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The Partnership CDC's PECO Financial Education Center
The Partnership CDC is a certified housing counseling agency with the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), Fannie Mae, Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and continues to be the largest CDC in West Philadelphia that provides housing education, one-on-one counseling and referrals to the general public year-round.
The Partnership CDC's Housing Counseling Program:
- seeks to develop, stimulate and sustain the awareness of positive and responsible financial behaviors
- offers financial literacy counseling and training
- emphasizes the fundamental education necessary to navigate financial institutions, banking systems, and credit bureaus
- empowers clients to manage their money more effectively, save their money wisely, repair their credit accurately and eventually acquire economic independence and personal wealth.
The Partnership CDC PECO Financial Education Center is located at:
4020 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: (215)662-1612
Shawn McGeth, Financial Education Manager
Martin Lewis, Head Housing Counselor
The Partnership Housing Counselor Martin Lewis assisting one of our many clients in our mortgage foreclosure services. Our Housing Counseling Program continually seeks to develop, stimulate, and sustain the awareness of positive and responsible financial behaviors through financial literacy counseling and training. The program consists of one on one counseling in the areas of personal credit repair, money management, budgeting, the rights and responsibilities of home ownership, financial assistance programs, mortgage default and delinquency, foreclosure prevention and intervention counseling and how to identity and avoid predatory loans. For information on our next First Time Home Buyers Workshop call our Housing office at 215.662.1612 ext 22


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Hi Everyone
Today we are publishing Styles Afriks Top 10 Red Carpet and Prom Dresses Must haves for 2017.
This is no particular order, however these are some of favourites that we know will dazzle on the red carpet or at any event.
If you disagree with our top 10 send us comment and let us know what you would include in your Top 10.
So Lets Start:
No.1 : ENYA One Shoulder Dress – This is a New Edition to Styles Afrik only just launching yesterday but we know its going to be very popular. Fusing African Print with Luxurious Duchess Satin this will look amazing on all shapes and sizes. Click Here to Shop
No 2 : LATRICE PANELLED ARM CUFF DRESS – One of our best sellers the latrice is a very flattering fit using African print to create a curvy silhouette in the front and back of the dress and Duchess satin to smooth the sides of the dress. Available in over 70 different fabrics. Order your now Click Here to Shop
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No.4 POKUA DRESS – If you love fitted mermaid strapless dresses then this one is definitely for you. Using African print for the body of the dress and then wait for it 2 layers of duchess satin for the lower skirt, with its long train hopefully no one will step on it out of pure jealousy lol
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No.8 BISA Mermaid Dress – One of the first designs in the Styles Afrik catalogue this one is definitely a classic and the one good thing about classics is they never go out of style.
No.9 LOLA Panelled Wiggle Dress – Lets keep it simple, lets show off some shoulders a little leg and some cleavage with this Lola Combination dress. Click Here to Shop
Last on the list: NO.10 The AVA Maxi Coat and AKUA shift dress can be Worn Separately or together or you can also add our Cigarette trousers as well. Whatever the combination guaranteed you will look like an African Princess.
So we hope you enjoyed our top 10 to view all the designs listed here visit www.stylesafrik.co.uk please leave us your comments at the bottom also.
Have a Great Day x

subset: commoncrawl


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We left Andrew Reeder, Charles Robinson, and probably the antislavery members of the Howard Committee. They had news of indictments handed down against Reeder, Robinson, and most everyone else who held office in the illegal free state government of Kansas territory. They agreed that Reeder should submit to arrest, as his national reputation would make him an ideal rallying point for the free state party's friends abroad. Robinson should get out of Kansas and set to work raising money, men, and guns. It might come to armed rebellion at last. If it did, the free state men resolved to fight it out and hope for the destruction of the proslavery territorial government. They had to act soon, or Samuel Lecompte's grand jury would have the entire leadership imprisoned before the fall elections.
Reeder's diary puts this all as happening on May 7, 1856, a Wednesday. Next, "toward evening" a Georgian named Fain called on Reeder and "very politely" told the delegate that he had a subpoena for him.
I requested him to let me see it, and he handed me a copy. On looking at it I discovered that it was very irregular in form, and, as I was not yet ready to be arrested for treason, I determined not to obey it. I accordingly so informed the officer, giving, as the reasons, my privilege as Delegate in Congress, and the informality of the subpena.
The Congress itself hadn't decided on whether or not Reeder had any privilege as delegate, but he persuaded Fain not to make an issue of it. Instead the Georgian took his leave and came on Reeder's grand jury informant, James Legate. Fain asked Legate where he might find Charles Robinson. Legate told him that Robinson had gone off to Topeka. Fain felt sure enough in Tecumseh, but Topeka worried him. He asked if he could go and conduct his business there in safety.
Legate mischievously told him he did not know, that he must run his own risks, which so alarmed the Georgian that he at once turned back to Lecompton. The same evening we went back to Topeka; stayed till after breakfast the next day.
Reeder doesn't say it in so many words, and Robinson declines to note his movements in detail, but it sounds like Legate told Fain that Robinson had gone while the governor remained nearby. Reeder's "we" might or might not include the governor, but he says that Fain "was told" Robinson had gone rather than that the governor actually had.
Possible Delegate Reeder found himself back in Lawrence later on May 8. There he continued his work representing the free state side before the Howard Committee, starting at two in the afternoon. He didn't shake Fain for long, though. He reports that he
saw my Georgia friend of yesterday come in and go up stairs for a consultation with Major Oliver, and some friends; had a small posse with him, all armed.


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|The Naked City
|Mar 28 2013
Former lifesaver convicted of murder in Manchester.
Yesterday in Manchester, England, 46-year-old Stephen Seddon was found guilty of murdering his parents for £235,000 in insurance money. Robert and Patricia Seddon were found shot dead in their home in July 2012, a sawed-off shotgun on the scene indicating a possible murder/suicide. But ballistic experts decided that scenario was not possible, and soon Stephen Seddon—who had boasted to acquaintances before his parents' deaths that he was about to come into a large sum of money—was arrested. Yesterday's conviction marked the final chapter of just another sad, senseless murder tale. What's shocking, though, is the preamble.
In March 2012 Seddon was driving with his parents on a highway when his car hit a brick and skidded into a canal. He dragged his nephew Daniel from the car, then went back for his father while bystanders saved his mother. Seddon was hailed as a hero. Some details of the accident were strange, but police glossed over them. The details? There was no evidence of the car hitting a brick, and Seddon coincidentally happened to be carrying a knife with which to cut his seatbelt and a wheel lock with which to smash out the driverside window as the car went down. Oh, and several witnesses saw him jumping up and down on the roof of the car as it sank. Red flag? You'd tend to think so.
Picture the scene: Seddon is jumping on the car trying to help his parents to a watery grave, suddenly realizes he's being observed, and shifts into hero mode. He must have thought, No way anyone's going to buy this act. But they did. Or at least, the police, who hadn't seen him going bouncy bouncy on the car, bought it. But eventually the parents began to suspect their accident was attempted murder. Their deaths occurred the day after Robert Seddon told his doctor that he planned to confront his son. The confrontation led to a double shooting, but yesterday in Manchester justice was served, at least in some form. Stephen Seddon wasn't just convicted of murder—he was also convicted of attempted murder for the March canal plunge.


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|Tomb of Biblical prophet Daniel in Susa, Iran / Photo: ninara, CC BY 2.0
Roy Isacowitz of "In These Times" is engaging in some wishful thinking if he believes that Iranian leaders' gripe with Israel is solely Anti-Zionist in nature.
Unfortunately, the reality is that Iranian leaders' anti-Zionism quite happily coexists with a big, steaming vat of anti-Jewish hatred. Their state-sanctioned media and leaders often propagate John Bircher-esque and Nazi-inspired global Jewish conspiracy nonsense, some downright silly conspiracy theories, like this, this, this, and this, racist stereotypes so ugly they'd make Adolph Hitler blush, idiotic blood libel (claims that Jewish people use blood of murdered non-Jewish children to make Passover matzo), and declarations that not just Israel, but the Jewish people are to be eradicated from the Earth. The Ayatollah and former President Ahmadinejad have been particularly egregious on this front.[1]
To be certain, not all Iranians hate Jews. Some actually *are* Jews, although 95% of Persian Jews have fled Iran since 1978, and 3/4 of that population now actually live in Israel (more on that in a bit.) Still, I wouldn't assume that a majority of Iranian citizens hold virulently anti-Jewish views. However, there is very little reliable evaluation of Iranian public opinion that would allow us to gauge the level of public anti-Semitism. What we can determine with available information is that Iranian political leadership must believe that, at the very least, an important and powerful segment of the population is anti-Semitic, because they routinely resort to anti-Jewish rhetoric to coalesce their domestic political power. (Refer to the examples linked above.)
But what of the Persian Jews? Going back to 6th century BC, there was a significant Persian Jewish community in the area now defined as Iran. There are reasons why the vast majority of these folks fled Iran in the wake of the rise of the Ayatollah Khomeini. There is a reason why today there are only 8,700 or so Persian Jews still in Iran, while more than 230,000 of them now reside in Israel (about 3/4 of all Persian Jews world-wide) and more than 60,000 now live here in the US. Yes, the U.S. now has more than 6 times as many Persian Jews as remain in Iran.
As concerned as they ostensibly are about oppression and freedom, best I can tell, The American Left has never gotten worked up about the plight of Persian Jews in Iran. I suspect it's because (a) most liberals know nothing about it, (b) those who know a bit about it assume the conditions that caused 95% of Persian Jews to flee Iran over the past 35 years weren't really that bad, and (c) some who DO know the story don't care because they're raging Jew-haters, period.
Would Iran perhaps be less bellicose toward the Jews if Israel hadn't been established in the Jewish people's historic homeland? If, instead, the US had volunteered a New Jersey-sized chunk of lesser-populated Nevada, North Dakota, or some such to be a new, sovereign Jewish homeland decades ago? Um, maybe. Or maybe those 300,000+ Persian Jews in exile know more about it than the rest of us do.
A Post Script: I'm not arguing against the current Iranian disarmament deal, which may well be the best we can do short of war to reign in Iran's nuclear program. If we couldn't sign peace treaties with leaders who have horrifying beliefs about certain classes of people – including Americans in general – we'd be at war all the time. I'm simply cautioning against erroneously minimizing the degree of anti-Semitism among Iranian leaders, or anyone else, for that matter.
[1] Before you go there, my super progressive American friends =) … yes, there is very much a parallel here between Iranian Jew-bashing and American demagogues bashing gays, blacks, immigrants, Muslims, "man hating feminists," and everyone else they fret over. Which was why I gave up the GOP for good back in 1992. It's also why I do every little bit I can to call out hate-mongering rhetoric, whether it comes from Left or Right. This isn't about us, it's about Israel, Iran, and the Jewish people. So let's think about someone other than ourselves for a moment.


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Did you know you may wash and dry berry baskets and place them in your dresser drawer and use them to sort your socks?
Did you know that you can paint bottle caps red or black if you should lose a checker piece?
Did you know an empty prescription bottle makes a very good storage place for your vitamins or aspirin when you travel? Change the label.
Did you know you can make a stamp licker by sticking a piece of sponge in an empty prescription bottle so that it sticks out of the tip and when you need to dampen stamps or an envelope, just moisten the sponge?
Did you know broken broom handles make very sturdy beanpoles?
Did you know that old business cards are just the right size for the label holders on the front of a filing cabinet?
Did you know if you glue two business cards together so that the blank sides face out, you could decorate and use for gift tags.
Did you know that the old used greeting cards are still useful? Keep a stack of them near your phone and use them as scrap paper,
Did you know those old carpet scraps can be useful? Cut them down and line your pet bed, kennel or its travel container.
Did you know you could cut down the carpet scraps and make car mats?
Did you know a piece of carpet scrap is great to put on the bottom of your trunk to protect it from messy tools or spilled groceries?
Did you know you might donate old clothing to local theater groups or school for costumes?
Did you know you might use your old CDs for reflectors? Hang them where you need to see by your driveway such as a tree or fence?
Did you know a clean empty egg carton is a great place for kids to store their treasures?
Did you know you might use old film canisters (does anyone remember them) in the toolbox to store small nails, etc?
Did you know you could make a stamp dispenser out of a film canister? Just cut a narrow slot in the side, put in your roll of stamps and feed the stamps through the slot. Remember to put the cap on so the roll won't pull out.
Did you know you can slit open a length of old leaky garden hose and put it over the wire handle of a bucket? It will prevent your hand from getting sore.
Did you know we found another good use for pantyhose? If you grow cabbage or broccoli, protect it from insects by cutting the stockings off at the knees and slip the feet for the veggies when they are small. As the veggies grow, the pantyhose will expand and protect the heads from those insects.
Remember, these are just tips. Use at your own discretion.


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Amazon.com is offering customers a chance to win a Large 55-inch LCD HDTV and a Blu-ray Disc Home Theater, plus other goodies like a Nintendo Wii as well as the Beatles Rock Band for Wii.
The approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is $3400.
The prize package is part of the 10th anniversary of the Amazon Wish List sweepstakes. Each week during the holiday season customers will have a chance to enter one of the themed Wish List sweepstakes.
To be automatically entered into the Sweepstakes, click here to create a Wish List, add an item to one of your existing Wish Lists, or share one of your Wish Lists via the "Share with Friends" feature on the Wish List page (your Wish List must be public to share it), and then follow the instructions on the website to enter the Sweepstakes. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
To enter the sweepstakes for the High-Def Heaven prize, you must enter before November 29.
For more information, and to enter the sweepstakes, please click here.
Why wait until Friday? Black Friday Deals start today at Amazon!
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.


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Ever reflect on an argument and ask yourself, "What on earth was I thinking when I said that?!"
Ever reflect on an argument and ask yourself, "What on earth was I thinking when I said that?!" Well, the field of social neuroscience is providing answers to help us understand our outbursts. Our brains have two almond-shaped masses called amygdalae that are in charge of processing our emotional reactions. The amygdalae regulate our fight or flight response, which was created as a survival mechanism to allow us to react quickly to stimuli before giving our rational brain time to interpret the stimuli. In critical situations, our amygdalae respond in as little as twelve thousands of a second, which is exactly what you want it to do if faced with a serious threat like having a gun drawn on you. So how do the amygdalae impact our arguments?
Well, in addition to saving us in serious situations, our amygdalae can also get us into serious trouble with coworkers and loved ones. These little parts of our brain have the ability to override the prefrontal cortex, which controls our logical, analytical thought processes. In Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman coined the term "amygdala hijack," referring to the ability of our amygdalae to literally hijack our rational thought. And as you can well imagine, this can make it all too easy to have an emotional outburst before we take the time to fully process information.
So let's recap and picture a scenario we've all experienced before. You're arguing with your partner and he or she says something that causes you to feel a strong emotion, anxiety, anger, or betrayal. Beneath the surface, your amygdalae override the prefrontal cortex, causing your emotions to overwhelm your rational thought, causing you to have an overwhelming impulse to say something that you may instantly regret. So does this mean we're powerless to these two tiny parts of our brain? Hardly. Here are three simple tips to practice next time you're feeling heated:
1. Count to ten before responding. You likely heard this from your mother when you were five years old, and now there is neurological research supporting mom's advice. Giving yourself the opportunity to cool off for a few seconds when you feel triggered teaches your neocortex how to control the immediate response of the amygdalae, allowing you to take the time to respond rather than react.
2. Don't make decisions when you're upset. When you're emotional, the right hemisphere of your brain dominates so the left hemisphere, which is in charge of rational analysis and problem solving, is unable to function properly. This is why it is difficult to think logically or recall details when you are distraught. So it's best not to make any decisions (like whether to end or continue the relationship) at a time when your right hemisphere is in charge.
3. Come up with a "cool-off" phrase. Practice what you'll say next time you feel yourself heating up. For example, you might say "I need a moment to think about this" or "I need a glass of water" in a calm, controlled tone instead of potentially escalating the conflict by saying something like "You're so obnoxious!" By training yourself to say your cool-off phrase you will buy yourself precious time to cool off while also deescalating potential conflict.
In any relationship, it's important to think before you speak, act, or respond. Our words and actions carry significant weight and we have the power and ability to not only understand, but to control our outbursts. Practicing these three simple tools will allow you to overcome that overwhelming impulse to say something that may cause great hurt to your partner and your relationship.


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Wildflower hunters at mercy of warm weather
A sea of white, yellow and pink colours the landscape as Betty O'Callaghan looks out across a renowned wildflower spot near her hometown of Coorow.
But the resident of 47 years said recent dry weather meant tourists might not have long to catch the WA gems in their glory this wildflower season.
"We haven't had any rain for the past few weeks and it has been windy and warm, which tends to dry things up," she said.
"Some of the flowers are quite nice - the yellow pom-poms and white everlastings have been spectacular."
Mrs O'Callaghan said pink everlastings were unusually sparse in her area this year because of sporadic rainfall.
Further north at Mullewa and east to Yalgoo, wildflowers sprouted earlier than usual, which attracted thousands of tourists.
"We had a lot of good early rains so the season started a lot earlier than usual," Sharon Hay, of Mullewa Community Resource Centre, said.
"Pom-poms were starting to pop their heads up by early July and we were having reports of orchids by then too."
She said the season usually peaked in August when Mullewa held its wildflower show.
"What started as a beautiful season is now starting to worry us," she said.
"The unseasonably warm change and winds have made the crops and flowers think the season is over.
"We are crossing our fingers for rain."
Ms Hay said up to 100 tourists came through the town each day over the past fortnight to get among the wildflowers. She said wreath flowers stood out as Mullewa's top flower this season.
"We are famous for our wreath flowers and they are shaping up very well," she said.
Ms Hay advised wildflower enthusiasts heading through WA to stop at local tourist or community resource centres to get the best information about the best places to go.
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Pricelist : Rp. 1.425.000,-
Great-sounding stereo mic for your iPhoneTASCAM's iM2 turns the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch into a high-quality stereo recorder. A pair of condenser microphones - the same high quality as TASCAM's best-selling DR-series recorders - plugs into the dock connector of your Apple device.
The microphones are adjustable over 180 degrees for the best sound placement. The uni-directional elements are arranged in an AB pattern for detailed stereo imaging while capturing the ambience of your room.
The iM2 contains its own microphone preamp and analog-to-digital converter for low noise and great audio quality. Unlike mics that use the built-in iPhone preamp, the iM2 can handle up to 125dB sound levels to capture the loudest concerts and instruments without distortion.
- Live Recording – Record your own concerts from the front of the stage, or record a friends from your shirt pocket
- Songwriting – Use an app like TASCAM Portastudio to build up a song before presenting it to the band on your iPad
- Rehearsal Recording – Plug in a mic to capture band practice without overloading your iPhone
- Video Filming – Record stereo audio to go with your videos, whether shooting a live performance for YouTube or a birthday party with your family
- Sound Effects Gathering – Record sounds in the outside world, then drop them into your productions or remixes
- Stereo condenser microphones for iPhone 4, iPod touch or iPad dock connection
- High-quality stereo condenser microphones - same as our best-selling DR-series recorders
- Microphones adjustable 180 degrees front to back
- Built-in analog to digital converter and microphone preamp for low noise recording
- 125dB SPL maximum level for recording loud shows without distortion
- Switchable limiter attenuates high-level signals to prevent recording overload
- Adjustable input level control
- Powered through iPhone, iPad or iPod touch dock connector
- USB input allows the iPhone or iPad to be charged from a USB connection or optional TASCAM PS-P515U
- CD-quality digital recording (44.1kHz/16-bit linear PCM)
- Compact size ideal for mobile use
- Compatible with iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 4G, iPad, iPad 2
- Dimensions: 2.3" W x 2.2" H x 0.75" D
- Weight: 1.05 oz


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05 Apr Charitable Giving Climbs in 2015, Online Donations Push Overall Growth
Charitable giving in the United States increased by 1.6 percent in 2015, according to Blackbaud's Charitable Giving Report and The Huffington Post. The report focused on fundraising data from 5,300 U.S.-based nonprofit organizations, and according to the report, in 2015, nonprofits raised $18.2 billion in overall fundraising efforts and $2.2 billion through online fundraising efforts alone. While overall donations grew slightly from the previous year, online fundraising grew by an incredible 9.2 percent in 2015.
The report details growth rates of nonprofit organizations within various charitable or nonprofit sectors. The faith-based sector grew by 3.9 percent; the healthcare sector grew by 1.9 percent; and the arts and culture, environmental, and animal welfare sectors all expanded by 0.5 percent. Digital fundraising also grew extensively in 2015: Online donations to higher education organizations jumped by 15.2 percent, and online donations to international affairs organizations grew by 10.8 percent.
Remarkably, donors provided 14 percent of all online donations via a mobile device. Forty-three percent of online mobile transactions occurred via iPad, and 42 percent of mobile donations were made via iPhone. Though Android devices are some of the most popular in the smartphone market, only 14 percent of donations were made via Android.
As the report notes, the American public cares about charitable giving. Companies, both large and small, should pay attention to the American public's appreciation for philanthropy. In fact, according to Sustainable Brands, nine out of 10 millennials would switch to a brand associated with a "cause."
Good360 understands that the average consumer cares about giving back. That's why we help top companies develop sustainable business strategies that also revolve around corporate philanthropy — with our guidance, these companies are able to develop charitable plans that neatly fit their respective business models. To learn more, click here.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-maclaughlin/charitable-giving-up-near_b_9132754.html?utm_hp_ref=charity


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Edmund Goulder was imprisoned in Stalag Luft 1, which was liberated by the Russian in May, 1945.
On the afternoon of Dec. 7, 1941, Edmund Goulder volunteered for military service from his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He became a pilot in the 384th bomb group, 547th bomb squadron of the 8th Air Force, and was shot down in a B-17 over Belgium during his 23rd mission in 1943. Goulder spent a year and a half as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft 1 before the Russians liberated his camp in May 1945. Now 90 and a retired electrical contractor, Goulder lives on Siesta Key in the winters with his wife of 63 years, Joan.
'The day we got shot down, I was only 21 years old. We had just started the bomb run and we had been hit by flak and the No. 4 engine was malfunctioning. We had to bail out near Liege, Belgium. I parachuted out and I landed in a giant hog pen.
I had dog tags that said 'Hebrew' on them, so the first thing I did was throw away my dog tags, because I knew if I got caught I'd be caught by the Gestapo.
A 14-year-old boy came out and buried me in the straw in a haystack. That night, Andre Goosen and two others — all part of the Maquis, which was the underground in France — found me and interrogated me to make sure I was an American and not a German spy. I was in that farmhouse for three days.
Then I stayed at the home of a family called the Tetraults, and the Gestapo broke into the house. I was never scared. It didn't frighten me.
I was trying to get dressed and I had my pants halfway up when he came upstairs with a gun, and I asked permission to pull up my pants. They took us to the Gestapo headquarters in Lille and interrogated us.
Afterward, I was sent to Frankfurt to an interrogation center, where I spent three days. There was just a bench and a place to stand up in there. A German officer interrogated me. He'd ask me my name, rank and serial number, and those were the only questions I'd answer. We had cards to notify the Red Cross, and he took mine and tore it up so my parents didn't know anything. After about three days, we marched down the street to the railway station and the Germans were lined up there, and a little kid came up and spit on me and I cried. It just touched me, I don't know.
For 23 days in a detention center in Lille, in Cell 316, I waited to be shot. For breakfast, we got fake coffee and a slice of bread. For lunch, we'd get something like carrot soup. For dinner, we'd get a little piece of meat and potatoes. I learned that you can eat very little and still feel good. You have to get used to it and shrink your stomach. At first, I thought I'd starve.
They told me they were sending me to a prisoner of war camp called Stalag Luft 1. I got there on Jan. 30, 1944, and I got out on May 22, 1945. The camp was built by Hermann Goering, and it was only built for his officers.
The first month was hard because we didn't get much food, but then we got by. We played a lot of sports. In the winter, we had heavy snow and we built an ice rink and it was beautiful. We had fun when we could. I learned to play bridge there. We were just biding our time until the Russians liberated us.
Everyone in the crew of my B-17 that got shot down was safe except for one, I found out later. There were 10 men on the plane, so that was a miracle. I was always so lucky."
Abby Weingarten may be contacted via email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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a trip in Valtournenche
Viewed: 387
I arrived in Chatillon in the night of sunday.
When the following morning I woke up, the valley in front of me was wonderful.
I started driving towards Breuil Cervinia, to take the ropeway and reach the Plateau Rosa, 3500m.
On the way, I made a stop at the Lac de Mayen. Once arrived at Cervinia I took the ropeway in three parts: the first one to reach Plan Maison, the secon one to reach, from there, Laghi Cime Bianche, the last to arrive on the top, at the glacier, in Switzerland. (from the Swiss part, read the journal of that album). On the way to the Plateau Rosa, from the ropeway, a wonderful view of the Goillet lake, that was iced.
After having spent some time there, I came back with the ropeway to Laghi Cime Bianche.
From there I started walking towards Plan Maison, after about one hour walking I took again the ropeway to come back to Cervinia.
After a walk in the centre of the village, I took the car again, to go and visit Chamois (watch the album and read the journal there) and I had a stop at the Lac the Perreres (not iced!!!) where I could sunbath a little bit (in swim suite!!).
After a stop in Chamois, I reached Saint Vincent and from there I took the way back, to Milan.
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Chatillon, Breuil Cervinia, Plan Maison, Moulin, Italy,Italy


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The recent liquidation of Sarasota, Fla.—based BookWorld Companies, coupled with National Book Network's announcement just two months ago that it will phase out small-press specialty sister company, Biblio, highlights the fragile economics that underpin the distribution of self-publishers and presses that do just a handful of books. BookWorld is just the latest small press distributor to go out of business. In 2000, Access Publishers Network in Grawn, Mich., went into Chapter 7, followed four years later by Words Publishing in Berkeley, which together orphaned 350 publishers. Even PMA has had to put its year-old vendor of record program, the PMA/Ingram Wholesale Acceptance Program, on hold because it was not getting submissions of high enough quality to merit Ingram buyers and sales reps and representatives of Barnes & Noble, Borders and PMA meeting twice a year.
"We'll continue to work with PMA," affirmed Craig Pollack, senior manager of client acquisitions and supplier services at Ingram Book Group. But, he acknowledged, it can be costly to service the tiniest houses. That's part of the reason Ingram ended its Ingram Express program five years ago, a decision that forced one- and two-book presses to find distributors.
"I tell small presses that if they get their book into Ingram the hardest part has just begun. Without sales and marketing, they're going to fall short," said Pollack. "Having a book available from a distributor gives it more support," added v-p of merchandising George Tattersfield, who recommends one of the 25 distributors listed on the IngramBook.com Web site.
Despite the distribution challenges, books from micro presses can sell. As Curt Matthews, CEO of Independent Publishers Group, is quick to point out, "Our bestseller last year came out of Third World Press. Their sales were only a few thousand dollars until Tavis Smiley's The Covenant with Black America."
While IPG represents relatively few of the smallest presses, others for whom such presses make up the bulk of their client list find the business profitable. "We make money at it," said Clint Greenleaf, founder of Greenleaf Book Group, in Austin, Tex. "The main thing is the selectivity and the clients we bring on. We only accept 3% of new clients." As part of its service, Greenleaf hired three full-time in-house editors and designers to work with the 200 publishers it represents. "When we track our book sales," said executive v-p Meg La Borde, "packaging and price have a bigger effect on sales than publicity."
At Partners Publishers Group in Holt, Mich., the decade-old distribution division of Partners Book Distributing, cofounder Sam Spiegel noted, "We're certainly willing to look at single-title publishers and see if we can sell them." But, he said, there's a glut of self-published books on anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's and memoirs, which are competing with books on these subjects from mainstream publishers. Spiegel accepts only 10% of the publishers that approach him for representation and has 125 clients.
AtlasBooks Distribution, the seven-year-old trade distribution arm of printer and fulfillment house BookMasters Inc. in Ashland, Ohio, has a less selective approach. "We like the small press market. We want them to come on board," said COO Dave Wurster, co-owner of BookMasters. "We say, yes, we can make your book available in all major databases." Currently, AtlasBooks has 800 clients, and Wurster anticipates adding as many as 70 of BookWorld's 104 publishers. In addition, BookMasters handles fulfillment for another 700 independent presses.
Despite Atlas's daring rescue of BookWorld's inventory—it sent staff down to Tennessee to ship books out of BookWorld's warehouse—publishers are likely to lose their accounts receivables and documentation regarding past history and inventory. For San Marcos, Calif.—based Quilt in a Day, which signed with Atlas to ensure representation in trade stores for Christmas, losses could be close to $300,000, according to company executive Orion Burns. Inner Directions in Carlsbad, Calif., which has a 25-title backlist, is also going with Atlas. "It's the best option," said company owner Matthew Greenblatt, who is pleased to have his inventory back, if not his money.
But former gambler Anthony Curtis, founder of Huntington Press Publishers in Las Vegas, has a slightly different take. "From my point of view right now," said Curtis, one of BookWorld's largest clients, "you have to look at this as a game. This is a six-figure bet." But his company is also holding a good hand, which includes magazines, a newsletter and a Web site. "It's a nasty hiccup," he said of BookWorld's liquidation. "But you know going in that the history is there."


text: Toby Matthiesen is Senior Research Fellow in the International Relations of the Middle East at the Middle East Centre, St. Antony's College, University of Oxford. He was previously a Research Fellow at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and at the London School of Economics and Political Science and gained his doctorate from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). He is the author of Sectarian Gulf: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Spring That Wasn't (Stanford University Press, 2013), and The Other Saudis: Shiism, Dissent and Sectarianism (Cambridge University Press, 2015). Matthiesen has published widely in various academic journals and in the mainstream media and has appeared on major TV and radio networks. His current research focuses on Sunni-Shii relations and the legacies of the Cold War in the Middle East.


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- Visit
- Exhibitions
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- The museum
- Research
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- Professionals
- Shop
- Online tickets
Corps et décors, "The body as ornament"
from 16 april to 22 august 2010
Relating to the decorative arts and ornamental sculpture, Corps et décors ("The body as ornament") sheds new light on a little-known aspect of Rodin's work. Most of the 150 vases, objets d'art, drawings and decorative sculptures making up the exhibition are on public display for the first time. The exhibition also re-examines some of Rodin's best-known works – such as The Gates of Hell – in light of his decorative output. Corps et décors explores the value and status of the decorative arts – a key issue in the contemporary art world, and a lively topic of artistic debate in Rodin's own time, at the end of the 19th century.
Rodin's early career as an ornamental sculptor is too often overlooked. Trained at the Petite École de dessin et d'architecture, Rodin worked in the studio of Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse at the beginning of the 1870s, and contributed to several schemes of ornamental sculpture from the Théâtre des Gobelins to Paris's Trocadéro fountains, and the Brussels Stock Exchange. Several sheets of studies, decorative busts and elements of ornamental sculpture included in the exhibition date from this period. In 1879, Rodin joined the Manufacture de Sèvres, where he produced numerous vases decorated with bacchantes, fauns and putti: Corps et décors presents the largest group of these works to be assembled since 1907, including two Shanghai vases recently acquired by the musée Rodin.
The Gates of Hell, Rodin's unfinished masterpiece, and an inexhaustible storehouse of figures, was created in response to a public commission: the work was initially destined for the façade of a planned State museum of the decorative arts. Other commissions followed, from patrons such as Baron Vitta or the industrialist Maurice Fenaille, eager to incorporate Rodin's art into their everyday surroundings. At the same time, works such as The Kiss or Eternal Springtime were issued in mass-produced scale versions, in response to demand from the public at large. For Rodin, the 1880s were a period of rich cross-fertilization and convergence between these differing areas of his work. Later, Rodin experimented with new materials and alterations of scale, constantly reworking his own creations.
As the exhibition's curator, François Blanchetière, puts it: "Ornamentation is not a crime!" Corps et décors examines Rodin's place in the world of the decorative arts and ornamental sculpture, at a time of increasing exchange and dialogue between traditionally compartmentalized spheres of artistic activity. The works on show highlight a number of issues at the core of artistic debate in the late 19th century: the unity of the arts, the outdistancing of historic styles, the decorative value of works of art, the rules and conditions governing the creation of ornamental sculpture, the dissemination of high art to the wider public. During the course of the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to relive this vital debate, to which Rodin contributed, albeit indrectly, through his life and work.
As a pendant to the exhibition, and as part of the musée Rodin's ongoing programme of contemporary art, the museum will present Torre, a monumental work by Wim Delvoye, together with a display of selected sculptures inside the Hôtel Biron. Delvoye's work revisits every conceivable genre: his often unlikely juxtapositions challenge our conceptions of good taste and excess in the decorative arts.
Musée Rodin Director : Dominique Viéville, Conservateur général du patrimoineExhibition curator : François Blanchetière, Conservateur du patrimoine


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Worlds First Totally Safe Glow Paint is Launched in the UK
This week sees the UK launch of Superstarz (www.glowpaint.net), a ground-breaking new Glow in the Dark paint from interior decorating specialists Superstars Ceilings working in conjunction with Starz Ceilings. The paint is a world-first in terms of safety and following rigorous testing has been deemed 100% safe for use by both adults and children alike. Taking more than a year to develop Superstarz Glow in the Dark paints are seen as a major step forward in Glow Paint technology.
Most paints, including Glow Paints contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC?), particularly formaldehyde and lead, which are harmful to everyone. They can be extremely damaging to personal health and the environment and paint ranks as one of the top contributors of this type of pollution. There is extreme concern over the high levels of VOC? that we are exposed to whilst using paints.
Superstarz paint has zero VOC? and has been developed by a leading scientist whose life? work has focused on Glow in the Dark technology. Now for the first time ever a Glow in the Dark paint is available that is totally safe and free of any formaldehyde and lead. Important to note is that the new Superstarz paint is fully compliant to EU toy safety regulations EN71 part 3. The paint is also beneficial to asthmatics and sufferers of allergies.
The launch comes just days after the department store Harrods was forced to recall hundreds of toys after tests found potentially harmful levels of formaldehyde, just one of an increasing number of chemicals and lead compounds being found in products causing them to be removed from the market.
The search for a 100% VOC Free, Child-Friendly Glow in the Dark paint was deemed necessary as Superstars Ceilings use Glow paints to transform children? bedroom ceilings into truly amazing out-of-this-world cosmic night sky murals. These murals remain invisible during the daytime. The paint is then charged by daylight, UV or artificial light and at night the paints glow for up to 12 hours and the ceilings come to life. Mark Watts from Superstars Ceilings says ?s our work involves using Glow In The Dark paints on a daily basis in children? rooms it was important to find a totally safe paint that would not have adverse effects on us during the application stage and also to the child using the room once each job was completed. With the introduction of our new Superstarz range of paints we now have that peace of mind.?
Ceilings painted with Superstarz paint have been proven to help children sleep. " I am delighted now that Benjamin sleeps not only with the light off but also with his door shut. This is something I thought we would never achieve, but now he can't wait to see his ceiling," said one happy parent.
Superstarz glow paint is now on general sale and comes in four colours: blue, violet, green and aqua and a 60ml pot costs just £15.99 (including postage and packing).
For further information on this exciting breakthrough in paint technology visit the Superstarz website at http://www.glowpaint.net/
Media Contact - Mark Watts @ http://www.glowpaint.net/
Telephone: 441706 212229
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THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT CHOICE a new photographer makes is which camera to use. But walk into any shop or browse to any online supplier, and the variety of different makes and styles are completely overwhelming.
Luckily, there is an easier way than evaluating every model in every conceivable price class.
Cameras come in two main categories: compact and SLR, and by choosing which of these is right for you, you can significantly narrow the choice, making the selection process a lot simpler.
Let's look at each of these in turn:
Digital Single-Lens Reflex Cameras
A single-lens reflex camera can be identified by the fact that the lens and body come in two separate pieces. The lenses can be bought individually and are interchangeable for specific brands of cameras. This is a tremendous advantage and means that the range of capabilities of the camera can be extended over time, such as with longer telephoto lenses or lenses that allow you to take close-up pictures.
In fact, SLRs are better thought of as the centerpiece of a system, rather than as a complete package in its own right. There is an incredible number of accessories and attachments, such as flashguns and filters, dedicated to expanding the range of capabilities of your SLR.
The advantages of using a DSLR
As mentioned above, an SLR is more extendable than its compact cousins. It allows the photographer greater control over how the final image looks. Quite apart from the fact that there are more accessories available, an SLR will generally allow the photographer more control over basic camera controls, such as shutter speed, aperture and ISO selection. Whereas compacts will normally automatically adjust these settings according to a built in algorithm, SLRs will allow the photographer to set each individually, while still including the option of letting the camera operate in automatic mode. Furthermore, while most compacts will only operate in autofocus mode, an SLR will allow the user to manually focus the lens.
Because SLRs are extendable with a variety of lenses and accessories, they are also more versatile, and can be used in a variety of situations. The larger sensor sizes means that less image noise is generated in low light and that the photographer has better control over depth of field, with larger apertures throwing more of the background out of focus than is possible on the smaller Compacts.
Though this is a gross generalization, the image quality generated by SLR lenses are far superior to that available from Compacts. Of course, some Compacts are better than others and not every lens made for the SLR market is of equally high standard, but dedicated lenses at the middle to top end of the market are vastly more reliable and suffer from far fewer aberrations (or flaws) than those built into compact cameras.
One slightly archaic difference between SLRs and Compacts used to be that in a Compact the user does not actually look through the lens of the camera when taking the picture. Rather, the viewfinder was slightly of center, meaning that there was always the possibility of falling foul of a parallax error when taking the picture. Today, most compacts do allow the user to see exactly what the lens sees, but not through the viewfinder, rather by displaying the image as it will appear on the rear display of the camera. Though this is a vast improvement over the previous situation, it is not without flaws, and the image displayed on the back of the camera can often be quite faint and hard to discern in bright light. The large, clear viewfinders found on DSLRs still have the advantage.
The advantages of using a Compact Camera
Firstly and undeniably, Compacts are cheaper. Not only is the amount needed to buy the camera far lower, but there is also much less scope for and need to buy accessories, meaning that you will spend far less over time.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of Compact cameras, price aside, is the fact that they are just that: compact. The small size and light weight mean that you can take it anywhere and that you are much more likely to be able to carry it with you when going on a long trip or in your pocket or purse as you go about your day to day business.
Similarly, Compacts may be a faster option if you need to take a picture in a hurry. With a DSLR and a wide range of lenses, it may take you several minutes to set yourself up. If all you want to do is take a quick snap, or if time is of the essence, you may be much better of reaching for a "point-and-shoot".
Compacts also attract far less attention than bulky black SLRs. Virtually everyone has a little camera stashed away somewhere, and with one of these you can take pictures without anyone giving you a second glance. With an SLR in your hands, you are making a statement, you are declaring to the world that you are there to take a picture, and you shouldn't be surprised if people took notice. Often when you visit music concerts or stage productions, the ushers will allow those with compact cameras through, but stop those carrying DSLRs.
The smaller sensor size of Compact cameras also mean it will have much more depth of field in low light and it enables most models to have a built-in close-up facility.
Some may also say that Compacts are easier to use, and as the "point-and-shoot" nickname suggests, in most cases it's simply a matter of turning it on and pressing the shutter release button. This ease of use does come at the price of limiting the control the user has over the final image, though.
Finally, because the lens is never removed from a Compact camera, there is no opportunity for dust to get in and get stuck to the sensor, this is a common problem with SLRs, and the dust can be notoriusly hard to remove.
Which is right for you? DSLR or Compact
In the great vast world of photography, there is a place for both these formats, all you need to decide is which best suit your needs.
As a general rule, SLRs are used by those who are fairly serious about their photography. Whether as hobbyists or professionals, they are willing to take the time to master the camera and its controls in order to get the best possible images.
Compacts, on the other hand, are used by those who just want a quick snap, who want to get the job done without the hassle of changing lenses or adjusting the shutter speed.
That is not to say that professionals and serious amateurs never use Compact cameras. On the contrary, I know more photographers who have a Compact sitting right alongside their SLR than who don't, but the fact is that they would use these two cameras in different situations. When they need to get the best picture they possibly can, they will use the SLR, but when on holiday with the family, they might use the happy-snap camera, same as everyone else.
Prosumers, Superzooms and Hybrids
This eclectic variety of names all describe the same thing. They all refer to the dirty love-child of the two types of cameras we dealt with above.
What these cameras aim to do is to bring together features of both SLRs and Compacts giving you the best of both worlds. What you end up with, however is a camera that spectacularly combines the worst of all possibilities. It is larger and heavier than a compact, yet have none of the extendibility of an SLR. The lenses offer a huge zoom range, sometimes as much as 20x optical, but the glass is generally of very poor quality and images suffer badly, especially due to chromatic aberration (meaning that different colors come into focus at different places on the image, resulting in the edges of subject detail having a colored fringe, commonly purple).
Furthermore, the degree of control over the final the image is often quite limited compared to an SLR, while the ease of use and speed of the Compact is sacrificed at the same time. The camera is also more expensive than a Compact but of much lower quality than an SLR.
In short, these are not worth the plastic they are made of, and only serve one single purpose: to teach those with more money than sense a lesson.
Buy one at your peril.
Source: Illustrated Photography
Filed under: Info and Facts, Others, Tips | Tagged: compact camera, D-SLR | Leave a comment »


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Last week Dyfrig Williams promised that I would write a blog post for Participation Cymru. So here it is! I suppose it's highly appropriate for me to start blogging now as I've just been appointed to my new role as Participation Cymru Facilitator and I will be looking after the blog and social media accounts after Dyfrig leaves us for his new endeavour at the Wales Audit Office.
I also attended the accredited public engagement training course in Cardiff at the end of April, something which I've been hoping to attend for a long time. We covered so much information over the two days, and explored many interesting ideas and fun participative techniques. The most interesting part in my opinion was the importance of feedback in the engagement process.
I personally believe that the word 'engagement' implies that feedback is continuously given from the both citizen and the service provider – in other words – engagement is a conversation, an ongoing process. It made me realise that citizens are also much more likely to want to engage if they know the impact of their contribution. Feedback also gives transparency to the engagement process, and it is empowering for individuals and community groups to know how their ideas are being used.
However, adequate feedback does not mean publishing the results of a nationwide survey in a publication that no one reads, or a website that no one visits. The type of feedback given needs to be appropriate and relevant to the type of consultation you carried out. For a small consultation, citizens could receive feedback via direct contact (providing they've allowed you to use their details for that purpose, of course!). This approach would show the citizen how much you've valued their input as you're taking the time to get in touch with them individually. For a larger consultation, the mainstream media or social media may be a more appropriate way to provide feedback.
The website change.org provide excellent feedback to signatories of petitions. I've recently signed petitions through this site and have been sent detailed emails of their progress – when the petition was sent to the relevant person, what their response was and what is going to happen next – which is a great example of relevant feedback.
How will you provide feedback to your stakeholders in the future?
– Sarah


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Last week Katie Daryl sat down with a rotating panel of music icons and experts to explore which epic Guitar Intros made the cut. This Sunday, Find out which memorable songs named after women make our list as rock experts like Lita Ford, Steven Adler (GnR) and Stryker (KROQ) count us down!
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Arnaud de La Cotardière appointed Managing Partner of Linklaters in Paris
Linklaters has appointed Arnaud de La Cotardière as the Managing Partner of its Paris office. The appointment is for a four-year term. As Managing Partner, Arnaud will focus on driving the Paris office strategy and in particular on strengthening client relationships.
The mandate of the previous management committee came to an end in December 2008. It was decided to simplify the management system by appointing a sole managing partner, mirroring the structure common to the majority of Linklaters' offices. Nathalie Hobbs and Alain Garnier will focus full-time on the banking and corporate practices respectively.
Linklaters' Paris office has been recognised for its involvement in some of the most complex and prestigious deals, both nationally and internationally. Numerous practices in Paris have been ranked as leaders by both Chambers and Legal 500 and the firm was recently ranked as the leading adviser on M&A in France over the past three years, having acted on 169 deals totalling €209,862m*. Linklaters acted on four of the five biggest deals in France over the same period, advising:
- on the merger between Gaz de France and Suez;
- Caisse des dépôts et consignations in relation to their shareholding in Eiffage and the exit of Sacyr;
- Vinci S.A. on the financing of the acquisition of 77.01% of the share capital and voting rights of Autoroutes du Sud de la France;
- Morgan Stanley as financial adviser to Unibail on its recommended public offer for Rodamco.
For further information, please contact:
Sarah Peters on +44 20 7456 2153 / firstname.lastname@example.com


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- Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans
- A Luscious Fruit Dip
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Daily Archives: September 20, 2012
Operation "Churros": FAIL
If you took Spanish in school as a foreign language, you should be familiar with churros. I live in Florida, so it's hard to take a foreign language other than Spanish. My innate hipster tendency really wanted to take Latin … Continue reading


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Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Recycled Herb Planter
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden
4 comments:
Cool! I like what you did! Looking forward to watching your herb garden grow.ReplyDelete
Have a great week ~ FlowerLady
Awesome job! I've seen these kinds of planters used a lot more often lately. Way cool! Let us know how they do. I hope the cats take to the catnip.ReplyDelete
This is such a great idea, Skeeter! I have "pinned" all kinds of pallet recycling ideas to my Pinterest board, but then I forget about them:) I've wanted a separate herb garden for a long time and using a pallet seems so much simpler than digging up another area of the lawn. My friend planted a pallet with annuals a couple of years ago, painting it and propping it upright along her fence. It was a lot of work, but the end result was worth it. Love the spoon marker idea!!ReplyDelete
Love the idea of wooden spoon plant labels. I have a few pallets here. Need to get busy and make a compost bin.ReplyDelete


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Home » Services » Residential » Residential Agency » Selling » Selling FAQs
Selling FAQs
Our selling FAQs will answer everything from how much it will cost to sell a property through to arranging completion dates. If you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to ask a member of our team.
How much will it cost me to sell my property?
The primary costs of selling a property are:
- Legal fees and conveyancing
- Energy performance certificate: Having an EPC completed is a legal requirement, but an agent can offer help and assistance in arranging this.
- Commission for your estate agent: Once the finalities have been agreed and contracts have been signed, the agent's fees become payable. This is usually charged as a percentage of the sale price + VAT.
How do I find out how much my property is worth?
A simple search on Zoopla or Rightmove will allow you to view properties on the market in your area and see their value. For a most accurate appraisal, you can invite an experienced agent to visit your property and provide a full, no-obligation report.
How can I increase the value of my property?
Before you put your property on the market, you may want to consider some improvements such as minor repairs, replacing common surfaces, or giving the walls a quick coat of paint. Ask an agent for an honest opinion on how to enhance your listing price for the best return.
Should I use an estate agent?
Should you wish to bypass estate agents fees, you can certainly choose to market the property yourself. This can save you from paying commission on the sale but do keep in mind that you may miss out on an agent's advice and expertise, and would be responsible for all the advertising, marketing viewings of the property.
Is it ok to have a little bit of clutter around the property?
It is paramount that prospective buyers see your home in optimum condition. Even removing rubbish bins from sight can help! Try and keep your space as tidy as possible to put your best foot forward with prospective buyers.
Can I expect an offer to be made straight away?
Perhaps the hardest part of the whole selling process is waiting for the right, qualified buyer. The timeframe of an offer can vary widely, but it will be worth it to wait for the right buyer when it comes to processing the sale.
What do I do when I'm happy with the offer made?
If you're happy with the offer, you can accept it 'subject to survey and contract'. You will then confirm the sale in writing to the estate agent. The agent will contact the buyer and both sets of solicitors to confirm the sale and ask the solicitor to draft a contract. It is important to remember that you do not have to take the property off the market at this point, but the buyer may ask you to do so.
I have accepted the offer, should I see a solicitor?
Yes, you'll need to appoint a solicitor to complete the legal work involved in the transaction. A contract of sale now needs to be drawn up as well as releasing the details of the deeds to the solicitor appointed by your buyer.
Does the buyer have to have a survey done on my property?
Yes, just after the offer. Once an offer has been made, your estate agent will let you know when the buyer's surveyor is coming around. This will likely occur a few days after an offer has been made so the estate agent should provide keys if you are unavailable.
Is it sometimes necessary to re-negotiate the price?
If the above-mentioned survey reveals work that needs to be done on the property, then the buyer may want to offer slightly less than the original offer as a result of the survey. This will be handled by your solicitors. Try to be realistic about the price, but if you are unable to reach an agreement, then you are within your rights to pull out of the sale. You may lose some money by having to begin the selling process again, but do what's right for you.
When are contracts exchanged and completion dates arranged?
When both parties are committed legally to the sale, then contracts can be exchanged, and a completion date can be decided. At this point, the buyer should hand over a deposit normally between 5% and 10% to your solicitor.
When do I organise my move?
You will have to vacate the property on the day of the completion of the sale, so book a removal van and allow plenty of time for packing.
What is my completion date?
This is when the keys are handed over and you move on to your new home.
If you have any questions or we can answer any other questions at all, please don't hesitate to get in contact with a member of our team.


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Over the next 9 weeks, we will discover what God's thoughts are regarding preparedness as well as teaching, planning, and executing practical steps to ensure you and your family are well prepared to handle any disasters that may come your way.
We understand the thought processes behind preparedness can be overwhelming at times, but we are here to remind and encourage you through the process to achieve greater levels of preparedness. The good news is that we have been learning and taking practical steps over the past few years, and want to share our experience and knowledge to help you navigate through the different elements you will face. We hope this class will build peace and confidence in you to weather the many different disasters that could potentially affect your family.
We know that everyone taking this class may already be at different levels of preparedness. Some people may be brand new to the idea, and others may have even more experience than we do on different subject matters. Our hope for this class is that it becomes more than a training or emergency course, but it becomes a helpful way for you to connect with other people of like minds and faith in your community helping to establish a network to assist others in their time of need.
Just click on "Add to Cart" and download your copy for free.


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Food is an important aspect in many faiths and many religions have specific requirements. Religions from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism all have religious requirements. Depending on the how strictly you follow your own faith influences the extent to which you will follow these regulations. Christianity includes the faiths of Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant and each of these faiths have varying food influences and requirements. Catholic and Orthodox Christians observe several fast and feast days during the year and Protestants celebrate Christmas and Easter. Even the ritual communion celebrated by Christians involves food and drink which represents Jesus through bread and wine.
But imagine coming to live in a country where you are alien to the culture and language and then having to maintain your religious food requirements. In Islam, Judaism and Hinduism, all of these faiths have foods which are forbidden. In Islam the concept of Halal and Haram is applied. Halal means 'lawful' or 'permitted' and this concept is applied not just in food, but all aspects of a Muslim's life. Halal foods are allowed and those prohibited are Haram meaning 'not permitted' which includes pork and alcohol.
Judaism follows a similar requirement with regards to food and Kashrut refers to laws permitting food in the Jewish religion. Kosher means food 'fit' or 'permitted' and foods which are not permitted include pork and shellfish. Kosher and Halal foods have specific religious requirements at the time of slaughter and it is this which differentiates Halal and Kosher meat from other meat.
To access Halal food in the 1960's in Yorkshire was a challenge and many people resorted to undertaking the preparation and animal slaughter at home just to be able to eat meat once a month and maintain their religious beliefs. Now walking about in Huddersfield, Bradford, Dewsbury, Leeds and many other Yorkshire towns, you will be hard pressed not to be able to find any Halal meat shops or grocery stores catering to the needs of the South Asian community, but there are still some gaps in the food market that are not being met and are still not catering for all religions or faiths.
Hinduism believes in the interdependence of life and people who practice the Hindu religion don't eat meat from any animal or any food that is involved in the taking of life. Many Hindus are vegetarian, which is not compulsory and most Hindus do not eat beef or beef products, as the cow is sacred. This belief in life means that many Hindus do not eat eggs. So if you were celebrating an event, where would you go to get an eggless cake? London, Birmingham, but what about locally? Why do you have to undergo challenges to maintain your faith? Understanding the role of food in cultural and religious practice is an important way of showing respect and responding to the needs of the people from religious communities, from which we will be able to avoid assumptions about a person's religious beliefs and culture.


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Log In needed $30 · VIDEO CAMERAReport Ad
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Community Gardens
Sponsored By
Salute Your Community GardenersMany community garden spots are tended by people you never see; who come to plant and weed and water as volunteers. Salute them over the 4th.
Vegetable Plots Behind Our Homes, In Our CommunitiesCommunity gardens and front-lawn vegetable patches have become more commonplace over the past decade, yielding positive benefits to those participating in them.
Temple Student Plants Rolling GardenDylan DeVlieger, a painting major at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University wanted to grow his own vegetables, but wasn't able to get a community garden started near his Philadelphia apartment, so he created mobile garden carts instead.
Horticultural Society's Downtown Community Garden Going FallowPHS president Drew Becker says the urban oasis produced more than 600 pounds of food since it opened in June.
Philadelphia Community Gardeners Keeping Eagle Eye On Ripening ProduceCity dwellers often turn to community gardens as a way to grow their own fresh produce. But it doesn't build a sense of community when your hard word is stolen before you have a chance to enjoy it.
Philadelphia Lawmakers To Review Massive Increase In Vacant Lot License FeeOnce in a while apparently you can fight City Hall. That happened this past week, as Council heard complaints about a huge increase in an annual license fee, and so the lawmakers are likely to cut that hike in half.
Local Gardeners Team Up To Create More Green Space In PhiladelphiaIt may be winter, but there are groups already hard at work helping to connect local seniors with community gardens.


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This excerpt introduces the meditations on Genesis prepared by Valerius Herberger (1562–1627), a Lutheran pastor in Fraustadt (now Wschowa), Poland. Herberger regarded the Scriptures "rather like the linen cloths that wrapped the infant Jesus in the manger, and traced his Lord in every little wrinkle" (from the translator's preface).
The following comes from The Great Works of God, volume 1 (pp. 128–29).
Now who is the Lord that rested here? Moses says Elohim, that is, "God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit," the eternal God, revealed in three persons, the selfsame God who was at work before this. Here we find Jesus once again. He was at rest with His heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit.
Accordingly, just as the Lord Jesus rested here on the seventh day after having completed all His tasks for Friday, so after the rest between God and man had been disturbed by sin, the Lord Jesus rested yet again in the tomb, and by His resting won back that rest that man had before the fall, restoring everything that had been lost by the deceit of the evil one. Just as the Lord Jesus once completed all creation on Friday (Gen. 2:2), so the Lord Jesus completed the work of redemption on Good Friday, saying in truth, "It is finished." Just as Jesus once rested on the eve of Saturday, so after the quiet Friday in the tomb, He rested on Saturday and acquired for us the most blessed rest previously lost by Adam's fall. Here ponder, dear heart, what a great and inexpressible treasure this is. Take this comfort as your prized trophy, use it well, and say: Dear Lord Jesus, thanks be to You for Your rest in the tomb whereby You have restored to me the first rest for which man was created. By my sins the Holy Spirit was driven from me, but by virtue of Your rest the Holy Spirit is now to rest in my heart and lead me from one good deed to the next. For "all whom the Spirit of God leads are children of God" [Rom. 8:14]. Now I am to rest from sins instead of laboring in the devil's courts. I am to find rest for my soul by virtue of Your rest. When I have a restless conscience and my deepest fears are gnawing at me, I will simply recall Your merit in living faith and all the unrest of my heart is dispelled. My soul is to find in Your benefits an everlasting Sunday, an everlasting day of joy, jubilee, and pleasure. And someday, when the restless world has vexed and annoyed me enough, I will come to rest in the churchyard in my resting-chamber. There I will rest for a season, free from all sin, adversity, hunger, care, sorrow, and misery, until the bright morning of the blessed Last Day. For "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yea, says the Spirit, that they may from their labors" (Rev. 14:13). And finally, O Lord Jesus, by the power of Your rest I am to have eternal rest, where there shall be nothing but Sundays "from Sabbath to Sabbath" (Is. 66:23), nothing but joy and bliss, delight, pleasure, and life. "In Your presence there is fullness of joy, and pleasures at Your right hand forevermore" (Ps. 16:11).—Valerius Herberger
For a limited time, Concordia Publishing House is offering both volumes of The Great Works of God at a special combination price of only $49.99 (you save more than 40%). Take advantage of this special offer today.


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Even harder is to figure out approaches to engage students in critical thinking — a central goal embraced, at least philosophically, by most all college and university teachers — in ways that can actually lead to observable outcome gains. It's a tricky business. The VALUE rubric developed by AAC&U for assessing student development in critical thinking defines it as "a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion." The rubric is a useful tool, largely because it lays out stages of critical thinking development from initial benchmark to capstone in a variety of important areas: explanation of issues, use of evidence, considering assumptions and contents, establishing a position, drawing conclusions.
So we've got some guidance on assessing what students do… but how can we provide them explicit practice in doing it, in ways applicable to a broad range of learning contexts?
Coming to our rescue again, Maryellen Weimer from the Teaching Professor Blog shares what appears to be a too-simple pattern of four question prompts that guide students through four important paths to critical thinking: analysis of concepts, reflection on the relevance of concepts, application of concepts to other situations, and continued questioning about concepts. The four-question plan comes from Dietz-Uhler and Lanter (2009), whose SOTL research on the use of this question set revealed significant effects on student performance!
So you don't have to bruise the side of your head like poor little Pooh to think of ways to get your students to think. When in a pinch, just take them down the four-question path! And stop for some hunny on the way, silly old bear.
Prompts That Get Students to Analyze, Reflect, Relate, and Question
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog
A simple teaching technique that helps students learn; now there's something few teachers would pass up! This particular technique involves a four-question set that gets students actively responding to the material they are studying. They analyze, reflect, relate, and question via these four prompts:


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A patient support programme has shown that pharmacist interventions can improve adherence to diabetes medication by up to 61 per cent. The programme, which was a joint initiative by Celesio UK and MSD, was specifically designed to address patients' individual concerns about their diabetes medication.
"We wanted to provide targeted support that was tailored to the individual needs of patients and we therefore segmented them according to their risk of non-adherence – high, medium and low – as well as their type of non-adherence – intentional versus unintentional," says Laura Southall, service design manager for medicines adherence and patient support at Celesio.
Beliefs about a drug and the convenience of treatment or its complexity are important predictors of non-adherence. 'Concern' beliefs are about the adverse consequences of taking a drug, whereas 'necessity' beliefs are about the positive effects of a drug on someone's health.
Previous research has found that for intentional non-adherers, 'concerns' play a more important role than 'beliefs' about the necessity of the drug for glucose lowering medications.
A total of 225 patients were recruited to the programme and were contacted via telephone and SMS text messages over a six-month period. The discontinuation rate was 8 per cent. The results show that:
• The 74 patients whose adherence was the most challenging when enrolled showed the greatest success, with average adherence increasing from 57.2 to 80.9 per cent
• Patients enrolled with low adherence ended the pilot with the highest overall adherence – up from 33.6 to 95.1 per cent (an improvement of 61.4 per cent)
• The 38 patients rated as medium adherence moved to the 'high' classification after an improvement of 27.7 per cent (up from 69.2 to 96.9 per cent).
"Our patient support programme has proven how effective a tailored and personalised pharmacist-led intervention can be in addressing reasons for non-adherence and driving positive outcomes," says Laura Southall.
"Pharmacists are in an excellent position within the patient journey to make impactful interventions," says Samuel Pygall, pharmacy strategy lead for MSD. "We are delighted to partner with Celesio on this initiative and hope that it is the beginning of collaboration that provides tailored projects that can really deliver change to healthcare provision in the community".
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Friday, June 20, 2008
Reflexology for Brides & Grooms!
I ran into a blog that was talking about de-stressing brides. One of the suggestions was reflexology. It brought up a lot of memories. A few years ago I was dragged quite literally into working on brides. An overly critical future mother-in-law had sent the bride into a form of panic attack. My cousin dragged me into the bride's dressing room to work on her feet. I was able to bring the bride back to the moment. I received a special hug for my work and the wedding went off without any further incident. What a nice moment to be able to calm a troubled bride. It reminds me of a quote for Complete Reflexology for Life. "Reflexology for Life speaks to reflexology applications for different times in our lives. On a personal note, it seems that reflexology has been there with us to calm or to cope, to ease and to help. From on bride's pre-wedding jitters to another's post-wedding tired feet; from one niece's pregnancy to another's sports injury, reflexology has soothed the way, lending a helping hand to people special to us." Complete Reflexology for Life, page 6 After my first bridal success story got out, I ended up working on several more brides and grooms. It really seemed to help. And I felt a little more a part of the ceremony in a special way. Kevin Kunz
Posted by Kristie Martin, Relaxation Professional at 3:06 AM
Labels: Reflexology for Life
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11 Sep With SEO Your Customers Come To You
By Laura Levin, Muse Group SEO Specialist
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing a website so that when a potential customer searches key terms related to your business, you pop up. When you rank on the first page for key terms, you are more likely to be found, and have a higher chance of a user both visiting your site and making a purchase or picking up the phone to call you.
So What Exactly IS SEO?
SEO has a lot of moving parts. First and foremost, an SEO specialist needs to review your website to make sure it has been built with SEO in mind. Next on the list is examining the backend, the verbiage on your website and inbound and outbound links.
Search engine optimization campaigns consist of both the technical coding side as well as the creative side of marketing and web management. It takes a mixture both of these to come up on the first page of search engine results and to see an increase in traffic and revenue.
SEO and Your Customer
With other types of marketing, you are trying to find your customer. With SEO, your customer finds you. Although other types of traffic can generate visits to your website, most people turn to search engines to find the product or service they are looking for. If you are not coming up for key terms, you are missing out on a lot of potential business.
Muse Group Can Help
The search engine optimization process varies from client to client but our method typically includes a website audit, industry research, target audience research, strategy development, keyword development, and content development. All of this works in tandem to help improve rankings, drive traffic, increase awareness and improve sales on your website.
Contact Muse Group today to help customers find your website.
Laura is in love with all things digital marketing. She is a Google Partner certified in both Google Analytics and Google Adwords with eight years of integrated marketing experience. Using a holistic approach to SEO that combines a deep understanding of both user intent and search algorithms, she uses data-driven strategies to help your website rank higher for key search terms. Each of her clients have found themselves on the first page of Google, Yahoo and Bing and with an increase in traffic, customers and sales.
Learn more about SEO and how we can help you with an effective SEO campaign.


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After the final bell sounds, after the last locker closes shut, and the last school bus rolls off the parking lot, that's when a special group of people goes to work in the Francis Howell School District (FHSD). Then it's time for our diligent custodians and maintenance workers to roll up their sleeves to ensure a safe, clean and fully-functional learning and working environment for all FHSD students, teachers and staff.
FHSD would not be the great District it is today without their efforts. That's why this week, we are celebrating these indispensable workers during Custodian and Maintenance Week.
"From shiny floors to trimmed lawns and snow removal, our custodial and maintenance staff work hard to keep our facilities clean and safe," said FHSD Superintendent Dr. Mary Hendricks-Harris. "Day in and day out, they work tirelessly to make sure that Francis Howell is a great place to learn, teach and work. They are vital members of the Francis Howell community."
Manager of Custodial and Warehouse Operations Jim Nilges said he is thrilled about the recognition.
"The facilities team truly is a 'team' and their individual and collective effort is evident by the positive results and the positive feedback we receive," Nilges said. "They're an amazing group of people and are driven by their desire to provide the best customer service to the FHSD family."
FHSD is proud of its custodians and maintenance crew, and is thankful for the hours they spend every day keeping our buildings and grounds immaculately clean as well as quickly repairing anything that might be broken – from flooring, mechanical equipment, all the way up to our roofs.
While the work they do is already at a high level, Nilges said his priority during the upcoming school year is to be 100 percent staffed with quality and qualified custodians as well as to continue to promote a safe, healthy and harmonious work environment.
Lastly, he said he has one specific goal on his list: "I want to smile more… smiles are contagious," he said.
Join us in recognizing all of our custodians and maintenance workers this week by letting them know how much everything they do is appreciated.


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Savings/Certificate Secured Loans use the money in your Savings Account or Share Certificate as collateral, so the interest rate is lower than that of other personal loans.
It's a great option for members who have a significant amount of funds on deposit at the Credit Union. (In the case of savings account Secured Loans, the funds used as collateral may be withdrawn as the balance of the loan decreases.)
To get more information about secured loans, call our Lending Department at 800-543-2283 option 4.
Standard Register Federal Credit Union is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Applicants are generally notified of credit decisions within 3 business days of application. For questions about the status of a loan application, you may call 937-223-3333, option 4.
The Medical Helper Loan was designed to help members with unexpected medical bills. Maximum loan amount is $5,000 for a 60-month term. Rates as low as 15.00% based on credit standing.
Mortgage Loan
Looking to purchase a new home or refinance your existing home? What about building a home? These types of loans would be Mortgage Loans.
Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)
If you're wanting to borrow against your home's equity for large expenses, such as college tuition, home improvements, or medical bills, a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) is what you're looking for.
To get more information about either of these loans, call our Lending Department at 800-543-2283 option 4.
Ready to apply for a Real Estate Loan? Download the application here.
Want to see how much you can afford to borrow? Use our Loan Calculator.
A secured loan is a loan that is tied to real property that acts as collateral, like a vehicle.
Vehicle Financing
Now researching and buying a vehicle is even easier with our Auto Buying Resource. Here you can research and compare vehicles from local dealerships, get NADA values, CarFax reports (when available), and apply for a loan, right from the convenience of your computer or mobile device. Click here to get started.
We offer loans on new and used vehicles for the same great rate! Don't pay more through dealer financing. Get pre-approved before you step foot in a dealership and leverage your buying power to get a better price.
To get more information about vehicle loans, call our Lending Department at 800-543-2283 option 4.
Click here to apply for a loan online now.
Want to see how much you can afford to borrow? Use our Loan Calculator.
The Home Improvement Loan was designed to help homeowners with the cost of needed home improvements. Maximum loan amount is $10,000 for a 60-month term. All homeowners and/or spouse must sign for the loan. Rates as low as 10.00% based on credit standing.
The Holiday Helper loan was designed to help members with their holiday expenses (hence the name). Maximum loan amount is $2,500 for a 12-month term. Rates as low as 8.9% based on credit standing.


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Southampton Hospital has a high priority need for nursing education. Hospital operating budget constraints only permit the minimum required training opportunities.
The Carolyn Frances Mack Nursing Education Fund was established in November, 2009 to assist Nurses with education and training in Palliative, Cardiac Care and Clinical Technology as well as Leadership.
Carolyn Mack (nee Helwig) was Team Leader of inpatient medical and surgical units as well as Clinical Supervisor at Southampton Hospital. She passed away in 2008 after a courageous struggle.
Carolyn was a progressive person who was proud of her training and accomplishments. The Fund is a wonderful tribute to her memory. Opportunities created for education and training through a Fund in Carolyn's honour have been enthusiastically welcomed by the nursing team in Southampton.
Many in-memoriam donations were received when Carolyn passed away. Her husband Bob Mack and the Motz Family Foundation created the Carolyn Fund. Contributions to the fund support education and training for nurses at Southampton hospital.
In just 2 years, the Fund has already provided $9,000 in support of nursing education. Sixteen nurses and countless patients have benefitted from the gift of knowledge so far.
Thank you for helping to keep healthcare close to home!


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Hotel Eurostars Roma Aeterna is located to the east of ancient Rome, in the neighbourhood Pigneto, which is now one of the city's most active industrial and business centres. The hotel is close to the main places of interest: the basilica of Saint John Lateran, Porta Maggiore, the basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the central University campus, La Sapienza.
Rome's central train station, Termini, is a 20-minute walk (15 minutes by bus).
Tuscolana train station, where you can get the train to Fiumicino regional airport, is a 15-minute walk (10 minutes by bus). The hotel is in front of the Ponte Casilino train station, on the Roma-Giardinetti train line and the metro stations Piazza Vittorio and Termini.
The closest bus station is only 30 metres from the hotel. The tram stop is 200 metres from the hotel.
Directions from:
Roma Fiumicino Airport:
•By Leonardo Express train, which departs every 30 minutes to Termini station
Roma Ciampino Airport:
•With the bus company Terravision or Sit shuttle bus to Termini station
Termini station:
• Bus 105 to Ponte Casilino bus stop
• Tram 5 or 14 to the stop Piazzale Prenestino (200 metres from the hotel)
We can organise transfers to and from the airport upon request.
On request we organize transfers from and to the airport br> br>
Bus to the center (Coliseum) at set times (with
supplement) br>


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06/23/2014 | Accionistas e Inversores
• FCC chairman Esther Alcocer Koplowitz highlighted "determination and courage in the adoption of extraordinary measures required at the moment" • Juan Béjar, Vice-Chairman and CEO, announced that the adjustment and writedown phase is complete and emphasised the international expansion of the Medio Ambiente and Water businesses
At the General Meeting held this afternoon in Barcelona, FCC shareholders ratified the Group's refinancing plan, organised with banks in March. The plan includes the refinancing of 4.512 billion euro in bank debt and the extension of the 450 million euro convertible bond issue.
The refinancing agreement, backed by 99.98% of creditors, structures a very large portion of bank debt in two tranches: tranche A, with 3.162 billion euro, and B, with 1.350 billion euro, which includes the right to convert to FCC shares in the event that the company is unable to repay or refinance upon maturity, in 2018. The second tranche is guaranteed by a warrant issue, approved by the shareholders. The General Meeting also supported the modification and extension of the 450 million euro convertible bond issue to 2020.
With shareholder approval of these two items, FCC has stabilised its financial situation and laid the foundation to achieve the objectives set out in its Strategic Plan, presented in March of last year and whose main items (such as debt and cost reduction and restructuring) are 80% complete.
Determination and courage
In her presentation, FCC chairman Esther Alcocer Koplowitz underlined "the determination and courage in adopting extraordinary measures required at this time". In her analysis of the past year, she said "we have undertaken to completely restore our businesses to health and applied strict financial discipline".
She also shared a few words about her mother and FCC's main shareholder, Esther Koplowitz, in recognition of her dedication and commitment, and also noted "the confidence deriving from the recent inclusion in our shareholder structure of leading, prestigious investors, both Spanish and international, to whom we want to extend our most sincere gratitude for their trust in FCC as well as our warmest welcome".
Improvement in profitability and cash flowJ
uan Béjar, Vice-Chairman and CEO of FCC, the Citizen Services Group, highlighted the focus on greater internationalisation in the Medio Ambiente and Water businesses. After discussing the main items in last year's income statement and adjustment processes that commenced with the Strategic Plan, Mr Béjar underlined indispensable objectives such as improving the profitability of all operations and the focus on cash flow.
With regard to this year, Mr Béjar spoke about debt containment, the 20% increase in EBITDA, 5% growth in revenues, and completing the 500 million euro divestment process.
He concluded his presentation on "looking towards the near future" by mentioning the four areas which must drive growth: "the capacity to invest in projects that increase EBITDA; a management model aimed at achieving results; a global management team that is responsible and committed to results; and an emphasis on international growth in the Medio Ambiente and Water businesses".
Other items on the agenda included the ratification of the re-appointment of Rafael Montes and Alicia Alcocer as proprietary directors and of Gonzalo Rodríguez Mourullo, Gustavo Villapalos and Olivier Orsini as independent directors.
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