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Driver Mark laid down in the grassy pasture.
The ponies watched intently as Driver Fabien carefully placed the large brass bowl on his ribcage.
The sun shone overhead, the green grass carpet was dotted with daisies. A breeze rustled the leaves on the trees bordering the large clearing.
DF struck the bowl with a mallet tipped with a large ball of red felt.
A low F note rang out.
Sitting nearby, I found myself letting out a breath and relaxing.
The bowl resonated at a frequency to align with one of the seven chakras in the human body, said DF. It's part of how he, a Canadian veteran, copes with the memories of his work in Bosnia.
Earlier that Sunday morning, we set out in the fresh summer air.
Once across the Confederation Bridge, we turned off the main highway and into the hidden gem of Atlantic Canada — the parts of New Brunswick that aren't the sides of the highway.
We took the coastal route through Murray Beach. It was at "peak scenic." The roads were in good shape, perfect for smooth cruising through the dips and curves of the N.B. countryside.
Many of the first inhabitants were farmers and fishers and the landscape supports the same livelihoods now.
Small farms and farmers were engaged in their seasonal work, cattle were grazing, calves alongside. Hay was neatly raked into fragrant windrows, or rolled up into bales.
Much of the new settlements are vacation properties now, clearings with a cottage and campers arranged to share the magnificent views of Northumberland Strait.
As we approached the villages and towns, homes got newer. Many had a gaggle of cars crowded into the driveways — family, over for a Sunday afternoon or a visit home.
DF lives on one of the back roads of N.B. and when we at last rolled into the yard, he was out. The garage door was open though, so we made ourselves at home in some lawn chairs, had a snack and waited.
He's that kind of friend.
When DF showed the guys caught up, checking in on how the other had fared over the winter, since DM hadn't been over since last bike season, in October.
Then we went to visit the ponies.
With the humans sitting, we were all eye-to-eye, and the ponies were keen to snuffle at DM's hands and legs as the bowl rang out.
Eventually, he sat up, looking relaxed and surprised.
Then it was my turn.
I lay back and DF set the bowl just below my ribcage.
The note resonated into my belly, tickling at first, then spreading more gently as I relaxed under the sun. The ponies had moved on and I could hear them grazing.
The bowl was on my stomach, but I could feel the tension in my shoulders seep away.
When the magic was done, I sat up, refreshed.
None of us were in a hurry to end the visit, but home and the cats were waiting and after a wonderful chat, we donned our helmets and hit the road.
We stuck to more of the shore roads on the way home, passing through Cap-Pele — home of the Mad Squirrel — but that's a story for another time.
The views were even more stunning in the late afternoon and we crossed the bridge, side by side, with our shadow.
Happy riding.


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I'm A BBA student of National University.
Congratulations Comilla Victorians #WinOrWin
© 2020 Jibon Pata
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A traveller at heart, it seemed fitting that I met Mary during a holiday in Australia. I can't wait to marry the girl of my dreams!
Our partners in crime ...
No wedding is complete without the bridal wedding party and who are also our very best friends. Here is a the low-down on the motley crew who will keep you us organizsed and entertained on the day.
On the groom's side
Groom Charles Rocket
Best man Mark 'lethal' Maroon
Following Marks amazing wedding last year, it's his opportunity to take his revenge during the speeches!
Groomsman Tom Smith
Tom is a close friend of mine from high school. We also travelled throughout Europe together in our younger days.
Usher Paul Rocket
The musically-talented (and very handsome) younger brother of Simon will be serenading the ladies with an acoustic set at the reception.
On the bride's side
Bride Mary Withers
A love of the ocean and travelling was what bought Simon and I together. Now that I've found the man of my dreams I can't wait to share my day with family and friends.
Maid of honour Samantha 'bugsy' Green
My best friend and amazing sister - Sammy will be keeping me on the straight and narrow as the big day gets closer.
Bridesmaid Zoe Samson
Zoe is my closest school friend and has been a fellow partner in crime throughout the years. She is travelling from Sydney to help me celebrate this big day!
Flowergirl Jo Balding
My little niece may be a bambino but she will rock the dance floor!


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This year's Christmas Collection – A Taste of Christmas is inspired by the sparkle of Christmas lights and the warm glow they bring to the festive season. You will find a metallic shine to the packaging of all our gifts across the range.
New additions to the collection include Dark Orange Pastilles and limited release Dark Mulled Wine loose chocolate. The fabric Advent Calendar returns to be filled with your own selection of treats or with the milk and chocolate squares from the accompanying Advent Calendar Pack. There are Bon-Bons filled with chocolate baubles, Christmas Pudding Brandy Truffles, a hollow milk chocolate Christmas tree and a terrific range of Kris Kringle gift ideas, all under $25.
Our commitment to sustainability continues this Christmas with many UTZ Certified gifts available. Read more about UTZ here
Purchasing is simple, visit one of our 15 stores located in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney or shop online here


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Supra Coupon: $5 Off on order over $30
Get free shipping and $5 discount on qualifying orders of $30 or more for Supraballs (Buckyballs) magnets.
Apply the code: supraballs in the area of Vouchers code.
Supramagnets provides strong magnets, magnetic gifts, magnetic gadgets and more to people passionate about magnets.
Get colorful supraballs like buckyballs and neocube here.
Get more coupon codes on buckyballs magnets for saving.


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Top startup and technology news from Techcrunch. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com
No Life explicit
Mark all (un)played …
Series home•Feed
Manage series 2078805
By Walker Media Group LLC. Discovered by Player FM and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Player FM, and audio is streamed directly from their servers. Hit the Subscribe button to track updates in Player FM, or paste the feed URL into other podcast apps.
"I have no life"
110 episodes


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Our purpose and ultimate goal is to raise public awareness and to support the homeless in the Owensboro area.
We strive to provide resources to address and someday end homelessness, while serving homeless people with respect, integrity, and grace. Aid the Homeless, Inc. sponsors numerous community events to raise money to help support several local area homeless shelters.
Even though in 2010 CNN Money magazine named Owensboro among the "TOP 100" Places to live in the United States, and Business-Week Magazine ranked Owensboro the #1 place to raise your children in Kentucky, homelessness remains a reality for many in our community.
Aid the Homeless, Inc., a Kentucky public charity, and a 501 c-3 not-for profit organization, was established by the Greater Owensboro Realtor® Association (GORA). GORA provides administrative services and the funds necessary for operational expenses to support Aid the Homeless programs and events, so that 100% of outside donations are actually used to benefit the shelters.


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Week Five – Learning Log
What we did?
This week we have been set a very fun and active assignment!! Our mission is to explore the university and look at places where we learn.
Where does learning take place?
What can hinder learning?
What can promote learning?
For this assignment me and Giulia decided to work as a team, we met up outside the University at 11am and first decided to feed our faces! But also make a plan of what we were going to do. We started by making a list of things we thought would be taken into consideration when designing a classroom to facilitate learning or building to facilitate learning, we ended up making a pretty big list of things we felt were important which were,
- Colours (As colours can have an effect on people's moods)
- Lighting (As a room too bright could hurt your eyes and a room that is darkly lit can make things hard to read but also make you tired (*Yawwwwn*)
- Space (Pretty self-explanatory)
- Layout (Which contributes to formal and informal learning spaces)
- Comfort (Pretty self-explanatory)
- Capacity (How big or small or small the room is depends on how many people you can fit into the classroom)
- Smell (Certain smells can offend and put you off from staying in one place or do the opposite. For example in the restaurant you wouldn't want to be seated right next to the toilets because it would be off-putting!!
- Travel (How students navigate around the building, does it take into consideration those who may be wheelchair bound or blind?)
- Temperature (A classroom being too hot or too cold)
- Preferred learning style (People learn in many different ways, are all ways taken into consideration?
- Technology (In every class room there is an interactive whiteboard, their access to computers in the LRC)
- Noise (It can get very noisy, in the corridors when you're traveling from one classroom to another or in the LRC, canteen, the rocket)
- Atmosphere ( The general atmosphere of the classroom, your peers, your lecturers)
- Experience (What is it the teacher wants us to take away from this lesson? Do we get that experience?)
After making our list we discussed what each word meant to us and made points by them (as you can see ^^). After we had finished doing that we decided to take a walk around the university we explored the following places.
- Red Zone
- Yellow Zone
- Green Zone
- Blue Zone
- The Rocket
- The Canteen
- The LRC
- The Courtyard
The point of this task was to look at places where we learn, taking into consideration both Formal and Informal learning spaces and how they both can promote and hinder learning.
Some of our findings . . . . But not all as we don't want to ruin the surprise!!!
- We found that in the majority of the classrooms there were interactive whiteboards however they had no pens or erasers. We felt that this didn't promote literacy and language development or our fine and gross motor skills.
- We looked into colors and how they can have an effect on a person's mood, so after exploring each zone, we made notes on what the colors meant to us and how they made us feel. For example, Green made us feel hopeful, when we saw green we thought of plants and nature and connected it to growth. I decided to think of it as if we are flowers and with a bit of TLC and help and guidance from our tutors and from others we will grow and flourish, like flowers.
- Our "Informal" learning spaces were the LRC, the canteen, the courtyard and the rocket. We also decided that a Seminar could also be classed as a type of Informal Learning.
- Our "Traditional" learning spaces would be attending a lecture as the "power and control" is in the hands of the lecturer as we are all seated in rows and facing the front etc.
What I learned?
That learning does not only take place in the classroom. We had many social interactions that day that we had learnt from such as
- Getting lost and asking for help, due to this me and Giulia can now navigate ourselves around the yellow zone without getting lost!!
- Falling over (because I'm clumsy!!) But due to this, on our journey back I was more cautious walking over the same bit of floor.
How I will remember?
The amount of walking we had to do followed by the amount of pictures we took!!! This was a very fun and hands on project and I think I speak for both myself and Giulia when I say we really enjoyed this task!! Bring on some more PLEASE!!!!!
What now?
To plan to make a poster presentation of our findings and figure out how were going to present it all in the 10 minutes that we have. (I apologize in advance if it happens to run over that!!)
What you can, (YES YOU READING THIS!!) do to help us?
If we could please ask for five minutes of your time to help fill out a survey that we have conducted for this project. The question is "Where do you prefer to learn?" If you follow the link I have posted below, it will take you directly to the webpage where we have posted the survey and then from there it's easy-peasy, you click one and then you're done!
Thank you!!


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Siegemund injured at Nuremberg Cup, Bertens advances
NUREMBERG, Germany (AP) Home favorite Laura Siegemund was forced to withdraw during her second-round match at the Nuremberg Cup on Wednesday, while top-seeded Kiki Bertens and Yulia Putintseva both advanced.
The fourth-seeded Siegemund suffered a right knee injury with the score 5-5 in the second set against Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. Siegemund, who was assisted with a stretcher off the court, had won the opening set 6-4.
Germany's Fed Cup captain Barbara Rittner said Siegemund had likely suffered ligament damage and that ''she won't be able to play in Paris'' for the French Open.
Defending champion Bertens advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Annika Beck 7-5, 6-2, and Putintseva, the No. 2, followed suit with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium.
Bertens next plays fifth-seeded Alison Riske of the United States, while Putintseva will face Sorana Cirstea of Romania.
Also Wednesday, Japan's Misaki Doi defeated Oceane Dodin of France 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to line up a quarterfinal against seventh-seeded Yaroslava Shvedova, who defeated Tatjana Maria of Germany, 6-2, 6-4.


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New Compositions By Ty-Tomkins: Wonderful Music for Budding Pianists
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Farinelli il Castrato
This remarkable movie filmed in 1994 won the Golden Globe award for foreign language films a year later. It traces the career of Carlo Broschi (1715-1782) who was castrated as a child to preserve his voice and who, years later … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment
Metronome … Yes or No?
Metronome … Yes or no? Fifty years ago, this question would probably never have been broached. The familiar little wooden pyramid was an almost ubiquitous accessory to the piano and the beginning student was introduced to it very quickly. And … Continue reading
Bach Prelude No. 1 with Graphics by Nikki Ty
A fusion of a baroque classic with my original computer graphics. I am fascinated by mathematical patterns, fractils and the Divine order in nature. Bach and the amazing computer graphic programs are like catnip to an eager feline armed with … Continue reading
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Leading Internet Marketing Company to Provide World Class SEO Services in the Region
Jaipur, Rajasthan -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2012 -- A well known internet marketing company with customers all over the world, Ribbun Software Pvt. Ltd. today announced the launch of its one stop SEO services in India. The internet marketing and online reputation management team at Ribbun Software is now geared up to help small and medium sized business organizations in the sub-continent by offering professional search engine optimization services at reasonable rates. Earlier, the company was only providing one set of SEO services to all its clients from different continents.
Over the last one year, the company has assisted dozens of SMEs to get first page rankings. It is always hard for businesses to get that kind of results within reasonable budgets these days. While some reputed companies provide guaranteed results and charge exorbitant fees, others offer extremely cheap SEO services at throwaway prices. Ribbun Software, it seems, is trying to bridge this gap by offering reasonably priced SEO packages. Many internet marketing experts are of the opinion that Ribbun Software's newly launched SEO services in India can prove a boon for a large number of small and medium scale businesses in India.
Ribbun Software's official spokesperson Mr. Mohit in a recent interview to a leading marketing blog had said that the company does not only intend to help businesses to get more traffic but more profits and sales as well. 'We have over 40 SEO specialists. Some of our internet marketing consultants and specialists have been into SEO and SMO since late 90s,' the blog quoted Mr. Mohit.
There is no denying to the fact that Ribbun Software has built capacity over the last few years, hired key people with hands-on experience of more than 5 years and kept its client really happy. A coveted client retention rate of more than 90% justifies the fact that Ribbun Software has been constantly improving its work delivery processes to keep up with ever changing internet marking industry.
SEO services in India are now entering a completely new realm as increasingly large number of people in the country access internet on a daily basis. All small and big businesses in the subcontinent are now looking for experts who can handle their internet marketing campaigns. Since Ribbun Software has provided commendable services to several industry leaders in the past, there is a good chance most businesses would want to trust an established player. It remains to be seen how Ribbun Software's top management decides to market newly launched SEO services in India.
About Ribbun Software
A well-established internet marketing company based in India, Ribbun Software is known for providing professional SEO and SMO services. Many of Ribbun's clients are leaders in their respective industries.


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MetroCAF 2015
September 26, 2015 @ 2:00 am
NYC Metropolitan Area College Computer Animation Festival
MetroCAF is the annual NYC Metropolitan Area College Computer Animation Festival, organized by the New York City chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH. Started in 2003, MetroCAF has grown into the most important local festival of its kind. It provides an exciting opportunity for all students in the NYC metropolitan area to show their work, not only to their fellow students, but also to industry professionals.
This year, in honor of longtime NYC ACM SIGGRAPH volunteer Rick Barry, the NYC ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter has established a new annual award called "The NYC ACM SIGGRAPH Rick Barry Outstanding Service Award." Rick Barry was known for his tremendous work on behalf of students everywhere. His work with Pratt, NYC ACM SIGGRAPH, and his service as the ACM SIGGRAPH Education Committee Chair had a widespread impact on students and educators. Rick was the second Chair of MetroCAF, and helped to establish many of the guidelines and procedures which are still used today.
Rick Barry
MetroCAF 2015 will take place on Friday, September 25, at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) Auditorium On Broadway venue at 1871 Broadway. Admission is free to NYC ACM SIGGRAPH Members and faculty, students, and staff of NYIT. Tickets to MetroCAF 2015 may be purchased in advance, or as availability allows, at the door.


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Can't get enough Squirtle and Pikachu and all the other weirdo characters of the Pokémon world? Then, you'll be pumped about Pokémon's latest announcement.
On Tuesday, the franchise launched their new animated web series, Pokémon Generations, which intends to "shed new light on some timeless moments" from the video games. They also dropped the trailer, which you can watch above.
If this sounds appealing to you, you won't have to wait long for the episodes to begin. You'll be getting new Pokémon starting Sept. 16 on the Pokémon YouTube channel. The three- to five-minute clips will air until December.
Find out with artist is obsessed with Pokémon in the compilation video below:


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Property Details
Property Description
Enjoy the finest views in Tel Aviv in this luxurious 3 bedroom – 2 bathroom apartment for rent in the Akirov Tower, ideally located in prestigious North Tel Aviv. Situated on the 26th floor of the city's most in-demand high rise residence, this lovely flat features 183 square meters of interior space, marble and parquet floors, panoramic windows, a balcony, and high quality finishes throughout. The project is serviced by a 24/7 concierge and features an outdoor pool, fitness center, spa, and beautifully appointed common space. Tel Aviv's famous shopping district, Kikar HaMedina, is less than a 2 minute walk away, offering residents international brands and designers such as Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. Central Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean are a short walk away, with all major parts of the city accessible within a 15 minutes on foot. Inquire today!


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Right to Buy
What is Right to Buy?
Right to Buy is a scheme that was introduced by the government back in 1980, to help council house tenants in the UK buy the property they currently rent, at a discounted rate.
Thanks to the significant discounts the Right to Buy scheme provides, the vision of purchasing your rented property becomes a realistic goal. In fact, since the scheme was first introduced, around 1.8 million homes have been bought. A single or joint application can be made for the Right to Buy scheme, and some mortgage lenders will even allow you to use your Right to Buy discount towards the deposit required to secure a property.
If you are currently renting a flat or house owned by the council and are interested in making it your own home, the Right to Buy scheme is a great headstart to making it happen.
Get in touch
0344 244 2000


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Every January, we set New Year resolutions, hoping this year will be different. We convince ourselves, 'this year I will lose 20 pounds' or 'this year I will write that novel.' However, as the sixth month of the year comes to a close and a new one begins, we are 5 pounds heavier, or are still staring at a blank computer screen with not a single word typed. Only 8% of people achieve the goals they set, and 46% of goal setters have not given up and tried to keep their goals 6 months later; that's a staggering 54% have either given up or completely failed to action. Upon failure to achieve their goals, many people propose a variety of different reasons for not achieving their goals from poor time management to a lack of self-determination. Is a lack of time or willpower the real reason why people fail to achieve their goals? What are the successful 8% of goals setters doing right? How can you apply the tips from successful goal setters to create an action plan that is compelling, serves your goals and life vision?
Create an Action Plan
One you have gained clarity in relation to what you want out of life, have created a clear vision for your life, and set goals that serve your life's vision, the next step is to create a plan of action. The secret is to create an action plan that goes beyond goal setting. An action plan allows you to set an emotional meaning behind all of your actionable steps, and, as a result, it creates a strong connection back to the outcome, thus creating an enticing reason to take the actionable steps towards achieving your goals. In my ebook, 100 Facts about Your Brain, I discuss the links and the effects between, emotions which come in the form of hormones, and the impact they have on creating change, like creating a new habit, or in this case, achieving your goals. In short, dopamine and serotonin are two hormones that are released into your brain in response to a variety of different emotions; these two hormones are addictive, and innately your brain will crave more of these hormones. On an extreme level, this is what drives addictive behaviours, and on a physiological level can drive you towards achieving your goals. This deep emotional connection can be channelled into the goal setting arena, and used as the driving force behind achieving your goals when paired with an action plan. When you create an action plan, ask yourself, the following three important questions: How much? By When? For What Purpose? Then write the answers down. The answers to these questions serve as a tangible expression of your target as well as motivational driving force.
What do you want to achieve?
As a part of the life on track series, you set S.M.A.R.T goals and write them down in a journal or notepad. The key to getting clear about what it is you want to achieve is to use action words as opposed to 'to be' words. When you use 'to be' the goal is a simple intention or wish, however when you use a verb that implies an actionable step the goal becomes more compelling, and serves as a huge motivator.
Why When?
One of the greatest pitfalls of goal setting is setting too many goals due at a certain time. After reading The Success Principles by Jack Canfield, I set a list of 100 Goals that I wanted to achieve in my lifetime. I then went through and picked 10 to focus on for that year, and I set a time bound target of 31 December for all 10 goals. I procrastinated until October that same year then panicked because I had not achieved any of the goals that I had set. Don't set all your goals to be achieved by a single date. It's crucial to stagnate them throughout the course of a 12month period, carefully consider how long it will actually take to achieve your goals. The key is to set a time bound target that is in your discomfort zone but not in your delusional zone. An example of a poorly set goal would be to write my debut thriller novel by September 30. If this was the first novel that I had ever written a two-month timeline is unrealistic even for a first draft. However, a time bound target one year from now is not unrealistic, it allows time for a first draft, three rounds of editing, as well as submitting my story to beta readers. An unrealistic timeframe will encourage procrastination or discourage you from trying at all.
For What Purpose?
After each goal and its time bound target, write a compelling reason why you want to achieve the goal. The goals you set need to have an emotional resonance because this is the key to setting compelling goals that will challenge you and most importantly are motivating. There comes a point along the journey to achieving your goals when it seems like you are making no progress or when things seem impossible, at this point you need something compelling to see you through this period. This is especially true in setting a goal to launch your own business. A goal with emotional resonance will be a driving force through times that are hard.
Chunk Down Your Goals
Ask yourself, what do I need to do in order to achieve this goal? Create a list of all the steps required to achieve your goals. Break your goal down into manageable tasks with realistic deadlines. Focus upon the first five tasks, if you still feel overwhelmed, only focus on achieving the task ahead of you. The key is to continually chip away at the list of tasks until you achieve your goal.
Bonus Tip:
The number one reason why people who set goals and fail to achieve them is they do not write them down and fail to review them. Psychology professor DR Gail Matthews conducted research on the effectiveness of writing goals down. His research showed that people were 43% more effective in achieving their stated goals by following this principle alone. Reviewing your goals on a daily and weekly basis will also motivate you and keep you on track towards achieving your goals.
Are you committed to making a change? Complete the Action Plan fun sheet by clicking on the icon below to download a copy, designed to help you stay on track.
Have you set any goals this year? If not, it's never too late to start setting goals for the next 12 months. Go through my Life on Track posting series for tips and secrets to effectively set and achieve your goals.
With love,
Photo Credit: Andresr


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The Journey of JaneQSmythe
I joined this forum formally on January 18th 2012 after lurking and reading for a few weeks. Due to recent events in my life I have found that I was looking for the conversation and advice of a community of poly-people (and the people who love them) – and am glad to find you all here conversing and advising away cheerfully!
I posted my Personal Summary:
I posted an Introduction:
(and really appreciate the welcome I received there!)
Now I find that I want to share more and tell my "Life Story" - luckily for me you have a forum for that as well!
(For reference I thought it might be helpful to include a list of the current cast of players in this not-very-dramatic drama – in subsequent posts I will pseudonym walk-on characters as needed...)
Dramatis Personae:
(Disclaimer: my interpretation of people's sexual orientation, poly/mono orientation, relationship status etc. is MY subjective interpretation based on their behaviors in my presence, stories and observations of others – I may be DEAD WRONG...)
MrsS (Me) – poly bi female, wife to MrS, gf to Dude, LDR FWB to VV and MsJ
MrS – straight (but not narrow) male, probably mono, husband to MrsS, close (best?) friend to Dude, friends with VV and MsJ
Dude – hetero male, probably poly, bf to MrsS, close (best?) friend to MrS, ex-bf to CrazyGirl, off-and-on sex buddies with Nan. MrS and Dude were friends for 1-2 years before I was introduced to Dude.
VV – bisexual female, poly?, swinging?, primary type relationship with fiance. We've been FWB almost since we met (19 years ago?), she was friends (without benefits) with MrS for a few years before that.
MsJ – bisexual female, primary type relationship with husband, 2 kids. Married to MrS's best friend from HS for 7-8 years. We've been FWB for, maybe, 4-5 years.
CrazyGirl – straight (potentially bi-curious?) female, Dude's ex-girlfriend, stated goal is to be married and "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen"
Nan – female, off-and-on sex buddies with Dude (when his relationship status allows for it)
Last edited by JaneQSmythe; 01-31-2012 at 05:54 AM. Reason: formatting
Dear Reader
Thank you for your interest in my personal journey!
My purpose in writing this blog is to set down, in an orderly fashion, the events and ideas that have led me to where I am today. I actually sat down and wrote an outline of the topics that I want to address with notes on items to cover in each sub-section (unsurprisingly, neither MrS nor Dude were surprised to learn I had written an outline - "Of course you did."). My plan is to start with a series of posts covering my/our personal history – where I was in my life, how I interacted with people, how people responded. In the second section I plan to review the hurdles we faced, the major arguments we had, the mistakes that were made and their resolutions.
I am a person who finds it easier to communicate via the written word where I can take hours editing and re-editing until I find the flow of ideas that best conveys my intent. I may spend a seemingly inordinate amount of time finding the exact word or phrase that conveys my meaning precisely. The act of doing so, in turn, gives me personal insight into my actions and reactions to the topic or event I am addressing. I expect and hope the process of writing this blog will be an enlightening one for myself, and if my journey happens to provide a glimmer of insight to anyone here (even if it is only that you find that you disagree with me vehemently) then so much the better ("value-added" bloggingness).
My request to you, Dear Reader: I realize that this is a public forum and that I have no right to expect others to abide by my preferences, however, as my intent is to bring myself up-to-date in my thought processes, I would appreciate it if comments during the initial phase be limited to your immediate reactions to my posts and links to helpful resources and posts where you (or others) have dealt with similar issues. Once I have completed the "formal" (i.e. planned) portion of this blog I intend to convert to a more "journal" style blog where I discuss day-to-day issues in my journey as they arise or write about poly- or relationship-related topics that stem from conversations I have had, both in person and online, and how they relate to me and my general "philosophy of life." At which point I hope you will join in with suggestions and vignettes.
In the meantime, if there is a conversation that you would like to have about something I have said in my personal history posts I would be grateful if you would post in my "Intro" thread (link above) or, if it sparks a topic of conversation of general interest, we can start a thread in the relevant section of the forum that I can link back to here.
PS. That sounds so formal! My purpose in this request is to help me stay on track and get everything down. I am easily sidetracked by interesting conversations (and quite verbose about it, to boot). I think I owe it to myself (and my boys) to take the time to wrap my head around my own thoughts. Think of this as the counseling/therapy that I do so badly (I once spent an entire session talking about Heinlein rather than my feelings - an interesting conversation, but I already KNOW what I think about HIM - and he's DEAD for crying out loud - THAT relationship isn't going anywhere any time soon )
Last edited by JaneQSmythe; 01-31-2012 at 05:44 AM. Reason: redundancy
Hi Jane, you have no need to worry in the Blogs section. Debates aren't allowed here. There are a different set of guidelines for the "Life stories and blogs" forum, and if someone posts something to your blog that you don't want to remain there, this is the only forum where you can request someone else's posts be removed from your thread. This is from the User Guidelines:
So, rest easy, blog away, and... welcome!
The world opens up... when you do.
"Oh, oh, can't you see? Love is the drug for me." ~Bryan Ferry
"Love and the self are one . . ." ~Leo Buscaglia
Click here for a Solo Poly view on hierarchical relationships
Click here to find out why the Polyamorous Misanthrope is feeling disgusted.
*my* first reaction to your initial posts?
You're freakin' adorable! You go grrrl.
Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own...
Robert A. Heinlein
Me: female, bi, (formerly hinge of a vee)
with FirstBoyFriend (FBF)(moderately long-distance)
and no longer with CurrentBoyFriend (CBF)(who now lives in a house far away-with stairs I can't climb)
The pre-beginning: before MrS the High School Years
Many of my views of sex and relationships have been shaped, I believe, by reading Heinlein since the age of 12. Growing up my family did not have a strong body modesty taboo and I believe this has something to do with my comfortableness with my own body and its sexuality. I started masturbating at 12, I lost my virginity at 16. (I apologize for the quotes but per Heinlein = ...But don't talk about 'losing' anything, when in fact you will be achieving your birthright, that supreme status of functioning female that your biological inheritance makes possible.)
Looking around at the activities and entanglements of my fellow students I knew that I was not interested in the drama and hassles I saw inherent in high-school romances. I had things to DO with my life. I didn't want to waste time with petty romances and waiting for some boy to call for a date (Blech!). The concept of love I was fairly ambivalent about, I wasn't really sure it existed (to be fair, this is a concept that is still troublesome to me). It seemed me that love was something that horny people convinced themselves they were in to justify the fact that they wanted to have sex with someone. Since I was perfectly happy accepting that there were plenty of people that I was sexually attracted to, the whole love aspect seemed an unnecessary complication.
When I decided to become sexually active at the age of 16 it was with careful consideration of what I wanted. For my first sexual experience I chose a friend of mine, call him PianoBoy, who also happened to be the first boy to kiss me (at the age of 12) for some reason the symmetry of this pleased me. We were friends, we hung out, we had several interests in common, we fooled around intermittently and I would get turned on. I knew that he had slept with, and was sleeping with, a number of girls but never had a girlfriend. For a year or two he had been periodically asking So, when are you going to have sex with me? and my answer was Wait until I'm sixteen. A few weeks after I turned sixteen he asked the same question and my answer was: Pick me up at 3 on Saturday, bring condoms. But, I have to be home by 7 because I'm going to the Homecoming Dance with some guy. He did, and we did, and it was fun! (The dance, however, was boring as...well, hell would have been more exciting...not my sort of thing at all had only agreed to go as a favor to a friend.)
So, having decided that sex was something that I wanted to experience more of I called Planned Parenthood and got on the pill. Not that I actually ever disclosed this, intentionally, to any of my prospective sex partners let them think that the condom was their only defense against potential fatherhood and I figured they would be that much more careful. I'm a suspenders-AND-a-belt kind of girl an unintended pregnancy would have interfered with my plans (although I had a back-up plan, of sorts, for that as well my aunt was having trouble getting pregnant, I was going to a.) run away, b.) call her and offer to have the baby for her to adopt, c.) come home and apologize to my parents.)
From that point on I chose my potential sexual partners from a.) friends that I was sexually attracted to that I thought were emotionally mature enough not to presume on our friendship for more than FWB and b.) random boys that I met that I was sexually attracted to that seemed to me to be amenable to my NSA approach to sex. (Girls had not yet hit my consciousness in regards to the range of possible sexual partners...although I had the usual crushes in this regard just not registering on my sexual attraction radar.) To back this up I had developed a list of rules in my own mind to avoid possible emotional entanglement: a.) no virgins (in my observations, people had a tendency to become 'attached' to their first sexual partner) b.) 'The Rule of 3' I wouldn't have sex with someone more then three times (in my observations, people had a tendency to become 'attached' to people they had sex with on a regular basis) in actuality this turned into a 'Rule of 2' I'm a bit of a hoarder, so I would save one sexual encounter with a good partner 'in-case-of-emergency' c.) at any sign of 'attachment' sexual contact stops say I misread you and after the first sexual encounter you get all mushy or start calling me for no reason, or act jealous when I am flirting with others yup, done.
Contrary to what you may think this actually worked out quite well for me for a few years. The few misunderstandings were cleared up by my friends having a conversation with the boy in question (It's not that she doesn't want YOU for a boyfriend...she doesn't want a boyfriend at ALL. That's just how she is....) So I never had to confront the feelings side of sex in any significant way...
and then there is the 'Story of MrS'...
The Beginning Meeting MrS
My senior year of HS my friend, PonyGirl, and I used to hang out on weekends at a house that some of our friends had in the city. One weekend a mutual friend (Rube) brought two new guys to the house while they were home on spring break – MrS and JB. I had my eye on MrS but PonyGirl beat me to him. By the end of the evening MrS and PonyGirl had a little thing going and JB had asked me out.
JB and I got along really well in terms of interesting conversations and shared interests but he got knocked off my 'potential sex partner' list due to my "No Virgins" rule so we became friends instead. Over the next few months new friendships developed and a group of us – Me, PonyGirl, JB, MrS, Rube and SweetPea (MrS's ex-girlfriend/now FWB) and a few others - would hang out together regularly. Rube and I developed a FWB relationship, MrS and PonyGirl were seeing/sleeping with each other (he was of the understanding that this was a FWB scenario – she never said anything to the contrary). MrS was also sleeping with SweetPea (he was clear with her that this was a FWB-and-no-further situation, she voiced understanding but was still hoping they could get back together). Confused yet?
For the first time in my life I found myself playing "games" try to get a boy interested in me (Ick!). For example, I usually drove when all of us friends would go out (my car could hold 7) - at the end of the evening I would feign fatigue and ask MrS to take over the driving and drop everyone off and then I would just have to drive home from his house. I'm thinking – alone in a car, at night, way out in the country...NOPE – the guy never made a move (...maybe if I had ever learned to bat my eyelashes?) At the time my usual method of chasing men was "letting them chase me while I ran very slowly" (to quote Mama Maureen in Heinlein's To Sail Beyond the Sunset). Apparently MrS's method of seduction is to sit around having interesting conversations and looking sexy until some sweet young thing drags him bodily off into the bushes. [MrS makes no attempt whatsoever to deny this – says that it has always worked out pretty well, why change a system that works just fine?]
Passive seduction techniques + Passive seduction techniques = No sex with MrS for Jane.
It turned out that Rube, MrS, and I would all be attending the same college campus in the fall so I pretty much decided that I would have my chance at him then. I (apparently) made no secret of this intention – which led JB to make a bet with MrS that I would trip him within 3 days of getting to school (it only took 2). [When I tease MrS about this bet he says: "If I won I got paid, if I lost I got laid – where's the downside?"]
Anyway (got a little ahead of myself there) – don't think that I spent that summer just lusting after MrS and not getting anywhere – there were some of my prior partners that hadn't quite used up their 3 times yet, I met new people to play with when I went up to college for a pre-freshman summer session, AND... I discovered girls! And threesomes! [Actually I tease MrS that these developments were all his "fault"] ...but I'll save that for the next post...
Last edited by JaneQSmythe; 02-05-2012 at 08:10 PM. Reason: clarity
The Beginning - A Threesome Tangent
Mid-way through that first summer SweetPea approaches me with a proposition (and a sweet smile on her luscious little rosebud mouth and an adorable dimple and a sparkly glow in her eyes and ...wait...where was I?) She thinks that MrS would enjoy a threesome with some hot girl-on-girl action and she knows I am attracted to him and she thinks I'm cute and would I consider being a third? Hell YES! BUT I have never done this before so I might be awkward, yadda-yadda, we set a date (it was to be a surprise present). I also told her that for our first time I didn't feel comfortable having sex with him so if she wouldn't mind taking care of the sex-with-him part...?
Now you may ask yourself why, if I am so eager to get in his pants, I don't take advantage of it at this opportunity? A few reasons two new sex partners, my first girl, my first threesome all at the same time! - I was afraid I would get overwhelmed and suffer performance anxiety (and he would think I'm lousy in bed). ALSO, I really like SweetPea, she's sweet and friendly and fun and nice and sexy, her problem is the fact that she can't keep her pants on...something that I can totally identify with. Look I don't approve of her cheating on MrS while they were together but I viewed that as an issue between the two of them if SHE had known herself well enough to admit at that time that she wasn't wired for monogamy things could have turned out a lot differently. (Actually, I think years later that she and her first husband ended up being swingers we went to the wedding but then they moved out of state and we didn't see her more than a few times after that).
So anyway, I like SweetPea and I know that she is hoping that the current FWB situation with MrS will evolve into them getting back together, in fact, I think that she is hoping that this threesome will aid in this (See what a cool, sexy, girl I am? See what I can do for you? Don't you want to get back together with me?). I am afraid that if I have sex with him in front of her and they don't get back together (which I didn't think they would he was really hurt by her cheating) then she is going to want to blame me, which would mess up our budding friendship (and our potential FWBship? If it turns out that we like this girl-on-girl thing as much as I suspect we are going to) and just complicate the whole situation (I can't stand drama...) Also, this being her first time with the girl-on-girl bit, I am afraid that if she sees me having sex with him and has a negative emotional reaction, she will not have a good time, she will associate it with the girl-on-girl activity and won't invite me back!
(You may at this point suspect that I have a tendency to over-analyze things...you would be correct.)
So, the date came and we showed up at MrS's house while his parents were at work and informed him of our intentions and he was appropriately enthused (I believe Woohoo! and That's hot! sprang to mind). So with some blushing awkwardness, a few false starts, and LOTS of giggling we embarked on our little adventure. Initially we turned to MrS for some direction (OK, you nibble her there, now you kiss her there, now you touch me there...) - after a bit we relaxed and bit and figured out our own dynamic and then drew him into it. We had made it to the naked and kissing and cuddling stage...When MrS's Dad pulls into the driveway home from work several hours early! Chaos! We all dive off the bed so as to be below the level of the windowsill, SweetPea crawls to the closet, I scramble to the bathroom, MrS is trying to sort out our clothes and toss them in the right directions while getting his own pants on. By the time Dad makes it up to the house MrS and SweetPea are sitting in the kitchen talking, and I am just coming out of the bathroom...La-La-La nothing interesting happening here...
God that was freaking hilarious!
We did arrange an encore a few weeks later, when MrS's parents were out of town warm August night, blankets outside, fire, cool breeze, starry sky and two naked teenage girls running around like woodland fairy nymphs. I like being naked outside and girls are fun! After we got tired of catching and kissing each other while MrS looked on and laughed, SweetPea and MrS had sex by the fire while I watched and kissed and petted them...that was a lovely evening.
The Beginning The Relationship that Wasn't
So in the fall MrS and I go off to college. MrS's roomates are Rube, OrangeBoy, and 3 guys named John (not really but they did all have the same first name). OrangeBoy is only notable because down the road he cheated on his long-time girlfriend with my dormmate (and because his girlfriend happened to go to college with one of my best girl friends from HS she ended up finding out)...and for one other incident that will come out later in this tale. I moved into my dormroom, met my roommate, said goodbye to my parents and headed off to Rube and MrS's apartment to meet the rest of the boys. MrS resisted my sexual advances that first night (no worries, Rube "consoled" me on the couch).
Night number 2 MrS lost his bet with JB and...apparently my rules flew out the window. We blew through my "Rule of 3" in no time flat. Sorry to say we busted my suspenders-and-a-belt rule as well - if I can't be honest in my blog and admit my mistakes then I am not telling the whole story. (More on this later.)
I tease Dude that he is such a Uhaul lesbian, but essentially the same thing happened when I got together with MrS. That first semester I spent most nights with MrS, my dorm room was a place I kept my clothes and studied between classes or when MrS wasn't at the apartment (I did NOT have my own key). When PonyGirl or SweetPea would come up to visit I would visit with them during the day (and in the case of SweetPea we would play with MrS together - or with each other if he was off doing something else) but I would go back to my dormroom leaving him to them for the night (even though he said I didn't have to). Sometimes I would call one of the other boys I had on tap (unceremoniously referred to as "Dick-On-Call" by some of our friends).
At some point during this phase Rube said something to MrS that triggered one of my quotable quotes that gets repeated frequently in jest. Rube and the rest of the guys are hanging out having a general bitch-session and Rube says something to MrS about "...your girlfriend...". MrS looks confused and I glance up from whatever book I have my nose in, look puzzled, and comment "MrS doesn't have a girlfriend! I would know...I'm here all the time." Then I got all embarrassed because I realized that he meant ME...we 'set him straight.'
A few months passed and I found myself getting upset and agitated by things that would not have EVER bothered me in the past. I actually started keeping a journal around this time (something I don't generally do) to vent some of the confusing feelings I found myself having. One night we were at a party and my dormmate happened to be there with us and wanted to leave early. MrS offered to walk her back to the dorm. (ALL of the boys in our group of friends were incredibly attentive to making sure that we girls never had to walk across campus after dark alone – there were incidents all of the time on such a huge campus.) They ended up stopping at a pool hall and hanging out for a few hours – I actually got back to our dormroom before she did (Rube brought me home). When she got back to the room she disclosed that she was upset because she found herself attracted to MrS and had come the closest she had ever come to being tempted to cheat on her long time boyfriend. I said something vague like "Oh, really?" but inside I was seething with...?
Well, that is an interesting question. My journal entries from that time contain a lot of questions ("Am I developing FEELINGS for MrS?" "Am I feeling JEALOUS? - you don't even believe in that Jane" etc.) and express a lot of anger at myself for responses that I would have scoffed at had someone else been having them. At some point I talked about my conflict with a friend of mine (call her Gina). (Sidenote: Gina was my friend because we had independently picked PianoBoy to be our "first" for similar reasons – small world...). Basically, she said, after several weeks of hearing me whining that, if I didn't say something to MrS, then, as my friend, she would be compelled to. After protesting, I agreed that if I hadn't "said anything" by a certain point that she would press the issue.
After the allotted time Gina called me (at MrS's) and asked if we had had 'the conversation' yet. I admitted that we hadn't and she said that I needed to put him on the phone. I protested but complied. MrS takes the phone out in the hall while I have an anxiety induced meltdown in the bedroom. After a while (10 minutes? Seemed like hours on my end.) MrS comes to me and says "Is there something you need to talk to me about?" Oh, agony! I can't talk, I can't think, I can't breath. So I write something on a sheet of notebook paper, hand it to him and bury my head in the pillows. A minute passes...was that a chuckle? After an eternity passes he comes over to me and and lifts my head up ...he waits until I can't help but look him in the eyes and he says..."Yes."
The burning question that I had asked? The question that had precipitated this whole juvenile charade?
"Do you care for me, at all?" Turns out...he did.
JaneQ(Me): poly bi female, in an "open-but-not-always-looking" V-plus with -
MrS: hetero polyflexible male, live-in husband (27+ yrs)
Dude: hetero poly male, live-in boyfriend (9+ yrs)
SLeW: platonic hetero girlfriend and BFF
+ "others" = FBs, FWBs, lover-friends, platonic G/BFs, boytoys, etc.
My poly blogs here:
The Journey of JaneQSmythe
The Notebook of JaneQSmythe
Last edited by JaneQSmythe; 02-14-2012 at 12:35 AM. Reason: ETA: a few more commas, some red
The Beginning OK we are in a relationship, what does that MEAN?
So, having determined that we did, in fact, "care for" each other – what does this mean exactly? After 6 mos of seeing each other practically every day (and sleeping together almost every night) I have finally acknowledged that I have 'feelings' for this guy, and (through a very junior- high-type intervention) have determined that he has feelings for me as well. Great. Now, what am I supposed to DO?
After the whole emotional upheaval of the "Do you care for me?" conversation I was exhausted and we spent the next few hours pursuing our normal routine – I studied in his room while he and his roommates hung out. That evening we were going to a party at another apartment (in the same complex) I wasn't sure how the conversation earlier in the day affected how we were "supposed" to interact now that we were a "couple", so I determined that I would find out... We go to the party and I pursue my usual pattern of floating/flirting between the guys that I am friends with and chatting up the "likeliest" guy in the room. At some point in the process of chatting up my "prospect" I get the tap on the shoulder (which I have kind of been expecting...) from MrS - "We need to talk." We go back to the apartment for a conversation about boundaries...which continued over a period of time.
After a lot of conversation (for us) it boils down to this: a.) he is fine with me having any relationship I want with other women – telling him or not telling him beforehand / including him not including him in any sex play (Ladies Choice), he is fine with me being flirty with our (male) friends including "physical" flirting (cuddling/lap sitting/light petting), he is fine with me hanging out with/being friends with/ verbally flirting with other boys that he doesn't know ...but he is NOT ok with me being romantically or sexually involved with other males. (The difference in the degree of flirting he is comfortable with – physical vs. verbal flirting - between friends of ours and people I meet on my own has to do with whether he trusts them to STOP when I say "enough.")
MY boundaries – who knew that I had any? Turns out I did. I was fine with him having any relationship he wants with other males (neither of us thought at the time that this would come into play – all of his prior sexual partners were female) but I did not really want to hear any details of "anal" sex/play. (Apparently I have an anti-fetish in this regard...). With regard to females I came up with a MMMNM rule – which stands for "Mucus Membranes Must Not Meet". This is not a "safer sex" rule per se. Kissing, oral sex, and intromission are, to me, intimate acts that have the potential to lead to "attachment" (i.e. romantic involvement) and I wanted to know if his relationships with other girls were headed in this direction. I gave him a "free pass" right off the bat for SweetPea (who we were both into) but other than her I would like to be informed.
Before the poly police start screaming "OPP! OPP! Someone is being oppressed!" (This is said very tongue-in-cheek...) We were very young (me 18, him 20). This was my very first "relationship" ever and his third (according to his count), the first two ended by having his girlfriend cheating on him. The word "polyamory" had been coined a few years earlier but we didn't have the Internet back then and were playing it by ear (making up the 'rules' as we went along). To be perfectly fair, this worked (fairly well) for years and years...
JaneQ(Me): poly bi female, in an "open-but-not-always-looking" V-plus with -
MrS: hetero polyflexible male, live-in husband (27+ yrs)
Dude: hetero poly male, live-in boyfriend (9+ yrs)
SLeW: platonic hetero girlfriend and BFF
+ "others" = FBs, FWBs, lover-friends, platonic G/BFs, boytoys, etc.
My poly blogs here:
The Journey of JaneQSmythe
The Notebook of JaneQSmythe
Last edited by JaneQSmythe; 02-15-2012 at 10:55 PM. Reason: smiley
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Taking methadone
Methadone is usually prescribed as a once-daily dose in liquid form. You will usually be asked to take it under the supervision of the pharmacist who dispenses the methadone to you. This means there can be no doubt about how much methadone you take at each dose. Supervision arrangements will be reviewed at regular intervals
Other points to consider
You are more likely to succeed in staying off heroin if you have support from a drug recovery service or from self-help groups.
- Please tell the doctor who prescribes your methadone about any other prescribed medicines you take, as some can interfere with methadone, eg medicines for epilepsy, TB and some anti-depressants.
- Other street drugs, such as benzodiazepines ('benzos') and alcohol, can affect methadone: it is better not to take any other drugs or drink too much alcohol with methadone.
- If you are breathalysed and your result is over 0.35mg then your prescription will not be issued.
- You will be asked to give a urine sample from time to time as part of your treatment.
- If you use heroin, methadone or similar drugs you should tell the DVLA. You are likely to be suspended from driving. However, if you are on a supervised methadone programme, you may be allowed to drive, subject to an annual medical review.
- Keep methadone and any other drugs out of reach of children. We can provide you with a locked box.
What is heroin dependence?
If you are addicted to heroin it means that you develop withdrawal symptoms within a day or so of the last dose. So, if you are addicted to heroin, you need a regular dose to feel 'normal'.
Withdrawal symptoms can include: sweating; feeling hot and cold; runny eyes and nose; yawning; being off food; stomach cramps; feeling sick or vomiting; diarrhoea; tremor; poor sleep; restlessness; general aches and pains; and just feeling awful. Withdrawal symptoms tend to ease and go within five days.
However, you may then have a persistent craving for heroin, remain tired, and have poor sleep for quite some time afterwards.
What is methadone
Methadone is a drug that can be prescribed. Although similar to heroin it lasts a lot longer in the body. If you take methadone you are unlikely to get withdrawal symptoms if you stop heroin (or the withdrawal symptoms will be much less severe).
If you take methadone, instead of street heroin, under supervision from a doctor you are:
- More likely to be able to get away from the street 'drug scene'.
- Likely to feel better in yourself.
- More likely to be able to get off drugs for good.
Who prescribes methadone and when?
You will need to be referred to RISE to be assessed: first by a nurse and then by the prescribing doctor. Following assessment, the recovery service may prescribe methadone.
If you have been injecting drugs such as heroin it is also common to advise:
- A blood test, which includes testing for HIV, checking the health of your liver (liver function tests) and checking for hepatitis A, B and C.
- Immunisation against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
- If appropriate, immunisation against hepatitis B for your partner and children.
You will also be advised about the dangers of injecting and using shared needles and syringes, and will learn how to reduce your risk of harm.
Starting off with methadone
Following your assessment you will be given an appointment to see the prescribing doctor and your nurse. This consultation will help to determine the most appropriate treatment for you. An initial dose of methadone will be chosen to try to prevent withdrawal symptoms. The doctor will prescribe a relatively low dose at first. This is because an overdose of methadone can cause serious harm or even death. The doctor will prescribe within safe clinical guidelines and will see you regularly to adjust the dose.
Be patient: this early stage is very important. The initial dose is usually gradually increased to a stable dose.
But note:
- Methadone takes 2-4 hours to reach peak effect.
- Methadone accumulates in your body so you will feel a greater effect from the drug over a few days even without increasing the dose.
- It may take a few weeks to get to the correct dose which prevents all withdrawal symptoms.
Try to accept that you may have some, or partial, withdrawal symptoms until the correct dose is found.
The correct dose varies from person to person depending on how much heroin you were using and how your body deals with (metabolises) the methadone. You should not take any street drugs or drink much alcohol when you are on methadone as this increases the risk of overdose.
Maintenance and coming off (detox)
Once established on a regular dose, your nurse will talk about the aims of your treatment at RISE. Aims include stabilisation, which helps you to keep off street drugs, and detoxification (detox), which is the process of reducing and coming off.
Your nurse will discuss with you how to reduce the dose which will help you to keep off street drugs. The rate of reduction will be reviewed every 6 weeks and agreed with the prescribing doctor.


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Intel Ex-Chief Hoping to Help Ireland Rebound
After Japanese competitors nearly sunk Intel (INTC) in the 1980s, Craig Barrett helped the chip maker rebuild its manufacturing prowess. Now he's going to lend Ireland a hand.
The former Intel CEO and chairman, who retired from the company in May, on Tuesday is being named chairman of a non-profit collection of executives called the Irish Technology Leadership Group. In that role, Barrett plans to work with other business and political leaders to restore the country's competitiveness on the international high-tech scene.
Why Ireland? Barrett has at least three connections with the Emerald Isle.
For one, Barrett's grandmother hailed from County Tyrone, part of Northern Ireland. As Intel's former manufacturing honcho, Barrett also was closely involved with Intel's decision to turn Ireland into one of its major manufacturing centers, after the U.S. and Israel. Intel started with what Barrett calls "a little motherboard place" near Dublin, later adding sophisticated fabs–the massive manufacturing plants that fabricate chips using silicon wafers–at Leixlip.


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An Omani appeals court cancelled an order to close down a newspaper that had reported on alleged corruption within the judiciary. The privately-owned Azamn newspaper covered a series of corruption cases in 2014 in which several company executives were convicted.
The Court of First Instance said in September this year the paper had undermined the prestige of the state and disturbed public order, ordering it to be closed indefinitely and jailing three of its journalists, following a series of reports in 2016 over alleged cases of corruption within the judiciary.
On 26th December, the Muscat appeals court overturned the conviction of one reporter who was sentenced in September to a year in jail and cut prison terms of founder, editor, deputy editor and managing editor.


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It's another year and another World Water Day, a day coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners, is fast approaching. The World Water Day 2017 is coming up on March 22 and is all about wastewater. You may ask, why wastewater? That's because the main focus of the UN's World Water Day is on how we should be reducing and reusing water rather than letting water go down the drain. We are taking action to tackle the global water crisis.
Global Water Crisis
Today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water. The Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2015, include a target to ensure everyone has access to safe water by 2030, making water a key issue in the fight to eradicate extreme poverty.
Globally, the vast majority of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials. Instead of wasting wastewater, we need to reduce and reuse it. In our homes, we can reuse greywater on our gardens and plots. In our cities, we can treat and reuse wastewater for green spaces. In industry and agriculture, we can treat and recycle discharge for things like cooling systems and irrigation.
By exploiting this valuable resource, we will make the water cycle work better for every living thing. And we will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.
Download this Factsheet and learn more.
How Do You Participate?
You can participate either to spread the awareness or to learn more about what you need to do reduce water wastage. This is possible via attending the upcoming events in locations closer to you. See the events map to participate. Also, you can get inspired with stories about wastewater and shareable resources you can use.


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You're it.
Today in Cafe Society: • Behind the Bar: Mike Henderson of TAG. • Chapter Two BBQ closes the book. • A sneak peek of Colt & Gray. • A taste of restaurant history before LoDo Bites. • Craft breweries are on a roll. • Mysteries of Sheehan's Desk: Day 5. • Tonight: Take a bite out of LoDo.
Today in Backbeat Online: • Van Morrison, Aimee Mann, Paramore shows announced. • Last Night: The Dead Weather at the Ogden Theatre. • Demonica finishes new album. • Breathe Carolina: Kid tested, mom approved. • George Crumb music festival comes to CU Boulder. • Jen Korte's new album is, like, um ... wow! Just freaking wow! • The Out East Music Feast promises to live up to its name.
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SB130 Turq T3 XX1 Eagle AXS Mountain Bike
Dream bikes may come to us in our sleep, but they remain intangible until someone wakes up, and puts their nose to the grindstone to craft bikes with the most meticulous, deliberate geometry, and stunning components available on the planet. Yeti did just that when it crafted the SB130 Turq T3 XX1 Eagle AXS Mountain Bike. This mid-travel 29er spares no expense, with all-mountain capable geometry that's carefully crafted in Yeti's newest iteration of TURQ carbon fiber, which is refined further than before for 2020 for improved strength and stiffness. But dream bikes don't just stop at the carbon fiber layup, so Yeti partners this build with SRAM's out-of-this-world wireless XX1 AXS Eagle drivetrain that wirelessly operates your drivetrain, skipping pesky cables for the tidiest cockpit you've seen outside of a single-speed, plus carbon bells and whistles here and there to keep a good thing going. The bike itself offers you completely versatile geometry that excels at pretty much any terrain you point it down, from backcountry epics to hot laps with your crew on the weekend, it makes quick work of steep, technical terrain, and stays lively for smoother singletrack.
If we said mountain bikes have gotten pretty good these days it would be the understatement of the year. We've reached a point in which our featherweight cross-country whips slam through rough terrain with more power than long-travel steeds of the past, and long-travel enduro sleds offer the pedaling efficiency of old-school hardtails. Different geometries, wheel sizes, and updated suspension designs create options for every kind of rider imaginable, and the SB130 takes the cake for those looking for a do-it-all 29er. The ideal SB130 rider is one that might find the SB100 a little under-gunned compared their riding buddies' rigs or on their typical riding terrain, whereas an SB150 is simply more bike than what's needed and is just extra weight and travel to pedal around. We feel that the geometry, suspension package, and build kit on this SB130 are all responsible for that neutral, well-rounded position adding confidence on every ride with the ability to work so well in a wide variety of trail conditions. It's certainly a bike we'd have no reservations about pulling off our rack at the trailhead and question if we had the right tool for the job. It simply carves buff, flowy singletrack with aplomb while not backing down on drops, rock gardens, and jumps in the park if that's your thing too. The 130mm of rear travel might not seem like a lot, but with a 150mm FOX Factory 36 up front and 29-inch wheels, this bike can save your hide when the going gets rough.
Longer and slacker continues to be the name of the game, and on the SB130 the numbers lean towards the trend of a more capable descending bike that can still pedal when it's time to earn your turn. Its 65.5-degree headtube is a full degree slacker than the brands 5.5, a bike that already pushed the boundaries of a long-travel 29er. Of course this contributes to unflappable stability when descending steep, technical terrain, but usually, a headtube angle so slack would be a bear on climbs and have lazy handling manners on the rest of the trail. This simply isn't the case with the SB130 as it employs a 44mm fork offset to bring the front wheel in closer to the rider so the contact patch is more aft than fore, for improved traction and a front wheel that's less likely to wander when the trail points up.
Further helping in this regard is the 77-degree seat tube angle centering you right over the pedals letting you put the hammer down on the climbs. Further harnessing the watts and contributing to positive handling is the frame's Boost spacing placing the hub's flanges further apart and improving the spoke's bracing angle for a stiffer wheel and combining with the 1x-specific frame to allows space for tire clearances in the neighborhood of 2.5-inches with 433mm chainstays, the shortest we've seen yet on a full suspension 29er from Yeti for quick power transfers and the ability to get the front wheel up and over obstacles easier.
A Yeti wouldn't be a Yeti without its signature Switch Infinity suspension and the new-reconfigured SB130 utilizes some new linkages and a metric shock that frees up some precious real estate allowing for the fitment of a water bottle inside the main triangle. What remains the same are the two silky-smooth Kashima-coated stanchions housed just above the bottom bracket that translates throughout the stroke of the Kashima-coated Fox Factory DPX2 shock to adjust the leverage ratio from supple, bump sucking plushness, to mid-stroke, anti-squat pedaling support, to a mild ramp up near the end responsible for its bottomless feel. You'll find that it bobs way less than other designs on the climbs and because its axle path isn't nearly as rearward as some platforms, it doesn't get hung up over square-edge hits letting you take speed and momentum over the obstacle. Whereas the older 4.5 required a little more precision when it came to line choices and favored maneuvering around obstacles, the new SB130 is tuned for full send and is happy taking on a point and shoot approach.
Cherry-picked components are the mark of the sleek build of this SB130. It benefits from SRAM's lightest XX1 drivetrain on the market, with AXS technology that sheds all cables for a completely wireless build that communicates from your shifter to derailleur with its own closed network, using just the touch of a button. Since SRAM had its electronic expertise dialed with Etap, the first thing we wanted to know was just how much it had in common with its roadie counterpart. Just like on Etap, you'll have a fully wire-free setup, with no need to search for a spot to store your battery — simply bolt on your shifters, rear derailleur, and pair things together. That's largely where the similarities end. Naturally, the shifters are all new, and because the demands on mountain bikes can be a bit more strenuous, harsh, and jarring, SRAM took a bit of what its designers already have learned about electronic shifting, and made some serious updates to handle the rough and rowdy conditions on the dirt. This includes a two-clutch system (we'll get into this later), and a whole lot more torque. Etap spins at 50,000 RPM, but to get things dialed for the trail SRAM builds the AXS rear derailleur with enough torque to spin 80,000 RPM for booking it down steep and quick descents.
Compared to mechanical Eagle groupsets, the Eagle AXS derailleur has been contoured around the frame design a bit more. This translates to increased chain wrap, which improves both load distribution and durability, reducing wear and tear on your chain and cassette for better longevity of components. Dually, this new positioning offers a whole 10-millimeters of increased clearance over mechanical Eagle rear derailleurs. Speaking of clearance, the two-clutch system offers a whole new safety mechanism for when you just don't have quite enough space, and your derailleur takes a knock. The first clutch is the traditional type-three that you'll find in most SRAM MTB derailleurs, this keeps your chain in check and tensioned, the second is where things get exciting. The Overload clutch protects your geared motor by disengaging the motor all together in the event of impact, allowing the derailleur to move whichever direction it needs to in order to protect the motor against a rock or a low-hanging branch. As soon as the impact is over, the derailleur automatically reengages and shifts back to where you were, without skipping a beat. This built in protection gives you some serious peace of mind when you're dropping big dollars on a groupset.
Up front in your cockpit you'll find the AXS shifter, which uses a completely new profile with three buttons. First, there is a main paddle at the thumb that pivots up and down when you engage it. The shifter is programmed out of the box to shift into your harder gears when you press upward on the paddle, and into your easier gears with a press downward. In addition to the paddle, there's a trigger shifter that can be accessed when you're hammering up climbs to get into the perfect gear for your sprint. Both paddle and trigger can be fully programmed with SRAM's AXS app, allowing you to switch what each button does, and customize how many shifts your derailleur can make when you hold down on the shifters. The shifter pairs with your rear derailleur using SRAM's own wireless network, which they claim to be completely secure, preventing tampering with from anyone but you. With that said — the shifter also uses both Bluetooth and ANT+ to connect to head units and smart phones, which allows you to program it, view battery life, and see a maintenance schedule. If on race day you find many other derailleurs and shifters popping up on your AXS app, you need not worry. In order to adjust shifting with the app you must be physically holding your bike and pressing the shifters to make any changes to its programming, keeping your ride safe from tampering.
Attention to detail isn't spared anywhere on the bike, packing in featherweight carbon components that are just compliant enough to absorb harsh vibrations, but stiff for total control in rowdy terrain. Yeti equips this build with FOX's Factory-level suspension in the front and rear ends, offering total control of adjustability, and buttery Kashima coating that slides seamlessly through the travel for a soft and supple feel — and it doesn't stop there — even the Fox Transfer dropper post sees a Kashima coating for head-turning appearance, and infinite adjustability.
This build also benefits from the lightweight stiffness of Yeti's top-tier TURQ level carbon fiber construction ensuring a strong, durable, and responsive frame. High-modulus carbon fiber is meticulously hand laid using carefully researched and tested carbon layup structures to reinforce critical tube junctions and high-stress areas without adding excess weight or bulk. The result is a frame that is roughly 220g lighter than the standard C-Series carbon, with the same levels of strength and stiffness. For the 2020 model year, Yeti refined the TURQ carbon layup even further to provide increased levels of stiffness and durability. The design is tested for durability by Yeti's hard-charging enduro bruiser Rude, and Yeti is confident enough in the frame to include a lifetime warranty to the original owner against defects in materials or workmanship, which includes the Switch Infinity link as well. The frame comes with molded guards to protect the downtube and chainstay, and incorporates full-length cable tunnels to simplify maintenance since the housing slides easily through the frame and pops out in the same place every time. Lastly, it's worth mentioning that there's enough clearance in the rear triangle for up to 2.5in tires.
- Your dream bike becomes reality with Yeti's cherry picked SB130 build
- 130mm of plush Switch Infinity eats bumps and pedals efficiently
- Updated geometry is optimized for going up and down steep terrain
- Shorter chainstays keep the handling sharp, nimble, and agile
- TURQ carbon construction drops grams and boosts stiffness
- BB92 shell and Boost rear spacing offer cornering support
- FOX Factory suspension is extremely supple and supportive
- SRAM's XX1 Eagle AXS drivetrain wirelessly communicates for the tidiest cockpit you'll find outside of a fixie
- Item #YTIR16E
- Frame Material
- Turq carbon
- Suspension
- Switch Infinity
- Rear Shock
- Fox Factory DPX2
- Rear Travel
- 130mm
- Fork
- Fox Factory FIT 4
- Front Travel
- 150mm
- Headset
- Cane Creek 40, integrated
- Shifters
- SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS
- Rear Derailleur
- SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS
- ISCG Tabs
- Crankset
- SRAM XX1 Eagle DUB
- Chainring Sizes
- 30t
- Crank Arm Length
- 170mm
- Bottom Bracket
- Bottom Bracket Type
- Cassette
- SRAM XX1 Eagle 1299
- Cassette Range
- 10 - 50t
- Chain
- SRAM XX1 Eagle
- Brakeset
- Brake Type
- post-mount hydraulic disc
- Rotors
- SRAM Centerline, 180mm/180mm
- Handlebar
- Yeti Carbon 35
- Handlebar Width
- 780mm
- Grips
- ODI Elite Pro
- Stem
- Race Face Turbine 35
- Stem Length
- 50mm
- Saddle
- WTB Volt Custom
- Seatpost
- [small] Fox Transfer Factory, 125mm, [medium] Fox Transfer Factory, 150mm, [large, extra-large] Fox Transfer Factory, 175mm
- Seat Collar
- 31.6mm
- Wheelset
- DT SWISS M1700, 30mm
- Front Axle
- 15 x 110mm Boost
- Rear Axle
- 12 x 148mm Boost
- Tires
- [front] Maxxis Minion DHF, EXO, [rear] Maxxis Aggressor, EXO
- Tire Size
- [front] 2.5 x 29in, [rear] 2.3 x 29in
- Pedals
- not included
- Recommended Use
- trail
- Manufacturer Warranty
- lifetime on frame
Tech Specs
California Proposition 65
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The recently launched local branch of ABB Global Consulting's energy efficiency consultancy aims to deliver industrial energy savings of between 5% and 20%, depending on the current state of a company's energy-management practices.
Latest International News in English
Include Parliament in 'every step' of climate policy process – MP
As the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) continued working on the South African climate change policy, Parliamentary representatives urged the department to include the Portfolio Committee on water and environment in every forum where the policy was discussed before the draft document was released.
Rules on selection criteria for renewable energy projects under the REFIT programme
Rules on selection criteria for renewable energy projects under the REFIT programme
Energy efficiency drives lubricant development
The drive for lubricant development is currently based on energy efficiency, says South African Institute of Tri- bology president John Fitton.


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Old Bittorrent Sync 2.3.8 and the workplace
NMGMarques posted a topic in Sync General DiscussionHi all. Let me start by saying I mean no disrespect, just in case the following lines come across that way. That said, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I use Bittorrent Sync and now Resilio in my home environment to sync my Pictures folder between my home "server" and my laptop. This solution is working well for my limited needs. More recently I have been doing some work from home on my own laptop and the copying the files to dropbox and then downloading them at work to my PC. More than once something has gone wrong and I had no way of getting the files I had worked on at home. I was considering installing Resilio on the work pc to sync a folder from my laptop to my work pc, but then it dawned on me to read the license and I think I can't do this without purchasing or paying a subscription or whatnot. Since this is for my own personal gain, corporate won't sign off on it since it's too expensive for my needs. They'll rather I continue as thus far or use a usb drive or something or other. However, if I am not mistaken, early versions of Bittorrent Sync were free for commercial use, and again, if I am not mistaken. Now I know I'll be missing out on the latest bells and whistles and won't be able to do much beside simple syncing of the folders over internet with the basic older Bittorrent Sync versions, but am I correct in my previous assumption, and if so, would it be copacetic (read: legal) to install Bittorrent Sync version 2.3.8 on the work pc? Again, I apologise if I shouldn't be bringing this up in the forums. I thought this might be the best place to ask.


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Enjoy Gorgeous Views with Bay or Bow Windows
Renewal by Andersen® of Quad Cities offers a variety of bay and bow replacement windows for your viewing pleasure. These windows offer an extensive glass area and a beautiful look so you can transform the look of your home from the inside and out without a costly renovation.
Bay or bow windows in Rock Island IL can give your home a much-needed facelift at an affordable price. Opening up the airy feel of your home is made easier with bay or bow windows that jut out beyond the exterior face of your home for more depth and character than a simple one-dimensional window. They're perfect in the living room, dinhttps://www.rbaofqc.com/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=acf-field-grouping room or great room, extending outward to give you a more expansive outdoor view. Now you can have the natural illumination you need to let in all the sunlight and get a great view.
Bay and bow windows in Rock Island IL have subtle differences:
- Bow Windows: Bow windows are comprised of three tall window frames that form a smooth curve extending outward from your home. Several styles are available, so look to our design team to help in the selection process.
- Bay Windows: These windows feature three to four window panels comprised in a linear pattern extending outward so you can add a charming window seat or even just a shelf for photo frames and trinkets. Opt for a large central picture window with casements on either side or double hung panels. It's up to you!
With quality, energy efficiency and functionality at the forefront, you will enjoy our patented Fibrex® frame material for the best in durability, with the strength of wood, vinyl or aluminum frames combined. With a frame width that isn't so thick, you get more area through which to see outside. Renewal by Andersen's High Performance™ Low-E4® SmartSun™ glass is the most energy efficient glass we have ever offered, at 70% more energy efficient in summer and 45% more energy efficient in winter as compared to ordinary dual pane glass.* You can also get our SmartSun™ coating to guard to prevent fading from the sun.
All of Renewal by Andersen of Quad Cities' bay and bow windows are protected by one of the strongest window and door replacement limited warranties you will ever find.**
Call Now for a FREE Estimate on Bay and Bow Windows
To find out just how affordable our bay and bow windows are, call us at (844) 366-7784 for a free, no-obligation consultation and estimate.
*Values are based on comparison of Renewal by Andersen® double-hung inserted window SHGC to the SHGC for clear dual pane glass non-metal frame default values from the 2006 and 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.
**See the Renewal by Andersen® 20/20/10 limited warranty for details.
"Renewal by Andersen" and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. © 2017 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved.


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Nearly 30 million babies are born too soon, too small or become sick every year, needing specialised care to survive, according to a new report by a global coalition which includes UNICEF and WHO.
Two weeks ago my friend Yvonne became so ill doctors felt it necessary to put her into a medically induced coma, to save her life. Thankfully, she is now out of the coma, receiving regular kidney dialysis, but still quite sick.
Two new reports draw attention to the damaging impact of 'fit for work' assessments on sick and disabled people, and the underlying cause of their flaws.
The Government is being asked urgently to examine all cuts affecting sick and disabled people after a landmark petition triggered a Parliamentary debate.
When did sick and disabled people become 'fair game' for mockery in the UK?
Over the last few years the way certain elements of the media have portrayed these sections of the population as 'scroungers' and 'benefit cheats' has been depressing, but today the Daily Mail reached a new low. In this article dramatic claims were made about the numbers of new claimants for Disability Living Allowance, describing a rush to claim the benefit before new more stringent rules are introduced.
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PIRs Rosalind Cavaghan awarded Marie Curie Fellowship
PIR PhD graduate awarded a prestigious Marie Curie Fellowship by the European Commission.
The highly competitive Intra European Fellowship (IEF) will enable Rosalind to undertake exciting new post-doctoral research on EU policy responses to the financial crisis. She will hold the fellowship at Radboud University Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, where she will work with leading European feminist political scientist, Professor Mieke Verloo.
Rosalind's PhD, supervised by Dr Richard Freeman and Professor Fiona Mackay, developed an innovative methodology to examine the European Commission's efforts at Gender Mainstreaming. Rosalind's new project at Radboud University will apply the same methodology to examine the gendered content of European Commission's responses to the Financial Crisis and the policy-making processes which led to them. In addition to undertaking her own new research, Rosalind's IEF plans include workshops and conference panels aimed at boosting capacity to examine economic and financial policy areas within gender based research networks.


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Numerous council bosses who earned more than £100,000 last year have been revealed.
The TaxPayers alliance, a pressure group, has released its annual 'town hall rich list' which reveals council employees earning a salary of six figures.
The pay packets include officers' overall remuneration – which includes salaries, expenses, compensation and pension contributions.
In 2017-18, Watford Borough Council managing director Manny Lewis earned £139,199 as well as a pension contribution of 25,334 bringing his total pay packet to £164,533 while deputy managing director Nick Fenwick earned £100,000 as well as a pension contribution of £18,200.
In Three Rivers, chief executive Steven Halls is on a salary of £123,334 alongside a pension of £22,221. Two other council employees earned more than £100,000 – the director of community and environmental services, Geof Muggeridge, who received a pay of £109, 508, and the director of finance, Joanne Wagstaffe, who earned £108,238, but this is in joint employment with Watford.
Hertsmere chief executive Donald Graham is the highest earning borough council boss in Hertfordshire – on a salary of £154,000 as well as a pension contribution of £30,000. Corporate director Sajida Bilje earned £108,000 in 2017-18 alongside a pension of £21,000.
Dacorum chief exec Sally Marshall earned £135,225 with a pension contribution of £24,205 while Mark Gaynor, corporate director for housing and regeneration, and James Deane, corporate director for finance and operations, earned £102,951 and £103,208 respectively alongside pension contributions of £18,546, and £18,250 respectively.
St Albans has one council employee earning more than £100,000 – its chief executive Amanda Foley. She is believed to be the lowest paid chief exec in Hertfordshire.
At Hertfordshire County Council, 12 council employees earned more than £100,000 in 2017-18 including pension contributions.
This includes the chief executive and director of environment John Wood who earned in total £225,887. He has since left his role and been replaced by Owen Mapley.
Directors of children's services, resources, adult care services, public health, and family safeguarding earned packages of six figures as did the acting director of community protection, the chief legal officer, deputy director of the environment, deputy director of community protection, and the deputy chief fire officer, at the county council, also are also paid six figure salaries.
The local authority with the greatest number of employees receiving remuneration in excess of £100,000 was Essex council with 55 employees in total earning over this amount. Essex also had the highest number of employees earning over £150,000 at 13.
A total of 28 council employees in the UK received deals higher than £250,000 in 2017-18.
Chief executive of the TaxPayer's alliance, John O'Connell, said at a time when the average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last 20 years, "disappointingly many authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay".
All of the councils named above have pointed towards "challenging financial times" with a "wide range of statutory duties and responsibilities that make a huge difference to people's lives".
A Watford Borough Council spokesman said: "We want the very best people to work for the council ensuring Watford remains a successful town. Offering the right salary for the job is one way we achieve this."
A Hertsmere Borough Council spokeswoman added: "The salaries aim to attract and retain the best candidates possible in a competitive market and to support the organisation's very lean management structure."
While the county council said Hertfordshire has a lower number of employees earning more than £100,000 compared to other authorities of a similar size
A spokesman added: "We have taken steps to reduce senior management costs in recent years. As a result, the remaining senior managers have taken on more responsibility to lead council staff through challenging financial times, ensuring we continue to deliver important services while still making savings from our budget."
All pay data and policy can already be found on each of the council's websites.
Further data from the TaxPayers Alliance and a council breakdown can be found at https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/town_hall_rich_list_2019


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WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A GHOSTWRITER?...What it's like as a ghostwriter | if you'd care to swap professions. And be an Author or Screenwriter or the Master of your own Work. By someone else, whom you move through Much Experienced Guidance.By a Book Ghostwriter - President, Owner and Founder … [Read more...]
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Microsoft confirms another 2017 update after Windows 10 Creators Update
If you're not a Windows Insider, it has been a little while since your copy of Windows 10 received a major update -- but that is about to change. 2017 will see the release of not one, but two major updates to the operating system.
Windows 10 Creators Update is due to arrive in the spring, and at Microsoft Ignite in Australia, the company confirmed that a second major update is on the way later in the year. We don't know a great deal about this update, but it's likely to incorporate Project NEON design elements.
While it is not a new revelation that a second big update is coming to Windows 10 in 2017, until now there has only been a passing reference to the second one from Microsoft. Speaking at Ignite, Microsoft's director of program management for Windows OS fundamentals and Insiders, Bill Karagounis addressed the audience about the Insider program, update releases and how Microsoft offers support for two releases at any given time.
Shared by Rafael Rivera on Twitter, two slides from the presentation shows the timeline of releases:
Windows 10 release lifecycle, cadence pic.twitter.com/NxSB9wE2PY
— Rafael Rivera (@WithinRafael) February 20, 2017
The timeline doesn't include dates, but it does show that work on the second update should already be well under way, and public testing should start shortly after the release of Windows 10 Creators Update.
You can watch the full Windows 10 event over on the Channel 9 website.


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Amazon Prime Air Commercial
Amazon has finally debut their official Prime Air program. Now, depending on your location and the weather, you will have the ability to order certain products on Amazon and have them delivered to your yard by a drone in around thirty minutes. Soon, more products and locations will be available…(Read…)
Source: TheOldReader


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Dixon qualifies for re-election to Rapides School Board
Janet Dixon qualified today to run for re-election to the Rapides Parish School Board, but overall it's been a slow day for candidate qualifying in the parish.
Dixon, the School Board president, is the only candidate to have qualified in District D as of 2:20 p.m. today, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
Qualifying began Wednesday and continues through 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Rapides Parish Clerk of Court's Office.
No new candidates have filed so far today in the other Rapides Parish School Board districts.
Incumbent School Board members who qualified on Wednesday were Wilton Barrios Jr. in District A, Steve Berry in District B, Stephen Chapman in District E, John Allen Jr. in District F, Keith Breazeale in District G and Darrell Rodriguez in District H.
Other Rapides qualifiers for School Board seats on Wednesday were Gerald Crooks in District C and Sandra Franklin in District I.