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|Up a level
Rothen, Nicolas, Seth, Anil K and Ward, Jamie (2018) Synesthesia improves sensory memory, when perceptual awareness is high. Vision Research, 153. pp. 1-6. ISSN 0042-6989
Rothen, Nicolas, Schwartzman, David J, Bor, Daniel and Seth, Anil K (2018) Coordinated neural, behavioral, and phenomenological changes in perceptual plasticity through overtraining of synesthetic associations. Neuropsychologia, 111. pp. 151-162. ISSN 0028-3932
Rothen, Nicolas, Bartl, Gergely Janos, Franklin, Anna and Ward, Jamie (2017) Electrophysiological correlates and psychoacoustic characteristics of hearing-motion synaesthesia. Neuropsychologia, 106. pp. 280-288. ISSN 0028-3932
Ward, Jamie, Rothen, Nicolas, Chang, Acer and Kanai, Ryota (2016) The structure of inter-individual differences in visual ability: evidence from the general population and synaesthesia. Vision Research, 141. pp. 293-302. ISSN 0042-6989
Mealor, Andy D, Simner, Julia, Rothen, Nicolas, Carmichael, Duncan A and Ward, Jamie (2016) Different dimensions of cognitive style in typical and atypical cognition: new evidence and a new measurement tool. PLoS ONE, 11 (5). e0155483. ISSN 1932-6203
Rothen, Nicolas, Jünemann, Kristin, Mealor, Andy D, Burckhardt, Vera and Ward, Jamie (2015) The sensitivity and specificity of a diagnostic test of sequence-space synesthesia. Behavior Research Methods. ISSN 1554-351X
Bor, Daniel, Rothen, Nicolas, Schwartzman, David J, Clayton, Stephanie and Seth, Anil K (2014) Adults can be trained to acquire synesthetic experiences. Scientific Reports, 4 (7089). ISSN 2045-2322
Pfeifer, Gaby, Rothen, Nicolas, Ward, Jamie, Chan, Dennis and Sigala, Natasha (2014) Associative memory advantages in grapheme-color synesthetes compared to older, but not young adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 5 (696). ISSN 1664-1078
Rothen, Nicolas, Seth, Anil K, Witzel, Christoph and Ward, Jamie (2013) Diagnosing synaesthesia with online colour pickers: maximising sensitivity and specificity. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 215 (1). pp. 156-160. ISSN 0165-0270


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July 14, 2016
Markets Shrug Off Brexit
The second quarter was docile compared to the volatile first quarter of the year—that is until the surprising results of Britain's EU membership referendum began to roll in on June 24th. When Britons voted to leave the 28-member economic block to which they had belonged for 43 years, market volatility spiked, causing investors around the world a weekend of indigestion. But as is usually the case with equity markets, fear-driven overreactions mostly right themselves after a short spell as soon as investors get used to the idea that going forward things will be a bit different.Read More ›

subset: commoncrawl


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SportMaster acrylic surfaces for basketball courts are now stocked and available in Las Vegas, NV. There are 16 standard colors to choose from, including the local favorite Red and Gray of UNLV!
Acrylic basketball court surfaces are extremely durable and require very little maintenance. The UV stability of the SportMaster basketball court surfaces will protect and extend the life of your pavement and continue to look vibrant in the hot Las Vegas sun, without fading, for many years.
Contact your local SportMaster representative for free estimates on building a basketball court or just repairing cracks/puddles, and basketball court resurfacing.


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Paul Heckingbottom has named his Reds side that will face the Brewers in this season's final home game!Reds: Davies (GK), Jones, MacDonald, A. Jackson, Elder, Scowen (c), Moncur, James, Kent, Bradshaw, Watkins.
Subs: Townsend (GK), Evans, Mowatt, Hedges, Williams, Lee, Armstrong.
Burton Albion: Bywater (GK), Flanagan, Brayford, Mousinho (c), McFadzean, Turner, Sordell, Christensen, Kightly, Murphy, Irvine.
Subs: Campbell (GK), Akins, Dyer, Naylor, Woodrow, Varney, McCrory.


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REUTERS/Yuya Shino
» Top New Products
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Still hearing rumors that Mainland Chinese buyers are gobbling up every piece of real estate in sight? Probably not, because they aren't. New numbers from the People's Bank of China (PBoC) show that China's fresh capital controls have sent reserves higher for another month.
Who Gives A S— About China's Forex Reserves? You Should
Despite China being a massive country, it does not have a fully convertible currency. The local yuan is just useless paper, that has no value unless recognized by the People's Bank of China. In order to buy anything internationally, the yuan needs to be exchanged to a convertible currency – like US dollars. The convertible currency mostly comes from the pile amassed in the PBoC's foreign exchange reserves. When it swells, there's less money leaving the country than entering. When it drops, it means more money is leaving the country than entering it. There's a little more to it, but we've already covered this – so check this out if you still have questions.
Basically, it's a pretty good measure of how people are spending their money. Or more accurately, since January 2017, it's a good measure of how the government controls what locals will buy outside of the country.
Better Dwelling
Foreign Exchange Reserves Rise To Highest Level Since October 2016
China's foreign exchange reserves rise for the seventh month in a row. Total reserves stood at US$ 3.091 trillion, a 0.35% increase from the month before. Compared to last year, they're still down by 2.94%, about US$ 95 billion, but this is a pretty big improvement compared to the the massive outflow before January 2017. Total reserves are now at the highest they've been since October 2016. We said this would wreak havoc on residential real estate markets dependent on Mainland Chinese money, and boy is it ever.
Chinese Buyers Are Disappearing Globally
Mainland Chinese buyers are exiting global real estate markets, as quickly as they became the largest buyers. Australia, one of the largest markets for Chinese overseas buyers is seeing them not just disappear, but these buyers are now failing to find financing to complete purchases. This has led to a number attempting to sell pre-construction before the properties register. New Zealand, another hotspot for Mainland Chinese buyers, is now blaming China's capital controls for a big decline in foreign buying. Toronto and Vancouver have had noticeable declines too.
The only Canadian city still claiming to have foreign buyers is Montreal, which doesn't track foreign buyers in any way. It's cute that agents are going on the news to claim they have Mainland Chinese buyers, but I wouldn't believe it until they put up any hard data. After all, it's kind of hard to buy real estate without enough to make a deposit. However, it is really easy for an agent to go on the news, and tell everyone that they should buy property before Chinese buyers do. That type of false information is a fear mongering tactic used to push Canadians to panic buy, and I'm calling bulls— until I see data that says otherwise.
NOW WATCH: An Alabama high school 'resegregated' after years of being a model of integration — here's what happened after


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1) A "top GOP lawmaker"
2) A "retired GOP bigshot"
3) A member of the media based in Washington, D.C. or New York City
4) A "deep pocket" contributor
5) A foreign policy hawk
Hmmm. Since I'm not a lawmaker, I'm not retired, I don't live in D.C. or NYC, and I don't write on foreign policy, that must mean I'm #4: a deep pocket contributor. Now if only someone would tell my pocket! :-)
*Photo credit Steven Depolo


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Asheville Model Train Show
WNC Model Railroaders hosts the 30th Annual Asheville Train Show at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center February 28 and 29, 2020.
- Friday hours are Noon to 7pm. Saturday hours are 9am to 5pm.
- Admission $6.00 per day, Children under 10 FREE with Adult
- Free Parking
The Western North Carolina Agricultural Center is conveniently located just off I-26 close to the Asheville Regional Airport: 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC. See Map: Google Maps
WNC Model Railroaders is a 100% NMRA club based in the Land O' Sky Division. For additional information, visit the club website.
Event Date:Fri, 02/28/2020 - 12:00pm - Sat, 02/29/2020 - 5:00pm


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SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Physical Therapy Program
The Profession
Physical therapists work to diagnose and manage movement dysfunction; restore, maintain and promote optimal physical function; promote wellness and fitness; and prevent the onset and progression of impairments, functional limitations and disabilities due to various diseases, injuries, conditions or disorders. They perform examination, evaluation, and the establishment of a diagnosis and a prognosis in order to determine the most appropriate intervention(s) for patients/clients with neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular/pulmonary and integumentary disorders. (Guide to Physical Therapist Practice Version 1.1).
Physical therapist intervention involves coordination, communication and documentation; patient/client-related instruction; and procedural interventions. These interventions are chosen on the basis of patient examination and re-examination findings and the goals and expected outcomes of a particular patient/client diagnostic group (Guide to Physical Therapist Practice Version 1.1).
Career Opportunities
Physical therapy is a dynamic and evolving profession. Opportunities for specialization and board certification are available and include, for example, pediatrics, cardiopulmonary, sports, orthopedics and neurology. Because of their broad range of skills, physical therapists have numerous opportunities as health-care professionals across all delivery settings, including critical and intensive care units, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, school systems, and the workplace. They may also work as consultants, researchers, or educators instead of, or in addition to, clinical practice.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy
The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) is a professional degree that is intended to produce the clinician or practitioner of physical therapy. The DPT is often referred to as the "clinical doctorate." The DPT has become the "expected" physical therapy degree throughout the country, with an increase in the number of accredited physical therapy programs converting from the Master's degree to the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree every few months.
In 2000, APTA's House of Delegates (HOD) endorsed the APTA Vision Statement for Physical Therapy 2020 and the Vision Sentence for Physical Therapy 2020.1 The Vision Sentence states that "by 2020, physical therapy will be provided by physical therapists who are doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice to whom consumers have direct access for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health." Since the endorsement of the Vision 2020 Statement and Sentence by APTA's HOD in 2000, there has been a huge proliferation of entry-level DPT degree programs throughout the U.S.
The DPT degree is the natural progression in the evolution of the physical therapy profession. The DPT degree program at SUNY Downstate will provide the physical therapist student with the necessary critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills that are required of today's physical therapists. The physical therapists of today are becoming autonomous practitioners who, when they encounter new patients, will take a thorough history and perform a systems review of the cardiovascular/ pulmonary, neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and integumentary systems. The therapists will then perform an examination and evaluation upon which they will develop a physical therapy diagnosis, prognosis and plan of care. These physical therapists are also able to determine when a patient's condition falls outside of the scope of physical therapy practice, for which they will refer the patient to the appropriate practitioner.
Accreditation, Credentialing and Licensure
The physical therapy program at SUNY Downstate Medical Center is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: email@example.com; website: http://www.capteonline.org. You may also click on the following link to verify the accreditation of SUNY Downstate's PT program by CAPTE:
The program is registered by the New York State Education Department. Graduates are eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). All 50 states and three additional jurisdictions use the NPTE as one factor in the licensure of physical therapists. To be licensed as a physical therapist in New York State, the individual must be of good moral character, at least 18 years of age, meet education and examination requirements, and file an application with the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions.
Student Outcomes
- Graduation rate: 90.7% (Classes of 2012-2014)
- Licensure examination pass rate: 100% (Classes of 2016-2017)
- Employment rate: 100% (Class of 2015)


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SAN JOSE -- With a fancy name like "California Hawaiian Mobile Estates," the trailer park on Snell Avenue should have been top-notch.
But residents say that for years it was anything but -- marred by sewage backups, potholes, electrical blackouts and a swimming pool filled with geese feces. Fed up with having their complaints ignored, a small group sued five years ago, risking the possibility that if they lost, they'd be on the hook for the park owner's substantial legal fees.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has ruled that an insurance carrier that provided an insurance professionals' errors and omissions liability insurance policy to an agency was not obligated to defend the agency in a suit brought by a competitor agency, where the suit only asserted claims for intentional wrongdoing.
United States: The New York Court Of Appeals Considers The Consequences Of A Liability Insurer's Breach Of The Duty To Defend
What are the consequences of a liability insurer's breach of the duty to defend its insured against a potentially covered claim? Recent decisions from the New York Court of Appeals highlight differing views nationwide on whether the breaching insurer is prevented subsequently from contesting its duty to indemnify the insured.


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Design proposal for an Environmental Sculpture
- Mitzpe Marcus, French Carmel, Haifa
I was invited in Spring 2013 by a neighborhood group of the French Carmel neighborhood in Haifa, Israel, to submit a design proposal for an empty plot looking out over Haifa Bay.
The design was to fit in with an existing landscaping plan by the Haifa Municipality:
|landscaping plan by the Haifa Municipality planning department
My proposal consists of several landscaping features:
- two retaining walls built with natural lime-stone and slightly elevated ground level
- four sculptural shade structures, made of wooden pillars at slanted angles, carrying shade-surfaces at various angles. Wooden planks are suspended between some of the pillars which serve as benches
- a gravel surface with two or three especially chosen natural rocks
Photographs of the scale model:
The proposal is currently awaiting approval by the Haifa Municipality.


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TEFL Jobs Overseas is a complete guide for TEFL jobs, TEFL teachers, TEFL information or TEFL Courses. TEFL Jobs Overseas has many current TEFL jobs for teaching overseas. Before beginning your teaching overseas adventure, you can find any TEFL information you need to help make an informed decision about a TEFL teaching career teaching English overseas.
Study English with an experienced tutor by Skype or face-to-faceïŠ Or get help with editing your report or thesis.
I'm a Texas certified English and Spanish teacher with 13 years of experience teaching in Korea and Texas.
I can teach any level: lower-intermediate, intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced. I have taught in an elementary school, a high school and 2 universities. I will provide activities and planned lessons, depending on your needs.
I can teach business English, grammar, pronunciation, listening, speaking, vocabulary.
I can also proofread your reports, thesis or papers via email and give general advice on your written work and help with your resume.
I am available during the day and evenings (Monday-Thursday) during Korean time.
If you want face-to-face tutoring (not Skype) we can meet in my apartment or your home or office in Dongtan, S. Korea
I charge $25 U.S. dollars (or 30,000 won) per hour on Skype or $45 (50,000 won) for 1 hour of face-to-face tutoring (face-to-face can have up to 3 people in a group for the same price).
If you need me to proofread or edit a college report or paper I'll charge $10 per page (12,000 won). I have experience in editing graduate theses and doctoral dissertations (which, btw, have gone on to win doctoral dissertation of the year awards)
If you are interested in my services please contact me. We can talk to discuss your needs.
Skype name: maggiechoi3
Korean cell phone: 010-2967-5175
I can provide my resume and references upon request.
P.S. I'm not Korean. My husband is Korean


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About Special EditionsSpecifications
|Washing machine
Find a moment to yourself under a beautiful rainbow or in the company of a wonderful Budha-edtion.
For our big snuggle buddy Baloo and for our comfy Elly you can get special editions. Within the rainbow collection, several colour combinations are now available. And for the Elly, the talented Chaotic Bastards have created a additional edition.
Chaotic Bastards,
This group of young talented artists have created a special edition for Terapy. Their inspiration came from the many people that sat in Terapy at Amsterdam's Vondel Park. The Bastards asked them to share what thoughts and images came to mind when thinking about recharge. We believe that everybody deserves a moment of recharge. And that belief can be found in the beautiful edition made by the Chaotic Bastards.


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Senate to investigate mass failure of foreign-trained doctors
THE Senate has promised to investigate the allegations of mass failure by foreign trained medical doctors, who recently sat for the Medical Dental Council of Nigerian assessment examination at the University ofIlorin Teaching Hospital.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Olarenwaju Tejuoso gave the assurance when aggrieved doctors, in company of some of their parents, paid him a visit in Abuja.
In an exclusive chat with Vanguard, one of the aggrieved doctors, who craved anonymity said the lawmaker promised to take their grievances to the Health Committee of the National Assembly for thorough investigation. The doctor said: "At the meeting, we told him of the lack of organization and coordination of MDCN during lectures for the assessment and the eventual release of our results marred with irregularities." "Sen. Tejuoso then vowed to take the matter to the Committee on Health for proper investigation. He also promised that justice must be done to the Foreign Trained Doctors," the source said.
Some of the alleged irregularities listed included: lack of coherent preparation for the students; no cohesive curriculum and baseless marking scheme; high cost of verification and registration fees including a last minute change of questions by the MDCN and the stress they went through in the course of three months' preparations for the exam among others.
Reacting to the allegation, President, Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Prof. Mike Origima, said "I am aware of some allegations of the foreign trained doctors on social media. But the doctors have to channel their grievances properly and in the right channel."
Source: Vanguard News


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Reader Screams, "Help Beauty Binge!" After An Attack of Oily Skin and T-Zone Breakouts
Dear Janna,
Please help me!! With the warmer weather I'm finding that I'm oily and gross during the day (vs. some dryness during the winter). I'm also having T-zone breakouts and I wonder if there's a moisturizer with a little zit-fighting ability that I should switch to vs. the Boscia now that the seasons have changed? Also, I typically use drugstore Neutrogena foundation/make-up (don't yell!), but I think it's time to invest in some good stuff, especially with my trouble skin AND the six weddings I have to attend between now and August (ugh). Is there a brand you absolutely love? (NARS? MAC?). I think I need a consult at a counter to find the products/shades that are right for me, but I'd love to know if there's a company you trust more than others before I shell out some bucks 🙂
Gettin' Greasy in LA
Dear Gettin'Greasy in LA,
Skincare: Don't you dare replace your Boscia! The Boscia Black Collection is known for being the best line out there for oily skin! Trust me, if you use a moisturizer with too much pimple-fighting power you're just going to dry out your skin, which will prompt your oil glands to panic and produce more oil. Also, make sure you're using the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask ($34) at least 2-3 times per week which will help detoxify your skin without giving it a temper tantrum. Dr. Brandt also has a great line called Pores No More… I think the Dr. Brandt Skincare pores no more® pore refiner ($45), which mattifies, exfoliates, and treats, would be perfect for your skin. Use it only on your t-zone and where your pores are trying to morph into dimples.
Foundation: Girlfriend are you kidding me right now?? MAC or NARS??? With oily skin?? Do you WANT to flaunt Texas oil fields for the weddings?? Or perhaps you were hoping to look like a science project as a conversation starter. Breakout central! I am prescribing the Jane Iredale 'Glow Time' Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 25 ($48). This BB Cream has a lot more coverage than a typical BB and it is actually designed to fight oil and blemishes so its working while it's covering. I got the recommendation from a friend who looks like she has amazing skin but claims to be plagued with oily skin, and she insists the Jane Iredale BB Cream changed her life. And she's being totally serious. You just better promise me that the only thing the BB Cream is going to replace is your foundation. You know that's my pet peeve!
Please let me know how everything works out and send me pics of you and your flawless skin from all these weddings!
JannaJanna Posted by janna Tags Blackheads, Blemishes, Boscia, Dr. Brandt, Enlarged Pores, Jane Iredale, Oily Skin, Pimples


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Derek Young, Chair [term: 8/23/16 to 8/22/21]
Mr. Young was appointed to the Board in 2015. He currently works for Amazon Web Services and is the co-founder of Tacoma Runners.
Mr. Young is a proven leader, entrepreneur and manager with over 20 years of experience in process development, program management, risk management, and communications strategy across a variety of industries with clients around the world. He possesses a highly contagious entrepreneurial and community spirit.
Stanley Rumbaugh, Vice Chair [term: 8/23/17 to 8/23/22]
Mr. Rumbaugh was first appointed to the THA Board in 1998. He was the founding partner of the law firm of Rumbaugh, Rideout, Adkins and Wallace where he practiced until his election to the Pierce County Superior Court in 2012. Stan served 10 years as Trustee on the Bates Technical College Board of Trustees and has served as a director of the World Trade Council, member of the Washington State Association for Justice Board of Governors, and on the boards of many other public, private and professional organizations.
Dr. Minh-Anh Hodge, Commissioner [term: 8/16/2019 to 8/15/2024]
Dr. Hodge is Director of the Second Language Acquisition, Elementary Education and Leadership for the Tacoma School District in Tacoma, Wash. In this role, she directs the development, implementation, coordination and review of programs for limited English speaking students, including the State Transitional Bilingual, Emergency Immigrant, Refugee Assistance, and Title III projects. In addition, she oversees the district's International Education and Indian Education programs.
For over 25 years, Dr. Hodge has designed, directed and implemented programs serving language minority students and parents. Prior to her current post, she served as an Instructional Director to supervise the overall operations of 14 elementary schools and to conduct performance evaluations of these principals. Since this past school year, she has limited this scope to four schools in order to focus her assistance and support to the district's Superintendent in matters relating leadership development and diplomatic relations with district administrators and community leaders.
Dr. Hodge is a native of South Vietnam, a past Title VII Bilingual Education Fellow, and a doctoral graduate of the University of Washington. She is extremely active in community activities and has served on numerous boards at the local, state and national levels. She is intensely passionate about serving the needs of immigrant students and families and has worked tirelessly to ensure equal access, equal opportunities, and equal voices in all arenas for these communities.
Dr. Arthur C. Banks, Commissioner [term: 8/4/15 to 8/4/20]
Dr. Banks was reappointed to the Board in 2015. He is a pastor at Eastside Baptist Church in Tacoma. Dr. Banks is a member of the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance. He serves on the Board of Directors for the William Factory Small Business Incubator. He is active with the North Pacific Baptist Convention and American Leadership Forum. He also served as the first organizing President of Hilltop Action Coalition and chaired the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance's Committee to rename K Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Way.
Shennetta Smith, Commissioner [term: 8/22/18 to 8/21/23
Shennetta Smith is a single mother of four children. They live at THA's community of New Salishan. Ms. Smith is the founder and Chief Executive Operator of Diamonds in The Rough Foundation Inc., an organization that helps women and their children move into the next phase of living without abuse. Ms. Smith is the co-author of I AM Beautiful: The Evolution of Beauty. She has served as an advisory Director on the Salishan Association Board since 2017. Her educational journey began at Clover Park Technical College where she obtained her certificate as a Chemical Dependency Specialist and her AA degree in Human Services. Continuing her education, Shennetta completed her Bachelor's Degree at Evergreen State College-Tacoma with an emphasis in Psychology.


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You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Recipes' category.
{ stuff you'll need }
1 Gardein Scallopini
Honeycup brand Uniquely Sharp Sweet Mustard
aioli dressing
sandwich bread
celtic sea salt
{ how to make it }
defrost the scallopini half-way, either letting it set out or use the micro-wave … brush it lightly with olive oil and grill or saute it for a few minutes on each side on medium heat until lightly browned … salt to taste … lightly toast your bread of choice … assemble your sandwich and top with mustard sauce made from combining the mustard and aioli dressing 2:1
{ about this recipe }
Are you ready for some comfort food? This is the creamy cheddar cheese version of my recipe that features parmesean cheese and garlic as the featured taste. And, yes, it's 100% vegan – yet another recipe that dispels the myth that vegan food cannot be absolutely, satisfyingly delicious without sacrificing the spectrum of sensations we so treasure in our food experiences – taste, texture, depth of flavor, richness, delicacy, heat, spice, sweet, savory …
Like many meals, I initially made this one based on "What's in the fridge/pantry that we can use so we don't have to go out to the store?" Well, this time I noticed that the expiration date on the sausage was drawing near so, given that parameter to start with, my attention was drawn to doing something with pasta, cheese and fresh spinach.
And, of course, it had to be easy and quick to prepare.
BRUNCH OPTION >>> substitute cooked diced Yukon Gold potatoes for the pasta
{ stuff you'll need }
12 oz or one medium package of elbow or penne noodles, cooked, drained,rinsed and lightly coated with olive oil so it does not stick … I used Tinkyada's Organic Brown Rice Pasta (what I had on hand); it's wheat/gluten-free and cooks up al dente unlike most wheat-free and rice pasta brands
1 pkg Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages, roughly crumbled
¾ pkg Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
½ cup Wildwood Soy Milk Creamer
½ cup Soy Dream Organic Enriched Milk
2 tbsp Wildwood Aioli
4 handfuls of fresh organically grown spinach leaves, thinly sliced while bunched
powdered smoked paprika to taste
powdered cayenne pepper to taste
Celtic sea salt and ground pepper to taste
{ how to make it }
… while the pasta is cooking saute the roughly crumbled sausages in a fry pan (preferably cast iron skillet) in a bit of canola oil, turning to brown evenly, being sure to scrape up any bits that are sticking to the bottom of the pan – the sausage browns up quickly so pay close attention to them it … set aside when finished
… in a saucepan, heat on medium high flame the creamer/milk mixture making sure you do not bring it to a boil … instead, when the creamer/milk is very hot start adding the cheese to it, stirring constantly to incorporate the cheese into the creamer/milk
… when the cheese is melted stir in the cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper … set aside
… once the pasta is drained, rinsed and lightly oiled move it to a medium size bowl and fold in the uncooked sliced spinach leaves, being careful not to harm the noodles
… blend the Aioli into the cheese sauce, then pour the sauce into the noodles, stirring and continuing to be careful of harming the noodles, but being sure to mix thoroughly so the cheese is coating all the noodles
… spoon the noodle mixture into a medium size casserole, similar in capacity to an 8x8x3 baking pan
… sprinkle the sausage mixture on top, distributing it evenly and being sure that all the crunchy bits make it on as well
… bake at 350° for about half an hour
{ about this recipe }
It's been a long time in coming but after a lot of online research and working on various recipes I've finally come up with a vegan tuna salad that I can be happy to share with you.
Besides really tasting like tuna salad this vegan tuna salad is even healthier. It is super rich in protein (10g!), Iron, Potassium, Iodine, Vitamin A, fiber – and more!
The raw veggie ingredients are optional. All the ingredient amounts are approximate and can be adjusted according to your personal taste and textural preference. I happen to like my tuna on the crunchy side so I heavy-up on the celery and carrot. I also like the play of salt v. sweet by using onion and garlic with sweet pickles.
There are three elements that make this recipe really taste like traditional tuna fish salad: the sea vegetable flakes which give it that authentic tuna fish salad taste without tasting 'fishy' ( sea veggie flakes are an awesome dietary source for iodine as well as providing the essential ingredient responsible for the production of thyroid hormone and all other hormones of the body); the Aioli dressing which is just so much better tasting than any other 'mayo'; and the use of the press to release the maximum amount of moisture from the 'tuna' before processing into flakes.
Ingredient Options: roasted slivered almonds and grapes instead of celery/carrot/pickle/garlic/onion
Makes about 2½ cups of vegan tuna salad.
{ stuff you'll need }
Half a pkg. of Dixie Carb Counters Tuna (Not) Salad Mix (made with Certified NGMO Soy Beans)
1/3 cup minced celery
1/3 cup minced carrots
1 tbsp minced red onion
1 tsp Maine Coast Sea Vegetable Cert. Org. Triple Blend Flakes (Dulce-Laver-Sea Lettuce)
½ cup minced Bread and Butter pickle slices
a couple of pinches (or shakes) of garlic powder
s + p to taste
{ how to make it }
Prepare the tuna according to the directions on the package by simmering it for about 8 minutes or until the tuna is softened to tuna 'texture' by testing with a fork … pour into a colander to drain/cool to room temperature
Place the tuna into the tofu press (for at least an hour) until as much moisture as possible is pressed out
Place half the amount of the pressed tuna chunks into in a small food processor and pulse blend until the tuna presents the consistency of tiny, uniform flakes; remove to a medium size mixing bowl and pulse blend the other half and add to the bowl
Mix the rest of the ingredients into the tuna until evenly blended
Blend in Aioli dressing to desired consistency
Chill and enjoy
{ about this recipe }
This dish is one of those super easy to make comfort foods that is a real crowd pleaser. It was one of the first dishes I 'veganized' after I went vegan. You can choose to make it non-spicy by substituting plain diced for the canned tomatoes with chipotle peppers, as well as toning down on the powdered spices. The crumbles are optional – they are the 'meaty' part of the dish – making for a 'heartier' meal option, and also good for serving to a 'mixed' (vegan and meat-eaters) crowd of guests. Served along with a freshly tossed veg/fruit salad and your good to go!
I usually get the idea to make Spanish Rice when I have a lot of fresh garden tomatoes on hand (dear son-in-law just arrived with the most amazing pile of plum tomatoes!), and green peppers are in season (now!) when at the peak of their flavor and low price. However, that does not keep me from making this dish in the dead of winter (comfort food!) when it's a perfect for social get togethers. And, like most casserole-style meals, it is even yummier the next day, and the next …
{ stuff you'll need }
I'll leave the exact quantities up to you but if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll be happy to reply.
. 4 cups cooked (2 dry) organic Basmati style rice – white, light brown or brown
. 3 med-large sweet onions, diced and sauteed until caramelized
. 2 jumbo or 4 med/small green peppers, diced and sauteed until caramelized
. 3-4 15 oz cans of Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Petite Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle Peppers, undrained
. 1 bag of frozen non-gmo crumbles, Boca or other, nearly thawed
. fresh tomatoes, diced
. smoked paprika
. cayenne pepper
. salt and pepper
{ how to make it }
while the rice is cooking saute in separate batches (a cast iron skillet is ideal) the onion and green pepper, gently folding them into the rice when they are done … then, saute the crumbles for 10-12 minutes and gently fold into the rice mixture … add the canned tomatoes and fresh diced tomatoes … season to taste … bake or microwave to warm and serve
{ about this recipe }
This is a sandwich that is delicious unto itself but that I must confess I came up with initially because I was still craving tuna sandwiches (which, thankfully, I no longer do). This sandwich gave me that creamy/crunchy texture I missed with my tuna sandwiches.
This deliciously simple hummus sandwich exemplifies the healthful benefits of "food combining". In addition to being excellent sources for fiber and heart-healthy iron and manganese, the combination of bread and hummus (chick-peas/garbanzo beans) provides a high 'complete' protein source. Also, by combining fresh carrots with hummus, digestion speeds up thus avoiding excessive gas buildup.
And, as always, feel free to change up the minced veggie ingredients. For instance, the addition of minced radishes and/or celery wonderfully expands the crunch, texture and taste factor. And if I have it on hand I add a layer of spicy/sweet kale salad and layer it in a wrap – delicious!
{ stuff you'll need }
I'll leave the ingredient quantities up to you but if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll be happy to reply.
. Creamy style spicy or garlic flavor hummus
. Shredded sweet carrots
. Kale salad (optional)
. Flavorful whole grain bread
{ how to make it }
spread a layer of hummus, not too thick, on the inside of each slice of the bread … by spreading hummus on each slice of bread it serves to hold the shredded carrot in place … sprinkle one slice generously with the shredded carrots … place the other slice of bread on top
{ about this recipe }
Aka 'Sloppy Lentils' or 'Vegan Bar-B-Q'. This super fast and easy-to-prepare dish is a satisfying and munchy meal for a crowd or a midnight refrigerator raid. I like it either served hot on a toasted bun or cold in a bowl. It is a rich source of protein fiber, iron, and lycopene anti-oxidants.
{ stuff you'll need }
I'll leave the exact ingredient quantities up to you but if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll be happy to reply.
. one 16 oz. pkg of organic green lentils, cooked, drained and rinsed
. 3 med or 2 large sweet onions, chopped small and sauteed until they caramelize
. organic ketchup, approx 18-20 oz – or most of a 24 oz bottle
. half a bottle of Amy's Sweet and Spicy B-B-Q sauce
. vegan Worcestershire sauce
. 3 to 4 tbsp of dark brown sugar
. salt to taste
{ how to make it }
combine all the ingredients and adjust the moisture content with watery ketchup if necessary. … you can serve immediately or simmer for a bit to further 'set' the flavors
{ about this recipe }
Lentils are a major source of protein and iron for vegans. Lentils are super easy to prepare, including a fast cook time, which means this recipe is easy and fast – not to mention munchy and delicious!
For my vinaigrette I use Udo's Oil because it is high in Omega Fatty Acids, along with Seasoned Brown Rice Vinegar for a light and slightly sweet taste, and a bit of agave to balance. If I am out of the Udo's Oil I use a good olive oil.
And feel free to change up the veggie or fruit ingredients to your liking. This salad is really all about adding what you like to the basic lentil and orzo pasta mixture. For instance, I used strawberries because they were in season (not to mention I love fresh, in season, strawberries and use them whenever possible). If I had no strawberries and had happened to have a mango on hand the day I made this salad I would have chopped that right in – the soft, smooth meat and sweet, slightly tangy flavor of a ripe mango would have added another interesting layer of texture and taste.
{ stuff you'll need }
I'll leave the ingredient quantities up to you but if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll be happy to reply.
. cooked green lentils, rinsed and cooled
. cooked Orzo style pasta, rinsed and cooled
. yellow pepper, minced
. radish, julienned
. carrots, minced or julienned
. red onion, minced
. your favorite vinaigrette
. diced fresh strawberries
{ how to make it }
assemble and mix all the ingredients in a large glass or stainless steel bowl … add the vinaigrette and stir to thoroughly to coat all the ingredients … serve and/or refrigerate … after about 24 hours the salad may appear drier … that's a good thing – it means the lentils and orzo slurped up the dressing which makes them more flavorful … however, feel free to splash on a bit more dressing to wet the salad


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I haven't started it yet, but I'm probably going to do it later this week at sometime, MAYBE.
The thing is, do you think I should put more kids in the series, as well as the ones I have revealed? (Brothers and sisters for them, probably. Or other members of their family!) And should I give Stephanie a little cousin that would live there? (Based on OFFICIAL ideas Season 3 once had, where her sister would have replaced Stephanie, but that idea was scrapped)


text:
This is how female gun suppose to looks like. ^_^ Atelier Ted Noten from Netherlands launches first set of his "provocative" seven-part series named "Necessities for a Woman (to Feel Like a Woman Through the Eyes of a Man)."
These are some of his creations:
photo: Luxury Launches
Chanel 001
with Chanel lip gloss,
USB stick
Viagra pill (?),
an antique hairpin,
an 18 carat gold toothpick
photo: Luxury Launches
Dior 001
Dior lip gloss,
an antique hairpin,
a stock of essential medicines,
USB stick
100-gram sterling silver bar
He created bags too:
photo: Luxury Launches
photos: Ted Noten
Is it great and beautiful and very James Bond? I guess this what Charlie's Angels should have to kick asses and look good too.
For more reading and admiration for his creations : Click LuxuryLaunches or Ted Noten website.


text:
"Returning Home" graphite 12″ x 9″
On the tenth day of the tenth month in the year of the Owl, Oliver Oldtree arrived home at last. He'd last seen his friends and family six months ago. It started with the realization that after 60 years of staying close to home, he was bored. He wanted to see what was outside the confines of his usual habitat. In short he had a bad case of wanderlust. He'd set out on a walk-a-bout with what he could carry in his backpack and his friend and trusted mount, a field mouse named Sneed. But that is a tale for another time. For this tale is about coming home just in time to avoid the cold winter winds and snow that Oliver was beginning to sense was coming very soon. Not only that, but he was truly homesick for his hearth, his warm bed, and the company of good friends and family. All he could think about was sitting in the pub and having a pint or two and telling the tales of his fantastic journey while his friends listened in rapt attention. After all he had traveled at least five miles there and five miles back. That was an amazing feat for someone who could easily fit in the palm of your hand. Imagine that! And that is the end of this very tiny tale.
Copyright 2013 Ann Gates Fiser


text:
Prof. Mounir Mahmud Badwi
Political science dept. KSU
The latest developments of Arab spring phenomenon which many Arab countries, though politically, economically and socially different, are witnessing today, showed how influential Islamic power is salafists in all the Arab squares demanding change.
Undoubtedly, throwing off all the chains of the ex-political regimes` oppression has greatly helped salafists to powerfully participate in the political game. It is the participation that is marked with two things, the first is the big number of people sympathized with salfists along with their utter loyalty to their principles and values -however they didn't have an organizational structure to work under- not to mention their complete consensus and full agreement on different issues.
The second oneis related to the kind and amount of criticism leveled at salafists by specific political powers regarding their future vision which goes around four issues: democracy, civil state, citizenship (how to deal with the others) and their personal conducts concerning specific events in which some of their members involved, including (destroying shrines, fueling sectarian strives, etc). These criticisms are getting increased because of its different sources and its relevancy to the Arab political and social change in the future.
In this regard, this report is aiming at putting these criticisms under the microscope with highlighting the response of the salafists, taking into consideration that the Arab spring Phenomenon didn't take yet its final democratic shape of political and social change nor established its own mechanisms and institutions, which still need more time, efforts and complete awareness to the whole picture of the current stage and understanding of how internally and externally dangerous is failing to pass it, in addition to full preparedness and capacity to overcome this stages` problems.
Hence, there are three things have to be stressed:
The framework of this report is limited to specific time and place, since it's not providing in-depth analysis for each case of salafisim and how it locally and regionally reacted with the Arab spring phenomenon. For such comprehensive analysis, it needs to be done through a research project and work team with more available sources. That's why this report took only the Egyptian salafism as a study case which in fact is somehow similar to many other Arab cases, not to mention that the Egyptian case is a leading example which its effects go beyond home to give a general overview to the political, economic and social developments in the Arab world.
The report is addressing only the criticisms directed to Salafisits concerning Arab spring. This doesn't mean denying the great achievements they made up to now, but it seeks defusing the growing tension that can hamper the democratic transition that all Arab communities are demanding.
Bearing in mind how important to recognize that the effect of the environment and surroundings on the conducts and situations of Salafists differ from a country to another.
Firstly: revolution, ousting the ruler and salafists` position.
A study carried out by the centre of "Aldeen wa Alhayah" titled "Egyptian salafisim… new stage" demonstrated that salafists fall into four categories in terms of practicing democracy. First, pro democracy group which seeks to get immersed in politics, for example Salafist Call in Alexandria with its different branches in governorates, which established AL- Nour party with its religious background. It also represented by the salafist movement in Cairo with Muhammad Abdulmaqsoud, Nash`at Ahmad and Fouzy Alsaeed as its leading figures. Another party is supported by this group is Alfadila, though they don't take its leadership.
The second group is in between where as it stays away from participation but at the same time it doesn't reject it, and sometimes encourages others to get engaged in. This group is led by Foundation of Ansar Alsunah Almuhamadiah and Sheikh Muhammad Hassan, and for this purpose they established the council of Scholars` consultancy which found it religiously acceptable to participate in politics as a means of empowering religion and spreading it within the community.
The third is called the silent group represented, for example by Sheikh Abu Ishaq Alhwini, while the fourth group is the cons of this process represented by a large number of Salafists.
Dr saad Al-deen Ibrahim, however, said that Islamists especially, Salafists, didn't participate in the revolution, in addition they spent long time urging their members not to disobey the ruler, as they used to say " unfair ruler is better than long term strife". But, having the revolution succeeded, they turned to participate in politics in spite of their famous saying" damn for politics and politicians"
Ibrahim affirmed that he didn't mean to deprive any individual of his right to enter politics, but as for salfists" they went so far trying to hijack the revolution" as it seemed clear with General Emad Khalil in the crisis of Qina, saying that the scene of Qardawi standing on the stage in A-ltahrir square after Mubark had stepped down, remembered him with Al-Khomeini in the Iranian revolution after he had come from Paris, mentioning that sure there is a difference between the two scenes, but this what he had felt at that time.
For Dr. Khalid Al-hroub, director of Arab media project in Cambridge University, England, he said in an interview with Alrabia News channel that Salafists in the entire Arab world are changing their minds according to the requirements of the current stage, indicating that:" They mightily strive to hijack the revolutions from its real owners".
Salafists of Egypt for example, he said, spent long time forbidding disobeying the ruler but once the revolution had succeeded and the former president was thrown off the power, they changed their minds and turned to complete immersion in politics. The big problem as he sees is that Salafists refuse discussion with the other party, simply because they believe they are talking in the name of religion, so whoever has a different point of view from theirs is defying God. The Arab revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia, etc, he added, are not ideologist at all but so traditional, which were outbroken by the peoples who got fed up from their miserable conditions they suffered from under the dictatorship regimes in the Arab World.
Second: Salafists and problematic of democratic change
(Citizenship, democracy and civil state)
The opinions of Salafists on democracy, citizenship and civil state are not the same.
1-civil state:
Dr Yousry Hamad-official spokesman of "Al-Nour" party, affirmed that Salafists seek to restore the caliphate and that Egypt is not a civil state but Islamic one. As related to prescribed penalties in Islam, he said they should be applied but gradually.
Deputy chairman of the Salafist Call in Alexandria, Yasser Borhami, mentioned that the unconditional liberalism is opposing God and his law:" some liberal and secular parties want to apply things that go against the law of God and forgot that they themselves are slaves for God, so the unconditional liberalism that they are calling for is opposing God and his law." He said.
Spokesman of Salafists front, Dr. Khalid Saeed, stressed that they are with the civil state if it means modernity, renaissance or it is the opposite of the military state, in other words they support any form of the state on condition that it doesn't exclude religion.
On the other part, Dr Alaa Alaswani, affirmed that it is important to differentiate between the Islamic and the fascist party, warning against the danger of such fascist party on Egypt " this fascist party uses the democracy as a ladder to seize power then throws off this ladder so as no other party can come to power"
From traditional sheikhs to new political players salafists, all have solid foundations come at the top of it their view regarding the " civil state" where as they see that "the western modern civil states are based on three foundations: secularism, nationalism and democracy"
The modern civil state is a secular state:
For secularism, it means separating religion from life`s affairs and not committing to a religious faith or divine guidance, in other words religion shouldn't do anything with life`s different affairs: politically, economically, socially or morally but people instead are responsible to run their own affairs according to material bases, their interests and attitudes. Such material perspective has been adopted by the west as a result for the European refusal for the dictatorship of the church in the medieval ages described by the westerns as ages of backwardness and deterioration. Hence it was necessary at that time to get rid of the church`s authority, making it with no influence outside its corners, while giving rein to science and scholars to achieve development and renaissance.
The church was a stumbling stone that had to be taken away so as to achieve human development, but this exclusion accompanied with a spirit of hostility for religion. This can be understood in the western context as the church exploited religion to turn people`s life to hellfire, and oppressed the scholars in the name of religion. It was better for westerns to resort to Islam instead of getting humanity stuck in the mud of atheist materialism that totally refuse any form of religion. On the other side, as it is known Islam is both religion and state and never throughout its history was against science or scholars, rather it led humanity one day to make great achievements in different fields of life that one cannot find any domain without Muslim scholars` contribution at the same time in which Europe was in deep sleep.
B- The civil modern state is a national state.
The modern civil state has no interest except in its country and citizens whom it seeks not only to be preferred to others but also supercilious. For this purpose, it does whatever possible without abiding by any principles, even if they are divine. Such extremist view of nationality has been held by people in the past, so as not to be subdued to the religious and political authority of the Patriarchs, and to remain loyal only to their own countries. That's why peoples` life turned to be a conflict for taking precedence and control over others. As for Islam, it refuses superiority of a nation over another, or a specific race over another race, since its message is international one that goes beyond borders and races.
C- The civil modern state is democratic:
After the secularism had taken the state away from the divine guidance and after the nationalism turned the state to be supercilious, the democratic system came to achieve only the interests and desires of people. In the democratic system what is considered good is what only can serve the interests of people, and what is wrong is what only can harm the interests of people, and the interests of people is decided only according to the desires of people, what was rejected in the past can be accepted today and what is accepted today can be rejected tomorrow. In other words, there is no talk in the democratic system but about the interest that is decided only by a group of human beings.
On the contrary, the interest of people in Islam is achieved through the guidance of Gods` law which is a kind of code of ethics and acts of worships that never to be changed or replaced.
The secularism has entered Egypt with the advent of Muhammad Ali. During the ruling of his sons, the democratic representative councils were established. The Egyptians adopted nationalism after the revolution of 1919, and the nation has tried different systems of rulings, but did it really has what it has been promised!?
Basirah Al-dawood discussed the issue of the Islamists' declaration of the democracy as Kufr, where she said: the Islamist parties' declaration of the democracy as kufr with all its forms, patterns and methods came as a result of the historical fact that the religious parties are fully convinced that the legislation is exclusive right to God. In this regard, they call for fighting against the rulers and non-Islamic political systems, as they believe, as a kind of jihad against infidels.
She said the Arab citizens have lived before the Arab revolutions a clear overlap ideology between takfiri and abolitionist thinking and repressive Arab policies allied with international strategies.The status of Arab citizens is similar to a ring of successive crises starting from the failure of all the Arab developmental and unity experiences to the so bad economic and social problems and their loss for of all their wars against Israel. This gave a wide space to all Islamists trends and parties to reshape themselves in terms of opposing the political systems. Thus they waged their political (and sometimes armed) war against these systems, and managed via religion to quickly reach their goals of interacting with the Arab peoples.
At the same time, all Arab left-wing and illuminating parties failed to face the suppression of the political systems and the attack of the religious parties, whether the extremist or moderate, on all liberal, national, secular and enlightenment ideologies, which have been declared as Kufr.The scene, consequently, became prepared for a political struggle against extremism and violence, especially after the gap has been widened between the individuals on the one hand and the political systems and its religious institutions on the other, due to the loss of the security and credibility.
All these and other factors were reasons for the outbreak of the revolutions in many Arab countries against the political systems which some of them have already collapsed and the rest seems to have the same fate.
At the current time, there is no longer real parties except the religious ones, which some of the Arab political regimes and the international powers may deal with them in order to push them to directly deal with the community with all its intellectual trends and different religious, ideological, ethnical sects, with the aim of weakening these parties and keeping them away from destabilizing the political system.
Will the Arab world see in the next historical stage another violent revolutionary confrontation among the members of the one community against the weapons of the extremist and moderate religious parties, which began to dominate the scene after the fall of the Arab political systems?
Third: Dealing with the other (Non-Muslims)
Dr. Osama Al-Qosi – Salafi scholar – said that he does not mind that a Coptic be a president of the state, When I didn't mind that a Christian or even a woman be a president of the state, I thought of him as an employee for a period of 4 years or 8 years at most, that nothing required from him except being efficient and fair, since I don't choose a caliph for Muslims who should be a Muslim or nominate a person for a post that requires specific religion like The pope or sheikh Al-azhar.. So all what is needed is the most efficient one regardless of his religion, color or race. And I repeat it again a fair Christian is better that unfair Muslim"
While Dr. Ngih Ibrahim, member of Shura Council of the Islamic group, emphasized that Algma`a doesn't mind that a Coptic be a president of the state, according to the Egyptian Constitution, which does not differentiate between a Muslim and a Christian regarding that issue, Osama Hafez-Vice President of Shura Council – returned to say that Algm`aa refuses that a women or Coptic be a president of the state, Hafez added that, It is not logical that a Coptic person assumes the presidency in a country whose majority are Muslims."
On the other hand, Sheikh Yasser Borhamme said that the efficiency and honesty are based on religion, so non-Muslims should not assume power, since who does not believe in religion cannot be held responsible for establishing it.As for the infidels, there are other roles to do, because giving the matter for unsuitable person means the loss of the whole country.
Daily Telegraph newspaper confirmed that the Christians of Egypt are subjected to an organized attacks, the newspaper quoted from the Church of MarMina priest that the Copts are facing an organized attack, and warned the religious authorities in the country against the threat of civil war. Priest sharobium Awad said: The plot is the only explanation to the violence actions that strained the relations between Muslims and Christians in recent weeks, emphasizing that five churches have been attacked in one night, in addition to many other attacks on churches since early 2011, stressing that there are some hidden hands behind these events, both from inside or outside of the country. According to the British newspaper, there is a group of Muslim Salafists, who believe in the terrorist ideologies, have led the attack on the Church of MarMina claiming that a woman who converted to Islam six years ago, was held in the Church. Sharobium emphasizes that after Isha` prayer, the Salafists and their followers started chanting against Copts in Imbaba district Go out from here, Islamic, Islamic, Islamic, We will redeem the crescent with our souls. The newspaper claimed that those Salafists, are belonging to the Islamic group responsible for terrorist attacks against tourists in the 1990s, and they are the most prominent group in the scene since the departure of President Mubarak.
For his part, Bishop of the Coptic Catholics in Ismailia, Makarios Tawfiq, expressed his concerns about the future, because they have no guarantees, considering that those who are excellent in using violence may lead us to regret the fall of the former regime and will increase internal conflicts day after another. Describing the feeling of the Christian minority in Egypt, after the sectarian violence taken place in Cairo that left 12 people killed and 200 wounded, the Religious Media Service of the Council of the Italian bishops, Makarios, said in an interview that: I think that behind these incidents between Muslims and Copts a fundamental Salafi group, and may also be the intelligence officers of the former president. He pointed out that the Salafists have invented false stories as a pretext to attack places of worship, houses and shops of Christians, and stealing and destroying them.
At the same time counselor Nagib Gabriel – the head of the Egyptian Federation for Human Rights – blamed Salafists for the responsibility of the events, confirming that it come among the continuous attacks against churches by the Salafists, saying that the Copts in Egypt have become more subjected to suffering and injustice after the revolution of January 25, demanding the oust of Gen. Mansour al-Issawi – Minister of Interior and Security Director of Giza. This came during a press conference held yesterday titled:the situation of the Copts in Egypt after the revolution of January 25. He also called on the military Council and the Egyptian government headed by Essam Sharaf to announce their positions about the situation of the Copts in Egypt, their sufferings and problems, and to indicate whether Christians are treated as first class or second class citizens. He also called for forming higher committee-to be headed by Deputy Prime Minister, the membership of the head of the Egyptian Federation for Human Rights and two personnel of the National Council for Human Rights and a member of the military council- for fact findings regarding all the attacks against Copts, monasteries and churches which complete its work within a month and submit it to the military Council to take the necessary actions.
On the other hand, Sheikh Abdel-Moneim El-Shahat – spokesman of the Salafist Group – stressed that the events of Imbaba do not express the Salafist thought which calls for cooperation to do good deeds, prevent evil, support the security and stability, do against all forms of sectarian disputes and quarrels which obstacle the efforts of development. He also said that the salafist group are not held accountable for the actions of coalition of the new Muslims that demands the return of Camellia Shehata.
Some Salafists disagreed with liberal and even moderate Islamic forces that advocate women's political participation, as they believe that it is not of woman`s right to participate in the political process.Unlike the Muslim Brotherhood group, which nominated many women on its lists in the previous elections, Salafists don't see that. They claim that this is contrary to their nature as females, and also inconsistent with the right of her house, children, and original functions. However, other Salafists do not find it wrong as long as she is committed to religious regulations. Sheikh Said Abdel Azim for example, sees that women's participation is required if it is religiously principled, citing the Hadith, "Verily, women are the twin halves of men.
When Abdel-Azim, was earlier asked about the participation of women in the political parties, he acknowledged that their participation "has already occurred in a disciplined way at the recent referendum on constitutional amendments. On the other hand, the issue of women's dress remains one of the obstacles to their political participation. According to the Salafi approach, the Muslim women must abide by wearing Islamic dress and not to imitate the enemies of Islam who are unveiled. Thus, Salafists believe that it is obligatory on woman to cover her face (Niqab), however, they also believe this issue still a matter of dispute among Muslim scholars".
Fifth:extremist views
Salafists are commonly criticized for their narrow mind view and extremist opinions; take for example the issue of demolition of shrines and declaring their opponents as disbelievers.
Demolition of shrines:
Dozens of salafist groups have attacked recently four historical tombs on the outskirts of Qalyoub and demolished them, clashing with the citizens who tried preventing them from demolishing a fifth tomb. They have already managed to demolish the tombs of Raddad, Abdel-Aal, Al-Ghareb, and the shrine of Jamal al-Din, and on their way to demolish the tomb of Abdel Rahman, which is the largest tomb in Qalyub, the citizens clashed with them, but the Salafists were armed with swords and clubs. Ahmed Hussein, head of the Nassir Party Committee in Qalyoub said that We were have been surprised to see Salafists carrying swords, knives and clubs, and going to demolish the tomb of Abdel Rahman, alleging that tomb is an idol which the citizens ask for achieving their hopes. When some of young people, he said, tried to stop them, they had a fight with them, but the people gathered and managed to prevent them from demolishing it.
For their part, salafists completely deny any involvement in these events, asserting thatthe shrines are kind of manifest polytheism, however the task of destroying them is restricted only to the ruler. They claim that there is an organized campaign launched against them by all Egyptian political forces, Coptic, Islamic and secular, as well as Al-Azhar, to get them out from the political scene, since they are competitive for the Muslim Brotherhood and the Copts are automatically afraid of their presence.
Conclusion: Remarks on Salafists
In the midst of the harsh criticism and the fierce attacks against the Salafists movement as a result of a number of events and situations in which they have participated after the revolution of the 25 January, a number of remarks have been noted by some intellectuals and writers, most notably:
1 – The national forces are afraid that the Islamists could assume power, and therefore excluding the rest of the other powers. So, the Islamists should assure other powers that they will not monopolize the political process.
2 – Egypt is a country with many political factions and has a long political history that is featured by diversity. So, consensus Policyshould be sought for not the policy of exclusion that is doomed to failure.
3 – Political Islam parties must realize that they are a part of the current Egyptian political life and one of its factions, and that they will not monopoly the political scene, as they also has no right to speak on behalf of the people.
4 – The leaders of Salafi groups should know that many citizens would like to know more about their ideas and opinions that may help to increase their popularity, but on the other hand, the actions of some Salafists in Egypt since February up till now, instill fear in the hearts of many people… So the leaders of the Salafist groups have a good opportunity to assess what has happened and to reintroduce themselves to the public in a new image.


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AOL recently suggested Ten Books to Read Before You Die
I've listed them here along with AOL's comments, then posted some of my suggestions and comments below. It's not that I believe I am as smart or as literate as AOL's marketing team, I just possess a different sensibility about the books I think are important.
AOL's list:
1. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – Published in 1936, Gone with the Wind sold 50,000 copies on its first day, and two million after a year. Even though it is 1,037 pages long, readers all over the world snatched up the book. In 1937 it was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Mitchell prided herself on the historical accuracy of her work. Gone with the Wind is a sweeping account of how the Civil War tore apart an entire way of life, and Scarlett O'Hara is one of the most enduring characters in American fiction.
2. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein – Lord of the Rings is regarded by many to be the most important and influential work of fantasy of the 20th century. It generated the fantasy novel industry practically single-handedly, inspiring a multitude of novels concerning elves and dwarves on quests to conquer ultimate evil despite overwhelming odds. Although intended to be published as a single volume, its division into a trilogy created the iconic format for epic fantasy literature.
3. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling – Follow Harry Potter from his first days at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, through his many adventures with Hermione and Ron, to his confrontations with rival Draco Malfoy and the dreaded Professor Snape. From a dangerous descent into the Chamber of Secrets to the Triwizard Tournament to the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, each adventure is more riveting and exhilarating than its predecessor.
4. The Stand by Stephen King – In 1978, Stephen King published The Stand , the novel that is now considered to be one of his finest works. It depicts his apocalyptic vision of a world blasted by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. It is a gripping work with the scope and moral complexity of a true epic. Those reading The Stand for the first time will discover a triumphant and eerily plausible work of the imagination that takes on the issues that will determine our survival.
5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown – The elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Robert Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci — clues visible for all to see — yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. The Da Vinci Code heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller…utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – To Kill a Mockingbird is about the crisis of human behavior and conscience arising from the racism and prejudice that exist in the small Southern town during the Depression. Scout Finch tells the story of her father's defense of Tom Robinson, a young black man who is being tried for the rape of a white woman. Harper Lee's only novel, awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, is a much-beloved tale of growing up, as well as an exploration of heroism confronted with bigotry.
7. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown – When a canister of anti-matter is stolen from a Swiss research facility, Robert Langdon is called in to investigate. A Harvard professor, Langdon is an expert on the ancient, quasi-scientific, and widely feared organization know as the Illuminati, who may or may not be wrapped up in the mystery. Angels and Demons preceeds The Da Vinci Code.
8. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand – Rand's 1200-page novel Atlas Shrugged is a hymn of praise to the concept of rugged individualism, personified in John Galt. This polemic for Rand's philosophy of "rational self-interest" has been a steady seller since it was published in 1957.
9. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger – J. D. Salinger's famous and enduring chronicle of Holden Caulfield's journey from innocence to experience is the quintessential coming-of-age novel. Salinger's 1951 novel Catcher in the Rye was a bestseller and became an immediate cult favorite, but it has also, over the years, been subject to criticism and even censorship because of its liberal use of profanity, its frank conversations about sex, and its generally irreverent view of the adult world.
10. The Holy Bible – The most popular and best-selling book of all time is the Holy Bible . No book has had more influence on the world. Its pages tell the story of the creation, fall, and redeption of mankind and the coming of Jesus Christ in the Gospels. The Bible contains epic stories of history, heroism, and hope.
My list:
1. The Bible – Tenth on AOL's list? That seems like an AOL nod to the religious right after listing Harry Potter and The Da Vinci Code. Since "no book has had more influence on the world," shouldn't it be listed first? Whatever.
2. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving – I'm a broken record when advocating for this book. There is no character in literature more compelling than Owen Meany. How can you go wrong with a book that begins, "I AM DOOMED to remember a boy with a wrecked voice – not because of his voice, or because he was the instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany."
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – AOL's description doesn't do it justice, but mine likely wouldn't either. Just read the book.
4. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein – Good choice. I'd suggest The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis for those who would rather stay above ground. Tolkein and Lewis were friends and engaged in a friendly competition of storytelling, so I don't see why their books can't stand alongside each other on a shelf (or in our hands).
5. Watchers by Dean Koontz – Although The Stand is a good one, I tend to prefer Koontz over King – although King is a GREAT writer. Just my preference, I'm willing to be friends with King fans (I liked IT, the Green Mile, and Shawshank Redemption). Watchers gave rise to Fear Nothing and Seize the Night (with Chris Snow and friends) and caused me to want to befriend a dog named Einstein. I also give a HUGE nod to the Odd Thomas series by Koontz.
6. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – How could Dickens be left from the list? Great Expectations is richly descriptive about life in Victorian England. A historical treat about the illusions of life. A nod also to A Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist. Just read something by Dickens at least once in your lifetime, even if it is the ever popular A Christmas Carol.
7. What's So Great About Christianity? by Dinesh D'Souza – An interesting read for Christians and Atheists alike. It is a reluctant look at Christianity with equal skepticism toward atheism. A fascinating read.
8. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – A frightening look at a society we seem determined to emulate. A nod also to The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis.
9. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding – Although I enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye, I prefer Ralph, Piggy, and the Savages and their loss of innocence while developing their own sense of self and society.
10. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe – An excellent look at the colonization of Africa through the eyes of a tribal chief.
11. Life of Pi by Yann Martel. An amazing tale of courage… with a twist.
I realize I have listed 11 rather than 10 and that a couple of these are not on my personal top 10, but these are the books that (I think) are more than a guilty pleasure.
I have nothing against Harry Potter, Dan Brown, or Ayn Rand (I realize I'm wandering between a fictional character and a couple of authors), I've just never read them and so don't feel comfortable suggesting them to anyone else. They are on my TBR list, I just haven't made it to them yet – I have found other material more compelling at the moment. Perhaps after reading them I'll add them to a must read list.


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Food Book Fair Showcases the Best of Food in Print
Novelist Stephanie Danler's favorite depiction of food in literature comes from the Seamus Heaney poem "Oysters," which begins:
Our shells clacked on the plates.
My tongue was a filling estuary,
My palate hung with starlight:
As I tasted the salty Pleiades
Orion dipped his foot into the water.
Danler mentioned the poem in a panel discussion on food in literature titled "Food and Fiction," one of the events at this year's Food Book Fair, which was held at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg on May 1st and 2nd.
Danler, who wrote Sweetbitter, was joined on the panel by Jessica Tom, author of the novel Food Whore, and Helen Ellis, whose collection of humorous short stories American Housewife came out earlier this year. Cathy Erway, host of "Eat Your Words" on the Heritage Radio Network and author of The Food of Taiwan and The Art of Eating In, was the moderator.
The sensory richness of the Seamus Heaney poem that Danler cited—"my palate hung with starlight"—set a fitting tone for the Food Book Fair, which felt like a celebration of all that is beautiful in food writing and publishing. Continue reading


text: Living the California Dream in Sunset Park. Enormous lot (almost 10,000 sqft!!!) with a genuine park-like backyard (see photos). Custom Ipe decking along with wood burning pizza oven island creates an wonderful indoor/outdoor ambiance ideal for entertaining or just kicking back on a gorgeous Santa Monica day. Home is 4 bedrooms upstairs including a luxurious master suite with high ceilings, remodeled bathroom, walk in closet and Sunset views. Downstairs has fireplaces in both the living room and family room and a dining area off the kitchen with bay window. Kitchen has Stainless Steel appliances including a professional Bluestar Stove. Giant theatre screen and professional sound system in the Family Room as well as a digital movie/TV projector in the Master. Gorgeous hardwood floors throughout the home make for a clean, comfortable living environment. Enjoy Westside living in the City of Santa Monica. Close to beaches, restaurants, shops & top rated Grant Elementary School (API of 878)


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Our 'F' Icon has been created by Revenge Is Sweet.
Revenge is Sweet is an image making collaboration between Angelique Piliere and Lee Owens. The pair met while studying graphic design and began working together after moving to London in 2006. Their work is a mixture of mixed media collage, illustration, type creation and design.
They have had work appear in publications both in the UK and internationally and work commissioned by a wide range of clients including Nike, Selfridges & Wallpaper*.
Revenge is Sweet are represented by Breed London.


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Broadway Global .ORg
Over 300,000 Theatre Chat arts lovers share arts news in over 30 city/State Theatre Chat facebook groups, Keeping Artists employed and Patrons informed.
Our Broadway Global Producer Of The Year winners are honored with "Producer's' Puzzle" created by Internationally acclaimed Steve Marshall. Broadway Global Producer's are honored for their work on and off the stage. Tweet your nominations @BroadwayGlobal @TheatreChat or Email to firstname.lastname@example.com
Internationally Acclaimed Director/Choreographer Ron Hutchins offers dance programs around the globe, with a portion of his fees going back to the arts programs that offer his dance class.


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Ralf runs through the rain to Plumbob Hall to begin his work in his lordship's kitchen.
When he has dried himself off, Humphrey the Cook presents him with a new set of clothes and shows him where he will sleep.
Humphrey has to get back to preparing the lunch, so he sends his new hire to the stables to ask Ralf the Groom for a tour of the manor house.
The older boy has a wiry frame, a thick beard on his chin, and kind, dark eyes. He laughs when he hears they are both Ralfs. In the household accounts, if they are named at all, the two will be referred to as 'Ralf, Groom of the Marshalsea' and 'Ralf, Child of the Kitchen', but the groom suggests that between themselves they adopt the less formal nicknames 'Tall Ralf' and 'Small Ralf'.
Tall Ralf stables the horse he has been brushing, and takes the boy to see the parts of the house he will need to know.
First they enter the buttery, where the candles and everyday nectars are stored. The lower household sometimes drinks here after supper, and the room is also used to dispense bread to the poor, and to serve food and drink to any merchants, workers or messengers that arrive outside of mealtimes.
Across the hallway is the parlour, a storeroom for bread, dried fruit and preserves.
Finally, they move into the great hall. Tall Ralf explains where everyone sits and in what order they should be served. Small Ralf himself will sit down last, after laying out the dishes for the rest of the lower hall.
He must not step up onto the dais or into the rooms beyond it: different servants of higher rank wait on their lord- and ladyships there. Tall Ralf has never seen the great chamber; neither has Small Ralf's father, nor any man of the village since the manor house was built. Their wives have, however, occasionally passed the invisible divide to serve as midwives and nursemaids, or to bring gifts to new mothers of the household.
At the opposite end of the hall from the dais, above the screens passage, is a balcony where musicians sometimes sit at weddings and other great feasts.
The lunch bell brings the tour to an end. Ralf tucks into a hearty stew of carrot, garlic, and a little beef, sprinkled with fresh mint and thickened with grains of rye. He is not used to eating meat on normal working days, so the tender strips of beef come as a pleasant surprise. So too does the fine white bread, sweeter and airier than the village baker's loaves.
While the high table eat their second course, Humphrey brings the boy before Lord Snordwich and to swear an oath of loyalty.
After lunch, work begins again in the kitchen. Ralf washes dishes and chops vegetables while Humphrey rubs a chicken with honey and the purple flower from the garden.
This, Humphrey tells him, is lavender; and over the next few days he sees that the cook has many uses for it. It is added to pottages, sprinkled over salads, turned into jams and jellies, distilled into bath oils, and dried out to make wardrobe bouquets. Sometimes his lordship's chaplain comes to instruct Humphrey in the production of lavender cordials, syrupy drafts to be stored in the kitchen until they are needed to treat headaches, cramps, or disrupted sleep.
From Wednesday through to Saturday, Humphrey and Ralf need to make four extra messes for the villagers, who have been bringing in the harvest. When Ralf's family arrives, he tells them all about his work.
Everyone is seated in the great hall.
On Ralf's table are Richard, Jaclyn and Tephna. The girls gossip freely until Ralf warns them to keep their voices quiet: if the noise in the lower hall grows too loud, his lordships's marshal will command total silence. In an excited whisper, Tephna tells him about the limes, plums, and grapes she picked for the first time that day.
Jaclyn, who is less hardy than Aelfgiva and not as interested in the harvest as Tephna, has been put in charge of the little ones. She lets Ralf know that his little brother Mark is happy and healthy, and that he seems more comfortable around the other children than he once did.
The villagers bring with them the grapes, limes and plums from the demesne, and from Friday there are pears and apples too. Later in the season, brewers will come from Crafthole to turn some of these into bottles of Black Friar and Bishops's Gold, but for now Humphrey and Ralf use them in pies, crumbles, and, on the warmer days, refreshing fruit soups.
Humphrey teaches Ralf him other things too: how to kneed bread, and pluck and joint a pheasant. The cook has high standards and a sharp tongue, and he scolds the boy whenever he makes mistakes.
But with Ralf's gardening Humphrey cannot find fault. When he sees that he can trust him with his precious herbs and berries, which will be in fruit until the end of the week, he makes the entire plot Ralf's responsibility. Now the boy's favourite time of day is the early morning, when goes out weed and water the plants.


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One of my favorite comic strips.
And yeah, it's weird, weird, weird.
There's a strange squid motif from time to time as well.
Maybe Rain has something to do with it. (as she says, "Friends don't let friends play with giant squids.")
Check out Lio (or your favorite comic) HERE
Who said 'cheat post'?


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The Barn Pen and Ink drawing Watercolor Wash 11 x 15, americana original country barn art painting folk art from Georgia 159 dollars for the original and with the below drop down menu you can also purchase fine art prints of various sizes for 15-25 dollars. I drew the barn drawing with India Ink and painted the rest with watercolor. View more at Barn Paintings
|options below
|original painting $159.00 USD 11 X 14 inch Print $25.00 USD 8 x 10 inch print $15.00 USD


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|Gratuitous kitty cat shot
|Gratuitous kitty cat shot
Looks great! I love the double bunks for the girls, a bonus that they don't need "folded up" each day! That would get old really fast! lol!~ReplyDelete
Really old. I wouldn't want to have to do that everyday.Delete
(Here from Living Simply Free)
As anyone who has spent time in a camper, the toothbrush not falling into the toilet thing is huge! It looks so spacious in there!
No kidding! I love the bathroom. Even the tub is a good size. :)Delete
I've not seen an RV with a bathtub before - that is amazing! Our 'new' motor home has a loo that is a wet room, no separate shower. I'm not bothered as we have never showered in the van anyhow, not wishing to carry that much water when on the road and using reasonable caravan sites when on holiday. Your bathroom looks as spacious as those in some apartments I've had!ReplyDelete
It has been really nice having the tub. Especially for my youngest who prefers a bath to a shower most of the time. Every feature I had hoped for we found in this RV. So lucky!Delete
Love your home! It seems like the perfect size for everything you need. If we could find an RV this nice that would fit the 4 of us we would take it in a NY minute! :)ReplyDelete
Your bathroom is as large as mine in my 4000 sq ft house built in 1902. Of course, the bathroom was in the back yard until they put in plumbing and had a bathroom on the back porch, hence the tiny bathroom. The upstairs bathroom is a huge bathroom. My house has shrunk to two rooms due to water damage! So, don't think I am living in the lap of luxury.ReplyDelete
I was extremely happy with the bathroom in this trailer. It had a lot of really nice features which made it a very comfortable home for us while we lived in it.Delete
Your kind comments are always appreciated. I love hearing from you.
**Note: Comment Moderation has been turned on due to spam.


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Compare top CRM providers for the education industry and learn how a CRM system can supercharge the way your university operates
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are transforming the way universities go about their day-to-day business.
From optimising recruitment and streamlining enrolment to nurturing relationships with students and staff, CRM has brought about a level of change not seen since the advent of the internet.
In this guide we'll cover everything you need to know to choose the right CRM system for your university, and we'll help you compare leading suppliers.
What's on this page?
- 01 | Best CRM software for higher education
- 02 | Salesforce: Best for integration
- 03 | FullFabric: Best for flexibility
- 04 | Maximizer: Best for ease of use
- 05 | Radius: Best for communication
- 06 | Hubspot: Best for schools
- 07 | Maestro SIS: Best for value for money
- 08 | Expert verdict
- 09 | Next steps
- 10 | FAQs
A CRM system allows you to track applications with a simple dashboard
Top CRM systems for higher education
We compared leading CRM providers for the education industry so you don't have to. We looked at core features, variety of tools, and ease of use. And these are the five that came out on top.
These are the top five CRM systems for higher education:
- 01 | Salesforce
- 02 | FullFabric
- 03 | Maximizer
- 04 | Radius
- 05 | Hubspot
- 06 | Maestro SIS
|Providers at a glance
|We like:
|Free trial
|The Integrated cross platform marketing and contact management functions.
|Contact supplier
|The crystal clear reporting and analytics tools and clean, user-friendly interface.
|Contact supplier
|The clear pricing information readily available on their website. It means no nasty surprises.
|£35/per user/per month
|The two way text messaging app for engaging students and responding to queries. Fast.
|Contact supplier
|That it's 100% free, forever. You can add unlimited users for no cost, either – and get a whole suite of powerful CRM features to boot.
|Dedicated student engagement tools such as the personalised study plans.
|Contact supplier
Salesforce for Higher Education
Best for integration
Salesforce is a giant of the CRM world. The company's cloud-based CRM for higher education features everything you need to establish, maintain and grow relationships with students, staff and alumni. The software interface is clearly laid out, and all the information that matters to you — social feeds, dashboards, messages — is pushed to you on the homepage. You can easily integrate your higher education module with other products from the Salesforce range for better collaboration across finance and HR departments.
- Excellent customer service and support
- User-friendly and intuitive CRM software
- Might outprice smaller schools
Best for flexibility
FullFabric is a dedicated higher education solutions and technology company offering a choice of three, feature rich CRM packages. The first, Origin, is a dedicated recruitment platform which promises to help you attract more students and streamline enrolment. The second, Core, is all about building relationships with students through marketing and communications. And the third, Connector, helps you to manage relationships with alumni and donors.
- Easy to use interface
- London-based; understands the needs of UK universities
- Reporting tools lack depth
Maximizer CRM
Best for ease of use
Easy-to-use and affordable, Maximizer software is an all-in-one CRM solution available with options for both cloud-based and on-premises deployment. Despite not being a dedicated CRM for higher education, Maximizer offers a range of tools to help you streamline workflow processes, manage contacts and optimise marketing communications across email and social media. Though it lacks some of the dedicated university-specific features offered by providers such as Salesforce, Maximizer CRM is available on a free trial — so why not give it a go? If you don't like it, don't buy it. Simple.
- Excellent email integration
- Attractive interface
- Can be prone to lagging and freezes
Radius by Campus Management
Best for communication
As you can probably tell by the name, Campus Management's sole aim as a company is to produce the best CRM for higher education. They don't concern themselves with sales. Or with finance. They just do some of the best damn higher education software in the business. As well as all the usual tools for contact management, reporting and analytics, and multichannel marketing, Radius has a neat two-way web chat feature which helps you to deal with student queries swiftly and efficiently.
- Great for small businesses
- Ideal for teams that work remotely
- Can be tricky to get set up
Best for schools
Hubspot is perfect for schools and smaller educational institutes looking for a quick, clean, and simple way into the world of CRM. Why? Well, not only is it completely free, but you can have an unlimited amount of users operating the software. Whether it's teachers, office staff, or even students, you'll get all the CRM access you need – with none of the cost. But that doesn't mean you're skimping on functionality. Hubspot is packed to the brim with integrations and intuitive contact management features that will help your school thrive. And it's free, so… what have you got to lose?
- Stores up to a million contacts and companies
- Email integration with Gmail, Outlook, and G Suite
- Completely free, forever
- Poor online customer approval ratings on Trustpilot
Maestro SIS
Best for value for money
"We are a no hype company that keeps its promises and goes above and beyond to earn customer satisfaction." That's what Maestro CEO Sue Diesker says. And it's hard to argue with that claim. Maestro SIS has over 14 years experience of CRM in the education sector, and during that time they've cultivated a loyal following of universities the world over. Why? Because Maestro CRM offers great value for money, a full range of features, and over 300 customisable parameters — so it can be tailored to meet you specific needs.
- Enthusiastic customer support
- Straightforward interface makes student data management simple
- Not as suitable for smaller educational institutes
Not convinced by any of our top CRM providers for higher education? Check out the top 5 CRM providers in the UK in 2020.
Verdict: the best CRM for higher education
Just like any business, universities operate in a highly competitive environment and the right CRM system can offer a real edge over the competition.
In particular, social CRM has proved a gamechanger for improving student engagement and attracting prospective students. For this reason, we recommend Salesforce as the best CRM for higher education because it integrates with just about every social media platform imaginable and groups posts in an easy-to-digest homepage feed. Well done Salesforce.
Next steps: getting a CRM system for your university
So now you know the benefits of CRM in higher education and you have a good idea which providers you like the sound of, what next? Well, getting a CRM system is as easy as 1, 2, 3…
Step 1: Click on one of the icons below and fill in our webform so we can get a better idea of your specific requirements. It's completely free and the whole process takes less than a minute.
Step 2: We contact leading CRM providers on your behalf to get tailored quotes.
Step 3: You save money by comparing quotes. Simple!
What is a CRM system?
A CRM system is a software application used to store and manage contact information. In a university setting, a CRM will hold data on prospective candidates, students, parents, staff, alumni, and donors.
By bringing this information together in a single place, a CRM can help automate certain aspects of admin intensive processes such as enrolment, deliver targeted marketing through personalised emails and social media, and provide key data insight through detailed reports and analytics.
In broad terms, a CRM for universities will help you to:
- Effectively manage the student lifecycle, from application to graduation
- Personalise your interactions across email and social media
- Customise your workflow to improve efficiency
- Enable better collaboration between both staff and students
What are the benefits of CRM in higher education?
So, what are universities using CRM for? Here are five ways a CRM can help:
✔ Attract new students
Use targeted marketing to grow the reputation of your university and attract the best students. Create custom landing pages and use built-in forms to capture contact details. Once you have this information, a CRM system stores it securely on a cloud-based database, allowing it to be accessed from anywhere in the world, at any time.
✔ Qualify prospective leads
Not every student is right for your university. A CRM for higher education uses advanced profiling tools to build target demographics and help you identify the most suitable candidates. By only focusing your time and energy on pursuing qualified leads you can increase enrolment and reduce running costs.
✔ Reduce costs by streamlining enrolment
Universities will often use one application to store contact information, another for reporting, and yet another for managing enrolment and events. A dedicated CRM for higher education brings all of these functions together, saving you time and minimising the risk of error.
✔ Nurture relationships and build trust
Enrolment is only the beginning. A CRM helps you to nurture relationships with students across multiple platforms throughout the duration of their studies.
Dedicated social media tools make it easier than ever to post to sites such as Facebook and Instagram. Mass mail-outs are a breeze — and you can monitor engagement on a granular level, allowing you to tailor your marketing strategy according to the online behaviour of students.
✔ Track results and implement change from key learnings
The benefits of CRM software for universities extend way beyond engagement and contact management, though. Advanced analytics tools provide real-time insight into candidate behaviour and student preferences.
Do you want to know which courses have seen a drop off in applications? Or how many prospective students engaged with email marketing before applying? A CRM system will you show all this and more, and the results of these insights can be viewed on simple dashboards with easy-to-digest charts.
What questions should I ask providers?
To say that CRM competition is fierce in the education sector would be an understatement. And with so many providers out there, it's easy to end up with a generic system that doesn't meet your specific needs.
Here are three questions to ask yourself to ensure you're choosing the right CRM system for your university:
- What do I want from a CRM system? Most CRM providers offer a basic package with optional add-ons. If you're only interested in streamlining enrolment then you probably won't need a marketing and social media module. Have a clear idea of your requirements to avoid being upsold to by providers.
- Cloud-based or on-premises? Cloud-based software is hosted by the provider and accessed via your web browser. On-premises CRM is installed on your university's servers. In the long run, an on-premises solution often proves to be more cost effective as it usually only requires a one-off license fee — but after that you're on your own in terms of set-up and maintenance. A cloud-based solution is charged on a monthly basis, and the provider handles all the technical stuff in the back end.
- How many licenses do I need? Almost all CRM is priced per user, per month. So to get an accurate idea of costs you need to know exactly how many people will need access to the system.


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Home Embassy
France condemns killing of Russian ambassador to Turkey
Turkey – Assassination of the Russian Ambassador – Communiqué issued by the Presidency of the Republic
Paris, 19 December 2016
The President strongly condemns the assassination of the Russian Ambassador in Ankara./.
Attack on the Russian Ambassador to Turkey – Statement by M. Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development
Paris, 19 December 2016
I was appalled to hear of the attack this evening which claimed the life of the Russian Ambassador in Ankara, Andrei Karlov, and wounded several other people.
France condemns this despicable act. Nothing can justify violence and terrorism.
I extend my condolences to the Ambassador's family and, at this difficult time, my solidarity to Russia and Turkey./.


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The journal Pediatrics just published a study that says that using an infant safety seat designed for motor vehicles outside of a car poses a risk of serious head injury.
According to the study, the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention program has had reports of many injuries due to the misuse of the seats.
Injuries include:
- The seat falling from an elevated surface like a table
- The seat overturning and the child suffocating on a soft surface like a bed
- The seat overturning and the child suffering strangulation due to the restraint strap.
Pediatrics is encouraging car seat manufacturers to provide engineering and design improvements which may reduce the tipping hazard. Pediatricians, parents and child care providers need to be aware of the potential hazard of misusing Child Restraint Systems.
This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in car accidents and those who have been injured by dangerous or defective products.
Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or email@example.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.