not your professor, that's for certain. Not convinced? Let's look at the facts. Eagle's challenge burgers are not easy to obtain:
1.) You have to go all the way to Cleveland circle. UGH.
2.) After signing the waiver saying you understand that this burger might make your heart explode, you have to seize the tray with both hands and sprint out of the restaurant holding it aloft, probably with several MBTA cops and a very angry chef on your heels.
3.) After making it to your getaway car and fastening the burger to the roof, you have to drive back to campus, recover from the hernia you got while hefting that burger around, and then drag it all the way to your professor's office on the top floor of St. Mary's (or some other obnoxiously tall building).
But it'll all be worth it once they behold that splendid landfill of meat, cheese and carbs blocking the entrance to their office. After they call BCPD and have you sectioned under the mental health act, you can rest easy that you'll never have to take a single final ever again. Success!!!
If all this fails and your classes follow suit, don't fret. Netflix only costs $8 a month. You can make that much without a college degree, right?
Hey dummy, listen (AND SUBSCRIBE) to our podcast!


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Tokyo, Feb 13 (IANS) Two lawyers defending former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn in a case of financial misconduct stepped down on Wednesday ahead of preparations for the jailed executive's trial.
The lawyers, Motonari Otsuru and Masato Oshikubo, submitted their resignations at the Tokyo District Court. Their resignation was communicated by Otsuru to the court, where the case is underway, without giving any reasons on why they were quitting Ghosn's defence team, Efe news reported.
The two lawyers, along with a third one, appeared before the media on January 8 to provide details of the legal proceedings against Ghosn following his arrest in Tokyo on November 19, 2018.
According to state-owned NHK newspaper, Otsuru has been replaced by Junichiro Hironaka, a renowned lawyer known for having successfully dealt with cases involving high profile personalities.
Hironaka and his team are known for having got the acquittal of Ichiro Ozawa, an influential Japanese politician and former leader of the main opposition group Democratic Party of Japan, in a case involving alleged financial crime related to raising political funds in 2012, among other cases.
Otsuru was the head of special investigations of the public prosecutor's office at the Tokyo district court in 2005, and specializes in tax evasions and financial crimes, among other areas.
Nissan Motor estimates that 9.2 billion yen ($83.24 million) were paid to Ghosn, who has been in prison in Tokyo since November, accused of not declaring a part of his income from Nissan Motors between 2011 and 2018.
His bail plea was rejected for a second time on January 22 on the grounds that Ghosn could flee the country and potentially destroy evidence.
The 64-year-old is also accused of having violated a Japanese business regulation by using Nissan to cover a series of personal financial losses during the 2008 crisis and of making allegedly unjustified payments to a Saudi businessman.
Ghosn has called the allegations meritless and unsubstantiated.
Nissan replaced Ghosn with Hiroto Saikawa as President. Renault soon followed suit and replaced him with Jean-Dominique Senard as President.


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As we noted last week, the EU crisis is showing signs that it may again pressure markets on rising concerns about Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Sure enough, the EU again moved to the forefront of investor concerns last week.
Yet in the coming weeks, US Q1 earnings season may actually be the bigger market mover.
As we'll discuss below, there are 4 big likely market drivers, all distinctly bearish.
Indeed, the most bullish factor over the coming week may be if markets ironically react to the bad news as good news because it raises hopes for new central bank stimulus.
So let's dig right in.
1. Signs of Trouble For Q1 Earnings Season
Global stock indexes have just finished one of their best quarters in years, with the bellwether S&P 500 up about 16% thus far, despite slowing growth in most of the world and the ongoing EU debt crisis. However the party may soon come to an end.
First quarter 2012 earnings season, which begins in just a few weeks, is shaping up to be the worst since the financial crisis.
Projections for first-quarter earnings growth are running as low as 0.5 per cent, according to Standard & Poor's/Capital IQ. And that's after a mediocre fourth quarter from 2011, indicating that the days of big earnings improvements that followed the depths of the 2008 financial crisis are over.
The level of negative preannouncements at their highest level since the March 2009 market lows, as companies try to lower expectations and avoid the kind of negative surprises that can spark selloffs.
Yet Hope Remains
However it's uncertain what that will mean to the stock market and its bull run that began in October.
After all, stocks have powered higher before without the benefit of strong earnings to back them up. There are many analysts who believe the same thing could happen this time. There are real reasons for their bullishness.
- Some justify this belief by pointing to how much better yields are from stocks versus those of investment grade bonds.
- Others point to the enormous amounts of cash sitting on the side, waiting for fears about Europe or China to subside.
- Others note that the overall weak performance of most major economies suggests more stimulus programs coming. In recent years, new stimulus programs have consistently sent risk asset markets higher despite ongoing deterioration in Europe and in global growth. Note how markets have at time moved higher on poor US or Chinese data, because that raised expectations for new stimulus from the Fed and PBOC. The Fed clearly believes more such programs may be needed.
- And for the real cynics, there is the assumption that analysts could lower expectations yet again in order to make it easier for companies they cover to beat forecasts.
- US rail traffic continues to show impressive numbers, with building materials like metal and stone leading the way, suggesting ongoing improvement in construction and thus the general economy.
However, Risk Assets Due For A Correction – Weak Earnings May Be The Catalyst
With the bellwether S&P 500 up 28 per cent in five months, after having come so far so fast, it's vulnerable to a selloff from any major disappointment.
The stage for a disappointment from earnings is certainly set. While 63 per cent of S&P 500 companies beat earnings estimates in Q4 of 2011, those beats were mostly due to lowered expectations. Moreover, if we subtract the contribution from Apple and Caterpillar's stellar earnings, the aggregate rate of companies beating expectations was about 55%. Not so encouraging.
In this upcoming period (earnings season officially starts April 10 when Alcoa (AA) reports.
Many analysts believe that most of the 10 S&P 500 sectors are likely to see earnings overall earnings declines.
Not surprisingly then, with markets at multi-year highs, many could be tempted to take profits.
If the tone of earnings seasons turns bearish, and that trickle of selling could turn into a flood if the tone of the first three weeks is disappointing.
2. Delayed Reaction to Poor US Jobs Report
The US jobs report Friday posted missed expectations by 41%, for its worst performance since early 2009, with only 120k non-farms jobs added vs. 205k expected, a nasty 41% miss. Most markets were closed for the Easter holidays, so most of the reaction will felt early this week. While the unemployment declined from 8.3% to 8.2%, that seemingly bullish figure is being discounted as the result of discouraged workers leaving the workforce rather than any genuine decrease in unemployment.
What Does It Mean?
Forex: The USD is likely to suffer because bad US jobs reports hit the USD with a double whammy: lower rate hike hopes and higher expectations for more stimulus, both bad for the USD. The best hope for USD bulls is for more trouble in the EU that sends traders back into the relatively safer USD. Risk currencies should also suffer from the news. The big near term beneficiaries should be the other safe havens, and the EUR, simply because a declining USD tends to help the EUR.
The impact on equities is harder to call. While the news is clearly risk off and so should be bearish for stocks, if markets believe that the chances for new stimulus from the Fed are now significantly higher, then we could again see equities up on otherwise negative news. We've seen this "bad news is good news" kind of reaction before in recent weeks.
3. EU Crisis Related News
With markets increasingly nervous about Spain and Portugal, further bond auction results and related news (such as the poor Spain bond auction last week from any of the GIIPS) could easily move markets.
4. Risk Asset Markets Remain Near Multi-Year Highs
That simple technical fact makes investors more prone to take profits if there's any sign of trouble, and thus may amplify the negative reaction from the other big three bearish market movers noted above.
Other Likely Market Movers From Calendar Events
Looking at the week's economic calendar, here are the most important events to watch. It's a relatively light week for economic events, but unusually packed with data from the world's top growth engine, China.
- Europe: Most European markets are closed for the Easter holiday, suggesting very quiet trading.
- China: Reaction to a batch of data released Sunday night GMT. It's mostly second tier data, but also includes an important report on new loans that offers insight into monetary policy. Also CPI, PPI reports; if these show inflation quiet, that raises the chances of more stimulus and easy money from the PBOC.
- China: trade balance
- Japan: BoJ monetary policy and monthly interest rate statement and press conference may offer clues helpful for those trading JPY pairs.
- All: G7 Meeting- Given the recent contagion fears about Spain and Portugal, this meeting may offer some guidance about whether the EZ's leadership has plans for new action.
- Australia: March jobs reports – unemployment rate, employment change
- China: Another batch of data, including real Q1 GDP, retail sales
- US: CPI, UoM Consumer confidence
Lessons and Ramifications
The prior week brought the most significant drop of 2012 in the bellwether S&P 500, primarily from hawkish comments from the FOMC March meeting minutes Tuesday and poor Spain bond auctions later last week.
As noted above, this week's market movers have a distinctly bearish tone. Delayed reaction to the poor US jobs reports, anticipation of lukewarm US earnings, and fears of more trouble from the EU all provide an excuse for further profit taking in stocks and other risk assets.
Perhaps the most bullish question is, will the markets react to the bad news as good news because it raises hopes for new stimulus?
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The Fashion Association of Britain (FAB) is a network of fashion retailers in the UK. Members include independent boutiques and multi-store chains, selling womenswear, menswear and childrenswear.
The Fashion Association of Britain is a division of the British Independent Retail Association. We are proud to be a part of this community of British shops that has been going strong for over a hundred years and we appreciate all the help we have received from our fellow members.
Other members of FAB can apply for preferential rates for our events, shows and seminars by emailing email@example.com/.
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It is important and necessary to optimize your WordPress database because things like post revisions and old spam comments can pile up over the time. Also, many times the deleted plugins leave behind unnecessary tables in the WordPress database. This results in an untidy database, and hence makes the job of optimizing them absolutely necessary.
Optimizing WordPress Database
The WordPress database can be cleaned with the use of phpMyAdmin. However, it is seemingly a risky thing. Instead, you can use WordPress plugins to clean and optimize the database. These plugins not just do the job more conveniently, but also make it easy and secure.
In this article we are going to discuss about 5 best WordPress plugins to clean up and optimize database and improve performance. Namely, we are going to tell you about:
- WP-Optimize
- Advanced Database Cleaner
- Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions
- WP- DBManager
- WP Sweep
Exploring Each Of Them
Lets have a look at each plugin so that you can choose according to your need!
1. WP-Optimize
This plugin helps you to keep your database clean by removing post revisions and spams in a blaze.
Additionally it allows you to run optimize command on your WordPress tables. The several setting of WP-Optimize are:
- The Optimizer:
The Optimizer offers these CLEAN UP OPTIONS
- Removal of post revisions: When you write posts, everytime you save a draft, its gets stored in the post revisions so that you can Undo if you missed something, you can clean them with the help of this.
- Cleaning spam comments: Any unwanted spam comments can be cleaned up on intervals with this plugin.
- Cleaning trashed comments.
- Removal of all trackbacks and pingbacks
- Removal of transient options: This is more like a caching feature. It stores static data in temporary files so that each time a visitor visits a page, instead of fetching the data from the server, the cached data is shown. This speeds up your site.
- Clear out the post trash
- Ability to keep selected number of weeks data when cleaning up
- Enable/Disable weekly schedules of optimization
- Display Database table statistics: Shows how much space can be optimized and how much space has been cleared.
- General Settings
General Settings:
- Keep Data For Weeks: Now, you can select, for about how much time you want to keep data and then clean up. This option will retain the last selected weeks data and remove any garbage data before that period.
- Enable/Disable Admin Bar Link: This option will put WP-Optimize link in the top admin bar
- Enable/Disable Trackbacks: This will enable/disable trackbacks on all your current and previously published posts.
- Enable/Disable Comments: This will disable/enable Comments on all your current and previously published posts.
- After configuring all of them, Click on SAVE SETTINGS to avail its benefits.
- Auto-Clean Up:
With the help of Auto-clean Up, you can:
- Enable/Disable scheduled clean-up and optimization: You can schedule the time period, after which you want to Clean up or Optimize the database. Automatic cleanup will perform the following: Remove revisions, auto drafts, posts/comments in trash, transient options. After that it will optimize the database. If this feature is enabled, only then the features below will work.
- Remove revisions
- Remove spam comments
- Remove unapproved comments.
- Remove transient data
- Enable Email notifications: You can add your email so that you can receive notifications regarding clean up.
- After you choose your specifications, click on Save Auto Clean-Up Settings.
2. Advanced Database Cleaner
'Advanced Database Cleaner' is a must-have plugin that cleans and optimizes your WordPress database.
Main Features
- Removes unused data including: Revisions, drafts, auto drafts, pending comments, spam comments, trash comments, orphan postmeta, orphan commentmeta, orphan relationships, and dashboard transient feeds
- Schedules the clean-up and optimization of database to run automatically
- Optimizes the database and improves its efficiency
- View and clean database tables
- Supports multi-site installation
3. Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions
It cleans the excess unused files in one go!
Main Features
- Deletes revisions of posts and pages.
- Deletes trashed posts, pages and comments
- Deletes spammed comments
- Deletes unused tags
- Deletes 'expired transients'
- Deletes 'pingbacks' and 'trackbacks'
- Optimizes the database tables
- Creates a log file of the optimizations
- Optimization can be scheduled to automatically run once hourly, twice daily, once daily or once weekly at a specific time
4. WP-DBManager
Allows you to optimize database, repair database, backup database, restore database, drop/empty tables and run selected queries. Supports automatic scheduling of backing up, optimizing and repairing of database.
- Database: Here you can see the details about your database and tables name with the index usage. What's good here is, you can quickly find out which table is using tons of records. Similarly you can find out which one of your plugin is adding too many records in your WordPress database.
- Backup Database: This feature will let you take a backup of your WordPress database.
- Manage Backup Database: Here you can all your database backups and download it. Similarly you can also use this feature to restore your blog from an existing database. Just to give you an idea, your backup is incomplete without the WP-content folder.
- Optimize Database: This feature will let you optimise the database of your blog. You also have the control to select or deselect any table which you don't want to optimise.
- Repair Database: Many times you will notice that your blog homepage is showing no posts and it happens due to a corrupt database. With this plugin, you can repair your WordPress database.
5. WP-Sweep
As the name suggests – It sweeps away all the trash from your database!
It cleans up:
- Revisions
- Auto drafts
- Deleted comments
- Unapproved comments
- Spammed comments
- Orphaned post meta, comment meta, user meta, term meta
- Unused terms
- Duplicated post meta, comment meta, user meta, term meta
- Transient data
In addition to all the cleanup options, you can also optimize tables of your WordPress database.
Hope this article was helpful for you. In case you have any queries regarding this, feel free to write in the comments section below. We'll be there to help you at the earliest!


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BOOK REVIEW: Interior Design It Yourself -Volume II: Room by Room
Rae Abigael J. Caacbay is a young creative who went through a quarter life crisis by the end of 2016. Though she's still lost, she keeps on moving forward anyway as a ballerina, visual artist, lifestyle blogger, and a BS Interior Design graduate based in the Philippines.
7 comments:
this book must be really interesting, I would like to read it!ReplyDeleteReplies
cool! thanks! yes please, read it! you'll love it :DDelete
You have a great blog. Sbould we follow each other? Let me know. Have a nice day. :)ReplyDelete
Couldn't agree more~ A home has to look great and feel great (one that can be relaxed in and not just 'for show'). Cool blog, keep in touch <3ReplyDelete
Joyce @ carouselstreet.comReplies
thanks Joyce!! Have a great day! ;DDelete
Love your blog :)ReplyDelete
Do you want to follow each other? Let me know :)
wow superb blogReplyDelete
Hello! I'm Rae. A ballet dancer and visual artist pursuing a career in Interior Design. This is my virtual sanctuary for interior design adventures, fashion experiments, art expressions, life on stage, and self-preservation.


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Three months down. Nine months to go. Admittedly, the post are getting harder to plan time for. Most days I end up writing the posts after 8pm. This month I will try to change that and get some posts out before the day is mostly spent.
March had some posts I enjoyed writing and some comic books I was pleased to go back and reread. Take a look at some of my better posts and recap my March comics of the day.
Code of an Outhouser...
1 year ago


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"The admonitions to be happy, voiced in concert by the scientifically epicurean sanatorium-director and the highly strung propaganda chiefs of the entertainment industry, have about them the fury of the father berating his children for not rushing joyously downstairs when he comes home from his office. It is part of the mechanism of domination to forbid recognition of the suffering it produces, and there is a straight line of development between the gospel of happiness and the construction of camps of extermination so far off in Poland that each of our own countrymen can convince himself that he cannot hear the screams of pain. That is the model of an unhampered capacity for happiness. He who calls it by its name will be told gloatingly by psycho-analysis that it is just his Oedipus complex" (Adorno Minima Moralia p62-3).
This is old Adorno in elegiac grumpy mood. From a great book, redoing his schtick about the camps. I think the same points might be made today perhaps about trinkets, about plastic toy workshops in the South, brought here by container, packaged ready for Christmas, to teach kids to love capitalism.
So, lets talk about why we want to play with plastic. Materialist comprehensions of the commodity, objects, souvenirs or trinkets (these are not the same) are different to those of the psychoanalytic approach, which takes individuals and their drives, desires and motives into first account. The fetish is not just a deviant displacement, not just a sexual misrecognition (mommy-daddy) but a feint or trick that hides a deeper social malaise to do with distribution and ethics. I know, but…
Plenty of space for a long convoluted discussion of value, labour, circuits, modifications to the formula, etc etc, but we might get locked up for too long in the study. Someone will ask: 'Why shouldn't everyone get to shop, get a load of things, trinketize?' In Australia during the Soviet era, I remember there used to be an advertisement that went something like: "in some countries they don't have advertising". A forlorn family sat bored in a spartan room. Indeed, versions of the queues for bread or the wait for a state-manufactured car are still the loaded ideological tropes of anti-communism, as seen in bitter-sweet triumphalist films like "Goodbye Lenin". In the Grundrisse Marx devotes considerable pages to the impact of money on 'traditional' societies (pp145-172) but, again, who is to say that people with feathers should not want to shop? The problem is not scarcity or abundance of things, though this may be a factor, but the distribution thereof, their production for profit, the manufacture of needs (for things) and decisions about what things are made when and where. More than wanting beads and blankets are at stake.
The problem is not the lack of (plastic) things in various sectors of the world, soon to be rectified by the opening of a hyper-mega-super-market chain very close by, but that the abundance and success of capitalism amounts only to this: it presents itself as an immense collection of commodities. If we at all see this as a success, even as we critique it, ('who wants all this stuff' – Deleuze and Guattari) we have given ourselves over to commodity fetishism through and through.
It may bore some people to death, but I'm interested again in the coding of flows arguments D&G offer in Anti-Oedipus – the territorial machine and the technical machine need the social machine to activate them – though we have to understand these machines as interrelated, there can be no move in space or technology without the social, without memory, without labour. Flows must be coded through the machine, marked, inscribed – and so perhaps capitalism is this coding, but it is not always the same, it has fashions and trends – history – and is not a 'haunting' such that 'in a sense capitalism has haunted all forms of society, but it haunts them as their terryfying nightmare, it is the dread they feel of a flow that would elude their codes' (A-O p140). Codes? Trinkets to be calculated, to be inscribed and counted in some way (general equivalent, abstraction, numbers). But with capitalism this inscription-calculus becomes an abstract coded/coding flow of desire, which in a way makes Deleuze and Guattari improbably advocates of a return through Marxism to psychoanalysis.
Was that Teddy A I saw in the sports sction of the department store on saturday? Was he buying golf clubs? A set of tees or balls for xmas then.
When what we might be doing instead is sideways inscribing, perhaps reinscribing, twisting desire and flow elsewhere – like these two likely lads – anti-war protest coppers (go figure!) at May Day last year [they say 'US-UK Force No to America' – bad grammar, but the sentiment is clear, no? see pic].


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Medicine, no matter where it is practiced, is full of ethical issues. Each country, each religion, each person has their own moral code to live by, their own conscious to deal with. Each country has its own law, that are often very different than the next's. In fact, many Americans travel to other countries for medical tourism to escape the rules that they are bound by in the home. Some of the key areas where the U.S. differs from other countries are: Sex Change Operations Also called sex reassignment surgery or transgender surgery, this is often a misunderstood situation for a patient to be in. In fact, in the United States a patient is required to undergo extensive psychological evaluation before being allowed to continue, which is odd because they do not do that for any other surgery. Foreign countries do not have this requirement and, in fact, Thailand is widely recognized for doing the best work in this field. Fertility Procedures Octomom aside, many couples deal with hurdles in the United States when it comes to fertility procedures and ethics. Desperate couples battling infertility or even advanced age can travel overseas to have procedures performed that they could not otherwise have done in the U.S. Many medications are also available in foreign countries that have not yet been approved by the F.D.A. yet are extremely helpful to many women. Stem Cell Research Stem cell research is the poster child for ethical issues in modern medicine. In fact, each election year once again brings this issue to the forefront of the collective American mind, forcing everyone to take sides. On the contrary, with medical tourism, Alzheimer's patients and their families can travel to Singapore, a hub for stem cell research, in order to try a new procedure in hopes of getting their loved one back to normal. Cancer Treatment 50 years ago, a cancer diagnosis was a death sentence. Research and new experimental drugs have given way to hope and the realization that a cure may be in the future. Until that time, however, Americans have to travel to foreign countries in order to gain access to some of these more cutting edge yet not approved medicines and treatments. Families and patients are willing to take risks in an attempt to fight the disease even if the Food & Drug Administration isn't. Aids Medications Much like cancer medications and treatments, the future of AIDS research depends on patients willing to try new ways to solve the puzzle of AIDS and HIV, whether in the United States or not. Many of the above ethical issues are really only issues in the United States. Many foreign countries do not understand why the U.S. government has restrictions in place against this type of medicine when the benefits so obviously outweigh the risks.
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