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All-day Car-free Hike: East Bay National Skyline Recreational Trail
Hiking time: 11-13 hours
Transit schedule: BART
Start point: El Cerrito del Norte BART station
End point: Castro Valley BART station
- The most important thing to know about this hike is that it is very, very long. Although there are a few steep sections, overall the hike is moderately hard elevation-wise. But you really need to decide before going if you have the endurance to be out walking for 11-13 hours.
- Because this hike takes a long time, summer is best due to the long daylight hours and (usually) mild weather. If you go in the winter, you will need to bring a headlamp for the end of the hike.
- East Bay parks close at 10 pm. Start this hike as early as you can. I took the first BART train on a Saturday, which got me to El Cerrito del Norte at about 6:30 am. BART starts running later on Sundays, so that is a less ideal day.
- This would not be a good hike to do immediately after a period of rainfall. Some of these trails, especially those on cattle-grazing land, get extremely muddy and unpleasant. This hike is challenging enough without also having to navigate mucky trails.
- Bring lots of food with you. Food is only reliably available at the end of the hike on the way down Redwood Road to the BART station. Right before you exit Chabot, there is a golf course with a restaurant (limited weekend hours) and a bar.
- There are a few places to refill water along the way, but bring plenty of water with you.
- If you would like very detailed descriptions of natural features along these trails, you may want to look at the book East Bay Trails (David Weintraub). For navigation, however, I would recommend using the East Bay Parks maps (available as PDFs online, or in print at several places along the route), which indicate the Skyline Trail with a triangle symbol.
- If you have Google Maps on your phone, use it as a reference as needed for checking your location. Most of the trails are visible with Bicycling selected. And as an aside: if you have a phone that supports it, please do get (and know how to use) Google Maps. I helped two groups of people on this trip who were lost, all of whom had smartphones which would have helped them find their way again very quickly.
- Exit El Cerrito del Norte BART station, and walk north on the Ohlone Greenway path.
- After passing through the Wildflower Area, turn right onto Conlon Ave.
- Cross Key Blvd and make the next left onto Mono Ave.
- 2nd Right onto Poinsett Ave.
- Left and then right towards Rosalind.
- Left on Hillside Ave., then and immediate right on Yuba St.
- After several blocks, turn right at McBryde Ave.
- Entering Wildcat Canyon at the Alvarado picnic area to the official start of the Skyline Trail, you have two choices: turn right immediately and walk through the very long parking area, or go straight into the picnic area and follow the trails to the right to eventually connect back to the parking area. The second option is more interesting but a little confusing (some misleading signs).
- At the end of the parking area walk straight onto the Wildcat Creek Trail.
- Left at the Belgum Trail to climb up to the ridge. Here and throughout Wildcat Canyon you will pass unmarked human- and cattle-made trails.
- Right at the San Pablo Ridge Trail.
- Merge onto the Nimitz Trail, a paved multiuse path.
- Continue on Nimitz Way into Tilden Park.
- At Inspiration Point, take the Curran Trail to your right just past the restroom and before the gate to parking and the road.
- Very shortly turn left, following signs for the Seaview Trail.
- Cross the road, and continue following the Seaview trail as it heads up to the ridge again.
- Follow the Seaview Trail the rest of the way through Tilden Park.
- Just past Vollmer Peak you reach the Steam Trains parking area. Refill water here.
- Continue carefully along the entrance road (busy here on weekends) and the straight on the trail through EBMUD land.
- Carefully cross Fish Ranch Road to continue on the Skyline Trail.
- Continue on the Skyline Trail as you enter Sibley Volcanic Preserve.
- Continue on the Skyline trail through the preserve. The Sibley Staging Area is another good place to refill water.
- Continue following the Skyline Trail into and through Huckleberry Botanic Preserve. Some steep downhill sections here. You will pass some markers along the way for a self-guided nature trail.
- Carefully cross Pinehurst Road and continue on the Skyline Trail to Redwood Regional Park.
- Right at the trail intersection towards Skyline Gate.
- At the next intersection, follow signs to the West Ridge Trail.
- Follow West Ridge for a long ways, almost all the way through Redwood Regional Park.
- Right at the Golden Spike Trail (single-track, sign was hidden by plants on my visit), then stay right at fork.
- Left at MacDonald Trail to MacDonald Gate Staging Area.
- Continue on the MacDonald Trail into Chabot Regional Park.
- Approaching the Bort Meadow Staging Area, follow signs for the Skyline Trail and Brandon Trail.
- Follow the Brandon Trail the rest of the way through Chabot to Willow Park Golf Course. Depending on the time, you may be able to get food here. There is also a bar at the golf course.
- Continue past the golf course on the trail alongside the Redwood Road until you reach Proctor Staging Area and leave the park.
- Continue down Redwood Road through a residential area, then a commercial strip (many places to get food here), and finally to Castro Valley BART station.
Get Outside and Take a Car-Free Hike This Summer
Any time of year is a good time to take a car-free hike, but summer — with additional traffic to outdoor destinations — is an especially great time to ditch the car in favor of taking transit to parks, trails, and beaches. Following is a quick index to car-free hikes by region of the Bay Area:
San Francisco
Southwest San Francisco Nature: Lake Merced, Fort Funston, and More
San Francisco Waterfront: Ferry Building to Fort Point
Mission to Haight Hike: Corona Heights, Buena Vista Park, Golden Gate Park Oak Woodland
Western San Francisco Hike: Presidio, Lands End, and Sutro Baths
San Francisco's China Basin and Potrero Hill
East Bay
Circling the Lafayette Reservoir
Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline: A Trip Along the California Riding & Hiking Trail
Bayside Berkeley: A Stroll Around the Berkeley Marina and Cesar Chavez Park
North Bay
Secret Sausalito Stairways to the Marin Headlands
Tiburon Tour: Ring Mountain and the Tiburon Peninsula
Headlands for the Holidays (and Sundays): Rodeo Beach to Tennessee Beach
Larkspur Loop: King Mountain, Dawn Falls Trail, Paths and Stairways
Bayside Marin: Las Gallinas Wildlife Ponds and McInnis County Park
Peninsula and South Bay
Sweeney Ridge and Milagra Ridge Along the Bay Area Ridge Trail
Rancho San Antonio Trails to Black Mountain Peak
Pacifica Coastal Hike: Mori Point and Beaches, Three Ways
Edgewood County Park From Cañada College
Car-free Outdoors is taking a break, but hopefully with the above hikes you will have plenty of options and ideas for car-free hikes in the meantime!
Maps for Car-Free Hikes, Part 2 – Online Maps
This is the second in a two-part series on maps for planning car-free outdoor adventures. The first article discussed print maps good for planning walks that connect trails, parks, and open space with transit. Print maps are usually a starting place for me, a way to get ideas for possible routes. Once I have planned out a potential route, I sometimes just try the hike without doing much other research. However, online maps can be very helpful in answering questions about a route that cannot easily be answered by looking at the print versions.
There are many fancy map-related applications online that could be useful for trip planning, but I tend to find Google Maps to be sufficient for my needs. For most trips, entering the route on Google Maps allows you to quickly figure out the distance of a hike — much easier than trying to measure in on the print map and add up a bunch of numbers. I tend to underestimate the length of a route, so mapping the route online helps me get a better idea of the actual distance and make adjustments if necessary. I have found that drawing lines using Google's MyMaps feature is more useful than entering starting and end points in Google Maps. Keep in mind, however, that although Google Maps directions does depict some trails you may be better off using the mileage from your print map to get an accurate estimate of distance of some trails on your route — particularly when the route has lots of switchbacks. Also, in some cases it is helpful to draw multiple lines in MyMaps for different sections of the route, rather than one line for the entire route.
Although online maps are useful as a time saver for route planning, the best use I've found for them is avoidance of potentially dangerous routes. Anyone who has been on foot or on a bicycle on a route with no shoulder/sidewalk or near a busy freeway interchange will know the value of being familiar with the route ahead of time. For routes near freeways, busy thoroughfares, or rural roads, I like to use the satellite view of Google Maps. I check for sidewalks, for crosswalk locations, and for other features of the roads that might affect my route. Often it is very easy in satellite view to see how to avoid a problem by walking on one side of the street, moving the route a block in one direction, etc. Occasionally, if I can't get enough information in satellite view, I will use the Google Maps Street View feature. It's not available for every location, obviously, but in most urban areas I have been able to check on the location of a bus stop or see details of a street where the overhead view was blocked by trees. Street View can also sometimes be useful for finding the exact location of a trailhead, path, or stairway.
Despite careful planning, you may sometimes find discrepancies while out on the route. If you or one of your hiking partners has a smartphone, you could also pull up a map on the phone and use the phone's GPS features to find an alternative route or check the directions. I am definitely not suggesting you need to purchase an expensive phone, however; much of the time I reference the directions I have typed up/written out ahead of time and occasionally refer to a printed map. In fact, having now described the utility of online maps in general I would like to also discourage you from using online maps and technology too much for your hikes. It can be tempting to use all of the cool online mapping tools out there to see your exact route before ahead of time or to check your location multiple times along the route. But I prefer to leave some mystery and surprise to the journey — otherwise it's not much of an adventure!
Once I have completed a hike and am satisfied with the route, I enter the detailed route in MyMaps for future reference. MyMaps has options for either keeping your maps private or for making them public, and it is an easy tool to learn and use. If you want to get a better idea of the how the maps look, you can look at the maps that I've included for each of the hikes on this blog, or browse the collection of Car-Free Outdoors maps.
Planning out a car-free outdoor adventure does take some time, but it is a lot of fun if you are a map-lover. If you don't find this enjoyable or don't have the time for it, there are plenty of routes here on Car-Free Outdoors to follow — and more on the way!
Maps for Car-free Hikes, Part 1: Print Maps
Print and online maps are key to planning to car-free outdoor adventures, so I thought I'd take some time to share some of my favorites for those you wanting to plan your own hikes. I use both print maps and online mapping to plan out hikes; in the second part of this article I will talk about the online maps. Eventually, I'll also write about bike maps.
When I first attempted to plan hikes from transit, I realized that I would need more than park maps. Park maps are, of course, great for planning any hike. Most of the official park maps from Bay Area agencies have accurate distances and are freely available either at park entrances or from the park office. And, most can be downloaded online and printed on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper. I won't list them all here, as the individual hike descriptions include links to specific park maps. However, when you want to connect between parks and from street to trail, it is much easier to visualize a route using map with larger coverage.
As with anything else, you could easily spend a bunch of money on maps. If you want to start planning your own longer hikes, I recommend starting with the maps in the region where you live or where you plan to do much of your hiking. I find that in most cases shopping for maps in a physical store is more useful than ordering them online, especially in cases where you want to compare maps from the same region from different mapmakers. REI carries a wide selection of maps in its stores around the Bay Area, as do many of the independent outdoor gear stores.
San Francisco
San Francisco Bike Map & Walking Guide (Rufus Graphics): In addition to its usefulness as a bike map, this one is great for planning walking routes because it depicts the steepness of streets with shading.
Map & Guide to Golden Gate Park (San Francisco Recreation & Parks, Rufus Graphics): There are many online maps showing the locations of well-known spots in Golden Gate Park, but none show all of the park's many paths in as great of detail as this print map.
North Bay
Southern Marin Trail Map (Tom Harrison Maps): This map shows the Marin Headlands and connections with Mt. Tam, the Bay Trail from the Golden Gate Bridge north through Sausalito, and the Tiburon Peninsula. Additionally, it shows the trails on Angel Island. Because of its scale, the trails in Fort Baker are not shown in great detail, so you will want to use the official park map when planning hikes in that area.
Trails of Northeast Marin County (Pease Press): This is an excellent map for planning Bayside hikes in Marin and in preserves near Highway 101 from San Rafael north to Novato. For easier planning of hikes from transit, I have marked the locations on my map of the Golden Gate Transit bus pads (which are at 101 exits).
Rambler's Guide to the Trails of Mt. Tamalpais and the Marin Headlands (Olmsted & Bros.): This is my favorite of the choices for Mt. Tam maps. In addition to Mt. Tam and Muir Woods, the map shows Marin Municipal Water District land to the north and all of the Marin Headlands.
East Bay
Rambler's Guide to the Trails of the East Bay Hills (Olmsted & Bros.): The Northern and Central East Bay Hills maps are some of my favorites despite the fact that they are older. They show the trails of the East Bay Regional Park District, the city and county parks, and the EBMUD lands, making it easy to plan routes that connect trails in different jurisdictions.
Map of Berkeley's Pathways (Berkeley Path Wanderers Association): This map clearly depicts Berkeley's pedestrian paths and stairways, of which there are over 130 for this small city! The map is clear and easy to read, and shows the connections with Tilden Park, the UC trails, and Claremont Canyon Preserve. Additionally, the Bay Trail connections with bordering cities are shown on the map.
Walk Oakland Map & Guide (Rufus Graphics): This is a very useful map for planning neighborhood routes to connect transit with trails in the Oakland hills. It shows neighborhoods, points of interest, street steepness, and BART and major transit centers. The map also shows Oakland's many walking paths — though I wish the path markings were a bit more prominent and easier to see on the map.
Trails of the Coastside & Northern Peninsula (Pease Press): This map starts with the south end of San Francisco and shows parks and trails down the coast past Half Moon Bay. It actually shows transit routes, but because the map is older many of the routes have either changed or no longer exist. Nonetheless, a great map.
Trail Map of Central San Francisco Peninsula Trails (Wilderness Press): On this map you can see the trails from San Mateo south to Stanford University. This is an invaluable map for planning longer hikes on the mid-Peninsula particularly because it shows the Crystal Springs Trail, which runs north to south and allows connections between parks.
Trail Map of the Southern Peninsula (Trail Center): This is a nice map of the many parks along the ridge from Portola Valley south to Saratoga Gap and Rancho San Antonio and Fremont Older preserves. You can see the trails in relation to Foothill College, which is the nearest public transit access point for much of this area.
Pathways Map, Los Altos Hills: This very detailed map shows the many pathways in Los Altos Hills, which connect with Rancho San Antonio and several smaller preserves and open spaces. Although it covers a fairly small geographic region, it is a great map to have for Peninsula hikes. Many different hikes can be constructed by planning different routes using the paths, which are not represented in detail on any other map that I have seen.
For all regions: If you have one already, the Thomas Bros. maps are actually fairly useful for planning car-free adventures, despite the fact that they are designed for drivers. I use them mostly when trying to figure out the best route through a neighborhood to connect to a trail. The Thomas Brothers. maps will have more street detail than any of the larger hiking maps and sometimes are more accurate than online maps for smaller streets. These maps are fairly expensive, though, and generally too bulky/heavy to bring along for the hike, so again I recommend starting with the map for the region where you will be spending the most time doing hikes.
Angel Island Perimeter Hike
View of San Francisco from Battery Drew — by Joe Reifer
This hike circles the perimeter of Angel Island State Park, visiting many historical and natural points of interest, including the Angel Island Immigration Station, abandoned forts and batteries, and coves and beaches. Despite being a popular tourist destination, the trails and paths on Angel Island are usually not overcrowded, as many visitors spend their time on the island picnicking near the ferry cove or taking the tram tours. On clear days, you will have amazing views of San Francisco from the island.
Places visited: Angel Island State Park
Approximate length: 6 miles (see notes for variations)
Hiking time: 4-6 hours
Map: Angel Island
Terrain: Mostly flat with a couple of moderate hills; paved and dirt trails
Transit schedule: Angel Island Tiburon Ferry, Blue & Gold Fleet Angel Island Ferry
Start and end point: Ayala Cove Ferry Dock, Angel Island
Getting to the start point:
From San Francisco, take the Blue & Gold Fleet Angel Island Ferry from Pier 41 and the Embarcadero to Angel Island. You can take the Muni F-Market to Pier 41 or (my preference) walk from Embarcadero BART/Muni north on the Embarcadero to Pier 41.
From the Peninsula and South Bay, take Caltrain to Millbrae station. Transfer to BART, and take the San Francisco/East Bay train to Embarcadero station. From here, take the Muni F-Market to Pier 41 or (my preference) walk from Embarcadero BART/Muni north on the Embarcadero to Pier 41. Take the Blue & Gold Fleet Angel Island Ferry from Pier 41 and the Embarcadero to Angel Island.
From the East Bay, take BART to Embarcadero station. From here, take the Muni F-Market to Pier 41 or (my preference) walk from Embarcadero BART/Muni north on the Embarcadero to Pier 41. Take the Blue & Gold Fleet Angel Island Ferry from Pier 41 and the Embarcadero to Angel Island.
From the North Bay, take Golden Gate Transit 19 to the Tiburon Ferry Terminal. (Major transfer points for the 19 are Marin City, Strawberry Village, and the Seminary Drive Bus Pad.) Take the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry to Angel Island.
- Note that you will be taking the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry if you are traveling from Marin, and the Blue & Gold Fleet Angel Island Ferry if you are traveling from all other destinations. The Angel Island Tiburon Ferry operates more frequently, but it is inconvenient for car-free travelers coming from destinations other than Marin. If you are coming from San Francisco, it is possible take the Golden Gate Transit 10 or 70/80 and transfer at Marin City to the 19 to get to Angel Island Tiburon Ferry. If you are taking the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry, note that cash and checks only (no credit cards) are accepted; make sure to check the current fares ahead of time and bring enough cash.
- This route is designed for those who want to avoid crowded trails, by taking the steep stairs to the perimeter road and doing a clockwise loop around the island. Taking the first ferry in the morning is also a great way to avoid the crowds and will allow you to explore the island without feeling rushed to make it back for the last ferry. The Angel Island ferries run on a more limited schedule from November through April; May-October will give you more options for your length of stay on the island.
- You can vary this route in a few places by taking alternate trails or roads. From the Immigration Station, the East Bay View Trail connects with Fort McDowell; it could be muddy in the winter or after heavy rains. A steeper hike is the loop to Mt. Livermore at the center of the island. Although it would be possible to do this hike in combination with the perimeter loop, I recommend doing these as separate hikes so that you have plenty of time to explore along the way and stop to enjoy the views.
- This route includes many great locations for lunch with a view. I recommend bringing a bag lunch, but you can also eat at the snack bar near the ferry.
San Bruno Mountain Summit
Located just south of San Francisco, San Bruno Mountain is a great destination for urban dwellers looking for nature close to home. San Bruno Mountain is a favorite spot for wildflower viewing in the Spring and a year-round hiking option. Starting at Daly City BART, this hike takes a neighborhood route to the park, climbs to the mountain's summit and back down again via a loop trail, and ends at Balboa Park BART.
Places visited: San Bruno Mountain State and County Park
Approximate length: 9 miles
Hiking time: 4-5 hours
Map: San Bruno Mountain Park (PDF)
Terrain: Mix of flat sections and gradual climbing on paved and dirt trails.
Transit schedule: BART
Start point: Daly City BART
End point: Balboa Park BART
Getting to the starting point:
- From San Francisco, take BART to Daly City.
- From the Peninsula and South Bay, take Caltrain to Millbrae station. Transfer to BART, and get off at Daly City.
- From the East Bay, take BART to Daly City.
- From the North Bay, take Golden Gate Transit Route 70/80 or 10 to San Francisco. Get off at Hyde and Grove streets (just before Market Street), and walk to the Civic Center BART station on Market Street. Take BART to Daly City.
- A number of variations on this hike are possible. From the mountain's summit, you can hike out and back along the ridge a ways (note that the Ridge Trail does not connect to neighborhoods in Brisbane, so you will need to return the way you came). For a shorter and less steep hike, take the Saddle Loop Trail from the Old Guadalupe Trail. Or, take the Dairy Ravine and/or Eucalyptus trails with the Summit Loop Trail for a short loop hike.
- This hike is pleasant even after heavy rains. The muddiest section is a very short section from the small parking lot at the start of the loop. An alternative to this section is to walk along Radio Road and then turn right to connect to the Summit Loop. Despite its name, the Bog Trail should be passable after wet weather, but feel free to take the paved Old Guadalupe Trail both ways if this is not the case.
- Be prepared for foggy and/or windy weather at San Bruno Mountain, especially during the summer.
- Food options are available on Mission Street near the end of the hike. There are several good spots in the park to stop and eat a bag lunch.
San Francisco's China Basin and Potrero Hill
This urban hike visits part of the waterfront that runs south along the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building, turns inland at China Basin and through the park that runs along the Mission Creek Channel. In contrast to the busy northern Embarcadero, this route is generally peaceful and quiet (unless there is a Giants game the day you go). From there, this route takes you from the flatlands up through Potrero Hill to climb steep stairways — including stairs connecting twisty Vermont Street ("the other Lombard Street"). Sights along the way include birds and butterflies, houseboats, community gardens, unique stairways, and Bay and city skyline views.
Places visited: San Francisco Bay waterfront, China Basin, Mission Creek Channel, Potrero Hill stairways
Approximate length: 7 miles (see Notes for shorter option)
Hiking time: 3-4 hours
Map: see Google Map below
Terrain: Mostly paved; flat to Potrero Hill, steep stairways and streets in Potrero Hill
Transit Schedule: BART
Start Point: Embarcadero BART
End Point: 16th/Mission BART
Getting to the start point:
- From San Francisco, take Muni Metro J/K/L/M/N/T or BART to the Embarcadero station.
- From the Peninsula and South Bay, take a San Francisco BART train to Embarcadero station. If you are closer to Caltrain, take Caltrain north to Millbrae, transfer to BART and take a San Francisco train to the Embarcadero station.
- From the East Bay, take a San Francisco BART train to Embarcadero station.
- From the North Bay, take Golden Gate Transit Route 70/80 or 10 to San Francisco. Get off at Mission and 1st Streets, walk north one block to Market Street, turn right on Market, and to the Embarcadero BART station.
- The first part of this hike is mostly flat, whereas the Potrero Hill section is much more challenging. If you would prefer to take a leisurely stroll, turn around at the end of Mission Creek Park and return the way you came from Embarcadero BART. This walk is approximately 5 miles round trip.
- Several options for food can be found at the start of the hike and in Potrero Hill, and numerous restaurants can be found near the hike's end at 16th and Mission. A Safeway is located a block off the route near the start: when you turn right on 3rd Street after passing behind the ballpark, continue straight and turn left at King Street. The Safeway market is on this block. When done, continue on King Street, turn left at 4th, and resume the route as it heads over the 4th Street bridge. A Whole Foods market is located a block off the route in Potrero Hill: After turning left onto De Haro from 16th Street, turn right at the next block, 17th. Turn left at the next block, Rhode Island; the Whole Foods is in this block. When done, continue on Rhode Island, turn left at the next block (Mariposa) and right at De Haro to continue on the route.
- The Mission Creek Conservancy has some photos of wildlife you might want to watch for along Mission Creek. The Oakland Museum of California has a map and information about the Mission Creek Watershed.


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Tips to Live By
Today's going to be a great day. I recently read a book called the Four Agreements and it changed my life for the best. I had to share it with you. Basically it teaches a better way for life where … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged 4 Agreements, assumptions, best, friends, future, great day, impeccable speech, judgements, life changing, living, personally, power, save, thoughts, what are the 4 agreements, wisdom, words, World 2 Comments

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Ok, so the lighting of this photo is terrible, but I'm just glad to have it finished and I'm not going to angst about getting a perfect picture! All that is left to do is to hand stitch down one long edge of the hanging sleeve, and that's an evening job for when I'm sitting in front of the fire conversing with the love of my life ;-)
These are the process photos since you saw it last. I filled in the background with neocolor water soluble pastels. Being crayon-like, you can turn them on their side and use them to block in colour quickly.
Out came the fabric medium again and I began to paint thin layer of it over the pastel. I applied the pastel and the fabric medium in thin layers to try and avoid a 'plastiky' feeling. (And how on EARTH do you spell plastiky - plasticy - plasticee....?)
I've had a few people asking me what fabric medium I use. I picked up some Jo Sonja's fabric medium from Spotlight (probably equivalent to Joanne's in the USA). You can use it to mix with acrylic paints to turn them into textile paints. I haven't used it much because I also have specific textile paints. But it can also be used to set coloured pencil and water soluble pastels. I did a post here on my experiments: http://theslightlymadquiltlady.blogspot.co.nz/2013/09/experimenting-with-coloured-pencil-on.html
I would also like to experiment with some other brands as this is the only one I've used so far.
Here it is fully painted. You need to heat set textile medium, so I ironed it using a pressing cloth. Be careful! There are a couple spots where I lightly scorched it and slightly discoloured the pastel (it matches the cat paw prints and I'm calling it 'texture').
You can hardly see it, but there are Kerikeri street names written lightly on the background. Again, they were done in coloured pencil.
I had the appliqué letters in the middle originally but they were lost against the foliage. With a bit of shuffling and auditioning I found they sit perfectly against the darker stripe that I had painted on the bottom edge.
I fused the letters onto the background (they are cut from my hand-dyed fabrics) and then free-motion quilted/appliqued them onto the background using two rounds of black thread.
The binding is machine stitched. I made a hanging sleeve and pinned it along the back top edge, then applied the binding on the back side first (so I'm sewing the binding and one edge of the hanging sleeve in one go). Then I flip the quilt over, fold the binding over the edge and onto the front, and pin it so it sits just over the line of machine stitching that shows from where I sewed it onto the back. Then I straight stitch from the front side, about 1/8 inch in from the edge and this catches both the front and the back neatly.
That's a really short explanation of how I do my machine bindings - leave me a comment if you want me to do an expanded explanation with pictures.
Now I have a week left for my next quilt deadline. I'm not so optimistic about getting that one finished, but I'll give it a go.
Stay tuned for a Cerego renovation update tomorrow!


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CIPD 2016 : London calling for Predictive Recruitment
On June 15th and 16th, we went to London for the CIPD Recruitment Exhibition to present our innovations and our recruitment vision on the other side of the channel.
The achievement was to meet with more than 200 visitors at our stand. The concept of Predictive Recruitment mainly attracts the curiosity of participants at the exhibition. We created the concept and the method more than 2 years ago, and a lot of projects are now in place for a number of clients like Toyota or BHV, but we found that Predictive Recruitment is still a distant concept on the English market. The participants were even surprised of all the possibilities offered by the AssessFirst platform all while remaining simple and easy to use.
Simon Baron, our Chief Scientist & Innovator, presented in detail the latest innovations in recruitment during a sold out showcase. He also discussed the 4 founding principles of Predictive Recruitment, describing the steps needed to achieve an efficient and reliable predictive model, and concluding with the results of the model that our clients come to get. The greatest strength of this tool is that results are observable and measurable objectively. On average, a Predictive Recruitment process increases the performance of new recruits by 25%, reduces recruitment time by 30%, while reducing turnover by 50%.
We would like to thank everyone who came to our booth to share and discover the lasted HR innovations like Predictive Recruitment. We look forward to returning to London for an upcoming event!
For further information, contact : email@example.com.


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Mary McGrory of The Washington Post referred to Saint Anselm College as "the Benedictine College with a box seat on America's most riveting political theater." Located in Manchester, New Hampshire, the largest city in the state with the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, Saint Anselm students are frequently afforded the opportunity to meet and talk to national political figures. In addition, the campus is located close to national, state, and local government offices in Concord, New Hampshire and Boston, Massachusetts. The proximity to these offices has enabled many of our students to pursue career-related government internships.
A Wide Variety of Courses
Majoring in politics you will be able to choose from a wide variety of courses from each of the major subfields of political science, including courses in American government, international relations, comparative politics, and political theory. Small class size provide you with individualized attention.
Outstanding Faculty
We have an outstanding faculty—they know their stuff, and they'll get to know you too. Active scholars, our faculty produce research, and work with you to explore topics that suit your interests. Your course in research methods might meet from 10:30 to 11:20, but you're probably going to eat lunch with your classmates and professor in the Common Ground Cafe after, catching the news and discussing today's headlines. It's an open-door policy in the department, so you're always welcome to drop in to see your professor with a question, or an invitation to the next big event on campus.
Student Opportunities
Clubs, internships, lectures, debates, discussions... There is something for everyone in the Department of Politics. Study abroad for a semester, or intern in Boston with a federal agency, Portsmouth with the Department of Statem or Concord in the Governor's Office.


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Proven expertise in Big Data services ranging from use-case development and cluster installation to system integration and turnkey projects.Learn Apache Hadoop from the experts. Read More
Dilişim is Cloudera's only certified training partner in Turkey and ready to deliver the state-of-the-art Hadoop courses. Read More
Dilisim has been consulting and providing custom solutions for Apache Lucene and Solr for over a decade. We work with companies whose revenue depends on their search performance, such as e-commerce and knowledge access companies. Read More
Dilisim performs text mining and social media analysis with Apache Lucene Analyzer. Read More
Cloudera Developer Training for Spark and Hadoop
This four-day course delivers the key concepts and expertise participants need to ingest and process data on a Hadoop cluster using the most up-to-date tools and techniques, including Apache Spark, Impala, Hive, Flume, and Sqoop.
Cloudera Administrator Training for Apache Hadoop
This four-day administrator course provides the technical background you need to manage and scale a Hadoop cluster in a development or production environment.
Cloudera Hadoop Essentials Training
Learn how Apache Hadoop addresses the limitations of traditional computing, helps businesses overcome real challenges, and powers new types of big data analytics. This series also introduces the rest of the Apache Hadoop ecosystem and outlines how to prepare the data center and manage Hadoop in production.
Dilişim has been listed as one among "100 Most Promising Big Data Solution Providers 2016" by CIOReview. "The companies selected for our 100 Most Promising BigData Solution Providers 2016 list are an elite group of companies whose products and solutions are changing their respective industries," said Jeevan George, Managing Editor of CIOReview.
This group focused on helping Big data users share experiences, sharing training opportunities, problems and solutions, as well as learn new skills for building large-scale Hadoop-based systems.


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This emulsion with its soft and moist texture keeps your skin moist and smooth with its refined, natural fermented ingredients and plant extracts.
How to use:
After using serum (essence), take an appropriate amount and apply evenly over face along the skin texture. Lightly press the face with palms to absorb.


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100% ATV Sunglasses
100% ATV Sunglasses and Accessories
100% sunglasses are here at BTO Sports! Check them out today and keep your eyes protected all season long. We have a huge selection of 100% sunglasses that you can check out below!
100% Sunglasses
100% sunglasses are made from premium quality materials and are designed to have a lightweight frame that is comfortable, durable, and can withstand the active lifestyle of the people who wear them. We have a large variety of 100% sunglass that come in different styles, colors and frame sizes so you, the customer, can find your perfect set of 100% sunglasses. If you are looking for an active/sport style of sunglasses check out the Speedcraft line of sunglasses. There are so many different styles, and each one has multiple color schemes to browse through so sit down, relax and start picking away at our selection to find the perfect birthday gift, or holiday present.
Maybe you're not looking for a sport sunglass and want one you can wear out at the beach, the lake, at the track, or just around town; well we have the ones for you! 100% makes great looking sunglasses that are similar to the Wayfer Ray Ban sunglasses that have been a staple in the fashion industry. The 100% Burgett, and Atsuta sunglasses come in multiple colors to choose from, look great, and are highly affordable. Check them out today for fast shipping and low prices!


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Hotels - Sithonia - Villa Gallini
Initially a monastic property in its majority, the land of 1,763 hectares on which Porto Carras resort is built came into the possession of Giannis Carras at the end of the 1960s.
It all started with a cruise to Mt. Athos, for the celebration of the 1000 years since the creation of the monastic community of Athos. Known Athenians, along with ship owner Giannis Carras are aboard the yacht of the Greek tycoon. They cruise offshore Sithonia, enter the Toroneos Gulf and… the fairytale begins! Giannis Carras falls in love with the virgin site...
The constructions began in 1973 with Villa Galini; on the rocky and infertile Galani hill, named after a thief who was killed there, the famous villa was built extending on a surface of two thousand square meters. A sample of unique architecture and beauty, furnished with exceptional monastic furniture and unique art works, featured in the '70s magazines as one of the most beautiful buildings of the country.
Within 3 years the area radically changed thanks to the marsh drainage scheme; huge numbers of trees were planted, an olive grove of 45,000 olive trees and a vineyard covering 475 hectares were created.
In 1976 Village Inn opens its doors bringing a true revolution in Greece's tourist and cultural image, while Porto Carras Meliton opens in 1979 and Porto Carras Sithonia in 1980.
Few places in Greece were and still are so frequently visited by such a great number of famous and important people: Queen Juliana of Holland, Salvador Dali, the son of Aga Han, Stavros Niarhos, Rudolf Nureyev, Francois Mitterrand, Konstantinos Karamanlis, Margot Fonteyn, Joan Baez, Fiona Von Thyssen, the Rockfellers, Prince Albert of Monaco, President Puttin, Valery Giscard d'Estaing are only some of them.
In 1999 Technical Olympic Group submitted the highest bid during the relevant tender of the National Bank for the sale of Porto Carras. Ever since the Chairman and Managing Director, Konstantinos Stengos, made purpose of his life to bring Porto Carras Grand Resort to the foremost rank of the international tourist market.
The Villa Galini Porto Carras is located in Halkidiki, Central Macedonia, Greece
- 1500 yards from Porto Carras Winery
- 21 miles from Kassandra
- 1.0 mile from Porto Carras
- 1.3 miles from Porto Carras Beach
- 1.4 miles from Porto Carras Golf Club
- 2.1 miles from Marmaras
The Resort also includes three helipads and two waterways for those who travel in style!


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Former HL Plastics Payroller Paula Wright has more than doubled her original target of raising £10,000 for the Queen's Medical Centre in memory of her son, Luke Blackbourn.
Luke was a highly popular member of the extrusion workforce at HL. He became ill overnight after suffering a bleed on the brain in February 2016, and despite the extensive efforts of the hospital staff they were unable to save him.
"We, as a family, wanted to thank the support and dedication of all the staff who treated Luke during his time spent on the Adult Intensive Care Unit at the Queens Medical Centre," said Paula.
"We set out to raise enough funds to purchase an item of equipment within the unit in memory of Luke and organised various events to achieve this, along with some amazing individual support.
"Impact Fitness Training held a two hour Fit-a-thon and we had a charity day at the Burnt Pig ale house in Ilkeston.
"Carl Buckley from HL's Technical department ran the Robin Hood half marathon, my brother, Scott Brown, did the London to Paris bike ride with friends, and Ciaran Spalding undertook the Colin Potter 10k race – all helping to raise funds."
The hospital has now ordered a videolarynoscope, which is a specialised miniature flexible video camera used to visualise the airway of critically ill patients, to then assess whether they might be safe to be allowed to swallow and talk despite still requiring ventilation.
"I'd like to thank everyone who has donated and supported us in raising this phenomenal amount," said Paula.
Read more about the fundraising achievements.


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/ Guitar Finishes
/ Black Electric Guitars
/ KXK Guitar
Our Custom made KXK Guitar Specs
KXK Guitar
Body wood
Neck wood
JVK inlays
Scale Length
1 Volume, 3-way switch
Floyd Rose Tremolo Bridge
Black Finish
Black Hardware
About K. K. Downing
Born on 27 October 1951 in West Bromwich, Kenneth "K. K." Downing, Jr. is an English semi-retired Grammy Award winning guitarist, songwriter and founding member of the British heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is a mostly self-taught guitarist. In the late 1960s, Downing discovered rock music and the guitar. "He was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix, after whom he modelled his playing style." Downing played on every Judas Priest album from Rocka Rolla to A Touch of Evil: Live. Downing officially left Judas Priest on 20 April 2011, and in 2012, he accepted the offer of a tribute album to the band The Who and performed guitar on the opening track, "Eminence Front", along with musicians John Wetton and Derek Sherinian. Downing was ranked 23 on rock magazine Hit Parader's list of 100 greatest metal guitarists.
About the original KK Guitar
KxK Guitars is proud to unveil the brand new K.K. Downing signature guitar model---KXK Guitar. With years of R&D refinement, KxK has delivered a guitar that satisfies the needs of one of metal's most iconic guitarists. The original two were in K.K.'s hands just in time for the Judas Priest 2008 world tour and now they are available to players and fans in a limited edition.
About our custom made KXK Guitar
Under the high skills of our talented and experienced craftsmen who are famous in the field of musical instruments, our custom made KXK Guitar not only has charming appearance but also amazing sound, as you can see in the following pictures.
This custom made KXK Guitar features exactly the same headstock as the original guitar made of Mahogany and black locking nut which helps to fix the tune. But we replace the original six tuning machines with seven black tuning machines, which is under our special customer's requirement. Certainly, the original headstock with six tuning machines is also available.
As for the neck, our custom made KXK Guitar chose mahogany neck with Scalloped Ebony fretboard, 24 extra-sized frets with a scale length of 628mm(24.75" ) and our custom made KJV inlays, which are in accordance with our customer's special demand.
Like the original guitar, our custom made KXK Guitar has the body consisting of three pieces of mahogany with neck-thru Construction, which ensures provides the best possible sustain, resonance, comfort and access to higher frets.
This custom made KXK Guitar is a high quality guitar with a flying V body shape in beautiful black finish. Apart from the guitar's original Floyd Rose Tremolo Bridge, 1 Volume, two humbackers, we equipped our custom made KK Guitar with 3-way toggle switch, ensuring the guitar more versatile.
A video K.K. Downing talks about his KXK guitars
This KXK Guitar is available in other more subtle finishes, all can be made in our custom shop, please contact us for your style.
Aiming to build your dream guitar!
If you don't like the guitar above and you want another guitar which you dreamed it for so long, what to do? It's so easy! Just send us the pictures and the parameters of the guitar you want! We only need prctures and specs, then we can build the guitar as close as your dreamed guitar. You wonder how? Please click here to find the answer. Send your dream guitar pictures and specs to us, let's make your dream come true together.
All the guitars we built were based on our customers' requests. There are so many different options for you to choose if you don't want a standard one. You can check out all these options and more details in our custom shop. Click here to get in. The best way to obtain this information is to contact us and let us know what you're looking for. We will discuss these options together and figure out the best way to make it for you. Your business is very important to us and we want to provide you with the best customer service we are capable of. It will be the best guitar-buying experience you've ever had.
And please, don't be hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Notice For All Buyers:Thank you for your attention. Here are something you might want to know about this guitar.
1. This guitar is available in both right handed and left handed version. Even it is not showing in lefty version, we still able to customize this guitar in left handed for you. You just have to tell us when you place the order.
2. If you want to place the order, just send us email, we will help you to place your customize order.
Follow me to see how much we already done for you and some thing you should know.
8 Main Advantages Make Us Beyond The Average.... Read More....User Comment
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Wouldn't it be nice to live on old money? One does not really need to work, or at least on a regular basis, one is worry free, and one gets to enjoy life at its fullest. But this is only a dream that is reserved to a preciously small elite.
Thomas Piketty, Gilles Postel-Vinay and Jean-Laurent Rosenthal show that about a century ago in Paris close to 10% of the population were in fact rentiers, that is, people who consume more than their labor income during their lifetime. They thrived in an economy where the return of wealth was substantially higher than the growth rate. And by the looks of it, it appears that we are heading into a similar situation, as a small proportion of the population is generating substantial wealth from labor income, wealth that cannot be spent in a lifetime and will be inherited by happy an idle descendants. Perhaps more importantly, existing wealth is enjoying far better returns than average wages are growing at, laying the seeds of a new rentier society. History repeats itself.
Friday, July 22, 2011
We are turning into a rentier society again
Posted by Economic Logician at 7:29 AM
Labels: economic history
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Monaco is located in UTC+1, that is +1 hours in relation to the Greenwich Meridian.
The capital of Monaco is Monaco which has the same time shown above in our watch.
Monaco is located in UTC+1. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is divided into 24 hours, 12 of which are positive and 12 are negative.
The starting point is the Greenwich Meridian. On the right are the countries with early hours and the left those that are late.
The UTC setting in Monaco is defined in relation to the degree of distance of Monaco from the 0 degree point.
To find Monaco let's imagine the earth as a sphere, it has 360 degrees and if we divide that number by 24 hours we reach number 15, degrees an hour ago. Monaco and the capital Monaco are approximately the 15 degrees of Meridian. p>
Monaco is located on the Europe continent , is a city of Monaco and the timezone is UTC+1. At this time there is no daylight saving time in Monaco.


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Author Archives: anafielle
Tier 14 Retrospective
You know that feeling sometimes, that those of us in our 20s or 30s get about our college days? We'll look back and think, "Man, those were the best days of my life." And that's kind of a sad thought, … Continue reading
Posted in Blogging, From Ana's Inbox, Raid Recap, Raiding Tagged 16/16H, Anafielle, Hardcore raiding, raiding, Something Wicked, Something Wicked tanks, Tier 14, Tier 14 retrospective 33 Comments
How Long will LFR Stay Required?
Yesterday Zarhym replied to a stupid troll so he could post about how people tend to treat LFR and why they shouldn't feel as though it's required. He subsequently tweeted this to his many followers, and it became quite popular throughout … Continue reading
Posted in From Ana's Inbox, QQ 43 Comments
The Valor Point Grind and Dailies
Hey all, it's Ana back with some more commentary regarding Mists of Grindaria. Now that we are four weeks into the expansion, some of the excitement has worn off, and we've certainly all gone back to work and in some … Continue reading
Posted in QQ, Raiding 49 Comments
Mists of Farm-daria
I realized that Sacred Duty has been without an update for a very long time. I have nothing really of note to report, but I'll go ahead and lay down some thoughts about MOP now that we're a few weeks … Continue reading
Posted in From Ana's Inbox, Raiding 55 Comments
Mists of Pandaria: Raid Preparation
I posted before about my leveling experience. The leveling actually went very well, and I hit 90 before half my guild. Little did I know that the leveling – which I had expected to provide me with the greatest challenge … Continue reading
Posted in From Ana's Inbox, Uncategorized 11 Comments
MOP First Impressions
Well. Wow. Hi guys! So you know, there was this expansion that launched this weekend and… I figured it was time to come back to the blog! Ana Sucks at Leveling Ask my guild. They will all tell you I … Continue reading
Posted in From Ana's Inbox, Tanking, Uncategorized 9 Comments
Turning off the buff rewards a Feat of Strength in MOP
Remember this post about "Stop Telling Raiders to Turn off the DS Buff?" UPDATE TIME! The buff has been a pretty active topic of debate these days. I have to say:I don't know why we're still arguing about this. People who … Continue reading
Posted in Design, Encounters, Raiding Tagged buff, feat of strength, MOP, mop buff, turn off the buff 14 Comments
Dragon Soul Retrospective
Hello Monday morning. Time for some delicious QQ to start the week off right! I really liked Cataclysm a great deal, and I cared deeply about having some compelling raid encounters to finish off what has become my favorite WOW … Continue reading
Posted in Design, Encounters, From Ana's Inbox 23 Comments
Why I Went Retribution
I get this question a lot. I'm pretty sure I know what everyone expects me to say, especially following Meloree's really moving post last week on the demise of tanking. It would be pretty easy to say that I stopped … Continue reading
Posted in Blogging, From Ana's Inbox, Raiding 19 Comments
I have the Annual Pass. Where's my Beta Invite?
Oh man, it's Friday evening. Crap! I am contractually obligated to rage about one (1) thing per week on Sacred Duty and I completely forgot to rage this week. How fortunate that I have such a great topic today. I … Continue reading
Posted in Blogging, From Ana's Inbox, Raiding 34 Comments


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Treat yourself or friends and family to a morning or afternoon at Le Salon Du Chocolat and enjoy either of our Half Day Chocolate Experiences detailed below.
Neither Experience requires any chocolate or cookery knowledge – just a pure passion for indulgence and fun!! Each option offers the same amount of chocolate to make and take home, you just need to choose which sounds the most appealing to you!! If you make a private group booking we can mix and match the options for you. - NB Please scroll to bottom of page to see scheduled dates.
Solid Chocolate Moulding - fruits, nuts, oils & spices to flavour
Whilst you enjoy a coffee and devour a platter of chocolate buttons, your chocolatier will give you a brief introduction to how chocolate is made from bean to bar before selecting what you would like to make from a range of professional chocolate moulds. These include shapes such as sweets, chocolate bars and lollies, to novelty shapes such as frogs, turtles and hearts, golf balls, flowers, cars and seasonal moulds.
Then, using carefully prepared luxury Belgian chocolate, you begin to fill your moulds flavouring with fruits, nuts, oils and spices if you wish. The final part of your Experience is to hand wrap all that you have made into carefully selected bags and boxes and decorate with coloured ribbons ready to take home to share with your friends and family, or simply keep for your own indulgence! Please note that there is the option to use nut and dairy based ingredients on this Experience.
You will make around forty chocolates and this Experience gives the wider choice of novelty shapes and flavours.
Soft Centres & Truffles
You will be welcomed with tea and coffee and a platter of chocolate buttons while we give a brief introduction of how chocolate is made from cocoa beans.
During your time at Le Salon Du Chocolat you will first make your Belgian chocolate hollow cases using professional moulds. You will then pipe in a variety of praline cream, hazelnut crisp and caramel soft centres before backfilling your mould with liquid chocolate to seal. Then hand rolling cream ganache, you form your truffle centres before dipping into milk, white and dark chocolate and roll in a variety of delicious flavoured coatings.
You will make at least forty individual chocolates that will be packed into lovely boxes and decorated with wonderful coloured ribbons to take home and impress your friends and family.
Please note that nut, dairy and alcohol based ingredients will be used on this Experience.
Chocolate Experience Half Day Prices
Individual Bookings : £49 per person (suggest children over 14 years)
When bookings are taken individually, there are a maximum of ten places available on each experience.
Group Bookings : £270 per morning or afternoon (includes up to six places – guarantees private booking) Can accommodate up to twenty guests - additional cost per head of £35/£45 depending on numbers attending
For alternative ideas for groups please visit our party and workshops web pages or contact us by phone or email as we offer a range of bespoke Experiences talks, demonstrations and workshops to suit your group numbers, budgets and times you have to spend with us.
Scheduled Half Day Chocolate Experiences
Please click here for updates on the current situation
Our Scheduled Experiences are available on Sundays and Mondays We may be able to host private events on other days by arrangement
Generally we schedule our dates three months in advance, though we can pencil in your requested dates beyond this and confirm with you nearer the time when we are scheduling that period.
If you have a gift voucher valid for a Half Day Chocolate Experience, they are valid for either of the Half Day Experiences on the above dates.


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Benefits of Automated Lighting Systems
Whether you own a home or a commercial building, there is no doubt that you need to upgrade your lighting equipment. Lighting plays an important role on your overall mood inside a space, as
well as it can be a real power saving solution (normally up to 20%). If you believe automated lighting is a luxury you can't afford, it is time to reconsider.
There are many new solutions in terms of your lighting solutions that will boost your efficiency and your mood inside a room while offering you the best possible quality in the most cost-effective options. Take a look at some of the most important benefits that Lutron lighting can offer to you and perhaps you will change your mind.
Multiple Switches
In your residential or commercial building, you want to create something elegant and beautiful. Several light switches across the walls can be a really frustrating image. Automated lighting would replace all those switches and offer you one keypad to handle every lighting in the room.
Lighting Paths
One button can be calculated to control one single light path inside your house. If you want to shed some light into one particular path you are taking every day, now it is possible. This is a beautiful and power saving option at the same time.
Power Saving Outdoor Lighting
No reason to leave the landscape lights on all day long, especially when you are away. Automated lighting can be modified so that it can be on only after sunset and off after the sunrise.
Remote Control
Now with automated lighting, you can control all the lights in your house remotely. Whether you don't want to get up from the comfort of your bed or you are away, and you want to make sure the lights are off, the automated lighting can help you with that.
Light the Mood
Automated lighting can help you set the scene, according to the mood you want to bring. Is it an intimate dinner? Or do you want to brighten up a party? The dim lights will help you change the lighting according to your ever-changing needs.
Power Saving on Empty Rooms
We all have forgotten to turn off the lights of the room we are leaving from. Now with the automated lighting, there is a sensor that will turn off the lights when it senses that they are empty.
Extend the Life of the House Bulbs
Automated lighting will dim the lights according to your needs. This means that you will be able to save energy and extend the life of the bulbs. This is the perfect way to take care of the environment as well as your wallet.
Low Light Levels
With automated lighting, there is no stopping on the adjustments you can make on your own. Lower the lights and watch as your electric bill will be significantly reduced.
Check this new system and make the next step towards power saving lighting solution.


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Bullying: A Zero Tolerance Policy
Good Shepherd Regional Catholic School follows the Diocesan Policy as stated on our website.
In particular, bullying of any type will not be tolerated. The principal will determine whether or not a student bullied another person. A school suspension may be issued for the first offense. A 3-day suspension will be issued for a second offense. A student may be removed from school for a third offense. In some cases, the police will be notified if the situation is severe or involves social media.
Bullying may occur in school or through social media which affects the school atmosphere.
All students will participate in a bullying prevention program within each school year. This program will be given by our school counselor.
Parents and students are required to read and agree with the diocesan and specific school policies on bullying.
Diocesan Bullying Prevention Policy


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Philosophy of the Department
The philosophy underlying the programmes in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension is to produce graduates that will be equipped to carry out the mission of Kwara State University
– "to be the fulcrum of a knowledge-driven society, building human competences and fostering determination and competition among people through the instrumentality of modern technology". This philosophy will produce highly skilled and competent manpower for expansion of the frontiers of knowledge to address the challenges posed in Agricultural Economics and Extension. The programmes will serve as interventions for ameliorating both theoretical and practical problems in Agriculture.
In accordance with the National Universities Commission Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) for degree programmes, the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Services has the manpower and basic facilities for advanced courses and research leading to the award of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees of Bachelor of Agriculture (B. Agric.), Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in the following areas :
- Agricultural Extension and Rural Development
- Agricultural Economics and Farm Management
Objectives of the Department's Postgraduate Programme
The aims of establishing the degree programmes in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management; and Agricultural Extension and Rural Development are to meet the human resource needs of the Ministry of Agriculture and related public establishments, the private sectors, agro-allied industries and related NGOs in Nigeria. The specific objectives are to:
- Equip the graduates with higher knowledge and skills in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management; and Agricultural Extension and Rural Development
- Prepare graduates to play leadership roles in agricultural programme, planning implementation, monitoring and evaluation
- Prepare graduates to provide in-service training at the various agricultural training centres
- Equip graduates with knowledge required in the process of Agricultural technology generation and transfer.
- Prepare graduates as private service providers in Agriculture.


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This dissertation consists of four self-contained essays.
Essay 1. A common method to reduce the uncertainty of causal inferences from experiments is to assign treatments in fixed proportions within groups of similar units: blocking. Previous results indicate that one can expect substantial reductions in variance if these groups are formed so to contain exactly as many units as treatment conditions. This approach can be contrasted to threshold blocking which, instead of specifying a fixed size, requires that the groups contain a minimum number of units. In this essay, I investigate the advantages of respective method. In particular, I show that threshold blocking is superior to fixed-sized blocking in the sense that it always finds a weakly better grouping for any objective and sample. However, this does not necessarily hold when the objective function of the blocking problem is unknown, and a fixed-sized design can perform better in that case. I specifically examine the factors that govern how the methods perform in the common situation where the objective is to reduce the estimator's variance, but where groups are constructed based on covariates. This reveals that the relative performance of threshold blocking improves when the covariates become more predictive of the outcome.
Essay 2. Inferences from randomized experiments can be improved by blocking: assigning treatment in fixed proportions within groups of similar units. The use of the method, however, is limited by the difficulty in deriving these groups. Current blocking methods are restricted to special cases or run in exponential time; are not sensitive to clustering of data points; and are often heuristic, providing an unsatisfactory solution in many common instances. This essay introduces an algorithm that implements a new, widely applicable class of blocking—threshold blocking—that solves these problems. Given a minimum required group size and a distance metric, we study the blocking problem of minimizing the maximum distance between any two units within the same group. We prove this is a NP-hard problem and derive an approximation algorithm that yields a blocking where the maximum distance is guaranteed to be at most four times the optimal value. This algorithm runs in O(n log n) time with O(n) space complexity. This makes it the first blocking method with an ensured level of performance that works in massive experiments. While many commonly used algorithms form pairs of units, our algorithm constructs the groups flexibly for any chosen minimum size. This facilitates complex experiments with several treatment arms and clustered data. A simulation study demonstrates the efficiency and efficacy of our blocking algorithm; tens of millions of units can be blocked using a desktop computer in a few minutes.
Essay 3. Scholars study political incumbency effects to disentangle how office holding affects subsequent election results. Several types of effects have been discussed and investigated in this time-honored literature, but few have been formally defined. The recent popularity of the regression discontinuity design to investigate the topic has, however, converged the focus to one particular effect: the party incumbency effect. That is, the effect on parties from being an incumbent party. In this essay, I introduce a causal model with which most of the previously discussed effect can be defined. In particular, I can give formal definitions of the incumbent legislator effect—the effect on parties of having an incumbent office holder as candidate—and the personal incumbency effect—the effect on candidates of being the incumbent office holder. Using the model, I decompose the party incumbency effect into these newly defined effects, thereby providing a link between the different effects. The model also allows me to revisit previous estimator and derive which effect they estimate. This investigation reveals that the legislator effect has been in focus in much of the past literature. Motivated by the lack of identification strategies for the personal effect, I introduce several strategies which, under suitable assumptions, can identify the effect. Last, to illustrate these strategies, I investigate the personal incumbency effect in recent Brazilian mayoral elections.
Essay 4. Recent research has reported positive effects on schooling, particularly for girls, due to in utero protection from iodine deficiency resulting from iodized oil capsule distribution in Tanzania. These results suggest that similar health interventions might have contributed to the reduction of the educational gender gap and, more generally, unveiled a mechanism through which the natural health environment affects social and economic development. In this essay, we revisit the Tanzanian experience by investigating how these effects differ over time and across surveys; across different treatment specifications; and across additional educational outcome measures. Contrary to previous studies, we find that the estimated effects tend to be small and not robust across specifications or samples. Using all available data and a medically motivated iodine depletion function, we find no evidence of a positive long-run effect of iodine deficiency protection on educational attainment.


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September 16, 2011
McCourts Battle Over Spousal Support
With the help of a judge, recently attorneys reached an agreement that called for Frank McCourt to continue paying his ex-wife Jamie $225,000 a month in spousal support pending a trial in November. The McCourts appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courthouse in another episode of their divorce battle over ownership of the team.
Frank McCourt was paying an additional $412,159 a month for the mortgages of six luxurious homes and a condominium, but that money will now come from an account created after the sale of a home near the Playboy Mansion.
Frank McCourt filed a motion in July saying that he has paid his ex-wife roughly $7.7 million over the past year. He said the payments should be more in line with the $5 million he receives annually. However, his ex-wife contends that her ex-husband has enough to pay. She notes in a recent filing that her ex-husband has received more than $44 million into his bank accounts since June 2010.
As the battle continues in court, on the field and in the stands the Dodgers are suffering.
Attendance is slumping. In 2009, the Dodgers had the highest average attendance rate in the country. Just two years later they've dropped to 10th in their attendance rate – a 20 percent reduction.
The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware last month, blaming a cash-flow crisis on Major League Baseball's refusal to approve a multi-billion dollar TV deal McCourt was counting on to keep the franchise afloat. MLB assumed control of the club's day-to-day operations in mid-April.
May 28, 2010
California Spousal Support Laws
When mentioning spousal support, it's not uncommon to find that many people don't really understand how it works. So here's a brief outline explaining the basics of spousal support. California spousal support is governed by California Family Code Section 4320. California courts have discretion in granting the amount and length of time of spousal support.
There are different types of Spousal Support and these are listed below:
- Temporary – may be available during the divorce proceedings and does not effect the amount of spousal support granted in the final disposition.
- Short-Term – the court will determine the length of spousal support payments based on the length of marriage. If the marriage was short (less than five years), the court may grant support for a short length of time.
- Long-Term or Permanent – marriages lasting ten years or longer are considered lengthy under California law. The court has discretion to grant long-term or permanent support in these cases. California courts do not favor granting support indefinitely.
Individuals who have been married, but are getting divorced may seek spousal support during the divorce proceedings. Spousal support can be established in a prenuptial agreement, it can be mutually agreed upon by the parties and presented to the court during discovery, or if no agreement can be reached the court will consider the facts as presented and award it based on the financial status of each of the parties and the nature of the lifestyle enjoyed by the couple during the marriage.
California courts will consider the following in determining spousal support:
- Whether the earning capacity of each party is sufficient to maintain the standard of living established during marriage, taking into account:
- Skills of the supported party; job market; time and expenses to acquire education or training to develop those skills; and need for retraining or education to acquire other, more marketable skills or employment.
- Whether the supported party's earning capacity is impaired by periods of unemployment incurred during the marriage to devote time to domestic duties.
- Whether the supported party contributed to an education, training, a career position, or a license by the supporting party.
- Ability to pay spousal support, taking into account earning capacity, assets, and standard of living.
- The needs of each party based on standard of living established during marriage.
- Obligations and assets, including separate property, of each party.
- Duration of the marriage.
- Ability of the supported party to work considering the interests of dependent children.
- Age and health of the parties.
- Evidence of any history of domestic violence.
- Tax consequences to each party.
- Balance of hardships to each party.
- Any other factors the court determines to be in the interest of justice.
Once the court determines the spousal support payment schedule and amount, the only thing that will result in consideration of a modification is change of circumstances. If one or both parties to the support agreement have a sudden shift in income, then the court has discretion to consider a modification. Since most spouses work, spousal support (if necessary at all), is usually for finite period of time and modest amount. Spousal support in California can continue for an indefinite period, and it may be increased or decreased if there is a change in either party's circumstances.
California spousal support lasts for however long the court determines. There is a rule of thumb for marriages that last less than ten years that the spousal support will last for half as long as the marriage; however, the court may grant it for less or more time depending on the circumstances. Marriages that are longer than ten years are considered long-term. Also don't forget that spousal support from a former spouse is taxable in the year it is received. Thus, you must claim it as income on your tax return.
If you are faced with the prospect of paying or receiving spousal support due to divorce, consult a family law attorney. An attorney will advocate on your behalf, help you understand your rights and guide you through the process. I offer a free initial consultation where you can get your questions answered and receive the right advice and any help that you need.
April 15, 2010
Nas back in Court – Civil Contempt Charge Dismissed
The ongoing saga regarding the divorce of Nas and Kelis has a new chapter. It may come as no surprise to some that Nas has been ordered to pay the backdated child and spousal support payments he owed.
According to reports, Nas says he's focusing on music and his children after striking a deal to dismiss a civil contempt charge against him.
A Los Angeles judge dismissed the contempt allegation against the rapper recently after he paid nearly $50,000 in child support to his estranged wife Kelis.
Kelis' attorney sought the contempt charge earlier this year after Nas fell $200,000 behind on child and spousal support payments. He was ordered in December to pay more than $51,000 a month to Kelis and their infant son.
The judge ordered that the rapper has to pay $47,249.42 in back child support and $40,454 in back spousal support. Nas's wallet took an even bigger hit. He also has to keep payments of $10,000/month in spousal support coming until he pays off the $299,015.50 he owes Kelis. On top of that, he also must hand over $155,787.28 to cover her legal expenses and $48,549.83 for her accounting expenses.
It sounds like it's time to cut another record Nas.
Both musicians have made statements to the media that they're working on new music.
April 9, 2010
Winning Strategies of Dodger 'Players' in Million Dollar Divorce Case
Hard hitting Dodger Owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt, have begun the first inning of their divorce battle in the Los Angeles Court System and I've been asked to comment further on who has the winning strategy in regard to the million dollar settlement demands.
To determine this, one should look at how much is enough? The average American brings home around $2,500 a month, but Jamie McCourt, the estranged wife of Dodger owner Frank McCourt, is looking for much more than that. Frank McCourt has initially offered her $150,000 a month, to which she countered with $1,000,000 a month to pay for the lavish and debt-fueled lifestyle they each have become accustomed to. In addition to the divorce case, whose official proceedings just began in late March, is another case between the couple determining whether the rightful owner, or owners, of the Los Angeles Dodgers is both individuals. With stakes this high, it's anyone's guess as to who will win the case.
This is an extremely interesting topic, considering there is a huge difference between Temporary Spousal Support, which Jamie is requesting, and Permanent Support. The amount awarded in divorce proceedings can significantly increase for Temporary Spousal Support, given its brief nature. With Temporary Support, Commissioner Gordon has more discretion to consider not only the income of both Parties, but also the Standard of Living and the high wages of Frank which can change the normal scope of awarding spousal support. Jamie McCourt's focus on the McCourts' Standard of Living, which is luxurious to say the least, on Frank McCourt's multimillion dollar income, and on the California Family Code Section 4320 Factors (generally reserved for trial) should help her case.
On the other hand, Frank McCourt's team will counter that Jamie McCourt's requests are unreasonable. Frank will argue, which his attorneys have pointed out, that Jamie is in 'Fairy Tale Land' and that their previous luxurious lifestyle does not support her request of 1 million dollars. The alleged continued use of private jets, luxury vacations, etc. by the McCourts does not help the situation! If Frank McCourt wants to paint a picture of his estranged wife's unrealistic view of their Standard of Living, he has to tone down his current lifestyle to help his case.
As to which number, $150,000 or $1 million, would most likely prevail? It is important to note that the Parties have a very skilled Judicial Officer who will analyze every aspect of this case, and if the Parties cannot decide on a number, Commissioner Gordon will definitely decide for them. With disparate figures such as these, it's anyone's guess as to whether either Jamie or Frank McCourt will be able to strike a deal. Play ball!
April 8, 2010
Jon Gosselin sues Kate for Custody of 8
Jon Gosselin has sued ex-wife Kate for primary custody of their eight children. The former reality TV star also wants spousal support and has asked the Berks County Court to review his child support obligation.
Jon's new lawyer, former assistant U.S. Attorney, Anthony List, has previously accused Kate Gosselin of neglecting the children because she appears on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars". List has further accused Kate of being "an absentee Mom" a charge Kate's attorney rejected as "patently false."
List is planning to use Kate's TV appearances as evidence that Kate isn't spending quality time with the eight kids. List also thinks Jon isn't getting a fair deal in the child support department, claiming "$20,000 a month is ridiculous." In addition to primary custody, List says he's considering asking the judge to reverse the support obligation and make Kate pay Jon. He did not specify the amount.
In court papers, Jon Gosselin says his ex-wife "abuses" her authority when it comes to scheduling visits with the kids. He also claims an arbitrator failed to require Kate to provide documentation of the children's expenses.
The Gosselins appeared on the TLC reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8" until their marriage fell apart last year. They divorced in December.
Kate's attorney, Mark Momjian has commented that Jon Gosselin's filing seeking primary custody of his eight children is "defective on a number of levels." Momjian is preparing a response to the filing.
Jon is asking that the Pennsylvania court, among other things, "set an appropriate custody schedule that is in the best interests of the children" and review the current child support agreement.
Jon filed the complaints just weeks after Kate's first appearance on "Dancing with the Stars." Kate is returning to TV along with her eight children for a show titled "Kate Plus 8" and another series called "Twist of Kate."
March 31, 2010
That Baseball Divorce…
Dodger's owner Frank McCourt and his estranged wife Jamie are in a Los Angeles courtroom where a judge is considering Jamie's request for $1 million in monthly support from her husband. It seems like the first pitches of the baseball season were thrown in that Los Angeles courtroom less than two miles from Dodger Stadium.
The divorce case of Dodgers owner Frank McCourt began recently with attorneys trading barbs and accusing the other side of greed — much as pitchers try to intimidate hitters by throwing brushback pitches right under their chin.
Sorrell Trope, an attorney for Frank McCourt, compared estranged wife Jamie McCourt with 18th-century French queen Marie Antoinette and it was further inferred that seeking $988,845 in monthly spousal support payments is akin to an "Alice in Wonderland" fantasy.
Dennis Wasser, one of Jamie McCourt's lawyers, called Frank McCourt "a poor billionaire" and rejected an offer of $125,000 a month in support.
Wasser, a member of the Wasser, Cooperman & Carter firm of Los Angeles, said Frank McCourt pays $40,000 a month to live in a rented condominium and spent $30,000 to attend the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 in Miami. Wasser said Jamie McCourt is entitled to a similar lifestyle, and needs almost half the $988,845 to pay her share of mortgages on the couple's seven homes.
Jamie McCourt wants to continue to relax at five-star hotels, jet-set around the world and eat at top restaurants. While most people can't comprehend or even dream about that kind of opulence, she wants her first-class lifestyle back and believes it will take nearly $1 million a month to do so.
The spousal support hearing was a precursor to a trial that includes a fight over the ownership of the Dodgers, a team valued in legal documents submitted in the divorce case at $963 million as of May 2009.
Lawyers for the two sides are due back in court to discuss whether a trial in the divorce case — and, ultimately, control of Major League Baseball's Dodgers — will be able to start as scheduled on May 24.
Frank McCourt, 56, claims he's the sole owner of the team, based on documents the couple signed in 2004, the year they bought the franchise. Jamie McCourt, 56, a lawyer, says she should get 50 percent of the team and that she wasn't aware those documents would affect her share of the Dodgers.
The couple separated in July after 30 years of marriage. Frank McCourt fired Jamie McCourt as the team's chief executive officer on Oct. 21.
Commissioner Scott M. Gordon, who is hearing the case, has about three months to issue a ruling on the temporary support payments. He said yesterday that there have been tens of thousands of pages filed so far by the 10 lawyers involved in the case, delaying any ruling.
The hearings, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, are taking place less than a week before the baseball season starts.
January 12, 2010
Reeves Paternity Case Dismissed
Just when we'd thought that we'd heard it all here's another celebrity who has had to defend himself in court against a paternity claim.
A Canadian woman who claims Keanu Reeves is the father of her four children has had her case dismissed after a judge branded it "patently unbelievable."
Karen Sala filed a suit against the actor and was seeking $3 million a month in spousal support going back to November 2006, and $150,000 a month in child support going back to June 1988. She is maintaining Reeves is the biological father of her four adult children.
She also alleged in an affidavit that Reeves agreed to take her to the Academy Awards and promised they would eventually marry.
Sala filed notice in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice family branch in May, asking for a declaration of parentage from the actor. According to reports, Sala has known Reeves since age nine, when he was seven, and briefly lived with his family as a teen after running away from home.
Reeves who grew up in Toronto said he doesn't even know the 46 year old Sala. He took a DNA test which proved he is not related to any of the children, but Sala dragged the case back to court to contest the results. Sala also claims that the actor used hypnosis to tamper with the results of the DNA test that proved he was not the father of her grown-up children.
But Judge Fred Graham ruled in Reeves' favor recently by throwing the case out, telling the court, "The applicant's evidence is so incredible that it is not capable of acceptance by any reasonable trier of fact. A trial in this case would be a waste of limited judicial resources.
"It is evident that she (Sala) believes her allegations even though they are patently unbelievable to an objective observer."
Sala was ordered to pay Reeves $15,000 for the legal bills the case has incurred.
December 28, 2009
Spousal Support Explained – Alimony 101
Spousal support can be a touchy subject. The one responsible for paying normally does not know why they have to pay the support when they believe that the other person should be working. The one receiving the payments often feels that it is not enough, often feeling that they deserve more for pain and suffering.
Spousal support can be temporary or permanent. In the state of California, at the beginning of the case, temporary support may be issued. Permanent support is paid at the end of the case and is determined by a set of statutory issues. A spousal support award is not mandatory in dissolution or legal separation proceedings in California. Quite the contrary, courts have discretion (within statutory parameters) to deny spousal support altogether or to limit it in an amount and duration that reflects the ability of both parties to provide for their own needs.
It is crucial to ascertain the standard of living while married. Below are the main factors that will be considered in California law [Ca Fam §§ 4320, 4330] in determining Spousal Support:
1. Ability to maintain marital standard of living in light of earning capacities: The extent to which the parties' respective earning capacities are sufficient to maintain the standard of living established during the marriage.
2. Contributions to other spouse's education, training, etc.: The extent to which the supported spouse contributed to the other spouse's attainment of an education, training, career position or license. This may create a right of reimbursement for community contributions to one spouse's education or training that "substantially enhances" the spouse's earning capacity.
3. Supporting spouse's ability to pay: The supporting spouse's ability to pay spousal support, taking into account his or her earning capacity, earned and unearned income, assets, and standard of living. Note: A spousal support order must be consistent with the supporting spouse's ability to pay as determined by his or her circumstances at the time of the support hearing–i.e., the obligor's present (not past or future) circumstances (current income/cash flow, assets, earning capacity, etc.) control.
4. "Needs" in light of marital standard of living: The needs of each party based on the standard of living established during the marriage. "Need" includes more than "bare necessities of life." There is a well-established case law consensus that "need" must also be judged in terms of the parties' station in life during marriage and before separation.
5. Parties' assets and debts: The parties' respective assets and obligations, including the separate property of each. Thus, a spouse's separate estate (including assets allocated to each as a result of the community property division)–and the reasonable income potential therefrom–may require the "withholding" of support altogether or a termination of previously-awarded support.
6. Duration of marriage. The length of the parties' marriage bears both on the "need" for support (whether it should be ordered) and on the amount and duration. The longer a spouse has been out of the job market on account of the marriage, the stronger the case for granting support; by the same token, a relatively short marriage can, depending on the other factors and the "totality of the circumstances," offset alleged "need" and justify a lower level of support and/or a shorter support term.
7. Employability of custodial spouse vs. impact on children: The ability of the supported spouse to engage in gainful employment without interfering with the interests of dependent children in his or her custody. The law recognizes the overriding public policy concern for the welfare of the parties' minor children. Theoretically, e.g., weighing all relevant circumstances, the needs of young children may justify indefinite spousal support to a custodial parent even after a relatively short marriage.
8. Age and health of the parties. On balance and after weighing all of the specific factors, age and health may warrant either an extension or withholding of support. Age and health considerations are also particularly relevant to the question of duration of support.
9. History of domestic violence: Documented evidence of any history of domestic violence between the parties, including, but not limited to, consideration of emotional distress resulting from domestic violence perpetrated against the supported party by the supporting party, and consideration of any history of violence against the supporting party by the supported party.
10. Tax consequences: The immediate and specific tax consequences of spousal support to each party (e.g., who pays the taxes, who gets the deduction, what effect on net income).
11. Relative hardships: "The balance of hardships to each party." This factor seems to underscore the court's obligation to consider and weigh all of the specific circumstances in determining the appropriate amount and duration of spousal support.
12. Goal of self-support: "The goal that the supported party shall be self-supporting within a reasonable period of time." Except in marriages of long duration, a "reasonable period of time" in which to achieve the goal of self-support "generally shall be one-half the length of the marriage."
13. Spousal abuse conviction (mandatory factor for support reduction/termination): The criminal conviction of an abusive spouse is a mandatory factor to be considered in making a reduction or termination of spousal support in accordance with certain laws.
14. Other "just and equitable" factors: "Any other factors the court determines are just and equitable." This final factor is a "catch-all," clarifying the court's authority to consider any other circumstances, although not expressly codified, bearing on the propriety of awarding support and, if so, its amount and duration.
California recognizes both pre and post nuptial agreements. Prenuptial agreements or premarital agreements become effective when the marriage is consummated. It states that whatever property belongs to which person and also states financial responsibility. It is a legally binding contract.
The premarital agreement protects any assets that a person has prior to entering the marriage. It allows the owner to maintain possession.
December 16, 2009
Crying 'Poor' Not Always a Good Divorce Strategy
Nas and Kelis, Round 2
Just when Nas thought the dust was settling on his ongoing court battle with Kelis, he's been ordered to pay out more money.
In the summer, rapper Nas was ordered to pay a hefty monthly payment of $44,000.00 to his estranged wife Kelis for child and spousal support, in the midst of their divorce. Now that a financial settlement has been reached in the divorce, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cunningham III ordered the rapper (real name: Nasir Jones) to bump up his monthly child and spousal payments to $51,101. This totals more than $600,000 a year to his soon-to-be ex-wife Kelis and their infant son, Knight.
The decision came after a two-day hearing in which the judge determined that Nas made enough money in recent months to pay additional support. Though, both Nas and Kelis tried to portray themselves as broke.
Nas' attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said the judge made the right decision and that despite the payment increase Nas came out ahead in the decision because he will no longer have to pay the expenses on the former couple's Los Angeles residence.
Kelis also reportedly testified that she has been having difficulty earning money because she is a new mother and doesn't have a lot of job options outside of the music business. She told the court that Nas is slated to release two albums in 2010.
Kelis is back in the studio working on her next album. Apparently she received $175,000 for her recently announced recording contract with Interscope, although her attorney argued most of the money went to her former managers and she received only about $50,000.
Nas testified that he wanted overnight visitation rights with his son. Kelis has sole custody for now. When Kelis' very pregnant lawyer, Laura Wasser, had Nas take the stand, she grilled him about not paying his December child and spousal support in full. Nas thought he was paid up.
The judge has ordered that Nas pay $40,454 in spousal support and $10,647 in child support. If that weren't enough, Nas must also pay Kelis' lawyer fees, which total $46,022.
This should be incentive for Nas to stay up on his payments from this day forward. Nas also owes his current manager up to $700,000 and owes millions to the Internal Revenue Service, according to testimony.
Both Kelis and her attorney should be thrilled with this ruling.
November 19, 2009
Shaquille O'Neal's Wife Va'shaundya Files for Separation, Plans to Divorce
Shaquille O'Neal's wife Va'Shaundya (Shaunie) has filed legal papers in L.A., even though the couple lives in Florida. Shaunie pulled her kids out of school in Florida recently and they are with her now in L.A. Shaq's people think the sudden flight across country to L.A. is all about the money.
Why would Shaunie go to the other side of the country to file in L.A.? In California and in Los Angeles, there is no residency requirement to file for Legal Separation. And if she files for Legal Separation, which she can later amend to a dissolution (divorce) after she meets the residency requirements, she can also request spousal support, and child support, etc.
The petition says that although Shaunie is filing for legal separation, she intends to file for divorce. She states "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for separation. THIS IS BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T MEET THE REQUIREMENTS YET.
Shaunie claims in her papers to be a resident of L.A. since November 8, 2009.
The date of separation is listed as 11-9-09. The couple has 4 minor children (between 3 and 9 years old). Shaunie wants full legal and physical custody of all the kids.
Shaq and Shaunie tied the knot on December 26, 2002 a total of 6 years, 11 months marriage. Perhaps it's a case of the seven year itch?
It is the second time there has been a separation filing between Shaq and Shaunie – the first time was in September 2007, when Shaq filed for divorce. A few months later, the couple decided to withdraw the filing and try to work through their differences. It appears that idea was short-lived.
Shaquille is a 15-time NBA all-star is currently in the midst of his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He owns four NBA championship rings between his days with the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.


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For questions call 330-865-6200.
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