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Good day,
How is everything with you, I picked interest on you after going through your short profile and deemed it necessary to write you immediately. I have something very important to disclose to you, but I found it difficult to express myself here, since it's a public site. Could you please get back to me on my private email(email@example.com) for the full details?
Have a nice day and God bless you,
Don, sorry I missed your original call. Hope to see you in DC. Will be at Vietnam Veterans Memorial area by 10:00 AM on the 16th.
Don, if you can give me a few days? Wife is having some test and things done on her back. We have to travel to get them. Soon as i can get this done? I will get with you. Yes i want to help ANY WAY I CAN!!! Later Ted.
I am here in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I am trying to get in touch with somebody by the name of Freda ? I heard she is starting a group in Shenandoah. Have tried to search but can't locate her. Can you help?
Thanks Don for the invitation to be a friend. I am always happy to be a friend with you and any other patriot that is willing to fight for the principle that our Founding Fathers envisioned for America. These principle have successfully guided us for over 2 centuries and it appears that a few tyrants are succeeding in destroying it in a fracton of that time it took to build it. Wake-Up America! Please click on this link to follow. http://www.operationamericanspring.org/forum/forum.php
"If Not You - Who Then - If Not Now - When Then." The time is NOW - We may NOT get a second chance - Later - as slaves to these tyrants! The site above has your state listed - sign on as a supporter of taking back your "Liberties" that have been and are being taking away from you this very minute, by tyrants. Get OUT of your Comfort Zone before it is too late.
Welcome, and thank you for linking arms with us in Operation American Spring OAS. We hope to work and stand shoulder to shoulder with you in the restoration of our republic and liberty. Please note that this group is being moved to another site to accommodate the large amount of people joining our cause. Please click on this link to follow. http://www.operationamericanspring.org/forum/forum.php
Please invite your friends and family. Copy and paste the following link to your fb, fb groups, twitter, or in an email.
As soon as you are linked up you will be able to find your State forum. At the top of the banner under community you can check to see if your state has started a state group.
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IMDB Rating: 5.8/10 from 140 votes
Release: 2015 / WITS Academy
Director: Catharina Ledeboer
Stars: Daniela Nieves, Jailen Bates, Julia Antonelli, Kennedy Lea Slocum
Synopsis: Watch WITS Academy online free. In WITS Academy Putlocker Full Episodes, Now a Guardian in training at WITS Academy, the Magic Realm's most esteemed school for Witches and Wizards in Training, it seems like Andi's dream has finally come true. But as the best friend and unofficial Guardian to the Chosen One, she'll have to work hard to prove that she can live up to expectations as the first (and only) human Guardian. Plus, she's in charge of getting the Magical Realm's toughest witch and wizard to graduation day, one of which is Jax's little sister Jessie! Along the way she'll have to decide who is a friend, who is a foe and who may be more…

subset: commoncrawl


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Vitamins and their sources are essential knowledge needed to pursue total and complete positive well-being. Vitamins are the supplements which make the human body run faultlessly and seamlessly. They may not produce energy like carbohydrates, but they are important for a healthy, fit body. There are two ways to provide your body with the vitamins that it needs. The first is a natural way, by eating healthy meals, either by cooking your own food or ordering from a healthy meal delivery service like Home Chef. The other is relying on a vitamin supplement, in the form of a pill. Whatever method you choose, you need to know that vitamins are an absolutely essential part of your nutrition. Depending on the way your body absorbs them, vitamins come in two broad forms: water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins.
Water-soluble vitamins include Vitamins B and C, while fat-soluble vitamins include Vitamin A, E, D, and K. Each one of them is important for the optimum workings of the human body.
There are eight different Vitamin B supplements. The first is Vitamin B1 which is alternatively known as Thiamine. Deficiency of this particular vitamin leads to mood swings and negative issues with coordination. Vitamin B1 can be found in soybeans and trout. Other useful variants of Vitamin B include B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12. These important vitamins can be found in liver, tuna, avocado, broccoli, banana, asparagus, and mackerel, respectively.
Vitamin C can be found in kale and kiwi, and is necessary for improved blood circulation. Vitamin C also helps to combat the common cold. Vitamin A can be obtained by consuming carrots and beef. Vitamin D, colloquially known as the "sunshine" vitamin, is a supplement found in eggs and breakfast cereal.
Finally, Vitamin E's main sources include wheat, hazelnut oil, and almonds. Vitamin K, on the other hand, can be gleaned from eating green spinach and soybean oil.
Now, all you need to do is ensure you always include sources of these vitamins in your daily meal plan for better health.


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Ski The World Festival Guide
Whether you've been on skis daily since November or just for the first time or 2, come on down to the festival, have some fun skiing, and try all sorts of activities on snow from around the world! You can race, you can tour - either way, let's have a blast! See the festival home page for the schedule of events, festival news, and and more. Event details:
Driving to Bristol Nordic Center: Follow South Hill Road to the nordic center at the top of Bristol Mountain (directions here) - do not drive to the downhill area at the base of the mountain, you can't get there from there. First-timers, be careful on the road which is usually snowy/icy, and has a sharp downhill zig-zag halfway up. You may drive down to the loop at the end of the access road to unload, but please park along the North side of the access road.
Check-in: Sign-in and pick-up of bibs and trail passes will be at the Bristol Nordic Center lodge on Saturday and Sunday. Sign up here for the Sunday relay - registered skiers, family and friends are all welcome to join in, but to be given a spot at the starting line must sign up (and sign a waiver). There will be a short meeting for parents and coaches outside by the RXCSF tent on Saturday at 9:30 for information updates and Q&A.
Food at the Festival: Snacks and drinks provided by RXCSF will be available in the lodge both days. Bring a lunch for Saturday - Bristol's summit lodge has a few drinks and snacks available but nothing particularly healthy or substantial. On Sunday all skiers and families are invited to join in the Ski Fest Feast (taco-in-a-bag, baked potatoes, dessert) in the lodge after the relay race, followed by awards.
Racing: Saturday races will be freestyle interval start (15 s), ranging from approx 1 km for U8 to 4 km for U14. U16 skiers are welcome to join, and will start with the U14 group but be scored separately. Course maps will be posted on this site and at the festival.
Sunday races will be mass start classic, similar distances as Saturday. Starts will be by age group, with boys and girls starting together and start rows seeded by Saturday finish order.
• Glidewax recommendations will be posted on this page and updated if needed as the forecast changes. We ask that all skiers refrain from using pure fluoro or HF wax (LF or hydrocarbon waxes are OK).
• Bibs will be collected at the finish of each race - please do not leave the finish area before handing in your bib.
• Racing each morning will end with the Lollipop races - graduating BKL skiers (13 year olds / 8th graders) are invited to lead these races, and all should come out and cheer for the youngest skiers.
• All skiers are welcome at the RXCSF tent for help with kickwax on Sunday, or to brush glide wax (and structure, if you really want) on Saturday and Sunday.
• Come to the RXCSF tent 30 minutes prior to your race if you'd like to find a group to warm up with. Coaches will help lead warm-ups when available, but parents are ultimately responsible for making sure that kids and equipment get to the start in time.
Around the World in 0.8 K's Tour de Ski: If you're not racing, the Tour is your chance to be a star - perfect for new skiers or those whose style is more chill, this is becoming our festival's signature event. This year's version will take you and your sidekicks around the trail "system" for a series of skiing adventures, activities from skiing countries around the world. TAll skiers who have raced are encouraged to join the Tour as tour guides - you'll be teamed up with a World Traveler and will help them to navigate the course and the challenges. Gather by the RXCSF tent after the lollipop race on Saturday (approx 11:30) to meet your teammates and hear about your mission. Skiers may choose classic or skate for the tour and afternoon games.
Saturday afternoon games and fun: scarf down some lunch and come back out to try out any and all! Head back out after lunch to pose as a skier from far-away lands at the photo booth, show off your skiing/dance moves to the music in the Figure Skiing free program, or show off your all-around Winter Games skills in pre-olympic-themed events including Nerf Biathlon, Cross-Country Curling, Ski Jumping, Nordic Cross, Olympic Ring Toss, and the Slapshot hockey shootout.
Saturday Banquet: A celebration to cap off Day 1, with dinner, awards, video slideshow, and a games. Doors open at 5:30 at the HFL Middle School cafeteria (619 Quaker Meeting House Rd, Honeoye Falls - park on the left (south) side of the building and enter via the side doors there). Italian food at 6:00 catered by Otto Tomotto, followed by awards, festival swag, and slideshow. Kids who are interested may also join in the Snowdance video production - choreographed by two of our own BKL skiers, we'll shoot this on stage at the banquet and again on snow on Sunday to compile into our video submission to the New England BKL Festival.
Sunday Team Sprint Relays: Put together a team of 4 and rev your engines for a festival last hurrah. Parents, siblings, friends and coaches are welcome to join. Sign up at Saturday check-in or at the banquet. Sprint matchmakers can help fill out your team if needed, and we will post teams and heat assignments on Sunday morning. Each team member will ski a 0.5 km (or shorter) lap. Technique is freestyle (your choice of skate or classic). Ski fast in your heat and you'll qualify for the final and a shot at Festival glory! But remember, the name of the game is fun - anyone caught not smiling will be disqualified.
Bring cowbells and noisemakers to cheer on all of the participants at the Festival, and if you've got skiing garb from other countries it's time to bust it out - we look forward to seeing you all and wish you safe travels!
Wax recommendations
We're here to help! All skiers are welcome to come to the RXCSF tent for help with kick waxing on Sunday, or to brush their glidewax on Saturday or Sunday. We won't be ironing glidewax at the race, but for how-to advice see our Waxing page. Wax recs are the best guess based on the current forecast, and will be updated if this changes.
Note - we ask that all skiers refrain from using HF or pure fluoro waxes, to keep the focus on the skier and not the ski prep.
Saturday - freestyle racing
Temps are forecast to rise from around 30° overnight to about 36-38° at race time (high of 39°).
Glidewax: Toko Yellow or Swix CH8 (new formulation that ranges up to 39°) or CH10.
Sunday - classic racing
Temps again 36-38° after staying above freezing overnight, mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain.
Glidewax: Toko Yellow or Swixk CH8 (new formulation) or CH10.
Kickwax: klister, almost for sure. Let us test it, and apply it - bring your skis to the RXCSF tent and we'll put it on for you!


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How to Set Up My Iomega Personal Cloudby Charlotte Mission
The Personal Cloud allows you to connect your Iomega TV with other computers and devices using a private online network. Once you set up your Personal Cloud, you can stream the movies, TV shows and other media you have stored on any machine that has access to your account. In addition, you can backup your data in secured cloud storage. Make sure you have installed the Storage Manager from the Solutions CD before you begin the Personal Cloud set up.
Click the "Iomega Storage Manager" icon in the system tray to open the administrative console.
Click the "Personal Cloud" tab, click "Enable" and then click the "Configure" icon to open the Personal Cloud configuration Web page. Click the "Next" button after you read the Personal Cloud introductory information.
Type a name for your Personal Cloud account and enter your email address.
Click the check box to confirm that you read and agree to the Security and Privacy notification and then click the "Next" button to start the account creation process.
Wait for the TV, router and the Iomega Personal Cloud server status icons to show green check marks. Once this occurs, your Iomega Personal Cloud is set up and connected to your TV.


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Boujmaa Guilloul and Sarah Hauser have conquered the 2015 Pistol River Wash Bash, in Oregon.
The event enjoyed some of the most epic conditions of all time in an American Windsurfing Tour event. The riders were able to pull and land push loop forwards, vertical wave 360s, and double forwards throughout the entire competition, held in mast-high sets and challenging winds.
In the Pro Men's final, Boujmaa Guilloul and Camille Juban delivered a breathtaking windsurfing show on 3.7m sails. Despite Juban's two double forwards, the ride of the day went to Guilloul, who scored a Perfect 10 for his set of turns and 360 on a big wave.
"So happy winning the 2015 Pistol River Wash Bash and being held by two super mega talented windsurfers, who sailed like monsters. We had some serious conditions here at Pistol River," expressed Guilloul.
In the Pro Women's final, Sarah Hauser completely dominated the wild waves. Ingrid Larouche tried to answer with a big forward loop, but Hauser's wave management would prevail.
"Before I first came to Pistol River last year, I was anxious about windsurfing in cold water and onshore conditions. But somehow I fell in love with that place. Everything is huge: the rocks, the trees, the coastline, the sunsets, the wind, the waves, the current, the freezing water!" expressed Hauser.


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Watch Harry Styles adorably correct a fan's grammar on concert sign
Pro tip: If you're going to catch One Direction's attention in concert thanks to your awesome sign, please make sure the grammar is correct. Harry Styles begs you.
At the group's recent concert in Philadelphia, Styles spotted a sign that read "Hi Harry your so nice." Great message, but a little grammar error.
Watch One Direction Cover 'Fresh Prince' Theme -- In Philadelphia, No Less
Styles took matters into his own hands (literally), grabbing the sign, procuring a marker and fixing the sign so it read "you're."
The kind of role-model behavior that parents (and just anyone who appreciates good grammar) can get behind.Click through for photos of Harry Styles:
See Gallery
More from Billboard:
Man Faces Life Sentence in Killing of Grooveshark Exec
'Empire' Releases Pitbull & Ne-Yo Songs From Season 2
Miley Cyrus-Hosted VMAs Criticized for Glorifying Marijuana


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Some Classic Private Eye & Detective Board Games
Every night and everyday, now... Of course, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so here's a short list of diversions from the past for those of you who like to play.
A roll of the dice, a spin of the spinner, a carefully selected clue card, the elimination of a suspect... the game's afoot! And you've just got to dig the great oversized graphics that television tie-in boardgamers offer!
Perhaps not a private eye in the sense that we now understand the term, but you've got to give props to the Great Detective. And this early detective card game ought to get a little respect as well, which actually sounds like a hoot. In advertisements of the time, it was billed as "the latest craze" and promised "excitement, laughter, life and FUN." Not bad for fifty cents...
The grandaddy of all detective board games, predating the more famous Clue/Cluedo by eleven years or so. Players would assume a character in Aunt Cora's red brick house, and then roams around the house and grounds (the gameboard), moving his or her hollow cardboard cylinder, choosing and concealing weapons, and trying to figure out which other player ("suspect") held the tiny metal weapon (knife, hatchet, revolver or vial of poison) in their cylinder. The game had a good long run, evolving over the years, the number of clue cards ranging from 90 to 104, dropping characters occasionally (Miss Lee was eliminated sometime in the sixties) and some versions boasted plaster character heads. Some of the earliest versions sported an interesting gameboard illustrated by noted designer William Longyear. The game promised "all the thrills and excitement of a true detective mystery. More than that, the game gives you an opportunity to play an exciting part in the creation of the plot, and the thrill of actually playing Detective; an eagerly sought opportunity to solve a baffling crime committed right under your very nose. And, amazing as it may seem, the plot is never the same."
It's not really a private eye game, and never has been, but you've just gotta give props to the world's best-selling mystery board game. Everybody knows this one, either as Clue or Cluedo, depending on which side of the pond you're on, but "Colonel Mustard did it with the candlestick in the library" should ring a bell. Budding detectives have made this and similar accusations since 1949 when the John Waddington Company of Britain first introduced the game, which had been developed by solicitor's clerk Anthony Pratt a few years earlier.
Again, not really a private detective game, but hey, it's Charlie. This was your opportunity to unleash your inner Chan, collecting evidence and analyzing clues, until you have the nefarious villain "enmeshed in the evidence chain from which there is no escape." The game came with a game board, instruction booklet, crime cards, evidence cards, go cards, 4 pawns, 200 markers (50 in each of 4 colors), and 1 six-sided die. So poular was Chan that Milton Bradley also releaseda Charlie Chan Card Game two years later.
This game, based on popular 1920s and 30s fictional private detective Philo Vance, has each player trying to solve a murder by collecting clues (from cards) which matches one of the ten suspects. What makes this one rather unique is that after a player accuses one of the suspects, the suspect is then arrested and brought to court, where additional evidence may be presented. If the player presents his case well, he wins. there were a few interesting aspects to the game -- unlike Mr. Ree or clue, there is no specific suspect selected and hidden at the start of the game any of the ten suspects could be the guilty one, and it's up to the detective to build a convincing case. And landing on aother players' space could seriously set them back, so there's some serious strategy needed as well. This was a big game at the time, or at least Parker Brothers had high hopes for it. There it was, the height of the depression, and they were releasing a game with a hundredclue cards, suspects and confirmation cards, and there was even a deluxe set that included two pewter pieces of the eternally snooty Vance.
Board games based on children's detective characters are no-brainers. The Hardy Boys games are particularly interesting, having been based on the Walt Disney TV show, the Satruday morning cartoon and the seventies TV show. Surprisingly, in the same time span, there was only one Nancy Drew board game, although that may have changed since.
With Raymond Burr chewing up the small screen as Perry Mason , Erle Stanley Gardner's superstar shyster, it didn't take long for game manufacturers to take notice, and Transogram rushed to production with a re-formatted version of their own Dragnet game, kicking off a slew of games based on TV private eyes and other crime fighters. In this one, players would start with one of eight different cases to solve, and be presented with four clues. They would then roll the dice and move around the board, seeking more clues -- or "stealing" clues from other players -- until someone delivers a suspect to the courthouse. Despite the trapping, there's not much detection needed -- math is a bigger asset. Each clue has a numerical value, and when your clues add up to the desired numerical value of your "suspect," you win.
Based on the ABC-TV show staring Phillip Carey, based on you-know-who by what's-his-name. The aim is to be the first to solve the crime in order to win. Game has both dice and spinner, but no office bottle.
Another TV tie-in. in this one, based on Peter Gunn, one of the coolest TV eyes ever, each player takes a piece and start in the center of the board in this twisted version of Go Fish. Cards depicting a face-down corpse (Mr. Aay, Mr. Bee, Mr. Cee or Mr. Dee) and a face-down weapon (hammer, gun, knife or poison) are placed on the board, and each player must find the weapon and corpse card that match those he or she's been given.
Yep, the West's only gun-toting horse takes a break from public law enforcement to go private and work a few cases with the help of his Hanna-Barbera buddies. The game includes a playing board, 48 playing cards, four playing piece characters ( Blabber, Snooper, Baba Looey & Doggie Daddy) and a spinner. Players move around the board, drawing cards from the deck (or stealing them from other players) to help Quick Draw crack the case. The first player to collect all eight puzzle cards detailing their assigned mystery wins.
Based on 77 Sunset Strip, the popular and trendsetting Warner Bros. series, this one called itself a "Private Eye Game of Mystery and Suspense" and featured the show's three stars, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Edward Byrnes, and Roger Smith, prominently on the box art. A hipper spin on Clue, players served as detectives, and the object was to solve the murder of a man in a motel as designated on the game board. IThe game came with four plastic detective pieces, one die, one clue pad, one note pad, a set of fifteen clue figures, and a set of twenty-seven time, weapon and motive cards. Clues in the shape of small die-cut figures were scattered face down throughout the various rooms of the motel.
The idea of this game, based on the hybrid Western/private eye show Shotgun Slade, was that the players were members of Slade's posse, charged with rounding up four outlaws hiding out in a frontier town and bring them in, presumably for the bounty (there was play money involved). The first player to get all four of his outlaws (marbles) around the board and into his four jail holes by exact count (the board came with built in spinners) would win.
Of course, and everywhere that 77 Sunset Strip went, its clones were sure to follow. A year after Lowell released the 77 Sunset Strip game, this clever twist on Clue came out, based on the Sunset spin-off Surfside Six. The twist here was that you get to pin the murder on another player to win, by planting evidence. The game board sported six houses, one of which contains a stiff, as well as three pieces of evidence: a hat, a gun, and a fingerprint.
This "Thrilling Game of Intrigue & Suspense" was of course a spin-off from the 1959-1963 television show of the same name, produced by Warner Bros., who had already given us 77 Sunset Strip and Surfside Six. The appeal to this one of the kitchy Hawaiian motif, of course, but serious gamers will appreciate that noted American game designer Sid Sackson (1920-2002) had a hand in creating it.
Amost impossible to find now,. this 1965 board game was based upon the ABC TV show that aired in the mid-1960s and starred Anne Francis as Honey West, the "girl" private eye. The game cover features Anne Francis on the cover. Hmmm... why wasn't 77 Sunset Strip billed as the "The Boy Private Eye Game"?
I guess the decidedly more adult private eye dramas of the late sixties and early seventies never quite lent themselves to board games as their predecessors did since I've found no traces of The Rockford Files Game or Mannix Parcheesi. And so to the rescue come Charlie's Angels. And much like the show, which featured the teamwork of Kelly, Sabrina, and Kris, this 1977 game urged players to work together in order to capture the target villain, scoring points once the villain has been surrounded and is unable to move. it was, of course, part of the tsunami of merhandaise aimed at little girls that included dolls, puzzles, grooming accessories and more that followed the Angels through all their incantations from television to film and back to the tube.
Release your inner Beckett! Or Castle. Or one of your favourite characters from the show. The object is to catch the bad guy, of course, drawing cards until the list of suspects is narrowed down to one and the murderer is revealed. You can play a short game (one episode) or a longer version (a season!).
After suffering the indignity of everything from The Simpsons to The Lehr-McNeil Report versions of the venerable mystery board game, the licencing greedheads finally got it right -- an actual mystery-related tie-in! Unfortunately, it only seems to be available in Australia, and even then it seems like it was a very limited edition. Maybe Phryne should investigate.
Treasures from the Past
Some Cool P.I. Model Car Kits
Some Early P.I. Videogames
Puzzles and Other P.I. Games
Respectfully compiled by Kevin Burton Smith. Further suggestion welcome. Thanks to Adam Bormann for his help with this page.
| Home | Detectives A-L M-Z | Film | Radio | Television | Web Comics | Comics | FAQs | Search |


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Without private donations, A Caring Place would not exist and could not provide the necessary care and support for the animals in our adoption programs. Please consider giving a generous monetary donation today. Your donation will go directly toward the care of the animals and programs that support them. We are a recognized Illinois non-profit 501(c)(3) charity so your donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
The veterinary care we provide costs between $1,500 and $3,000 each and every month, sometimes more depending on the health of the animals we take in. Please consider providing a generous monetary donation so that we can continue providing excellent care for ALL the animals we take in and then make available for adoption. Be assured your donation will go directly toward the care of the animals and the programs that support them.
Please DONATE now. Click here to make a secure donation.
A Caring Place Humane Society accepts monetary donations through this website with credit cards. If you would prefer to send a monetary donation in the form of a check or money order, please send your contribution, made payable to A Caring Place Humane Society, to the address below:
A Caring Place Humane Society
c/o Treasurer
P.O. Box 2481
Darien, IL 60561
Gifts In Kind Wish List
As you might imagine, this humane society always has needs for different pet products throughout the year. Below is a list of general items that we need regularly, as well as some one-time gifts. Please consider making a gift-in-kind donation from this list.
Cat & Kitten Items
Dog & Puppy Items
We accept gifts-in-kind at the Orland Hills PETsMART Adoption Center, 9277 w. 159th Street, Orland Park, IL during adoption hours on Saturday, through the mail, or by appointment by calling 630-375-7976.
A Caring Place Humane Society is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation and is a recognized 501(c)(3) charity with the Internal Revenue Service. Monetary donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.


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Published Works
August 2020 M T W T F S S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Topics and Theories
- Ashes and Angels
- Awards
- Blog Hop
- Blog Stats
- Books
- Bound
- Challenge
- Community
- Contests
- Convention
- Covers
- Dark Mirror
- depression
- Editing
- Ether Flows
- Fantasy
- Feedback
- Fiction
- Gaming
- growth
- Guest Blogging
- Helix
- Hope
- Horror
- ideas
- Insanity
- Insights
- Masques
- Memes
- Mental Health
- Mirrors of Bershan
- Music
- NaNoWriMo
- Necromantic
- Novellas
- Outlining
- Philosophy
- Photography
- Possession
- Preparation
- Pressure
- Process
- Promos
- Publishing
- Quartet
- Queen and Raven
- Reading
- Reviews
- Rewriting
- Rise Above
- Sample
- Scent of a Mer
- Serials
- Short Stories
- Spire of Time
- Steampunk
- Stitched
- support
- The Ailing Tree
- The Dream
- The End
- The Nine
- Therapy
- Trilogy
- Unmasked
- Urban Fantasy
- Vampires
- Vintage
- Work
- Write-A-Thon
- Writing
- Year-End
Tag Archives: Queen and Raven
Community and WriteClub
There's another one in the drawer. More than a little full now, come to think of it. I need to do something about that… Yes, I've finished the new short story. No, I'm not ready to tell you even the … Continue reading
Posted in Writing Tagged Fantasy, Novellas, Queen and Raven, Reading, Short Stories, The End, Urban Fantasy, Writing 10 Comments
Um, Where Did That Come From?
An interesting thing happened to me on my way home from my daily trip to Starbucks yesterday. I had an idle thought. That doesn't sound like much to those of you who don't know me well, but let me assure … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Writing Tagged Books, Fantasy, ideas, Necromantic, Photography, Queen and Raven, Spire of Time, Writing 6 Comments
One Speed Only
So, about finishing the outline for Still They Watch by the end of the weekend… I finished last night, for a total of 10,500 words. For the outline. I wrote almost 4k words of outline yesterday. My brain was like … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Writing Tagged Ashes and Angels, Editing, Fantasy, ideas, Necromantic, Outlining, Photography, Queen and Raven, Spire of Time, Stitched, Trilogy, Writing 15 Comments
If My Head Explodes…
Prediction met, I finished editing Where The Ether Flows last night. Well, with only 22 pages to go, it would have been hard not to. Oh well. At least I'm becoming remotely happy with the state of it. Okay, very … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Writing Tagged Books, Editing, Fantasy, ideas, Necromantic, Outlining, Photography, Queen and Raven, Stitched, STW, Writing 10 Comments
The Path That Lies Before Me
Ah, at last, the weekend is here. No matter how bad/irritating/homicide-inducing the week has been, after work on Friday, I feel awesome. The past couple of days have been good for writing, and I'm concentrating on that. Right now, I'm … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Writing Tagged Books, Editing, Ether Flows, Fantasy, ideas, Photography, Queen and Raven, Trilogy, Writing 11 Comments
Cranking Down Into The Grit
I can't believe I haven't had my coffee yet and I'm blogging. That's either about commitment or being a glutton for punishment. I'm not caffeinated enough to tell which yet. I'm having a happy Saturday morning though where I'm in … Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Writing Tagged Books, Ether Flows, Fantasy, ideas, Insights, NaNoWriMo, Photography, Queen and Raven, Writing 8 Comments


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Hardware components
Software apps and online services
Have you ever waited for a bus too long then ended up finding it without any free seats and you can't take it ?!
Our solution - Get Me There - uses IOT, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Mobile App with Cloud Computing to help bus passengers get accurate estimates of arrival times and current number of available seats in each specific bus.
The Problem, The Need
For many people all over the world bus is one of the most important ways of transportation in cities. Everybody needs to reach his destination in time with a busy schedule waiting for him. Passenger needs to know how much he has to wait for a bus, will the bus he is waiting for has a free seat for him and finally should he wait or look for a workaround to reach in-time.
On the other hand, bus service companies need to collect all service activities and customer requests to build a robust and rich analytics platform, to help faster and appropriate decisions.
The Solution: Get Me There - BITS Solution
The Solution consists of the following components:
- The IOT device - the data collection end point: a Bus equipped with Raspberry PI 3 board and sensors to count number of passengers getting IN/OUT each bus.
- Microsoft Azure IOT hub: will communicate with IOT device (Raspberry PI 3) and receives telemetry.
- Azure Stream Analytics: by which the received data will be packed into tables .
- Azure Storage: tables then will stored in this storage to be used later in the following modules.
- Azure API App (Web Service): provide the mobile app with information like estimated arrival time, estimated travel time (using Google Maps APIs) and number of free seats.
- Mobile App: the passenger's interface to use the solution.
- Hadoop Cluster / Hive for data analytics platform
- MS Power BI for desktop reports
In this video we demonstrate a complete transaction from the first trigger when a bus open the door at certain stop "1111" and then 6 passengers get into the bus and one passenger comes out, all this is simulated by push buttons on the bread board - however in reality two beam sensors installed at bus doors can be used so that whenever a passenger pass through them we can detect wither he is getting in or out - and then door closed which triggers a procedure to send collected data to the IoT hub that records this activity in the cloud storage.
When a request is submitted on the mobile app that requests a bus from a certain stop to another one, the API app detects that same bus is passing by those stops, and checks its availability and calculate number of available seats according to all previous stops in the same journey, then using google APIs calculate the forecasted duration for the bus to arrive and the duration estimated to get to the requested destination, and send it back to mobile app.
We used five tools in the demo:
- API App portal (Web Service) to show number of requests received
- IoT hub portal, to show number of messages received
- Visual Studio to show where the message sent to the IoT hub
- Android Studion emulator, to run the mobile app
- MS Azure Storage Explorer, to monitor data records
Now lets explore details of each our solution components, why we use it, and how to replicate it.The IOT device
The target version of the IOT device is to implement a Raspberry Pi 3 board in each bus. Raspberry Pi will use beam sensors to count number of passengers getting IN/OUT at each bus stop, A GPS sensor to get bus exact location (not used in this prototype due to time constraints. However, the solution is ready to integrate GPS sensors) and door open/close sensor.
For simulation we used the following circuit to generate data about passengers getting IN/OUT the bus and bus's door open/close status. Every press on the "passenger in" is simulating a passenger getting in the bus, every press on the "passenger out" is simulating a passenger getting out the bus and every press on "bus door open/close" is simulating that bus reaching/leaving a bus stop
Each Raspberry Pi 3 will use Windows 10 IOT Core. following are steps to install the OS on the Raspberry Pi:
- On PC/laptop, run "Windows IOT Core Dashboard" software got it from here.
- Insert Raspberry PI3 SD card into PC's card reader. then, choose "Set up a new device" tab.
- Fill form as below screen Image ..
- After install Win10 IOT core on the SD card, insert SD card in the Raspberry's card reader.
- Power on Raspberry and connect it with to the network Ethernet cable.
- On your PC/laptop, check Windows IOT Core Dashboard. Raspberry should be seen on "My Devices" tab as follows ..
In this part we will configure Azure different components that will be used through project. First step is to create Azure account. Microsoft offer a free subscription for one month. Thanks to Microsoft :)
Microsoft verify your email and credit card. Please note you can't create another free account using the same email, credit card.
Configuration for all components are stright forword and you can find detailed and clear steps in MSDN
- while creating of all Azure resources ensure to choose the same "Location"
Resource Group
follow below screens to create new resource group
Microsoft IOT Hub
follow below screens to create new IOT hub, for More information check below link
Microsoft Storage account
follow below screens to create new Storage Account
Stream Analytics job
follow below screens to create new Stream Analytics job, This job reads telemetry from IOT hub and pack data in "BusJourneyInfo" table
Bus Streaming Analytics query
don't forget to start the job to ensure that received telemetry will be saved in the table.
No need to create table to save data, analytics job reads the telemetry from IOT hub and if output table isn't exist it will create it for you. Fields will be the same as fields sent to IOT hub. This table will be created in the storage area and can be accessed using "Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer".
Create Devices
Follow steps in below link to define the Raspberry Pi devices. Each Bus should has one raspberry and each raspberry should be defined using "Device Explorer"
Note: You can get "IOT hub connection string" from IOT hub shared access polices as below screen
- Open VS 2015. Select file Menu -> new Project -> Visual C# -> Windows IOT Core -> Background Application (IOT)
- Right click on project name in solution explorer -> "Manage NuGet Packages"
Download both "Microsoft.Azure.Devices" & "Microsoft.Azure.Devices.Client" packages
- Right click on References in solution explorer -> Add reference. Then select from Universal windows -> Extensions -> "Windows IOT Extensions for UWP "
- Code can be found in below link
- Compile code and deploy it on Raspberry. From Debug menu -> BITSDevice Properties -> from Debug tab choose
Target device to be Remote machine
write the name of Raspberry in Remote machine box and click find and then in remote connection dialog choose select
Note: Raspberry should be connected at this time to internet through WiFi and at the same time connected to the breadboard and sensors
In this part of the project, we simulate the behavior of certain bus during a day. We assume that this bus has a route consists of 10 bus-stops.
static int MAX_NOF_STOPS_1 = 9; // (Number of stops - 1) in this route
static int[] mStations_Array = { 1111, 2222, 3333, 4444, 5555, 6666, 7777, 8888, 9999, 1234};
int m_iCurrentStationID = -1; //Current station index in the route
Bus move forward from first stop till the last one then return backward to reach the first stop again to complete one journey.
static int DIRECTION_FORWARD = 1 ;
static int DIRECTION_BACKWORD = -1;
int m_iDirection = DIRECTION_FORWARD;
Bus makes 5 Journeys during the day. Each journey can have different driver.
static int MAX_NOF_JOURNIES = 5;
static int[,] m_JourniesArray = new int[5, 2] {{ 401, 1 }, { 402, 1}, { 403, 2}, { 404, 2}, { 405, 2}} ;
int m_iJourneyIndex = -1;
Some information is fixed regarding one bus however its changed from bus to another, such Line ID which represent bus route ID and Bus ID as many buses can serve one route
static int LINE_ID = 10;
static int BUS_ID = 610;
In Prototype and when bus arrive to certain bus-stop, the door push button will be pressed to indicate that door is opened.
To indicate that one passenger moves up to the bus, Passenger Up push button should be clicked.
To indicate that one passenger moves down from the bus, Passenger down push button should be clicked.
When bus ready to move away from bus-stop, door push button clicked again to indicate that door is closed
private GpioPin passupPin; // One passenger come inside the bus
private GpioPin passdownPin; // One passenger left the bus
private GpioPin doorclosedPin; // bus door closed or opened
3 LEDs are used to indicate the status of each push button
Two variables are used to count number of passengers get inside the bus and number of passengers get out the bus. These 2 counters is reset with each bus stop (door open)
int m_iNumInSensor = 0 ; //Number of passanger move inside the bus
int m_iNumOutSensor = 0 ; //Number of passanger move outside the bus
When door closed, All needed data will be prepared, packed and send to Azure IOT hub.
var message = new Microsoft.Azure.Devices.Client.Message(Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(transaction)));
try { await deviceClient.SendEventAsync(message); }
catch (Exception e) { string str = e.Message; }
From "Microsoft Azure Storage Explorer", you can check that new record has been inserted in the table
Also you can ensure that Device has sent something using "Device Explorer"
And you can check that Azure IOT hub is receiving stream data
- Ensure that "Bus streaming Analytics" is running. As it is responsible to read data from IOT hub and save it in table in the storage
- In Arduino you have 2 functions setup and loop, in C# both functions should be handled inside Run. InitGPIO() function play the role of setup in Arduino, inside this function you should define events such door button is pushed. Then there is a thread contains infinite loop to ensure that application will continue running, waiting for events to get fired
public void Run(IBackgroundTaskInstance taskInstance)
deferral = taskInstance.GetDeferral();
Task.Run(() =>
while (true)
//Thats right...do nothing.
Inside the InitGPIO() function, pins get defined and events function registered
doorclosedPin = gpio.OpenPin(DOORCLOSED_PIN);
if (doorclosedPin.IsDriveModeSupported(GpioPinDriveMode.InputPullUp))
doorclosedPin.DebounceTimeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(50);
doorclosedPin.ValueChanged += DoorPin_ValueChanged;
- Device object that used to send telemetry to IOT hub is initiated when bus arrive to each bus stop
m_deviceClient = DeviceClient.CreateFromConnectionString
(connectionString, "BusDevice2", Microsoft.Azure.Devices.Client.TransportType.Http1);
connectionString is the IOT hub conection string and "BusDevice2" is the Device ID
We needed to create two entities to keep bus lines data such as (Line, Stop, Stop Order), and to keep Stops data (Stop, Lat, Long).
Creating the entities can be on Azure SQL Database, or on the same storage account used by IoT hub which is using NoSQL database. I recommend using SQL Database for those familiar with SQL commands.
The purpose of the API is to provide the needed data to fulfill passenger request on the mobile app. Rather than deployment of such huge amount of logic on the mobile app that as with larger computing power and speed will provide a reasonable performance and better customer experiance.
To fulfill a request that ask for a bus from an "origin stop" to a "destination stop", the API does the following:
- Searching bus lines that pass by the requested "origin stop" in the lines/stops database, optionally more than a bus line can serve the same stop.
- Again filtering the lines found to those also serve destination stop
- For each of those "potential" lines, we check against "real data" comes from bus sensors through the IoT hub, to find which line is currently serving and if a bus has not yet passed requested origin stop
- In case a bus found, we go through the whole journey to collect number of seats taken and those left, so that calculate final number of booked seats, then conclude available seats (we are assuming a number of 60 seats as a capacity, however it represents not only actual seating but also available standing spots, anyway this can be modified to separate the two kinds of capacity and feedback these details to the mobile app)
- To estimate the duration a bus takes from the location where it is till the origin stop, we had some options:
1 - We should know first its current location (easily can be using a GPS sensor on the Raspberry Pi that sends timely records of location lat and long) , however for our prototype we are using "last stop bus departed from" as a reference, but we found a small challenge with this option that bus could be near or far from that stop, so, we did put it this way:
If bus moved from stop A at 6:00pm and is heading towards stop B, and we know it should take about T = 10 mins to get there, and the request for that bus was made at about 6:04pm which is t = 4 mins after latest departure, then during calculations we subtract T-t = 10 - 4 = 6 mins is the time estimated to reach next stop B instead of 10 mins, which is closer to reality.
Of course timely sent bus locations - say each minute or 30 seconds - will give the most accuracy to our calculations
2- The second trick comes when we need to calculate the duration from one stop to another using Google API, it will return results that are based on a shortest route algorithm, which mostly will not be the same like our bus route, and there will be a high level of inaccuracy of estimated duration times.
To resolve this puzzle, we divided the calculations according to route designated paths from one stop to another, which means we needed to calculate the duration between a stop and the next one, and accumluate the results along till the desired stop. Assuming that most of the time the path between two stops is the shortest or near to it. Adding to this, we can add as much points as we need to represent all key points in bus route either stops or not, thus maintain the highest accuracy.
- Next step is aggregating travel times between last stop departed from and origin stop, then subtracting time between last departure and request time -as explained above - will provide estimated bus arrival time.
- The same is done for duration from origin to detention to aggregate estimated trip travel time.
- In addition to arrival/travel times, API will calculate dwell times (bus waiting times at stops) for targeted stops adding these times to relevant arrival or travel time.
- Finally all information is collected for each potential line and sent to mobile app.
The following flow chart explains the API core activities with relevant dependencies
- Azure account - You can Open an Azure account for free.
- You need to have Storage Account or a SQL Database on your Azure workspace, you can make use of the storage account used by the IoT Hub in the previous sections rather than creating other storage places.
- In Visual Studio, click Help -> About Microsoft Visual Studio and ensure that you have "Azure App Service Tools v2.9.1" or higher installed.
- Make sure you have .NETFramework 4.5.2 installed.
- Install Swagger framework , by running the following commands in package manager console:
PM> Install-Package Swashbuckle -Pre
PM> Install-Package Swashbuckle.Swagger -Pre
To show your PM console, select from menu as explained
1- Create a new project, select ASP .NET Web Application
2- The wizard takes you to create the App Service on your Azure account
Now you are ready to code.Swagger
Swagger is a simple yet powerful representation of your RESTful API, allows you to discover and understand the capabilities of the service without access to source code , which is very helpful specially at testing.
3- You need first to enable swagger, from file "SwaggerConfig.cs" which is created for you according to project type. Just remove the commented code highlighted below.
.EnableSwaggerUi(c =>
4- When debugging your app, the browser will open something like the below, with error code 403, don't panic. All you need is to add the word "/swagger" to the end of URL opened.
5- Now, testing your app through swagger is ready
Starting by showing the model example which is the parameters passed to the API, and exploring available methods (We only needed "GET" in our API), then testing can be done by passing values to the parameters, pressing on "Try it out" and waiting for the output results, which by default are in a JSON format
As long as you have already created your project using your Azure account, the remaining steps to publish your App will be so easy
After publishing successfully on Azure, the web service homepage is opened in your browser, here you can repeat same steps for testing using Swagger, by adding "/swagger" to the URL.
You are now done.
What users of your service app need to know is URL of your API and parameters name with respective order.Monitoring your API APP
Using Azure portal provides a live chart of requests and errors resulted from your API App usage.
A very helpful, and light tool to explore, import, export data in your storage account. Also we used it for testing and in our demonstration.
We needed to calculate estimates for dwell times (bus waiting times at stops), looking at many models already there, we have selected KNN model, inspired by the research published by Jianxia Xin and Shuyan Chen here Bus Dwell Time Prediction Based on KNN . Choice was due to its clarity and simplicity, the model depends on clustering stops into groups based on periods during the day/week, for example: weak days peak hours, for a certain bus line.
In our case we used about 71 records for bus line no. 10, while stop dwell times to be calculated as time between bus door opening and door closing (Using GPS will give more accuracy to use the time of entrance to stop lane and exit from stop lane).
After training the model (we've chosen 70% of data for training ) and scoring, we have published the model as an API to be used by the web service adding dwell times to estimated times calculations.Step by Step
1- Create machine components, we used k=10 as it provided better results, in the following figure, we used a sample file uploaded to the machine data set
2- Running the machine, produced a "Predictive" model that can be published
3- Publishing the predective model as an API service
4- From the link labeled "Request/Response", one can browse the API documentation produced
5- In the following figure, showing how to configure the machine to load the data from BITS storage account table "busjourneyinfo"
- Create new project in Android Studio. click next and choose default values.
- Code can be found in below link
- Compile application and run it on Android Emulator
Passenger should has this application on his phone, he selects the start stop and end stop the submit his request. Android application communicate with Azure web service and get information related to all buses that can take him from this stop to end stop. web service return Bus number, when bus will arrive to start stop, duration needed to reach end stop and how many seats are available in this bus.
Application should have permission to access internet so you need to add below lines in AndroidManifest.xml
<permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
To support JSON & HTTP codes, add below lines in build.gardle (Module: app)
add below line before buildTyes
useLibrary 'org.apache.http.legacy'
add below line inside dependencies in the same file
compile 'com.google.code.gson:gson:2.4'
- To connect to Azure web service, RestClient class has been used from below link. Many thanks to them for help :)
- getArrivalTime() function communicate with the webservice so it should be called from new thread different than main GUI thread. This new thread ca't update in GUI so you need to use runOnUIThread() to update in the GUI. Take care that Android Studio by default let you debug only in main GUI thread. if you want to debug in both threads you need to change Android Studio settings
new Thread(new Runnable() {
public void run()
m_strAvailableBusesInfo = "";
runOnUiThread(new Runnable()
public void run() {
- Webservice return JSON file. To parse this file, all unseen char should be
JSONObject jsonRootObject = new JSONObject(new String(strJson.getBytes("UTF-8")));
//Get the instance of JSONArray that contains JSONObjects
JSONArray jsonArray = jsonRootObject.optJSONArray("Buses");
int iNofJsonArray = jsonArray.length();
//Iterate the jsonArray and print the info of JSONObjects
for(int i = 0 ; i < iNofJsonArray ; i++ )
String strBusID = jsonObject.optString("BusID").toString();
String strArrivalTime = jsonObject.optString("ArrivalTime").toString();
String strTravelTime = jsonObject.optString("TravelTime").toString();
String strAvailableSeats= jsonObject.optString("AvailableSeats").toString();
In this video we demonstrate a complete transaction from the first trigger when a bus open the door at certain stop "1111" and then 6 passengers get into the bus and one passenger comes out, all this is simulated by push buttons on the bread board - however in reality two beam sensors installed at bus doors can be used so that whenever a passenger pass through them we can detect wither he is getting in or out - and then door closed which triggers a procedure to send collected data to the IoT hub that records this activity in the cloud storage.
When a request is submitted on the mobile app that requests a bus from a certain stop to another one, the API app detects that same bus is passing by those stops, and checks its availability and calculate number of available seats according to all previous stops in the same journey, then using google APIs calculate the forecasted duration for the bus to arrive and the duration estimated to get to the requested destination, and send it back to mobile app.
We used five tools in the demo:
- API App portal (Web Service) to show number of requests received
- IoT hub portal, to show number of messages received
- Visual Studio to show where the message sent to the IoT hub
- Android Studion emulator, to run the mobile app
- MS Azure Storage Explorer, to monitor data records
Following diagram describes how data flow inside different tools inside data analytics cycle
We used actual DataSet related to Dublin City buses; the Data set has been downloaded from following link:
https://data.gov.ie/dataset/dublin-bus-gps-sample-data-from-dublin-city-council-insight-project (Dublin Bus GPS Data)
The Dataset contains 30 days of actual Dublin Buses GPS data across Dublin City, downloaded from Dublin City Council 'traffic control, in csv format.
Data Transformation goes through following three steps, which will reduce total number of records for the 7 days from 9.5M records to 700K records :
a) We will select 7 days only from the DataSet "from 1-1-2013 till 7-1-2013" as all other weeks have similar patterns.
b) For the sake of the project we identified following fields in the DataSet that are relative to our project, all other fields will be filtered out:
[0]prodtime: Not needed, unix time format, we will generate another column that matches day time
[1]; Line ID: Keep it. Line ID for each travel
Direction: Not needed
Journey Pattern: Not needed
[2]; Date: Keep it
[3]; Journey ID: Keep it. Unique ID for each bus journey
Operator: Not needed
Congestion: Not needed
[4]; Long: Keep it, GPS Longitude
[5]; Lat: Keep it, GPS Latitude
Delay: Not Needed
Block ID: Not needed
[6]; Bus ID: Keep It, Bus ID
[7]; Station ID: Keep it, Bus station ID
[8]; At Stop: Keep it, 1=bus stopped, 0= bus is moving
· Also we are interest only in the rows that has "At Stop =1"
· We used Impala Job to do the following:
a) Filter all unneeded columns as described above
b) Select rows only that have the "At Stop =1"
c) Order the output based on the "journey ID" fiele
- Impala Code:
I. Create 7 tables one for each day, and load the data into it:
create external table businfo_2013_01_01 (prodTime bigint, lineID int, direction int, journeyPatternId string, journeydate string, journeyID int, operator string, congestion int, gpsLong float, gpLat float, delay int, blockID int, busID int, stationID int, atStop int ) row format delimited fields terminated by ',';
load data local inpath '/home/cloudera/DublinBuses010113-310113/DataSet/siri.20130101.csv' overwrite into table businfo_2013_01_01;
o We applied same code to create the remaining 6 tables: businfo_2013_01_02, businfo_2013_01_03, businfo_2013_01_04, businfo_2013_01_05, businfo_2013_01_06, businfo_2013_01_07
II. Filter all unneeded columns from the 7 tables, select "At Station =0" and order by "journey ID" field:
as ( select *, row_number() over (partition by journeydate, journeyid, stationid
order by prodtime asc ) as rn_station
from businfo_2013_01_01 )
select prodtime, lineid, journeydate, journeyID, gpslong, gpslat, busid, stationid, atstop from cte_station
where rn_station = 1 and atstop = 1
order by journeyid;
o We applied same code to filter all 6 tables: businfo_2013_01_02, businfo_2013_01_03, businfo_2013_01_04, businfo_2013_01_05, businfo_2013_01_06, businfo_2013_01_07
III. Save the 7 tables into csv files
a) Using python code we added four columns to each output files, the new columns will match the following:
a. Pass_IN: Random number of passengers getting in the bus at each station
b. Pass_Out: random number of passengers getting at from the bus at each station
c. Total_Pass: total number of passengers onboard of the bus
d. timestamp: change the prod time which is Unix time to Data Time
· Assumption: bus maximum on board number of passengers is 60
· The python code we used to perform the above tasks is uploaded on the site with following name: busDataSetEdit.py
· We ran the same code for all remaining 6 output files so at the end we will have 7 files reflects all transformations that we mentioned: businfo_pass_2013_01_01.csv', businfo_pass_2013_01_02.csv', businfo_pass_2013_01_03.csv', businfo_pass_2013_01_04.csv', businfo_pass_2013_01_05.csv', businfo_pass_2013_01_06.csv', businfo_pass_2013_01_07.csv'3- Data Extraction
a. As our DataSet is large in size, we decided to upload only one file representing data of one day to the Azure table storage service
i. We uploaded the file using Azure Storage Explorer application where we identified the "storage account name" & "storage account Key" (extracted from Azure table properties)
ii. To read the data again from Azure table storage we used following python code:
#! /usr/bin/env python
# Auther: Mohamed Moussa
from azure.storage.table import TableService, Entity
table_service = TableService(account_name='bitsstorage1', account_key=<removed for security>')
tasks = table_service.query_entities('BusJournyData')
for task in tasks:
o Then we redirect the file output to a csv file, however for the sake of applying data analytics on a large dataset for more accurate date, we decided to continue using the local files as described in below steps
b. Data extraction is being done through following spark job, the main objective is to extract the longest journeys based on number of stations:
- Code is uploaded with name busjournyStation.py
o the output of the above job is 7 directories each directory contains a file with 2 columns, first column count the number of stations, & second column maps the journeyID
c. Another spark job is being used to generate list of buses and associate journey ID per each day as follow:
- Code is uploaded with name buscount.py
- Loading the Data
a. The output of the last step was 7 files that contains count of stations per each Journey, the objective of this step is to load the 7 files in 7 Hive tables, the quires are as follow:
create external table JournyStation_2013_01_01 (StationCount int, JourneyId int) row format delimited fields terminated by ',';
load data local inpath '/home/cloudera/DublinBuses010113-310113/DataSet/sparkJob/businfo_pass_2013_01_01.csv/part-00000'
· We have done the same Hive queries for all remaining 6 files
create external table JournyBuses_2013_01_01 (BusID int, JourneyId int) row format delimited fields terminated by ',';
load data local inpath '/home/cloudera/DublinBuses010113-310113/DataSet/sparkJob/Buses/businfo_pass_2013_01_01.csv/part-00000'
· We have done the same Hive queries for all remaining 6 files4- Reporting
a. Scope is to report on the following aspects:
i. Total number of Journeys per day
ii. Longest Journeys (has maximum number of stations)
iii. Total number of buses per day
b. Reporting will be done using Microsoft Power Bi plus the ODBC driver to Hive tables.
c. Steps to setup Power BI, ODBC to connect to HIVE table
i. Download cloudera ODBC from http://www.cloudera.com/documentation/other/connectors/hive-odbc/2-5-12.html
ii. From windows ODBC manager select cloudera ODBC and type in the IP address and the username 'cloudera', then test the connectivity
iii. From powerBI select the ODBC option/Cloudera Hive ODBC
d. After importing all data files in Power Bi (through ODBC connection) following changes need to be adjusted:
i. For all 7 files related to Journeys, all header columns need to be changed as to "Stations Count" and "Journey ID"
ii. For all 7 files related to buses, all header columns need to be changed to "Buses ID" and "Journey ID"
e. Below screen shot represents the report from inside Microsoft Power BI which represents the following:
i. Total number of Journeys per day
ii. Longest Journeys (has maximum number of stations)
iii. Total number of buses per day
· Further enhancement to the report will include: total number of passengers in each day, highest journeys in regards to cunt of passengers.Opportunities and Future Scaling
- Using GPS for accurate Bus location, and for improved route performance monitoring
- Improve the Machine Learning model to predict dwell times with less error percentage
- Developing the mobile app for Windows Phone and iOS platforms


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text:
Add Switching Operation
Available in Responder Explorer.
Use this tool to add a switching operation to an existing confirmed incident, or to operate an upstream device in order to perform maintenance on the outage device. This tool adds the operated device to the incident as well as restoration steps. To add or remove restoration steps, use the Edit Restoration Steps tool. This tool is not available on either unconfirmed and probable incidents.
- Right-click a confirmed incident and select Add Switching Operation.
- Click the device to be operated.
- In the Create Switching Operation dialog, modify the Planned Status as needed; you can also provide an outage time and the name of the person who operated the device.
- Type any additional pertinent information in the Remarks field.
- Click OK.


text: Mar 15, 2016 Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley Select Point-of-Sale, Payment Gateway Solutions from Agilysys Properties Implement InfoGenesis®, rGuest® Pay Solutions to Streamline Operations ALPHARETTA, GA. — March 15, 2016 — Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of next-generation hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley, both located in east central Minnesota, have selected a suite of Agilysys solutions ─ including InfoGenesis® POS, InfoGenesis® Flex and rGuest® Pay ─ to streamline operations and enhance guest service. The properties are longtime users of the Agilysys LMS® property management system. The two Grand Casino properties, which include more than 1,000 guest rooms and nine restaurants, needed integrated point-of-sale and payment gateway solutions that would optimize food, beverage and retail service and secure sensitive cardholder data. Agilysys systems met the management team's criteria, with advanced features and functionality that boost efficiency while reducing the risks associated with credit card acceptance. "We insisted on state-of-the-art technology for our new point-of-sale and payment gateway solutions," said Timothy Johnson, director of information technology for Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley. "Agilysys offered everything we were looking for, with mobile and fixed POS systems that will streamline our food, beverage and retail operations, along with a robust payment gateway solution. We especially appreciate the tight integration between the systems and are confident the technology will help us boost efficiency and deliver exceptional guest service." Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley will use the following Agilysys solutions: InfoGenesis POS ─ a comprehensive point-of-sale system that combines an easy-to-use terminal and tablet touchscreen application with industry-leading offline capabilities. Designed for multi-unit and complex operations, InfoGenesis POS features real-time reporting, support for packages and prix fixe menus, and multi-language capabilities that drive service flexibility and increase operational efficiency. The system easily manages any combination of food, beverage and retail services, and integrates with other Agilysys next-generation solutions and a wide variety of third-party providers. InfoGenesis Flex ─ Agilysys' mobility solution that offers full point-of-sale functionality on a convenient tablet device. InfoGenesis Flex provides signature capture, adaptable kitchen and receipt printing for large service areas, and a feature-rich mobile experience for foodservice operations. The solution is designed to keep revenue flowing and guests satisfied in the most demanding high-volume environments, and its powerful offline capabilities ensure uninterrupted performance, even when Wi-Fi connectivity is inconsistent. Managers also have access to all InfoGenesis tools while on the floor, so they can oversee operations 'on-the-go' and make service adjustments as needed. rGuest Pay ─ the Agilysys payment gateway solution that enables complete and secure payment processing. It leverages one of the only offerings that includes: validated Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), which reduces the potential for malicious hacking and fraud; a Payment Information Proxy (PIP) that secures data arriving via e-commerce interfaces; robust tokenization, which eliminates storage of cardholder data; and a full range of fixed and mobile EMV-ready payment devices that ensure compliance with new card security regulations. "With the implementation of our point-of-sale and payment gateway solutions, the Grand Casino properties are making a strong commitment to efficiency and guest service," said Jim Walker, senior vice president of global revenue at Agilysys. "InfoGenesis POS, which is one of the most versatile point-of-sale systems on the market, will enable the properties to optimize food, beverage and retail efficiency, capitalize on revenue opportunities and enhance the guest experience. And, with unparalleled security as a core requirement for rGuest Pay, the properties can also be assured that cardholder data is secure and protected at all times." Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley are two of Minnesota's premiere entertainment facilities. Grand Casino Mille Lacs features a 494-room hotel, four restaurants, fitness center, convention facility and several retail shopping outlets. Grand Casino Hinckley is among the largest casino hotels in the state, with 563 guest rooms, five restaurants, fitness center, spa and golf course. Both properties are owned and operated by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, a sovereign, federally recognized Indian tribe with more than 4,500 members. About Agilysys Agilysys is a leading technology company that provides innovative point-of-sale, property management, inventory and procurement, workforce management, analytics, document management and mobile and wireless solutions and services to the hospitality industry. The company's solutions and services allow property managers to better connect, interact and transact with their customers by streamlining operations, improving efficiency, increasing guest recruitment and wallet share, and enhancing the guest experience. Agilysys serves four major market sectors: Gaming, both corporate and tribal; Hotels, Resorts and Cruise; Foodservice Management; and Restaurants, Universities, Stadia and Healthcare. A significant portion of the company's consolidated revenue is derived from contract support, maintenance and subscription services. Agilysys operates throughout North America, Europe and Asia, with corporate services located in Alpharetta, GA, and offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. For more information, visit www.agilysys.com. # # # Contacts: Media Robert Shecterle, Agilysys, Inc., 770-810-6046, email@example.com Investors Richard Land, Norberto Aja or Jim Leahy, JCIR, 212-835-8500, firstname.lastname@example.com Posted in Breaking news, Customers, , Hospitality, Press Release, InfoGenesis™ Flex, InfoGenesis POS, rGuest


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You've got to be a true, die-hard 90skd to remember MTV's own American Idol-esque The Cut. Airing in the late 90s, The Cut pitted aspiring artists with original material head-to-head for a spot to be recognized by talent scouts and the general public. The show was hosted by the late Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes and garnered celebrity guest judges such as Mack 10 and some other people. Even in their game shows, MTV kept the focus on music. Not BFFs or cash money for looking extremely stupid in a fake library *smh*. While AI continues to lose any legit search for talent I thought it use to possess, take a look at a pre-fame Anastacia's debut.
Saturday Night Sexy: Shay
5 hours ago


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The big shoe that I was certain would drop just did:
Three authors have filed suit against self-publishing service provider Author Solutions, and its parent company Penguin, airing a laundry list of complaints and alleging the company is not a publisher so much as a "vanity press." — PW May 1, 2013
I have no special insight into the merits of this suit as a legal matter, but the filing of it brings to light the obvious fact that there are companies out there exploiting the hopes and dreams of neophyte authors. More from the PW article, "Authors Sue Self-Publishing Service Author Solutions":
The suit, which seeks class action status, alleges that Author Solutions misrepresents itself, luring authors in with claims that its books can compete with "traditional publishers," and the company offers "greater speed, higher royalties, and more control for its authors."
The problem here is easy to spot. No doubt in the literature that they show prospective authors, and in the agreements that they execute with them, such "publishers" are careful not to promise sudden authorial fame and fortune. But of course the prospective authors do want some degree of recognition, and they would like some remuneration too.
What most people think they know about publishing comes from the utterly anomalous success stories the media finds newsworthy. It used to be "first time novelist gets million dollar advance." Now it's "first book by self-published author sells 500,000 copies." Getting hit by lightning three times on a sunny afternoon is much more likely.
So, aspiring authors have some expectations. What expectations do self-publishing services such as Author Solutions have? Read between the lines of the following "prepared statement," quoted in the same PW article.
In a prepared statement, Author Solutions pointed to the fact that it has "successfully enabled more than 170,000 authors to self-publish more than 200,000 titles," and noted that it has received an "A" rating from the Better Business Bureau.
I am not sure that the 170,000 authors of those 200,000 titles are all that thrilled by their publisher's "A" rating from the Better Business Bureau. They might have preferred a place on the best-seller list.
Perhaps the authors who are suing were a little naive. Let's look at two publishing scenarios. In the first, the publisher pays an advance, covers the editing, designing, and printing costs, and will suffer a big financial loss if the book does not sell. In the second scenario the "publisher" charges the author for all of the publication costs and makes a profit even if the title does not sell a single copy. Which outfit will be motivated to sell books? To understand a business deal you need to follow the money.
And now this article, in Friday's PW. The CEO of Author Solutions has, for some reason, been replaced by a Penguin executive. Here is how they are spinning the change:
Penguin chairman John Makinson said that the appointment of [Andrew] Phillips [the new CEO] will connect Authors Solutions more closely to Penguin. "Andrew's impressive range of talents and experience equip him perfectly to extend the international development of Author Solutions, to build on our network of publishing partnerships, and to strengthen the ties with Penguin companies around the world." — PW May 3, 2013
This statement looks like an attempt to blur the distinction between Author Solutions and Penguin—so that the cash register will keep ringing for Author Solutions. But no amount of corporate speak about building on a "network of publishing partnerships" or strengthening "ties with Penguin companies around the world" can bridge the apparently huge gap between these two enterprises. The big question is why Penguin, one of the greatest publishing companies on the planet, is willing to wrap its name around a dubious proposition like Author Solutions.
Curt Matthews
CEO, IPG/Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Curt Matthews is the founder and CEO of Chicago Review Press, Incorporated, which is the parent company of Chicago Review Press and of Independent Publishers Group (IPG), the first independent press distributor and now the second largest. Curt has served on the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) board and has also served as its president.


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About the Across the Bay 12K
The 2020 12K features the same USATF certified course as years past — a point to point course starting in Sausalito, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and finishing in Aquatic Park.
The 12K is part of the USA Track & Field Pacific Association (PAUSATF) road running series with discounted entries and prize money for eligible athletes.
We will have complimentary gear check at the 12k starting area and the 5k starting area. Both 12k and 5k gear check pickup will be right past the finish line on Van Ness Ave.
Course Time Limit
Participants must maintain a pace of 18:20 minutes per mile.
12K Course Map
Turn by Turn Directions
The event will start on East Road in Sausalito, Marin County.
Runners will follow East Road until turning left onto Sommerville Road.
Sommerville Road will turn into Conzelman Road as runners travel up the incline to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Runners will turn right to head South across The Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.
Runners will turn right onto Coastal Trail, follow the U-Turn, and end up on Battery E Trail.
Runners will turn left onto Long Avenue.
Long Avenue will turn into Marine Drive, runners will continue here until The Fort Point turnaround where they will make a turn-around.
Runners will continue on this path until turning right onto San Francisco Bay Trail.
San Francisco Bay Trail will turn into Marina Blvd, which runners will follow until the finish line at Aquatic Park.
Runners will finish on Van Ness, North of Beach Street.


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Happy Thursday Lovelies! I am so excited for today's post and have been dieing to share it with you for weeks! But first I want to tell you about dinner last night! I had my first Purple Sweet Potato! I was excited all day and could not wait for dinner, haha (foodie-fanatic alert!), right Nicole? I decided to make mini fries by just cutting it up into chunks, dousing it with cinnamon and popping them in the oven at 425°F for 35 minutes. They came out perfectly! Normally when I make sweet potato fries they don't get as crunchy and perfect, but the purple potato was everything a roasted potato should be! I need to get more ASAP! I also had Barramundi with curry powder, cumin, parsley, and alfalfa sprouts. I bought these for the first time as well last weekend and I can't get enough. They are so good! Purple Sweet Potatoes and Alfalfa Sprouts makes one happy Rebecca 😉
Anyway, on to the purpose of this post! I was recently accepted in to the Recipe ReDux program. It is a food blogger membership-only program and each month the members are given a secret theme that only those in the redux know. Then we create a healthy recipe that correlates with that theme and post it on the 21st of each month. It is a way to share fun healthy recipes with the blogging community and promote delicious healthy eating!Read More


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Sidewall kit for Pop up gazebo FleXtents 4x8m, Green
Product number AC04365
The sidewall kit includes: 4 Panorama window sidewalls & 2 Sidewalls with zipper.
Related products
Product specifications:
Product info:
- Professional quality
- Panorama window (351x103 cm)
Use this sidewall kit for your Pop up gazebo FleXtents 4x8 m.
The sidewall kit includes: 4 Panorama window sidewalls & 2 Sidewalls with zipper.
The cover is made of high quality strong polyester with heavy PVC backing. It is waterproof, UV-resistant, stain-resistant and washable!
FleXtents is the ultimate pop up gazebo and the no. 1 brand in Europe. It is the result of many years of innovative product development with a focus on light and portable tent solutions in high professional quality. FleXtents sets the standard for functional design and creates the perfect setting for any event or celebration. With over 15 years on the market and with its superior quality, FleXtents has secured the leading position, with thousands of happy and satisfied customers all over Europe. Our professional Xpert advice and service is an important part of the concept.


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Haven't found anything yet?
The Disney wallpaper collection "Fantasy Deco" by World Wide Walls let your children smile. The paper wallpaper Y3029-3 provides with its striped pattern in light grey, light yellow and white an exciting ambiance to the room of your childrens. Create a place of adventure for your kids. Furthermore, the brand product is washable and has a sufficient lightfastness.


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Author: Louise West Series: Strange Ideas, Volume 1 Publisher: Independent Publishing Publication Date: May 2013 Genre: Horror, Short Stories Pages: 182
Book Description: Strange Ideas: Death, Destiny and Decisions- four brand new tales to creep you out and mess with your head, plus another chance to read the popular short story, Late: a ghostly tale.
A Flip of the Coin: Do you believe in Heaven and Hell? Jimmy didn't, until a stranger appeared at his death-bed with a shocking proposal…
Stamp: Ben awakes from a one-night-stand with a hangover and an unusual souvenir. What does it mean? And what happened to the girl who gave it to him?
Rock God: Adored, idolised, worshipped. In our celebrity-obsessed culture, pop stars are treated like gods. But how far do their powers actually go?
Superstition: Laura knocks on wood, avoids black cats and never walks under ladders. Her husband calls her a freak. Maybe he'll wish he had believed her…
Late: a ghostly tale: Long after the children have escaped for home, a lone schoolteacher is working late. But is she really alone? Is someone there that she can't see? And, if so, what do they want?
*Book given by author in exchange for an honest review*
Flip The Coin: I was hooked within the first page. The writing style was fluid and consistent. The characters wzere believable and came to life. The story was a,awing and nearly had me in tears a few times in public. Absolutely wonderful and heart wrenching: It will leave you reflecting on your own life.
Stamp: This story was a bit more in the horror/thriller genre. It was very zell done and had ,e at the edge of my seat through the whole thing. Even though I knw what would happen at the end;' I was still horrified and was a bit too scared to sleep.
Rock God: This one was more interesting than scary. It was an interesting plot/idea but not as exciting as the first two.
Superstitions: This one is probably my favorite: I really enjoyed how West described Laura's fierce belief in supersitions: (It was particularly fun because one of my best friends is named Laura). Even with the somewhat brutal ending I was rooting for Laura the entire way. I loved her change in character and waited with anticipation to find out what would happen.
Late: A Chostly Tale: this story was very enjoyable: It was frightening at first but then ended very sweetly: The writing here was very well done and it was easy to picture the story.
Overall I really enjoyed this selection of short stories: Wests writing is very good and all her strange ideas zere fun to read. This collection is a great glimpse into West's work and shows the sad, creepy, scary, gory and happy. I look forward to reading more stories by her.
My Rating: ★★★★


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Nearly Half of Combat Soldiers in Chronic Pain
Nearly half of the American soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan return home to the U.S. in chronic pain, according to a new study that also found about one in seven soldiers were using opioid pain relievers.
The study, the first to assess the prevalence of chronic pain and opioid use in the infantry after combat deployment, is being published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Researchers at Walter Reed Army Hospital surveyed over 2,500 soldiers who had been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, nearly half of whom reported combat injuries. The prevalence of chronic pain was much higher than the civilian population, with 44% of the soldiers indicating they were in pain longer than three months and 15.1% reporting the recent use of opioids. That compares to 26% and 4% respectively in the civilian population.
"These findings suggest a large unmet need for assessment, management and treatment of chronic pain and related opioid use and misuse in military personnel after combat deployments," wrote lead author Robin Toblin, PhD, of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, MD.
"Notably, 44.1% of soldiers reporting opioid use reported no or mild past-month pain, including 5.6% with no pain. This might imply that opioids are working to mitigate pain, but it is also possible that soldiers are receiving or using these medications unnecessarily. This is cause for concern because opioids should be prescribed generally for moderate to severe pain and have high abuse and overdose potential."
Soldiers most likely to be in chronic pain were 30 years or older, married or previously married, injured in combat, or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Soldiers most likely to be taking opioids were 25 years or older, married, injured during combat or suffering from chronic pain.
"The high incidence of chronic pain and opioid use among returning veterans does not surprise me one bit," said Darisse Smith, a former Army helicopter pilot who wrote about her struggle with pain, opioid use and addiction in a column for National Pain Report.
"I am especially not surprised that soldiers are not seeking treatment and still utilizing opioids because the VA has made a conscious decision to turn a blind eye to this problem," Smith wrote in an email.
"There was a conscious decision from the VA not to give soldiers who have been to Iraq and Afghanistan significant opioid treatment due to the high incidence of substance abuse and suicide in this demographic. Unfortunately, the VA didn't buffer up any of its other supporting therapies, leaving soldiers in legitimate pain to use their own wiles to find pain treatment."
Among the surveyed soldiers who reported chronic pain, nearly half (48.3%) were in pain for a year or longer and over half (55.6%) said they were in daily or constant pain. But less than one in four (23.2%) were taking opioids to relieve their pain.
"While chronic pain and opioid use have been a long-standing concern of the military leadership, this study is among the first to quantify the impact of recent wars on the prevalence of pain and narcotic use among soldiers," said Wayne B. Jonas, M.D., LTC (Ret.) of the Samueli Institute in an editorial also published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Jonas said many returning veterans are at risk for a "lifetime progression of increasing disability" unless the quality and variety of their pain management is improved. He estimated the potential cost of care and disability for returning veterans at $5 trillion.
"The loss of human potential is inestimable. This staggering cost will become the greatest threat to national defense as the nation is crush under its debt. Thus, for reasons of current and future national strength, and most important, the suffering of our service members and veterans, we must transform ourselves in the way we manage pain. We can and must do better."
Kurt I hate to break it to you but even serious pain patients can't get treated well enough to become functional. Doctors aren't giving out opiates to hardly anyone no matter how badly you need it.
Medicine, in general, seems to deny that untreated acute pain leads to chronic pain syndrome.
After all, pain never killed anyone, right?
I am saddened that any doctor, especially a military doctor, believes that only moderate to severe pain requires opioid analgesics. What happened to using codeine and hydrocodone, in treating mild to moderate pain?
As prescribers, has our fear of "addiction" or worse, DEA scrutiny overshadowed our commitment to mitigate human suffering?
Once more a segment of the population, now the military, has turned away from medicine to find their own solution for dealing with pain. The black market thrives.
Is this the outcome we seek? The lessons of the great prohibition continue to fall on deaf ears — create the need and others will step in to find opportunity in crisis.
And the enforcement entities will continue to address 10% of the traffic, at best.
Unintended consequences abound with more to come until we commit to equitable solutions for people in pain.
They do not have a high abuse potential. Real figures show it to be very low.


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Perfect for beard care on the go or at home our handmade pocket beard comb is a Bold Beardsmen's best friend. Designed with the finest material this comb is an essential tool for taming that glorious beard.
Not all combs are created equally. The cheap plastic combs that are readily available actually damage your beard due to tiny ridges on the teeth of comb. Here at BoldBeardsmen we are dedicated to only providing the highest quality products. We feature hand made saw cut combs, that attention to detail eliminates the tiny ridges which allows our combs to glide through your beard seamlessly and helps spread our luxury beard balm evenly throughout your beard.


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How to Plan for Kidz Blitz Live
So, your Kidz Blitz Live deposit has been paid and your event has been scheduled! Now what? Here are a few "next step" suggestions.
1. Verify that your big event is on the church calendar.
This may include reserving the specific stage you plan to have Kidz Blitz Live on. If you are having Kidz Blitz Live at a venue other than your church, you should have already verified that the venue is available for your date, so be sure to reserve it now.
2. Kidz Blitz Ministries will send you an event kit about a week after you schedule your Kidz Blitz Live. This kit will have a guide, posters, contact info for your coordinator, a W-9 form and a sales receipt for your deposit among other things. Your event coordinator at Kidz Blitz Ministries is available for questions any time from the day you book to the day your event happens.
3. Decide if you will be doing any of these features during your big event:
1. Giveaways or Door Prizes
2. Meal before or after for event attendees
3. Info packet or gift for first-time visitors
4. Info packet or gift for people making or interested in making a decision for Christ
5. Pre-show worship
4. Promote your Kidz Blitz Live to get a big crowd
See valuable information in the article How To Get a Big Crowd at Your Event.
5. Recruit Your Adult Volunteers
Lighting Operator (familiar with house lights) will train 2 hrs prior to start time.
Sound Person (familiar with house sound system) will train 2 hrs prior to start time.
Two Team Captains (2 enthusiastic adults – 1 male and 1 female) will train 1.5 hrs prior to start time.
Tornado Operator (requires a strong adult man) will train 1.5 hrs prior to start time.
Scorekeeper (enthusiastic female) will train 1.5 hrs prior to start time.
Two "Security" Guards (incase a toddler rushes the stage LOL – male or female) will train 1.5 hrs prior to start time.
Two product table attendants (females preferred) arrive 45 minutes before start time.
Sign-In Attendants OPTIONAL
All volunteers must be 21 years of age or older.
*Read more about their roles in the Event Guidebook.
6. Follow Up
Once volunteers are chosen to fill these positions, follow up with phone calls and hold them responsible to arrive on time. It is very crucial that they do so. Have childcare arrangements for your volunteers during their training time if they need it.
See our Event Checklist
Print the first and last names of each volunteer next to his/her responsibility on the "Final Preparations" form found in your event kit. Give this to the event director when he arrives.
NOTE: Volunteers should wear casual, bright, solid colored clothing. Do NOT wear special costuming.
The event works best in the main auditorium. Gymnasiums are not ideal due to lighting and acoustic challenges. We recommend that chairs, pews, etc. be used for seating. Audience members sitting on the floor during the event is not ideal. Cover any ground outlets or vents located on stage.
Do not lay tarps or anything else over permanent flooring. Make a center aisle. Encourage families to sit together. Completely clear the platform prior to the event set-up time. Close the auditorium 2 hours before the event start time for volunteer training. Allow only volunteers to enter the auditorium. Please do not throw items into the crowd during or prior to the event.
Set-up for an evening event will take place the morning of the event. Set-up for a morning or early afternoon event will take place the evening before the event. This allows time for adjustments, repairs and restocking if necessary. Please provide two men to help unload and erect the set. Have the stage completely cleared prior to set-up.
Music will be played through your house sound system. The songs can be pre-loaded or provided to you on a CD or flash drive when we arrive. Request the digital files from your event coordinator at Kidz Blitz Ministries.
Please provide two microphones:
1 Cordless Headset Mic
1 Cordless Handheld Mic
Kidz Blitz Ministries allows the church to digitally record or video record your FX Live or Kidz Blitz Live event. In exchange for the rights to digitally record or video record, we ask that you provide an un-edited copy of the recording immediately following your event. The digital or video file must be saved as a Quicktime file in 422 Pro Res (preferred) or H264 (acceptable). Your event director will provide a portable hard drive for retrieving the file. As long as Kidz Blitz Ministries receives this file, the church has permission to duplicate and sell DVDs within the church.
Sometimes on stage it is hard to understand a child's name. It helps the event director when all attendees wear a name tag. Please make these available on a table before families enter the auditorium.
Two Tables: Place two eight-foot tables in the foyer or entry way where people will pass them on their way into the auditorium. Provide two adult helpers to assist with product sales before and after the event. They should arrive 45 minutes prior to start time and stay 30 minutes after the event ends.
Please provide the following items:
2 Large Trash Cans with Liners
1 Roll of Paper Towels
We do not make a huge mess, but it will be necessary for someone from your crew to vacuum when the event is over. Nothing we do will stain, damage or leave any marks.
We recommend that you follow up with those who have made a confession of faith. A great tool for doing this is a DVD titled The Best Gift by Kidz Matter. It is a cartoon about a boy, a birthday, and the best gift ever! It can be purchased by calling Kidz Matter at 877.568.2437 or contacting them on the web at Kidzmatter.com.


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Renew Your Company ID Today!
If you have an active Company Identifier, The billing contact on your account should have recently received an email from NENA - Company ID with a link to your 2019 CID subscription notice. Help NENA go green and save a stamp by choosing to pay online by check or credit card. If online payment is not an option, the email also contains a link to a printable copy of your invoice for local processing.
Thank you for your participation in the NENA Company ID program and use of your NENA assigned Company ID to improve 9-1-1 services on your telephone subscriber lines.
4/15/2020Renew Your CID Today!
3/13/2020COVID-19 Resources for 9-1-1 Authorities & PSAPs
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text: This site is owned and operated by Corbyjane. Site design, graphics, and content (except quotations) © 2009. All images retain their own personal copyright thingies: I do not claim to personally own any of these pictures as I stole them haphazardly from official, fan, and news-based sites. I try to give credit whenever I'm using someone else's information, but I am human and if there are errors in this site or you think I'm claiming something as my own that totally isn't, please let me know before you sue me! This blog was born out of a love for theatre, and I hope the owners of pictures and information understand I in no way am claiming ownership of their stuff.


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CHAMBER Ribbon Cutting - Cloud 9 Spa PearlandName: CHAMBER Ribbon Cutting - Cloud 9 Spa PearlandDate: January 16, 2020Time: 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM CSTEvent Description:Ribbon Cutting for Cloud 9 Spa Pearland!
Ribbon cuttings are a great opportunity to welcome our newest Chamber members, network with current members and learn about services in the area. These gatherings are a great way to get to know someone new, and as we all know - "People do business with people they know."
Cloud 9 Spa Pearland
12002 Shadow Creek Pkwy, Ste. 112
Pearland, TX 77584