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The 3rd generation Opel Zafira MPV has slipped out of GM's European design studio with this Opel Ampera-inspired sketch. With Saturn all but dead, is there any chance we'll ever see this here?
The sharing between Opel and Saturn may be coming to an end, but that doesn't mean that there isn't an opportunity for the Zafira MPV to land on our shores in the form of a small Chevrolet. We're not exactly sure what platform the Zafira will ride upon, or what will power it, but our guess would be GM's global Delta architecture underpinning the Chevy Cruze and a similar engine lineup including the new 150-horsepower 16-valve, 2.0-liter turbo diesel.
It's likely the Zafira will appear in European dealerships in 2011 and compete directly with the VW Touran, Renault Scenic and the Citroen C4 Picasso. [via motorward]


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For the past year I've been looking at blog designs and various designers but I just wasn't ready to take the plunge as I still wanted a bit more time to think about how I wanted the site to look and feel. In January I celebrated my 2-Year Blogiversary and thought this would be a gift to myself to celebrate.
Last month as I took a look again at Marina's website: Penny Lane Designs (*update: she has closed down her shop to focus on her family). I happened upon a super cute prefab design that was very affordable and I could see from her portfolio that she has consistently turned out beautiful and unique designs. While I didn't go the completely custom route, with all of the extras she offers such as font changes, blog button, page dividers, a new signature, a new background design, title banner and a much needed wide bar and overall wider design to showcase larger images, I knew I could really achieve a customized look that would reflect my personal style and the essence of the classy woman.
Marina is a sweetheart and was so easy to work with. I often felt guilty because we'd try a lot of different options for each component but her focus was on producing a blog design that I would be happy with in the end, I really appreciated that. After exchanging numerous e-mails and sharing my vision of what I wanted for the overall design, we've now achieved that. I highly recommend her to anyone looking at getting a custom designed blog and I think you'll like her pre-designed options too, you can check those out here. They are very affordable-her designs begin at $25 (not including all the extras I mentioned) which is a great way to quickly and inexpensively give any basic blogger site a face lift.
I chose the 'Paris' theme which is actually where Paul and I got engaged. Funny enough the actual post date that is shown on the design sample on her prefab page is my birthday-Aug.27th and the colors are so me. I just knew it was meant to be! Even though I'm not a huge fan of yellow in my home decor, something about it in combination with the other neutral, airy colors that I love (soft blue, taupe and white) gave it a little more personality and pop of color that I really like.
When any new design is installed, a designer must log into your blogger account to add the new code, which means they need to be granted admin privileges it also means they have access to everything-this was a little scary for me, I'll be honest. My blog is kind of my baby and a lot of time and effort has gone into it but Marina put me at ease and had everything set up in about 45 minutes. All of my content, followers, comments etc., that I had previously remained completely in tact. Thank you Marina for making it all painless!
While I loved my old design, it was time to move forward with a new look. Let's take one final look back at my self-created blog shall we?
I'd love to hear what you ladies think! Here's to a beautiful weekend!
Thanks or stopping by,

subset: commoncrawl


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Unplanned Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a happy event, if it is a planned one. Pregnancy brings joy and lots of responsibility. But when a couple is not prepared to handle the responsibility, it is better to avoid pregnancy. There are various ways to avoid pregnancy. Best available options are the contraceptives.
Once you engage in sexual intercourse, the possibility of pregnancy remains. It makes sense to opt for the most effective and safe alternative to avoid pregnancy.
Here are few options that will help you avoid unplanned pregnancy.
Avoid sex in those critical days
This is the most effective way to avoid an unplanned pregnancy. If you choose not to have sex, there is no way that you can get pregnant. Abstinence is by far the safest and most effective mode of birth control. Doctors also suggest some 'safe' days when one can have sex without getting pregnant.
Alternatively one can resort to a wide variety of contraceptive options, but the possibility of a pregnancy remains. The Contraceptive method is by far the most effective method.
Use of Condom
This form of contraceptive follows a barrier method where the male wears a condom on his penis before vaginal penetration. This is the safest method as it also effectively prevents the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases too. According to studies Condoms offer about 90% protection against unwanted pregnancies. Being easily accessible, effective and inexpensive, it is advisable to use a condom before every intercourse. It is necessary to change it every time as there is a possibility of wear and tear in the latex condoms and even a minute breakage can cause the semen to pass through into the vagina and result in pregnancy. Condoms with spermicides are even more effective as the spermicide kills the sperms that may have accidentally spilled into the vagina, thereby preventing the possibility of pregnancy.
Female Sponge
Women can avoid pregnancy by using the sponge as it is a safe birth control measure and unlike other options (for women), it is hormone free. It is convenient to use and very effective as well. The only problem is that it is yet not widely available, at least in the local drug stores. The sponge, which is inserted inside the vagina also protects against sexually transmitted diseases.
Female Contraceptive Devices
A diaphragm which is a tiny flexible rubber disc is a female contraceptive device easily available in most of the medical stores. The diaphragm needs to be inserted into the cervix through the vagina of the woman under a clinical setting. The diaphragm is customised in terms of size and it covers the cervix thereby creating a barrier for the semen. It also carries spermicide and needs to stay in the woman for at least 6 hours following an intercourse.
IUD or intrauterine device is another option. It is a contraceptive implant which is inserted inside the uterus and can be effective for 5-10 years. It is very effective in preventing an unplanned pregnancy, although there may be few side effects like abnormal menstrual bleeding and cramps.
Birth Control Pill
Birth control pill is the most popular contraceptive used by women all over the world. It works on the hormones that trigger ovulation and prevents it, thereby preventing pregnancy. Pills are highly effective and it is advisable to take them under medical prescription. Since the pill and other similar contraceptive methods that work with female hormones, there is a possibility of associated side-effects like usual weigh gain, nausea and depression.


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No big deal if Yakubu Mahmood fits in the mould of Attahiru Jega. How a wobbling democracy tags along with a 21-century election management remains the heart of the matter
IT took Nigeria's democracy 15 years of sweat, tears, and blood to notch 4/16 in the rule of law, according to the UK-based Freedom House rating. And the NGO is kind enough to note the uptick in the freedom level inside the world's most peopled black nation. Which in some ways confirms it's no waltz tending a growing democracy. Some, however, think otherwise. And their take on the most important lever of freedom election can't be more starry-eyed, and the manner they pitch into INEC no less unsparing.
The Nigerian Bar Association 'sex-President Augustine Alegeh was the first to rip into Prof. Yakubu Mahmood recently. The lawyer believes, as elections go, the new chief pollster is hexed with near-hits. To make his point, Alegeh claimed Mahmood conducted 136 inconclusive elections in one year. That was some hard blind side. And about the same time, the Vanguard for Sustainable Democracy and Good Governance, in a wordy open letter entitled The Demon of Inconclusive Elections and Fate of Nigerians, took another dig at the commission. All for the same reason."[And]if you believe that inconclusive elections is inevitable in Nigeria, please resign honourably in the interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," the group advised.
But, as it happened, these nay-sayers and many others are just shooting from the hip. Over the last one year, INEC has nailed 72 percent of the elections it has to conduct at first ballot and as reruns.
"The Commission has thus far concluded 139 elections (118 at first ballot and 21 after supplementary) out of a total of 163 scheduled elections and that 22 elections were suspended due to violence while 2 elections are sub-judice," INEC's Secretary Musa Adamu said in defence.
But having to stamp his foot and toot his own horn might look odd to Mahmood now. All his life, as a high performer, his work has always proven his worth. From his university days as a student through to his lecturing years at the Nigeria Defence Academy, and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) years as executive secretary, Mahmood has been carrying everything before him.
Granted he might just not be the only qualified candidate that suited Buhari's book in 2015. But he was among the most qualified. Not just because he is a professor of history and international studies, with expertise in counter-terrorism and war. He's got a lot more stuff that makes him such a brainy Gen Xer you can't brush past. Mahmood bagged his PhD at 29, having left behind a B.Sc. record–first class in history, the University of Sokoto–which nobody has ever broken in the whole of the north. His learnedness got lots of recognition in Ivy League institutions abroad, too. His home state Bauchi first gave him scholarship to Oxford and Cambridge. He later won the over Overseas Research Student (ORS) Award by the London-based Committee of Vice-Chancellors of United Kingdom (UK) Universities three times. Plus he got the Commonwealth Scholarship the Association of Commonwealth Universities offers to study at Oxford.
As for experience, Mahmood is no greenhorn. Before he left academia, he was on the Obi Ezekwesili Education Transformation Team in former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration then. He was later appointed pioneer head of TETFUND in 2007 by the late President Umar Yar' Adua. The records are there to see how far he took the interventionist agency.
Before the establishment of TETFUND, no Nigerian university ranked among the first 100 in Africa. And the excuses served up then were lack of resources to research, run-down facilities, and brain drain across Nigeria's ivory towers, according to Oludare Ogunlana and Chima Amadi of the Global Alternative Agenda and Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group.(The two bodies and other coalitions were up against the plan to fold up the fund in 2012) But by 2011, under Mahmood, a number of Nigerian varsities joined the league of the first 100.
So, definitely, all the head-banging on inconclusive elections wouldn't be about the 54-year-old being a few bricks short of a load. Neither does it chip anything off his competence as INEC's boss, the youngest shoulders to ever bear the burden of 70 million voters in Nigeria. He will get all those jabs if he falters as 2019 draws close–and much more if the system he works in becomes near perfect.
For now, it's a rigged system–for the rich and the violent. An average Nigerian voter, a research document by the INEC says, is one-track mind; he violently rejects any result other than what's on his mind. And after the rage, he flies to court. No fewer than 680 court cases sprang up after the 2015 polls. "It has no bearing on election credibility or the transparency with which it's conducted," said Prof Lai Olurode, INEC's former national commissioner and editor of the document. "You can't do elections without deployment of large number of security agencies to the field."
Money also matters. And a mint of it, too. Every step of the way. "It is so costly to do elections in the country because every process has been monetised," Olurode noted last year. The commission said Nigeria spent N122 billion on the 2011 election the world's most expensive, by The Economist estimate. Over N114 billion was funnelled down into the 2015 poll. Even within the party, the tune is not different. On presidential candidates alone, the APC spent N332.503 million while the PDP blew N1.049 billion on ads in 2015. So if security and party democratisation are problems, they are sure none of INEC's. They can't be Mahmood's either–even in 2019.
But that's no excuse for him to flop in the coming elections. He dare not even whine as some think he's trying to do now. His August declaration at the Punch Place–that no guarantee elections will be conclusive in 2019–was no sign of copping out. It was only logical for him to say that, considering how bald politicians can go to bend the rule, and where the Electoral Act stands. "There is no way the commission will declare any election conclusive where the threshold is not met," he said on Aug 20. "We can only declare an election conclusive when we are satisfied with the law and electoral act because all elections are governed by the constitution."
If it then gets to the point Nigerians prefer wrapping up elections at all costs to upholding the constitution, there is a way around it: compromise. "This is the challenge that we face," he said. "But we must express it because we (INEC) will not compromise." There goes another hard liner.
Could that be his tragic flaw? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's his personal decision, cut and dry, "I have made a commitment to this country that the day I think I cannot perform this job in good conscience, I would leave."
That sounds like a lovely way to want out–to many ramrod-straight public servants like Mahmood.


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What's Your Animal Sign?
What's Your Animal Sign?
What's Your Animal Sign?
Wealth Cat Hanging
This little maneki neko with two hands up attracts wealth and increases turnover. Place this lucky cat near your cash register, hang on your door, or carry it with you to increase sales, wealth and turnover.
- Width: 3.0 cm
- Make: Rose Gold Plated Enamel
- Weight: 75 grams
- Height: 28.0 cm
- Length: 4.0 cm
*The above measurements are all approximate.
Currently there are no reviews for this product. Share your opinion with others, be the first to write a review.


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BENEFITING: National Fragile X Foundation
ORGANIZER: Shamary
EVENT DATE: May 17, 2015
Shamary Feliciano-Colondres wrote -
IMPORTANT: A donation is not a registration. WALKERS must use the REGISTER button in order to join the walk.
TIME: 8:30AM - 1 mile walk begins (please arrive by 7:45AM)
LOCATION: Burke Lake Park - 7315 Ox Road - Fairfax Station - Virginia
DETAILS: Early Registration is $35 per adult (includes dry fit t-shirt) and $15 per child (includes dry fit t-shirt) Children under 4 are free. Late Registration after May 5th is $40 per adult and $15 per child and shirt sizes are not guaranteed.
Park Entrance - Please tell the ticket booth you are attending the Fragile X Walk to avoid paying the entrance fee
Walk registration deadline is May 5th, 2014
Donation deadline - NEVER!
Please visit our website for more details
Corporate Sponsors - deadline is May 1st
One mile Family Friendly walk at the beautiful Burke Lake Park. Afterwards enjoy music, train ride, refreshments, snacks, and lots of fun!
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic condition that causes intellectual disability, behavioral and learning challenges and various physical characteristics. FXS is the most common known genetic cause of autism. It can cause learning and behavior challenges ranging from mild to severe. Over 1 million individuals nationwide have, or are at risk, of carrying the Fragile X mutation. As many as 1 out of 151 women and 1 in 468 males are carriers of the Fragile X gene and are at risk.
Please join us to help raise both awareness and critically needed research dollars! In addition to our search for a cure, we are raising funds to provide Fragile X experts to our families, teachers and therapists.
Corporate Sponsors
Thanks for wanting to help Fragile X!
Please visit www.crowdrise.com/FXSNOVA2016 to donate to the 2016 campaign!


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How to hack Government
It's the final day before the end of the first quarter, and I am in the midst of the senior shuffle...
All day, kids walk in and beg for forgiveness and mercy to review for the final... to get an extension... to turn in late work...
I sit and listen to them with poise and compassion, and dole out indulgences with an even and just disposition.
These kids are trying to be the best students they can. I know that in my 36 years of wisdom, I have forgotten what it is like to be on the other side of the desk. To sit through four blocks with no physical ed is TORTURE! Power points and lecture notes and labs seem unending!
So, today I am sitting and reflecting on what I can do to be a constantly improving teacher. This is for my fellow lovgubbers and all teachers in general.
I work with too many professionals who are ridiculously wise, but find collaboration and sharing to be a threat.
I get this. I am a former collegiate athlete. Competition is truly a drug, and I want to be the best. But, my experience in life tells me this can't happen. I can't be the best teacher every day, day in and day out, to the 125 kids revolving around my universe. I get sick, distracted, frustrated, tired... and I miss the mark completely even though I tried my hardest.
So, I seek refuge in collaboration. My collaboration happens with an awesome peer network at my school... but if you don't have that or WHATEVER... there is life out on the web.
I started this website to collaborate and share at the same time as many other government teachers started to do the EXACT same thing.
Here are some of my favorite teacher created government resources on line:
I also collaborate on FB in secret groups and on Edmodo. There are so many awesome resources out there.
Beyond this, there are a ton of apps and on-line materials that help lovgubbers teach gov better. And they are often reliant upon primary and secondary materials... not pithy commentary from wikihow or answers.com.
Here are some of my favorites:
BONUS: MOOCs from UVA and Stanford...
Apps and Services to make your classroom BETTER
All of these are free, and make my students happy. I use Prezi and Grid to sort and present information. I use Open States, Congress, Track Bill and Congressional Record to data mine. Socrative, Poll Everywhere and Kahootz let me quiz and assess my kids. Edmodo gives me online and moderated collaborative study sessions. Celly and Remind allow me to communicate with my students on field trips and outside of class time via text messages. Ted and Youtube... well, you know what that is for! And I keep my knowledge together and to date with Drive, TeacherPayTeachers, and Flipboard.
Do I use these daily? No! Not all of them... I really use them at particular times of the year... but they are all free, all easy for the kids, and reaches the kids how they want to be reached. It's accessible, fun, and translatable.
I know this is overwhelming. Doing something well will be overwhelming. But the great news is that there are awesome teachers, resources, and tools that are out there for you to use everyday in your classroom. You now have knowledge... start hacking away at the data! Collaborate something beautiful! Stay a mindful learner and teach so your kids remember the material! You can do it!
New Resources for a New School Year
Wow. The new school year has really hit me hard this year. I have been scrambling to keep up with all of the new fun demands of the school board, two preps (both government, but both of them requiring significant effort and retooling), new students, and all the demands of life outside of teaching.
I find myself trolling the Internet routinely for new ways to teach and reach my students.
I look for games (online and old-school), primary source lessons, ideas, apps, interviews, videos, tech-based, and otherwise. I have found so much, and want to share maybe ten really cool things that I am having some luck with in my classroom.
Social Networking is my friend
I am finding that my own, personal social networking accounts are converting over to extensions of professional development.
Twitter has a set crew of government teachers who meet on Sundays from 6-7pm PST and share resources and ideas on pre-arranged topics. I perused their latest chat on elections, and was blown away by the variety of content shared. Check them out... do a search for #hsgovchat and share or pose a question! If you want more, including archived resources, check out their website... Best thing here, you do NOT need a twitter account to see what they say, but an account is necessary if you want to say something.
Facebook has a similar private group for AP Government Teachers. I like this format because it is more dialogue and sharing of actual ideas and units than just posting of resources around the Internet. It is closer knit, with a puprose, and has a lot of collaboration with subject-matter experts in the AP Government world. Look them up on FB and ask for permission to join.
Photo via Flickr/Ted Eytan
March 2018


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"Bad press is good press" as they say, and if that's what the Hitman: Absolution marketing team where aiming for, then they are bang on the money, again.
In the run-up to the game's release, Square Enix released the 'Attack of the Saints' trailer which quite a stir. The trailer violent portrayed of a group of female mercenaries dressed in what was seen as "sexualised' nun outfits.
Yesterday Square Enix launched a new Facebook app for Hitman: Absolution which would have users put out a "virtual hit" on their Facebook friends. Players could tell Agent 47 how to identify the target from a dropdown menu that included traits that have been perceived as bullying (such as bad odor, "small tits," small penis). These options were given as a reason for the hit.
Unsurprisingly this was perceived as an avenue for online bullying and just poor form. Square Enix quickly pulled the app, and GamesIndustryBiz report that Square Enix have now apologized for the controversial app.
"We were wide of the mark with the app, and following feedback from the communitywe decided the best thing to do was remove it completely and quickly. This we've now done.
"We're sorry for any offense caused by this."


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Aker BioMarine is a leading supplier of krill-derived products to consumer health and wellness and animal nutrition markets. We are committed to working with our customers to improve human, pet, and planetary health. The krill-derived product we deliver to the pet industry consist of a high-quality ingredient that enhances our partners' products. Together, we are advancing krill-related science, documenting health benefits, and strengthening our customers by developing valuable pet food formulations. We want pets in homes all around the world to thrive as a result of consuming the healthy, much-needed nutrients provided by QRILL Pet.
Our fully transparent value chain stretches from sustainable krill harvesting in pristine Antarctic waters through our Montevideo logistics hub, and all the way to customers around the world. We add value by being more than a regular B2B supplier. By working closely with our customers we help them develop and market desirable pet food products. Together, we advance krill science, optimize pet food formulations, and educate pet parents about the importance of choosing the best omega-3 source for pets.
We have always sought to do what no other company has done. This drive is more important than ever as we gear up for exponential growth.
Matts Johansen
CEO, Aker BioMarine
Read more: Our 100% controlled value chain
Aker BioMarine has been involved in more pre-clinical and clinical studies concerning Antarctic krill health benefits than any other company. Our strong in-house scientific team also provides effective documentation of the health and nutrition benefits of our products. Scientific projects across our product lines are always underway, and we collaborate with universities and partners to advance krill-related science. Our research and development team assists our customers in solving problems, generating new ideas, and providing scientific validation. We want our customers to succeed and grow as a result of our support, which includes lending our expertise and initiating collaboration projects.
Our QRILL Pet marketing story begins in the cold, pristine waters of Antarctica and reaches out to shoppers selecting their preferred pet foods. We are more than a B2B ingredients supplier to pet food brands. We add value by collaborating with customers to further educate pet parents about nutrients vital to the health of their furry family members. Choosing the right omega-3 source should be a priority. All QRILL Pet marketing materials are developed with pet owners in mind. Through scientific documentation and targeted marketing support, we help pet food producers tell an inspiring story about how Antarctic krill ingredients promote the health and wellbeing of pets — worldwide.
Aker BioMarine should be perceived as a partner who brings valuable insights, introduces new market opportunities, and guides its customers for growth and product expansion.
EVP MARKETING & Innovation, AKER BIOMARINE


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Bearing Witness
By Unknown on 12:07
Filed Under:
In the deceptively-warm glow of an afternoon sun in winter, Brother Philip makes a stand for his faith before an inquisitive audience, some of whom came to spectate, others to debate, some to learn and on occasion too, there are those who come to heckle. This after all, is Speakers' Corner.
The knowledgeable know this pitch as the site for these platforms are called, to be that operated by the Catholic Evidence Guild, an association of Catholic volunteers who by speaking at their pitch which incidentally is yards from Tyburn Convent, present compelling witness to their faith as Catholics and offer explanation of the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. The Tyburn pitch of the guild which was established in 1918 is the oldest of all pitches bar one at Speakers' Corner, supporting statistical evidence that despite an increasingly-secular society, Roman Catholics in bearing witness still account for the highest percentage of Britain's Christian mass-going population.
Thankfully not all occasions of weekly witness comprise entirely of debates with hecklers since as Brother Henryk shows here, moments of thoughtful joy also make up the experience of an afternoon at the pitch.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
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We're committed to supporting the Global Goals to end extreme poverty in the next 15 years.
We're committed to supporting the Global Goals to end extreme poverty in the next 15 years.
At the United National General Assembly in 2015, 193 world leaders committed to 17 Global Goals to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change in the next 15 years. The Global Goals For Sustainable Development are designed to get these things done, in all countries, for all people. The 17 goals reflect the next chapter for global development. They replace the eight previous Millennium Development Goals and will set a framework for the world to unite around through 2030.
We can be the first generation to end extreme poverty, the most determined generation in history to end injustice and inequality and the last generation to be threatened by climate change.
Spread the word! If the goals are going to work, everyone needs to know about them. If the goals are famous, they won't be forgotten. #GlobalGoals
TOMS gives through our global network of more than 100 Giving Partners. These nonprofit, humanitarian organizations have deep experience in the regions they serve and expertise in international development and most of the development goal areas. The Global Goals are seen as the "guiding principles" for the work that many of our Giving Partners are doing. TOMS will continue to support, track and ensure alignment of our collective efforts in as many ways as possible (Global Goal 17).
Here's a snapshot of how the work our partners are doing supports the Global Goals:
Giving Partners give new TOMS shoes through their programs. All of TOMS Shoe Giving supports Global Goals 1 through 8, specifically 2/3 of programs directly deliver to the targets in Goals 2, 3, and 4.
Good Health (Goal 3) is at the core of nearly 100% of the sight restorations that TOMS Giving Partners perform. The UN defines this as helping to increase health financing and the recruitment, development and training of retention of the health workforce.
Goal 6 focuses on Clean Water and Sanitation and 100% of TOMS Water Giving supports programs working toward safe and accessible drinking water.
By supporting programs that aim to reduce maternal mortality and end preventable deaths of newborns, 100% of TOMS Safe Birth Giving supports Goal 3, Good Health.
Through our local manufacturing initiative, TOMS creates opportunities for full and productive employment by producing more than 1/3 of shoes we give in the regions where they are given. This work supports Goal 8, Good Jobs and Economic Growth.
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Tag Archives: emotions
Note: I mentioned discovering some old poems in my last post. Whenever I get the time, I will be publishing one =)
In every person's life there comes a change
It may be surprising, it may be strange.
Your entry into my life was a welcome one
It was at a time when in my heart I carried a ton.
You helped me ease the pain, to make a start
In pouring out the deepest worries of my heart.
At first to me it didn't seem right
To make you worry, or feel sorry at my plight.
But you weren't bothered about what the world would say
You made it your mission to to brighten my day.
Whenever I was about to stumble and fall
You steadied me, helped me stand tall.
We've made our special world because of which we
Know each other so well, it surprises me!
Whenever you need me, know I'm not too far away
And I promise you, I'll try to keep your worries at bay.
Through thick and thin we'll stick together
You can be sure, I'll be there forever.
You make me feel special; you've lifted my soul.
Even though I don't tell you everyday
You mean the world to me, more than words can say!
2012, it's been a pleasure (somewhat)!
I've always read things like this. And never realised how much you can learn when you put your thoughts to paper (or in this case, a virtual note). Until 2012. This past year, I got back to writing, with a renewed passion. It's not like I had stopped before, I just wasn't motivated enough to write as much. But I did, and I'm glad about that.
Have you wondered what it would be like, to have a whole year be something you never, ever expected it to be? I always did, until 2012 came along. Boy, what a year it has been!
It's been a year of many firsts.
– I left home for the first time. And that wasn't easy, especially coming from a background that prefers to keep "their own" a little too close. But my parents knew it was important to me, to break away, and they let me go and find my way.
– I lived by myself for the first time. Being a twenty-something, I've wanted to experience a home of my own – away from family. I wanted to be able to discover myself. And moving to a place where I knew no one helped me do that.
– I made friends with people from at least 10 different countries, for the first time. And some wonderful ones, at that. Learning about different cultures, and different ways of life, has been a divine experience. It made me realise that my hope…no, my dream, is to travel. Not just around the world. But, through stories. Through cultures. Through experiences. Through life.
– I created, and stuck to creating, a blog – for the first time. It's what made me realise how much I'd been missing writing. And how much I wanted to keep writing. It was like reconnecting with a part of my soul I didn't know I had lost touch with. It also made me realise, I had an outlet of sorts. To hopefully never, ever lose that part of my soul again.
It's also been a year of many life lessons…
– I learnt that no matter what, there are some people I can't win over. And that's okay. What matters is that I tried. Friends, acquaintances or family, no one should point a finger at you and say that you never made an effort to make good with them.
– I learnt what dating could feel like, outside my comfort zone. I went on dates with people who I wasn't in a relationship with, and it was refreshing. It also becomes a part of your soul-searching, because you understand how you feel about relationships in general.
– I learnt that it was okay to let people in, especially those who make an effort to come in. It allows you to let some amazing souls in your life. You make an effort to make sure the walls stay up, but these people will break them down, because they care enough to.
– I learnt that people who were close to me can, and possibly will, leave. And I can't change that, no matter how much I try. It's a way of life. People come, people go. The ones that really care, will do whatever it takes to stay. And the ones that leave, probably have no reason to stay anymore.
And the most important thing 2012 has taught me is:
I learnt that if I didn't believe myself that I was amazing, no one else really had a reason to believe it either. Why would they? You need to believe you are a gift in everyone's lives, and they're lucky to have/know you. Because you don't need yourself to bring you down, there will be people to try that anyway. It's the way of the universe.
It's what life is about – firsts, experiences, milestones and memories. So here's to life. And here's to letting 2013 try to top 2012! Bring it on!
Inner Turmoil
That haunting feeling…It's the worst. When you know you are facing the calm before the storm. And there's probably nothing you can do about it, than watch the horror unfold.
There are days when I just want to escape…to any place. Anywhere that I can scream my lungs out till every bit of frustration seeps out, drop by drop. Then there are days I want to just curl up in a corner (preferably in bed), cut off from the rest of the world…Just pretend I had no problems. That if I ignored them long enough, they'd go away.
But they don't. Problems don't disappear. You either fix them, or they take over your life. Or they pretend to disappear, only to resurface with a vengeance again, at another, more troubling time.
It is a horrid feeling, to have to deal with any of the bad stuff going on. It sucks even more not having someone to talk to about it. I have amazing friends, but then again, the person I am wouldn't want to tell people of my problems. I'm the one that solves problems, not the one that has them! There are loads of people who feel the same way, I'm sure!
With all my talk of being wary about love, there is one thing I've realised. Whether it's a friend, a lover or just someone who cares, it's definitely nice to have someone in your life. Someone who is always willing to listen, but willing to have a conversation too. Someone to just give me a big hug and tell me 'everything's going to be okay'…Who won't mind if I bawled like a baby because I knew it wasn't going to be.
Just someone to be my wall for once, instead of the other way around.


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Rather than just leaving an average book review, I am attaching the link, below, so that you can just buy this book directly. (Pay no mind to the cover or the bad font - this book could end up saving your life!)
Written by F. Kim O'Neill (not much is known about him, although he must have an impressive background) this book covers everything that you can think of, and I mean EVERYTHING!
In this book you will learn about the different classifications of zombies (the viral, the supernatural, and the voodoo types). You will learn their strengths and their weaknesses. You will also learn several combat strategies, with many fighting tactics and techniques.
If that isn't enough, you will be taught proven survival methods, such as finding food, water, and shelter, and many, many other skills.
This book is completely engrossing and really should be required reading!
Rating: 5 Skulls!
For those of you who may have already read Max Brooks' 'Zombie Survival Guide', you may be asking yourself if you really need to read this book as well, and the answer is an emphatic YES! You will learn far more in this book and feel much more confident in your ability to survive any type of apocalypse (not just zombie).
Also, if you are a fan of David McIntee's 'We Will Destroy Your Planet. . .', then you will definitely want to read this book as well.
Before I log off and start preparing myself a zombie bug-out bag, I just want to reiterate that this book may one day save your life!


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To give you an idea of the type of people they let into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), think Edison, Tesla, Eastman, Whitney and Goodyear. Now, as the 2014 NIHF finalists have been announced, we're proud to see a name that's meant so much to 3D Systems added to the list: Hull.
It's official. Chuck Hull, 3D Systems' founder and CTO will be welcomed into the NIHF at a ceremony on May 21, 2014, at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va.
This is undoubtedly a huge moment in a 3D printing career that began over 30 years ago, when Chuck produced the first successful 3D print and pioneered the Stereolithography (SLA) printing technology. Chuck set out to develop a faster and less expensive way to build prototypes, but his invention has ballooned far beyond his expectations, as it powers new medical applications, aerospace developments, film and entertainment projects and more.
Congratulations, Chuck. We're proud of you and what you've accomplished.
Click here to read more about Chuck's induction into the NIHF.


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Discovery announces launch of three new channels in India
The new channels include a new concept Hindi entertainment channel ID - Investigation Discovery. The company is expanding its HD offering with the launch of TLC HD World and Animal Planet HD World
A Hindi Entertainment Channel & Two High Definition Channels
Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has announced the launch of three new channels in India at the Goafest, including a new concept Hindi entertainment channel ID - Investigation Discovery.
The company will expand its HD offering with the launch of two differentiated gold standard channels – TLC HD World and Animal Planet HD World.
Discovery's expanded portfolio of 11 differentiated channels reflects India's potential and resonate the core promise of digitisation in India. In the previous years, it launched Discovery Turbo, Discovery Science, Discovery HD World and Discovery Kids at Goafest.
Speaking about the expansion, Rahul Johri, Executive Vice President and General Manager – South Asia, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific and Head of Revenue, Pan-Regional Ad Sales and Southeast Asia commented, "The launch of three new channels – ID, TLC HD World and Animal Planet HD World demonstrates Discovery's commitment to entertain Indian viewers and offer high-quality and differentiated programming."
ID will be India's first Hindi entertainment channel dedicated to offer true stories of mystery, crime and suspense. Commenting on the channel, Johri said, "ID is one of the great success stories in US cable and we are thrilled to present the impactful and entertaining investigative programming to viewers in India."
Steering the premium audience in the country, TLC HD World will have dedicated 24-hour programming on destinations, personalities and trends, underscoring its 'Live more' promise.
Animal Planet HD World will bring alive the warm and intimate bond that exists between humans and animal kingdom.
Discussing the growth potential of high definition in India, Johri said, "The launch of the two new high definition channels TLC HD World and Animal Planet HD World has further extended Discovery's leadership in the HD genre. Both the new networks, along with existing Discovery HD World, will enrich television viewing experience and satisfy the emerging demands of audience, advertisers and affiliates."
Discovery's existing portfolio in India includes eight channels: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Tamil, TLC, Discovery Kids, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo and Discovery HD World.For more updates, be socially connected with us on
WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook & Youtube


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Tinnitus Management
Tinnitus Management – Tinnitus is a serious health condition that can negatively affect a patient's quality of life. ATA is dedicated to alleviating the burden of tinnitus, both by funding advanced tinnitus research in search of a cure, and by connecting patients to the best currently-available options for tinnitus management.
Tinnitus Management – There is presently no known cure for tinnitus. However, there are very good, well-established tools and treatments that can significantly reduce the perceived burden of tinnitus. With perseverance and support from trained healthcare professionals, these options can help tinnitus patients — even those with with severe cases of the condition.
Tinnitus Management – There are many, many claims about different products, treatments, services and dietary practices, and their impact on tinnitus. However, very few of these claims have been scientifically proven — or even tested in a clinical setting.
Source: ATA.ORG
Schedule Now 907-522-4357 [email protected]


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Getting Ready for the Festive Season.
I've finally added a new Item to my shop!
I know I said in my last post that I was working on an apron but I found out that I don't have the right coloured thread for the top stitching so I decided to make something else instead.
I was looking through all my materials and found some with a Christmas theme left over from gifts i'd made the family last christmas. Etsy has just had a big push on 'Christmas in July' and there was lots of advice telling shop owners to get festive items in their shops nice and early, so I figured I may as well get some in my own shop in preparation.
As there wasn't a lot of material left I decided to make a tie. I made ties for all the men in my family last christmas and they seemed to be a big hit! My grandpa actually got the tie made from the same material as this one and seemed so proud to have it! It made me really happy to see him so excited to wear something i'd made!
I really like this material, it's festive but sophisticated at the same time. I think it makes a tie that's perfect for adding a bit of fun, festive cheer and can be worn to any kind of event, whether serious or more relaxed.
I also incorporated the penguin I spoke about in my last post. I've sewn it onto the back of the large end and think it works really well!
I'm very proud of this Item and think it is the best tie i've made so far (quite likely with the help of my new snazzy machine!) . It's now for sale in my shop right here. So if you're wanting to do a bit of early christmas shopping please stop by!
I'm sure i'll be making more festive Items in the future, the only problem is i'm not sure what kind of items to make, other than Ties and Aprons. I had also thought of making a stocking or two, or some kind of festive gift bag. What do you think I should make with my material? What would you want to buy this Christmas? Please leave suggestions in the comments below or fill in the poll on my facebook page 🙂 It would be very useful.


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Thank goodness for The AIDS Action Committee which hosts AIDS Walk Boston each year. Its too easy to forget and sometimes too uncomfortable to remember the legacy of AIDS. Its like an ugly blemish you want to hide and forget about. In the 80s while tens of thousands of people were afflicted with AIDS / HIV our government was too squeamish to provide either the support services or educate people on how to protect themselves. Now some 30 years later we know better but AIDS remains and continues to spread. Betty Byrnes a long time AIDS activist and mother reminds us why its important and how we can help make a difference.
If you can not join the 30,000+ who will join in the walk through Boston, Brookline and Cambridge on Sunday morning, won't you consider sponsoring a walker or making an independent donation to the organization? You can set up your own page in just moments or make a donation here.


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Scappoose moves forward on urban renewal district
Scappoose city councilors will soon decide if they will form an urban renewal agency as the next step in the process of creating an urban renewal district.
The city commissioned a feasibility study in early 2018 to explore if urban renewal would be an effective means to fund infrastructure and economic development work. ECONorthwest, a consulting firm also working with the city on its housing needs analysis, completed the study.
At the council's May 20 meeting, Lorelei Juntunen and Becky Hewitt of ECONorthwest presented the proposed boundary, maximum debt and project list for the urban renewal area.
Once the council approves those key elements, Elaine Howard, another consultant, will draft the urban renewal plan and report.
The city's Technical Advisory Committee met with ECONorthwest consultants in April and presented suggestions to councilors at the May 20 meeting.
TAC recommended spending the most urban renewal funds, just under $8 million, on wastewater treatment plant improvements, sewer projects and drinking water treatment and supply. The second largest category, with roughly $5 million in recommended projects, was transportation improvements. Safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians came in third, followed by enhanced streetscapes and storefront improvements.
A financial report drafted by Tiberius Solutions LLC determined that after factoring for inflation and fees, the total amount of funding generated by a 30-year urban renewal plan would be between $11.4 million and $25.5 million.
In an urban renewal district, a "frozen base" assessed value is determined. That means that property taxes up to that assessed value continue to be distributed to government agencies as normal, but any increase in the assessed value would generate additional property tax revenue that goes toward the urban renewal district.
Residents will not see any increase in their property taxes due to an urban renewal district, but tax-funded districts will see a decrease in expected funding. A Tiberius Solutions report concluded that for a property valued at $103,000, an urban renewal district would have pulled a total of $36.05 from other tax districts in the prior fiscal year.
"Funding for urban renewal works through the division of property tax revenues, which results in foregone revenues for overlapping taxing districts," explained a September 2018 report from ECONorthwest.
Those foregone revenues were noted by Scappoose Fire District Chief Mike Greisen, who spoke at the City Council meeting to advocate against establishing an urban renewal district. Previously, the city had conducted a survey of residents to find out what improvements they most wanted in the city.
"Were Scappoose residents ever asked what services they would reduce or eliminate to have the improvements they wanted? Did the city ask its citizens what services and positions they would recommend for reduction or elimination due to insufficient tax revenue available for city services?" Greisen asked.
The urban renewal plan would not redirect funds from local options and bonds, which means more than half of the tax revenue for Scappoose Fire District and Columbia 911 would be protected.
ECONorthwest proposed a few small additions to the boundary, totaling roughly 17 acres, and proposed removing Scappoose Middle School, which is 19 acres.
You count on us to stay informed and we depend on you to fund our efforts. Quality local journalism takes time and money. Please support us to protect the future of community journalism.


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Research Output per year
Organization profile
Organisation profile
The Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) has established an internationally recognised portfolio of health services research focusing on two main programmes; Health Care Assessment and Impoving Experiences of Care. www.abdn.ac.uk/hsru
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics where Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) is active. These topic labels come from the works of this organisation's members. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Recent external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.
Magaly Aceves Martins
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) - Research Fellow
Person: Academic Related - Research
Jonathan Affolter
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) - Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer
Person: Honorary
Lorna Aucott
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) - Senior Research Fellow
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Centre for Health Data Science
- Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Farr Aberdeen
- Institute of Applied Health Sciences
Person: Academic, Academic Related - Research
Research Output
A 19 year population based cohort study analysing reoperation for recurrence following laparoscopic and open inguinal hernia repairsRamsay, G., Scott, N. W. & Jansen, J., Aug 2020, In : Hernia. 24, p. 793-800 8 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
A behavioural approach to specifying interventions: what insights can be gained for the reporting and implementation of interventions to reduce antibiotic use in hospitals?Duncan, E. M., Charani, E., Clarkson, J. E., Francis, J. J., Gillies, K., Grimshaw, J. M., Kern, W. V., Lorencatto, F., Marwick, C. A., McEwen, J., Möhler, R., Morris, A. M., Ramsay, C. R., Rogers Van Katwyk, S., Rzewuska, M., Skodvin, B., Smith, I., Suh, K. N. & Davey, P. G., May 2020, In : Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 75, 5, p. 1338–1346 9 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
A multicentre, randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment versus standard NHS Speech and Language Therapy versus control in Parkinson's disease: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trialSackley, C. M., Rick, C., Au, P., Brady, M. C., Beaton, G., Burton, C., Caulfield, M., Dickson, S., Dowling, F., Hughes, M., Ives, N., Jowett, S., Masterson-Algar, P., Nicoll, A., Patel, S., Smith, C. H., Woolley, R. & Clarke, C. E., 27 May 2020, In : Trials. 21, 13 p., 436.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Twitter Data for Scottish Independence Referendum and UK General Election
Pang, W. (Data Manager), Abdul, A. O. (Data Collector), Emele, C. (Data Collector), Bone, J. (Contributor) & Coghill, G. (Data Manager), University of Aberdeen, 2015
Pharmacy choice DCE
Watson, V. (Creator) & Porteous, T. (Creator), University of Aberdeen, 24 Nov 2015
DOI: 10.20392/a6290b9b-4e2f-4545-b249-be065e80582e
Rounding, but not randomization method, non-normality, or correlation, affected baseline P-value distributions in randomized trials
Bolland, M. J. (Creator), Gamble, G. D. (Creator) & Avenell, A. (Creator), Elsevier, 8 Mar 2019
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.03.001
Principal's Prize for Public Engagement with Research
Goulao, Beatriz (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Awards, Medals, Prizes and Distinctions
Principal's Prize for Public Engagement with Research 2015, Outstanding Achievement: Early Career Category, Runner up
Morgan, Heather (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Awards, Distinctions, Medals, and Prizes
Activities per year
Delphi Survey for the development of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) extension for harms (CONSORT Harms 2018)
Miriam Giovanna Brazzelli (Consultant)
Activity: Industry Engagement, Consultancy, Spinouts, CPD and Licensing › Consultancy
Summer School for Young Neurologists
Miriam Giovanna Brazzelli (Invited speaker)
Activity: Attending or organising an event › Attending/organising Workshop, seminar, or course
A Trial at Sea: How to find out which medicines work best
Samantha Mary Wileman (Contributor)
Activity: Talk, presentation, public lecture, public engagement, outreach and knowledge exchange › Exhibition/Festival
Press / Media
After lockdown: what you can expect when you go to the dentist
Beatriz Goulao, Manas Dave & Gavin J. Wilson
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Articles in 'The Conversation'
Apakah hak tinggi buruk bagi kesehatan? Dua ahli menelaah buktinya
Heather May Morgan & Max Barnish
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Articles in 'The Conversation'
Why the NHS should prescribe wearable fitness trackers
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Articles in 'The Conversation'
Aberdeen research prompts change in dental policy benefiting thousands of Scottish children
Craig Ramsay (Coordinator), Jeremy M Grimshaw (Coordinator), Graeme MacLennan (Coordinator), Jan Clarkson (Coordinator), Nigel B. Pitts (Coordinator), Ruth Thomas (Coordinator), Elizabeth A Shirran (Coordinator), Marion Campbell (Coordinator) & Jill Ann Mollison (Coordinator)
Making surgery safer: non-technical skills of anaesthetists, surgeons and scrub nurses
Rhona Flin (Coordinator), Georgina Claudia Fletcher (Coordinator), Steven Yule (Coordinator) & Lucy Mitchell (Coordinator)


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DVD reviews: Plenty of light in 'The Town That Dreaded Sundown'
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Despite the title, this is not quite a remake of Charles B. Pierce's cult flick "The Town that Dreaded Sundown" but a sequel that has a new killer recreating the murders from the first. The original is based on a real series of murders and ends with the killer's identity unknown (in real life the murderer was never apprehended). Although this remake/sequel purports to be based on fact it is entirely fictional; neither The Phantom, as he was dubbed, nor a copycat has terrorized the Texarkana area in the years since the original slayings. The set-up is simple; an unknown killer, wearing a burlap sack on his head, is targeting people – mostly teenagers – who are engaged in sexual activity. His first victims are a young couple in a parked car; the young man is killed but Jami (Addison Timlin), the young woman, escapes but the murderer is soon texting her, using her late boyfriend's cell phone. The new killings replicate the old ones so the only inventive one has a Bowie knife attached to a trombone slide. Most of the victims are merely shot or stabbed. Perhaps as a sign of the times two gay teenagers are among the victims but essentially we're in slasher territory here.
Still if we must have slasher flicks – and it seems we must, the subgenre can't be killed with a shovel, it seems – let them all be as stylish as what has been delivered by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (currently receiving kudos for "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" and apparently destined for greater things). He has the good sense to depict some of the murders as brutal attacks without explicit gore (though be warned some are quite graphic) and thus avoids a mind-numbing parade of splatter that is usually a feature of such films. Composition and editing are both striking throughout and intriguing use is made of footage from Peirce's feature, notably in an opening scene that has that movie projected at a most makeshift drive-in. A strong cast has been assembled, including Veronica Cartwright, Gary Cole, Ed Lauter (in his final screen appearance) and Edward Herrman (in one of his last roles) in supporting roles. The film mostly falls on the shoulders of Timlin and Travis Trope, the latter portraying a socially awkward archivist who aids Jami in researching the original murders. Both turn in noteworthy performances. "The Town that Dreaded Sundown" won't play well with anyone who is averse to gore but fans of slasher films and thrillers will find this a superior entry.
2014 / Image Entertainment, RLJ Entertainment / 86m / $27.97 [R]
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Despite a score of notable movies that appeared over his signature, William (nee Wilhelm) Dieterle is one of the most under-rated of the directors who were active in Hollywood's Golden Age. He worked with stars as diverse as W. C. Fields and Bette Davis and his films are highly thought of: "All that Money Can Buy" (aka "The Devil and Daniel Webster"), "Portrait of Jennie," "The Prince and the Pauper," several of Paul Mini's biopics and quite the nuttiest version of "The Maltese Falcon," yclept "Satan Met a Lady." With my typical perversity, it's my favorite treatment of the Dashiell Hammett novel; my favorite Dieterle however is "The Last Flight," an offbeat study of four WWI pilots who decide that with the war over they're going to get drunk, stay drunk, bum around Paris and vie for the attentions of a young woman who favors having a set of dentures in her champagne glass; it just may be the best film ever made dealing with the Lost Generation. And then of course there's the 1939 "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," the object of a recent restoration and release to BluRay. Despite many alterations from the source material — especially its tragic ending – this remains the best screen version of Victor Hugo's sprawling novel. Dieterle's stylist touch is evident in everything from the small, intimate moments to the exciting crowd scene where Paris' lower classes storm the cathedral.
And the casting is superb. Charles Laughton's Quasimodo is one of his most finely judged and sensitive portrayals and has been rightly praised over the years but he's matched by Maureen O'Hara (then a mere 19 years of age) as Esmeralda, the Gypsy with whom he's smitten. Also taken with her charms are the poet Gringoire (Edmond O'Brien looking unrecognizably cute before he put on weight) and the sinister Frollo (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), who frames her for murder because he can't reconcile his lust for her with her "heathen" heritage. And then add in two favorites of mine: Harry Davenport as King Louis XI and George Zucco as an inquisitor. It just doesn't get much better than this, especially when it also boasts an exquisite score by Alfred Newman. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is as close to a perfect movie as exists. RKO threw a ton of money at the production, building the cathedral façade and the surrounding medieval city at its ranch even though the same, built for the 1923 version, was still standing on the Universal backlot and could easily have been rented. And even if Hugo's ending has been altered the one crafted by writer Sonya Levien is so poignant I forgive the modification. The final moment of Laughton with the cathedral's gargoyles boasts one of the great movie lines of all time.
1939 / Turner Classic Movies / 117m / $19.98 BR [NR]
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau
While it's been tarred as one of the worst movies of all time, I have a soft spot for the 1996 "The Island of Dr. Moreau," a truly wackadoodle adaptation of H. G. Wells' 1896 novel. It may even be a work of genius but given its torturous production history it isn't easy to determine who the genius responsible might be. It began with Richard Stanley who had achieved some success with two genre productions, "Hardware" and "Dust Devil." Stanley was obsessed with bringing Wells' book, which he'd read as a youth, more faithfully to the screen than had ever been managed. At the same time he wanted to update it so that, like the book, it was set in the near future. The vivisection methods by which Moreau was attempting make humans from animals became DNA experimentation. Stanley's script would be followed, sort of; he cast the film, including stars Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer, and the designs for the mutated creatures were all determined under his supervision, but only days into the production he was fired as director after clashing with an ego-tripping Kilmer and showing numerous indications he was not equipped to handle a major motion picture. The production would soon go off the rails in spectacular fashion and "Lost Soul" tells the story of the human and natural disasters that made it happen.
Kilmer wanted the film (or at least his role in it) finished as quickly as possible because just before he arrived on location he'd been served divorce papers (ironically his behavior was much responsible for the production time increasing from two months to six). Brando delayed his arrival for ages because of his daughter's suicide and, once he reluctantly arrived, was displeased to encounter a different director than the one whose script he admired. Brando quickly departed from the script causing daily rewrites to reflect the changes he'd wrought. Because he was Brando all of his ideas, no matter how bizarre (and that included his eccentric costuming) were honored. One was to have a diminutive South American actor always in his scenes and dressed identically (a resulting scene of that actor playing an equally diminutive grand piano atop the one Brando is playing is one of the great insane images of modern cinema). Brando may well be the other genius who made "Island" one of the great crackpot entertainments of all time. "Lost Soul" documents how it came to be and is nearly as entertaining, particularly when actor Marco Hofschneider is onscreen doing spot-on impersonations of Brando, Kilmer and others involved in the trainwreck. For a look at how movies shouldn't be made (but too often are) this documentary can't be beat.
2014 / Severin / 100m / $24.95 BR [NR]
This look at the supernatural is culled from various programs broadcast on A&E, including "The Unexplained," "MonsterQuest" and "In Search of History." While the aggregate title is "Poltergeists" the entries include looks at voodoo, demonic possession and the Salem witch trials. Mostly, however, the collection is interested in ghosts. Now, admittedly, no one really knows what hauntings are but it's always been my understanding that poltergeists were a distinctly different phenomena from ghosts. Known as noisy or mischievous spirits, poltergeists move things about or make them disappear; sometimes they materialize objects that are not among the household possessions and some start fires (rather extreme mischief admittedly). They do not manifest themselves and they may not be spirits of the dead. As they almost invariably are found in houses with teenage girls they may not be spirits of any kind but some sort of psychic energy released by puberty. The very first episode touches on this but then goes ahead and examines cases where the haunting is decidedly from ghosts; those who believe in such things think ghosts are the spirits of the dead who have not crossed over because of unfinished business of some sort.
Perhaps moving on to ghosts – or confusing the two unexplained phenomena – is because ghosts are more interesting than something that merely levitates your teacup or hides your checkbook. The ghosts here include one long ago romantic triangle where the men decided to solve the problem by killing the woman and tossing her head in a cistern. Another case has a dear departed mistake the owner of a country western bar for her equally late lover and take malevolent action against his wife. Now that's exciting stuff. Serious researchers, such as Lloyd Auerbach, are interviewed as well as several psychics (at least one of whom is clearly emotionally disturbed) and in "The Unexplained" episodes so are a number of skeptics. The opinions of the latter are somewhat suspect as none of them has troubled themselves to actually investigate the cases presented but simply profess the opinion that people are misinterpreting or just plain lying. I wonder if these particular talking heads were chosen on the basis of their explanations being so lame. I have to admit their bloviating is no less unconvincing than what is presented by the Electronic Voice Phenomena people who listen to a recording of what sounds like a dog clearing its throat and proclaim it is a specific word or phrase. There is nothing here will convince unbelievers; they're aimed strictly at the choir.
1996-2008 / Lionsgate / 315m (2 discs) / $14.98 [TVPG]
The Unwanted
J. Sheridan LeFanu's "Carmilla" has been frequently adapted for the screen though almost never under its own title (think "Vampyr," "Blood and Roses," "Terror in the Crypt" and "The Vampire Lovers" to cite just a few). Bret Wood's "The Unwanted" follows in that tradition but it makes a number of other alterations, some quite significant. The basic plot has been updated with reasonable cleverness and has Carmilla (Christen Orr) arrives at the rural home of Troy (William Katt) and his daughter Laura (Hanna Fierman). Carmilla is seeking information about her mother Millarca whose last known location was Troy's farm; he however claims he's never heard of the woman. His story is contradicted by Laura who later encounters Carmilla at the diner where she works; she even shows the other young woman the trailer on her father's land where Millarca resided for a time. The two women enter into a kinky relationship – Laura is into cutting herself and has little trouble persuading Carmilla to slurp up the red stuff – and discover that their mothers had also become lovers. Troy of course was not pleased with that nor is he thrilled about his daughter's Sapphic dalliance.
I'm a tad divided on "The Unwanted." On the one hand, Wood has done an admirable job of re-setting the tale in the present day. In LeFanu, Carmilla becomes a houseguest after a carriage accident, her mother insisting the injured young woman remain behind while she continues onward on urgent business. The daughter turns out to be a vampire who victimizes her host's daughter. Here Millarca arrives on the scene after the car in which she's been hitching a ride crashes. Some of the updated details may be combined and/rearranged and/or rethought – is Laura a victim for instance? – but they all derive from Lefanu. While substituting the drinking of blood resulting from cutting is an interesting notion I'm not sure removing the original's vampiric aspect was a wise idea. Without the supernatural angle this just becomes another lesbian love story (albeit with a psycho, incestuously-inclined father). And the ending – which follows LeFanu – seems unpleasantly nasty as a result. Katt delivers a performance quite different from anything I've seen him do in the past. Relative newcomers Orr and Fierman score very nicely as well. The film may not be a complete success but it works at least as much as it doesn't.
2013 / Kino Lorber / 96m / $24.95 BR [NR]


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Michael's Furniture Store carries the mattress brands shown below. Call store first to confirm availability.
Simmons Bedding Company is the maker of Beautyrest, Beautyrest Black, Beautysleep and Simmons Kids mattresses, among others. Simmons is committed ... See Beautyrest models »
Have you shopped for a mattress at Michael's Furniture Store? Write a Review!
Michael's Furniture Store is an online-only furniture retailer that sells mattresses in addition to other types of home furnishings. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Michael's Furniture Store carries a variety of mattress models from which to choose, including mattresses from Simmons.
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Check out the blog below from Laura Colville, Education Specialist for CASIS, the organization that operates the International Space Station. Florida Afterschool Network was excited to lead this program in the state of Florida, and looks to be able to offer the program statewide next year. FAN would also like to congratulate the teams from Southern Oaks Middle School, in St. Lucie County, and Ralph Williams Elementary School, of Brevard County, for coming in first and second, respectively, in the national Final Competition!
"On Tuesday, August 13, approximately 350 middle school students gathered at universities and NASA centers across the country for the Zero Robotics Middle School Competition. Zero Robotics is a robotics competition where students have the opportunity to utilize the International Space Station as a laboratory to test programming codes from the ground using "SPHERES" (Synchronized, Position, Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satellites) satellites.
Led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Space Systems Laboratory, which originally designed SPHERES, along with its partners (Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership, Top Coder, and Aurora Flight Sciences) and generous sponsorships from CASIS, DARPA, and NASA, this program is aimed at engaging students in innovative, complementary learning opportunities during the summer, as well as increasing student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
During the five-week Zero Robotics Middle School Program, middle school students in California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, and Massachusetts worked collaboratively with program staff to learn physics, mathematics, and computer programming through interactive activities and hands-on experience programming their SPHERES satellite. SPHERES are bowling ball-sized spherical satellites used inside the ISS to perform test flight formation and docking maneuvers. Students spent much of the summer learning to write computer programs and formulating strategies for their SPHERES in anticipation of the final competition.
Students had the chance to see the SPHERES that they had programmed over the summer and competed against each other aboard the ISS as NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Karen Nyberg provided real time commentary on the competition via live feed.
Florida had 10 teams from Brevard, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Orange Counties participating in the Zero Robotics Middle School Competition. Harbor City Elementary School, Enterprise Elementary school, Lewis Carroll Elementary School, Ralph Williams Elementary School, Southern Oaks Middle School, Gifford Middle School, Lake Nona Middle School, and Jackson Middle School all participated.
The Florida teams gathered at the Kennedy Space Center on August 13th to view the competition that was broadcast live from MIT and the ISS. Two Florida teams placed in the top tier. The wild card team from Southern Oaks Middle School in St. Lucie County, Florida won the competition with the team from Ralph Williams Elementary in Brevard County, Florida placing second.
Larry Pintacuda, Chief Executive Officer for the Florida Afterschool Network, the coordinating agency for Florida's teams, was thrilled that Florida middle school students had the opportunity to participate. "These young people spent a very productive summer working together in teams becoming excited about learning in a hands-on, fun environment," he said. "Perhaps we have fostered future scientists and engineers. I can tell you for 150 middle schoolers (in Florida), it has been a wonderful summer".
The Zero Robotics Middle School Program was started as a component of NASA's Summer of Innovation, a nationwide program targeted at encouraging STEM education for middle school students. The pilot in 2010 was centered regionally around the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, and in 2013 the program has grown to include multiple locations around the country, including California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, and Massachusetts, with CASIS as the main sponsor for the middle school competition."
To view an archive of the competition, visit:


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Hundreds massacred with machetes in Nigeria
DOGO NAHAWA, Nigeria (AP) — The killers showed no mercy: They didn't spare women and children, or even a 4-day-old baby, from their machetes. On Monday, women wailed in the streets as a dump truck carried dozens of bodies past burned-out homes toward a mass grave.
Rubber-gloved workers pulled ever-smaller bodies from the dump truck and tossed them into the mass grave. A crowd began singing a hymn with the refrain, "Jesus said I am the way to heaven." As the grave filled, the grieving crowd sang: "Jesus, show me the way."
At least 200 people, most of them Christians, were slaughtered on Sunday, according to residents, aid groups and journalists. The local government gave a figure more than twice that amount, but offered no casualty list or other information to substantiate it.
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An Associated Press reporter counted 61 corpses, 32 of them children, being buried in the mass grave in the village of Dogo Nahawa on Monday. Other victims would be buried elsewhere. At a local morgue the bodies of children, including a diaper-clad toddler, were tangled together. One appeared to have been scalped. Others had severed hands and feet.
The horrific violence comes after sectarian killings in this region in January left more than 300 dead, most of them Muslim. Some victims were shoved into sewer pits and communal wells.
Sunday's bloodshed in three mostly Christian villages appeared to be reprisal attacks, said Red Cross spokesman Robin Waubo.
Nigeria is almost evenly split between Muslims in the north and the predominantly Christian south. The recent bloodshed has been happening in central Nigeria, in towns which lie along the country's religious fault line. It is Nigeria's "middle belt," where dozens of ethnic groups vie for control of fertile lands.
Rev. Pandang Yamsat, the president of a local Christian group, said he has urged his congregation not to respond violently to Muslims. However, he said he believes Muslims in the area want to control the region and that any peace talks would only give Muslims "time to conquer territory with swords."
The Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, condemned the violence and said Monday that the conflict must be interpreted in the light of social, economic, ethnic and cultural factors rather than religious hatred.
The killings add to the tally of thousands who have already perished in Africa's most populous country in the last decade due to religious and political frictions. Rioting in September 2001 killed more than 1,000 people. Muslim-Christian battles killed up to 700 people in 2004. More than 300 residents died during a similar uprising in 2008.
The killings in Dogo Nahawa, three miles (five kilometers) south of the region's main city of Jos, began early Sunday.
Chuwanga Gyang, 30, said he heard a gunshot and left his house through the back door but stopped when he realized that the attackers were shooting to herd fleeing villagers toward another group of attackers carrying machetes.
He recalled climbing into a tree and watching as villagers were killed and the attackers set homes alight over the course of 90 minutes.
The attackers asked people "Who are you?" in Fulani, a language used mostly by Muslims, and killed those who did not answer back in Fulani, he said.
Plateau State spokesman Gregory Yenlong said police are seeking to arrest Saleh Bayari, the regional leader of the Fulanis, alleging Bayari had made comments incited the slaughter. He gave no details.
The chairman of the local Fulani organization denied that his people were involved in the violence.
Jos has been under a dusk-til-dawn curfew enforced by the military since January's religious-based violence. It was not clear how the attackers managed to elude the military curfew early Sunday.
Christian evangelist Musah Paul Gindiri said the police and military provided no security to the villages attacked Sunday morning.
"We have seen our flock is becoming very restive as the government is not trying to protect them," he said, warning that Christians would fight back if attacked again.
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan said security agencies would be stationed along Plateau state's borders to keep outsiders from coming in with more weapons and fighters.
"(We will) undertake strategic initiatives to confront and defeat these roving bands of killers," he said in a statement. "While it is too early to state categorically what is responsible for this renewed wave of violence, we want to inform Nigerians that the security services are on top of the situation."
More than 600 people have fled to a makeshift camp that still held victims from January's violence, said Red Cross official Adamu Abubakar. He expected more to come, putting an even bigger strain on the already limited humanitarian aid for those fleeing the violence.
Associated Press Writers Ahmed Saka in Jos, Nigeria; Bashir Adigun in Abuja, Nigeria; and Jude Owuamanam in Dogo Nahawa, Nigeria, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Corsica: I Shall Return
Jun 7, 2006
|Copyright 2006
David Rich 1300 Words
In a world with 202 countries in the Olympics and 192 in the United Nations, there are few places I'll definitely revisit, such as the tepuis of southern Venezuela, the Picos de Europa in Spain, the Lofeten Islands of Norway, the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, and the Karakorams of Pakistan, places of phenomenal hiking and rugged scenery. Now Corsica has joined the list.
For a measly ten days I hiked Corsica's strikingly picturesque hill towns and copious gorges laced with streams of turquoise as clear as air, and it wasn't nearly enough. I shall return in order to see every nook and cranny, of which, for such a small island, there are heaps, oodles and scads. But next time I'll finagle my own transportation because buses and trains go to few places more than once a day.
My first view of Corsica was a gobsmacker, from the deck of the one-hour Sardinian ferry to Bonifacio, Corsica's southernmost town. My guidebook described Bonifacio as having a piddly 3,000 people, and said little else. But in reality, Bonifacio is a walled fairyland village surrounding a castle-top abducted from The Lord of the Rings, sitting on jagged limestone cliffs pocked with grottos, dropping sheer to a perfectly translucent sea, fronted by sleek sailboats wafting like the wind. I stood in awe, thinking I'd love to drop out of sight in Bonifacio, maybe for a month, the most charmingly-situated village I've seen in years of unremitting travel. But then, memory is a tricky thing.
I had left Sardinia, intending to head more or less directly to Ajaccio, Corsica's capital in the middle of the western coast, where Napoleon Bonaparte was born on Aug. 15, 1769. Corsica had become a French province that same year, much to the continuing disgust of its residents. Except for brief periods of occupation by the British (1794-96) and the Italians and Germans (1942-43), Corsica has festered as a French province ever since. But Bonifacio stopped me cold.
I spent hours exploring the cliffside city, stalking the ramparts with a hand mentally tucked in my vest, hiking east along sheer drops for spectacular views, and strolling Bonifacio's hidden harbor along a boulevard of unending sidewalk cafes, sparkling in perfect sunshine. But the only bus for the day arrived distressingly on time, and I'd pre-paid a night's lodging in Ajaccio, which in Europe today is a major investment. So I reluctantly climbed aboard the bus and watched charming Bonifacio recede out the back window.
I quickly discovered that similar to Bonifacio, many of Corsica's villages are tucked high on hills, village-church campaniles fingering the sky, where buses strain around hairpin corners, plunging down hill-side towns to the terror of locals and riders alike. The arrival of a modern French bus in any Corsican hill town spells chaos and gridlock as the bus backs to corner, backing to cut a tighter arc, clearing ancient stones with a millimeter to spare, canny those Corsican bus drivers.
I arrived in the metropolis of Ajaccio's 60,000 people, wrung out and captivated, so much to see and so little time. After a day checking out Napoleon's antecedents, first home, and the stunning wooden boat show on the hugely protected harbor, gaping in awe at the prices in the brand name boutiques, and gazing carefully into the distance above topless matrons sunbathing on the city beach, I had hoped to hop a train to Corte, the capital of Corsican mountain adventure. But with copious spring rains the tracks had been washed away faster than the railroad crews could repair them, so the train substituted a bus. Was this any way to run a railroad?
Still, the scenery from the faux train was succulent thanks to the usual spired hill- towns. Long distance hikers frantically flagged the train-bus, sighing with audible relief as it skidded to a stop and picked up their weary bones. But then Corsica is mountains, almost all of it, a granite massif dividing the island with a cluster of twenty peaks over 6,500 feet (2,000 meters), jagged silhouettes in pastels of orange and red, littered with high altitude lakes of deepest blue. And don't miss Mount Cinto (incidentally my favorite brand of Corsican wine), Corsica's highest at 8,890 feet (2,710 meters).
Down these roller-coaster peaks plunge glassine gorges of crystalline beauty, cutting the west coast into deep-water gulfs with high headlands, and forming lagoons in the east. These gorges are obviously the inspiration for the word, gorgeous. Hike them at your peril, the peril being permanent ex-patriotism as you'll be sorely tempted to abscond from the work-a-day world to go on the lam in Corsica. Indeed, Corsica is for hikers, and bikers, with or without motors, who enjoy swirling down hairpin curves.
The famous GR20 trail cuts 200 kilometers (124 miles) across the island from north to south, or vice versa, depending on which direction you prefer, and takes two weeks to traverse. Hikers flock from all over Europe to partake of this once in a lifetime experience. Those who've done it will likely never do it again because it's a bear, and often chilly. Even in June the peaks were snow-capped, and before we left, we'd enjoyed three nights of new snow, putting a fresh blanket down to a few thousand feet (1000 meters). But there are dozens of other hiking paths, from easy daytime stuff up gorgeous gorges to multi-day east-west trails linking hill-towns with romantic names like Pont-Leccia, Venaco, Vivario and Vizzavona.
Then there's Corte, the mountainous capital of Corsica, where I spent a week hiking its three intersecting gorges, the archetypal hill-town with a citadel on its tippy top and the church's campanile fingering skyward, dominated by surrounding pinnacles, peaks and other superlatives of pointy granite. Labyrinthine alleyways wind between faded pastel walls up to the belvedere with a view, or the citadel itself. Below the town, the Gorges du Restonica and Tavignanu merge into a single turquoise stream under a wooden bridge buttressed with A-frames, bordered by a thousand university students attending the only university on the island, dozens of outdoor cafes for copious time wasting, and half a dozen classic French bakeries, producing a cacophony of earthy scents that haunt me yet.
A don't-miss part of the island extends north from Corsica's second largest city of Bastia, a busy northeast port with daily ferries to Livorno, Nice and Toulon, plus a 14th century citadel with sparkling sea views. But the best is the finger of land extending in symbolic gesture directly toward France, the Cap Corse, a twenty mile (thirty kilometer) long peninsula pocked with cutesy fishing villages dangling under a precipitous road of curves and classic vistas of decaying Genovese towers and hilltop chapels. Then there's the remote coastal desert in the middle north, the perfectly situated seaside town of Calvi, and a dozen other attractions I missed. To Corsica I shall, indeed must, return.
When you go: Fly to Ajaccio from Paris on Air France, or better yet on its cut-rate subsidiary, CCM, for $200 roundtrip. For airfare from your abode to Paris, Google cheap airfare Paris and die for the sheer romance of it all. Fast ferries from Nice take four hours to Ajaccio or Bastia, slow ferries eight hours from Marseille, about $50 for a seat, cabins astronomically more expensive. Many ferries also ply the waters from Italy to Corsica for about the same price. Enter ferries Italy Corsica or ferries France Corsica and book on line. Train travel (when the tracks aren't washed asunder) is spectacular but only covers the north half of the island. Buses chug the whole island, taking ten hours to traverse its mountainous length from Bonifacio via Ajaccio to either Calvi or Bastia. Generally see www.Bonafacio.com and www.cortetourisme.com for information on these two charming towns. In Bonifacio stay relatively economically at the Hotel des Estrangers, two blocks from the harbor, for $90 double or triple, but forget about finding lodging in August unless you book way ahead. I stayed at the HR Porette in Corte, two short blocks from the bus drop-off and the train station, and a block from the large Casino Supermarket, doubles en-suite $62, seventh night free.


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Monday, June 6, 2011
Free Text Messaging
An SMS is typically delivered within seconds but can depend upon the gateway, network traffic and the receiving party's availability. In recent years, SMS has become a phenomenon especially among young people. SMS is popular because it is an effective way of communicating directly to the intended recipient as close to real time as possible.
SMS text messaging is the most widely used data application on the planet, with 2.4 billion active users, or 74% of all mobile phone subscribers sending and receiving text messages on their phones.
The most common method of SMS communication is person-to-person, but text messages can also be used for interacting with automated systems. Typical examples include automated downloads of mobile services, polls or participating in contests.
Sending text messages is a cost effective and efficient way of communication. These are some examples:
a) You are a business wanting to immediately alert your customers of news, sales or events.
b) You are an organization wanting to send messages to individuals or groups about impendint meetings, events or promotions.
c) You are an individual looking to send a quick message or group text messages to your friends.
d) You want to participate in a national poll or contest.
e) You want to be sent an SMS about special occasions, chores or meetings.
f) You want to be entertained through daily SMS flirts or jokes sent to your phone.
A cell phone is not mandatory for texting. There are some internet websites that allow users to send text messages free of charge to the sender. These services are often supported by advertisers or donations.
One such site is http://www.txt2day.com which is a popular internet website supported by advertising. The site offers free text messaging to countries around the world including United States, Canada, United Kingdom, India, Japan and many more. Many internet sites have sprung up that specialize in various popular texting interest including jokes, flirts and text reminders.
http://www.txt2day.com is an unlimited free SMS text messaging service.
Since 2005 txt2day has been allowing anybody to send free text messages from their computer to a phone. Txt2day is totally free! There's no hidden charges. Txt2day will not call you or text you with promotional messages.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1748428
4 comments:
- Fiona07 said...
SMS messaging has been considered an important income generator for years because of its effortless yet almost all of the worlds populace is SMS text user and it is likely to put in around 10 percent to countries revenue worldwide.
Bulk SMS Free
- March 6, 2012 at 11:27 PM
- Jeff said...
Most of firms now a days are enagage in sms marketing offering sms service, or sometimes free sms service. Sending an sms from one country to the other is not a problem anymore in todays world. Unlike in the past if someone tried to send a message from one mobile to the other sometimes the recipient won't be able to receive the message, and still it counts in you credit. But todya you can receive that message wherever you are, because of different ways to deliver your message. I would like to share this free web app, please visit @ send free sms . This is a free sms service, you can use it to send free sms in other countries. No need for registration and very easy to use.
- September 8, 2012 at 1:46 PM
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- January 15, 2013 at 4:58 AM
- Unknown said...
Text message marketing is gaining popularity because it is inexpensive, effective, efficient and allows businesses to reach out to highly targeted consumers.
- January 15, 2013 at 4:59 AM


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Will today's schools prepare your child for success? If you're questioning if test, retest and homework, homework, homework, are the best path to success, then this reading list for success is for you.
Following is a reading list of books for success I've read and would recommend about figuring out a path for your children in today's educational world to prepare them for tomorrow's reality. (At this point, this is only a partial list of what I've read. This is just the start of the list so that I can start making links. New books, both past and present, will be updated. When I can, I'll also update with links to posts that I publish.)
The Smartest Kids in the World: and how they got that way, by Amanda Ripley
- My review and posts about The Smartest Kids in the World:
- Success Factors 8: Test and Retest and High Stress, the best way?
- Success Factors 9: Are AP classes a good measure for school ratings?
World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students by Yong Zhao
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
- My posts on How Children Succeed
- 11 Reasons your high-achieving student will fail
Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcom Gladwell.
- My review and posts about Outliers:
- Outliers Review – Summary & Analysis – Opportunity, Part 1/4
Becoming Steve Jobs: The Evolution of a Reckless Upstart into a Visionary Leader
The Price of Priviledge
Anxious kids, Anxious Parents
Beyond Measure
Most Likely to Succeed
Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life, by William Deresiewicz
This page my contain affiliate links at absolutely no cost to you. Thanks for supporting this blog by purchasing through these links!


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Set in the rather grand surrounds of the Norfolk House music room, deep in the bowels of The V&A, British-based product designer Michael Anastassiades has installed one of our favourite Design Festival creations thus far.
Known for his pared-down, angular approach to everything from lamps to tables, the "Kinetic Light" is a move away from Anastassiades' usual - somewhat industrial - take on design, which so frequently favours function over form.
Featuring a sphere of light attached to a brushed brass pole, Anastassiades has created an oversized pendulum, which swings metronomically (in a nod to its musical surrounds) within a cubic brass skeleton. Less living room floor lamp, more oversized nightlight, the Kinetic Light is likely to send you off, so best visit when you've nowhere pressing to be.
"Kinetic Light" by Michael Anastassiades is now on display at The V&A, South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL until 26 September. www.vam.ac.uk


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Clash of Clans is a single player and multiplayer game which is available for Android and iOS platforms. In this game, players can form their own group (called clans) and can have the name of the group as per their choice. Only leaders (one who created the group) and co-leaders have the authority to modify, edit and kick-out any player.
Download the latest Clash of Clans APK | Builder hall 8 | 2019 Update
In the latest content update for the Builder Base, new levels, a new troop, and a new defensive building. Here is what you will see in the Builder Base update!
Clash of Clans v10.134.7 Mod APK FEATURES:
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- Custom Mods
- Normal Build Time
- 1 Build Cost
- Unlimited Gems, Gold, Elixir
- Builder Base LvL 8
It has a list of commands that you can use according to your need. Commands are
- /cut – clear all obstacles
- /suicidal – attack yourself
- /refill – add gold & Elixir
- /upgrade – upgrade all buildings to max level
- /easy- get max base
- /tsarbomba – remove all buildings
- /id – print account id
PLEASE NOTE! Clash of Clans Mod APK is free to download and play.
Also, don't forget to check out the other well known APK You can also check the article and download APK for COC Private Server.
- Clash of Lights
- Clash of Souls
- Null's Clash
- ToxicLand
- Clash of Magic
- Clash of Phoenix
- Plenix Clash
- Clash of Dreams
- Miro Clash
Share in the comments what you have felt about this game and what other game you like to play.
If you are a Clash Royale player and want it to explore more than you must try Master Royale APK, Lights Royale APK, Nulls Royale where you get the chance to play the game with unlimited gem and gold.
This is a Private server only. You will have a server running the latest version with a lot of incredible mods like the builder and spirit troop, the goblin building, zap spell and more!
There's no mod for 10.134.6 yet, we will post it as soon as we have it.
- Above mentioned "Download APK" is the link to download it.
- Open the file once downloaded, You need to UnZip it by using this tool. Download tool to UnZip.
- After Unzipping the file, it will ask you if you want to trust or not unknown sources, please allow them to install the app.
- If there's no pop-up about unknown sources and doesn't allow you to install the APK, please go to settings>security and then turn on unknown sources.
- Once installed, click on the app, and then enjoy the unlimited resources
As it is available on a private server so you can have everything for free which you might be thinking to purchase on Clash of Clans by Supercell. You get every resource for free once you start playing the game.
This content is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Supercell and Supercell is not responsible for it. For more information see Supercell's Fan Content Policy: www.supercell.com/fan-content-policy.
For more information, the latest news and updates stay tuned to us. 😊


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Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform is the home for Lib Dems who want to see a fairer and more effective voting system. We are working to ensure that the Liberal Democrats as a Party get both the arguments and the politics right, so that we can make reform happen.
We will do this by:
- Refining and updating the arguments for electoral reform
- Educating all members
- Influencing the Party's strategy to ensure our manifesto and negotiating position are optimised to deliver reform
- Working with others inside and outside the Party to build the campaign necessary to push reform through
Join us!
If you're a Lib Dem and believe in what Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform stands for then join us now. Membership costs £10 per year (concessions £5). Click here to join up now.
Get our updates
For regular updates on our activities, you can:


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Welcome to Figeholm Konferens
Figeholm Konferens is situated 15 km north of Oskarshamn in Sweden, picturesquely framed by magnificent nature, with both forest and archipelago directly in front of the house.
We offer companies and organizations modern accommodation, confe- rencing and a variety of activities. If you are working near ABB, OKG, SKB or Oskarshamn we have accommodation that will fit you perfectly.
We have self-catering cottages, private kitchen and dining area, living room with TV, patio and free parking around the corner. You have free access to swimming, canoeing and a tennis court as well as the opportunity to play golf, beach volleyball, billiards and fishing.
Contact us for information about our of accommodation and conference facilities.
Figeholm Konferens AB
Reception phone: +46 491 317 50