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Cloud creates specialist opportunities for the channel
SpectraLogic's Steve Mackey says the channel can find significant cloud opportunities hiding in complex, in-house projects
With great flexibility and scalability, cloud-based environments are highly suited to generic applications such as email, CRM, ERP and HR systems.
However, the channel can find significant opportunities in the more complex IT projects that remain in-house.
With the move of day-to-day applications to the cloud, in-house IT projects are becoming more specialised. Such projects tend to be aligned to the industry that the users are in and are increasingly led by subject matter experts as much as by IT professionals – for example in life sciences, research and engineering.
This often means that these project leaders who are not full-time IT professionals need trusted experts who understand their industries, the related IT applications and infrastructure as well as best practice in their fields. This is a ready-made opportunity for the channel to step in – by offering vertical specialisation to these users, resellers can differentiate their services.
An example of how this approach can be successfully implemented can be seen in the academic research sector where a growing number of channel organisations and consultancies are introducing tape-based archive solutions.
Faced with rapid data growth, escalating costs and budget constraints, these organisations often don't get effective and/or usable advice from vendors and resellers pushing lucrative disk solutions. Often the users are not aware that there is an alternative.
Partners who understand the workflow, data access and retention requirements of specific projects can identify and design solutions that their more generalist competitors will not suggest and position themselves as knowledgeable specialists.
As a result, we are seeing more vendors partnering with niche channel partners to deliver specialist sector-focused services.
In our case, we have successfully aligned our channel programme to meet the needs of industries including medical research,
high-performance computing, media and broadcast, and video surveillance where tape offers a distinct advantage for ongoing, data intensive projects delivered in these sectors.
Steve Mackey is international vice president at Spectra Logic


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How's this for perfect casting?
The upcoming biopic of porn star Linda Lovelace (star of the notorious 1972 film "Deep Throat") may include a cameo by James Franco as "Playboy" kingpin Hugh Hefner.
The "Spider-Man" star, who was an early choice to play the film's male lead Chuck Traynor, is in talks to appear in the film as the famous pipe-smoking lothario/magazine publisher, according to Variety.
Amanda Seyfried ("Red Riding Hood," "In Time") is playing the title character, who reluctantly became a household name after her role in the hardcore film-turned-mainstream hit.
Hank Azaria is set to star as "Deep Throat" writer-director Jerry Damiano, while Bobby Cannavale and Chris Noth will play the film's producers, Butchie Peraino and Anthony Romano. Peter Sarsgaard is playing the role of Traynor, the pornographer husband of Lovelace (real name: Linda Boreman). Sharon Stone, Robert Patrick, Juno Temple and Wes Bentley are also starring in the film, which has yet to cast such other notable real-life names as Harry Reems, Gloria Steinem and Sammy Davis Jr.
The film would reunite Franco with his "Howl" co-directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Franco was recently seen in "Your Highness" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," and will soon appear in "Oz: The Great and Powerful."
The Lovelace saga was recounted in the hit 2005 documentary "Inside 'Deep Throat'."

subset: commoncrawl


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|1304 Culmen St.
Madison, WI 53713
View Map ›
|(608) 257-0919
Vinny's Lockers is temporarily closed due to the spread of the coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness it causes. Please click here for updates about related actions we're taking. If emergency access to materials stored at Vinny's Lockers is required, please call 205-8276 during daytime hours.
Video by Edgewood College students with FACTv help Vinny's Lockers safely stores belongings of people who are homeless. With a referral from a local social service agency, people can store personal papers and items, family mementos, out-of-season clothing, and even tools for work.
Up to 75 people can use this free program, located in a separate building across the street from the Middlecamp Service Center. Each participant may use up to two storage bins and a secure file for papers. Participants agree to check in within 60 days of storing items; and storage may be extended. Food, weapons and drugs are not accepted.
Vinny's Lockers is open Wednesdays 2 – 4 pm and Saturdays 8:30 to 10:30 am. Call 257-0919 before visiting Vinny's Lockers to store or pick-up belongings.
"I can be at peace of mind for the things that I can't carry with me, or I can't keep around anyone else. So they're here. They're safe. I don't have to worry about them."


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Social networking sites made a bang this year! They are among the fastest and most effective tools to use for marketing and promotion. Almost everybody have their accounts in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more. You can exploit this opportunity and have the terrific traffic you need.
Social media is a sleeping giant. You just have to know how to make it work for you. There are a lot of opportunities waiting for.
Choosing the right opportunities matters for your internet marketing success. Do not be very overwhelmed with these social media sites. Always remember that your goal is to find the Instant Traffic tool.
Here are some things you can use when you engage in the powerful world of social media.
Create Value
Your focus should be to provide quality and valuable information to your followers.
Social media enables you to mingle with people and share many things with them. Take time to listen to their ideas and help them with their queries. Establish good relationship with them through the posts, status updates and comments you make.
Keep in mind that when you create quality and value to your followers, they too will trust you and give their loyalty in return.
Tools are Tools
You do not need to go overboard with your social networking sites.
One of the problems with marketers is that they tend to spend too much with their networking sites. Well, if you can earn massive profits, you can spend a lot of money. But remember that these sites are tools to help you out, not to cost you much. Balance everything. Always apply cost-benefit analysis.
Two Major Networks are enough
Focus is very important in marketing. Nowadays, there are a lot of social media sites and they can be overwhelming. Yet, stop yourself from getting to overwhelmed.
Instead, focus on two major networks that can drive you most traffic. Today, the two major social media sites are Facebook and Twitter. Focus on them and enjoy this Instant Traffic opportunity.
The most effective way to earn traffic in social media sites is to enjoy. You don't have to be stressed out. Just enjoy the moment of meeting new friend and getting close to them. Be natural and just have fun. People will appreciate you more if you are more of a human than a business.
Let's learn more about the two major social media sites of today. You can definitely make them work for you. A Instant Traffic opportunity is now up for grabs!
In My Next Blog Post, I will be going over "Facebook"
God Bless,
Ida Mae Boyd, Market Hive Alpha Founder


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Description: Studio Eco Yoga Mat
An Eco-Friendly Alternative
This yoga mat offers an eco-friendly alternative to the conventional PVC mat. It is made from a biodegradable and non-toxic resin certified by OEKO-TEX.
Virtually Odorless
If you've ever encountered the off-gassing smell that comes with a PVC yoga mat, you'll certainly appreciate how easy our eco-mat is on your nose. That's because the mat is free of heavy metals and harmful chemicals such as phthalates, phenols, and PAHS.
A Supportive Companion
In terms of performance, you'll find this mat provides excellent support and traction for your yoga practice. It is suitable both for home and studio use.
Easy on Your Pocketbook
Behind this high-quality mat lies the sincere belief that care for the environment should not be a luxury — it should be fundamental. That's why this eco-friendly yoga mat is as easy on your pocketbook as it is on the environment.
- Biodegradable & non-toxic to protect Mother Earth
- Hypoallergenic & latex-free for skin safety
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Suitable for any yoga practice
The mat has a finely textured surface for traction.
Approximate Dimensions: 69" long x 24" wide x 4 mm thick (175 cm L x 61 cm W x 4 mm T). Weight: 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg).
Available wholesale to yoga teachers and studios alike, this tried-and-true yoga mat has been a staple of Canadian yoga classes for over a decade!
Care Instructions: Most yoga mats require a break-in period and this yoga mat is no exception. It has a slight protective film which must wear off before it achieves its full potential. Usually this will take one week of vigorous daily practice or several weeks of casual practice. Once broken in, this yoga mat will provide an excellent slip-resistant surface for your practice.
Reviews: Studio Eco Yoga Mat
Items 1 to 10 of 14 total
- 1
- 2
- Review by The Mossy Hippie
Value Quality
- Review by Suzanne
Value Quality
- Review by Jaye
Value Quality
They are very comfortable to stand on, no odour that I could smell and I love the orange that is available this time.
These mats are a favourite for people to buy as gifts or for their own use.
I reccommend these to any "Yogi" who wants an inexpensive mat that lasts for a long time.
Very Pleased with this product. (Posted on 10/14/2015)
- Review by Robin
Value Quality
Dusky Leaf Response: Thanks for your positive comments about this yoga mat. As you noted, there is a glossy feeling to the mat when it is fresh out of the package, but this finish wears off after a few weeks of practice. (Posted on 5/11/2014)
- Review by Holly
Value Quality
I only wish they come in more colours.
Thanks again. (Posted on 11/27/2013)
- Review by michele
Value Quality
- Review by Christine
Value Quality
- Review by Amy
Value Quality
- Review by Karen
Value Quality
- Review by PJ
Value Quality
Items 1 to 10 of 14 total
- 1
- 2


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This is just a FREE sample preview of the essay
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All these changes affects the society in different ways .The Great Depression
caused many people to destruct businesses and led the government to regulate the
businesses and economic affairs. All this increased regulation led to the
widespread belief that the government should promise or guarantee citizens a
good life, and high employment. After the depression, many people no longer
trusted employers to protect workers.
As a result labor unions gained more members and grater public acceptance then
ever before. Depression makes some people lose there faith in government which
then brings them to not believe anybody who promises a change.
Can anyone tell me who you think was the two leaders that actually took part
during the depression was? (show overhead of the fifth paragraph) Leaders who
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text:
Price: $67.50
Quantity: 1 available
London: Walter Scott, 1887. Second edition. The first English, first printing, first issue. Newly revised by the author, with fresh preface and additional note. Original cloth, printed paper label, binding B (no priority), uncut (Myerson, A11.2.a, first issue). In "The Camelot Series". Label chipped 1/4 inch at the top, paper somewhat browned. A Very Good copy.
Title: Specimen Days in America
Categories: Other,
Item: 1.00 Item
Seller ID: whitman,walt67.50london:walterscott,1887.seconde


text:
CPUC Approves Huge Boost in EV Charging Stations in Underserved Communities
At Least 1,125 of 7,500 New Charging Stations Will Be in Disadvantaged Communities
Bruce Mirken, Greenlining Institute Media Relations Director, 415-846-7758 (cell)
Joel Espino, Greenlining Institute Environmental Equity Legal Counsel, 623-330-1995 (cell)
SAN FRANCISCO – The California Public Utilities Commission today approved a pilot program that will bring 1,125 electric vehicle charging stations to underserved communities as part of a Pacific Gas and Electric pilot program to deploy a total of 7,500 charging stations in its service area. The company must deploy at least 15 percent of its charging stations in disadvantaged communities with a goal of deploying an additional five percent of charging stations in disadvantaged communities or other areas with a high concentration of low-income customers. Advocates for low-income communities hailed the decision as a major step toward making clean transportation options available to all Californians, regardless of income, race, or neighborhood.
"This represents a crucial addition to California's groundbreaking efforts to make electric vehicles affordable and accessible to communities most impacted by poverty and pollution," said Greenlining Institute Environmental Equity Legal Counsel Joel Espino, who took part in the negotiations that informed today's decision. "Low and moderate income Californians want and need clean transportation, and we can only reach our clean air and climate goals if EVs become a practical alternative in all neighborhoods. Access to EV charging is essential to that effort, and to dispelling the myth that electric cars are just for the wealthy."
PG&E's pilot program will boost EV access efforts under the Charge Ahead California Initiative (SB 1275, De León). That measure, co-sponsored by The Greenlining Institute, put in motion programs aimed at helping low-income drivers get behind the wheel of an EV. PG & E's service territory is home to two of those programs: a financing assistance pilot in the Bay Area and a scrap-and-replace program in the Central Valley.
For additional background on the connections between electric vehicles, California climate efforts, and low-income communities and communities of color, see Greenlining's "Electric Vehicles for All" online toolkit, authored by Espino. For real-world examples of how the Charge Ahead California Initiative and other California climate policies benefit underserved Californians, visit UpliftCA.org.
A Multi-Ethnic Public Policy, Research and Advocacy Institute


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i could find it a bit of a cruel irony that i was born on a father's day. i could look at the relationships i had with each my "fathers" growing up and rub at the scars they left behind. i remember the last time i accidentally used the word "dad"…i got in trouble for it. i had slipped up in front of my stepfather's kids and was made to feel like i had "done it on purpose" to hurt their feelings…or something like that.
that was the last time i used it. i had no desire to call that man "dad," anyway. for whatever reason, "dad" has a more personal connotation, while "father" gives me a bit of a disconnect.
no, i don't get it, either. especially as i look at the other side… my Father in heaven. despite the absence and abuse of all my earthly fathers, i have come more to appreciate and cling to my "Abba" in heaven, and i call Him that a lot. yeah, it means "dad/daddy" in greek, but i get away with it because it's not english.
i can celebrate Him for all that He is and has been and will be as my Father. He's the only "father figure" i've ever had and will truly ever need. i've never looked for it in anyone else, and really never expect to find it. i will walk the aisle alone if i have the chance…not to be pitiful, but so that all may recognize Who is truly "giving me away"…
i'm not one to re-post pinterest-y things like this (though many of my FB friends are *eyeroll*), but this one represents truth to me. explore:


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I partnered with Fidelity & MEFA in support of the U.Fund Dreams Tour. As always, all opinions are my own #UFundDreams.
As my daughter finishes up fourth grade in a couple weeks I am full of mixed emotions. I for one, have NO idea how or when she grew up. She walks around in my heels like she's been doing so for years! She is finding what makes her heart happy and is focused on helping others. I never thought I'd hear my daughter happily exclaim – Mom, I helped clean up my teacher's classroom today! Who-is-this-child?! And why can't the same enthusiasm be found when she cleans her room at home? She is shedding her baby layers and emerging into the most amazing human being.
Like so many other parents, I want to bottle up her youth and innocence and shield her from the darkness that the world can bring. Protect her from heartache, rejection and disappointment. Letting go is not something I excel at. And as she grows taller and becomes more confident I cry a bit on the inside while also feeling so incredibly proud of the person she is growing up to be.
There are only a limited number of years until senior year and then real life, and I'm scared. She is so excited to grow up and travel and experience the world on a deeper level. I strive to support all of her aspirations, but it can be difficult without the right planning and resources. Part of setting her up for success means investing in her future and ensuring that higher education is within her reach and is not a burden to our family. Living in the heart of Massachusetts has given us exposure to the 200 colleges and universities that call Mass home and it's instilled a sense of lifelong learning in my curious tween.
Did you know Massachusetts has more colleges per capita than any other state? Given the variety of higher education options there is an organization committed to ensuring parents and students feel empowered to smartly save for college in a way that is aligned with what their family can contribute. Saving for college panics me, to be honest. I didn't save properly and as a result will be paying student loans off for many many long years. Just think about it – what if there was a way to invest in your child's higher learning through making small contributions every month? Yes, it is possible with MEFA. I encourage everyone to check out MEFA's UFund Dreams which is an interactive experience for parents to learn more about the programs offered by MEFA while your kids get to have fun through play while peaking their curiosity for learning. A total win-win for everyone.
While I'll be soon wiping away the tears as we say goodbye to fourth grade, I am looking confidently towards the future excited to support my kiddo in pursuing her dreams.


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Is ShopToFind.com an online shop?
No, we are not a shop and we do NOT SELL ANY PRODUCTS to consumers. We are a shopping search engine website where products from 'verified' Merchant Retailers are uploaded to the site for you to find. Our focus has been on promoting those smaller retailers who don't normally list products on the 'big' shopping sites. So products you find at ShopToFind.com will be a treat! We support Small Businesses and hope you will too!
How do I use ShopToFind.com?
There are 3 main ways to shop for products at ShopToFind.com.
1. The easiest way is the type in what you are searching for into the search box at the top of the page. This will produce results that match your search terms.
2. You can also use the main categories on the home page and then use the text links or drop-down menus.
3. Click on the 'Store' directory at the top of the page and it will take you to the directory of merchants we list products from. Each listing will provide information about the merchant, their contact information, the number of products they offer, the types of products they offer, the types of payment, shipping, etc. This listing will also have 2 other tabs – "Products" and "Store Promotions" listed by that merchant.
I see the product I want. Now what do I do?
Once you find a product you would like to purchase – click on the product image or title and you will be given the price, description, and name of the retailer that has the product.
Click on the 'Merchant' Name on the product page and you get a little popup that will give you more details about the merchant, their contact information, and types of payment accepted. If the merchant has any promotions or discount codes, a little link will be available that says "Check Promotional Offers" (merchants that do not have any promotions will not have the check for message listed). This will open a new window with the merchants full Store listing information, all their products listed under the 'Products' tab and a 'Promotions' tab to see the current promotions and discount codes they are currently offering.
So how to I make the purchase?
When you find the product that you're shopping for, and if you're ready to purchase or if you want more information, simply click on the green "More Info & Buy at Retailer" on the product page and you will be taken to the product listing page on the merchant's website.
NOTE: Although merchants are encouraged to keep their product listings up-to-date, occasionally you may find a product has been removed, sold, out, or even had a price change since the last time they uploaded their feed. We recommend contacting the merchant directly to make any inquiries about the product you're interested in.
Does ShopToFind.com search all on the web?
No. Merchants find us and pay to list their products on our website for a flat monthly fee to make their products available for you to find. The number of merchants, number of products, types of products can change daily – so check back often.
Is ShopToFind.com mobile friendly?
Yes. Our website is 100% mobile friendly. However, be aware that some merchants may still have to catch up with technology, but we are hoping all listing merchants are mobile ready as well.
What does it cost to use ShopToFind.com?
ShopToFind.com is 'FREE' for consumer shoppers to use. We do NOT require any account sign-up or login information. However, individual retail merchants MAY require you to sign-up on THEIR website to make a purchase once you have found their product on ShopToFind.com.
What does ShopToFind.com do if I have a problem with a retailer listed on the site?
By all means, the first thing you should do is contact us and let us know which retailer you have issues with. We will contact the retailer and let them know a complaint has been made by a shopper and what the issue is. Should any retailer habitually have issues reported, we will remove that merchant and their products from our site.
HOWEVER, understand that ShopToFind.com cannot enter into any discussions between yourself and a supplier about goods you've purchased from them. Those are best handled with the merchant, the Better Business Bureau, and/or your debit/credit card company.


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I just watched this TED video about 4am.
It was poignant for me because last night at 4am I was lying awake in bed, wondering when sleep would come.
4am is touted as an auspicious time for meditation. The world is quiet, your life is quiet, there are fewer distractions, both internal and external, to hamper you in achieveing your goal.
I like 4am for precisely those reasons. I used to write late at night (not 4am, I'm not crazy) because everyone else was asleep, and all the good ideas were mine for the taking.
I'm often awake at 4am due to work. To be there because of choice is exhilarating. To be there because of money is not.
4ams are special, because they're few and far between. They should be savoured as much as possible, because they don't come very often. Make them good, make them interesting, make them worthy of The Museum Of Four In The Morning.
Make the best of them, and all the opportunity they embody. Don't lie in bed watching youTube videos like I did.
Four in the Morning, by Wislawa Szymborska
The hour from night to day.
The hour from side to side.
The hour for those past thirty.
The hour swept clean to the crowing of cocks.
The hour when earth betrays us.
The hour when wind blows from extinguished stars.
The hour of and-what-if-nothing-remains-after-us.
The hollow hour.
Blank, empty.
The very pit of all other hours.
No one feels good at four in the morning.
If ants feel good at four in the morning
–three cheers for the ants. And let five o'clock come
if we're to go on living.


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Arsenal's invitation to wish Mikel Arteta a happy 32nd birthday went badly wrong after he was trolled online by angry Gunners fans.
The former Everton midfielder's future is in doubt with the club apparently having no plans to offer him a contract extension.
And supporters rubbed salt into the wounds on Wednesday as, instead of helping Arteta get into the party spirit, they piled blame onto the club's vice-captain for their side's slump in form.
It didn't take long for things to turn a little bit nasty as fans urged Arteta to plot his exit strategy.
It probably shouldn't have come as too much surprise that one or two people took things too far.
There were plenty of people willing to provide a few suggestions as to who Arteta may like to go and play for next.
Many others were more than willing to point out that celebrating another birthday was merely pushing Arteta towards the end of his career.
Even a Gunners fan who shares his special day with the midfielder felt the midfielder wasn't too gifted.
But there were still a number messages in support of Arteta and suggesting he has plenty to offer the club.
Arsenal fans have turned on several players as their title dreams have gone up in smoke, with Saturday's 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea followed by conceding a last-minute equaliser in Tuesday's 2-2 draw with Swansea at the Emirates.
And Arteta has hardly been given a vote of confidence from within the Emirates. While senior team mates Tomas Rosicky, Per Mertesacker and Santa Cazorla have all been rewarded with new contracts, there appears to be no offer in the pipeline for the Spaniard even though he only has one more year remaining on his contract.
MORE: Arsenal never believed they could win the league


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Audio Hub
In Ukraine, extreme winter cold is making life harder for thousands of people whose lives have already been torn apart by conflict. Hoping to find safer places to live, families in the region have had to endure a battle for survival, in buildings without heat or electricity.
After fleeing her home in Macina, a small village in central Mali, where she was due to be forced into marriage against her will, 16-year-old Fatouma took shelter with her brother.
With rising sea levels due to climate change already affecting coastal communities in Liberia, there are fears that densely populated parts of the capital Monrovia could be submerged, unless action is taken.
After escaping from two years of captivity at the hands of Mai Mai rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Bertine Bahige was relieved to end up in a UN refugee agency (UNHCR) camp, in faraway Mozambique.
UN peacekeepers in Mali have given what villagers in a remote part of the West African country have called a "real glimmer of hope."
Solar power is helping make universal healthcare a reality in places where unreliable power supplies regularly affect access to vital services, and can out people's lives at risk, thanks to support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
People with disabilities in Ukraine are contributing to the development of a network of environmentally friendly bicycle routes which are helping to protect unique local landscapes.
Some 5,000 seedlings of trees indigenous to South Sudan are being distributed to schools, sports centres and other public meeting places by the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, UNMISS, as part of its commitment to countering climate change.
A team of Guinean peacekeepers deployed to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, (MINUSMA) is playing a key role in removing explosives from areas in which the mission is operating.
Mexico is improving the lives of the 80 percent of its inhabitants residing in cities, by pushing towards less polluted, more eco-friendly environments, thanks to support from the UN.


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Sports Betting Is Still Illegal, But New Jersey Doesn't Care
New Jersey voters only faced one state question this Election Day, and they voted for it in a big way: 64% approved sports betting at casinos and racetracks. But hold your bets, Garden Staters, because federal law still prohibits it.
Neither the ballot language nor the interpretative statement provided to voters indicated that the question was subject to a federal ban on sports betting in all but four states.
State Senator Raymond Lesniak (D., Union) told the Star-Ledger that he's going to introduce legislation today authorizing the Casino Control Commission to issue licenses for sports betting to casinos and racetrack operators, and he hopes to get it to the governor by the end of the year. Then, he said, the state attorney general can go to federal court and ask that the ban on sports betting be declared unconstitutional. . .


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What is the Pre-Survey?
The purpose of the Pre-Survey is to give the survey designers a better understanding of your challenges and interests.
When you go to the Pre-Survey website you will be asked for your email address. This will enable us to notify you when the Implementation Survey goes live later in 2017.
While you are on the Pre-Survey site you will have:
- The opportunity to answer a few questions – this will literally take a minute.
- The opportunity to volunteer for a telephone interview with Christopher Korody. These are informal sessions that will help us to understand more about your business.
What is the purpose of the Implementation Survey?
The purpose of the survey is to create an industry benchmark that will help established drone programs compare their programs to their peers, and assist people responsible for standing up programs to better understand the issues they need to address.
Our goal is to do the survey on an annual basis.
Who can participate in the survey?
Anyone responsible for implementing a UAV program for their organization or business is welcome to participate. We are interested in hearing from managers working for businesses, government agencies and NGOs. We are also interested in hearing from dronepreneurs who are providing drone services.
How does the survey work?
You will receive an invitation to participate in the survey. The email will contain a link to the actual survey.
The survey is online and can be completed using the browser of your choice on a desktop, notebook, tablet or phone.
Will my answers be anonymous?
Yes. Your answers are anonymous and the website is secure.
We will never share or sell your email address.
Will I get a copy of the survey findings?
Everyone who completes the online survey and provides us with their email address will be emailed a PDF of the report including answers to all of the questions and our expert analysis.
Is there any obligation?
There is no obligation. The survey is free. You give us your answers, we give you the report.


text: Rome based fashion label designed by Stella Jean, a cultural métissage of Italian-Haitian heritage. Stella Jean releases a new collection that takes the beauty of African print to a whole new dimension. With amazing different pieces, the designer brings out the beauty of African print with her new creations, different spectacular high fashion designs that look so flawless and inspiring. This collection is perfect for the woman who loves fashion and for the woman who loves African print


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Architects 49 was established in 1983 by Nithi Sthapitanonda. From the beginning, his vision has always been timeless architecture with clean, simple, elegant lines. With a keen interest in Thai art and architecture, our founder has laid the foundation for present generations to follow. This enables Architects 49 to work with clients from the beginning of a project through to its successful operation.
Our Approach
Our experienced team, several of whom have been with A49 for over 20 years, ensure the practical and economical aspects of the project are met. Fresh ideas from the younger generations are always incorporated into the concept stage. The nature of this team approach has long been our hallmark.
Our Work
The diversity of our team enables us to create a broad range of architectural styles. From modern and striking, to contemporary and traditional. We approach each project differently and believe that each one should have its own distinctive character.
Architects 49 has, over the years, garnered a number of awards both locally and internationally, dating as far back as 1987.
Our founder, Nithi Sthapitanonda, an alumnus of Chulalongkorn University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, founded Architects 49 in 1983. During his years at A49, he has held the position of President of the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage between 1992-1994 and the Secretary General for the Architect Council of Thailand from 2000-2002. In 2002, he received the honor of being named by the Ministry of Culture as a "National Artist" in Contemporary Architecture.
Nithi was appointed Honorary Member of the Japan Institute of Architects (JIA) in 1995 and Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in the USA in 2008. In 2013, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Science in the field of Architecture from Sripatum University. Additionally, he has served on a number of boards and acted as a trustee for various organizations. Nithi has also chaired several judging committees for numerous prestigious awards, ranging from the Thai Ministry of Culture to Silpakorn University.
A prolific master of drawing, Nithi has, over the past 40 years, collated a vast collection of his own ink drawings from his early school years onwards. He has developed a style and technique in pen and ink drawing that is well recognized among Thai architects and students. Approaching his retirement from A49, Nithi started Li-Zenn Publishing Limited, the publishing company of his dreams, and began to work on the design of religious buildings. Over the last ten years he has designed a number of wats (temples) and stupas, a few of which have received awards from the ASA. In undertaking such works, he has re-established a public interest in Thai religious architecture, long absent from local scene.


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Divorce rates are as high as they have ever been, the may even be at their highest rate ever. Anyone who has ever had a relationship end knows that it can be messy. Divorce is even messier as each spouse has a certain claim over a portion of the assets. The umbrella of what needs to be divided encompasses everything including the family business.
Some may try to argue that the other party has no entitlement to company assets because they were never actively involved in the business; however, this argument will not hold up in a court of law. In a divorce procedure, a claim may be laid against the company's assets, including any cash and income or director loans. It is a very real possibility that the division of company assets may even lead to the forced sale of your business.
The best choice for any business owner is to take measures that will protect the business from divorce before a divorce is looming. This can be done in many ways.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
Many people have heard of prenuptial agreements. These agreements entered into prior to the marriage date and are meant to protect one or both parties' assets in the event of a breakdown of their marriage. What many people do not know is that prenuptials are no more than words on a paper under English law. This means that they will not hold a candle in an actual divorce proceeding. Sure they may be considered, but they likely will not be fully upheld. This is why a postnuptial agreement is a better option for those who would like the protection that an agreement can offer. Postnuptial, just as they sound, are drafted and signed post-wedding and are upheld. The best idea is to talk to a divorce lawyer and find more information as they will be able to counsel and guide you through the process.
It's too late for all that…
If your marriage is already in disarray, chances are you have some questions. As far as the division of assets is concerned the amount allotted is based on some considerations:
- The length of marriage
- Contribution
Some are excited by the idea that a decision takes into account one's contribution to the marriage. Those people should know that a homemaker's contribution is considered to be just as important as the person who works and pays the bills.
On the off chance that the businesses liquid assets will not cover the settlement amount and no agreement can be reached, it is a very real possibility that the business will need to be sold. If one spouse does not want to sell the business, sometimes a deal can be made by allotting more non-business assets to the other party. In rare cases where the value of the business is projected to increase over the coming years, a settlement may be deferred until the time when the company has reached it's full potential.
The best idea is to always cover your back when entering into a marriage. This must be done with some tact though, or the other party may feel not trusted or as if they aren't really loved. The best way is to be open and honest and promote the idea of protection for both of you should anything ever happen. As years go by people change and sometimes they are no longer well matched, that is simply reality.
This is a guest post by Ashley Williamson, a freelance writer and blogger who shares her business and law-related tips on various blogs.


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A sports fan take on the world of sports. Out is what the media wants me to think, in is what people should be following.
Who am I?
Follow me on Twitter: @lhd_on_sports
Monday, December 9, 2013
Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/8/2013
Posted by longhorndave at 8:18 PM
Labels: Auburn, BCS, Bo Jackson, College Football, Football, LHD_PotW, Missouri Tigers, SEC, Tre Mason
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Competition is heating up on the highway to sell
When it comes to sustainable strategies, businesses across the scale have paid particular attention to electric vehicle (EV) technology. Interest and investment hasn't always come from automakers themselves – big energy companies like Shell and BP, as well as tech startups, have contributed to the electric infrastructure. The most recent public commitment has come from one of the most influential car manufacturers of the century, Ford. At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, the firm announced an $11bn investment in electric vehicles in the next five years. Who else is revving their engine at the starting line of the EV race, what roadblocks do they face, and how will the accelerating EV market disrupt the automotive industry?
The electric evolution
In 2014, former Toyota executive Bill Reinert claimed that electric vehicles were not economically viable. Back then, he was right. But not today. The EV market is thriving, with a current total investment of $90bn. Ford isn't the only automaker flashing their cash. Volkswagen made the largest single investment pledge of $40bn by 2030, with Daimler setting aside $11.7bn for 10 electric and 40 hybrid models, and GM promising 20 battery and fuel cell vehicles within the next five years.
Nonetheless, statistically speaking, EVs only account for one per cent of the automotive market. So why are automakers making such generous investments? The answer could largely be summed up in one word – Tesla. The company's unprecedented disruption of the auto industry meant that, for the first time, EVs began to look like a legitimate, lucrative opportunity. Another important factor is compliance. In the face of ambitious government plans, car manufacturers need to reduce carbon emissions. EVs have also been linked to autonomous driving, another central trend in transportation. GM, the largest car manufacturer in the US, sees EVs as the foundation for autonomous vehicles. As well as chasing existing competitors, auto companies also have to recognise that as demand for sustainability grows, so will the number of businesses vying for consumer support. As well as fending off startups, automakers are also up against tech companies like Google.
Although the market is small, between the third quarters of 2016 and 2017, global EV sales increased by 63 per cent. It looks like the explosion of electric vehicle technology is inevitable. Not all automakers are throwing themselves into the market, though. Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne believes that electric cars lack profitability, stating that the company will simply work to meet emission requirements. Is this evidence of apathy in the industry, or is it 'the Apple approach' of keeping quiet until the opportune moment? We'll have to wait to find out.
Mapping the road ahead
When it comes to disruptive technology, it's always difficult to know what's around the bend. Even so, certain trends can suggest where the market is headed. For example, as the main geographic recipient of EV funding, China is expected to become a hub for development. This is unsurprising given the country's giant automotive industry, and the government's directive that eight per cent of every brand's production to be focused on EVs. Another trend is the repositioning of automotive incumbents into mobility companies. Volkswagen, for example, is using a chunk of its $40bn pledge to fund the development of new mobility services. It's not hard to see why – ride sharing, car hailing and autonomous vehicles have brought ongoing disruption that isn't slowing down.
Changes in personnel also suggest a shift in focus. Ford, for example, recently replaced veteran CEO Mark Field with Jim Hackett, head of Smart Mobility. This could indicate that the automaker wants to become a technology company as well as a leader in mobility. It's generally accepted that to survive the digital age, all industry giants need to be tech firms too. This could increase the tension between businesses and governments as, deliberately or not, they challenge their power. Governments are certainly not pumping as much money into the market as their corporate counterparts, but they are responsible for making the rules that have forced automakers to disrupt themselves.
Now that the electric vehicle market has demonstrated considerable growth, automakers are becoming more aggressive in their strategies. This is also the result of relatively new regulations, increased competition, and changing consumer preferences. Consumers have demonstrated support for sustainability, but their ambitious plans rely on demand. Many new models are under development, but the question is who will buy them.
"We're all in," said Ford executive chairman Bill Ford Jr., "Will the consumers be there with us?"
If Tesla's mass following is any indication, then presumably they will.
Will the increasing number of EV models be snapped up by consumers? Do the huge investments made by big businesses demonstrate their growing influence over governments? Can incumbents hold their own against the likes of Uber and Lyft by repositioning as mobility companies? Share your thoughts and opinions.


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harness ...
Routinely called a "rig," your parachute assembly is actually a container and harness system. The harness consists of the straps that surround your body. It is important to have a good fit for both comfort and safety. The chest strap and leg straps are visually verified for correctness during a gear check.
USPA skydive school |view fullscreen JenSharp.com


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Nothing is more heartbreaking than the story of Sarah a girl who was abducted as a teen held captive for 12 years and raped repeatedly.
As if that is not enough Sarah was forced to carry out eight abortions,Sarah's haunted face stares out under a red Islamic head-dress in her wedding photo. Beside her, guests eat cake while celebrating the marriage, conducted by the local mosque's imam at a terraced house in the Home Counties.
Yet Sarah is not a willing bride. She is being made to marry a member of the gang that effectively forced her into sex slavery after abducting her in a Tesco car park in the English suburbs one autumn afternoon. Her captivity lasted for 12 long years.
Within minutes of her wedding picture being taken, the white English girl was pushed upstairs into a bedroom and raped by her new husband, a man she had set eyes on for the first time only half an hour earlier.
Sharon Otieno rejected a house worth Sh 10million and demanded one worth Sh 35 million in Westlands from Okoth Obado before her gruesome murder.
It was just one of the unimaginable torments Sarah endured after she was kidnapped as a shy 15-year-old. She had never had a boyfriend. She was studying at college, hoping to train as a midwife.
Sarah's story is described by House of Lords crossbencher Baroness Caroline Cox, who has taken up her case, as the most serious example of sex grooming yet to emerge in this country.
Sarah's abuse went on while her distraught family's pleas for help were, they insist, ignored by a police force that refused even to list her as missing.
Her family were forced to keep up the search for her on their own after she failed to return from Tesco.Her mother says that the Police seemed less bothered by the case.
"The police kept saying leave it a few days, she'll come back, 'But she never did."
' I wished they could tell me they want to kill me'Emmy Simwoto woman stalked for 1 year emotionally says
Sarah was snatched five years before the scandal of sexual abuse of young white girls by street grooming gangs was first revealed in 2010, after investigations by the Daily Mail and later by the Government.
The kidnap gang were ruthless and bent on making Sarah utterly dependent on them. They hid her in various houses and cut off her contact with the outside world by refusing her a mobile phone or computer. She was raped, beaten and made to swallow strong sedatives every day to make her docile.
During her ordeal she had eight abortions, five of them overseen by the same doctor at an NHS hospital and others in illegal backstreet clinics.
She was made to learn the Koran in Arabic and allowed to speak only in the Pakistani languages of Urdu and Punjabi.
When we asked the police force involved in Sarah's case why they took so long to act, they replied:
"Our understanding of and approach to issues such as child sexual exploitation and modern slavery has evolved and improved over the past decade, as is the case with police forces up and down the country.
We have had major success stories in recent years in these areas, securing lengthy prison sentences for those perpetrating such crimes and establishing specialist support services to help victims.
Officers are far more aware of issues around vulnerability, while we also have specialist, dedicated resources to deal with such cases, including historic ones."
Forced to wear Islamic robes with a head-covering hijab, she had to cook, clean and iron for hours every day.
It was only last year that Sarah, at the age of 26, finally escaped the gang's clutches.In her first harrowing interviewat a safe house Sarah says
"Ever since I was a young teenager, I have known nothing other than life under the gang's control."
In her years of captivity, she says, she fell victim to Stockholm syndrome, where a prisoner forms an emotional attachment to a captor, believing they must co-operate in order to survive. She became particularly attached to the gang leader, whom we will call Jerry.
She explains
"I began to think that Jerry loved me because he kept telling me so. He said my parents didn't care for me because English families don't look after their girls like Pakistani Muslim ones.
I soon felt I couldn't breathe without him. My mind was being twisted. I was dependent on him for food, for clothing, for a roof over my head. He said my family would be killed if I tried to tell them where I was or what was happening to me."
Sarah's horrific story began in the autumn of 2005. She is the youngest of four children, her father is a builder and her mother a housewife. For legal reasons and her own safety, we cannot use her real name or identify where she was kidnapped, held, or where she lives now.
After college one afternoon she walked to a Tesco food store a few minutes from her house. Her mobile phone rang and she answered. A man's voice said in a Northern accent that he was watching her and had something for her. Would she go over to a black car in the store's car park?
Sarah, to her eternal regret, went naively to the passenger door.
'A man in his mid-30s opened it and in the same Northern accent told me to get in. So I sat in the front seat to hear what he wanted to give me. He instantly drove me away,' she says.
She thinks Jerry found her number after spotting her a few days earlier when she took a minicab with her brother to get a takeaway burger. She had noticed a dark-haired man in a black car staring at her as they got in the minicab with their meal.
Crucially, to book the ride, Sarah had given her number to the minicab firm where friends of Jerry's worked. The gang leader, she assumes, then got hold of it.
In the car with Jerry speeding off, she began to panic. He put his hand on hers and said he would look after her. Sarah was trembling and told him her family would be frantic. It was to no avail.
After half an hour they reached a house next to an industrial estate, where he asked for her mobile phone, taking out the sim card and snapping it in two.
"He took me inside and I saw a lot of Pakistani men in an open-plan room. Jerry led me past them up the stairs to a tiny boxroom with a bed and the curtains taped up,' she says. 'Then he left, closing the door."
For the first 24 hours she was alone apart from a few visits from Jerry, who brought her bottled water and some curry, which she ate with her fingers.
It was on the second night that Jerry first raped her.
"I could hear voices in the open-plan room below me. I now know these men were all friends and relations of Jerry and part of his gang that dealt in drugs.
I was pulling back from him and I was scared,' she remembers. 'I felt angry, dirty and disgusted after he had finished."
For three hours each morning she had to cook curries, clean and iron for the gang. If she didn't, she was beaten.
She was allowed out of the house occasionally with two of Jerry's sons to go to the local supermarket. 'I had to wear the hijab, partly because the gang ordered me to and partly to hide the bruising to my face and head where I had been beaten.'
Meanwhile, Sarah's mother Janet was continuing her frantic search. 'Her dad and I had been looking for her for two months by this time,' she tells me.
"We had put up missing posters, never stopping. Finally, a friend said he thought he'd seen her in a Pakistani area. We went there every day, showing her photo to people in shops and on the streets."
During this relentless hunt, there was an agonising near miss. Jerry's sons and Sarah were in the supermarket when she saw her mother, who was looking for her in the area.
Instinctively, Sarah ran over and hugged her mother. 'Mum asked me who the young boys were,' recalls Sarah. 'I said they were the sons of the man who had taken me away months before.'
But the startled boys quickly hustled Sarah away from her mother, who kept shouting to her: 'Are you in trouble?'
Janet continues:
"When I saw her in the supermarket I couldn't believe it. She was in Islamic dress. I saw from her eyes she was terrified. She begged me not to say anything. She was panicking and obviously scared of the gang we now know was holding her.
She was scurried off by the boys. But my husband and I followed them at a distance and carefully watched the direction they went."
Seconds later a black vehicle with Sarah inside and an Asian man at the wheel screeched past them as they stood in the street.
'We saw a flash of blonde hair under a scarf but that was all. We had lost her. We were heartbroken,' says Janet. She reported what had happened to the police, only to be brushed aside again.
What had happened was that Jerry's sons had taken Sarah back to the house and told Jerry her mother was near by.
"He was furious. He ordered me to get into his car,' recalls Sarah. 'He smashed my head against the dashboard and windows, which became splattered with my blood.' Then he drove her quickly to yet another house, in a different town."
In her new home, she was prevented from going out.
One day, out of the blue, Jerry told her he had married her. 'I hadn't been to any ceremony but he showed me the Islamic wedding certificate signed by an imam at the local mosque,' she says. 'I now think this marriage was to make the police believe I was a willing wife if they ever found me.'
Bewildered — she was being given 20mg of Valium each morning to stupefy her— Sarah continued her life of hell, regularly being abused and raped.
Inevitably, she fell pregnant.
"After one termination I was fitted with a coil, but Jerry made me go back to the hospital with him and have it removed because he said he could 'feel it' when he raped me.
I wasn't allowed to speak to doctors at medical appointments. I had to walk 5ft behind him, keep my head down and wear a hijab. He said I was his girlfriend."
As if this were not horrific enough, the first abortion didn't work. The five-month-old foetus survived the drugs given to Sarah on a Sunday afternoon in a side room at an NHS hospital.
On the Monday morning, she was taken for a scan and the baby was still alive.
"I was in labour for nearly 24 hours,' she says, with tears welling. 'I was begging for help. One nurse ran from the room and said she couldn't take it any more.'
I was rushed to the operating theatre, where they surgically carried out the abortion,' she says. 'I don't know if I was carrying a boy or a girl and I hope one day the NHS will tell me, as I cannot forget that child."
'He raped my daughter, beats me yet I am only a few months past delivery' Cries city woman
How could all this happen to an underage girl in the modern NHS? Perhaps because Jerry was so intimidating or because the gang network had its tentacles everywhere.
Whatever the case, the rapes and abortions continued.
One day, Jerry announced their marriage was over. Under Islamic rules, he told Sarah three times that they were divorced.
Then she was suddenly married off to another man. On her 'wedding day' in 2012, nearly seven years after the kidnap, she was lying in her room when two women came in carrying a clear plastic bag.
They took out the red dress and told her to put it on. They tied back her hair, put make-up on her and said she was about to marry.
Sarah was pushed downstairs to the ceremony and clapping guests. It was over in minutes and she was ordered back upstairs — with her new husband.
"The women had put petals on my bed in the Muslim tradition,The strange man began putting his hands all over me. I was so weak I couldn't fight him. He raped me as the wedding party was still going on downstairs."
This shocking episode was the beginning of the end.
Time and again she had tried to run away down the street, only to be grabbed by Jerry and brought back for a beating. But now she managed to escape.
"When Jerry was asleep upstairs one morning, I found his mobile phone and called for a taxi. I took £20 to pay for it from the pocket of his jeans. When the taxi arrived I was in Islamic clothes. I raced out through the back gate and told the driver, a white man who kept asking if I was all right because I was so pale, to take me to where my brother lived."
Sharon Otieno rejected a house worth Sh 10million and demanded one worth Sh 35 million in Westlands from Okoth Obado before her gruesome murder.
She had grabbed the certificate of marriage to Jerry and the red dress. 'They were the only possessions I had,' she explains.
Sarah thought she was free. But Jerry's gang did not give up.
After Sarah left her brother's house a month later, she moved to a flat in a different part of Britain, away from her family, so they could not be threatened by the gang for protecting her.
Yet the gang leader found her through his extensive network of contacts. The coercion, the beatings, the rapes continued.
Finally, after an especially savage beating, a neighbour called the police to report a domestic violence incident. Sarah was taken to hospital and there started to tell police she was a prisoner, sparking inquiries into her kidnap which continue today, more than three years later.


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Hi everyone
I hope you are all well.
Thank you for your comments on my last post.
I did mention in a previous post about some Christmas projects coming up. Here is the first. A quick little tag card.
Apologies for the photo. To me, it looks a bit fake because I have had to lighten it. I am having to take photos in the dining room at the moment with the aid of a light box. Now, I use the name light box very loosely because it's a cardboard box, with some hole cut out and some day light bulbs attached to a frame so they shine through the holes. I used some aluminum sieves covered in tin foil as lamp shades. When it works, its great but when it doesn't the photos are a bit grey/green. The thing is, I have to run around the house turning every electrical appliance off and all of the lights so that the bulbs get maximum power!! Honestly, I don't make this stuff up 🙂 Low power supply!
For the main focal piece, I have used one of Crafty Individuals printed tags and just added the ribbon, sentiment and strips of pretty papers.
Crafty Individuals products
Large Christmas Tags. These tag are gorgeous in their own right.
Festively Curly Words Stamp Set CI 446
Jingle Bells Rooftops CI 254 – For the stars.
That's all from me tonight.
Thank you for looking.
Have a great weekend.
Flo x


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I've observed that some practitioners have trouble with the "shoulder orbiting" movement of Lesson 1 (Green Light Reflex). This video shows the technique, as taught to us by Tom Hanna, with "debugging" for people who retain some residual tension around the shoulder joint.
Orbiting the Shoulder | Hanna Somatic Education, lesson 1
Clinical Somatic Education | a New Discipline in the Field of Health Care


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On 28 June 2016, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a Ninth Circuit decision that forced a small pharmacy in Washington to dispense Plan B (a "morning after pill" that terminates a pregnancy via abortion) despite the religious objections of the pharmacist owners. In other words, the lower court ruled that the pharmacists must violate their conscience by prescribing Plan B or terminate their pharmacy business. Only three Supreme Court Justices agreed to hear the case; four are required. It can be argued that if Justice Scalia were still on the Court, The Court would have heard the case. As such, the Ninth Circuit's ruling stands but is limited to the Ninth Circuit. Justice Alito's dissent is worth the 15 page read. Doctors of Pharmacy no longer have religious/conscience protections in the United States within the Ninth Circuit.
Read that last sentence again.
Conscience protection for other health care providers may be more tenuous than is generally granted. Previously, multiple federal amendments provided health care workers conscience protections (Church Amendment, Public Health Service Act 245 & Weldon Amendment) A separate rider to annual omnibus bills called the Hyde Amendment actually prohibited federal Medicare and Medicaid funding of abortion specifically. The PPACA (Obamacare) changed the funding rules and arguably some of the previous conscience protections to the point where President Obama had to issue Executive Order 13535 specifically guaranteeing continuation of those protections in order to secure passage of the PPACA. The alleged tenuousness of current conscience protections mentioned above is the fact that an Executive Order can be easily be rescinded by this or any future president while overturning, even in part, the PPACA is no easy task. Additionally, efforts by those pro-abortion to eliminate amendments like the Hyde Amendment in its current form are vigorous and ongoing. (The link is presented as evidence not endorsement)
Regarding the title, the late Congressman Mr. Henry Hyde, author of the Hyde Amendment, is the antithetical homonym of the fictional Mr. Edward Hyde, the evil sociopathic alter ego of the philanthropic Dr. Henry Jekyll. Ironically, the present day Hyde (along with the other amendments listed) may be one of health care's last protections against future violations of moral integrity by continuing to allow the unobstructed practice of medicine with one's conscience intact.


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This week my favourite little guy turned two. He celebrated with a mammoth ball chasing session at one of Sheffield's hilly parks and a pigs ear and some rice pudding. We know how to party in this house!
After nearly two years (he came to us at 8weeks) it's hard to imagine our life without him in it now. He makes us smile, he makes the best hot water bottle, he wakes us up with kisses and knows exactly when to come and give me the cuddles I have needed so much recently, but he also knows just how to make me really mad, he knows where ever little bit of manky takeaway in the local park is and can sniff a bloody tennis ball out no matter how well we've hidden it.
He's about the naughtiest dog I've ever come across, but I think he might be perfect.
We spent a weekend with the camera recently. Here are just a few of the snaps I got, my favourite might be the barking one below, because whilst it looks like he might be the most vicious dog ever, he's mid high pitch squeak to try and get me to throw the stick! Also, check out all the dirt in that mouth!


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Some Things Said… (November 07) (Number 3)
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest homosexual organization, has issued a challenge to pro-traditional marriage supporters saying in essence: "Put up or shut up." They have called for a boycott of Wal-Mart while urging their supporters to buy from Target.
The reason? Wal-Mart refuses to offer "domestic benefits" (benefits given to married couples) to homosexual partners.
The homosexual organization also urged individuals to buy from Target, saying "consumers should make every effort to support" Target because Target offers "marriage" benefits to homosexual partners. (Target is the company which no longer allows the Salvation Army to solicit Christmas donations in front of their stores.) –excerpted from an American Family Association Action Alert (www.afa.net) 11.22.07
Egyptian Woman Files for Divorce over Husband's Refusal to Shower
An Eygptian woman has filed for divorce from her husband on the grounds he has not showered since they married, AlArabiya.net reported Sunday.
The wedding took place two months ago.
It was a quick courtship for Yara Saad Al-Din, 23, and Aysar Ali, 31, who got engaged two weeks after meeting on an airplane, AlArabiya reported.
But a couple months into the marriage and the honeymoon was over once Ali confessed to his blushing bride that he had not showered in eight weeks.
Ali claimed he could not bathe because of a skin disease which made him allergic to water. While a doctor confirmed Ali had a skin disease, he also said it had nothing to do with water, AlArabiya reported.
Al-Din filed for divorce. When Ali refused to grant her one, she filed for khol'a — an arrangement within Islam which grants a woman a divorce if she renounces some financial rights.
An investigation into khol'a by AlArabiya.net turned up countless unusual reasons for divorce:
– An engineer in Port Said filed for divorce because her veterinarian husband insisted on keeping cats and dogs in the house.
– A civil servant divorced her husband because he had bad breath from eating too much garlic and because he did not wash his feet.
– An Egyptian housewife filed for khol'a after her husband refused to let her go to her father's funeral.
– A sorcerer's wife filed for a divorce after he refused to give up his job. –from Fox News 11.19.07 as submitted by Mark Zaveson
'Blame US for 9/11' Idiots in Majority
Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the federal government had warnings about 9/11 but decided to ignore them, a national survey found.
And that's not the only conspiracy theory with a huge number of true believers in the United States.
The poll found that more than one out of three Americans believe Washington is concealing the truth about UFOs and the Kennedy assassination – and most everyone is sure the rise in gas prices is one vast oil-industry conspiracy.
Sixty-two percent of those polled thought it was "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that federal officials turned a blind eye to specific warnings of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
Only 30 percent said the 9/11 theory was "not likely," according to the Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll.
The findings followed a 2006 poll by the same researchers, who found that 36 percent of Americans believe federal government officials "either assisted in the 9/11 attacks or took no action" because they wanted "to go to war in the Middle East."
In that poll, 16 percent said the Twin Towers might have collapsed because of secretly planted explosives – not hijacked passenger jets flown into them.
And what hit the Pentagon? Twelve percent figured it was a US cruise missile.
Anger at the federal government and skepticism in general by younger Americans is fueling the popularity of crackpot conspiracy theories.
Only 12 percent of Americans expressed anger at the government following the 2001 terrorist attack, but that grew steadily and reached 54 percent last year.
Most young adults give some credence to a conspiracy theory, while seniors are the least likely to believe in one, pollsters found.
In the latest Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll, 811 US adults were interviewed Sept. 24 to Oct. 10. Among the findings:
* 42 percent believe the federal government knew in advance of the plot to assassinate John F. Kennedy, compared with 40 percent who call that theory "not likely."
* 37 percent believe UFOs are real and that the feds have been hiding the truth about them.
The 2006 poll found 36 percent believed the government was also hiding proof that intelligent life exists on other planets. –by Andy Soltis, from the New York Post 11.24.07[Editor's comment on the above: For the last item (and thereby all the previous), it is fairly clear that no intelligent life exists here. Someone once said that everyone is allowed to their own opinions, but not to their own set of facts. And isn't it just too bad their facts don't support any of these crackpot theories.
Gotta go — we're heading across the galaxy tonight looking for some wheat fields to knock down for fun!]
Freaked Out: Teens' Dance Moves Split a Texas Town School Leaders in Argyle Banned Hip-Hop Grinding; Parents Back 'Good Kids'
Argyle, Texas — Karen Miller, 53 years old, saw her first "freak dance" four years ago when she was chaperoning a high-school dance attended by her freshman daughter.
One boy was up close to a girl's back, bumping and grinding to the pounding beat of the music.
"I thought, 'That's just dadgum nasty,'" Ms. Miller recalls. "It really had me sick to my stomach."
Ms. Miller took the initiative and broke it up. School employees at the dance seemed oblivious, she says.
They're oblivious no longer. A new resolve by school officials in this booming Dallas suburb to crack down on sexually suggestive dancing — and skimpy clothing — has sparked a rancorous debate over what boundaries should be set for teenagers' self-expression. Argyle joins a long list of other schools around the country that have banned the hip-hop inspired dancing known as "grinding" or "freak dancing."
But in Argyle, a once-sleepy farming community strained by explosive growth from an influx of well-to-do suburbanites, the controversy has gotten vicious. Some parents blame the newly installed school superintendent, Jason Ceyanes, 35, for ruining their children's October homecoming dance by enforcing a strict dress code and making provocative dancing off-limits. Disgusted, a lot of kids left, and the dance ended early.
Mr. Ceyanes says he fears current cleavage-baring dress styles combined with sexually charged dancing could lead to an unsafe environment for students.
"This is not just shaking your booty," he said. "This is pelvis-to-pelvis physical contact in the private areas…and then moving around."
To make his point, Mr. Ceyanes held a community meeting and played a video pulled from YouTube demonstrating freak dancing. "I cannot imagine that there is a father in this room who could watch this video and be all right with a young man dancing with his daughter in that fashion," he told the gathering…
Students defend their style of dancing, blaming the disagreement on the same sort of generation gap that turned Elvis Presley's swiveling hips into a public controversy in 1956. Some Argyle teens say they realize grinding might look erotic, but they insist it's just dancing, not sex. "We don't think of it that way," says Ferrin Bavousett, 17. "When we dance, we don't mean, 'Hey, after the dance you want to go to La Quinta?'" referring to a nearby motor hotel… –excerpted from an article by Susan Warren from the Wall Street Journal 11.19.07. Read the entire article at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119543673953997556.html


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Harris County's $5.2 million bail case may be headed toward settlement
A two-year, multimillion-dollar battle over Harris County's bail practices may be headed toward a settlement after a federal appeals court affirmed core elements of a landmark ruling that held the county's system discriminated against poor defendants arrested for misdemeanor offenses.
Both legal teams were scrambling Thursday to assess their next moves as the trial judge behind the historic opinion ordered them to suggest revisions in accordance with the order from a three-judge appeals court panel, according to sources on both sides of the lawsuit.
Chief U.S. Dist. Judge Lee H. Rosenthal gave the parties until Feb. 26 to find common ground and lay out areas of dispute.
The county has a variety of options in responding to the higher court's remedies and its conclusion that the county's previous cash bail practices were unconstitutional. The lawyers could appeal to the full circuit court, appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, proceed to trial before Rosenthal or reach a settlement with the indigent defendants who brought the lawsuit.
Legal insiders said the county's stance on those scenarios will likely become clear in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, lawyers on both sides of the lawsuit Thursday proclaimed the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling a victory for their clients.
RULING: Appeals court OKs most of ruling that Harris County's bail system unconstitutional
Robert Soard, first assistant to Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan, was optimistic that the ruling provided a solid blueprint for reaching a resolution without a trial.
"We hope that this opinion will lead to a fair, prompt and comprehensive settlement of the lawsuit," Soard said.
Soard added that the county was pleased the appeals court had instructed Rosenthal to give the county judges more leeway about bail decisions, extending the deadline for a defendant to appear before a judge from 24 hours to 48 hours.
Nationwide effects
The county has spent $5.2 million in fighting the suit, which was initially brought by Maranda ODonnell, a single mother who spent two days in jail on a driving infraction because she couldn't afford $2,500 bail.
Lawyers who brought the class action on behalf of indigent misdemeanor defendants also feel the end is in sight.
"We hope that Harris County and the county judges will finally drop their senseless opposition to creating a fair pretrial system," said attorney Alec Karakatsanis, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Civil Rights Corps, which brought the suit along with another criminal justice reform group and a Houston law firm. "The fate of tens of thousands of impoverished Harris County families and tens of millions of dollars in county funds depends on them promoting equal justice rather than defending what two federal courts have now found to be indefensible."
Karakatsanis' group has brought bail challenges in multiple jurisdictions nationally, including a recent federal lawsuit in Dallas. But the group states on its website that Rosenthal's opinion on the merits in ODonnell v. Harris County is "the most consequential and impressive judicial ruling that we have been a part of" and says it will have "sweeping effects across the entire country."
BACKGROUND: Harris County bail system unconstitutional, federal judge rules
Sandra Guerra Thompson, director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Houston Law Center, has followed the ODonnell case closely and foresees the case having a broad ripple effect in criminal justice.
"This lawsuit exposed fundamental problems with the money bail system, but it is one in line of cases now around the country that have similar outcomes," she said. "Federal courts around the country are in unison on this: Harris County, like jurisdictions around the country, is going to have no choice but to address these unfair practices."
The appeals court Wednesday upheld most of Rosenthal's ruling, agreeing the bail system in place for years was unconstitutional and punished low-level indigent defendants. The bail policy violated the due process and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution, forcing poor defendants into "wealth-based detention," where many felt compelled to enter guilty pleas just to get out of jail.
In contrast, defendants with cash could post bail and resume their lives.
RELATED: Rosenthal rules federal courts in Houston region with firm hand
But the panel of judges ordered Rosenthal to reconsider several matters and revise an injunction it found overly broad. They said her order for qualified defendants be released within 24 hours was "too onerous," opting instead for a 48-hour window and directed Rosenthal to re-evaluate how officials assess a defendant's ability to pay bond.
'End of the road'
Houston City Councilman Michael Kubosh, a bail bondsman, said the system Rosenthal implemented burdens police and communities and gives too much weight to statements by people under arrest, who can simply declare they are indigent even if they aren't.
"It's causing public safety problems," he said. "People are being arrested and arrested again and there's no incentive to show up for court."
As for the affidavits of poverty, Kubosh said last week eight families hired him to bail out their loved ones, only to discover that all eight had been released on indigent affidavits and he had to give them back their money.
Tom Berg, first assistant at the Harris County District Attorney's Office, said the appeals court decision is "kind of the end of the road" for Harris County and offers a compelling opportunity to settle the costly lawsuit.
"The case could still be tried and appealed just to keep the litigation alive for a couple more years but would be unlikely to change the outcome we have now," Berg said. "It would, however, bleed more millions from the county's coffers."
He said the reforms should include repurposing the pretrial services division so it can personally interview, assess and effectively supervise everyone released on bail.
He also thinks the Legislature needs to weigh in on bail reform and preventive detention early in the next session in a way that addresses public safety for the Houston and Dallas regions, which are both facing federal lawsuits.
Berg said it's vital that the county not detain people because of their poverty but that the public's safety is considered when deciding bail conditions "so that the most predatory are not released simply because they have the funds to buy their way out."
County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a former state senator, also wants the county to settle quickly, and said, "I'm hopeful that we can save the taxpayers' money, comply with the U.S. Constitution and reform our criminal justice system on our own and not continue to come into this century kicking and screaming."
Gabrielle Banks covers federal court for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and send her tips at email@example.com.


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We all love to get rewarded just for buying everyday purchases with our credit cards. A lot of people think about racking up travel benefits like free flights and hotel stays when they think of rewards credit cards, but what if you don't travel very often?
You can still get some great rewards. What you need is a cash back credit card. Wouldn't it be nice if things like gas, groceries, and all the stuff you buy from Amazon were a little cheaper? With the right cash back card, they will be!
There are a lot of cash back credit cards to choose from, but we read the fine print for you to find the best offers available. These are the cash back credit cards that deserve a place in your wallet.
Chase Freedom
This is a favorite among cash back enthusiasts because it has a pretty good sign up bonus - not all cards offer a bonus.
Sign Up Bonus: When you sign up for the Chase Freedom you will receive a $150 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. You'll get an additional $25 when you add an authorized user and they make one purchase in the first three months.
Percentage:The Chase Freedom card gives 5% cash back up to $1,500 per quarter for the designated categories and 1% back on all other purchases with no dollar limit. The card occasionally offers special promotions that give you as much as 10% back on pre-determined categories!
Categories: The categories rotate each quarter. For 2017 they apply to gas stations and ground transportation (which includes taxis, subways, and local commuter buses and trains), grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target), restaurants, and "holiday shopping" which is currently not defined.
You do have to activate the categories but it's just a matter of going to Chase's site and entering your last name, the last four digits of the card, and your zip code.
Purchase Protections: The card covers new purchases against theft or damage during the first 120 days after purchase, up to $500. They also provide price protection. If you see an item that you purchased advertised for less than you paid, in print or on-line within 90 days, Chase will reimburse you the difference up to $500.
There is no annual fee for the card but there is a 3% foreign transaction fee. For the first 15 months, the APR is 0%, after that it is 14.24%-23.24%.
Credit Score: You will need a credit score in the "Good" range for this card, above 700.
Citi Double Cash Card
Like to double dip? You'll be a fan of this card!
Sign Up Bonus: There is no sign up bonus for the Citi Double Cash Card.
Percentage: You get 1% off and another 1% when you pay your balance! There is no limit to how much you can earn.
Categories: You don't have to keep track of or sign up for categories to earn cash back with this card. The 1% applies to all purchases.
Purchase Protections: You will be covered for damage or theft within the first 120 days, up to $1,000 per item. If an item you purchase comes with a warranty of five years or less, Citi will give you an additional year's warranty.
Fees: There is no annual fee for this card, but there is a 3% foreign transaction fee. For the first 15 months, the APR is 0%, after that it is 13.24-23.24%.
Credit Score: You will need "Excellent" credit for this card, the mid 700's and above.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
The sky is the limit when it comes to cash back with this rewards card!
Sign Up Bonus: There is no sign up bonus for the QuicksilverOne Card.
Percentage: You get 1.5% cash back with no limit.
Categories: There are no categories to keep track of; you get 1.5% back on all purchases. Do you use Uber? This card will give you a 20% credit for Uber purchases!
Purchase Protections: Capital One will provide an extended warranty on items covered under a manufacturer's warranty. They also offer price protection. If you find the same item you purchased for a lower price within 60 days, you will be reimbursed the difference.
Fees: There is an annual fee of $39. There is 0% APR until January 2017, and a variable APR of around 23% after that. There is no foreign transaction fee so this will make a good travel partner.
Credit Score: This card stands out because it doesn't require "Excellent" or even "Good" credit. You can get this card with just a "Fair" score between 630-689.
Blue Cash Preferred from American Express
Is your idea of a fun night to go grocery shopping and then cooking up a great meal? We found the card for you!
Sign Up Bonus: You will receive a $150 statement credit after spending $1000 in the first three months. You can get an additional credit of up to $200 via 10% back when you spend up to $2,000 at a U.S. wireless phone provider in 2017. So if you want the new iPhone, this is a great offer!
Percentage: This card offers 6%, 3%, and 1% back, depending on the category.
Categories: If you like to cook, this is the card for you. You will receive 6% back on the first $6,000 spent on groceries. After reaching the $6,000 limit, you'll receive 1% back on groceries. Super stores like Walmart and Costco are excluded from this as are liquor stores. You get 3% back on gas and qualifying department stores. All other purchases will get you 1% back with no dollar limit.
Purchase Protections: American Express provides protection from damage or theft for up to 90 days after purchase. The card will provide up to a one year extended warranty on items that come with a manufacturer's warranty of five years or less. This card even provides return protection! If the merchant refuses to accept a return, American Express will refund the full purchase price on eligible items valued up to $300.
Fees: The card has a $75 annual fee. There is 0% APR for the first 12 months and then it goes up to 13.24-23.24%. There is a foreign transaction fee of 2.7%.
Credit Score: You will need at least a "Good" score to get this card, so above 700.
Discover it
This card proves you don't have to have a perfect credit score to get a good cash back card.
Sign Up Bonus: This is something of an unusual sign up bonus but it's a good one! At the end of your first year, Discover it will match every penny of cash back you earned that year.
Percentage: You get 5% and 1% cash back.
Categories: This card has revolving categories. You get 5% cash back up to $1,500 on categories like gas and ground transportation, restaurants and movies, home improvement stores and Amazon, which has yet to determine categories. You get 1% on all purchases with no dollar limit.
Purchase Protections: Discover it will cover items against damage and theft for 90 days up to $500 per item. If your card is lost or stolen, Discover offers Freeze It. With one click, you can prevent any new purchases or cash advances from being charged to the card. They will also waive late fees if you are late making your first payment. Note, this only applies to your first payment.
Fees: There is no annual fee. There is a 0% APR for the first twelve months and an APR of 11.24-23.24% after. There is no foreign transaction fee.
Credit Score: You need a "Good" score of 700 or above for approval.
What's the Verdict?
If you grocery shop outside of big box stores like Walmart and Target and like to dine out, the Chase Freedom is a good card for making those things 5% cheaper. If you want all of your purchases to be 2% cheaper and can't be bothered with revolving categories, the Citi Double Cash Card will double your rewards and make things simple.
If you don't have a sterling credit score, the Capital One card is a great card that you may have a better chance of being approved for than some of its competitors. If you like to cook, the Blue Cash Preferred is terrific. With a ceiling of $6,000 before the 6% drops down to 1%, even if you're spending $100 a week on groceries, you won't run out for the year!
Discover it is great if you like to shop through Amazon since it's one of the categories for half the year. It's also a good card to bring along if you travel abroad since there is no foreign exchange fee. You also get the nice perk of a free FICO score included on your statement.
You work hard for your money. Why not let the credit card companies help you keep a little more of it when you are buying everyday things like groceries and gas? Happy spending!


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Once more I have neglected this blog. Not intentionally. Purely because, well, I forgot about this! Oops!
As you might have guessed from the picture above, I am doing Camp once more next month, working on the same WIP that I have worked on for a few months. Since I am aiming to get words written every month, I might as well. Been assigned a Cabin today and there's a few Twitter tweeps I might connect up with too. If you are doing Camp, feel free to say so. Target is set at 25,000 words but there's a chance that will drop yet.
As for words written last month, I had a target of 2,500 words and hit 6,509 words so some words ahead. Not all the words were on my current WIP, the magic school story though. Some of the words were, bringing in a story line earlier than anticipated but it did show some character stuff so not all bad. I also wrote words from events many years later after getting stuck, which did get me thinking about some world building stuff I need to work on.
I then went off the story to write other bits. I ended up writing a very quick Destiny fanfic that I posted onto Tumblr and may yet get rewritten or more fan fics spawning from it before beginning to write a second WIP that I have worked on before alongside the current one, the slave story.
I will take the words at least because it's better than being stuck and writing nothing, right?
So far this month, whilst melting in this heat wave, I have continued writing events that happen later before writing small tit bits relating to these Pride month prompts. Current word count is 2,739 words (239 words beyond my 2,500 target).
Having been forced to take a break, I think I might be able to return to writing what I should be writing in the WIP. That break has also highlighted to me that getting a complete first draft of this done by the end of the year is just not going to happen. The new target is to get somewhere near a complete first draft by the end of the year. All things considered, this seems to be a more plausible target.
How are things going for you? Good, bad, indifferent? Entering Camp next month? Any advice for me on keeping going? Please do comment below.


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1. Start your grocery shopping by using a menu planner.
2. Grab a copy of my Weekly Shopping List pdf.
3. Pick a day to do your planning.
We do all of our weekly planning (for everything) on Sundays. You can check out my section of videos where I cover weekly scheduling/planning. After I've completed my menu I look at the week ahead and choose Monday or Tuesday to do my shopping, which is based on which day I may already have errands. One trip is always better than two.
4. Check out the fridge, freezer, and cupboards to see what's on hand.
As I do my menu planning I am scanning the fridge and cupboards to see what I already have. By incorporating vegetables that will soon go bad into this week's menu I never have to throw gloopy unidentifiable masses.
Because we like to try new recipes often, we do have an item or two that is new each week. So I do not use a pre-filled shopping list. It just seems quicker to write down what I need rather than being distracted with dozens more options of items I could be buying. I just look at the menu and look at the cupboards to see what I'm out of.
For simplicity I use a menu that is very similar each week (excepting maybe one new meal) then I can pretty well know what needs to go on the list each week. When you have all of your weekly meals laid out in front of you it is simple to hold it in one hand while you look at the cupboards to see what you need.
I like to have kids do this part. While I sit at the counter I yell out, "Bethany, coconut oil! Ethan, corn meal! Lizzie, black beans!…etc." And since our home is a competitive one, it gets done quickly. When they're grown, or sooner, they'll know how to plan meals and shopping lists efficiently. My fourteen year-old does most of the menu planning around our house (she likes to have control over what she eats). Works for me!
5. Hit the Store!
I like to shop at a small discount food store (in my area it's Aldi) so that I am not sucked into the office supplies department of a big box store where I could drop some serious money. After I have my staples I get anything else I need from my favorite store, Kroger. Now, if I have a lot of specialty foods on my list I will just start at Kroger and only get staples that are on Manager's Discount. Sometimes I can get away with only going to Kroger's.
As I'm shopping I look for amazing meat and frozen fruit or veggie sales. If I ever see chicken breasts below 1.88/lb then I'll get a month's worth. If quinoa is on sale then I'll buy extra of that. I almost never buy anything that is not regularly on our menu so that I am not tempted to buy more than we can use that week or in the case of meat, a few weeks.
Because I'm using a generic shopping list, rather than the one I once used for just Aldi's, I am able to go to any other store and know exactly which section to head for.
This is last week's menu plan and shopping list. I didn't have a lot of meat to buy because I just buy it when it's on sale. If you'll notice, there is nothing in the Household section. I only buy dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, toilet paper, garbage bags, and tissues at CVS when they have fantastic deals.
5 1/2. Set a timer to save you money.
Oh, how this can save you time AND money. Do your regular shopping and time it the first time. The next time you go, try cutting it down by ten minutes. See how fast you can get your shopping done. It's more fun than it sounds!
Show us your menu and/or shopping list over on the Love My Schedule Facebook Page. Remember, some of us need some encouragement to learn this stuff.
Thanks for hanging out with me and remember, make the most of EVERY day!
What are your favorite stores to shop at and why? Let me know in the comments below!
*Yes, I use Amazon Affiliate links. No, they don't cost anything extra. Maybe, we can pay for a child's doctor visit. I ONLY recommend products and services that I personally use and love.
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