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We have finally made it to the mighty Redwoods. Both Shane and I breathe a heavy sigh of relief. We are ready to get off the road for a few days. We are ready to piddle, to meander a bit in the lush woods around Elk Country RV Resort and Campground near Trinidad, California where we are hanging our hats for a few days. We are ready to just relax after a week of grief over the loss of our 14-year-old dog Keidi (which happened expectantly on the first day of our trip) and to soak in the significance of this vacation-turned-sojourn.
It was with this frame of mind that I sat on my yoga mat the other morning, for some nature-inspired, relaxing meditation time. The Eel River meandered slowly before me. In the distance, chickens clucked. Closer still, a blue jay hopped amongst the fallen leaves, head cocked inquisitively in my direction.
Of course, even in the middle of nowhere, there was Wi-Fi, so I clicked on YouTube and searched for a 15-minute meditation (about all I can handle). One from Eckhart Tolle immediately came up. Bless Mr. Tolle─ he has saved me from insanity on several occasions.
"Allowing this moment to be takes you out of thought," said Mr. Tolle, in his signature monotone voice.
Okay, I thought, I'm with you, Eckhart. I would like a few less mosquitos buzzing around in my head.
Then Tolle said something about acceptance. Oh boy. Good-bye relaxing meditation time; hello emotions. In my mind's eye, I see our little dog's face, smiling and panting, her deep eyes wide and loving as she gazes up at us.
"Whatever you accept, you go beyond. That is the miracle. Whatever you resist, sticks with you."
The statement hits me like a two-by-four. Do I really want to go beyond the alive Keidi, that Keidi that would rub her eye goobers along my just-washed pants, the living, breathing Keidi who would stick her nose in between us for a nuzzle every time Shane and I hugged? Do I really and truly wish to move beyond that reality and allow a new and different reality to take place?
No! Came the instant reply. Stay with me Keidi. Don't leave!
But wait, another voice says gently, aren't you committed to learning how to accept and even embrace change moment by moment as you walks through the world? Isn't that what being a Gentle Traveler is all about? And isn't loss─ and the inevitable change that comes with it─ just another part of that journey?
Darn that "still small voice" of my inner intuition. Why does it have to be right just about 100% of the time?
Lesson #1: The Mind Devises Clever Ways to Avoid Acceptance
I continued to breathe in and out as Tolle continued to speak about acceptance with intermittent spaces of silence for practice. After a while, I noticed a pattern to my thinking. In came a thought. Then, interestingly, a secondary thought came in immediatley like the scrub stage of a car wash. It appeared as if it was designed to erase that first thought clean away. I waited for the pattern to happen again.
The next thought was of Keidi, along with a customary and understandable feelings of sadness. Immediately, the secondary thought had its scrub brushes whirling in the form of a familiar voice:
Don't feel that emotion; Don't you do it! What good will it do for you to feel anyways? Toughen up and get on with your life!
Acceptance means accepting the external reality of the moment and, more importantly, accepting the internal one as well. This includes unpleasant emotions– and that nasty critic.
Accepting the moment as it is, however, is where true bravery lies.
Do you sometimes resist thoughts that bring up unpleasant emotions? What particular devices does your mind use to cover them up?
#2 Acceptance Leads to Awareness and Healing
Why is it such a courageous act to accept all that is happening in the moment, both externally and internally? Marianne Williamson says it best:
"The more room you give yourself to express your true thoughts and feelings, the more room there is for your wisdom to immerge. "
Here's the rub: expression of one's Truth cannot happen until Acceptance of that Truth happens first.
What are you wanting to express right now? What do you need to accept before that expression can take place?
#3 Acceptance of What Is Allows One to Go Beyond It
So to paraphrase Williamson: when you give yourself room for expression of your Truth in the moment, wisdom is born.
What does your Wise-Self look like? Feel like? Sound like?
My wise self is bumbling at times, serious at times, carefree at other times, but always inquisitive, always devoted to evolving consciousness, always standing awe-stuck in the middle of the living force that exists all around her.
She is Traveler, treading gently in the world and beyond. Now with a friend to boot: trusty Soul-Dog, smiling her dog-smile and trotting her dog-trot by her side.


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How can an online Purchase Order system control budgets?
Users of a purchase order system can control budgets by using the budget control module which is supplied with the online system.
Managing expenditure within an organisation can be difficult but by using a purchase order system, budgets can be set for departments or projects and can be linked to cost centres or nominal codes. Whenever a purchase order is raised, the value will be matched against the budget, added to the 'Amount used' field and will be deducted from the total to show the amount remaining.
If a purchase order is raised which has a value greater than the amount remaining for the budget the system will disallow the process.
At any time nominated users and the Finance Department can view the status of all budgets in the system and run reports on any particular project expenditure.
It is also possible to set a budget expiry date within the system regardless of whether all the allocated money has been used or not.
For further information on online Purchase Order systems please click here or call us on 0800 840 3336.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Albert Edward Kemp Mourning Collection comprises 69 objects acquired by Museum Victoria in 2006. It represents one family's memoralization of a soldier who died in World War I, leaving a young family to mourn him. His widow and later his daughter cherished the few items remaining from his service: letters and postcards from and to the front, sweetheat brooches and photographs of him in uniform. They also kept the heart-breaking letters advising of his death and how he died, and later correspondence concerning official recognition of his sacrifice: a tree in an avenue of honor, a scroll, medals and a plaque, and his name at 29 The Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
Albert Edward Kemp was a 32-year-old butcher living in Caulfield, married to Annie Josephine and with two young children, when he enlisted to fight in World War I in 1916. He enlisted at Royal Park on 4 October 1916 and was assigned to the 22nd Reinforcements, 6th Battalion - regimental number 6800. His battalion left Melbourne on 25 October 1916 - just 21 days after he enlisted - on the Ulysses. The ship arrived in Plymouth three days after Christmas. Albert was shipped to France on 27 March and was 'taken on strength' on 4 April. On 21 September 1917 he died in the trenches at Glencorse Wood, Ypres, during a fierce battle. His body was never found.
Annie received a war pension but appears to have fallen on hard times. She was eventually evicted and moved to 19 Raleigh St, Malvern in 1922. She never re-married, and was still living at that address in Malvern, apparently with her daughter Ethel, when she died in 1961. Ethel never married either, and lived until old age, dying in 2003. She never liked to talk about the past, although carefully kept momentoes of her father. Her family describe her house as 'a museum'.
National Archives of Australia Series B2455/1 - barcode 7368872 - KEMP ALBERT EDWARD
Kemp collection supfile, Museum Victoria
'Australians on the Western Front 1914-1918' http://www.ww1westernfront.gov.au/battlefields/menin-road-1917.html
Personal communication with the nephew and great-nieces of Annie Kemp, April 2008
More Information
Anzac Day, Australians at War, Commemorations, Death & Mourning, Domestic Life, Religions: Roman Catholic, Repatriation, Sweetheart Badges, Victory Medals, War Graves, war widows, Wars & Conflicts, World War I, 1914-1918
Article types


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What space is left for art, now that its traditional license of intellect, invention and poetic imagination have been so effectively seized by Donald Trump's own brand of performance art?
What exactly Trumpcare will be remains vague, but for the more than 50 percent of South L.A. that now relies on the state's ACA Medi-Cal expansion for health coverage, the future is frighteningly uncertain.
As workplace protections have come under attack, California has created labor-organizing models to resist attempts to erode labor standards and impose right-to-work measures.
As Oklahoma's attorney general, Scott Pruitt pinned his career on fighting laws and regulations that stood in the way of agricultural, mining or energy interests. Now he's Trump's pick to lead the EPA.
Three-quarters of Californians oppose mass deportation measures of the kind that President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for.


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Originally posted March 2010
Migrant labor is more than ever part of economic life in a globalizing Middle East dependent on workers from across borders. Yet, with recession and unemployment buffeting Arab countries, are migrants less welcome? The average unemployment rate across the Middle East will rise to 11% in 2009, according to the International Labor Organization, which also estimates real GDP growth at 4% in 2009 (compared to 6% in 2007) though other forecasts put this even lower. The impact of the global crisis on employment at the regional level means that exceptional measures should be taken to address the situation. Recommendations of the Arab Economic Summit held in Kuwait in January 2009 included facilitating labor movement between Arab countries (as well as setting up a regional customs union by 2015 and an Arab common market by 2020). In fact, typically governments in such crises do the opposite: restricting the movement of goods, labor, and capital, in order to keep investments at home, and foreign workers and products out. Happily, in this globalized age, that is not easy, and more or less free flows of human resources (as well as of cash or goods) are not being affected drastically by the region's current economic troubles.
Yet, other forces end up restricting labor flows into and out of the region as well as within it — in particular trends towards labor market regulation by governments. Irrespective of boom or slump, states are imposing tighter restrictions on guest workers to promote security, social cohesion, or the fight against chronic unemployment, among other goals. Jordan is a case in point: Jordan's economy relies on guest workers in the primary, transformative, and services sectors. In some areas, their presence is crucial (e.g., Egyptians in agriculture, Bengalis in the textile industry, and Sri Lankans in domestic service); in turn, workers remit much needed funds home. However, the influx of migrants recently has been subject to more serious efforts at state control by both Jordanian and labor-sending countries alike.
In fact, Jordan's and sending-countries' attempts at regulation of the Kingdom's migrant workers antedate the crisis; though the issue has been on 'Amman's agenda for over a decade, it was only in 2007 that Jordan started more seriously to regulate bilaterally the entry of workers from outside the Kingdom (as opposed to previous steps taken on a unilateral basis towards foreign workers). That year, Jordan signed memoranda with Egypt and other states to regulate the entry of workers into the Kingdom. Under the agreement between Jordan and Egypt, the sectors in which Egyptian laborers can work are specified (though some bending of the rules seems to take place). Laborers coming into the Kingdom from Egypt must meet (reasonable) Jordanian requirements, such as undergoing medical tests, holding certificates appropriate to the field of work, and proving that they have no criminal record.
Such tightening up is accompanied by guest worker deportation for violating job and residency regulations: approximately 313,000 non-Jordanian laborers held valid work permits at the end of 2007, rising to 318,000 in mid-2008 before falling to 304,000 by the end of that year, a drop partly due to the economic slowdown in Jordan. However, the trend was also due to the Kingdom getting tougher on guest workers, an attitude manifested by the expulsion of over 10,000 of them (mostly Egyptians) in 2008. Though much is still needed to organize the Kingdom's guest worker sector, the process of legitimizing these workers continues, and well over 110,000 Egyptians have applied to work in the country in the two years since the 'Amman-Cairo labor agreement. (Under the memorandum of understanding, which was only finalized in 2009, Egypt also is required to keep a database of all laborers seeking employment in Jordan, to be made accessible to all concerned parties.)
Yet, the news regarding guest workers coming to Jordan from other states is not as encouraging. For example, in 2009 the government enacted a two-week suspension of the recruitment from Indonesia and Sri Lanka of domestic workers in order to accredit medical centers in both countries that were suspected of issuing false certificates of good health to migrants who were in fact ill. To help solve the problem, a Jordanian delegation representing the government and the country's recruitment association headed to Indonesia and Sri Lanka to accredit medical centers. Meanwhile, the Jordanian Health Ministry will terminate agreements with medical centers in Indonesia thought to have issued forged health certificates to domestics coming into Jordan. Many Indonesian workers are issued forged certificates that state they do not have any communicable disease; but during the first seven months of 2009, 181 Indonesian workers in Jordan tested positive for serious communicable illnesses, including tuberculosis, hepatitis, and HIV, while six Sri Lankan domestic workers were diagnosed with tuberculosis, two with hepatitis, and one with HIV during the same period. Of course, some of these ailments could have been picked up in Jordan, but the suspicion is that guest workers are sometimes turning up ill on arrival from these, and other, countries.
However, the inflow into Jordan of workers from both these countries is now subject to regulation, with Sri Lanka in 2007 and Indonesia in 2009 signing memoranda with Jordan to regulate the hiring of domestic helpers for work in the Kingdom. The agreement between Amman and Jakarta provides Indonesian domestic helpers with legal protection under the two countries' legislation and activates the role of Indonesia's Embassy in Jordan to address domestic helpers' problems. About 1,000 Indonesian domestic workers in Jordan run away from employers annually, and the 'Amman embassy offers them shelter, food, and basic needs until they can return to Indonesia (in 2009 the Embassy housed a few hundred of these girls).
Happily, however, most Indonesian guest workers in Jordan have not needed such sheltering: There are nearly 30,000 Indonesians (mostly in domestic work) currently employed in Jordan, up from 21,000 in 2007 (the figure for Sri Lankans has held steady at around 20,000 during the past few years). In fact, these two nationalities are the largest non-Arab ones in the Kingdom's labor force today. However, Indonesians, Sri Lankans, and all other workers from outside the Arab world still make up only a small minority of Jordan's guest workers. The situation for migrants from Arab countries, led by Egypt, is on its way to being regularized — an important step to stabilize labor markets in times of rising unemployment. After having fallen the past few years, Jordan's jobless rate again has risen, to 14%. This is a further challenge to the status of migrant workers in the Kingdom. It will be interesting to observe the sustainability of bilateral state controls on migrants in the context of recession and of rising unemployment, among other important elements with an impact on labor markets.


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Time To Park is an interesting parking game. In the game, you drive a car through city streets and park it into marked parking spots. Do not drive off the road and avoid hitting other cars or obstacles. Enjoy it! Use arrow keys or on screen buttons to drive.
Game Stats349 views
Game Tags
Android, Avoid, Boy, Car, Driving, HTML5, Kids, mobile, Obstacle, Parking, Skill, Timing


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I can hear heads thumping… Please, just show me pictures, don't be a boor and bore me with gear talk. That disclaimer out-of-the-way — GEAR!!!
On one of his Dover beach strolls Paul met fellow photographer, Edwin (pictured above), who is enamored with the Nikon One system of little mirrorless cameras. This picture reminded me of the days when photojournalists would routinely be draped with three or four camera bodies — each with a different lens. These are commonly refered to as "primes" now. (I am a pre-zoom guy and it was rare to see a zoom carried by a professional photographer in the 1970-1980s).
My last kit in the newspaper days consisted of three Leica R bodies with five lenses at hand – 19, 35, 90, 180, 400. and as need arose a Lecia M4 with 50mm.
But now, as I have explained in earlier articles, Paul and I shoot with DSLRs and zooms. He opts for APS-C cameras, primarily lightweight Nikon D5X00 series, with "super zooms" for convenience i.e. 10-24, 18-200, 55-300. He arguments these with a 35mm f 1.8 Nikkor "prime.' I go with a combo of Nikon D610 and D300 and seven Nikkor lenses from 16- 300.
Edwin with the Nikon One system has an "off-the shelf" Nikkor range from 18- 810 with the current stash of about 15 lenses — sounds gear yummy — but rather limited with only three primes and mostly consumer-grade medium range zooms. One caveat for legacy Nikon users — there is the FT1 mount adapter, that supports autofocus and vibration reduction, for 80+ Nikon lenses (with a 2.7x crop factor).
Anyway — warned you this was tedious — Paul wondered about image Quality aka IQ of this system compared to the mirrorless competition – Sony, Panasonic, et al. Pixel peepers can look this up at dxomark. We daydreamed that it would be fun in a dorkie kind of way to drape oursleves with four Nikon One bodies with 6.7-13mm, 70-300mm, 32mm f/1.2, 18.5mm f/1.8 lenses. Prepared for any photo-j exigency.
The conclusion was that we have to "keep it real man" and think in terms of the plane of focus behind the camera. If you don't have a vision (and know your audience) all the gear and pixels in the world will still produce a head-thumping snooze.


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IN advance of its Free Thinking Festival, which is taking place at The Sage Gateshead this weekend, BBC Radio 3 has analysed the happiness of the nation.
The theme of the festival, you see, is the pursuit of happiness.
Two thousand people were questioned across the country and the results are published today with not entirely unpredictable results.
Apparently 88% of those surveyed said winning the lottery would make them happier while 68% said a better salary would make them happier at work.
Exactly half of those questioned said more money would be the one thing guaranteed to make them happier overnight.
It is often said, of course, that money can't buy you happiness. But since you don't see too many rich people distributing lucre in the Bigg Market, most people would probably be prepared to take that risk for a handful of dollars.
The survey threw up the fact that people in the North East are more likely to indulge in the arts than in any other UK region apart from London and the South East.
But then you wonder where the survey was carried out. Outside The Sage Gateshead or in a supermarket or bus station?
In the North East, we are told, most respondents marked their current state of happiness as seven or eight out of 10.
But at St James' Park on Sunday you might have found those statistics somewhat skewed – perhaps 10 out of 10 among those wearing black and white stripes (regardless of recent lottery wins or pay rises) and minus 10 among those in red and white (ditto).
Statistics, while sometimes fun, do not always clarify a situation. So we will leave you to work out the implications of the following – that 78% of people think they will be happier in the future while 76% think their children will be happier than they are.
What, we wonder, about that 24% of miseries who doubt that their children will be happier than them?
Enough of this. The pursuit of happiness will probably be explored more thoroughly – and in a statistics-free environment – at The Sage Gateshead where the Free Thinking Festival runs from Friday to Sunday.
Eminent speakers galore will be flocking to the venue to take part in a packed programme of debates and talks, all of them to be broadcast on Radio 3 in the coming days and weeks. The festival begins with children's author Dame Jacqueline Wilson delivering the Free Thinking Lecture at 6.30pm on Friday.
Umpteen events later, the festival's thinker-in-residence, screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, will give the closing lecture on Sunday at 4.30pm.
Potentially, there will be so many people exploring the pursuit of happiness that it could be a very jolly place to be.
Unless you're of the glass half empty persuasion, which means it could make you feel a little down. We all know people who are just happy being miserable. It's their democratic right.
On the concourse of the Sage during the weekend will be a specially commissioned Free Thinking art installation by video artist Chuchie Hill.
Produced by James Baxter, of Newcastle-based J6 Films and commissioned by NewcastleGateshead Initiative, it will be presented in the form of 30 flat-screen TV sets.
Each will feature somebody laughing and the footage will be shown at high speed and played backwards.
"If a laugh is captured in high speed and recorded all the way up until the person stops laughing, then played backwards, we shall see the build up of what a person's face goes through when going to laugh," says Majorca-born Chuchie.
"This is a visual metaphor of the pursuit of happiness, contemplated with a magnifying glass."
For full festival details visit www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/freethinking/


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The Role of Teacher Quality in Retention and Hiring: Using Applications-to-Transfer to Uncover Preferences of Teachers and Schools
, , , ,
NBER Working Paper No. 15966
---- Acknowledgments ----
We are grateful to the New York City Department of Education and the New York State Education Department for the data employed in this paper. We appreciate financial support from the National Center for the Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER). CALDER is supported by IES Grant R305A060018 to the Urban Institute. The views expressed in the paper are solely those of the authors and may not reflect those of the funders or the National Bureau of Economic Research. Any errors are attributable to the authors.
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Waiting for a marriage proposal ...
I am in my mid-30s, and I've been in my current relationship for over a year. He says he sees us getting married, having kids, etc., but hasn't yet proposed and I'm getting antsy. How do I bring this up without issuing an ultimatum? I don't want to waste precious time in a relationship that isn't going anywhere, but at the same time, I don't want to push him into a proposal. Any words of wisdom?
-- Non-ultimatum, ultimatum
Propose to him. If you're really ready for that, of course -- meaning you're with someone who just feels right, and you have no reason to believe the foundation of that feeling will change.
If instead it's about your time of life and being faced with tough decisions (say, about whether to start trying to have a baby now, or wait to see if this relationship goes the traditional marriage-and-babies path), then I'd say just talk to him. Make it about facts: You want to have a baby the old-fashioned way, and your window of opportunity is closing, and while "over a year" isn't that long, you and he need to figure out whether the "he sees us getting married, having kids, etc." is abstract, or concrete.
I know this kind of frankness is famous for scaring people off, but what should be just as famous is the unhappy ending that comes when people tiptoe around the truth.
Usually, tiptoeing just postpones whatever unhappy ending is already in the works -- which, again, is an unaffordable luxury to a woman in her mid-30s who wants to bear children.
While it's important to be frank, you do need to be careful not to demote your boyfriend to sperm bank. Steer it away from "I want babies, are you in?" and toward "I have choices to make, soon, and because I love you, I want to make those choices with you."
Dear Carolyn:
How do I know if it's a bad idea to hang out casually with a very recent ex? He dumped me, and by "hang out" I mean meet for lunch or see a movie.
Dunno. What do you want out of it, besides lunch or a movie?
Dunno. I miss him and want the chance to be around him, I guess, but am worried it might keep me from moving on.
-- D.C. again
I think you worry astutely. If you were able to cite something specific and limited, a la "He's the only one I trust to advise me about my office politics" or "He understands my family, and I just had a bad visit with them, and it would make me feel better to talk about it with someone without having to fill in all the back story," then I'd say to try lunch and see how you feel afterward.
But just wanting to be back in his orbit again, for the sake of it, means your most pressing post-breakup job is to build a new life without him. Unless you find him miraculously unappealing, seeing him is likely to set your efforts to get over him back to where they began.


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Select Regional Settings
Creative Vintage Fashion Minimalist Glyph Flower Body Chain
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Rally Calendar
For Sale
Mens Health
About our Team
2015 Bay Stages Car 9 In Car Footage
19th July 2015
The in car footage for Car 9, Doug and Jon is now linked to our video page
Interview with Brett Middleton Rally of the Bay 2014
8th June 2014
Just goes to prove you have to be a little mad to go Rallying.
The "tree incident" Rally of the Bay 2014
9th June 2014
A collection of video's and photo's of the small issue on SS10 of the 2014 Rally of the Bay.
In Car, Interview and Pictures
Photo's of Car 37 Natcap 2014
18 March 2014
A shot of Dave and Marko in car 37 thanks to Raymond Mac Neill Photography.
Stage Unknown
Photo's of Car 23 Natcap 2014 Enchanted Garden
18 March 2014
A shot of Doug and Jon in car 23 thanks to Raymond Mac Neill Photography.
Enchanted Garden
Great Start to 2014 Rally Season, Podium 2014 NATCAP!!!
2 March 2014
Despite niggling problems with the Subaru the Rallypro team has started the 2014 Rally session in fine style with a second and thrid place in the 2014 NATCAP Rally.
The entire team was elated with the result and follows up the outright victory in the 2014 Tumut rally.
Lets hope this is a sign to come of what lays in store for the Rallypro team in 2014.
An unfortunate off for David Wright and Marko Berndt during the Enchanted Garden stage in heat 1 put them way down in the results.
However stages times reflected Dave & Markos continually improving performances. The addition of an LSD in the Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg has much imporved driveability.
Read full story


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I met Viorr's Iron Wolves today, and even got to accompany them. Father is going to be annoyed when he learns I went to the dock district (again) but I doubt Yorrick is going to tell him.
Alystia, the party priestess, seems a solid individual, though a bit intense. I am uncertain what god she follows, as she wields the double scimitar of her people (I wonder if she'd let me take a closer look at it?). I did not wish to intrude as she was delivering the death rites for her fallen companion.
Wrench is quite the powerhouse. I thought the ogre had him for a minute, but he just pulled himself free and started smashing. He seems a loyal man too, and dealt with the loss of his companion in a fitting fashion.
Sashi seems to be a cousin, and quite the craftsman. She is also handy in a fight and more fearless than I originally would have given her credit for. She did not even flinch when the man started attacking her.
I am uncertain about Zeffan. He was healing, so I thought at first he was the priest, but he seemed more intent on harassing the prisoner than seeing to the souls of his party mates. He also seems a bit ignorant as to the ways of warriors, perhaps he has not been with the group long. I understood why Wrench did what he did. The situation changed upon the death of the hobgoblin, and Wrench was not merely harassing a prisoner, but avenging the fall of a companion for the honor of the warband. I thought I had seen the mark of Dol Dorn on Zeffan, perhaps I was mistaken there. Still, he was rather rude, demanding to know who I was as though he was not a guest in what has been a second home to me.
I shall see if I can make myself useful to this group. If they are going into the wild, this could be my chance to continue father's research. He hasn't quite been the same since he lost his leg, and his work is at a standstill with him unable to collect specimans. He'll worry though, but he will just have to worry. I can tame the element fire to do my will, dance upon the clouds without wings, rain lightning from stone, and bend my enemies to my will, but somehow, I can't seem to make my father realize I'm not six years old anymore.


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The Willis Cruse House is actively participating in the efforts of bringing Veterans Court to Helena. Numerous agencies are working together to establish the Vet Court Team as well as the program, based on best practices of other Veteran Courts in Montana.
Veterans Court is a collaborative process that includes the prosecutor, defense counsel, Judge, the Department of Veteran Affairs, Mental health professionals, case managers, Employment services and other community based support organizations. The individual utilizing the Vet Court System is also assigned a Veteran mentor, to support and guide them through the process. The goal of Veterans Court is to rehabilitate and restore veterans as active, contributing members of their community.
The Veterans Court program focuses on veterans who are currently in, or entering, the Criminal Justice System. The Court creates and supervises treatment plans to address the underlying causes of the veteran's behavior and substance abuse issues. Issues commonly addressed by the treatment programs include:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Anger Issues
- Domestic Violence
- Alcohol Abuse
- Drug Abuse
By focusing on the root problems that contribute to involvement with the criminal justice system and providing specific rehabilitation programs, the Veterans Court provides an opportunity for the veteran to return to the community in a more advantageous and beneficial manner.


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I only have a few favourites this month to share with you. I have one fail unfortunately.
I'm going to get my fail out of the way, so we can end on a positive note!
My fail is OPI Nail Envy for Sensitive & Peeling nails. I bought this as I suffer badly with peeling nails, I've tried all sorts. So I decided to pick this up after hearing great things about the original Nail Envy. I clipped my nails all the way down to remove all the peeling- I had a small amount of peeling on one nail after this. I buff them slightly and generally tidied them to make sure nothing would catch and peel. Then I applied this, reapplying every few days as directed. I did this for weeks. My nails were peeling again within a week. This cost almost £19. It didn't work at all. I am still going to use this up as a base coat, it'd be a waste of money otherwise. So not impressed.
Now on to fun things! My Favourites!
I'll start with the two Bdellium Tools brushes. These are both face brushes, the pink brush is a brilliant powder foundation brush, the yellow brush is utterly fabulous for applying my Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder, it's also incredibly soft. I've done a full review of my Bdellium brushes here.
Speaking on Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder, mine has made it back into my favourites. I have the powder in Ethereal Light. This adds such a lovely soft glow to my face without looking oily or shiny. It's just such a nice product, especially when applied using a light hand and a soft brush. Love it.
I have two Benefit products as favourites this month. First up, badGal mascara in plum. This is a Holy Grail item for me. It always makes my lashes look more volumised, longer, and just generally fabulous. It doesn't irritate my eyes, lasts well and still cleans away easy with some makeup remover. I'm a fan. The second product is Hervana blush. This should probably be a spring product but I have been reaching for it more recently and have fallen for it all over again. It's a peachy, pinky, purpley blush. I know, confusing. It also has a small amount of shimmer to it, so it's a bit of a highlight to! This is a lovely soft toned blush that it is lovely if you just want a light hint of colour. I've been loving wearing this on my basic face days. Plus who doesn't love the smell of Benefit's blushes!?
Finally for some nail polishes. I recently bought Rimmel's Too Cool To Tango and I must have applied it at least 3 times in one month. That's saying something, I'm someone that changes their nails on a regular basis. This is lovely and easy to apply, fully opaque after two coats, dries quickly and lasts for about 4 days – again I chip my nails pretty quickly because of my job and general lack of care, so 4 days is good! I would recommend checking it out. Oh it also has a wider brush, making it really easy to apply!
Lastly we have the cult beauty product Seche Vite. I have a love/hate relationship with this. It does dry much quicker than any previous owned topcoat, but it doesn't seem to be as strong, so if I'm not careful I could chip a nail within a day of application! Which is not cricket at all in my opinion. So although I have less smudged nails, I have a high risk of chipping. You can understand the love/hate now.
So that's it for this month! If you've any questions please shout. You can check out my Sept Favourites video below. Thanks for reading!


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Boniface, M., & Rashmi, M. (2012). Interest based bargaining: Innovating from the basics. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(9)
McKersie, R.B., Sharpe, T., Kochan, T.A., Eaton, A.E., Strauss, G., & Morgenstern, (2008). Bargaining theory meets interest-based negotiations: A case Study. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 47(1), 66-96.
McKersie, R.B., Eaton, S.C. & Kochan, T.A. (2003). Interest-based negotiations at Kaiser Permanente. MIT Sloan School of Management.
Paquet, R., Gaétan, I., & Bergeron, J. (2000). Does interest-based bargaining (IBB) really make a difference in collective bargaining outcomes? Negotiation Journal, 16(3), 281-296
Kennedy, B.L. (1999). Interest-based collective bargaining: A success story. Kingston : IRC Press.
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I've never been one for enjoying yard work. It is a necessary evil to owning a house in both my and my wife's perspective. I know some people love it and they have beautiful yards to show for it.
God bless 'em.
But it isn't me. There was a day or two when I actually liked raising tomato plants. We bought our plants at the farmers market in Madison one year and had a great crop. We were successful urban farmers. So, the next year we bought a few more tomato plants and what happened? They contracted some sort of mold wilt disease.
So we stopped that nonsense.
I realize there's some people out there who would call us lazy, but I don't think that's fair. It's just that we loathe gardening and yard work. It doesn't trip our trigger. If I we had our way, we'd pave the entire back yard - maybe make it a skateboard park. Better check my insurance policy on that first. I'll get back to ya.
We've recently added some artwork to our garage in our attempts to make it more visually appealing. The dragonfly above was made by a friend and the two planters were creations my wife designed and I assembled. The next project is to build a patio out of what was once covered by a building attached to our garage. It has been 10 years in the "design formulation stage," but may not make it until 2017.
So, despite all appearances, we're trying. Baby steps, people.
Having said that, my latest thing is sitting in my back yard with my dog for an hour near dusk, writing, checking email and the like. It's been a good summer weather wise for this new habit. It's been too hot to stay inside and with daylight lingering as long as it does, it seems sad to waste it sitting inside.
I've also discovered that my back yard is a decent haven for me and a sort of animal refuge for lots of different critters. In a single evening I spotted cardinals, swallows, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and countless sparrows and finches. Of course I have to overlook the fact that the invasive creeping charlie has overtaken my grass, but I've gotten used to it and am okay with letting nature run it's course. I am one of those green freaks who cannot see using all kinds of poison and fertilizers that will end up in the bloodstream of the very critters just mentioned or the watershed of tomorrow's ice tea.
The other night I sat in my Adirondack chair with a pen and paper and wrote two pages for my book with my dog at my side. It was freeing to be away from my computer, phone, tablet and iPod. I know I wouldn't typically get two pages written if I was on my laptop. There is still something therapeutic about writing in longhand - a dying art, to be sure. As I sat there channeling my thoughts I watched my dog snap at bugs. When it approached dusk, I watched the fireflies rise out of the grass.
I know my time in the back yard is limited. Fall looms and the days are getting shorter, so my urgency is ramped up more these late days in July. Also, my dog has become used to the routine to the point of lingering at the back door after dinner in hopes that I might invite him out with me. If I don't he whines until I do. He's become a creature of our habit.
We're buds, hanging out in my beautiful, tragically neglected back yard together.
Blogging off...
This blog is an outward expression of the noise in my head; voices, laughter, music and, of course, the ever-present ringing tinnitus. Enjoy, and, please keep the noise down.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
A Work In Progress
1 comment:
- Jo Balistreri said...
First, compliments on the garage--love, love, love the dragonfly. And the flower.box design is terrific too. A patio sounds just right.
And then a comment on your Adirondack chair,the backyard, your dog, listening to nature, being part of it, and enjoying all that green--writing a couple of pages. I don't go anywhere without my notebook--write out everything long hand before I ever touch a computer. It doesn't tire your eyes as much either.
enjoyed the fireflies, the birds, enjoyed spending a few minutes here pondering your experience.
- July 28, 2016 at 5:51 PM
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Prince William Taking Two Weeks Paternity Leave After Baby Arrives
Talk about a doting husband! Not only is William doing all he can to make sure he's present for the birth of the royal baby, but he's also planning to take a two-week paternity leave to spend time with Kate! Aww!
Kate Middleton has expressed her concern that Prince William could miss the birth of their baby, but every effort is being made to make sure that doesn't happen. Regardless of his presence at the birth, the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue pilot plans to spend some quality time with his wife and new baby after he or she is born!
Prince William's Paternity Leave Plans
William has been hard at work fulfilling his duties as a pilot for the Royal Air Force in North Wales, and although it has increased Kate's pre-birth nervousness, a source tells Now Magazine that he will "do everything in his power not to let her down."
Along with his efforts to be present when Kate gives birth, a royal source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY that William will definitely be present for the first couple of weeks of their baby's life. Says the source:
The Duke plans to take the statutory two weeks paternity leave from the Ministry of Defence when his child is born.
This is a normal paternal leave length in the United Kingdom, as the typical UK paternity leave lasts one to two weeks, for those who are eligible. Like William, those eligible for paternity leave must be taking the time off to look after the child and be either the father, husband or partner of the mother (or adopter) or child's adopter, according to http://www.gov.uk.
Prince William Putting In More Hours With Royal Air Force Before Kate Gives Birth
As much as he may want to spend time with Kate in the final week of her pregnancy, William has been putting in more hours with the Royal Air Force in hopes that his leave will be carefree and as long as he desires, E! News reported. A source tells them:
William worked Saturday and Sunday and is trying to get in as many shifts as possible before he goes on paternity leave. He wants to work as hard as he can to help everyone out. He has not slowed down at all. He's a really hard worker."=
We're sure he'll work just as hard at helping Kate with the baby when he is on his paternity leave!
Prince William Has A Helicopter On Stand-By To Get To Royal Birth
As William is working hard and as much as he can before Kate gives birth, there is definitely a chance that Kate could go into labor while he is still at work. But that doesn't mean Kate should be nervous — there's a helicopter waiting to rush William to the hospital in case she goes into labor early!
The helicopter touched down in a field next to the royal couple's home in Wales on July 5 and will allow William to get to London, where Kate will be giving birth at St. Mary's Hospital, in just 90 minutes.
Our fingers are crossed that William makes it to the birth in time, but we are extremely happy to hear that he gets to spend a lot of time with Kate and their baby after the birth!
Do YOU think William should be with Kate before her birth, HollyMoms, or does his paternity leave plan make up for his pre-birth absence?
WATCH: Kate Middleton To Announce Baby's Birth On Twitter
— Taylor Weatherby
More News About The Royal Birth:
- Kate Middleton & Prince William's Elaborate Royal Birth Plans Revealed
- Kate Middleton 'Nervous' Prince William May Miss Royal Birth
- Kate Middleton's Emergency Plan For Early Baby Birth


text: I am working on a job that was previously modeled with conduit hangers. I need the rod length to be 2" above the pan deck. Is there a way to modify the family to automatically look for the deck and attach to it? I am going through and individually moving every rod to the length I need.


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August 16, 2019
- New Student Convocation
- Time: 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM
- Location: Western Hall
- Description: WIU faculty, staff, and students will officially welcome new undergraduate students and their families to Western Illinois University at the August 16, 2019, New Student Convocation. The ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m.
All incoming freshmen and transfer students should plan to attend this ceremony, which is designed to promote Western's values -- academic excellence, educational opportunity, personal growth, and social responsibility. Convocation is also a time to share in the rich traditions and history of the University.
Mayor of Macomb Mike Inman, Student Trustee Justin Brown, Program Director of Casa Latina Rocio Ayard Ochoa, Associate Professor of Political Science MaCherie Placide, and Acting President Martin Abraham will present remarks. Interim Provost and Academic Vice President Billy Clow will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event.
Convocation participants are invited to attend the Presidents Family Picnic on the campus mall, southwest of the Spencer Student Recreation Center, immediately following the Convocation.
- Related Web Site: President's New Student Convocation web page
- Contact Information:
Linda Prosise
Phone: (309) 298-2110
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Source: Public Events


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There's been whispers, there's been rumors–for years people have guessed about Kenny Chesney creating his own brand of rum. And why not, the two go hand and hand. In recent months the whispers grew louder and the rumors became fact, Kenny is indeed diving into the rum market with his Blue Chair Bay Rum and the brands holding company Fishbowl Spirits . You excited? Me too!
Kenny isn't just dipping his toe into the vast world of rum, he's jumping into it from the top deck of the Willy T. He didn't simply slap his name on the bottle and call it a day, he had a hand in the entire process. From finding the distillery, to designing the bottle, to tasting the rums–the Caribbean soaked country star had his salty hands all over the development of this new rum.
The idea for a rum came from Kenny, in the Caribbean, sitting on a boat. "What if I could just bottle this up?" The island lifestyle in a bottle, I like it. Drink up indeed.
I was able to talk to a few people from the FLO{thinkery} team helping Kenny bring Blue Chair Bay Rum to market at the No Shoes Nation concert in Tampa and when they told me how involved he was in the process I wasn't surprised. Each question they answered got me more excited (and impressed), I could tell Blue Chair Bay Rum had the potential to be a quality product, one this pirate is eager to have cross his lips.
About the Rum
The first bottles rolled off the line earlier this week, ready to ship out to 30 states. Like I said, they're all in. Blue Chair Bay Rum will come in three flavors, there's a classic White, a Coconut Rum and a new interesting flavor, Coconut Spiced. The rum comes from the birth place of rum…Barbados. The distillery sits right on the Bajan beach, so when they say from beach to bottle they mean it.
Enough of me rambling on like drunken pirate schoolgirl, let's hear what Kenny had to say about Blue Chair Bay Rum.
I'm not the only one writing about Blue Chair Bay Rum, here's what the USA Today had to say. You'll be hearing much more about the new brand as the No Shoes Nation tour hits high gear in the coming weeks.
Where Can you Buy Blue Chair Bay Rum
This is straight from the tuna's mouth (from the BCBR website, I thought tuna sounded better though).
Blue Chair Bay Rum is coming to liquor stores, fine establishments (and questionable joints) in 30 states beginning in May! If yours is not one of them, head into your local watering hole or retailer and tell them it's time to get on the boat.
Blue Chair Bay Rum is also being previewed (where the local authorities allow) in parking lots and venues on Kenny's No Shoes Nation Tour all spring and summer long. Look for the flags and the beach bars at the venues, and get on board.
You can check out the Blue Chair Bay Rum website, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter pages here. You'll be able to peruse some great new drink recipes on their website as well. You know you can't go wrong with drinks named Pile Up, Somethin' Blue, Sixth Gear and Sailor's Soul! Thirsty yet?
So what do you think, are you going to make Blue Chair Bay Rum part of your rum stash?
Cheers Castaways!
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Art and Jewels from Colombia opened on business more than 10 years ago in Suriname, during all this time our main goal has been to provide the best customer service to our clients, that has been our standard ever since. Understanding the customer needs and providing the best quality service has been our trade mark, that's the reason that has kept us alive during this difficult times in our markets. In all our stores you can find the best quality in all our products, our catalog is updates constantly with the latest trends in fashion, this is the same quality we want to provide in our web site, give us the opportunity to serve you and give the type of service that you deserve.
Amethyst Crystal Bracelet
Amethyst Crystal Bracelet with 18K goldplate Bangle
Materials: Amethyst Crystal, 18K goldplate Bangle
Ameythiyst Crystal Ring
Delicated Ameythyst Crystal Ring.
Materials: Ameythyst Crystal, 18K Goldplated Ring (Zilver finish)
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Columbia Schools Seek Feedback on Changes
COLUMBIA - Columbia Public Schools want community feedback on the new intermediate school structure at a meeting Thursday night. The opening of the new high school, Muriel Williams Battle High, provides the opportunity for new structures at the intermediate level--the grades between traditional elementary and high school. The district will move ninth grade to the high school level and combine middle and junior highs to three-year intermediate schools. The new system will be: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
The district's Intermediate Steering Committee has met for the past two years to design a program that will combine the best of the current middle school and junior high programs. The recommendations will be presented at the Intermediate Programming World Cafe from 6 to 8 p.m. at Paxton Keeley Elementary School.
Two other World Cafes will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 12 at Mill Creek Elementary School and April 13 at Derby Ridge Elementary School.


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There appears to be a distinct lack of agreement in the physics community on what exactly Marie Curie did for atomic theory.
Many journals state that Curie was responsible for shifting scientific opinion from the idea that the atom was solid and indivisible to an understanding of subatomic particles. However, JJ Thompson had already discovered the electron prior to Curie's work, and Rutherford proved the nature of atomic structure - so what did Marie Curie really do for atomic theory?


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Why this Round of Immigration Reform is Not so Different
Pramila Jayapal's article titled, "Why this Round of Immigration Reform is Different" in ColorLines Magazine overlooks some critical factors in the struggle for fair and just immigration reform. It is certainly the case that the immigrant rights movement is stronger today than it was during the last round of the congressional debate, as Jayapal points out. She is also right that the show of force at the ballot box by immigrant voters and their allies helped to catapult immigration reform to the top of the political agenda for both Democrats and Republicans.
But does this bipartisan change of heart in Congress mean that we can expect a bill that will meet the needs and aspirations of the 11 million undocumented immigrants now residing in the United States? Not! Although the Republican Party lost the election, their conservative ideology still holds tremendous sway over both parties and in the public psyche.
Yes, a door has opened for immigration reform—but the road to reform is a rocky one and it's quite possible that what we see at the end falls way below the standard for fairness. The political line-up on immigration in both the House and the Senate continues to be a dangerous one—and the devil will be in the details of any "deal" on immigration reform.
It is highly questionable if there will be a fair and just path to permanent legal status for people without visas, as Seth Freed Wessler points out in another ColorLines article, "What to Expect from Immigration Reform and When to Expect It". While some type of legalization program appears to have some political teeth, there is still considerable contention over its depth and breadth. As Wessler suggests, there will likely be many, many people who will be left out the legalization program for various reason—they can't prove how long they've been in the country, they have a "criminal background", they been deported in the past and returned, they are a family with gay or lesbian partners, etc. And in all likelihood, it may take many years, up to a decade, before the promised legalization comes to fruition, leaving those who get in trouble with the law or who lose their employment left out in the cold.
In addition, there will probably be an extension of guest worker programs that have led to the unbridled exploitation of low wage immigrant workers. We can also expect an employment verification program to be part of a package. In addition, the Republicans are threatening to cut back on family reunification and diversity visas. These will all be huge fights and the odds are not on the side of justice. And we're not even talking here about the need for some fundamental revamping of the "legal" immigration system, which is also needed.
As in the last round of Congressional immigration debate, the core immigration enforcement mechanisms that have led to record detentions and deportations, border–crossing deaths, and massive human rights violations along the border and in the interior will probably remain intact and we continue to hear talk of increases in enforcement, particularly along sections of the U.S.-Mexico border.
A new "Enforcement Reform Caucus," of immigration advocacy groups, recently formed to push for immigration reform that moves from "enforcement first" to "human rights first," anticipating the stakes in a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enact meaningful reforms. This caucus stands opposed to "trade-offs" that will sacrifice the rights and opportunities of one group of immigrants for another in a reform package. Surely it will not be enough to just champion "immigration reform" or even "a path to citizenship." All elements of a deal on immigration have to be addressed and immigrant communities, advocates and supporters need to be very aware of the entire package of reforms, good and bad.
Not surprisingly, nowhere in the debate on immigration reform is there a mention of the root causes of migration—including free trade agreements and structural adjustment programs (SAPS). Multi-national corporate and U.S. foreign policies continue to devastate economies throughout the Global South. Wars, climate change, persecution abound. For survival, to support themselves and their families, people have been forced to move. The United Nations says that there are 215 million people who do not reside in the country of their birth. Immigration reform, with all its limitations, will not address the destructive economic and foreign policies that contribute to unprecedented global migration.
All this said, it is incumbent upon immigrant communities and their allies to fight tooth-and-nail for fair, humane immigration reform. And we cannot harbor any illusions that justice is just around the corner; whatever gets signed into law will set the stage for a new round of struggle for fair and just immigration laws and policies.
In the short and the long term, the immigrant rights movement will benefit by coming together with the parallel movements for racial equity and economic justice to push for a comprehensive agenda that benefits all poor and working class communities. It is no accident that in the 2012 election exit poll conducted by the Washington Post, African Americans polled the highest in support for legal status for undocumented immigrants (81%), even higher the Hispanics (77%)! It is their long history of struggling against white supremacy and economic exploitation that explains why African Americans have greater empathy and support for immigrants facing the same forces of oppression. And while there is still a lot of anti-immigrant sentiment among African Americans to be overcome, they can be strategic allies in the continuing struggle to build a new human rights movement capable of winning social and economic justice for all.
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Unum Group (NYSE: UNM ) continues to be a formidable company. The financial services provider reported $1.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.02. The firm has a market cap of $12,640.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.66. During the last 52 weeks, the price has been as high as $57.55 and as low as $42.9. Lire la suite »
Robert Mugabe n'est plus dans le pays — Zimbabwe
Charamba avant d'ajouter qu'il se rendait régulièrement à Singapour " pour y rencontrer ses médecins ". L'histoire en a décidé autrement. Le pousser à la démission avait pour seul objectif "de le soustraire des griffes de la cabale dans laquelle il avait été entraîné", a-t-il dit, ajoutant: "cela a été fait, si bien que son héritage en sort grandi". Lire la suite »
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) Analysts See $1.03 EPS
Parsley Energy Inc now has $8.40 billion valuation. The stock has actually grown in the past week, as the company has gathered a 2.14% return in the past 5 trading days. Comparatively, DAL posted earnings of $1.03 per share in the same quarter, a year earlier. After having $1.57 EPS previously, Delta Air Lines, Inc .'s analysts see -34.39% EPS growth. Lire la suite »
United Kingdom interest rates kept on hold at 0.5%
The Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) is expected to vote unanimously to leave rates unchanged after November's rise from 0.25% to 0.5%. While the BoE stopped short of revising their views on the economy, they indicated towards some developments that would form part of their updated assessment in the February Inflation Report. Lire la suite »
Those in persistent credit card debt could save billions in interest
Where a customer can not afford any options proposed to repay their balance more quickly, firms would take further steps to help them to repay the balance in a reasonable period, for example by reducing, waiving or cancelling interest or charges. Lire la suite »
Cheniere Energy INC (LNG) Holder Kensico Capital Management Corp Has Increased Position
The stock increased 0.91% or $0.43 during the last trading session, reaching $48.13. It also upped Columbia Bkg Sys Inc (NASDAQ:COLB) stake by 13,295 shares and now owns 1.50 million shares. Seekingalpha.com's article titled: "Should You Buy Visa At Today's Price?" and published on December 01, 2017 is yet another important article. This is an investment tool that analysts use to discover undervalued companies. Lire la suite »
Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd (TRQ) Position Reduced by TD Asset Management Inc
The firm owned 3,631,201 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 207,232 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 918,914 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,445,000 after purchasing an additional 230,862 shares in the last quarter. Lire la suite »
Merck KGaA (MRK) Given "Neutral" Rating at JP Morgan Chase & Co
Investors sentiment decreased to 1.06 in Q2 2017. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.16. In other Merck & Co., Inc. and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. The company now has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $66.29. Lire la suite »
La Banque nationale maintient ses taux de référence et sa politique monétaire
Les investissements dans les biens d'équipement progressent de nouveau et le taux de chômage en Suisse diminue, font remarquer les spécialistes. La devise helvétique avait connu d'importantes poussées de fièvre ces dernières années, les investisseurs venant habituellement se réfugier massivement derrière cette monnaie en cas de secousses sur les marchés. Lire la suite »
Man in US intervenes in couple's argument, thrown from bridge
The victim and his brother tried to see if Hannum was OK and then attempted to walk away. Gregory Rottjer, 25, Matthew Dorso, 27, and Jennifer Hannum, 22, face a range of charges in connection with an act that almost cost the Monroe man his life. Lire la suite »
Portland General Electric Co (NYSE:POR) Institutional Investors Sentiment Change
American Elec Pwr Inc now has $37.67B valuation. The stock increased 1.16% or $0.885 during the last trading session, reaching $76.905. About 1.81M shares traded. The company was maintained on Thursday , March 23 by BMO Capital Markets. The stock of American Electric Power Company, Inc . The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 22nd. Lire la suite »
Invitation Homes Incorporated (NYSE:INVH)'s Stock Is Sell After More Market Selling
Eii Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Invitation Homes during the 3rd quarter worth $766,000. The stock ended last trade at 23.68 a share and the price is up more than 18.40% so far this year. The company was maintained on Thursday, November 2 by Keefe Bruyette & Woods. Also, the Hold rating count is 0, as of 12/11/2017. They issued a "buy" rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. Lire la suite »
Laisse sa politique monétaire inchangée — BCE
La BCE , tout en réduisant la dépendance de l'économie européenne au QE, veut éviter de remonter subitement ses taux d'intérêt , ce qui pourrait sinon alimenter la hausse de l'euro et s'avérer contre-productif pour les prix. Les immatriculations du groupe PSA ont bondi de 83,3% et celles de Renault ont progressé de 10,1%. Le conseil d'administration du groupe se réunit jeudi dans une ambiance délétère sur fond d'affaires et de spéculations quant à un départ de son tandem de direction ... Lire la suite »
Jefferies Maintains The Buy Rating They've had for Nutanix Inc (NTNX) Shares
NTNX has been the subject of several research reports. Susquehanna Bancshares reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $21.00 price objective (up from $19.00) on shares of Nutanix in a research report on Sunday, September 3rd. The most recent shifts in number of shares owned by institutions came on September 30, 2017 when Hodges Capital Management Inc. sold 160703 shares from its total ownership of 1.28 million. Lire la suite »
WPI inflation in Nov 2017 jumps to 3.93% due to costly onions
The rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index comprising of food articles from primary articles group and food product from manufactured products group increased from 3.23 per cent in October, 2017 to 4.10 per cent in November, 2017, the data informed. Lire la suite »
India probes unregulated bitcoin exchanges after valuations jump
The tax man thinks so and on cue raided Bitcoin exchanges across the country on Wednesday. A Business Today report said the I-T team conducting raids on one of the Bitcoin exchanges, Coinsecure, in Bangalore took control of computers, servers and detained all staff, including the founder and CTO Benson Samuel. Lire la suite »
Walt disney company (holding) : Acquisition de 21th Century Fox
Disney va ainsi mettre la main sur les studios cinémas et télévisuels du studio, complétant ses licences par celles de la Fox (X-Men pour Marvel, National Geographic pour Discovery Channel). Le groupe à la souris a officialisé cet accord sur son site officiel , expliquant que cette acquisition "allait améliorer la capacité de The Walt Disney Company à offrir aux consommateurs du monde entier des options de divertissement et des contenus plus attrayants". Lire la suite »
Disney to buy Murdoch's 21st Century Fox
So far Disney has been reported as the main suitor, with several reports suggesting a deal could be announced this week. A key question that remains is the who might be next in line to fill the shoes of Disney CEO Bob Iger, as he agreed to delay his retirement yet again, this time through 2021, to see through the integration of Fox's assets. Lire la suite »
OPEC Says Crude Oil Market Likely To Balance By End Of 2018
Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, on Wednesday said it expects demand and supply in the global oil market to balance out by the end of 2018 due to an improvement global in demand for crude, especially from the transport sector. Lire la suite »
Ocado reports quarterly revenue rise but shortage of delivery drivers limits growth
Online grocer Ocado has revealed a hit to sales growth after a shortage of drivers knocked trading. Specifically, average weekly orders rose 11.1 percent to 280,000 from 252,000 and the average quantity of order rose 0.3 percent to £106.11 from £105.83. Lire la suite »
Sports Direct H1 earnings up 7%, boosted by new stores
The retailer said that statutory pre-tax profits plunged 67.3% to £45.8m in the 26 weeks to October 29, which Mr Ashley put down to "fair value adjustments and transitional factors such as the disposal of assets". Looking ahead, Sports Direct said it still expects growth in underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation to be within the forecast range of 5.0% to 15%. Lire la suite »
Lyon s'inspire de Paris pour lutter contre les effets néfastes d'Airbnb
Leur adoption ne fait aucun doute. Ces mesures non rétroactives seront appliquées à partir du 1er février 2018, à condition qu'elles soient bien votées vendredi à la métropole, et lundi au Conseil municipal. Pour mettre un logement sur Airbnb, il faudra donc en avoir trois, cinq, sept, ainsi de suite (en comptant la résidence principale à Lyon ou ailleurs). Lire la suite »
Google installe un centre d'intelligence artificielle en Chine
Malgré l'attractivité de la Chine en matière d'intelligence artificielle, Google entretient une relation plus que difficile avec Pékin. Ce centre rejoint d'autres groupes de recherche sur l'IA que nous avons partout dans le monde à New York, Toronto, Londres, ou Zurich, tous contribuant au même objectif de découvrir des moyens pour rendre l'IA au service de tous, " a annoncé Fei-Fei Li, chercheur en chef pour l'intelligence artificielle et le machine learning chez Google Cloud . Lire la suite »
Rakuten aims to become nation's 4th mobile carrier
Telecom giants NTT Docomo Inc dropped 2.3 per cent, KDDI Corp fell 2.8 per cent and SoftBank Group Corp shed 2.3 per cent. It added that it was preparing to raise as much as 600 billion yen (US$5.3 billion) by 2025 via interest-bearing debt to fund the move. Lire la suite »
Qantas executive to take over as a2 Milk Company chief executive
She has been the chief executive of Qantas subsidiary Jetstar Group since 2012. "Jayne has made a tremendous contribution to the Qantas Group, and particularly to Jetstar, over the past seven years", Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement on Thursday. Lire la suite »


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Learn how to seamlessly integrate powerful suggestions into your healing massage treatments, and maximize your effectiveness by helping the mind and the body together. This is a key area for continuing massage therapy education.
You will learn:
- How to guide your client to relax even deeper into the massage by helping them let go of their thoughts and just be.
- Quick easy ways to help your clients take the incredible well-being they get from your massage into their everyday life.
- Ways to make yourself THE massage therapist of choice by giving your clients a premium experience.
When your client enters your massage clinic, they are brought into an atmosphere of calm relaxation. The dim lighting, the soothing music and your calm demeanor are all messages to your client that they have come here to relax, and their mind and body respond by relaxing. These cues are all examples of the power of suggestion, also known as hypnosis.
This hypnosis for massage therapy course will help you take this even further. You will learn how to communicate with the client to help them relax even more, and enhance their ability to bring the benefits of your massage into their day-to-day lives.
Monday, January 29th
Only $97+HST
Limited space available
Call now to register 905-634-4777
Develop the ability to guide your massage therapy clients to have a quiet mind during their massage so they can experience maximum relaxation.
You often serve as a sounding board for your massage therapy clients, and many of them share with you what is going on in their lives. You will learn how to use this as an opportunity to give them gentle suggestions to help them feel calmer.
But that's not all. You will take away quick hypnotic techniques that you can instantly teach your clients to do on their own, so the benefit they get from your massage treatment will extend into their everyday lives.
By learning these hypnosis for massage therapy techniques, you can offer your clients a superior massage experience. Your clients will feel known and healed more than ever.
This hypnosis for massage therapy course will cover the following topics:
Space is limited to maximize student learning - so register early!
Call 905-634-4777 or 800-971-5774.
Upon completion of the training, you receive your Certificate of Completion for the Hypnosis For Massage Therapists Training from the Master Hypnotist Society Canada.
Dates: Monday, January 29, 2018, 10 AM - 4 PM
Tuition: Rate $97 (This is your investment on your and for your clients)
Space is limited to maximize student learning - so register early!
Hypnosis Training Canada is certified as an educational institution by Employment and Social Development Canada. Your training course may be eligible for a tuition tax credit and/or educational tax credit under the Income Tax Act.
Robbie Spier Miller, the Director of the Burlington Hypnosis Centre is part of an international network of leading hypnotists using systems that have helped tens of thousands of people lose weight, stop smoking, sleep better, have less stress and change other habits with hypnosis.
Contact the Burlington Hypnosis Centre today for your
Click here to email or Call 905-634-4777
She is a Certified Hypnotist and Certified Instructor with the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH), a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and NLP Trainer with NFNLP, and a Life Coach. In addition, she is certified as a Smoking Cessation Specialist by the International Hypnosis Federation (IHF). She is also a certified member of the International Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy Association (IMDHA).
Robbie is on the Master Hypnotist Society Canada, providing world-class hypnosis and hypnotherapy training for personal and professional development. www.burlingtonhypnosis.ca


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Creative Imaginations Real Wood Thin Cherry Veneer Paper (Real Wood Collection)
The Real Wood Collection by Creative Imaginations includes sheets of genuine wood that are printable, embossable, die-cuttable, stampable and paintable. This paper is great for card Making, custom embellishments, custom borders, mixed media, veneering and wood constructions. The real wood sheets are compatible with: Pazzles, Cuttlebug, Wishblade, Sizzix, Accucut and Cricut.
- Note: The tendency of the wood veneer to curl is natural and does not affect its usability in any way. The use of permanent adhesive is recommended.
- Item #26049


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Response to the regulations and guidance of the Care Act 2014: section 2: prevention, reducing or delaying needs
Sets out the response of the Care and Support Alliance to the Government consultation on draft regulations and guidance of the Care Act 2014. The response focuses on section 2 which covers prevention, reducing or delaying needs. Overall, the Alliance is pleased with the draft of both the regulations and guidance, but notes areas that could be strengthened and identifies scope to improve the read across to other chapters. Areas covered in the response include the description of prevention used and the examples of preventative services and resources listed in the guidance.


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Hammered Brass
With the new season approaching, I've been looking over and reassessing some of my samples for the next collection. One of my favourite pieces includes a hammered brass and rolo chain necklace featuring discs and chain from old factory stock. Due to their age, the discs were more of a dullish orange shade, but with a quick wash and polish they've acquired a beautiful golden shine.
Initially, I wanted the necklace to fall at a longer length, but after a few wears I couldn't stand the jangling sound with every movement. So as to avoid sounding like a walking wind chime, I removed a few inches and the jangling sound has thankfully been reduced.
As much as I like the design, I feel as though it didn't do my original research justice. Inspired by 16th Century armour, richly detailed textiles and Baroque interiors, perhaps I could have been a little more adventurous with those discs and created something that explored the design further. So as a personal project, I've gone back to my research and set about creating a number of experimental pieces, just for the fun of it.
So far, I've begun work on a neckpiece combining brass and leather, and also the beginning of a cropped vest-style item (pictured below). It feels good to be working on something different to the usual shop pieces, a little fun on the side and perhaps an incentive to continue this more often.
Image credit: my own photographs


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Welcome to CAP's Aerospace News Room.
16 September 2013
New Textron AirLand Scorpion Jet Unveiled
Textron AirLand's Scorpion Jet is revealed at the Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition. Their proposal is for the Scorpion Jet to perform certain missions now handled by the F-16 at $25,000/hr for about 1/10 of that cost. The pitch for this model, optimized for 5-hr. endurance with on-board intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) collectors and weapons, is to handle USAF's low-end missions such as U.S.-based interdiction, quick-reaction natural disaster support and air sovereignty patrols.
To learn more about the Scorpion Jet, use the links below the graphic to research and answer the following questions:
1. Who made the original F-89 Scorpion and what was special about the AIR-2 Genie that it carried?
9 September 2013
Team America Rocketry Challenge 2014 Registration Opens!
Are you up for the challenge of building a rocket that can safely carry two raw eggs to a precise altitude of 825 in a total flight time of 48-50 seconds? Check out the full rules for more details on this year's challenge.
The 2014 Application Packet is now posted on www.rocketcontest.org.
7 September 2013
LADEE Reaction Wheels Fixed
"The reaction wheel issue noted soon after launched was resolved a few hours later," said NASA Ames Research Center director Pete Worden. "The LADEE spacecraft is healthy and communicating with mission operators." NASA's Ames center developed and built the LADEE spacecraft, and is overseeing its mission operations.
LADEE will take about 30 days to reach the moon and spend 100 days performing its lunar atmosphere and dust mission. The spacecraft will also test a new laser communications system that NASA has billed as a kind of new "interplanetary Internet." NASA hopes to eventually replace its traditional radio systems with laser communications, which would mean faster bandwidth using significantly less power and smaller devices as needed to send high-definition and 3-D video.
To review a beautiful Infographic for the LADEE Mission, please look here.
To learn more about the science of reaction wheels, click the video image below.
28 August 2013
America's Largest Rocket Lofts Satellite from Vandenberg AFB
An unmanned United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket lifted off from California's Vandenberg AFB to carry a classified payload designated as NROL-65 into a polar orbit. United Launch Alliance is a 50-50 partnership between Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company. Click the image below for the video of the launch.
Photo Credit: Paul Corkery / ULA
The Delta 4-Heavy is presently the tallest US rocket in regular service. It is a heavy-lift version of the United Launch Alliance's Delta 4 booster.
The Delta 4 Heavy is actually a group of three boosters, each called a Common Booster Core, arranged in a line to give it a three-column look. A cutaway poster of this amazing launch vehicle is available for your classroom or squadron to include this more detail cutaway of the Common Booster Core.
Spaceflight Now reports that this configuration is capable of launching payloads of up to 24 tons to low-Earth orbit. It is capable of sending 11-ton payloads toward the geosynchronous orbits used by communications satellites. The Delta 4-Heavy can also loft 11-ton payloads on trans-lunar injection orbit routes toward the moon and 8.8-ton payloads on Mars-bound trajectories.
The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) will be launched aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket in 2014 for an unmanned test flight into orbit.
Models of the Delta 4-Heavy have been constructed from designers kits and US citizens interested in Model Rocketry can learn more from the CAP Model Rocketry Program.
26 August 2013
NASA Reports on Orion SLS and Continues Engine Prep at Stennis
NASA's Exploration Systems Division has just recently released the 3rd Quarterly Report on the Orion spacecraft and the Space Launch System. Click on the image below to watch a full video report or read the actual NASA Inspector General'sReport on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (IG-13-022).
In support of the new Space Launch System, fabrication is underway on LOx, LH2 and related piping for testing of theAerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engine on the A-1 Test Stand at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The RS-25was previously known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). However, a different rocket like ths SLS has new environmental and thrust conditions.." said Mike Kynard, SLS Liquid Engines program manager. "Anytime we make changes to an engine, or to environmental conditions in which it will run, we'll need to put it through a full set of tests. What we typically do in the rocket engine industry is run things twice as long as we plan to use them in flight to ensure the robustness of the design."
"This is a big undertaking," said Robert Ek, systems engineer for the RS-25 test project at Stennis. "These are massive lines, weighing hundreds of pounds, and they have to be threaded through a great deal of other stand equipment and structure needed for testing. It's a real challenge."
If you would like to learn more about careers in Aerospace or opportunities to work for NASA, please visit the CAP Aerospace STEM Career Center or NASA's Careers for Students.
25 August 2013
NASA Honors Neil Armstrong with 'Tranquility Base' Music Video
Neil Armstrong died one year ago today and NASA remembers the iconic astronaut with a touching music video tribute. Armstrong was a highly talented Naval test pilot and astronaut. He cemented his place in history in July of 1969 when he became the first person to walk on the moon.
23 August 2013
During RED FLAG-Alaska, fighter aircraft dominate the skies
Participating forces identify hostile targets while waging a simulated war – but not all hostiles are fighters. Eielson Air Force Base's own Civil Air Patrol 71st Composite Squadron plays a role during RF-A by simulating Antonov An-2 Colts, primarily using a deHavilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver aircraft. CAP's presence gives fighter pilots the opportunity to train in visually identifying low-flying, special operations forces-carrying aircraft.
22 August 2013
EAA Founder Paul Poberezny Passes
Paul Poberezny, who founded the Experimental Aircraft Association and AirVenture one of the world's largest annual air shows, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. The aviation legend spent much of his 91-years flying in the air but all those who loved him said he could not have been more down to earth.
Popular Science Profiles Quadrotor Piloted with Google Glass
Blaine Bublitz works some magic to load his Google Glass set with an app that can transmit head-movements into pitch and roll directions sent to a quadcopter drone.A quadcopter is a multicopter rotorcraft that is lifted and propelled by four narrow-chord airfoils or rotors. Designs for quadcopters appeared as early as the 1920s. The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is one typically acquired by experimenters and hobbyists.
NASA to Reactivate Successful WISE Telescope
NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, John Grunsfeld, announced that NASA would reactivate the WISE Telescope in September.
"The WISE mission achieved its mission's goals and as NEOWISE extended the science even further in its survey of asteroids. NASA is now extending that record of success, which will enhance our ability to find potentially hazardous asteroids, and support the new asteroid initiative."
Lindley Johnson, NASA's NEOWISE program executive, added, "The data collected by NEOWISE two years ago have proven to be a gold mine for the discovery and characterization of the NEO population. It is important that we accumulate as much of this type of data as possible while the WISE spacecraft remains a viable asset."
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is an infrared-wavelength astronomical space telescope that active from December 2009 to February 2011. In October 2010, NASA extended the original WISE mission with a program called Near-Earth Object WISE (NEOWISE). This was extended an three additional months because it was very successful. Its new mission was to look for asteroids and comets close to Earth orbit. NEOWISE discovered many new objects in the Solar System, including 20 comets. before it was put into hibernation on February 1, 2011.
MARS Curiosity Rover Analyzes Samples En-route to Mount Sharp
JPL is managed by the nearby California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The laboratory's primary function is the construction and operation of robotic planetary spacecraft, though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions. It is also responsible for operating NASA's Deep Space Network.
21 August 2013
Study Finds UAV Demand Exceeds Number of USAF Pilots
A Brookings Institution study prepared by USAF Colonel Bradley Hoagland found that there is an insufficient number UAV pilots to keep up with the demand. This is attributed to a "high rate of attrition" and the "intense tempo of operations." The reports note that this also led to fewer promotions when compared to conventional pilots. Hoagland highlighted the need to acknowledge the unique skills involved in piloting UAVs.
Colonel Hoagland is a command pilot with over 3,400 hours in the T-37, T-38, T-1A, and C-130E/H3. He has 298 combat hours in support of Operations Joint Endeavor, Joint Forge, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Col Hoagland is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, and holds a master's degree in engineering and environmental management from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
14 August 2013
Dan Caron Named 2013 Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year
Dan Caron, a technology and engineering teacher at Bedford High School, has been named Civil Air Patrol's Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year.
To read more about this inspirational educator, please visit his bio in our Aerospace Profiles in Excellence feature.
29 July 2013
Highly Maneuverable Chinese Satellite Launched
A Chinese Long March-4C rocket launched from northern Taiyuan Space Center carrying three secretive, experimental satellites: SY-7, CX-3 and SJ-7. The SY-7 wields a robot-manipulator arm developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Back in 2007, China conducted an ASAT or Anti-satellite test against one of its own satellites. The test was successful in that it destroyed the satellite. However, the resulting 3,000 pieces of space debris in a heavily used part of Earth orbit resulted in some international condemnation.


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COCOA BEACH (CBSMiami) – Two Florida men could face big legal problems after old video posted online shows one of them jumping on top of a manatee and her calf.
The video was taken about a year ago, but according to the Orlando Sentinel, surfaced on Facebook and YouTube on Monday.
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have launched an investigation and intend to file federal charges against the men.
The video, recorded in a residential Cocoa Beach neighborhood in Brevard County, shows one of the men doing a cannonball jump onto the sea cow and her calf.
Two of the friends used fresh water from a hose to lure the gentle sea cows closer to the dock.
Officers have identified the men in the video and say they could face federal charges for harassing the endangered mammals.
The charges are expected to be filed later this week and if convicted, each of the men could serve a year-long jail sentence and have to pay up to $50,000 in fines.
If you suspect a wildlife law violation, report it to the FWC at 888-404-3922 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Hey, Cassie! The blue Scotch locks are for installing the provided vehicle end 4-flat to your vehicle if necessary. Thanks for asking!
Preguntas y respuestas (4)
Hi, Ryan! Please see the Blazer C6421 Submersible Trailer Light Kit as this product may better suit your needs. Thank you!
The TAC6300 Magnetic lights are designed to illuminate Stop, Turn & Tail.
Hey Martha, U-Haul installs complete tow packages including the TAC6300 magnetic tow lights if necessary. Please contact your local U-Haul Hitch Center for more information. Thank you for your question!


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September 5, 2015
IACC : Global Shame for Malaysia–Corruption
by Lim Kit Siang, MP for Gelang Patah
The three-day 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Putrajaya were three days of global public relations (PR) disaster for Malaysia, a shameful 72-hour torment on the pride, honour and dignity of Malaysia never experienced by Malaysians in nearly six decades of nationhood.
It started with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's last-minute, panicky and ill-advised pull-out from the opening ceremony of the IACC (in fear of hard questions, "personal issues" and "a possible hostile reception"), replaced by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low, who started his speech with the cryptic remark: "I am not here to defend the Prime Minister. I am here fighting for my job."
Right from the very beginning of the opening ceremony, Malaysia's corruption crisis, in particular the "two elephants in the room", the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion "donation" financial scandals, took centre-stage and remained the most obsessive issue throughout the three-day conference, up to the closing ceremony.
Right from the beginning of the IACC, Transparency International president Jose Ugaz opened up with a powerful plea for "honesty and integrity" from the Najib administration, asking Najib pointedly to restore confidence and trust by answering questions about the US$700 million in his personal bank accounts – (1) who paid the money and why; and (2) Where did it go.
This was followed up on the second day by the TI co-founder and erstwhile adviser to Najib on anti-corruption matters, Michael J Hershman, telling Najib to come clean on the RM2.6 billion donation that he received.
Hershman (photo) advised Najib: "Tell the truth about where did the money come from and address the accusation. And if he did something wrong, then asked for forgiveness and face the consequences."
Hershman said the explanations given so far were not good enough. He said; "If it came from the Middle East, who did it come from? When did it come and for what purpose? These are very simple questions." He added that since Najib had control of the account, he must know where it came from.
"There is no reason for a panel for investigations. Just tell the truth. Get it out in the public," he added.
On the third and last day yesterday, the criticisms became an avalanche. Global Investigative Journalism Network Executive Director David Kaplan said those attempting to cover up the matter are out of touch with the times and that the government cannot conceal information on the RM2.6 billion deposited into PM Najib's personal bank accounts in the digital age.
Amnesty International Secretary-General Salil Shetty (photo) asked if the RM2.6 billion in Najib's personal bank accounts was "grand corruption".
Transparency International Managing Director Cobus De Swardt warned that in the absence of answers and an independent investigation, "suspicion of corruption, mistrust and appearance of being above the law will prevail".
The Chairman of UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) coalition, Manzoor Hasan, wants Najib to step down as Prime Minister to allow the investigation into the RM2.6 billion donation he received to proceed without interference.
Malaysia's travails went on till the very close of IACC with the Transparency International Vice-President Elena Panfilova reiterating that Najib has to come clean on the RM2.6 billion in his personal bank accounts.
Malaysia was literally hauled over the coals at the IACC for the corruption crisis in the country as no one in Government could give any satisfactory or acceptable answer – which is understandable when even the Prime Minister had turned tail from the IACC – although Najib's Ministers could have done a better job.
[One time Maybank President, Wahid Omar, is now one of the Jokers in the PM's Department. The other is Paul Low, former Transparency International Malaysia Chapter President who was handpicked to spearhead Malaysia's anti-corruption crusade. One more Joker, Idris Jala, former Chief honcho of Permandu, has returned to the Long House in Sarawak still in transformation blues mode. As for MACC's Abu Kassim, he is confined to a wheel chair after the rm2.6 billion shock. May he recover soon as there is still unfinished business.–Din Merican]
When the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Wahid Omar (photo above) in the closing address, had to invoke God, saying that those who had committed any crime would ultimately be punished though not immediately, pronouncing "If not today, tomorrow, next month, or five years down the road or 10 years down the road. Rest assured, there is God in this world and the truth will prevail", it was tantamount to Q.E.D about the corruption crisis in Malaysia.
Shame, Shame, Shame on Malaysia
The last three days had been Malaysia's most shameful and embarrassing experience – we providing an international platform to be lectured by a Peruvian, Cameroonian, Russian, Australian and American among others as if Malaysia is a rogue student caught red-handed in gross misconduct.
However mortifying the 16th IACC had been for Malaysians for the last three days, it is not the end but the beginning of Malaysia's humiliation on the international stage unless we are capable of change and reform.
In the digital age, where information travels at the speed of light, the world through the 1,000 IACC delegates from 130 countries, will follow with sharp and keen interest and concern whether Malaysia sinks into the bottomless pit or is capable to get back our bearings in our quest for a society with zero tolerance for corruption.
Malaysia's corruption crisis, and the failure of the Prime Minister to open the conference and to come clean, has rendered the 16th IACC theme, "Ending Impunity: People. Integrity. Action" a failure, as good as excising the word "Ending" of the 16th IACC theme to reduce it to: "Impunity: People. Integrity. Action".
Malaysians cannot be bystanders to address and resolve Malaysia's corruption crisis which has been internationalized by the 16th IACC into a global corruption scandal.
Although the Parliament secretary has sent out notice for the Parliamentary budget meeting beginning on October 19, Malaysians and the world cannot wait for six weeks for parliamentary action to be taken to address the corruption crisis in Malaysia.
For this reason, I call on Najib to convene an Emergency Parliament within the next fortnight, which should meet for at least two days, to continue from where the 16th IACC left off to find answers to the corruption crisis in Malaysia – and which can, among other things, end the sabotage of parliamentary investigations on 1MDB by filling the vacancy of Public Accounts Committee chairperson and three other PAC members as well as to resolve on the immediate public release of the Auditor-General's interim report on 1MDB.


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Three Keys to Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Taking your daily vitamins and having your gym membership sitting in your wallet without you ever using it is an illusion that will not make you anywhere near healthy. For a piece of real advice, read through these three keys that you can do and implement in your life so you can live a for a long time.
Home and work environment
Both home and work are where you spend most of your time. So it is safe to say that whatever is happening at home or work can significantly affect your physical and mental health. Though it can be hard, you should try your best to make the environment where you spend most of your time be your positive and happy place. Using modern designs and keeping everything clean, neat, and minimalist is going to give your brain peace of mind. At work, you can make extra effort to incorporate exercises or working in various positions so your back will not suffer from sitting down or standing up for hours.
Sleeping habits
There are three kinds of people in this world- the first one is those who sleep too much that they don't do anything else in their leisure time but to lay down. The second one is people who don't think that sleep is important, so they try to stay awake for as long as possible. And the last one is healthy people that take sleeping seriously, so they go to bed at 10 – 12 pm every night and wake up at 5 – 7 am every morning. Your body needs to be active for most of the day, but it is best for your health to let it rest soundly at night because it is the only time of the day where every part of your body gets to refresh internally.
Balanced diet
You will become what you eat, and you should take that sentence very seriously. Training your body not to eat emotionally is hard, ever since we were a kid eating has always been this pleasurable activity that gives us happiness and treated as a reward. But that can lead you to the danger of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and many more. Slowly but sure you need to change your diet into a balanced one. As long as you minimize your sugar and salt intake, eat more vegetables and fruits, avoid fast food, and a lot of water, you are on the right track.


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A strange, haunting tale of abused children and of the mermaids those children – all of them girls – become when their lives among humans come to a tragic full stop.
Our heroine is Luce, the daughter of an itinerant mechanic and thief, who travels around with him in his van until his sudden death by drowning. Alone now in the world, she has to go and live with an uncle in Alaska, a drunk who starves her and beats her and finally attempts to rape her on a cliff-top when she is helping him home from the local bar. He fails only because he is so drunk, but leaves her there on the icy ground and staggers off into the distance.
She falls into the sea. And regains consciousness to find she is a mermaid, immensely strong, stunningly beautiful, impervious to the cold, and possessed of a voice that lures men to their doom.
The mermaids there off the coast of Alaska have a queen, Caterina, who befriends Luce and teaches her their ways. Ways which include the destruction of ships and the drowning of humans – those repulsive creatures who once made their lives so unbearable. When they lure a ship onto the rocks, everyone on board must die, or the world will learn of their existence and men will come hunting and catching and killing them.
But Luce is unhappy with this. Perhaps the reason she alone among the mermaids has a conscience is that her own father died when the fishing-boat he had found work on was wrecked off this very coast. Were her new friends responsible? But on the other hand, they are her family now, she loves them and feels safe among them, and she has nowhere else to turn.
Then things fall apart, and Luce must grow up. Though she will never age – she is fourteen and will be fourteen for ever in a sense – she does indeed grow up fast. She has to.
Read it. Unless you have solid cement between your ears and a plastic heart you will love it, whatever your age – or sex.
Apparently there is a sequel, Waking Storms, due out in July. I can't wait!