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Architect Plans, Structural Reports & Construction
Urban Life Estates and Surveyors Planning and & Design department specialise in plans and applications for building regulations & residential planning applications approval. With our team of Architectural and Architectural Assistant we will put your design into practice.
We combine expert knowledge gained within planning policy for local and surrounding boroughs in: building regulations, planning applications, construction methods and knowledge, Survey requirements and the party wall act to get the best value to your property and project.
To date we have a number of completed Certificates of Completions for work carried out from the drawing stage to completion with various residential planning and building regulation applications, this has given us invaluable experience in interpreting planning and building regulation policy process and requirements.
Our Director completed his professional Property Degree with Hons after studying a Bachelor of Science in Property and Business and has more than 12 years of professional practice experience in the property and building industry. Our Architects and Architect Assistance are (ARB/RIBA) Part 2 & Part 3 Architectural Assistant MArchD, BA (Hons) qualified with experience spanning over 35 years combined . We also provide and have Qualified Structural Engineers that will provide you with the required Structural Engineers Report needed for any project from a Dormer to a complete New Build and Developments with over 25 years of experience.
Service Provided and Prices
£950 Single floor Plans e.g. Ground floor extension / Loft Conversion
£1400 Two floor Plan e.g. Two Storey Extension ground up, Ground floor Extension with a separate Loft Conversion
£1550 Three Storey Plan e.g.Two Storey Extension ground up with a separate Loft Conversion , Ground floor Kitchen Extension and a First floor Extension Room and a Loft Conversion etc.
Process of services prices
1. You email us your name, project address, phone number and brief description of works required (any hand drawing you may have drawn)
2. We will them use OS maps (ordinance survey) and Google earth map for satellite view mapping of your properties size and surrounding to assess your projects feasibility against planning policy while checking planning history in your street for any relevant or similar cases.
3. We will then email you with a fee proposal, (Given that we see that there is a reasonable chance of gaining permission if required) or will meet with building regulations
4. Arrange a visit to your property to complete a measured survey and receive your provided design brief in person to verify your drawings if provided.
5. At this stage we will We invoice you 50%
6. We produce the the existing draft survey drawings in approximately one week to ten days (weekends included).
7. We produce the first draft regulations drawings for your approval (excluding structural calculations) in approximately one week to ten days
8. We will then invoice you for the outstanding balance
9. We will revise the drawings if required by you
10. We submit a planning application on your behalf and send you your council fee payment receipt details( fees payment separate)
11. If required by the council we will revise the drawings
Lets start with a basic single story extension: 4M X 5M Extension
For a number of years you may have heard builder say, that the rule of thumb is £1,000 per m2, then later your costs may go up though mis-calculation leaving you to find further money as the project has gone over budget!! However, this figure has been bandied about for rather a long time now and from our experience, it usually would start from £1,200 – £1,500 per m2 which give you a now a more realistic estimate for a house extension
So, for your 4 x 5m extension, the build cost at the lowest end (£1200) of these estimates would be roughly £24,000
+ Add professional fees (architect, planning application, building regs, structural engineer)
For a quote on any of our services call 0208 808 0242 or contact us on our contact page.


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CONCORD, N.H. — A dozen years after forming the Appalachian Mountain Club in 1876, its members embarked on an ambitious mission to build a refuge for hikers of the rugged ridgeline of the Presidential Range in the White Mountains.
The Madison Spring hut — a stone shelter complete with a fireplace — was built in the summer of 1888, in a saddle between Mount Madison and Mount Adams. It was a time when tourists were flocking to the White Mountains by train, riding the world's first mountain railroad — the Cog Railway — to the summit of Mount Washington. Many stayed in the Summit House Hotel atop Mount Washington.
Madison Springs was the summit house for hikers. The club's founding member Rosewell Lawrence and a companion spent several nights in the hut in February 1889. He wrote a diary entry hailing it as ''a great institution. Its construction is one of the best things the club has done.''
Now, 125 years later, the AMC is celebrating the anniversary of the nation's oldest mountain hut system with special thut hikes, educational programs and commemorative items, including posters, patches, pint glasses, and clothing. It is also encouraging visitors to go to its website and post photos they have taken of their stays in the huts.
The system has grown to eight huts located along the Appalachian Trail, ranging in capacity from 36 at the smaller huts to 90 at the Lakes of the Clouds hut just below the summit of Mount Washington. Club officials say about 39,000 hikers overnight in the huts annually.
Each hut is staffed with a crew that includes a naturalist. Stays include dinner and breakfast, at a cost averaging $98 for AMC members and $118 for nonmembers. Staff members discuss the ecosystem around the hut and talk about what they do to minimize the impact to the environment.
''We showcase how the hut runs and suggest what people might be able to do back home,'' said Chris Thayer, a hut system worker and manager since 1989, who now oversees the outreach and education program.
''Two things make the huts come alive,'' Thayer said. ''You can't ignore the beautiful surroundings and the cast of characters that come from all walks of life that come together in a hut with the common experience of what they were able to accomplish and what they were sharing that evening.''
Avid hiker and octogenarian Margaret Mathis has made the Appalachian Mountain Club hut system in the Presidential Range a destination for 60 years; this year is no exception.
She and her camping party spent two nights at the Madison Spring hut — built 125 years ago as the flagship of the nation's oldest mountain hut system.
''The huts allow you to do some of the more ambitious climbs,'' said Mathis, 85, of Bridgton, Maine. ''To go up and down in one day would be pretty difficult when you get a bit older. I don't care to do that.''
Rick Wilcox, professional mountain guide and co-owner of the International Mountain Climbing School in Conway, said the hut system really helps older hikers and children who can't comfortably backpack a week's worth of gear to explore the Presidential Range.
John Judge, president of the club's New Hampshire chapter, says the hut system serves many functions.
''The huts are not only an oasis for folks who are hiking, who need shelter from a storm or need a good meal after a long day's hike. They are centers for conservation learning and environmental research,''he said.
Each summer since 1987, Richard and Lisa Hillman of Annapolis, Md., have traveled to New Hampshire to volunteer with the club and hike to the huts. In 2003, Richard Hillman and his 14-year-old son did the loop and stayed in all eight huts. His favorite is the Mizpah Spring Hut, with its library and separate bunk rooms.
''There would be very little activity in the White Mountains compared to what there is if those huts were not there,'' Hillman said.
Correction: Because of an editing error, the Galehead Hut was misidentified in a caption with a story in Monday's Metro section about the Appalachian Mountain Club's system of huts.

subset: commoncrawl


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Everyone knows the rental market in London is bonkers, but it does somehow keep surprising us.
This "beautiful" studio flat in Chiswick has taken minimalism to new heights, consisting of someone's old lounge with some kitchen units and a shower. Yep, that is pretty much the entire "flat" in the photo.
Let's break down some of the exciting features of this "refurbished to a high standard" abode:
- There's an electric fireplace in the worst possible position, right under the window so all the heat you're paying for can escape immediately.
- To add insult to injury, the lead has been left trailing across the floor so you can trip over it on your way out of the shower, which is about half a metre to the left.
- To add pisstake to insult to injury, there is a large blocked-up fireplace on the other wall, which apparently wasn't a good place for y'know, a fireplace.
- The fireplace isn't even centred under the window.
- It's also not plugged in, because the power socket to the right of it is hanging off the wall:
- There are two blind sockets to the immediate right of the shower. You can't plug anything in, but you can probably still electrocute yourself while wet and depressed because you live here. Not the kind of power shower we prefer.
- Where you're going to fit a bed is anyone's guess, but at least it only needs to be a single because no one's going to visit you here.
- It's on the ground floor so you can probably climb directly out of the sash window rather than bothering with the door. Said window does not appear to lock, so burglars can do the same in reverse. On the bright side, they might burn themselves on the fire if you can get it plugged in.
- There is a SHOWER in the KITCHEN. Which is also the entire flat.
- There doesn't seem to be any kind of extractor system, so you'll just have to deal with the damp.
- It breaks several building regulations, but at least it doesn't have a toilet in the kitchen. Because that's shared with the other neighbours. Wonder what their flats are like!
- At just £850 a month, it includes all bills! Even the one for running a fire directly underneath a window!
The flat, for now, is advertised on Gumtree and was spotted by Redditor hi7en, who posted it under the creative title 'Just in case you want to see your Mrs baps whilst your toasting some baps.'
Any takers? Too late, it's gone. We hear there's a 'refurbished' phone box on Dalston High Street coming free soon though. [Reddit]
All images via Gumtree


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The National Security Agency routinely listened in on the intimate and innocent phone calls of Americans in Iraq, including government personnel, journalists and aid workers, as they called back into the United States, according to two former NSA operators who spoke to ABC News.
The accusations that the NSA routinely listened in on Americans' phone calls contradicts the Administration's repeated claims that its secret spying did not listen to any Americans other than suspected terrorists.
The conduct also appears to violate the rules that govern when the NSA can listen in to Americans' making calls overseas – which then required high-level approval for each target.
The two operators, who ABC News say do not know one other, came forward after speaking with the foremost chronicler of the NSA, James Bamford, whose new book the Shadow Factory comes out on Tuesday.
ABC News reports:
"These were just really everyday, average, ordinary Americans who happened to be in the Middle East, in our area of intercept and happened to be making these phone calls on satellite phones," said Adrienne Kinne, a 31-year old US Army Reserves Arab linguist assigned to a special military program at the NSA's Back Hall at Fort Gordon from November 2001 to 2003.
Kinne described the contents of the calls as "personal, private things with Americans who are not in any way, shape or form associated with anything to do with terrorism."
Another intercept operator, former Navy Arab linguist, David Murfee Faulk, 39, said he and his fellow intercept operators listened into hundreds of Americans picked up using phones in Baghdad's Green Zone from late 2003 to November 2007.
Faulk says he and others in his section of the NSA facility at Fort Gordon routinely shared salacious or tantalizing phone calls that had been intercepted, alerting office mates to certain time codes of "cuts" that were available on each operator's computer.
"Hey, check this out," Faulk says he would be told, "there's good phone sex or there's some pillow talk, pull up this call, it's really funny, go check it out. It would be some colonel making pillow talk and we would say, 'Wow, this was crazy'," Faulk told ABC News.
It's not clear whether the allegations refer to the so-called Terrorist Surveillance Program that the Administration admitted to running after the New York Times revealed its existence in December 2005. The government describes that program as listening into phone calls where one end is outside the United States and where one party is suspected of being a terrorist. That program likely intercepted phone calls with help from American telecom companies.
The program described by the operators in the ABC News story likely collected the intelligence outside the United States.
Kinne's allegations are not new – she's been making them public for sometime as part of her involvement in the Iraq Veterans Against the War.
If the allegations are true, they show that when the government secretly tossed aside the decades-old credo that the NSA doesn't spy on Americans, it did not simply make one or two exceptions – it shredded the it.
ABC News says the head of the Senate Intelligence committee Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia) is disturbed by the news and pledges to look into it.
However, it fails to note that Rockefeller was the key lawmaker in this summer's legislation that largely legalized the government's formerly secret warrantless wiretap program and gave immunity to the companies that helped.
Threat Level will have more next week with the release of Bamford's book and a tag team Danger Room/Threat Level interview with Bamford.
See Also:
- Attorney General Pulls the Immunity Trigger, But Denies 'Dragnet ...
- Rights Group Suing AT&T for Spying Sues NSA and Cheney, Too
- Analysis: NSA Spying Judge Defends Rule of Law, Congress Set to ...
- Feds Use Phone Bills to Get Journo's Sources on NSA Spy Program
- Analysis: NSA Spying Judge Defends Rule of Law, Congress Set to ...
- Bush Signs Spy Bill, ACLU Sues
- Secret Spying Court Stays Secret, Rejects ACLU Plea Again
Photo: JosephTate73/Flickr


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Lone Oak Golf
- 8084 Dent Cockrell Rd, Bastrop, LA 71220
- (318) 283-1245
9 total holes at facility
Green fees - $17 (estimate)
Designed by Harold Andrews
Built in 1993
Driving Range: Yes
Public golf course
Lone Oak Golf is a 9-hole executive length golf course in Bastrop, Louisiana. This short layout will reward good shots and provide a fun golf outing for everyone. Online tee times may be available at Lone Oak Golf or at nearby golf courses, usually offered at a discount from the normal rate.
Back Tees
Course Rating
Manager: Harold Andrews
Remember, occasionally there may be errors, even though the data is mostly right. If you see any mistakes, please get ahold of us about it.
Beneath this text, aerial imagery should load of Lone Oak Golf at 8084 Dent Cockrell Rd, Bastrop, LA 71220. If you can't find the course, try panning around and looking at the surrounding area.
Please login to add your review.


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When we think of art, we often think of going somewhere to view it, like an art museum or an exhibit. And when we think of home décor, we usually think of choosing an assortment of furniture and ornaments. However, art can be used in a unique way to decorate your home, particularly as large statement pieces.
If you love art and can find a fine art painting or two that match your home's tone, it makes perfect sense to use them as decorations.
A Dozen Ways to Celebrate Art in Your Home
Here are 12 ideas to think about and try out:
- Let your favorite piece stand out. If you have many special works of art, then you'll quickly notice that nothing is special anymore. However, if you use a few statement pieces then the other art in the room can be less dramatic. You can't fill a room with too many statement pieces because it will feel like everything is shouting for attention.
- Try a mixture of ideas. Figure out what type of art you like and then combine it with its opposite. Get clear in your mind about what you love, then juxtapose it with something else. Try abstract with realism; or muted colors with gaudy colors; or flora with fauna; or geometric with organic. See what happens when you put a nostalgic scene with still life, or dark and brooding themes with light and happy themes.
- Try a blend of complementary colors. The colors or styles don't have to be the same, nor the genres or themes, but there should be a sense of complementary balance.
- Try the rule of three. If you're worried about a room looking too busy because of a wild clash of genres, then try to get three different themes running like city, country, and fantasy nature themes. Or you could have animal, flowers, and people.
- Try a unifying theme. If you have art in all your rooms, you could use a theme to unify them all. For instance, they could all be Vincent Van Gogh reprints, or different impressionism painters.
- Try a pattern. If you're into abstract art, then you could focus on only abstract art that is about patterns—some bright, some subdued, some garish, some wispy and metaphysical.
- Try to take to step back is space or time. Stepping back in space means looking into a room from outside. You could peer into the room from a doorway. You could even peer into the room through the window. By seeing the room from outside, you'll get perspective on how everything works together. Stepping back in time means not looking at your decor until a day or two later and then taking another look at how it makes you feel.
- Try to be playful. Decorating a room or house with art has to be done in a playful way. Only by not taking things seriously, and not fretting about what didn't work, will the process fall into place. Sometimes, all you need is a small creative tweak here and there to make everything work out beautifully.
- Try to get ideas from art galleries. Go to art galleries to see what it is that they do to unify different styles, genres, artists. Do they celebrate differences? Do they party with contrast? Do they think in terms of themes or colors or arrange a room by artists? You'll be surprised how many ideas you will come away with it.
- Try to work it out with like-minded friends. If you have friends who love art as much as you do, then it will be much more fun to create a project and get different opinions on how things look in different parts of a room or and what art looks good in different rooms.
- Try to keep it simple. It might be fine to just work with one or two pieces for your home decor project, deciding on the focal points for your statement pieces. Where would the art look good—in what part of the living room, in what rooms of the house?
- Try to think in terms of scale. Keep frames sizes and styles in mind when doing your brainstorming. You want to pay attention to how you scale your art choices. You don't want everything to be the same size. You want some large pieces to dominate the room and some moderate sized pieces to act as support. And, you may even want some small pieces to put in your smaller rooms, like the bathroom, as a subtle piece of décor.
How to Manage Your Project
Naturally, you can't go out and buy everything you might want to experiment with, but all you need are some mockups. Print out pictures from the Internet if they are a well-known piece like "After The Bath" by Edgar Degas or cut them out of catalogs and blow them out and place them around the house. This will give you a good idea of how to be bold with colors. When you have a better idea of how you want to set things up, then you can go out and buy original art or excellent reprints.


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January 14
The Measure of Grace
"Unto each one of us is grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Eph_4:7).
We learned in our travels yesterday that God gives grace to the humble. This poses an interesting question: If grace is "unmerited favor" then why does God only give it to the humble? Why not give it to the proud?
But there's more. Not only does God discriminate between the proud and humble when He gives His grace to man, but Paul tells us in Ephesians that grace is also given by God in measures.
It is not sent from above like a great Niagara downpour drenching all upon whom it falls. No; rather, it is supplied in specific measures. Some receive more; others less – but everyone gets exactly the measure that they need.
So again I ask – if grace is "unmerited favor" then why does God give it only to the humble; and, why does He then give it in proportionate measures?
And while I am asking questions, I might as well ask two more – which really present a challenge.
First, if Grace is "unmerited favor" then why can you fall from grace? Why would God freely give me something I clearly do not deserve, and then make it possible for me to lose it if I don't start acting like I deserve it? Do I get it for free, but then have to keep it by my behavior? Even hillbillies know "that don't make no sense!"
And before you answer, what about this one. If Grace is "unmerited favor" then why does the Bible say that the grace of God was upon Jesus? Are we to believe that God's "unmerited favor" was upon His Beloved Son? Jesus did not deserve it, but God gave it to Him anyway? Of course not!
I tell you what, let me answer these question in just a little bit. For now what I want you to see is that God gives us grace in exact proportion to His will for our lives!
This means that whoever God has created you to be, and whatever God has purposed for you to do – He has already supplied you with the full measure of grace you will need to successfully prevail in His purpose for your life!
You cannot fail – as long as you stay humble.
And nobody knew this truth better than the apostle Paul. The last time I passed this way he was at a tavern just up the road; it's likely that we will be able to talk with him tomorrow, and he will clear this up for us.
January 14


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Rotation Medical has developed, patented and commercialized a novel, FDA-cleared rotator cuff system that has the potential to transform the treatment of rotator cuff disease. The system includes a bioinductive implant and a set of disposable arthroscopic instruments. In clinical studies the bioinductive implant has been shown to heal tendons by inducing the growth of new tendon-like tissue.
Bioinductive Implant
Our bioinductive implant, derived from bovine Achilles tendon is reconstituted to achieve very high porosity and purity and a low modulus. It is designed to rapidly induce the formation and functional remodeling of new tendon-like tissue on the bursal surface of the supraspinatus tendon.
The new tissue will biologically augment the rotator cuff to reduce the peak strain at the site of the tear and create an environment conducive for healing. The Rotation Medical bioinductive implant gradually absorbs within six months, leaving a layer of new tendon-like tissue to biologically augment the existing tendon.
The Rotation Medical delivery instrument enables the bioinductive implant to be delivered arthroscopically to a precise location. The delivery instrument holds the bioinductive implant in the correct position while the initial tendon staples are being delivered.
Tendon Fixation Instruments
The Rotation Medical tendon fixation instrument is designed to attach the bioinductive implant securely to the tendon with bioabsorbable tendon staples.
The legs of the stapler are positioned appropriately on the bioinductive implant and pushed into the tendon.
Bone Fixation Instruments
The Rotation Medical bone fixation instruments are designed to quickly and reproducibly attach the bioinductive implant to the humeral head using proprietary permanent bone staples.


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This is kind of blurry but you get the idea. They were up on the 2nd floor! Hoping to go back and see more progress today. I can't wait to "feel" the presence of the house if that makes sense. Looking forward to seeing the second floor and making sure all those extra windows we're paying for are there.
Back of house.....all extra window holes are there!
Jay took the kids by after allergy shots and they held up his phone via face chat so I could see. Of course seeing that, I couldn't NOT stop by to see for myself. Plus, he had the kids with him and didn't want to get out of the car.
I was there yesterday for about 10 minutes and in that time I saw my next door neighbor and another guy with his son who lives down the street. Both made a point to come out and say hello. I'm loving how friendly so many people are. Not that our old neighborhood was unfriendly but it took a while to meet a lot of people around us. Granted, I also know this is still the beginning of the neighborhood but it's nice to feel welcomed and to know so many people are looking forward to us moving in. Every time I drop by I'm reinforced what a good choice we made in building here. I'm just so excited!!!


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All formats/editions
It's 1863 and dinosaurs roam the streets of New York as the Civil War rages between raptor-mounted armies down South. Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are on a field trip when the Draft Riots break out, and a number of their fellow orphans are kidnapped by an evil magistrate, Richard Riker. Magdalys and her friends flee to Brooklyn and settle in the Dactyl Hill neighborhood, where black and brown New Yorkers have set up an independent community--a safe haven from the threats of Manhattan. Together with the Vigilance Committee, they train to fly on dactylback, discover new friends and amazing dinosaurs, and plot to take down Riker. Can Magdalys and the squad rescue the rest of their friends before it's too late?
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REVIEW: The Last Song April 29, 2010Posted by Patrick in Cinematics.
Tags: Liam Hemsworth, miley cyrus, Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song
2 comments
Love her or hate her, Miley Cyrus looks like she's here to stay. The teen star who shot to fame in her role as Hannah Montana has finally escaped from the bindings of her blonde alter ego by headlining this 'serious' attempt as an actress.
The Last Song is a film that doesn't ask too much from the viewer. Considering the fact that it's been conceived in the head of romance novelist Nicholas Sparks, there are certain expectations here. Two people from different 'sides of the tracks' will meet, probably one summer, fall in love, hit a few speed bumps along the way, and of course someone will have kicked the bucket by the time the credits roll.
This is fine by me. I accept the Nicholas Sparks tried and tested formula and even enjoy it a little bit sometimes. This could either be a reflection on my own pathetic love life, or perhaps I just enjoy seeing people fall in love and have terrible things happen to them.
The real question being posed by every critic, and indeed viewer, is whether Miley Cyrus can cut the mustard as a quote/unquote 'serious' actress. I'm inclined not to go too hard on the girl. Firstly, as I've said countless times, I like the girl. Secondly, she's not actually too bad in Hannah Montana. Of course, the programme is a frothy teenage sitcom, but Miley has achieved fame all over the world not for her amazing acting chops, but for her likeability.
In The Last Song, there's no question that she has some serious potential. Perhaps it's not pure acting, and there really is a moping teen inside Miley just dying to get out, but she takes anything thrown at her in the film and plays it to the best of her ability. For her role as child prodigy Ronnie, Miley even learned classical piano. Although I was at times a bit dubious as to whether it was her hands that were actually playing the notes, if it was her, then she gets my praise.
Initially, there's not much to like about her character Ronnie. She traipses into the island town of Tybee, Savannah, where she has been condemned to live with her father for the summer, wearing some ridiculous semi-emo gittup and giant black boots on a beach full of beautiful blondes and ripped hunks. From the moment Miley steps on the screen, it's as if we're being told THIS IS NOT HANNAH MONTANA. She's edgy now, don'tcha know.
After a predictable run-in with her love-to-be, Will, played by her real life boyfriend Liam Hemsworth, the two fall in love, bonding over…turtle eggs. What could have been a ridiculous plot device (and it is, as Nicholas Sparks unashamedly admits, a plot device) actually becomes something semi-believable and will leave a few tears in the eyes of many.
As the two fall in love, it becomes clear that all is not well with Ronnie's father, played by the amiable and funny Greg Kinnear, and things start to get complicated. Unlike the other big Sparks adaptation of the year, Dear John, things actually build to a nice conclusion that packs an emotional, if somewhat predictable punch.
Any guy who is dragged along with a girlfriend to see this is not going to have many positive things to say about it, but it's undeniably an agreeable film. You'll smile when the sea turtle eggs hatch, you'll laugh at the antics of Ronnie's father and brother, and you may even shed a tear towards the end.
If you hate yourself for it, that's your problem, not Miley's.
Will Sparks Fly? February 23, 2010Posted by Patrick in Cinematics, Lit.
Tags: amanda seyfried, Channing Tatum, Dear John, Liam Hemsworth, miley cyrus, Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song
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Curiously, in the next few months there are not one but two Nicholas Sparks book adaptations on the way and inevitably, everyone's going to be debating which was better.
The first, Dear John, stars Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum as a war-torn couple, separated by his decision to go fight for his country. Throughout his time abroad as a soldier, they exchange letters, which keep him going through his "increasingly dangerous missions" and blah blah blah while she sits at home and waits for him to return.
The other film is Sparks' Miley Cyrus vehicle The Last Song. This film has a more chequered past, originally scheduled for release in January, but subsequently postponed until March 31st (at least in the US). The storyline even seems a bit less stimulating – Cyrus plays a mopey teen who goes to live with her dad for the summer, and falls in love with a guy on the beach.
Although Miley's name attached to anything would normally seem like a safe bet, the film seems a to be skewing a little older than her usual demographic. The problem is, however, the type of people who loved The Notebook are likely to be put off by the presence of Miley Cyrus in the film. It doesn't help either that Liam Hemsworth is a complete unknown, famous only for his real life attachment to the Hannah Montana star.
Although I'm never one to completely write Miley off, I'm going to wager that Dear John will fare much better at the box office (judging by its ticket sales to date, The Last Song has a lot to live up to), given that it panders almost shamelessly to The Notebook fans.
And if they had come out the same weekend, Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum of course would have had some sort of sabotage mission planned.
"If The Last Song was coming out the same weekend as Dear John, we'd have to collaborate on some sort of sabotage mission," Seyfried told MTV.
"I'd burn it," Tatum added. "I'd sabotage it somehow."
Once they're better than the god-awful Nights in Rodanthe, I'll be happy.
Check out the trailers below and let the battle commence.
Dear John (out 16th April in Ireland)
The Last Song (out 30th April in Ireland)


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Goat Milk Soap
- Brand: Life of the Party
Craft handmade soap for yourself and for gifts with Goat Milk Soap! It's perfect for mixing with colors and fragrances to make it completely personalized. Create soaps with many different scents to keep or give away!
Package contains 5 pounds of soap.
Item not available in Hobby Lobby Stores.
Check your local store for availability.
Send me an email when it's back in stock.
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Blair Castle is the seat of the Murrays of Atholl. More than any castle or country home I've been to so far, the decor is all about hunting which is understandable when you consider the beautiful grounds it sits on.
Its hard to paint a full picture, but visiting the castle was a highlight of our visit to Pitlochry. One of the first things you notice is the wild man of Atholl. He is absolutely everywhere.
He is part of the Murray family crest, and is usually holding a key and an axe with both his arms raised. According to the legend, the wild man of Atholl was supposed to be a great hunter from the area who was sent after a marauding MacDonald who was stealing cattle and terrorizing the countryside. He brought his quarry back in chains.
The groundfloor hallway is lined from end to end with stag antlers and the grand ballroom is filled with taxidermy. The Murray family have also collected paintings, furniture, and tapestries with a definite hunting theme. The drawing room was filled with stuffed birds and small animals wearing hats.
I couldn't place where I'd seen it before, but it probably would have been at the National Gallery of Scotland by Princes Street Gardens. Apparently, this was a controversial portrait at the time because the Duke was wearing a kilt at a time when wearing tartan was banned (because of its association with the Jacobite uprising).
You can see the castle in the background, but I like the sleeping dog in the foreground – he looks like he has had a full day helping the master with the hunt.
Blair castle has gone through several transformations over the years, and is still a residence even today. The earliest part of the castle dates back to the 13th century, but it went substantial renovations during the Georgian and Victorian periods.
We walked through each of the rooms, and saw some interesting artifacts including the armor worn by Bonnie Dundee when he died at Killecrankie and a chair made almost entirely from deer antlers on the central staircase. The house and furniture is all very luxurious, and you can imagine that each item has a lot of history.
Outside we explored the woods and made our way over to the old Kirk and Hercules Garden where we could look back for some impressive views of Blair Castle. The surrounding trails on the estate provide some more idyllic views, but since this was a short visit we made our way back to Blair Athol and then Pitlochry.


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Bosses in Training
Miller Motorsports Park offers options for those wanting to take the lead.
In the performance driving arena, if you want to become a leader, you not only need to know how to drive, but you need to know the car you're driving.
There are many ways to gain that experience with any particular car, but if you are one of those lucky souls who might find themselves behind the wheel of the new Boss 302 Mustang, you've got even more options. There is no doubting the performance potential of these new pony cars that have been escaping out of Ford's stables. With over 440hp on tap, the issue arises when you want to exercise your steed in a safe manner. Thanks to a partnership between Ford Racing and the Miller Motorsports Park, finding a place to run in a Boss 302-equipped Mustang has gotten a lot easier.
Miller Motorsports Park is renowned for their close ties to racing, the Ford Motor Company and enthusiasts who want to go fast. Founded by the late Larry H. Miller, the 551-acre facilities features a state-of-the-art track that can be specifically configured to instruct and improve an enthusiast's driving abilities, while providing a safe environment. Students utilize a fleet of cars belonging to the Miller Motorsports Park that have been upgraded for specific track usage with a mind for safety and reliability.
Anyone who purchases a Boss 302 Mustang is treated to the Boss Track Attack, but others are encouraged to participate in the festivities as well. There are options ranging from a Mustang Driving Experience, all the way up to renting one of their race-ready FR500S Mustangs. There is also a licensing school, as well as one-, two- and three-day Ford Racing Driving Schools available for those who want to pursue some seat time in a competitive atmosphere. During the Boss Track Attack, competition is not the focus. Instead, participants are encouraged to learn about the car and their abilities.
Miller Motorsports Park does more than simply try to cram as much information as possible into your helmet. They also make great efforts to keep your stomach from emptying out as well. Starting with the evening of your arrival, you are treated to a reception dinner in the Larry H. Miller Total Performance Auto Museum. You get to know your fellow classmates as you enjoy great food amid some of the most coveted performance autos and racecars. Everything from LeMans-winning GT-40s to pop-culture iconic rides will be on display as you begin your driving adventure.
Doing so on the facilities' East Course, through turns with names like "Satisfaction", "Fast", "Faster" and "Mabey Y'll Makit". Each turn is designed to instruct, and improve a driver's abilities while making the learning experience an enjoyable one. Students are treated to generous track time and also are treated to adequate face-time with their instructors in both classroom and seat-time sessions. The school also has a hydraulic-equipped skidpad car which can be set up for adverse over/under-steer situations. This allows for drivers to get a feel how to handle these situations without introducing any unnecessary speed. Instructors can instantly set up the car for any desired condition with the flick of a switch and even though the car may not be going more than 15 mph, the effect that it has on the handling of the car is quite dramatic and very instructional.
Track time begins with a lead/follow session where the student learns the track and the quickest route around it. After the foundations are laid down and the student shows they've grasped the concepts of both speed and safety, they are directed out onto the course for some hot-lapping, as fast as their driving skill levels permit. Students are encouraged to improve their times, but not to look for the quickest time, the first time out on the track. Speed is best poured into at a slow pace, and it is much easier to learn the right way how to navigate the course than to try and figure out what went wrong.
During your driving experience, your catered, lunchtime meal helps serve as a cool-down session from the morning's driving, as well as an opportunity to discuss technique and share your experiences with others. After the meal, the class hits the track, using what they've learned in previous class and driving sessions. The world-class driving instruction team at Miller Motorsports Park is there to help you. They will instruct and encourage you to broaden your performance driving horizons while also helping you to find your limitations in a safe manner. Their expertise, and the personal way by which they convey it, will have you driving better by the end of your driving session, if you'll listen to them.
There is sufficient classroom and track time to ensure that you can improve your driving, whether through in-class theory or hands-on driving. As we have mentioned, the instructor list is literally a who's who of performance driving. The depth of experience afforded the student is exceptional and the cars that are central to the on-the-job training aspect of the experience are equally advantageous to the student. Safety is stressed while performance driving is a close second.
The Boss 302 Mustang is an exceedingly capable car as delivered from Ford, but under the constant extreme conditions that these cars are beholden, there are a few changes that serve both the students and their equipment well. A fresh dose of synthetic fluids act as the lifeblood for the cars and items like brake pads and rotors have been updated to withstand the constant thrashing they observe.
More than simply a Boss 302 equipped car, the Mustangs are treated to many Ford Racing options that are found on more race-specific rides like the Laguna Seca version of the Boss 302. Roll bars and strengthening braces add performance and safety, while the adjustable shocks and lower-restriction exhausts help keep thrill levels high. For even added performance, the Boss 302 cars were treated to the "Red Key" upgrade, and while it doesn't increase horsepower significantly, it does alter the car's persona into a highly capable track star. The red TracKey adjusts variable cam timing, spark maps, engine braking, fuel control and over 200 other parameters that allow the car's engine to be better utilized for on-track driving.
There is a noticeable "rump-rump-rump!" to the car's idle when utilizing the TracKey option. Being electronically controlled, the Boss 302's engine can change from a Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde simply by swapping out keys. The red key option is available only to Boss 302 owners once they've taken delivery of their car.
The day serves as an excellent introduction to all that this car is capable of producing but if that isn't enough, you can also opt for the additional second day, where you'll find yourself roaring around the track in one of Miller Motorsports Park's FR500S Mustangs. These race-equipped Mustangs are track-only equipment and while the comfort levels drop off excessively, so do the lap times. These cars are FAST!
We had the opportunity to stay the extra day and make use of some seat time in one of these cars. Driving one will take your experience to the next level. Being race-prepared, they are well capable of driving beyond the Boss 302 cars, and also serve well as a platform to allow you to safely go beyond what you could the day before. You can feel your experience level building as you get acquainted with the FR500S and when handled with respect, the car will treat you to a driving experience that is second to none.
The second day's driving starts out bright and early after a short classroom session. Throughout the day, both experience and confidence levels build and by day's end, there's a feeling of satisfaction and enjoyment, along with being tired. Truth is, race car drivers are very athletic and for the typical enthusiast, too much track time is in fact, too much. By day's end, you'll have had enough classroom and track time to improve your driving even more, without over-exerting your mind or driving skills.
If you're anxiously awaiting the arrival of your Boss 302 Mustang or you simply want to hone your on-track driving skills, be sure to check out all that Miller Motorsports Park has to offer. If you're a Boss 302 owner, the answer is simple, but if you're searching for a means to shorter track times and a driving line to the front of the pack, chances are that Miller Motorsports Park has course to get you there.


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2017 Personal Insurance Planning
As we prepare to start the New Year, now is the best time to review your personal insurance needs. Effective personal insurance planning should be treated just like investment planning. A proper review of your insurance program can lead to better pricing and improved coverage.
Personal Insurance
· Have you moved?
· Did you purchase any new electronics, guns or jewelry that need to be added to your policy?
· Do you have kids in college?
· Did your marital status change?
These are just some of the questions that need to be reviewed in order to update your personal insurance policy.
Make a Home Inventory
Can you recall all the items in your dresser or cupboard? For most of us the answer is no. You never know when a home disaster, like a fire or a flood, will strike, so be prepared by having all your belongings documented. Developing a home inventory is a comprehensive way to account for your personal property. To create your home inventory list, go through each room of your house and make a list and/or take photos of its contents. You want to list large and expensive items individually (like appliances, jewelry and furniture) and group together smaller items in sets (like books, toys, or linens). Don't forget to include items stored in your basement, attic, garage, or shed.
Use an Independent Agent
Using an independent agent gives you access to many markets. As an independent insurance agent we are very knowledgeable about all the companies in the marketplace. We know which companies have the best track record when it comes to pleasing their policy holders. We can review all options and help you choose between the best insurance companies in the market.


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Dusk becuase 1024×768 looks ok.
I updated my desktop settings to 1024×768 from
800×600 .When i did this the opera web and other aps gave me fits a for two days as i searched for better font settins.
on where to look.
tool for changing gtk fonts a plain text editor any.
tools for qt3 : use qtconfig.
tools for opera : use opera built in config.
type opera:config into opera's url space.
look for font menu and change to find a font size you like.
i'm not using firefox3 but there is a update for new firefox2 build.
I updated my firefox2.
you have to look under alturnitive downloads at mozilas site but it's their and it works good.
I don't need no firefox3. firefox2 still works and is still updated.
# filed under linux is confussing me some times.
CDW craptastic damn-small-linux.
I use use damn-small-linux os on my main inter net pc.
the default gui for burnning data cd's is CDW.
Open a shell and type cdw and the ncurser gui will pop up in the shell.
I have a lite on cdburner on my computer that does not work verry well with cdw.
( cdrecord -scanbus )
and heres my info.
scsibus0: 0,0,0 0) 'LITE-ON ' 'COMBO SOHC-5236V' 'R$0C' Removable CD-ROM 0,1,0 1) * 0,2,0 2) * 0,3,0 3) * 0,4,0 4) * 0,5,0 5) * 0,6,0 6) * 0,7,0 7) *
It dosn't matter what type of settings I use in CDW's
option settins cdw turns most of my blank data cd's into
generic maxell CD-R works for me most of the time.
But if i whont to use a different brand i have to turn to
using commands at the shell.
So I've started to give up on CDW and K3B and turnerd to using shell command apps.
and then
2ND cdrecord.
hers a couple of samples.
@shell prompt.
((( from man page ))))))
To create a vanilla ISO-9660 filesystem image in the file cd.iso, where
the directory cd_dir will become the root directory if the CD, call:
% mkisofs -o cd.iso cd_dir
To create a CD with Rock Ridge extensions of the source directory
% mkisofs -o cd.iso -R cd_dir
To create a CD with Rock Ridge extensions of the source directory
cd_dir where all files have at least read permission and all files are
owned by root, call:
% mkisofs -o cd.iso -r cd_dir
((( from my notes ))))
/2008/april/17TH/ * MY DRAFT " blogthefreak" *revised notes.
I have tried custom vinalla setting for blogthefreak.wordpress.com
(owned by normal user)
$ mkisofs -R cd_dir > new-files-anime-videos-iso-.iso
( -R owned by user )
$ mkisofs -o back-up-docs~-iso-.iso -R -J -f -pad cd_dir/
the option -pad works best on my cd drive
without the padding option my CD-DRIVE is real slow in mounting some DATA cd's and reading from the the cd.
Now to burn the cd with cdrecord
A few difernt sample options below.
notes by me are in the ( ) brackets.
* I use the wild card option normaly.
" Or type the fist few letters then hit the TAB key for auto completion of the file name. "
notes by me are in the ( ) brackets.
* I use the wild card option normaly.
" Or type the fist few letters then hit the TAB key for auto completion of the file name. "
((( sample )))
If everything worked, you may burn your data CD:
cdrecord -v speed=8 dev=0,0,0 -data cd_image.iso
( ./cdrecord -v speed=12 dev=0,0,0 -data cd_image.iso )
* wildcard ( ./cdrecord -v speed=12 dev=0,0,0 -data *.iso )
Thats working for me. I have a lot less coasters now.
I can even use different blank CD-R media other
than the maxell brand now.
But I still like maxell color disks they cost cheap but
work ok.
CDW failed constently on HP brand disks and on SONY brand CD-R disk .
"CDW" just plain sucked on my system and i don't like K3B
verry much.
So now I use command line the manul page is only so so.
but there are plenty of instructions on line .
just do a google search for " mkisofs and cdrecord "
" OTHER option NERO "
I had the free sample of NERO for linux on my system for a while and it worked ok at burnning.
But i didn't like the gui very much.
How ever I didn't have to worry about coasters with NERO
did a good job burning once I stubled a round and
the ugly GUI and found the right buttons to click.
NERO came in a generic deb file for debian compatible
linux systems.
I use dpkg -i nero*.deb to install it and I
remember the file said that it was not propery configured and some other B.S.
Not problem unpack the deb file with dpkg.
$ dpkg -x nero*.deb foo/
then seach thue the files to you find the
config fle that contains the serial key.
you can paist the serail key into the gui when ever you load it from command line and your good to go.
* I think the NERO demo only last for a few month.
so I recomend learning how to use mkisofs and cdrecord.
(( land of the typo / I will fix this later ))
until next time fair well and good luck.
check out my old blog @


text: About Greetings to all! I am a part time photographer based in Colchester welcoming anyone who needs my services. I specialise in wedding and nightclub photography but I also enjoy taking landscapes and vlogging. I have been taking photos since 2009 but progressed into the wedding industry as an assistant in 2011, shortly after I married my highschool love and moved to Colchester from Harlow. I decided to gather some willing subjects to start my own journey into the wedding industry and soon became loved by the couples I met and photographed. This prompted me to take it a step further and now I manage as many weddings as I can around a full time job, including being a second shooter whenever possible for a well known and well loved professional. I am hoping one day to make wedding photography my full time career and I would love for you to be apart of this journey. If you're interested in booking me, I only ask that we meet first and go through my samples and ask as many questions as you can. I have an enquiry form which I would kindly ask you to fill in which allows me to easily keep track of every couple that contacts me.


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Project Engineer Jobs
SunPower engineers manage the project designs for commercial solar projects ranging in size from 50 kW to multiple MW. The engineering design services you manage will result in projects that power big box retailers, large-scale data centers, renewables by wire projects and more. Your ability to manage priorities, juggle multiple demands and deliver high-quality designs will help us change the way our world is powered.


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|You are in: Entertainment: Music
Monday, 28 January, 2002, 15:11 GMT
Jubilee gig tickets given away
Tickets for the Queen's free Golden Jubilee pop concert are to be available from 12 February, and the line-up could include Aretha Franklin, Sir Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams.
The concert will be held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace on 3 June, but the pop and rock acts will not be confirmed until the tickets are available.
Details of how to apply for both concerts by phone or internet will also be released, and tickets for a classical concert on 1 June in the Queen's garden will also be divided in a similar manner.
The BBC will produce and broadcast both concerts - which take place over an extended bank holiday weekend - around the world.
Giant screens constructed around the palace will allow those without tickets to see and be near the action.
Names in the frame include soul diva Aretha Franklin, Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams and Stevie Wonder.
Following the show the Queen will light a beacon signalling the start of a spectacular firework display and a chain of beacons stretching across the UK and the Commonwealth.
See also:
14 Dec 01 | Music
Aretha 'to sing for Queen's Jubilee'
Internet links:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
Top Music stories now:
Links to more Music stories are at the foot of the page.
Links to more Music stories
|^^ Back to top
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To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>>
© MMIII | News Sources | Privacy


text:
Average Salary With A Dual Masters Degree
Most people don't bother to get even one masters degree so why would you want to go so far as to get two? Dual masters degrees give you options and benefits that you will not find with a single masters. Check out some of the reasons why people get dual masters degrees as well as what your average salary might be.
One of the biggest motivators for getting dual masters degrees is money. Once you have a single masters degree then you are already likely to be financially well off but with a second then you are even more valuable to an employer. Your employer is paying you for your job skills and expertise and a second masters doubles your knowledge base.
So how much can you earn with dual masters degrees? It largely depends on what those degrees are and what you do with them but you can expect to earn a lot. You salary is not automatically double what you would earn with one masters degree but it is likely to increase. The majority of individuals with dual masters degrees earn between $50,000 and a little over $100,000 a year.
Job Flexibility
With greater knowledge and skills comes greater responsibility. Dual masters degrees, if well chosen, can allow you to branch out in your chosen field. You can either handle two entirely different aspects of your field or you can expand upon your current duties. You may be able to merge two separate positions because you will have the educational background to take on both. Whether you are looking for new possibilities in your current position or if you are seeking a new job, dual degrees give you more options.
Pursue Multiple Interests
Another benefit of dual masters degrees is that you can pursue multiple interests. Instead of limiting yourself to one corner of your profession you can continue your studies just for the love of learning. Of course, the other benefits that come along with dual masters degrees are nice but if you truly love your field then continued study can be a reward in itself.
For dual degrees to work they have to compliment each other but it can be done. Wisely chosen dual degrees could set you up for life and could give you greater control over your career. Why would anyone get dual masters degrees? Some people are not satisfied with good benefits. They want great benefits.


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Charlotte has been running her ceramics business for 10 years since graduating from University with a BA (Hons) in Surface Decoration in 2008. She decided to start running pottery workshops from her home studio in Northamptonshire in 2018 to share some of her hand building techniques, and her passion for ceramics.
Each workshop holds a maximum of 6 people, so are nice small intimate groups. The workshops are an ideal activity for you and some friends to enjoy in a fun and relaxed environment, whether you are looking to get into pottery as a hobby, want to expand on your existing potting skills, or just fancy coming along for a bit of fun as a beginner. Charlotte caters for all abilities over the age of 10, but unfortunately at present does not cater for younger children.
If you would like to take part in a workshop singularly without coming in a group, please be aware that there may be up to 3 others in the group.
Different themed workshops will be held throughout the year. If there is something in particular that you and a group of family or friends would like to have a go at making, please do get in touch to discuss possible dates etc that are not listed below. You might want to hand build yourself a lovely vase for your home, impress some special flowers into clay as a keepsake tile, create a gift for a friend, or even a personalised wedding gift for some newly weds. Small hen parties welcome.
If you have a specific date in mind that is not listed below, please contact me and I'll see if I can work around your requirements.


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By Juan Nakamori. ISBN 978-184413556-1 Discover the complete book of celestial answers to your every question with Juan Nakamoris Angel Messages, hardback edition. Whatever your question, this magical book will give you an angelically inspired answer. Ask the angels whenever you need to. Through the messages in this book, they will always be there for you.
‹ See more Books.


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Arctic Ocean creatures could hold the key to climate change. With temperatures constantly changing around the globe and climate upheavels, natural disasters and weather patterns that are unpredictable, age old creatures may help humans find the answers. The almost myth-like Narwhal is still alive and abounding in the Arctic Ocean.
A relative to the beluga whale and porpoise, the narwhal is a creature that is still in existence. The curious creature often found in storybooks, legends and other literary documents is a real mammal that makes its life in the Arctic Ocean.
Often dubbed as the unicorn of the sea, the narwhal boasts a large protruding tusk and is little heard about in today's society. The strange sea creature is known for its weird tusk that is actually a long canine tooth that has refused to stop growing. The tusk can reach a length of up to eight feet in the male Narwhal and sometimes even dons the graces of the female.
Strange but true, these creatures still exist, although their numbers have been declining over the years due to climate change and unforeseen events. Surfing above the water for air, the Narwhal is usually happy below the ice and snow of the Arctic Ocean. Able to survive up to 50 years, the Narwhal or Narwhale, is a spotted ocean mammal without a dorsal fin.
It is not a popular creature, as many have only known about the Narwhal just by chance. It is primarily a docile breed of wildlife, but is fully armed with a defending means of survival. The spiraled tusk of the Narwhal is an outstanding feature that sets it apart from its relatives. Used for sexual advancements and to break open ice surfaces, the Narwhal is also well equipped for fighting in the cold Arctic Ocean waters.
Native to the Arctic Ocean near the coasts of Russia, Greenland and Canada, the Narwhal usually is prone to eat cod, halibut, shrimp and squid. A good hunter on its own, other predators like humans and polar bears often find and kill the Narwhal for its meat. Ivory from the protruding tusks is a coveted catch, along with its skin that can provide Vitamin C for its human captors.
The number of Narwhals are slowly depleting with climate change with lessons to be learned from the unusual creature. Arctic Ocean temperatures have changed in recent years from the very frigid waters of -58 degrees to milder temperatures of up to 50 degrees in the summer months. The natural environment of the Narwhal has not been the same over the last few decades and their behavior is becoming evident.
The Narwhal of the Arctic Ocean is now on the list of threatened animals, but is holding its own despite its likely demise. Regional changes in climate around the Arctic Ocean have shown scientists more fact than fiction when it comes to the life of the Narwhal. Usually using its instinctive behavior to break through ice, the Narwhal has become sluggish and more free-floating with the onset of warmer waters.
The waters of the North Pole around the Arctic Ocean have warmed and are threatening the lives of natives creatures like the Narwhal. Arctic ocean creatures could hold the key to climate change through their behavior and means of survival. A change is happening, climate change is happening and exotic creatures such as the Narwhal could hold the key as they slowly drift off to sea.
By: Roanne FitzGibbon


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The New Zealand Studies Network (NZSN) is delighted to announce a screening of the ground-breaking film commemorating the First World War, No Man's Land, will open its 2017 academic conference.
The production of No Man's Land was led by acclaimed New Zealand composer John Psathas (ONZM), and brings together musicians who are descendants of opposing forces and unites them on the battlefields of WWI in friendship and musical solidarity.
Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with John Psathas who will talk about the process of creating the film. Tickets are available for general admission to the screening, available for purchase online via billetto.


text: Hi it's Lucy and today I'd love to introduce a new blogger, another contributor and best of all my best friend ERIKA! From now on Erika will be posting and helping with BOOKSLYVANIA! She'll be posting MMGM and tons of other cool things! So I sincerely hope you like her reviews!!!!


text:
|Quote Title
|Living Waters Run Deep
|Continuously renewed immediacy, not receding memory of the Divine Touch, lies at the base of religious living. Let us explore together the secret of a deeper devotion, a more subterranean sanctuary of the soul, where the Light Within never fades, but Burns, a perpetual Flame; where the wells of living water of divine revelation rise up continuously, day by day and hour by hour, steady and transfiguring.
|Thomas Kelly – Becoming a Holy Sanctuary of Adoration, circa 1930; excerpted from Devotional Classics by Foster and Smith © 2005
|Repenting of Me, Turning to Him
|This is how a person should prepare himself for true prayer. This is what St. Peter calls being of one spirit that the heart and mind are attached completely to God alone, and that a person have the focus of his ground and spirit completely turned to God as present, and have a tender, benevolent attachment to God.
Children, everything we have, after all, we have from God. And how could it ever be otherwise that we offer back completely everything that we have ever received from him with our interior focus and spirit, undivided and simple, turned toward him. And then one should engage all one s faculties, interior and exterior, and should carry them up entirely into God.
|John Tauler – Sermon 39, circa 1340; excerpted from The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism by Bernard McGuinn copyright 2006 by Random House, Inc.
|Progress – A Beggining, A Journey, A Destination
|This is why Solomon says that he has described the sacred teaching in a threefold way because of its threefold spiritual understanding, namely, the moral, the allegorical, and the anagogical. This triple understanding corresponds to the triple hierarchical activity, that is, purgation, illumination, and perfection. Purgation leads to peace, illumination to truth, perfection to charity. When these three have been obtained in perfection, the soul is made blessed, and according to the manner in which it busies itself with them, the soul receives an increase in merit. The knowledge of the whole of sacred Scripture depends on knowing these three things, just as does the merit of eternal life. Therefore you should also recognize that there is a threefold way of exerting oneself in this threefold path, namely, by reading and meditating, by praying, and by contemplating.
|Bonaventure – The Threefold Way; excerpted from The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism by Bernard McGuinn copyright 2006 by Random House, Inc.
|Keeping the Goal in Mind
|Remembrance of him is the well spring of virtue; forgetfulness of him, the fountain of vice. George Horne, D.D.
|Charles H. Spurgeon – The Treasury of David abridged by David Otis Fuller, circa 1880, © 1968 by David Otis Fuller, Published by Kregel Publications
|Excusing Obedience
|We dare not say that our Lord s words are not true. Yet somehow or other few Christians really seem to believe them. What holds us back? What seals our lips? What keeps us from making much of prayer? Do we doubt His love? Never! He gave His life for us and to us. Do we doubt the Father s love? No. The Father himself loveth you, said Jesus when urging His disciples to pray. Do we doubt His power? Not for a moment. Hath He not said, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye… and lo, I am with you alway… ? Do we mistrust His choice for us? Not for a moment. And yet so very few of His followers consider prayer really worth while. Of course, they would deny this but actions speak louder than words.
|Unknown Christian – The Kneeling Christian, circa 1890, © 2007 Bidge-Logos.
|The Self-Life is the Source of Your Pain
|I willingly apply to myself the same advice that I give to others, for I am convinced that I must seek my own peace in the same direction. Even now my soul is suffering, but I am aware that it is the life of self which causes us pain; that which is dead does not suffer. If we were really dead, and our life hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), we would no longer struggle with those pains in spirit that now afflict us.
|Fenelon – Let Go, circa 1690, copyright 1973 Whitaker House
|Resurrection Comes After Death
|Power ought to be obtained on resurrection ground. Resurrection is living beyond death. What we need is not greater power but deeper death. We must resist all natural powers. Whoever has not lost his soul life knows nothing of power. But the one who has passed through death is in possession of life.
|Watchman Nee – The Latent Power of the Soul, circa 1939, copyright 1972 by Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc.
|Make No Graven Image for Your Self
|But strangely enough, while it is easy for us when we are happy and do not need any comforting, to believe that our God is the "God of all comfort," but as soon as we are in trouble and need it, it seems impossible to believe that there can be any comfort for us anywhere. It would almost seem as if, in our reading of the Bible, we had reversed its meaning, and made it say, not "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted," but "Blessed are they that rejoice, for they, and they only, shall be comforted." It is very strange how often in our secret hearts we almost unconsciously alter the Bible words a little, and so make the meaning exactly opposite of what it actually is; or else we put in so many "ifs" and "buts" as to take the whole point out of what is said.
|Hannah Whitall Smith – The God of All Comfort, circa 1890 – 1956 Edition Moody Publishers
|Are You a Light-Lover or a Dark-Lover?
|No man is held responsible by God for having an heredity of sin: what God holds a man responsible for is refusing to let Jesus Christ deliver him from it when he sees that that is what He came to do (see John 3:19 ).
|Oswald Chambers – The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers
Tag Archive: Thomas Kelly
|Quote Title
|The Practice of Inner Peace
|What is here urged are internal practices and habits of the mind. What is here urged are secret habits of unceasing orientation of the deeps of our being about the Inward Light, ways of conducting our inward life so that we are perpetually bowed in worship while we are also very busy in the world of daily affairs. What is here urged are inward practices of the mind at deepest levels, letting it swing like the needle, to the polestar of the soul.
|Thomas Kelly – Becoming a Holy Sanctuary of Adoration, circa 1930; excerpted from Devotional Classics by Foster and Smith © 2005
|But Only One Thing Is Needed …
|When the mind becomes acquainted with God and the sensibility is rightly developed toward Him, as it always must be before it can be at rest, and all the desires center in God, He comes to be the supreme end of the soul in such a sense. Now take anything away that you will, and leave his God, and you cannot affect his happiness; this one desire so swallows up all the rest.
|Charles G. Finney – Power, Passion and Prayer, circa 1860, copyright 2004 Bridge-Logos Publishers
|Be not Hearers Only and So Deceive Yourself
|If you find that the teachings of Jesus are hard to understand and difficult to follow it is because they do not apply to you. The teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, specifically the Beatitudes, were written to Jesus' disciples, hearers and doers of his word not hearers only. A disciple is one who denies himself, takes up his cross daily and follows.
|Tom Van Hoogen
|Divine Denizen of the Deep
|There is a reason many Christians remain ignorant of the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within: He dwells so deep. The Holy Spirit dwells below the life of the body, which is as the curtain of a tent. He dwells below thought and feeling, judgment and imagination, in the deepest reaches of the soul.
It is comparatively seldom that we go into the farthest reaches of our being. We are content to live the superficial life. We prefer to skim along the surface. We eat, drink and sleep. We fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind. We make short incursions into the realm of morals, the sense of right and wrong that is part of the makeup of men. But we have too slight an acquaintance with the deeper and more mysterious chamber of the spirit. Now this is why the majority of believers are so unaware of the divine and wonderful resident dwelling within. Let us all look deep into our hearts and souls to see who has come to live there.
|F. B. Meyer – The Best of F. B. Meyer, circa 1910, © 2006 Cook Communications Ministries
|To Thine Own Self Be True
|How can a person love another person who does not love himself, since he ought to order the love he has for his neighbor from a likeness of the love by which he is dear to himself? But someone who demands from himself or requests for himself something shameful and dishonorable does not love himself. The first thing therefore is that each person chastise himself, not allowing himself anything that is indecent, and not taking away from himself anything useful. Loving himself in this way, let him also love his neighbor according to the same rule.
|Alfred of Rievaulx, From Spiritual Friendship circa 1150; excerpted from The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism by Bernard McGuinn copyright 2006 by Random House, Inc.
|Love Dwells Below Surface Acts and Words
|Strive to be resigned in all things with silence, and in so doing, without saying that you love him, you will attain to the most perfect, quiet, effectual, and true love. St. Peter most affectionately told the Lord that for his sake he was ready and willing to lay down his life, but at the word of a young woman he denied him and there was no end to his zeal (Matthew 27:69-72). Mary Magdalene said not a word, and yet the Lord himself, taken with her perfect love, became her panegyrist, saying that she had loved much (Luke 7:47). It is internally then, with dumb silence, that the most perfect virtues of faith, hope, and charity are practiced, without any necessity of telling God that you love him, hope and believe in him, because the Lord knows better than you do what the internal motions of your heart are.
|Miguel De Molinos – The Spiritual Guide, 1675 – excerpted from The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism by Bernard McGuinn copyright 2006 by Random House, Inc.
|Curse in Reverse
|God did not create Adam holy, He created him innocent, without self-consciousness (as we understand the word) before God; the one thing Adam was conscious of was God and only of himself in relation to the Being Whose commands he was to fulfill; the main trend of his spirit was towards God. Adam was intended by God to take part in his own development by a series of moral choices whereby he would transform innocence into holiness. Adam failed to do this, Jesus Christ came on the same platform as Adam and did not fail. Supposing Adam had transformed the natural life into the spiritual by obedience, what would have happened? Transfiguration; he would have spiritualised the natural life and made it all that God wanted it to be. The natural life is neither good nor bad, moral nor immoral; it is the principle within that makes it good or bad, moral or immoral.
|Oswald Chambers – The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers
|Unexpressed Intentions
|Some of us know what it is to love, and we know that could we only have our way, our beloved ones would be overwhelmed with blessings. All that is good and sweet and lovely and life would be poured out upon them from our lavish hands, had we but the power to carry out our will for them. And if this is the way of love with us, how much more must it be so with our God, who is love itself!
|Hannah Whitall Smith – The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, 1875 © 1998 Barbour Publishing, Inc.


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–By Debra Prentice, Market Development Director
08.22.18 Gina Barreca spoke at the WICT 2nd Annual Executive Workshop at the Cable Center in Denver, CO. Barreca gives insights on success and being a visible, dynamic, and responsible leader with a panel of Persistent Women.
WICT (Women in Cable Technology) hosted a half day Executive Workshop, featuring Gina Barreca. Gina is a weekly columnist for The Hartford Courant, Professor of English and Feminist Theory at the University of Connecticut, and author/coauthor of 6 books.
read Gina's full bio at her website: https://ginabarreca.com/about-gina/
"You owe those people a debt who had the biggest impression on who you are."
The risks of being a visible, responsible, and dynamic leader:
- Some people will not like you.
- Going out (into your roles) wanting to be liked is a guarantee you will not be liked. You do not need people to like you: you need people to accept you. You have other people in your personal life to like you.
- Liking you is a by-product of you doing what you do well.
- Happiness is a side-affect of doing other things well, but it (happiness) is not the goal itself.
- Things can always get easier, you can't get harder…. You can't start soft, and then pick up later. (Gina explains: when you go out for your goal, hit it hard in the beginning because you can always ease up a little later. It is unwise to start soft, feeling that you will ramp up later).
- Being visible means that you are going to be judged.
- If you judge others harshly, others will harshly judge you.
- If you are more generous to other people, even as you are evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, be generous to yourself and be generous to others in your judgement.
The benefits of being a visible, responsible, and dynamic leader:
Gina states, "Success has been a tough idea to negotiate. Success, like love, changes over time. It deepens and grows calm. You're not competing against somebody else's idea of victory but internalizing the satisfactions of your achievements. This is why those who are genuinely successful in whatever they do understand that their generosity is their real reward. Success is not something you hold onto: It's something you pass along."
Gina further explains that in success, we begin with vulnerability. It is something we need to fully accept and not apologize for. Modesty, historically was virtue for women. Women will accept success as part of a team, but will typically shortchange her role in that success.
Gina states, "we personalize every piece of criticism we hear… If you give a woman a compliment, you're going to get into an argument. That woman will disagree (with the compliment)… because she is not comfortable with it. (When receiving a compliment), make sure you say thank you very much. Just say thank you."
Know the difference between a rival and an enemy:
"You rival is not your enemy. Rival comes from the Latin word river.: your rival is literally someone who is drinking from the same river and you are competing for the same resources (your rival is not your enemy). A good rival can make you better, can challenge you, and can help you strategize better".
The greatest success is to "abandon perfectionism" and "to understand that success is fluid".
Panel of Persistent Women, Gina Barreca Moderates.
Gina moderated a question, answer, and insightful discussion with a panel of persistent women and the audience.
Cynthia Carpenter
Vice President Human Resources at Charter Communications
Gina, "Who has made you most nervous at work and why?"
Cynthia, "People who operate out of fear – because people are making decisions due to trying to protect something. I usually take steps back to understand what is making that person fearful. I have confidence in myself – if that person is not successful, I will not be… I will try to help them instead of avoid them."
President and CEO at The Cable Center
Gina, "Who has made you most nervous at work and why?"
Jana, "Things that we carry around in our heads (makes me the most nervous). When I first started, I was the only one (woman) in the room. I was nervous because I felt I was representing all the women in the building. I then had the courage to say this to the VP of finance. He said no, not at all. You are you and you do not represent all the others."
Gina, "How much do you feel you are not just representing you, but people like you?"
Jana, "Learning to say no is important, and not to get pushed into martyrdom."
Gina, "In beginning of our careers, it is good to say yes to most things to figure out what you like. Is your internal voice a critic or a champion?"
Jana, "I am a critic. One critic on one shoulder and one angel on other shoulder. Usually the critic says something first… but as I age, my critic says maybe I could have done better, but how can I improve? Then my angel says… you're alright, no one is coming to fire you. As I do this, it has made me less judgmental of other people."
Jana continues, "Focus on loving yourself in the moment. Always remember – you are it. Then being kind to yourself can be a light to others. The critic is the first voice I hear – frame this – "is this how I would talk to my best friend or someone I love?"
Gina, "Treat ourselves as well as we treat others."
Senior Vice President – Xfinity Mobile Care and Operations at Comcast Cable
Gina, "Who has made you most nervous at work and why?"
Kathy, "I don't get nervous to often – but there are people that concern me. I get concerned about things we talked about earlier…. I'm concerned that we don't give people feedback, even if they need it." Kathy elaborates on an example where a colleague felt that she had to work three times harder to achieve the same results as a man. Kathy gave her feedback and advised that she was a perfectionist, and did not let others do some of the work, and she was not as effective as she could have been by doing most of the work herself.
"Don't assume a certain reason why you don't get promoted or successful… listen to others' feedback, as it could be (caused by) something else. The worse thing you can do is not provide feedback. I don't get nervous because I don't take things personally, especially in business", Kathy states.
Kathy, "As a leader, you have to care for people. An employee passed away, and myself another person were the only ones that attended the funeral. The other person stated that they felt it was odd that someone from senior leadership went to the funeral. After receiving that feedback, we make sure there is always someone from senior leadership representing at funerals to show the families how valued that person was to our business."
Gina, "(What about) the critic or champion in your head?"
Kathy, "There are plenty of people who judge me or criticize me, I don't need to do that to myself. When I hear criticism from others, I evaluate it to see if it's something to learn from. There's learnings and teachable moments – and then there is a lot of it that doesn't matter. I don't need to criticize myself, because others will do that for me".
Tracy Baumgartner
Executive Director of Sustainability at Comcast
Gina, "Who has made you most nervous at work and why?"
Tracy, "I have one person I worked with for years. I always felt judged, or second guessed myself. I took a radical action: I printed out a picture of George Castanza (character from Seinfeld). Every time I prepared to speak to this person, I did the opposite of what my inclination was when approaching that person, because I always did it the wrong way. Everything I did before didn't get me to where I wanted to go."
Tracy elaborates, "This was a turning point for me as a leader. When I started doing things different – and seeing things a different way… I couldn't change that person, but I felt more in control."
Gina on "Abandon perfectionism and embrace your expertise":
"Nobody is good at everything. Life slaps down different challenges; on some days merely getting out of bed and taking a shower are authentic victories. On other days, you can clean the house, make food for a sick neighbor, finish a project and feel like you've accomplished almost nothing because you know you could have done more. On both days, you should give yourself a break, as long as you re-calibrate and keep going. We underestimate the significance how to handle failure by encouraging people – to avoid it, ignore it or dismiss it. Better to accept it, grapple with it and appreciate what it teaches. You don't stop falling, ever. You just become more adept at making use of it."
Gina says, "If something is going to poison time… it is regret. Pure regret is a waste. You can give yourself a break as long as you retool and keep going. Failure – it is better to accept it, grapple with it, and deal with it."
Conclusion – Parting thoughts:
"Part of what you forfeit when you assume the position of leader is your right to display weakness or expect sympathy. No matter how exhausted, frustrated or anxious you might feel, you can't show it. Why? Because nobody feels safe trusting a weak leader. Remember too, that you can't expect anybody to feel sorry for the boss."
"Work hard to embody enthusiasm, authority, and confidence because your teams look to you for inspiration and feedback."
"The idea of being a delicate flower does not work."
"The definition of power: Power is the ability not to have to please."
"The stories you tell should not be to please others, but to shore up yourself… and for God's sake make that story funny."
for more information about Gina Barreca or her works, visit: https://ginabarreca.com/about-gina/
for more information about WICT, visit: https://wictrm.org/


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"It's good to be me." Sarah Skinner
Today is February 1, 2010, a number of years after I and some friends finished writing this book, and 22 years after it was copyrighted and published. My wife, Beth, and I have re-examined it carefully over the past months to see if there were places where I might need to update it. A lot has happened, in fields related to art, to modeling and to publishing over the last twenty years, and it would not have been surprising to discover that this book needed changes to meet current needs. I still think it should stay the way it is, excepting certain practical issues like fees and contact information. As far as I can see, what I have written covers the moral and practical principles that artists and models need to follow in carrying out their working relationships. That relationship, at its finest (see "The Artist – Model Relationship," in About MfLD) is a relationship of love. Where love between artist and model is appropriate, it is attuned to their love for other people and their interest in other activities and other things.
I believe that drawing the nude figure is fundamentally a celebration of humanness, including sexuality: sexuality that is good, beautiful and holy. This is a textbook for models and artists to help us in this celebration.
Hugh Kilmer
919 295 4304


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I'm new to Inktober – I think I actually only heard about it last year but I thought I'd give it a try this year as it seems to be so popular. It is fun checking Instagram every day and looking at what everybody has done, there is some really outstanding work being posted.
Ideally, I'd be creating a new ink sketch every day during the month of October but I really don't have the time to create an ink drawing every day, just isn't going to happen. Anyway, it's already the 8th of October but I want to do something even if it's only one or two sketches. If I could find the time to do three or four or more that would be awesome.
This is my first sketch. It isn't anything really. I wanted to do something around the theme of forest and this is what happened. I pretty much just made it up as I went along; drew the outlines of a couple of tree trunks and took it from there – it shows a path, a trail leading out of a forest it seems, crossing a small creek where the trail follows along the border of a field.
I made the drawing in a Strathmore 400 series, 5.5″ x 8.5″ sketchbook using Pigma Micron pens, although I think I mainly used a Micron 01.
Inktober #1, 5.5″ x 8.5″