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One of them envisions the police, or whatever the law-enforcement apparatus is called, as public servants, whose job is to protect the public against violent and fraudulent criminal elements that exist in every society. This mindset recognizes that the public must also sometimes protect themselves, since a police force limited to public service by definition cannot be everywhere at once. It also contemplates strict limits on police powers, such as those embodied in civil protections against arbitrary searches and seizures and in the hallowed right of habeas corpus. Where law enforcement exceeds its carefully defined and limited powers, it is held responsible, and officers guilty of abuse of power are subject to punishment like any other lawbreakers. This view of policing is embodied in the motto "To protect and to serve," coined by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1955, and now used by many other police departments as well.
The Police and Power
In a free society, the ordinary citizen sees the police officer as a respected and trusted public servant and his presence is welcome. The other, and withal, more prevalent view of law enforcement throughout history is that its primary function is to protect the class that wields political power. This class may be a monarchic dynasty, as in Rome under the Caesars; a tribe, as in Gadhafi's Libya; or a gang of ideologues, as in the former Soviet Union and modern Communist China and Cuba. Call them what you will — frumentarii, mukhabarat, KGB, Gestapo, or secret police — the function of police forces charged with protecting such regimes from their own citizens is the same: to ensure the maintenance of power by terror and brute force. Their methods vary little from age to age, depending as they do upon their willingness to use violence to stifle dissent and to spy upon the public to identify and keep tabs on enemies of the regime, both real and imagined. They are implacably hostile to the private ownership of weapons; so absolute was the power of the secret police in despotic Venice in the final years of its independence that the possession of a weapon was punishable by death. And secret police by any name are conditioned, in exchange for impunity for their actions, to close ranks around the regime they protect. Thus did the secret police of Ceaucescu's Romania reveal true priorities when it engaged in wholesale slaughter of peaceful demonstrators in an attempt to terrorize its citizenries into submission.
While recent incidents of police abuse — many of which have been caught on video and posted on the Internet — may make it rhetorically tempting to liken American police to the Gestapos and frumentarii of other times and places, America's law enforcement has a long way to go before meriting any such comparisons. Most of the officers and deputies of America's local police agencies, no doubt, still view seriously their duty "to protect and to serve" their fellow citizens and hold sacred their oath to uphold the Constitution. But it is fatuous to dismiss the very real and very dangerous direction in which American law enforcement is headed. It is not so much the transformation of America's police forces into a full-blown Gestapo that is of immediate concern; rather, it is the more realistic fear that their objective is no longer civilian protection. Many countries of the world, while far from the full-blown tyrannies of Caligula, Hitler, and Stalin, nevertheless make use of a style of militarized law enforcement intermediate between servants of the people and protectors of the regime. The hallmarks of such military police include the surveillance camera, the checkpoint, and the use of some extreme measures with impunity — detention and occasional torture without charge, and excessive willingness to resort to lethal force in adversarial circumstances — while not generally resorting to the systematic terror tactics of true secret police. The usual justification for such police is an extraordinary internal threat like an insurgency or active terrorist network. Military police tend to be corruptible and to favor the rich and well-connected over the poor. Such are the Guardia Civil in Spain, the Carabinieri of Italy, and the Federales of Mexico, among many others.
I remember well my first encounter with militarized police. As a teenage boy in the late '70s, I traveled to Spain with my family on vacation for a few weeks. I noticed then the ubiquity of Spain's military police, the Guardia Civil, with their distinctive tricornered hats and automatic weapons. During the dictatorship of Franco, the Guardia Civil had been used to ferret out enemies of the regime, and had acquired a rather formidable reputation. Their officers were frequently targeted by Basque separatist terrorists, who correctly perceived them as an arm of the Spanish military. A large part of their resources over the last several decades has been dedicated to antiterrorist activities. The Guardia Civil have also served alongside Spanish military units in military deployments overseas, including a number of UN peacekeeping missions.
I knew none of this 33 years ago. But I was surprised, along with the rest of my family, when my father received in the mail, some six months after our return from Spain, a traffic citation from the Guardia Civil. Despite the fact that we had been American tourists driving a car rented in Paris, the Guardia had somehow identified my father and, despite grotesquely misspelling both his name and address, had succeeded in issuing a fine. From the citation, we gathered that a hidden camera had snapped a photo of our license plate. My father, amused that they had gone to such lengths to issue a $20 speeding ticket, mailed off a check. The whole episode seemed unreal, since America in the 1970s made no use of hidden traffic cameras or checkpoints. Such were then regarded as the trappings of societies much less free than our own, where governments did not trust their own citizens.
Over the years, I have encountered military police in many countries, from Argentina to Sri Lanka, and have grown accustomed when abroad to the indignities of checkpoints and oddly dressed men on street corners with military-style weapons. But of far greater concern is that most of the activities of military police that were once so foreign have become familiar and even accepted in much of the United States. Checkpoints, where motorists are frequently hassled and questioned without cause, are routine in many areas of our country, and traffic cameras snapping pictures and recording the speed of every passing car are prevalent in many urban areas. The courteous neighborhood policeman helping a would-be runaway in Norman Rockwell's classic painting has given way in some precincts to officers seemingly schooled in thuggish, adversarial behavior, for whom foul language and the gratuitous use of physical violence are habitual (as any YouTube user can easily verify). The behavior is not ubiquitous, but it is alarmingly common.
The Path Away From Protection
What is changing the behavior of our police forces? In a word, federalization. Because of the longstanding War on Drugs, as well as the more recently launched War on Terror, local police have been dragooned into collaborating with federal law enforcement, including the quasi-military Transportation Security Administration (TSA) charged with airport security in the post 9/11 world. Such cooperation, it need hardly be said, has nothing to do with enforcing speed limits or investigating petty delinquency. Instead, especially since the latter part of the last decade, local police are being drawn particularly into the TSA's campaign of surveillance and intimidation of the American public, in the name of ferreting out terrorists. The TSA's Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) program, for example, has involved state and local law enforcement in massive security sweeps conducted along military lines, and displaying the same indifference toward civil rights and personal dignity shown by the TSA's airport security personnel.
In April of this year, for example, a team of TSA officers, attired and armed like SWAT personnel, swept into the Greyhound bus station in Tampa, Florida, and began subjecting bus passengers to the same indignities perpetrated against air travelers. Accompanying the TSA operatives were federal, state, and local law-enforcement officials, as well as federal government bureaucrats. This motley swarm conducted intrusive patdowns on unhappy passengers and warrantless searches of their luggage, with the help of canine sniffers.
According to TSA chief John Pistole, speaking to a Senate committee in June, the TSA conducted roughly 8,000 such sweeps across the country last year alone, and more is coming. Also in June, the TSA, in cahoots with state and local law enforcement, led an unprecedented three-state security sweep involving reconnaissance aircraft and Blackhawk hel-icopters, in a VIPR tour de force covering 5,000 square miles. John Pistole, never one to shy from controversy, has made public his intention to "take the TSA to the next level" and build it "into a national security, counterterrorism organization, fully integrated into U.S. government efforts."
The consequences of drawing local law enforcement into matters of alleged national security are plain enough. More and more local police are acting like agents of the federal government, and are willing to use tactics favored by military and counterinsurgency units for matters of local law enforcement.
The vision of John Pistole and the rest of the TSA/Homeland Security crowd was articulated, perhaps unintentionally, by Senator Barack Obama during his run for the presidency. "We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama told an audience of enthusiastic supporters on July 2, 2008, in Colorado Springs. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded." Obama made these unscripted comments in the midst of a series of proposals to grow everything from the Peace Corps and USA Freedom Corps to employment and benefits for veterans, so it is not entirely clear what he may have had in mind. But it is difficult to escape the inference that he meant essentially what he said, namely, that America needs a military-style national police force. And part of this vision, if the behavior of the TSA is any guide, involves militarizing existing state and local police forces in the name of combating terrorism.
A series of studies by the Rand Corporation for the United States Army over the past several years suggests that federal policymakers intend to accelerate the nationalization and militarization of our police forces. One 2009 Rand study, A Stability Police Force for the United States, contemplates greatly expanding either the U.S. Marshals Service or the Military Police of our Armed Services. According to the Rand study:
An SPF [Stability Police Force] is a high-end police force that engages in a range of tasks such as crowd and riot control, special weapons and tactics (SWAT), and investigations of organized criminal groups. In its ability to operate in stability operations, it is similar to such European forces as the Italian Carabinieri and French Gendarmeri.
Indeed, the Rand authors are highly positive toward the model exemplified by the European Gendarmerie, the new transnational SPF formed by several countries of the European Union in 2006. Although the SPF proposed for the United States is, ostensibly, to be used primarily overseas, to stabilize those countries where U.S. military forces are engaged in nation-building operations, the study also focuses on the possible uses of the SPF for "HLS" (Homeland Security) operations within the United States. To this end, it proposes ways in which various SPF options may be exercised by evading the restrictions on the use of military forces for policing imposed by our federal Posse Comitatus Act.
The Rand authors also speak of the need to "fix" the U.S. Constitution's limitations on federal policing powers. A Stability Police Force for the United States notes:
In the United States, policing functions are generally carried out at the state and local levels, with only limited law enforcement powers granted to the federal government. For example, agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigate suspected violations of federal law and lack jurisdiction over state and local matters. Limits to federal power are constitutionally rooted in the Tenth Amendment and have been recognized, especially in the policing arena, since the earliest days of the country.
"The cost of not fixing this gap is significant," say the Rand authors. But what they see as a "gap" that needs "fixing" is the very heart of the checks and balances in our system of federalism that our Founders intended as a bulwark against the dangers of tyranny, which naturally flow from the centralization and concentration of governmental powers. In the Federalist, No. 45, James Madison underscored a fundamental premise of our constitutional system: "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite."
Madison went on to say: "The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State."
In the minds of Madison and the other Founders, the police powers were preeminent among those "reserved powers" that were to remain the closely guarded domain of the states and local governments.
Richard Mack, the former sheriff of Graham County, Arizona, and the founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, is one of many law enforcement officers who share this view with the Founders and see the trend toward nationalization of our police as a grave danger. Sheriff Mack, together with Sheriff Jay Printz of Montana, won the historic 1997 Supreme Court case against the Clinton administration and the notorious Brady gun control bill. "The founders of our nation were afraid of one thing more than any other ... government having too much power!" says Sheriff Mack. Which is why he is working with other law enforcement officers to keep police control local and -reverse the trend toward nationalization.
Although Hitler's Gestapo and S.S. are automatically associated with terror, tyranny, and oppression, too few Americans realize that the road to empowerment of those infamous police agencies was ominously similar to the path our nation has been taking.
In The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, historian William L. Shirer traces the fateful path that led to Germany's fatal embrace of the centralized Nazi state. "A series of laws decreed between 1933 and 1935," he notes, "deprived the municipalities of their local autonomy, and brought them under the direct control of the Reich Minister of the Interior."
Nationalizing the local police departments was the next critical step. Shirer writes:
On June 16, 1936, for the first time in German history, a unified police was established for the whole of the Reich — previously the police had been organized separately by each of the states — and [Heinrich] Himm-ler was put in charge as Chief of the German Police. This was tantamount to putting the police in the hands of the S.S., which since its suppression of the Roehm "revolt" in 1934 had been rapidly increasing its power. It had become not only the praetorian guard, not only the single armed branch of the party, not only the elite from whose ranks the future leaders of the new Germany were being chosen, but it now possessed the police power. The Third Reich, as is inevitable in the development of all totalitarian dictatorships, had become a police state.
Since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, our federal government has assumed vast new police powers and hired tens of thousands of new federal police officers. With more than 200,000 employees, the recently formed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is already well on the way to becoming, in President Obama's words, a "civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded" as the military. In addition, the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) and DHS have greatly expanded and accelerated the already dangerous trend under way for several decades of co-opting local police departments through federal grants for equipment (police cruisers, motorcycles, helicopters, armored vehicles, bullet-proof vests, computers, etc.), training, hiring additional personnel, traffic safety, emergency preparedness, overtime pay support, and other supposed "necessities."
Of course, the fact that the federal government is already broke and hopelessly in debt has not stopped the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington from escalating this false largesse; they simply have the Federal Reserve print up more money, something the states and local governments cannot do. Unfortunately, state, county, and city politicians and chief law-enforcement officers all too often find the lure of "free" federal money to be irresistible.
The Politics of Federalized Policing
One of the proliferating federal programs that has already bared some alarming fangs is the federal-state-local police operations known as "fusion centers." In her testimony to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in September 2009, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano spoke of the Obama administration's ambitious plans to expand the number and scope of fusion centers, which at the time of her testimony already stood at 72 centers nationwide.
DHS has already demonstrated the dangers inherent to this baleful centralizing trend in American law enforcement. In the months prior to Secretary Napolitano's testimony, DHS and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis had issued a hyper-alarmist report to law-enforcement agencies entitled "Rightwing Extremism" that smeared military veterans, pro-life activists, gun-rights advocates, and political conservatives and constitutionalists as dangerous "extremists" closely akin to terrorists. A similarly hysterical report distributed by the federal-state fusion center in Missouri, entitled "The Modern Militia Movement," went even further, warning police agencies that they are being targeted — and the inference is that they are being targeted for violence — by supporters of presidential candidate Ron Paul and people who are opposed to the United Nations and the Federal Reserve.
These and similar incidents are ominous signs that the growing federal police powers are already being used as weapons against political opponents. Incidents such as these not only endanger the citizens who may be subjected to unwarranted harassment (and even lethal force) by misinformed and jumpy police officers, but they also endanger the law enforcement officers by promoting situations that may lead to violent confrontation and creating an adversarial attitude and wall of distrust between officer and citizen. These indicators should cause every lover of liberty to demand a screeching halt to this mad rush toward a nationalized police force.
As long as America remains in the thrall of an open-ended "War on Terror," the temptation will persist to continue federalizing (and, as a consequence, militarizing) our local police. Our once-trusted local police are gradually morphing into a force more to be feared and avoided. And should the campaign to militarize our local police succeed, we may then anticipate even worse developments, chief among them the creation of a bona fide secret police to secure the interests of a regime altogether hostile to the people it once purported to serve.
The corruption and militarization of America's police is not a trend to be taken lightly. While there is undeniably some need for specially trained units to deal with extraordinary circumstances, like a terrorist attack or a hostage situation, Americans must insist that their local police remain local — and faithful to the twin goals of protection and service that prompted their creation in the first place.
Photo: AP Images


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104 Responses to Guestbook
Dear Gregory, are you all right, my friend? I really hope you are safe and well during this crisis. Just about every state, including mine, is now on lockdown. This is a very serious situation.
In my county alone, there have been 55 deaths, and 1, 055 cases. I live in Youngstown Ohio, and we have been hit hard with this. Very hard.
I know California has been hit harder.
But I pray that you are all right. Happy almost birthday, by the way.
I'm a grandma three times over! My newest granddaughter was born this morning at 9:50am Eastern Daylight time.
She weighed 5lbs, 15oz, and was 18″ long.
Her name is Jour'Nee Nichelle Baineses.
Oh, she is an angel, Gregory.
Other than that, how are you and the family today? Is everyone okay?
Gregory we appreciate your art and your contributions to the music world. Your music will last forever. Whenever I was on a date, I played your tunes and with a glass of wine made the evening enjoyable. Keep singing my brother and stay well.
Hi Gregory. I discovered you in the 80's. I fell in love then and that love is even stronger today.
Your music has been with me through good times,bad times and I don't know what I would do if I couldn't access your music. Everything you do is beautiful.
Thank you for your perseverance. God bless you and your family always.
Wow, I used to love your music. Hadn't heard it in awhile until tonight at a family gathering… someone said to me you used to love his music, I sure did. When I got home I looked up some of your songs on youtube, it's been nice hearing it again. Much love.
I was not able to listen to your new song ("My Heart……………..") until tonight. I moved recently and my brother thought he would trade out my computer for a "better" one he had from work. It would not work with websites from the workplace from which I retired. He returned my computer but not my speakers, until tonight. The love of my life and I disagree on our favorite song 😄 "My Heart" is nice, but "Crazy Over You" just gives me the all overs. I have been missing it. I guess having choices is what makes the world go around. I continue to love your work.
I have followed your career ever since you shook me down in 1986. I am really feeling this new single, mainly because my heart is looking for a home. Thank you for sharing your gift…
Hi Gregory,
I found your music videos on UT.
They bring me back to wonderful and very special good old times….
Congratulations for 44 million clicks on UT 🎶💖👍
Thank you for the music 💐
Monika from 😊🇩🇪
You are the greatest
Love your music! I hope you plan to perform here in Philly in the near future.
Just thought you'd want to know that there's a typo on your home page. The Father's Day greeting goes out to "fella's." I'm sure as a Berkeley grad you know that
the apostrophe shouldn't be there. 🙂
My name is Anna Z. I live in Dallas, Texas and I have been listening to your music. I love hearing you at night. You play and sing with great intelligence!… 🙆🏻♀
I bet your wife loves bet of you 🤦🏻♀
Sorry I should have asked if you are you married or in a relationship first 🤷🏻♀
You're a very handsome man anyone would want depends on their character right?
I want to know when you are coming to Dallas to tour and play your music at the American Airlines? Hopefully I can get to meet you one day if God is willing.
You have a blessed one today Gregory Abbott.
I can't wait until next month to learn the title of your new release. What day is it scheduled to drop? There are 31 days in August. I have no patience. I hope it is the song I suggested you record. Just tell me, I won't tell anyone else.
A couple of months ago I was searching you tube and found some songs you recorded (probably later than "Shake You Down") because they had not been viewed/played as often. It is amazing what you can find when you really aren't looking for it. I have not been able to find them again. However, I did find a few songs the love of my life recorded. Unfortunately, they were recorded a long time ago and did not include videos. I think the last thing my friend recorded would have been a hit but he died in a car accident about a week after he recorded it. That song is not on you tube, but I did find it for sale on an online site and bought it years ago.
Hi, Greg
Strangest thing happened to me……I found you/your site…your song. I was transported literally back to the best days of my life the 'real' days of living, laughing, loving and dancing. Looking forward to the weekends, walking home after dancing at the disco, I am talking about the islands; no worries but what you are going to eat for breakfast, when you wake up, probably, around 1pm..ha, ha. What, I am trying to say is thanks, for letting me have confirm proof that it was all real.
hi my name is Tasha I'm from Gulfport Mississippi and I wanted to know if you have any kids and are you married. You've always been a crush since I was a little girl you're a very nice looking man.
I'm a grandma again, Gregory! My daughter had a beautiful baby boy on May 1. He weighed 5lbs. 5.6oz and was 20″ long.
His name is J'Osiah Izaya Riley.
Oh, he is a precious angel.
You are like the "Pied Piper of Soul", luring all the ladies to California.
Happy Birthday GJA. Welcome to Medicare. To celebrate, I bought a box of Ester Price Chocolate, milk and dark covered. I'm trying to pace myself this time. I have already eaten the piece marked for 3pm tomorrow. Next time I am going to see if the store will hold it behind the counter for me then I will walk there every time I want a piece. (I have no will power.)
Celebrate tonight.
Happy, happy birthday to you, Gregory!!! I hope you have a terrific day today!
I love your voice and music, but I cannot get past "Shake You Down". I listen to different versions on You Tube If I had it on an old time record, tape, etc. I would have replace it because it would be worn out, Nothing compares. It will stay fresh for eternity.
You have great Voice! 🙂
I always love your music and i had a crush on you when i was young
Hello Gregory, I heard your song today "shake you down" itunes and downloaded the throwback also ahead of your time. It sounds as if you released the song today. Another one of my favs ON ON! When are you coming to DC/DMV and perform your majic? Miss U and love your pics and quotes. Btw you look amazing! May God keep blessing you and your family!
GM Gregory ☕☕
In My Sweet Southern AlaGA Voice, How Are You . . . .
My name is Jacqueline, and I was curious about your soulful voice and your background. Thus, I am here reading your biography. 🍑
I love you! Literally speaking.
Gregory, I'm a new grandmother! My granddaughter was born this morning. She is precious. But other than that, I'm doing great.
I love your music and I am one of your biggest fans. Are you currently touring? I hope you are since I haven't had the pleasure of attending any of your concerts.
I consider it a Privilege to comment on your Guestbook with so many Lovely and Beautiful Song to Listen to.. You just keep making The Best Music. No need to say more, your Music says it All.
You just keep those Hit Songs Coming. I was told nothing gets Old but Clothes. I Believe It. Your Voice and Style of Singing has Not Changed. ALL COMPLIMENTS to YOU, Gregory for all of the Outstanding Songs and Music you continue to make. Love Every Song. You Always Keep It Real 110%.
It was a pleasure to spot your video Shake you down on facebook I remember playing your music over and over back in the day, I always wondered what you were doing and where you were, I thought you had the most beautiful smoothest voice and still do. Your new music is awesome, you can sing to me anytime handsome. Much success and endeavors for your future.
There will never be another who can sing the way that you do. Your diversity is off the charts. To be able to sing in so many ways is Phenomenal. You have broken all barriers in the musical field. As far as i am concerned, you are the Greastest. Much praise and thanks to you and yours.
I love your new songs, For Come Ya, Namaste, and Just Say Om. Those are powerful, but moving, songs. Keep up the good work, Gregory!
It's so good to discover you …. AGAIN (I'm reordering all of your albums).
Beautiful music! Nice to watch videos!
Now we wish to see you live in Johannesburg, South Africa! Once you are in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban will be dying to see you also, so can't leave them out! Any chance that your South African fans will ever see you live? That will be an honor for us that we will never forget ! Fingers crossed!
I also left you same message on your Facebook Page…
well for the first time i looked at your bio. how wonderful to have loved your music always and to find out you are this amazing man. As i sit here i am listening to your music on a rainy Saturday morning in Vancouver, Canada. Thinking how wonderful it is to have your music on such a day..
I am from Guyana and am so Proud of you. You have never strayed (that i know of) from the elegant being i loved..
Thank you for your music and all of your accomplishments…
Happy New Year, Gregory, and thank you for the Thanksgiving wishes. Belated Merry Christmas to you also. I hope one day to meet you, if I ever make it to California.
Hi Gregory,
On my way to S.F., my daughters (at the time 4 and 10 years old ) and I were discussing one our bucket lists and that was to one day meet Gregory Abbott. Like a dream come true as we were strolling down the museum …..my daughters tapped me speechless as we look and saw you.
Thank you for your time and kindness, most importantly …for making our day….we will treasure the pic of you and my little girls. My little ones sing to your tunes to this day…….
Your music has inspired us in many ways. Again… just wanted to say thank you for your continued hard work and for sharing your love of music with the world. Crossing my fingers to see you in concert soon.
Best wishes to you this Christmas season!!!!
Soon it will be Christmas, and then we will cross over into 2017. My greatest wish for you, Gregory, is that you have a very Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year. May God continue to be with you in all your endeavors, and on this journey we call life.
My favorite part of Thanksgiving is when I have family and friends to share it with. You see, it falls on the day my dad passed away, so it's sort of a sad time as well. But I really hope you have a blessed holiday season.
Do you want to hear my wish? It's for a peaceful world, without war or hatred. Everyone would love each other, not fight. Besides that, how are you? Hope all is well. You are, and always have been, my favorite singer. Blessings and love to you , my friend.
Well, autumn is here. How are you? Hope all is well with you. As for me, I'm doing all right. In just three weeks, I'll be 46. This year has flown by so quickly! It's amazing. But, blessings and love to you always, dear Gregory.
Hi Gregory, hope you're feeling fine and doing well. My name is Alice I'm from Charleston, SC. just a small note to let you know that your latest hit is a bomb, I'm so excited about you song ,all of them as a matter of fact is a hit to me. your songs play all the time on the R & B stations here in Charleston. You Mr. Abbott are my favorite soul singer all of my life. I especially love shake you down and plays it continuously. It would be great if you were able to give a concert here in Charleston, SC, a good time would be during our
MOJA ART FESTIVALS" which is between the months of September and October. We would love for you to perform at these influential, worthy festivals if at all possible, because I count you!!! as the most worthiest artist to perform. love you much
Hi Gregory Abbott
How are you doing? My name is Issac from Greensboro NC! and your music is one my favorites. Also wanted to know if you would like to come to Greensboro NC to see us perform!
We are Seaquest Oscorp a six member group! So please do come see us!
Maybe you can work with another singing group called Faces Union! They're 5 girls who sing/dance. Maybe you can even perform a couple of songs!
Please do! Best.
— Issac Banks
Wow love the latest song "how deep is your love" i love your spin on it!!!
Hi this is Star,
How are you. I really like your music. I sent you a birthday song. I hope that you liked it too. Guys don't look like you in music, anymore. So glad that you are still on the set.
I hope that you feel inspired to continue.
Hit me back if you liked it-
Hello, my name is Jada!!!!! I have always loved your music and it has been a big inspiration to me. I love to sing on my free time and I love singing your songs. Your songs are truly universal and can be played anytime. I hope you are doing well and that you know that your songs are always loved and appreciated!!!!!! Your songs are timeless!!!!!They don't make music this good anymore.
I am deeply sorry for your loss, and I am praying for healing, comfort, and peace for you. Other than that, how have you been doing? Hoping you are doing very well. As for me, I am doing okay, I guess. It's a beautiful day here in Ohio today, but a bit chilly. How is the weather there?
Happy Birthday! May your day be blessed. I didn't forget. I have never forgotten your birthday. Also, Happy belated Easter as well. Hope it was well.
Hi gregory,
Are you still giving concerts?
Would love to see you live…
Much love,
The Netherlands
I remember when everyone started raving about Aaron Neville, I'm thinking "he's great, but he's no Abbott!"
Happy New Year to you and your crew, from the SF Bay Area!
Thanks for all the great music… still remember hearing Shake You Down for the first time as a little kid, and still haven't forgotten it! Hope to catch you in concert sometime soon…
After all these years as a 47 year old women I still listen to your music and love it wishing you continue success and happiness
Me and my brother love Your music. We have done that for a very long time.
Are You going to tour Sweden in the future? Please do that! We would love it :-).
Do You know how we should do two get authentic autographs from You (one for Mats and one for Mikael)?
Best wishes from two true fans
Mats and Mikael Peterson
Hi Gregory just a line to thank you for entertaining us at the guild hall in Preston. We were entranced with all of the sets. Yours was an outstanding set!
Trust all is well we look forward to seeing you soon.
hey Gregory Abbott who is a blast from your past its me Earl I was just going through my phone and saw your song shake me down then I saw that you have a little homepage and I thought I'd give you a shout is good to see that you doing fine it take care of yourself and I hope you much success more success christopher Williams
Happy belated birthday to you. I hope you had a blessed day. Anyway, it has been awhile since I have visited. I am currently a massage therapist, and I have been told that I am gifted. I just wanted to say hello.


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It's been out for quite a while, but I just recently got around to reading China Miéville's latest book, the novella This Census-Taker. It was a really quick read, at just 130 pages, and I very much enjoyed it, although I wish it had been longer and explored the setting a bit more.
That, I think, was the only drawback of the book: Miéville revels in describing fantastic worlds — it's his biggest strength as a writer, in my opinion — so for him to take such a restrained approach with This Census-Taker means that I'm left feeling the tiniest bit deprived. I wish Miéville had expanded the end, and unveiled more and more of this weird world. I wish we could have seen the narrator's full journey from his childhood to the "present day" from which he tells his story.
Maybe the reason I'm feeling deprived is because I think I started to uncover some clues throughout the story, but they never added up to a satisfying answer. These clues were inserted sparsely in description and dialogue, and they pointed to the unearthliness of the setting. A fanboyish part of me started to think that maybe they were pointing in a particular direction, one that the real fans would recognise. You can probably guess where I'm going with this — I mean, I made it the title of this blog post.
* * * * *
In lieu of a real book review I'm going to talk mostly about the setting of the work. I'm no literary critic, so I couldn't begin to unpack here the deeper meaning of the work, the potential allegory and metaphor and themes propping up the story. There are probably a hundred reviewers who have already done that, and I plan to find their reviews later and read my way to a better understanding of the novella.
What I really want to do in this post is just nerd out a bit, and examine those clues I talked about. I want to see if I can structure an argument to convince myself, let alone anyone else, of my hunch. I really want to ask the question: is This Census-Taker set in Bas-Lag?
Oh but before I proceed, I should mention that I was very kindly given a free copy of the book by the UK publisher, Picador. Thanks very much to them! I hope this post convinces them to send me more stuff in the future. I'm a serious book blogger, I promise!
And finally, a spoiler warning for what comes ahead. Be sure to have read the novella first!
I'll list below each part in the book, be it a whole section or just a passing piece of dialogue, which made me sit up and think that Miéville was giving a hint about the world the story is set in. Like I said before, I can't really say if it all adds up to a definitive answer or not. I'll let you be the judge. Afterwards, just to undermine myself, I'll briefly talk about some "counter-clues" that might mean I'm completely on the wrong track. Anyway, here are what I think are the main clues (with page numbers corresponding to the UK hardcover, published by Picador):
The walking tree
The first time I thought about Bas-Lag while reading this book was when the narrator recounts seeing a living creature made of plant matter, moving amongst the vegetation on the hill. This strange encounter takes place on pages 43-45. It's almost a non-sequitur to the rest of the book, and it's a very intriguing moment that never gets explained.
The narrator describes the figure being made of "tough vegetation" with "spines on bunched and distinct knotty skin", and when he investigates the scene he finds some flower petals and spines left behind on the ground. He later tells his mother he saw a walking tree, but she brushes him off by saying that it maybe was someone from his father's city. How mysterious.
I think the description matches the cactacae from Bas-Lag perfectly! They're hulking vegetable people covered in spines. Some of them even have a few flowers blooming amongst their spines. As for the mother's comment, we know that the narrator's father is from a city far away to the east — is this city New Crobuzon? The Bas-Lag metropolis has a fairly large subpopulation of cactacae, so it could well be. The mother's words are too good a hint to ignore. I just wish the strange visitation was followed up on in any way!
The father's city
The city where the narrator's father is from is a mystery in itself. It gets mentioned a lot throughout the story, and we find out eventually that it's where the census takers are from as well. The city has a specific history that is told by Drobe on page 58: first there was a war with "mechanicals" (which is supposedly where that creepy wooden head that haunts the narrator is from), then "problems on the trains", then two wars, "one inside, one out".
Again, this perfectly corresponds to the history of New Crobuzon. We know from Iron Council that there was a purging of the city's constructs (robots) after the events of Perdido Street Station. Then, the flashbacks in Iron Council tell of the rebellion of the train workers that leads to the formation of the titular council. Finally, the present-day events of that novel tell of two wars New Crobuzon is fighting: one with the rival city of Tesh, and one with its own populace. One inside, one out. It all fits so perfectly.
The next stage of the mysterious city's history is the great census-taking, which we only hear about in very vague terms in this book. For some reason the city decides that it needs to send agents out into the world to find out where all of its citizens are. Sounds like the kind of paranoid reaction New Crobuzon's government might have. Could we find out more about this in a future Bas-Lag book?
The ranting spider
This one's really sneaky. On page 55, the narrator talks about how the children of the town below him wanted to know about the monsters they thought lived on the hill. A few of the monsters are listed, and one of them is a "ranting spider". Doesn't that sound like the Weaver? If this is a small town somewhere in Bas-Lag, perhaps sightings of the Weaver have spread slowly through the collective consciousness, so that to children in a small town it's one of a pantheon of imaginary monsters. I like to think so. It's such a specific combination of words that I can't see how Miéville isn't hinting at the Weaver here!
Drobe's drawings
On page 82, when the town children hide the narrator in an abandoned theatre, Drobe talks again about the city where the census takers are from. While he's talking, he draws some curious things with chalk: "frogs in houses and people with wings". Drobe's got the city in his mind, so perhaps he's consciously or unconsciously thinking of its denizens and drawing them while he speaks. Such figures could easily be Bas-Lag's vodyanoi (amphibian people) and garuda (bird people).
On the topic of drawings, earlier on in the book (page 43) the narrator is drawing a city on the wallpaper in the attic of his house, and he populates that city with "small women wearing masks" and figures that are "squat as if they lived underwater". Again, the collective consciousness thing. These figures could be a child's vague idea of what khepri (beetle-headed women) and vodyanoi look like, based on second- or third-hand descriptions he's overheard.
I might be reaching a bit more with this one, but it still feels like a very clever, obscure clue.
Okay. Time to cool my enthusiasm a little. While there are a handful of compelling possible connections to Bas-Lag in the novella, overall the world doesn't feel like the Bas-Lag we know. Every time I felt absolutely certain I was reading the next Bas-Lag book, some reference brought me out of it again. Despite the weirdness, it sometimes feels too modern, too Earth-like.
One example is the types of technology that are mentioned — printers, flashlights, generators, and so on. These modern devices just don't seem to fit Bas-Lag; they speak much more to a modern-but-post-apocalyptic Earth. Also, many kinds of animals are mentioned throughout the story, and they're all very earthly animals — although I honestly can't remember all the fauna that appears in the Bas-Lag books, and it would take forever to cross-reference every animal in this novella with those works.
Most importantly, in an interview conducted after the release of This Census-Taker, Miéville was asked if he would ever return to Bas-Lag, and his answer, while not definitive, seems to lean towards a "maybe one day but not yet". But, who knows. He could be choosing not to reveal too much in the initial press coverage of the book's release. If he truly buried these clues in there for fans to find, then it would make sense that he wouldn't go and spill the beans immediately.
It's really hard to say if these counter-clues outweigh the evidence I listed. But even if it turned out that this world isn't Bas-Lag, it's still a weird and unique world. It has magic in it (for instance, the father's keys), it has horror (the unknowable hole in the mountain), it has a fascinating history. It's a world only Miéville's imagination could spawn.
Before I finish, I just want to touch on a tantalising moment right at the end of the book (on page 138 of the UK hardcover edition), where the narrator says that he has come to write a lot in his life about his travels and his work. He goes on to say that it is too much to write about in this book "that can only be a prologue".
Is the novella This Census-Taker just a prologue to a longer, more epic work? Will we read more in the future about this world, its history, and the life of the narrator? If this is indeed the fourth Bas-Lag book, is it just the prelude to an upcoming fifth one? I hope we find out soon.
I love when a book is built around a secret — one that a lot of readers may not even get, but if you take the time to examine the clues, it's incredibly rewarding.
If you'll allow me a tangent here at the end, the best example I can think of is Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds. It's a decent steampunk-ish SF adventure, nothing spectacular plot- or character-wise; but the best part of the book by far is its setting. It's never spelt out in the book where the story is set, but there are numerous clues throughout that smart readers will pick up on. I won't spoil it — but let me just say that while all the characters think they're on Earth, they're not, at all. They're actually somewhere else, somewhere very specific, and it's possible to figure it out. It's one of the cleverest things Reynolds has ever worked into his books.
I really hope that I'm right about This Census-Taker, that it hides a similar setting-based puzzle in its pages. It would be another layer of depth to what's already such a layered and intoxicating story. An alternative possibility is that Miéville put the references in knowingly as a fun, metafictional treat for his fans, but the book just isn't set in Bas-Lag. The most disappointing possibility is that I'm totally reading too much into it, and all of the clues I've mentioned are coincidences. I really doubt this possibility though.
If I ever get the chance, I'll ask Miéville directly about the clues I think I've found in this novella. Until then, at least it's fun to speculate. I have the audiobook of the novella now as well, and I'm going to listen to it on my morning walks to work. I might even uncover more clues the second time around, and if I do I'll let you know!
Update: Wow, I went googling immediately after publishing this post, and found another (much more coherent) article on Strange Horizons arguing the same points as me, and much more. It's a great piece, so be sure to read it!


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Burt's Bees Deep Pore Scrub cleanses and gently exfoliates your complexion naturally. Infused with willow bark, a natural source of salicylic acid, this natural scrub removes dirt and excess oil to deeply clean your pores. Finely ground peach stone gently exfoliates, removing dead skin cells as it polishes your skin for a smooth complexion. Leaves your skin feeling refreshed and naturally healthy-looking.
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Wet your face and apply the scrub with your fingertips or a washcloth, gently massaging over face and throat avoiding eye area. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Follow with your favourite moisturiser.
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Most of my work is done in C++, Python, and NodeJS. A full list of programming languages I know can be found on my resume.
All the code I write for personal projects is open source and available on my github.
My software interest include game engine design, schedule conflict resolution, computer security, and artificial intelligence.
In my free time I work on hardware projects. This hobby started with simply lighting up LEDs with an arduino, and has progressed in to writing VHDL for FPGAs, designing and routing PCBs with surface mount components, and programming in ARM assembly.
I hope to learn more about circuit design through the Digital Systems course I am currently taking.
In order to make my projects as accessible as possible, I have learned how to make functional and aesthetic web applications and web pages.
This can be seen in my course scheduler, and my text game website which was adapted to work as a webapp.


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Our main goal is to preserve this unique and rare breed and to do what we believe is in the best interest of the Dartmoor pony!
We invite you to join us in our efforts with the hope that these ponies will bring you as much joy to your life as they have brought to ours.
Jack deVroomen, pres.


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Torre del Mar
Take me to: Hotels | Apartments | Hostals
Torre del Mar is one of the main tourist resorts east of Malaga on the Costa del Sol. Located about half way between Malaga and Nerja. The resort of Torre del Mar is the beach resort of the inland town and part of the municipal district of Vélez-Málaga, capital of the Axarquia region.
There are unsubstantiated claims that Torre del Mar once formed part of an ancient Greek settlement known as Manake which is believed to have been destroyed by the Carthaginians, prior to the arrival of the Romans. These days the town is better known for its four kilometres of sandy beaches lined with restaurants, bars and apartments; the latter primarily catering for summer visitors.
One of the resort's most pleasant features is the extended esplanade which follows the coast to reach the Marina of Caleta de Vélez which has over 200 berths and offers sailing and a variety of other water sports. Its lively cafés and restaurants also provide a good place in which to idle the time away, as well as enjoy excellent seafood.
Group Excursions from Torre del Mar
Private Excursions from Torre del Mar
Hire a car is best way to get around! Travel with ease and enjoy the beautiful views! Consult our general Car Hire page for the best deals within Andalucia.
As you drive into Torre del Mar you may noticed tram line that connects the town with its inland sister town in Velez-Malaga. No need to slow down and look both ways before crossing. More>


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Key Stage 1
The main aims of this stage are for children to be able to:
- explore a range of religious stories
- explore a range of celebrations, worship and rituals
- identify the importance, for some people, of belonging to a religion and the difference it makes to their lives
- explore how religious beliefs can be expressed through the arts
- identify and describe religious symbols and artefacts, and begin to use a range of religious words.
Following the suggestions under each heading below will help you understand the topic yourself. To aid you in preparing classes on Jainism, we have provided a series of lesson plans on various Jain themes, which you can adapt to the needs of your class. There are also teachers' notes to help you use the Learn Jainism books in your classes.
You can download them from the bottom of the page. You will need Adobe Reader to use PDFs.
Explore religious stories
- Read page 13 of Discover Jainism, the section on 'The Dreams of Mother Trishala'
- Read the book Jain Tales
- See the JAINpedia website:
- 'Are there any holy books in Jainism?' in the Jainism FAQs
- the section on 'Sacred writings'
- See more religious short stories on the e-Jainism website
- Download Lesson Plan 3: Jain Scriptures, Symbols & Myths.
Explore celebrations, worship and rituals
- Read pages 14 to 21 of Discover Jainism, the sections:
- 'Holy Days and Festivals'
- 'Pilgrimages'
- 'Temples'
- 'Worship'
- See the BBC page on some Jain holy days
- Read sections on the JAINpedia website:
- 'How do Jains pray?' in the Jainism FAQs
- 'Do Jains have festivals?' in the Jainism FAQs
- Festivals, including articles on the individual festivals
- Download Lesson Plan 4: Jain Worship, Jain Sects and Jain Festivals.
Identify the importance of religion for some people
- Download Lesson Plan 5: Jain Beliefs: Karma and Reincarnation
- See 'Your RE' Pupil Book available from Pearson Education Limited.
Explore artistic expression of religion
- Read pages 18 to 19 of Discover Jainism, the section on temples. The architecture of temples is a form of religious art.
- See on the JAINpedia website:
- Manuscripts section, in which painted manuscripts depict stories, rituals, practices, astronomy and so on
- the article on Temples
- Download Lesson Plan 3: Jain Scriptures, Symbols & Myths.
Downloadable resources
There are 3 files.
5 Jain Beliefs Karma Reincarnation Key Jain beliefs of the soul, karma and rebirth – Lesson Plan 5 (File size: 479 kB)
3 Jain Scriptures Symbols and Myths Holy writings, symbols and myths in Jainism – Lesson Plan 3 (File size: 426 kB)
4 Jain Worship Sects Festivals Jain worship, the two main sects and major festivals – Lesson Plan 4 (File size: 284 kB)


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First, choose the most appropriate question type:
Create a coding task in various programming languages and add different test cases to validate candidate solutions.Create Live Coding Question
For questions with multiple answer options but only one correct answer.Create Multiple Choice Question
For questions with multiple answer options where more than one answer is correct.Create Multiple Correct Answers Question
Split your question into multiple groups, each with multiple answer options where more than one answer is correct.Create Multiple MCQ Question
Free text input for open-ended questions. This can be manually scored or just used for general questions, such as list of hobbies.Create Text Answer Question
For questions where the answer is a number from specified range.Create Number Picker Question
Create a questions where the solution requires typing in missing pieces of a given text.Create Fill the Blanks Question
Allow candidates to upload a solution or any document, such as a résumé, certificate or diploma scan. This can be manually scored.Create File Upload Question
Allow candidates to upload solution in a file, which will be automatically evaluated.Create File Upload with Validator Question


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Wrongful death suits filed in crash that killed woman, girls
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Wrongful death lawsuits filed this week allege that the Missouri Department of Transportation was negligent in failing to install a cable barrier along the stretch of U.S. 61 where a woman and her two daughters were killed in a cross-over accident.
Relatives of 36-year-old Jacqueline Faudi and her 6-year-old and 7-month-old daughters filed suit this week in St. Charles County. They died in a head-on accident Jan. 21 near Wentzville.
Authorities said a northbound car lost control and struck the rear of Faudi's car, which was also northbound, causing both cars to spin out of control and cross a grassy median. Faudi's car struck a southbound SUV.
The suit also named the driver of the car that rear-ended Faudi's vehicle.
A spokesman for MoDOT declined comment.


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Birchwood Casey super black touch up pen features
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Scuffs on guns, air rifles and shotguns really stand out. If your gun has developed scuffs, replacing your gun is not the only option. The Birchwood Casey super black touch up pen will turn chips or scratches from silver to black. It's very easy to apply, mess-free and is quick to dry. The pen have plenty of paint to repair several nicks and scratches on your gun. You can use the pen to touch up nicks or scratches in cameras, binoculars, iphone, car radio or black sporting accessories. Once you've covered any scuffs, wait about one hour before handling the areas where paint was applied.
Birchwood Casey super black touch up pen review of questions
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Tories call for transparency from Labour over bus station vanity project gone wrong in Exeter whilst in Tories try to block transparency on Knowle relocation gone wrong in East Devon. Tories demand answers in Exeter, Tories refuse to give answers in East Devon!
"Exeter Tory leader Cllr Andrew Leadbetter has blasted the city council for "biting off more than it can chew" with their unrealistic "passion project.
In his 20 years on the council he claims he has never seen "such disarray" on a development.
He said: "The whole thing so far has been shrouded in secrecy. And we want a proper explanation about what is happening.
"For instance, is it a long-term delay? Is it a cancellation? How much has been spent so far? What is the secrecy and why can't all members be told?
"If the Labour council is getting this so wrong, what else can they get wrong?
"We want to talk to the people about what cheaper option they would want there. We are certainly not adverse to the idea of a theatre or a hotel and conference centre."
He added: "I also have strong concerns about the Crown Estate's Princesshay Leisure part of the scheme. They do not need much to walk away from this, and we'll be left with a bomb site."
You can see why (Tory) politics gets a bad name in Devon!
Remmber this when you vote in the May 2017 county elections and vote Independent!


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Li-At Rathbun
Li-At Rathbun has over 20 years of technical communication experience (yes, since kindergarten). For the last eleven of those years, she's worked primarily as the technical editor at Yardi Systems—an international software company. Li-At also teaches the popular "Technical Editing Foundations" STC online course.
Li-At began volunteering with STC on the first night she attended a meeting (in 2000, at the Los Angeles chapter) and she's continuously served in various STC leadership positions ever since. She's currently the Santa Barbara chapter president and immediate past co-manager of the Technical Editing SIG. She's also held various positions on the Los Angeles chapter council and the Technical Editing SIG council, and she's served in regional initiatives (SoCal Spotlight Publications Competition) and STC-wide endeavors (like the CAC Outreach Team and as a 2017 Summit Track Manager).
Li-At presented at the STC Technical Editing Virtual Conference, Summit 2015 Leadership Day, Spectrum 2016 Leadership Day, Spectrum 2016, Summit 2016, and Summit 2017.
Outside of STC, Li-At is involved with TC Camp— an "unconference" focused on technical communication issues, skills, and challenges. She also co-founded TechCommSpeakersBureau.org—a site that helps connect groups that are looking for technical communication speakers with experts that are available to present.
Outside of technical communication, Li-At enjoys improv. If you're in Santa Barbara on the first Saturday of any given month, you might catch her in a show.


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Summer has finally arrived in the UK!
Perfect timing too- start of the holidays and the Olympics.
Nobody wants to be indoors- every outside table at cafes and pubs is taken, barbecues are lit and garden furniture sheds its plastic shrouds ready for garden parties and lunches al fresco. Everybody smiles at their neighbours- and invitations to meet for a drink or come for lunch begin to flow thick and fast.
We went to lunch yesterday with some friends who have a beautiful old cottage in deepest Sussex. The house and gardens are well worth some pictures :
This admirable couple not only have a prize winning flower garden - but they grow all their own vegetables, raise chickens for eggs and make all their own jams and chutneys. Everything at the lunch was homegrown and made too: the mackerel for the pate starter had been home smoked in their smokery and the lavender and eggs for the dessert were all from the garden:
When I make a smoked mackerel pate, I blitz 2 smoked mackerel fillets with 1\2 tub cream cheese, 2 finely chopped spring onions and the juice of half a lemon together. Season well with ground pepper ( you can add soft green peppercorns to the blender if you like a peppery taste) and serve with melba toast and (as here) with a horseradish creme fraiche sauce (3 tsp horseradish sauce -or a scant tsp grated fresh horseradish mixed into 1/2 pot creme fraiche).
For dessert we had lavender ice cream with shortbread:
To make this- add dried edible lavender flowers (or edible lavender essential oil) to your custard mix
( freshly made with eggs or cheated, as mine usually is, with a bought custard or creme anglaise), chill really well and then churn in your ice cream maker. My hostess recommended putting the custard mixture in the freezer until almost frozen before churning to get a really smooth ice cream with no ice crystals.
To make the shortbread - use the 3-2-1 ratio of flour (or flour/cornflour mix), butter and caster sugar.You can do this simply in the food processor - or rub in by hand as in the recipe I show below from my school cookery notebook from 1969! Glad to see I got a tick for it!
Enjoy the sun wherever you are!


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School Council
Please find the minutes from the October council meeting below.
Also, we would like to remind everyone that the next School Council Meeting is on December 4th at 7:00 p.m. in the school library, and our 2017 Skating Night is on December 11 at Garnet A. Williams Arena. We hope to see everyone there!
Variety Shows – December 5th!
The Primary and Junior/Intermediate Variety Shows for 2017 are one week away at the City Playhouse Theatre so get your tickets for this special event in support of the Music Program at Rosedale Heights!
The shows will take place as follows:
- The Primary Variety Show is on Tuesday, December 5th at 5:30 to 6:40 pm (this show will have all the Kindergarten classes performing as well as the Primary Drama Club)
- The Junior/Intermediate Variety Show is on Tuesday, December 5th at 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm (this show will have the Recorder Group, the Intermediate Band, the Little Jammers Group and the Junior and Intermediate Drama Clubs performing)
Tickets are available for purchase through School Cash Online. Tickets will be handed out before each show at the Ticket Table set up in the City Playhouse Lobby. We will also be having a visual arts display and a gift table.
Please come and support the students and the Music Program. Questions? Email Robbie Frankel at email@example.com We hope to see you there!
(1) Parent-Teacher Interviews are taking place Thursday afternoon/evening and Friday morning. There is no school for students on Friday.
(2) The Book Fair will be open during parent-teacher interviews for families to attend.
(3) Second session lunch orders are available for purchase through school cash online. Additional details can be found online.
(4) Variety Show – Tuesday December 5th – tickets are on sale now through school cash online.
Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is on this week in the Library.
Students will have the opportunity to visit the book fair with their class.
The book fair will be open to parents on Thursday after school while parent-teacher interviews are taking place as well as Friday morning.
Thank you in advance for supporting our school's library.
Lunch Orders
The second session of lunches are now available for purchase through School Cash Online.
Monday – Pizza (Domino's)
Tuesday – Sushi (D'Lites)
Wednesday – Pasta (Abruzzo)
Thursday – Subs (Mr Sub)
Friday – **NEW** 'Breakfast For Lunch' (TovLi)
Additional details can be found on School Cash Online.
All new lunch orders take effect in Jauary following the winter break.
Lunches will be available for purchase today through until December 13th. No late orders will be accepted.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention.
Parent-Teacher Interviews
Confirmation sheets for next week's parent-teacher interviews will be sent home tomorrow (Friday.)
Day of Pink – Tomorrow
Tomorrow is our November Day of Pink. Please come dressed in your pinkeriffic attire and show your support for being kind.
Bus Cancellation Information
To ensure the safety of students, school bus service may be cancelled due to inclement weather, extreme temperatures and/or poor road conditions. In these cases, parents and students should develop alternate care/transportation arrangements.
Cancellation decisions will only be made after thorough consultation with the Safety Officers of school bus companies servicing York Region and are based on several factors including precipitation, air temperature, road conditions and weather forecast.
Please note the following;
- A decision to cancel school bus service will be region-wide meaning all school buses, vans and taxis will not operate.
- School bus routes may be cancelled when severe weather may not be affecting all municipalities in York Region. Both the YRDSB and YCDSB operate many regional educational programs. Students attending these programs are transported over large attendance areas encompassing several municipal boundaries. This limits the ability to cancel bus service using a municipality or zone methodology.
- When bus service is cancelled all school tests and/or examinations will be cancelled and rescheduled.
- Student trips involving the use of school buses will also be cancelled.
- Unless otherwise stated, schools will remain open and parents can make arrangements to transport their children to and from school even if school bus service is cancelled. If buses are cancelled in the morning, they will not operate in the afternoon. Therefore students transported to school by parents will require the same transportation home.
Parents, students and school staff are asked to access the following radio and television stations after 6:00 a.m. to receive bus cancellation information:
CITY TV CTV Barrie CTV Toronto CP24 GLOBAL NEWS
A bus cancellation message will also be available at www.schoolbuscity.com and by calling 1-877-330-3001, or by following @YRDSB and @YCDSB on twitter.
Variety Show – Tuesday December 5th
The 7th annual Rosedale Heights Variety Show will be held on Tuesday December 5th, 2017, in support of Rosedale Heights' Music Program. There will be two performances that evening. The first is at 5:30pm and is the Primary Variety show. It will include performances by all Kindergarten classes, as well as the Primary Drama Club (Grades 1-3). Tickets for this show are $6.00 each, with a maximum of 2 tickets per child in the show, due to the large number of performers.
The second show is at 7:15pm and is the Junior/Intermediate show. It will include performances by Grade 3/4 Recorder class, Intermediate Band, and the Junior and Intermediate Drama Clubs (Grades 4-8). Tickets for this show are $10.00.
If you require tickets for both shows the cost will be $12.00 each (savings you $4/ticket.) All seats are reserved. You may purchase your tickets through School Cash Online, until Thursday November 30. After that date tickets will be available at the door the night of the show.
If you require wheelchair seating or additional tickets, please email Robbie Frankel at firstname.lastname@example.com
We hope that you'll join us for this important event.
Thanks so much
Adine Shane and Robbie Frankel


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1. In the 1930s
In the early twentieth century, the Bus Palladium was called The Red Angel. The dance bar had a checkered past and in the 30's a reporter covering the red light district of Pigalle wrote about what was a usual occurance: " On the night of February 11, 1932, a brawl bursts out after midnight at the bar-dancing Red Angel on rue Fontaine. The 'Parisians' mounted from the Saint Martin district to fight with a Corsican pimp ... "
2. The Bus Palladium music
2. The Bus Palladium music
" Who's in, who's out? You like nitroglycerin is the Bus Palladium on rue Fontaine? There's a crowd for Liverpool Lads . " Serge Gainsbourg's tribute to Bus Palladium in 1968 and the Beatles.(Here's a better link thru youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BeyOUCI5w_8
3. An ultra-popular place in 1960-1980
" It was impossible to park on rue Fontaine because of the long lines waiting to get in! "says Nicolas Lespaule who remembers the Bus Palladium where he was a DJ, "popular, very exclusive, with many people OUT and very few people IN . " The Bus Palladium so inspired Nicolas Lespaule he made a show, 'Hearsay Love Bus.'
4. Rock'n'Roll dress code
During the '80's, "with the glitz and rhinestones as we know them , " Nicolas Lespaule recalls the Bus was a casual place. " What was funny, he notes ,' is that people were dressed simply, with a leather jacket and boots, then stayed until closing at 3 o'clock bus, then spun to change in order to finish the evening elsewhere! "
5. Karaoke and Slams
In the 90's the Bus kept up with the times and had a Karaoke night every month. The singer of Dionysus - a very French band, was thrown into the audience during a slam.
Cara- Tuesday


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Dr Bob Khanna
Dentist and Professor of Facial Aesthetics
BDS Wales 1993
GDC Number (listed as Rajesh Khanna): 68541
Dr Khanna graduated from the University of Cardiff in 1993. He subsequently spent four years as an associate in general practice before opening his own Clinic in Ascot in 1997.
Dr Khanna has continued to work in private practice and has developed an interest in Implantology and Cosmetic Dentistry. In recognition of his devotion to his patients and outstanding patient care, Dr Khanna was awarded the prestigious Private Dentist of the Year award in 2009. Following this achievement, Dr Khanna opened the DrBK clinic here in Reading offering his patients the very best dental care in the most relaxing of environments.
Alongside his extensive work in Dentistry, Dr Khanna has established a reputation for leadership in the field of Facial Aesthetics. He is an internationally renowned Lecturer in this field and regularly Chairs and lectures at the largest Conferences in the world. Dr Khanna has previously been appointed as one of the Clinical Directors for the Facial Aesthetics Masterclass (FGDP) at the Royal College of Surgeons. He has also designed the curriculum for the Facial Aesthetics Module of the Masters Degree in Aesthetics run by King's College, London. Dr Khanna teaches in a variety of environments both in the UK and internationally. In 2010 he was the Clinical Course Director of IMCAS (International Master Course on Ageing Skin) teaching in France, the Far East and India. In 2012 he was appointed as a Visiting Professor of Facial Aesthetics at the University of Sevilla, Spain. He has been the Clinical Chair and Director of the AMWC (Aesthetic & Anti-Ageing Medicine World Congress) Programme, which has seen him teaching in Monaco, Berlin, Moscow and Asia.
Fun fact: As well as constantly travelling the world and changing the lives of patients, Professor Khanna is also the President of the International Academy of Advanced Facial Aesthetics (IAAFA). IAAFA is an organisation that raises money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation(link) and to date they have raised over £200,000.


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Watch Upgrade (2018) Full Movie Streaming
Upgrade tell story about "A brutal mugging leaves Grey Trace paralyzed in the hospital and his beloved wife dead. A billionaire inventor soon offers Trace a cure — an artificial intelligence implant called STEM that will enhance his body. Now able to walk, Grey finds that he also has superhuman strength and agility — skills he uses to seek revenge against the thugs who destroyed his life..".
Cast : Logan Marshall-Green, Betty Gabriel, Harrison Gilbertson, Simon Maiden, Benedict Hardie, Melanie Vallejo, Linda Cropper, Sachin Joab, Steve Danielsen, Michael M. Foster, Clayton Jacobson, Richard Cawthorne, Renah Gallagher, Christopher Kirby, Rosco Campbell, Richard Anastasios, Douglas Embry, Liam Howarth, Emily Havea, Kai Bradley
- Runtime : 100 minutes (1' 40")
- Genre : Action Thriller Science Fiction Horror
- Production : Goalpost Pictures Blumhouse Productions Automatik Entertainment Nervous Tick Film Victoria
- Release : June 01, 2018
- Countries : Australia
- Languages : English
User Reviews
10 day ago - _We... Are Stenom..._ Based on the trailer alone, I was pretty sure _Upgrade_ was gonna be a movie I enjoy. But after those last couple of minutes? Now? I'm pretty sure this is gonna be my favourite movie of the year. _Final rating:★★★★ - Very strong appeal. A personal favourite._
9 day ago - Low budget, but well done sci-fi. It's not overly cerebral; there's a consistent amount of action throughout. Worth a watch.


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Sunflowers Porcelain Miniature Masterpiece Art Teapot by Van Gogh 4HPN# 8451
Sunflowers Painting by Van Gogh (1888, fourth version)
In 1887 in Paris, where Theo his brother lived, Van Gogh painted four still life paintings of sunflowers. The works received great praise from his good friend Paul Gauguin, whose opinion meant a great deal to him. A year passed and Van Gogh hoped to impress Gauguin with four, new Sunflowers painting. These were intended for his friend's bedroom at the Yellow House in Arles, where both artists spent nine eventful weeks between October and December. In 1889, he painted another three versions which were very like the prior series of four.
The Sunflower symbolizes adoration, affection, constancy, gratitude and glory, and the solar wheel. It is a Christian symbol of religious obedience, as all day it faces the sun (Christ). The golden color, ray-like petals and the turning toward the sun as it grows, all identify it as a solar flower. In China, it is considered a magical flower that represents longevity.
- Miniature Teapot with Sunflowers Painting is made from porcelain, hand painted enamel on all sides, hinged lid, decorative use only. Measures approx. 3.5 to 4 in H. PN 8451
- Part of the Kelvin Chen Collection of miniature teapots. There is a series of highly collectible miniature museum masterpieces in our store!
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Category Archives: sale
Free Comic Book Day 2013
Don't forget, tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day 2013!
What is Free Comic Book Day? Shame on you for not already knowing, but if you don't, the details are here.
If you would like a rundown of what's going to be available, here's the official preview video from the All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast crew:
And if you're in the South Jersey/Philadelphia are, the place to be is All Things Fun! in West Berlin NJ, where there will also be games, sales, and a live appearance from Batman! All that and more, doors open at 11:00 AM sharp. Be there!
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast for the Week of 12-19-12
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast features co-hosts Ed (Hank Hall Smash) Evans, Allison (Dr. Mrs. The Monarch) Eckel, and Glenn (What Is Wrong with My Hair??) Walker, as they discuss the new comics out this week! You can see the show here, or check it out below.
Discussion featured in this week's Special Ninja Please Transition Hell episode includes: The Last Minute Midnight Madness Sale and Holiday Celebration, the Wheel of Fish, Hank Hall smash, Masks #2, pulp comics, Mars Attacks #6, Bionic Woman #6, Star Treks, MacGyver #3, Bad Transition Theater, Freelancers #2, Fables #124, The Bat Cave, Sword of Sorcery #3, Wonder Woman #15, Green Lantern #15, Blue Beetle #15, Avengery goodness, X-Men action, Hawkeye #6, Spider-Man Spoiler Warning, Indestructible Hulk #2, Captain Marvel #8, Allison's kids comics, secret gift for The Bride, and Ed's trades and toys.
Be sure to check out the rockin' All Things Fun! website, and the All Things Fun! Blogs, written by Allison and Glenn, featuring The Vidcast Drinking Game so you can play along at home, and watch ATF! on YouTube (don't forget to subscribe to the channel while you're there, and leave a comment or two on the Vidcast as well!).
And be back here every Wednesday (or Tuesdays at midnight) to watch the new broadcast, and thereafter throughout the week!
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live every week at All Things Fun! – the South Jersey/Philadelphia area's best comics, toys and gaming store, located in West Berlin, NJ. Don't forget to visit us at Facebook!
Free Comic Book Day 2012
From the All Things Fun! Newsletter:
So what is Free Comic Book Day? It's a national event hosted by comic stores every year on the first Saturday in May. It's a celebration of the comic medium and literacy. All Things Fun! hosts one of the largest celebrations of Free Comic Book Day in the region.
Free Comic Book Day is a great way to see what's happening in the world of comics. Comic publishers create titles specifically for the event. These books are usually introductions of new characters or new story arcs. Retailers (like All Things Fun!) then purchase these titles from the publishers and give them away FREE!
Join us Saturday, May 5, 2012 as All Things Fun! celebrates with one of the largest celebrations in the region! This event is so huge it spills out to three area libraries!
And as if a huge assortment of FREE comics wasn't enough we are hosting our famous FCBD MEGA-SALE! Everything in the store will be on sale. Including Buy 1, Get 1 Free Graphic Novels! The first 10 people in line will also get a free copy of Marvel Comics Secret Invasion (Retail: $29.99.) Don't forget doors open at 11am!
We'll have random door prize raffles all day long! One lucky customer will win a copy of the New 52 Batman Hardcover Vol. 1 Court of Owls signed by Scott Snyder!
We'll have costume characters and Artist Dane Cypel from Arcana Studios on hand. All this and a schedule full of great events.
So don't forget, tomorrow, Saturday, May 5th is Free Comic Book Day, so get to your local comic book shop, and especially if you're in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area, get to All Things Fun! and celebrate!


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Good to see Colorado Springs utilizing more solar [The Wire: "Springs Utilities to power 30,000 more homes with solar," July 23]. It's one of the future energy sources as we pull away from fossil fuels. Sadly, though, the government isn't spearheading solar use throughout the country, instead allowing countless companies to get in on the act (under the guise of "innovation" and free enterprise), resulting in higher fees for users and an ineffectual implementation of alternative energy sources.
The federal government should have a program similar to NASA during the 1960s, devoted to nothing but clean energy — solar in this instance. Hire scientists and put them to work on solar, with the goal of having a plan for the entire nation to be solar in 10 years, for example.
Don't worry about profit margins, Wall Street or elite corporations who want in on the act. Once solar is made affordable, then the government could regulate it and install it wherever it can, free of charge to citizens. Clean energy is too important for our future to hand it over to a bunch of capitalists whose main purpose is to make money at any cost, costs usually passed on to the true workers of America.
— John Foster
To submit a letter:
Mail to: Editor, 235 S. Nevada Ave., CS, CO 80903 • email: email@example.com
If your comments are mailed or emailed to us, we'll consider them for publication — unless you request otherwise.
Please include your name, city of residence and a daytime phone number for verification.
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Steam Condenser – Definition, Working, Types and Advantages
It works to achieve two main objectives
1. To maintain low pressure (below atmospheric pressure) at the outlet of the steam turbine so as to obtain the maximum possible energy.
2. To supply pure feed water to the hot well and from hot well the water is again pumped to the boiler with the help of boiler feed pump.
Requirements of Steam Condensing Plant
The principle requirements of steam condensing plant are:
1. Condenser: It is a closed vessel used to condense the steam. The low pressure steam gives off its heat to the coolant (here water from cooling tower) and gets converted into water during the process of condensation.
2. Condensate Extraction Pump: It is a pump which is installed in between the condenser and hot well. It transfers the condensate from the condenser to the hot well.
3. Hot Well: It is a sump that lies in between the condenser and boiler. It receives the condensate from the condenser by condensate pump. The feed water is transferred from the hot well to the boiler.
4. Boiler Feed Pump: It is a pump installed in between the hot well and boiler. It pumps the feed water from the hot well to the boiler. And this is done by increasing the pressure of condensate above boiler pressure.
5. Air Extraction Pump: It is a pump used to extracts or removes the air from the steam condenser.
6. Cooling Tower: It is a tower which contains the cold water and this water is made to circulate within the condenser for cooling of steam.
7. Cooling Water Pump: It is a pump lies in between the cooling tower and condenser. It circulates the cooling water through the condenser.
The steam condenser receives the exhaust steam from one end and comes in contact with the cooling water circulated within it form the cooling tower. As the low pressure steam comes in contact with the cooling water, it condenses and converts into water. It is connected to the air extraction pump and condensate extraction pump. After the condensation of steam, the condensate is pumped to the hot well with the help of condensate extraction pump. The air extraction pump extracts the air from the condenser and creates the vacuum inside it. The vacuum created helps in the circulation of cooling water and flow of condensate downward.
Classification of Steam Condenser
The steam condenser is classified as
1. Jet condensers or mixing type condenser
2. Surface condenser or non-mixing type condenser
Jet Condenser
Jet condenser is a condenser in which the condensate gets mixed with the cooling water. That's why it is also called as mixing type condenser.
This type of condenser is used sometime because it lost some of the condensate and requires high power for the pump during the process of condensation.
In jet condenser, as the condensate is not free from the salt, so it cannot be used as feed water for the boiler. It can be used at the place where sufficient amount of good quality water is available.
Types of Jet Condenser
(i) Parallel Flow Jet Condenser
In parallel flow jet condenser, the steam and water enters into the condenser at the top and leaves at the bottom.
The cooling water and steam enters at the top. As both steam and cooling water mix with each other, the steam gets condense. The condensate, cooling water and air moves downward and it is removed by two separate pumps known as air extraction pump and condensate extraction pump. The condensate pump transfers the condensate to the hot well and from there the extra water is made to flow in cooling water tank or pond through overflow pipe.
(ii) Counter Flow or Low Level Jet Condenser
In counter Flow or low level jet condensers, the steam enters at the bottom and the cooling water at the top. The steam flows upward and meets the cooling water coming downward.
In these types of steam Condensers, the air pump is located at the top. Air pump creates vacuum and this vacuum draws water from the cooling tower. The cooling water enter into the condenser and falls on the perforated conical plate. The perforated conical plates convert the cooling water into a large number of jets as shown in the figure. The falling jet of water caught in the trays and from there it escapes out in second series of jets and meets the exhaust steam entering at the bottom. As the steam mix with the water, it gets condense. The condensate and cooling water moves down through a vertical pipe to the condensate pump. And finally the pump delivers it to the hot well.
(iii) Barometric or High Level Jet Condenser
Barometric or high level jet condensers are provided at high level with a long vertical discharge tube or tailpipe. It does not have condensate extraction pump and the condensate and cooling water flows in the hot well because of the gravity. An injector pump is used to flow cooling water at the top of the condenser.
These types of jet condensers are used at a high level with a vertical discharge pipe. In this condenser, the steam enters at the bottom and flows in upward direction and meets with the down coming cooling water. Its working is similar as the low level jet condenser. The vacuum is created at the top of the condenser shell. With the help of vacuum and injector pump, the cooling water is moved to the top of the condenser. The condensate and cooling water comes down in the hot well through a long vertical discharge pipe. And finally the extra hot water flows to the cooling tank or cooling pond by an overflow pipe
(iv) Ejector Condenser
In ejector condensers, it has a non-return valve through which exhaust steam enters, hollow truncated cones, and diverging cone.
In these condensers, the cooling water is injected at the top. The steam enters into the condenser through a non-return valve. The steam and water mixes with each other while passing through series of hollow truncated metal cones and steam changes into water. At the end of the metal cones a diverging cone is present. When the condensate passes through diverging cone, its kinetic energy is partly transformed into pressure energy.
The condensate and cooling water is then discharged to the hot well.
Surface Condensers
Surface condenser is a type of steam condenser in which the steam and cooling water do not mix with each other. And because of this, the whole condensate can be used as boiler feed water. It is also called as non-mixing types condenser.
The figure above shows the longitudinal section of a two pass surface condenser. It consists of a horizontal cylindrical vessel made of cast iron and packed with tubes. The cooling water flows through these tubes. The ends of the condensers are cut off by the perforated type plates. The tubes are fixed into these perforated type plates. It is fixed in such a manner that any leakage of water into the center of condensing space is prevented. The water tubes are passed horizontally through the main condensing space. The exhaust steam from the turbine or engine enters at the top and forced to move downward due to the suction of the air extraction pump. In this steam condenser, the cooling water enters into boiler through lower half of the tubes in one direction and returns in opposite direction through the upper half as shown in the figure above.
This type of condenser is used in ships as it can carry only a limited quantity of water for the boiler. It is also widely used for the land installation where there is a scarcity of good quality of water.
Types of Surface Condensers
The surface condenser on the basis of direction of flow of condensate, the arrangement of the tubing system and the position of the extraction pump are classified as
(i) Down Flow
In Down flow surface condenser, the steam enters at the top of the condenser and flows downwards over the tubes due to the gravity and air extraction pumps. The condensate gets collected at the bottom and then pumped with the help of condensate extraction pump. The pipe of dry air extraction pump is provided near the bottom and it is covered by baffle plates so as to prevent the entry of the condensate into it.
The steam in down flow condenser flows perpendicular to the direction of flow of cooling water, so it is also called as cross-surface condenser.
(ii) Central Flow
In central flow condenser, the steam enters at the top of the condenser and flows in downward direction. In this the suction pipe of the air extraction pump is provided in the center of the tube nest as shown in the figure. Due to this placement of the suction pipe in the center of the tube nest, the exhaust steam flows radially inward over the tubes towards the suction pipe. The condensate is collected at the bottom of the condenser and pumped to the hot well.
We can say that it is the improved form of the down flow surface condenser.
(iii) Regenerative
In regenerative surface condensers, the condensate is heated by the use of regenerative method. In that the condensate is passed through the exhaust steam coming out from the turbine or engine. This raises its temperature and it is used as the feed water for the boiler.
(iv) Evaporative
In evaporative surface condensers, the steam enters at the top of the condenser in a series of pipes over which a film of cold water is falling. At the same time, current of air is made to circulate over the film of water. As the air circulates over the water film, it evaporates some of the cooling water. As a result of this rapid evaporation, the steam circulating inside the series of pipes gets condensed. Remaining cooling water that left is collected at an increased temperature and reused. It is brought to the original temperature by adding required quantity of cold water.
Advantages of Steam Condenser
- It increases the efficiency of the plant.
- It reduces the back pressure of the steam and as a result of this, more work can be done.
- It reduces the temperature of the exhaust steam and this allows to obtain more work.
- It allows the reuse of condensate for the feed water and hence reduces the cost of power generation.
- The temperature of the condensate is more than the feed water. This reduces the supply of heat per kg of steam.
Comparison of Jet and Surface Condenser in Tabular Form
Jet Condenser
Surface Condenser
Exhaust steam and cooling water mixed with each other.
Exhaust steam and cooling water are not mixed with each other.
It is less suitable for high capacity plants.
It is more suitable for high capacity plants.
The condensing plant using this type of steam condenser is simple and
The condensing plant using surface condenser is costly and
Condensate is wasted and cannot be reused.
The condensate is reused.
Less quantity of circulating water is required.
Large quantity of circulating water is required.
It has low maintenance cost.
It has high maintenance cost.
In jet condenser, more power is required for the air pump.
In surface condenser, less power is required for the air pump.
High power is required for water pumping.
Less power is required for water pumping.


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Property Location With a stay at Corona Hotel & Apartments in Odessa, you'll be close to Arcadia Beach and Lanzheron Beach. This hotel is within close proximity of Shevchenko Park and Nemo Dolphinarium.
Rooms Make yourself at home in one of the 20 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and minibars. 32-inch plasma televisions with satellite programming provide entertainment, while complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected. Bathrooms feature bathtubs or showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers. Conveniences include safes and blackout drapes/curtains, as well as phones with free local calls.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities Pamper yourself with onsite massages or make use of the other amenities, which include complimentary wireless Internet access and concierge services. This hotel also features a television in the lobby, tour/ticket assistance, and discounted use of a nearby fitness facility. Guests can catch a ride to nearby destinations on the area shuttle (surcharge).
Dining Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Breakfast is available for a fee.
Business, Other Amenities Featured amenities include dry cleaning/laundry services, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available on request).
vezi mai multe


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Monday, October 5, 2009
The Next Generation of Distracted Drivers Is Learning from You. That's Right, You.
Here's a thought for all you moms and dads who still defend your habit of driving while talking on your cell phones or texting, despite the ever- growing body of evidence that PROVES you are driving while impaired. (No matter your self-proclaimed and non-existent superior, multi-tasking abilities.)
Your babies, toddlers, children and teens are watching your every move. And as every parent knows, there's no adage more true than "Monkey see, monkey do."
Let's fast forward.
One day in the not- too-distant future your darling 3'6″ seven-year old superhero will be your darling seventeen-year old, testosterone-fueled, completely invincible (at least to himself) 6'3″ superhero with a brand new driver's license. Your golden boy or girl will be behind the wheel of a several- thousand-pound vehicle with cell phone or PED in hand… or NOT.
If nothing else can persuade you to put down that phone or PED and to lead your kids by your BEST example, the thought of your eventually-adolescent, hypocrisy-sniffing offspring doing exactly what you are doing today should chill your blood.
It does mine.
According to the United States Department of Transportation statistics, simply talking on the phone (handheld or NOT ) while driving is like driving legally drunk with a blood alcohol of .08.
Texting and driving makes you 23 times more likely to be in an accident that day.
Do you want your kids to drive with those odds?
Then don't do it yourself.
Repeat after me:
I will not drink and drive.
I will not text and drive.
I will not phone and drive.