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Home care in Fredericksburg, VA
Sitter services, meal planning, scheduling
Feeding, toileting, bathing, ambulation
High-tech nursing, medication, injections
View positions at our local offices and apply
October 24th, 2016
For Immediate Release -
Fredericksburg, VA – BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg today announced that it has received the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award from Home Care Pulse. The Provider of Choice Award is granted only to the top ranking home care providers, based on client satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse. BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg is now ranked among a select few home care providers across the country who have proven their ability to provide outstanding care. "We want to congratulate BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg on receiving the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award," says Aaron Marcum, CEO and founder of Home Care Pulse. "Since this award is based on client feedback, it demonstrates their dedication to providing the highest quality of care with a focus on client satisfaction. We are pleased to recognize BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg's dedication to quality, professionalism and expertise in home care." Best of Home Care Provider of Choice award-winning providers have contracted with Home Care Pulse to gather feedback from their clients by conducting live phone interviews with their clients each month. Because Home Care Pulse is an independent third-party company, it is able to collect honest and unbiased feedback. These award-winning providers have received the highest satisfaction scores from their clients in areas such as professionalism, services provided, compassion of caregivers and overall quality of care. "I am proud of each and every member of our team. This award speaks directly to their dedication and commitment to providing the highest levels of care and a meaningful and compassionate experience to all of our clients" says Edward Fichtel, Owner and President. "Our goal at Home Care Pulse is to empower home care businesses to deliver the best home care possible," says Aaron Marcum. "We are happy to recognize BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg as a Best of Home Care Provider of Choice and to celebrate their accomplishments as a trusted home care provider." To find out more about BrightStar Care of Frederickburg's commitment to excellence, please visit BrightStarCare.com/Fredericksburg or call 540-376-3131. ###
About Home Care Pulse Home Care Pulse is the home care industry's leading firm in performance benchmarking and quality satisfaction management, serving hundreds of home care businesses across North America. Home Care Pulse is the industry's top resource for education, business development, agency certification, and proof of quality, including the prestigious Best of Home Care® Awards. Click here to learn more about the Private Duty Benchmarking Study and the Home Care Pulse VANTAGE program. For more information, please call Home Care Pulse at (877) 307-8573 or visit homecarepulse.com.
About BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg proudly provide Home Care and Support for Seniors, including 24 hour in home care, and support in independent and assisted living communities. We provide all levels of home care from companion services to Skilled Nursing. Medical Staffing, Home care, In-Home Skilled Nursing, In-Home Physical Therapy for pediatric, adult and geriatric patients, Companion and Personal Care for Elders with Alzheimer's or Dementia. We also provide Home Child Care, Sitter and Nanny services for Children and Support for New Mothers. We Support Veterans and accept most Long Term Care Insurance benefits, provide Hospice care, Live-in care, CNA, Caregiver, RN, LPN, RN Supervision, Compassionate Care, and Compatibility Guarantees. We are an ALS Society partner, Alzheimer Association member, providing care for developmentally disabled and individuals of all ages with mental health and behavioral health diagnosis. Other services inlcude safe discharge and transportation from the hospital or rehab facility, Post Op care both short and long term, Pre Operation and preparation help and assistance, client monitoring for out of town family members. Proudly serving Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Woodbridge, Springfield, Burke, Triangle, Fairfax Station, and surrounding areas
Call us today to schedule a care assessment and conversation with a BrightStar Care Registered Nurse.


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Reliable Vertical Control: Direct Use of TAD Palatal Anchorage for Open Bite Correction
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Ely Parker's Implementation of the Peace Policy
As U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Ely Parker would steer and coordinate the government's relations with over 300,000 American Indians. His first report as Commissioner was filed in 1869. It is a detailed exploration of the Peace Policy -- a plan organized by Parker which would become the hallmark of President Grant's administration.
1869 Report - U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs
The measures to which we are indebted for an improved condition of affairs are the concentration of the Indians upon suitable reservations, and the supplying them with means for engaging in agricultural and mechanical pursuits for their education and moral training. As a result, the clouds of ignorance and superstition in which many of these people were so long enveloped, have disappeared, and the light of Christian civilization seems to have dawned upon their moral darkness, and opened upon a brighter future.
Much, however, remains to be done for the multitude yet in their savage state, and I can but earnestly invite the serious consideration of those whose duty it is to legislate in their behalf, to the justice and importance of promptly fulfilling all treaty obligations and the wisdom of placing at the disposal of the department adequate funds for the purpose, and investing it with powers to adopt the requisite measures for the settlement of all tribes, when practicable, upon tracts of land to be set apart for their use and economy. I recommend that in addition to the reservations already established, there be others provided for the wild and roving tribes of New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada; also for the more peaceable bands in the southern part of California. These tribes, excepting the Navahos in the Territory of New Mexico, who under the Treaty of 1868, have a home in the western part of the Territory to which they have been removed, have no treaty relations with the government, and if placed upon reservations, it will be necessary that Congress, by appropriating legislation, provide for their wants, until they become capable of taking care of themselves.
In the other Territories, as also in Oregon and the northern part of California, the existing reservations are sufficient to accommodate all the Indians within their bounds; indeed, the number might with advantage be reduced; but in Montana there is urgent need for the setting apart, permanently suitable tracts for the Blackfeet and other tribes, who claims large portions of that Territory and are parties to treaties entered into with them last year by Commissioner W. J. Cullen, which were submitted to the United States Senate, but have not been finally acted upon by that body. Should the treaties be ratified, the required reservations will be secured, greatly to the benefit of both Indians and citizens.
Before entering upon a resume of affairs of the respective superintendencies of agencies for the past year, I will here briefly notice several matters of interest which in their bearing upon the management of our Indian relations, are likely to work out judging from what has been the effect so far, the most beneficial results.
Under an act of Congress approved April 10, 1868, two million dollars were appointed to enable the President to maintain peace among and with various tribes, bands and parties of Indians; to promote their civilization; bring them, when practicable, upon reservations, and to relieve their necessities, and encourage their efforts at self support. The Executive is also authorized to organize a Board of Commissioners, to consist of not more than ten persons, selected from among men eminent for their intelligence and philanthropy, to serve without pecuniary compensation, and who, under his direction, shall exercise joint control with the Secretary of the Interior over the disbursement of this large fund.
The commission selected in accordance with this provision of the law, composed of the following gentlemen; George H. Stuart, William Welsh, W.E. Dodge, E. S. Tobey, John B. Farwell, Robert Campbell, Felix R. Brunot, Henry S. Lane and Nathan Bishop, met in this city in May last, and after deliberations upon the points suggested for their consideration, as embraced in my letter to them dated the 26th of May involving the legal status of the Indians, the rights and the obligations of the government toward them: the propriety of any further treaties being made; the expediency of a change in the mode of annuity payments, and other points of special interest they decide as preliminary to future operations and for the more convenient and speedy discharge of their duties, upon dividing the territory inhabited by the Indians into three sections and appointed subcommittees out of their number to visit each, and examine into the affairs of the tribes therein, and to report at a meeting to be held in Washington prior to the coming session of Congress.
In regard to the fund of two million dollars referred to, it may be remarked that it has enabled the department to a great extent to carry out the purpose for which it was appropriated. There can be no question but that mischief has been prevented and suffering either relieved or warded off from numbers who otherwise by force or circumstances would have been led into difficulties and extreme want. By the timely supplies of subsistence and clothing furnished, and the adoption of measures for their benefit, the tribes from whom the greatest trouble was apprehended have been kept comparatively quiet, and some advance it is to be hoped, made in the direction of their permanent settlement in the localities assigned to them, and their entering upon a new course of life.
The subsistence they receive is furnished through the agency of the commissionary department of the Army, with, it is believed, greater economy and more satisfaction than could have resulted had the mode heretofore been followed. In this connection I desire to call attention to the fact that the number of wild Indians and other, also not provided for by treaty stipulations, whose precarious condition requires that something should be done for relief and who are thrown under the immediate charge of the department, is increasing. It is therefore, a matter of serious consideration and urgent necessity that means be offered to properly care for them. For this purpose, in my judgement there should be annually appropriated by Congress, a large contingent fund similar to that in question, and subject to the same control. I accordingly recommend that the subject be brought to the attention of Congress.
With a view of more efficiency in the management of affairs of the respective superintendencies and agencies, the Executive has inaugurated a change of policy whereby a different class of men from those heretofore selected, have been appointed to duty as superintendents and agents. There are doubtless just grounds for it, as great and frequent complaints have been made for years past, of either the dishonesty of inefficiency of many of these officers. Members of the Society of Friends, recommended by the society, now hold these positions in the Northern superintendency, embracing all Indians in Nebraska; and in the Central, embracing tribes residing in Kansas, together with the Kiowas, Comanches, and other tribes in the Indian county. Other superintendencies and agencies, excepting that of Oregon and two agencies there, are filled by Army detailed for such duty.
The experiment has not been sufficiently tested to enable me to say definitively that it is a success, for but a short time has elapsed since these Friends and officers entered upon duty; but so far as I can learn, the plan works advantageously, and will probably prove a positive benefit to the service, and the indications are that the interests of the government and the Indians will be subserved by an honest and faithful discharge of duty, fully answering the expectations entertained by those who regard the measure as wise and proper.
I am pleased to have it remarked that there is now a perfect understanding between the officers of this department and those of the military, with respect to their relative duties and responsibilities in reference to the Indian affairs. In this matter with the approbation of the President and yourself a circular letter was addressed to this office in June last to all superintendents and agents, defining the policy of the government in its treatments of the Indians, as comprehended in there general terms, viz: that they should be secured their legal rights; located, when practicable, upon reservations; assisted in agricultural pursuits and the arts of civilized life and that Indians who should fail or refuse to come in and locate in permanent abodes provided for them, must be subject wholly to the control and supervision of military authorities, to be treated as friendly or hostile as circumstances might justify. The War Department concurring, issued orders upon the subject for the information and guidance of the proper military officers, and the result has been harmony of action between two departments, no conflict of opinion having arisen as to the duty, power and responsibility of either.
Arrangements now, as heretofore, will doubtless be required with tribes desiring to be settled upon reservations for the relinquishment of their rights to the lands claimed by them, and for assistance in sustaining themselves in a new position, but I am of the opinion that they should not be of a treaty nature. It has become a matter of serious import whether the treaty system in use ought longer to be continued. In my judgement it should not. A treaty involves the idea of a compact between two or more sovereign powers, each possessing of sufficient authority and force to compel a compliance with the obligations incurred. The Indian tribes of the United States are not sovereign nations, capable of making treaties, as none of them have an organized government of such inherent strength as would secure a faithful obedience of its people in the observance of compacts of this character. They are held to be the wards of the government, and the only title to the law concedes to them to the lands they occupy or claim is a mere possessory one. But because treaties have been made with them generally for the extinguishment of their supposed absolute title to land inhabited by them, or over which they roam, they have become falsely impressed with the notion of national independence.
It is time that this idea should be dispelled, and that the government cease the cruel farce of thus dealing with its helpless and ignorant wards. Many good men, looking at this matter only from a Christian point of view, will perhaps say that the poor Indian has been greatly wronged and ill treated; that this whole county was once his of which he has been despoiled, and that he has been driven from place to place until he has hardly left to him a spot where to lay his head. This indeed may be philanthropic, and human, but the stern letter of the law admits of no conclusion, and great injury has been done by the government deluding these people into the belief of their being independent sovereignties, while they were at the same time recognized only as it s dependents and wards.
As civilization advances and their possessions of land are required for settlement, such legislation should be granted to them as a wise, liberal and just government ought to extend to its subjects holding their dependent relation. In regard to the treaties now in force, just and humanity require that they be promptly and faithfully executed, so that the Indians may not have the cause of complaint, or reason to violate their obligation by acts of violence and robbery."
Ely S. Parker


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The easy to use, multi-speed probe measure a generous 4.5" x .75"/11 cm x 2 cm, and comprise of a sensuous beaded shaft, and a compact battery pack handle. The graduated beads are made from soft, pliable, jelly feel PVC, with a glitter finish, and have a durable ABS handle. The smooth, contoured beads are arranged in size order, along a flexible shaft, that vibrates to arouse and stimulate your super sensitive, sweet spots. The intense good vibrations resonate throughout, for a memorable experience every time.
Ideal for first time and experienced users, the beads are designed for internal and external pleasure. For increased sensitivity, and extended fun, always use a quality lube with this toy. The waterproof probe is great for spontaneous exploration in the hot tub, bath or shower and has an easy grip nylon loop handle for non-slip, precise application. Before and after use, clean the pleasure beads with warm, soapy water or a toy cleaner spray.
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|Batteries: 2 AAA; Not Included
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|Manufacturer Code
Product Details
|Product Length
|8.50 in.
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|5.0 in.
|Product Maximum
|0.75 in.
|Product Minimum
|0.3 in.
|Product Weight
|0.1600 lbs. (No Box)
|Box Length
|11.00 in.
|Box Width
|4.75 in.
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text: How Viking Air Uses Adept to supercharge their "Runway 2 Excellence" Continuous Improvement Program Case Study Who Viking Air is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specializing in de Havilland aircraft products including manufacturing the Twin Otter. When Viking launched their enterprise-wide continuous improvement Runway 2 Excellence (R2E) program several years ago, they knew that document management would play a big role in saving manufacturing costs and executing on processes more efficiently. Adept would be an important component of their Lean manufacturing initiatives. The Problem: Protecting Rare Legacy Documents from Decay and Realizing Effective Version Control Building and maintaining de Havilland aircraft requires thousands of parts, which require thousands of drawings, some over fifty years old. As Shawn Maynard, Continuous Improvement Manager, for Viking puts it, "Scanned versions of the legacy drawings managed in Windows folders provides limited version control capability. You often end up using a spreadsheet or simple database to keep track of document updates and distribution. Any inefficiency in the process results in manual intervention which can cause delays in production." The Solution: A two prong approach to saving and maintaining legacy drawings Viking's two major initiatives to preserve their legacy drawings include placing them in an environmentally protected Vertical Lift Machine (VLM) and to automate the document versioning and control system. "Our goal is to have an integrated control system for both the physical and electronic drawings that can be securely managed by the people doing the work in a self-service environment," says Maynard. "The Adept import features allowed us migrate legacy drawing information into Adept to create our new drawing control system. The import process allowed us to streamline our library structure, simplify our permissions management approach and greatly reduce the overall data repository size by eliminating redundant and duplicate information." "Adept search and data card features make it easy to find and track the distribution of the scanned drawing for use in production and for updating and release processes." "In the new change process, the user can search for the drawing in Adept. The drawing data card contains VLM location information telling the user the location and status of the physical drawing in the VLM from any computer in the company avoiding the need to go to the VLM to see if the drawing is in the machine. The user can then retrieve the physical drawing from the VLM, make changes, re-scan it, and check the new scan into Adept. They then put the updated physical drawing back into the VLM. In the future, the VLM and Adept databases can talk directly to one another further streamlining the process." Problem: Managing the Many-Times-a Day Changes to Manufacturing Control Programs The demand for parts flowing through the factor will change due to changes in customer demand. As such, it is imperative that Viking adjust the CNC (Computer Numeric Control) programs that tell their fabrication machines (e.g. routers) what to do on a continuous basis to keep material waste to a minimum. "The demands of manufacturing on this level can require the programs to be updated often," says Maynard. "There are thousands of parts on the airplane and many of those go through some back shop process (e.g., sheet metal forming or routing). The operations are performed on machines that must have the correct version of the CNC programs at all times." "It is not one of these things that you can keep track of in windows folders very easily," remarks Maynard. The Solution: Seahorse ran a pilot test program of Adept prior to the live installation, feedback was immediate and positive. "Before we had Adept we were losing one man hour, per person, per day in inefficiencies due to not having an enterprise PDM application," said Beard. "Adept's immediate impact had executive management taking notice. Chronic difficulties and delays were eliminated, projects were on schedule, and our design teams were now engaged in true design collaboration. Can it Grow with Us? CNC program configurations are now controlled in Adept. The operators sign the CNC documents out, make the changes, and sign them back into Adept. States Maynard, "It's made a difference in productivity, and aligns with Viking's R2E continuous improvement goals even more than we expected." Problem: A solution that would meet the challenges of moving from a Windows file/folder control culture to a database control system culture Viking required that their document management system be easy-to-use to meet the needs of a manufacturing workforce. A workforce that is used to seeing Windows folders but in need of a system that controls information like a database. "Operators are hired to manufacture parts and create assemblies from parts. They need to do that, while spending minimal time accessing or searching for information," explains Maynard. "Ideally, the information is available, complete and accurate at the time they are doing the job." The Solution: Adept allows Viking to make the workflow and the look and feel of the software as transparent and congruent to previous interface as possible in order to avoid errors, reduce information lookup time, and eliminate the need for in-depth training. "With Adept, operators can use Adept links to commonly used documents, the FileGuide, or key word searches to find what they need" says Maynard. "The goal is that they should not have to spend excessive time navigating through the software interface and that the information looks familiar -only it's more reliable." Advice for Manufacturers like You? For Viking, the value of document management has been in achieving better engineering and manufacturing information processes with an easy-to-use product and the right business partner. "What we are really looking for in document control is to make sure the right information is in the right hands at the right time at the right place," says Maynard. "All of that is something we have to do to meet our business needs, including compliance to transport Canada's requirements for document management. Important features of Adept that we also rely on is document auditing and traceability. These features allow us to support our configuration management and regulatory processes. "We needed a program this is pretty much off-the-shelf that we could configure to our needs without a lot of custom programming," says Maynard. "And we needed something that was easy to use and administer. Another important criterion was tech support. We knew we were not going to dedicate a department to this, so we needed excellent technical support as part of the document control solution. Adept's tech support department is world class, there is no doubt. I have worked with a lot [of software companies] and they are by far the best. We're lucky to have picked Synergis Software."


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"Shalfak: A Middle Kingdom Fortress in Lake Nubia" Claudia Näser (EEG Meeting Talk)
Posted by Margaret on Sunday, May 19, 2019 - 12:00
At our May meeting Claudia Näser came to talk to the Essex Egyptology Group about her work excavating at the fortress Shalfak in Lake Nubia. Shalfak is an ancient Egyptian fortress, part of a chain built along the Nile during the Middle Kingdom in Nubia. These forts were once thought to have all been drowned in the lake that was formed when the High Dam was built in the 1960s.


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In the search for the meaning of humankind's purpose on earth, documentaries have investigated the first Christian millennium, considered the history of Jesus and other biblical figures, and explored the early Christian church.
Now, a fascinating new documentary called "Christianity: The Second Millennium" (A&E, Dec. 17 and 18, 8-10 p.m.) cruises through the second thousand years since Jesus' time in an all-too-brief four hours.
So eventful was the past 1,000 years of Christendom that only the most politically and socially influential movements can be described in the film.
From the "reforms" of Pope Gregory VII (which included insistence on the celibacy of priests) to the Inquisition to the Protestant Reformation to liberation theology, it's been a busy millennium.
Many important movements and breakout theological visions were left out entirely because of time constraints. And it's a shame that almost all of the great female religious figures were excluded. True, most political and religious structures are predominantly male, but women have had a powerful influence, as so much new scholarship details.
Subject for a future film, perhaps?
Still, the ambitious two-part series includes plenty of information to assimilate. The significant changes in theology take a back seat to the sweep of historical movements here - but there's enough of theological evolution to encourage viewers to seek out more information.
In a recent interview with series director Bram Roos, he explained the thinking behind his absorbing new effort.
"A couple of years ago we did the rise of Christianity, the first 1,000 years," says Mr. Roos, whose production company, FilmRoos Inc., has made dozens of documentaries about the Bible and other religious topics.
"That project was generated internally at A&E. After doing the first film, we felt very strongly we should complete it and do the second thousand years - and A&E OK'd it."
Among his films are a 50-hour series called "Mysteries of the Bible," and history stories for A&E including "Ancient Mysteries," with Leonard Nimoy.
"We have a general interest in historical programming, but we're particularly interested in historical programming about the human journey," Roos says. "That is our underlying reason for making films about religion - it is mankind's search for meaning and transcendence....
"Why are you here? Is there a purpose to life? What is there beyond the material world that gives meaning to our lives?
"It's those questions that concern each and every one of us," he says. "And we find different ways of expressing it - some in organized religions, others in different civilizations, in different ways. But it comes down to a human quest for some kind of meaning to human life...."
Roos repeats a story he liked so much from one of his previous films, which was a reflection on human suffering. One of the experts tells an ancient tale about a man who walks out of his abode and looks up at the heavens and says, "God, there's so much suffering, why don't you send somebody down to help us?" And God replies, "I did send somebody down. I sent you." Life is about who we are and what we're doing here, Roos explains.
Roos consulted religious scholars such as Martin Marty and Karen Armstrong. As the film examines each historical era, he says, respected experts in that area of history lend their comments.
While the film does not mince words about subjects like the Inquisition, Roos strove for an even hand.
"We will let all the voices be heard, and let the audience decide about the controversial themes," he says.
Extraordinary care, he says, was taken to avoid judging the past by the values of the 20th century. Roos explains that when church and state were intertwined in Europe it was because there was no infrastructure for civil law in a feudal society dominated by a few aristocrats and their arbitrary judgments. The church had a hierarchy and a structure that it used to provide civil authority.
Yet there is no question about how the filmmaker feels about the American Revolution and the separation of church and state.
"One of the things that really disturbs me when I look around the world at trouble spots like Bosnia or the Middle East: There is no separation of church and state," Roos says. "It seems clear that when the United States made that separation, deciding to leave God to the individual, religion actually flourished.... We've evolved to a much better place. But it happened over a long period of time."
Director Bram Roos is currently shooting a film based on Karen Armstrong's bestselling book, 'A History of God.' Look for it on A&E in May 2001.
(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society


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Sajeewa Jayakody, reporting in the Daily News, 31 March 2015
In government's bid to revamp the Sri Lanka Cricket administration, a new Interim Committee has been appointed by the Sports and Tourism Minister Navin Dissanayake yesterday. After facing huge allegation on poor finance control and debt, the former elected body was dissolved by the Minister replacing a combination of past cricketers, professionals and administrators.
Former Test cricketer, one time Selection Committee Chairman Sidath Wettimuny, who was a two-time member of previous interim committees, has been appointed as the new Interim Committee President. Kushil Gunasekara and former Test cricketer Kapila Wijegunawardene chosen as the Vice Presidents.


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Patrick has 10 years of property experience with eight years spent specialising in industrial, logistics and development.
Patrick has worked with a wide cross-section of clients from institutional funds, property companies, landowners and occupiers.
Patrick has been with Bidwells his whole career having qualified in 2007 and whilst he is principally focused on the eastern region his experience acting for some of the UK largest occupiers means he has extensive knowledge of the wider logistics and industrial markets.
or close this panel to search again


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Chinese juniper, Juniperus chinensis,
The Chinese juniper, Juniperus chinensis, is one of the classic Japanese bonsai subjects. Very often created to highlight 3 main elements in the design, significant deadwood both in the form of shari on the trunk and jinned branches, prominent live vein displaying the characteristic chestnut red coloured bark and green foliage areas arranged to best give prominence to the other two elements. Of course, personal preference allows you to create a bonsai to your own taste which may or may not incorporate all or just some of the aforementioned features.
This is a nice part styled shohin example of the species. Clearly an import from Japan the foliage is quite dense and might benefit from a bit of a thin to reveal more of the structure. Whether deadwood features such as jin and shari are added is obviously a personal decision for any new owner. The tree is 25cm. high with branching spreading to 32cm. The trunk across the base is 3cm. in diam. The pot is a nice quality Japanese oval un-glazed ceramic 25x18x3cm. With a little refinement this can be a classic example of shohin juniper bonsai.


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LAKERS TOGETHER: Grand Valley is offering in-person, online and hybrid class options this fall. Watch faculty members explain the options.
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Education section in this catalog.
Mission - Teaching, leading, and learning in a democratic society.
Philosophy - Believing that schools function as social and political entities as well as for the growth of individuals, the College of Education prepares teachers and leaders a) to enhance the academic and personal potential of their students, and b) to evaluate the social and ethical implications of educational policies and practices.
Values - The College of Education values expertise to guide our practice, equity to guide our interactions, liberal education to guide our perspectives, and social responsibility to guide our commitment to democratic education. We value these ideals in our preparation of candidates, our development of faculty, and our relationships with the larger community we serve.
This program prepares classroom teachers and specialists to understand and meet the educational needs of students with exceptional abilities across the learning continuum within the mixed-ability classroom. The program focuses on assessment, methodology, materials, curriculum, and administration.
Minimum Number of Hours in Program: 33
Program Location
DeVos Center, Pew Campus downtown Grand Rapids, MI
Website: www.gvsu.edu/coe_grad
Social Foundations of Education (Choose one):
Research and Evaluation:
Core Courses:
Emphasis Area Courses (Choose 3 out of 4):
Practicum/Field Experience:
One Elective/Workshop:
Capstone (choose one):


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My site is visited regularly each day by individuals enquiring how to buy the Swiss Franc.
I have researched this further.
I have found currency exchanges unsatisfactory, as the spreads between the buy and sell price tend to be very large, at least here in Canada, on the order of 10% total.
Therefore, I am now recommending that mainstream investors simply purchase the FXF exchange traded notes, "CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust" (denominated in US dollars) through their broker.
This exchange traded note tracks the Swiss Franc very closely, and pays its expenses through interest received on the deposited Swiss Francs.
Here is a list of my blog entries concerning the Swiss Franc:
1. Canadians, Buy the Swiss Franc Now!
2. The Swiss Franc Continues To Climb in Canadian Dollars.
3. My first compliment from Fleck.
4. Currencies 101.
5. Another Swiss Franc Buying Opportunity for Canadians.
6. All You Need To Know About Global Money Supply in One Place.
7. The Swiss Franc Is Still Strong.
8. Use "FXF" (CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust) To Buy the Swiss Franc.
9. Gold is Better Than the Swiss Franc.
10. Swiss Franc Alert.
11. Gold Isn't Gaining All That Much... In Canadian Dollars!
Addendum: Many visitors to this site have enquired about how to purchase the Swiss Franc. The most direct method is simply to purchase Swiss Francs from a currency dealer. In Canada, Custom House Currency Exchange offers competitive rates. You may also wish to contact your broker about an exchange-traded fund or a Swiss Franc government bond (which would pay interest on your investment, but could be subject to decline in value even if the currency itself rises relative to other currencies). Additionally, some banks permit investors to maintain foreign currency accounts. Sophisticated investors may wish to enter this trade through purchasing futures contracts or other types of options, such as calls. Many brokers specialize in foreign currency purchases, so I suggest that you start with a broker familiar to you. As I understand it, Pamela and Mary Anne Aden at Aden Research, for example, will execute foreign currency trades for their customers. But for those who don't know how, simply purchasing the currency from a competitive currency trader (possibly your local bank, or a trader recommended by your bank) will be a good place to get started. Ideally the "spread" between the buy and ask price for the currency should be less than 4 cents on the dollar (roughly 4%). That is, you should not pay a premium of greater than 2% to purchase the currency. This being said, my own experience with currency dealers is that it is very difficult to exchange currencies in this idealized range. Our local broker's rates are much higher, for example. Never exchange currencies in large amounts at airports, hotels and other locations that are charging large premiums to provide a convenience service to travellers. Look for the best rates any time you exchange currencies!
August 5, 2008: As currency purchases at fair exchange rates are extremely difficult to obtain, I am now recommending that mainstream investors simply purchase the FXF exchange traded notes, "CurrencyShares Swiss Franc Trust" (denominated in US dollars) through their broker. This exchange traded note uses the interest on its deposits to cover the management fees of the fund, with the result that you will receive modest interest income via this method.
Note (9 August 2008): Most global currencies happen to be weak against the US dollar right now, as the US market is presently driven by the fantasy that the US government's now $800 billion rescue of the financial system by "nationalizing" the government sponsored enterprises (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) and using taxpayer money to guarantee worthless bank assets will make everything "all right again." That fantasy will persist for a season, and then it will fade, as all fantasies do.
In the meantime, the Swiss Franc may not have bottomed for US investors. However, I note that the Franc is holding up fine against the Canadian dollar, as both are under pressure versus the US dollar, which is presently enjoying a transient upward move due primarily to concerns about the stability of the Euro. Pamela and Mary Ann Aden advise that the market value of the Euro is presently stronger than that of the Swiss Franc. My own take is that the Swiss Franc clearly possesses superior fundamentals compared to the Euro, which relies upon the historically unproven concept of international cooperation (don't expect the cooperation of the European countries to be maintained in hard times or in crisis!).
October 11, 2008: If you're interested in Swiss Franc Government Bonds, here is a recommendation from WikiAnswers. This brief note recommends EuroPacific Capital. Its C.E.O. and Chief Global Strategist, Peter Schiff, is a long-term US dollar bear who saw the present economic meltdown coming years ago. EuroPacific Capital is a secure and well-managed company, and I can certainly vouch for the reputation of Mr. Schiff, whose articles on the mismanaged US economy I have been reading for years on Safehaven.
While I am currently recommending gold as a superior store of value to the Swiss Franc, gold trades as both a commodity and a currency, with the result that its market price is much more volatile. If you are a long-term buy-and-hold investor, gold will certainly outperform the Swiss Franc as a long-term store of value. But if you don't like $100 price moves in a day (gold has had two such moves in the past month - including only yesterday!), then holding the Swiss Franc may prove less unsettling.


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thomas charette
Thomas G. Charette is sworn in as police chief by Chicopee City Clerk Keith Rattell in ceremony at the Knights of Columbus hall on Memorial Dr. Chicopee last year.
(The Republican/ John Suchocki)
CHICOPEE — Saying the selection of the police chief was "tainted by personal and political bias," the state Civil Service Commission has vacated the June appointment of Police Chief Thomas Charette and is turning the hiring process over to Mayor Richard J. Kos.
The commission has also placed Charette in the position of acting chief until a permanent one can be hired.
The decision came Thursday after Deputy Chief William R. Jebb appealed the appointment of Charette, saying under rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission he was the top candidate and should have received the chief's job. The commission held a two-day hearing in November before deliberating the decision.
"I have concluded that Mayor (Michael D.) Bissonnette's decision to bypass Mr. Jebb was the result of personal and political bias," commission Chairman Christopher C. Bowman said in the decision. "He ignored the results of the assessment center and the recommendations of his own interview panel when he bypassed Mr. Jebb for promotional appointment to Police Chief. He did so based on his mistaken belief that Mr. Jebb played a role, over seven years ago, in divulging information related to his past criminal record during his first run for mayor."
Bissonnette named Charette as acting chief when John R. Ferraro abruptly retired in June 2012. Charette was appointed permanently in the spring of 2013 following an assessment center review by a four retired police chiefs and an interview process with a panel of city officials, including two city lawyers and the human resources director who were appointed by the mayor.
In the report, Bowman said Bissonnette ignored recommendations to appoint Jebb from the assessment center, his own interview panel and Ferraro and appointed Charette. Police Lt. Stephen Muise was also a finalist for the position.
In addition, Jebb scored an 87 in the assessment center review, while Charette scored an 84 and Muise earned an 83, the report said.
In the hearing, Bissonnette explained he was concerned about Jebb's integrity because he believed that Jebb released his criminal record, showing a 1984 arrest for cocaine possession and a 1989 arrest for driving without a valid license, during Bissonnette's first campaign for mayor in 2005.
Later, Bissonnette attributed his arrests to alcoholism, adding that he has been sober for decades.
Jebb was president of the police union, which endorsed incumbent Mayor Richard Goyette in 2005. Goyette was arrested days before the election and later convicted on extortion charges.
Thomas Kenefick, the lawyer who represented Jebb in the hearing, said Bissonnette was mistaken and Jebb never released the record. During the hearing, Bissonnette said he was angry at Jebb at the time, but he did not hold it against him when appointing the chief. However, the Civil Service Commission felt that was the reason Jebb was not appointed, Bowman said.
"This is one of the more egregious and overt examples of political and personal bias I have seen during my tenure on the Commission," he said in the report.
Kenefick said he felt the commission did exactly what it was supposed to do in determining if the appointment was fair and free of political influence.
"It is a great day for the city of Chicopee and a great day for public law," he said. "(Jebb) was a cops' cop, and he was passed over."
Charette's lawyer, Gordon D. Quinn, did not immediately return calls for comment.
Mayor Richard J. Kos, who is now assigned to hire a permanent chief, declined comment for now.
The appointment seriously divided a police department that was already in turmoil over a number of incidents, including an accidental shooting of one officer by another during a training exercise and the fact that four officers took or shared photographs of the Amanda Plasse murder scene on their cell phones without authorization.
Charette and Jebb testified at the hearing that their working relationship deteriorated after Charette was appointed the acting chief.


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Due to the overwhelming popularity of my pre-raid Priest gear checklist, I've decided to compile one for my resto Shaman. Bear in mind, this list only contains the best possible healing gear you can obtain before Kara that is mail. If you wanted just the best possible healing set, refer to my Priest check list. It's bad enough my Priest is a squishy. I wanted my Shaman to hold his own (for a few seconds longer anyway). Your ideal professions here would be skinning and leatherworking. Similar to my Priest, I place a huge emphasis on MP5 even more here alongside Healing. Remember, these pieces may not be the best overall, but they're the quickest to acquire the moment you hit 70.
If you have any pieces you can think of that aren't on this list, please add a comment or email me and I'll make the addition. When I was building my Shaman's Resto gear, I built him with PvP in mind therefore my gear consisted mostly of Arena or BG pieces.
Living Dragonscale Helm (+81 Heaing, 14 Mana Per 5): It's a craftable item made by Leatherworkers with a 365 skill which is bind on equip. It's quite costly but you'll be using this head piece for a while. The required materials to create it are:
- 6x Heavy Knothide Leather
- 28x Nether Dragonscales
- 12x Primal Life
- 12x Primal Mana
- 1x Primal Nether
The pattern is also a random world drop.
Headdress of the Tides (73 Heaing, 9 Mana Per 5): If you're unwilling to acquire all the materials to create the above Helm, you can try your hand at running Heroic Underbog repeatedly until you get this. You're looking at Ghaz'ran, the hydra boss in the middle so set aside a good portion of your time for it.
Neck (Recycled from Priest Page)
Necklace of Eternal Hope (+48 Healing, 8 Mana Per 5): This one will set you back about 25 heroic badges. If you don't think you're geared properly enough for heroics yet, then try the next one which is a little longer to get.
Natasha's Guardian Cord (+55 Healing, 6 Mana Per 5): You can get this neckpiece from Blade's Edge Mountains. It's at the end of a ridiculously long chain quest which starts when you find a Mask on the Ground that you hear voices from. The 9th step in the quest will reward you with this decent neck.
Pauldrons of Surging Mana (No Healing, 13 Mana Per 5): Check the Auction House as you are levelling up. You might be able to snag these discount shoulders for a good price before you work your way up to something better. I picked up my Shoulders for about 17 Gold. They're not very popular, so expect a slightly lower price. But that will depend on your server population.
Various PvP Shoulders: Just bite the bullet and either do some Arena's or general BG PvP. The next decent upgrade you can acquire will be in Karazhan. Otherwise, your option is…
Mantle of the Sea Wolf (+51 Healing, 8 Mana Per 5): Ugh. Heroic Mana Tombs. Kill Tavarok.
White Remedy Cape (59 Healing, 7 Mana Per 5): Easiest cape you can possibly get. It's a tailoring BoE blue. The pattern itself is a world drop. If you put a tell in trade chat, hopefully you'll be able to find someone who can create it on your server. It's Level 69 so you can start shopping for it a little earlier. If you're on Ner'Zhul, look up Mallet and I can craft it for you. Here's the mats requirement:
Void Slayer's Tunic (+88 Healing, 8 Mana Per 5): This one requires a group quest to complete. You need to complete a fairly long quest chain which involves killing Dimensius the All-Devouring way out in Netherstorm.
Earthpeace Breastplate (+92 Healing, 16 Mana Per 5): A slight edge in healing and twice the mana per 5 as the Void Slayer's Tunic gives the one the slight edge. Unfortunately, this chest piece has no stats on it. I highly recommend using this one in environments where you know you won't take a lot of damage, or if you do minimal at best.
Primal Surge Bracers (+37 Healing, 6 Mana Per 5): You can get these from the last boss in Black Morass, Aeonus himself. Expect multiple runs. But it might be better off…
Veteran Ringmail Bracers (+42 Healing, No Mana Per 5): …For you to spend a day or two grinding out Alterac Valley or some other Battleground and pick up these instead.
Fathomheart Gauntlets (+55 Healing, 7 Mana Per 5): The last boss in normal Steamvaults, Kalithresh drops these gloves. Again, these ones may take a while to pick up just because he's a pain to get to.
Stillwater Girdle (+53 Healing, 8 Mana Per 5): Ugh, Resto Shamans really don't have it easy when it comes to gear do they? This one comes from of Heroic Mana Tombs of all places. Furthermore, you have to clear all the way to the end and kill Nexus-Prince Shaffar to pick it up.
Oceansong Kilt (+84 Healing, No Mana Per 5): The Reinforced Chest you get after dropping Vazruden and Nazan will have a chance to reveal these pair of pants.
Wavefury Boots (+55 Healing, 8 Mana Per 5): The last thing you need from a heroic instance will be the easiest to get out of all the ones listed. Chances are, it will be super easy for you to find groups to go into Heroic Slave Pens and kill Rockmar.
Keeper's Ring of Piety (+42 Healing, 7 Mana Per 5): This one's easy to get. If you've been following your Karazhan attunements, then you will have this one by now. The Quest is given by Sa'at in the Caverns of time after you've completed Hero of the Brood.
Ring of Convalescence (+57 Heaing, 4 Mana Per 5): Requires you to be Revered with Honor Hold (Or Thrallmar). Will cut into your gold pouch with a price of about 18G. Pick it up from the Quartermaster.
Lower City Prayerbook (+70 Healing): Yeah the on use effect sucks. But just look at the passive ability! Besides, -22 mana isn't that bad. Any mana saved is mana that can be used later. Think of endurance fights. Think of how often you you will use it and think of what that mana can be used for later. Requires a Revered Reputation with Lower City (Shadow Labs loves you). Remember that this item isn't unique so you can pick up two of them.
Scarab of the Infinite Cycle (+70 Healing): Spell haste rating is cool. It makes your spells go faster. Too bad it requires running Black Morass a couple of times.
Weapons (1 Hand))
The Essence Focuser (+227 Heaing, 11 Mana Per 5): Scout your local auction house as it is a world drop. Unfortunautely, no stats.
Gavel of Pure Light (+299 Healing, 8 Mana Per 5): Do lots of Mechanar runs to increase your rep. You need Exalted to be able to buy this from the Quartermaster. This will really make your wallet hurt with a near 192G cost. If you're lucky, you might be able to get Hammer of the Penitent to drop off of the Mechano-Lord in Mech. Either way, you'll get a good mace to use.
Shield (Off hand)
Crystal Pulse Shield (+35 Healing, 6 Mana Per 5): Check your Auction House for this other great BoE drop. It's a great early shield and will last you before you upgrade to the one from Chess.
Totem of the Plains (+79 Healing): Note that the increase in healing is only applied when you cast Lesser Healing Wave. Once you kill Tusker and turn in the quest, it should be a no brainer to pick up this reward.
Totem of Spontaneous Regrowth (+88 Healing): The increase in healing is applied after you cast Healing Wave. To get it, you'll be wanting to visit Mennu the Betrayer in Heroic Slave Pens.
Enchants & Other Augments
Glyph of Renewal (+35 Heaing, 7 Mana Per 5): This goes on your head. Requires Honor Hold/Thrallmar repuatation of revered. Costs 100G.
Greater Inscription of Faith or Greater Inscription of the Oracle: Depends on which faction you chose (Aldor or Scryer). Aldor for the win!
Enchant Cloak – Subtlety: Wait for Patch 2.2 and Enchanters will be able to get this beauty. It's updated for BC materials. It reduces the threat you cause by 2%. That means 2% more healing! Whee!
Enchant Chest – Restore Mana Prime (6 Mana Per 5): Easy to get. You'll want this.
Enchant Bracer – Superior Healing (+30 Healing): Same thing. 4 Primal Life's and 4 Greater Planar Essences and your bracer got a whole lot better.
Enchant Gloves – Major Healing (+35 Healing): Ouch. In addition to 6 Greater Planars and 6 Primal Lifes, now you need 6 Large Prismatic Shards. Put it on the best possible gloves you have knowing that you won't be replacing it for a while.
Enchant Weapon – Spellsurge: This unique enchant has a 3% chance on cast to restore 100 mana (not 100% mana) to all party members over 10 seconds. This is most useful in a raid environment, but there is a lot of debate between this and +81 Healing. Hopefully one of my other fellow Priest bloggers will dwelve on this topic (Ego? Kurt? Anyone? Eh, guess not. I'll get around to it eventually).
Enchant Weapon – Major Healing (+81 Healing): Stick to this for now. It's cheaper.
Enchant Boots – Vitality (4 Mana Per 5): Restores Health and Mana every 5 seconds. The enchant is a world drop.
Enchant Ring – Healing Power (+20 Healing): Remember when I told you to take up Tailoring and Enchanting? Here's the other half of the reason why. Enchanters are able to enchant their own rings (Must be Soulbound).
Golden Spellthread (+66 Healing): Here's a big hint: Put this on your Whitemend Pants. You'll need 10 Primal Life's and an Aldor Exalted Tailor with a Primal Nether. If you're on Ner'Zuhl as Alliance, send Mallet a tell and I'll do it for you.
Royal Nightseye (+9 Heaing, 2 Mana Per 5): This is your best friend. Most of the time, you'll want to get a yellow gem for the socket bonus. Personally I say it's hogwash. Most of your red and blue's should be Nightseyes. There's not a lot of gear where the socket bonus is good enough to warrant not using a Nightseye.
Teardrop Living Ruby (+18 Healing): I don't use this at all personally. I heavily favor Mana Per 5 over miniscule amounts of +healing. It's only 9 more than the Nightseye. I do not foresee it making a huge impact.
Luminous Noble Topaz (+9 Healing): For the rare pieces that do have a kickass bonus when you slot in a yellow gem, use one of these babies.
Conclusions and the Math
I've factored in my top choices in gear and included the best enchants, augments, and recommended gems. Here's the final numbers:
Head: 116 Healing, 14 Mana Per 5 (Living Dragonscale Helm, Glyph of Renewal)
Neck: 48 Healing, 4 Mana Per 5 (Necklace of Eternal Hope)
Shoulders: 24 Healing, 19 Mana Per 5 (Pauldrons of Surging Mana, Greater Inscription of Faith)
Back: 59 Healing, 7 Mana Per 5 (White Remedy Cape)
Chest: 92 Healing, 22 Mana Per 5 (Earthpeace Breastplate, Enchant Chest – Restore Mana Prime)
Bracer: 72 Healing (Veteran Ringmail Bracers, Enchant Bracer – Superior Healing)
Gloves: 90 Healing, 7 Mana Per 5 (Fathomheart Gauntlets, Enchant Gloves – Major Healing)
Waist: 53 Healing, 8 Mana Per 5 (Stillwater Girdle)
Legs: 144 Healing, (Oceansong Kilt, Golden Spellthread)
Feet: 55 Healing, 12 Mana Per 5 (Jeweled Boots of Sanctification, Enchant Boots – Vitality)
Ring: 57 Healing, 4 Mana Per 5 (Ring of Convalescence)
Ring: 42 Healing, 7 Mana Per 5 (Keeper's Ring of Piety)
Trinket: 70 Healing (Lower City Prayberook)
Trinket: 70 Healing (Scarab of the Infinite Cycle)
Weapon 1H: 380 Healing (Gavel of Pure Light, Enchant Weapon – Major Healing)
Shield OH: 35 Healing, 6 Mana Per 5 (Crystal Pulse Shield)
1407 Healing
110 Mana Per 5
Naturally, those numbers don't look good as the Priest who is fully geared with non-raid epics. But as this is a Shaman, exceptions must be made. Again, if there's a piece of loot which is easier to obtain and is better then what I have listed, please drop me a line.
And there you have it! Matticus' recommended pre-raiding checklist for the Restoration Shaman.


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A flourishing member of a precious and nearly extinct species has been sighted on Broadway, looking remarkably vital and sure of itself for a creature so often given up for dead. "Next Fall," which opened Thursday night at the Helen Hayes Theater, is that genuine rara avis, a smart, sensitive and utterly contemporary New York comedy. The question now is whether theatergoers will recognize that "Next Fall" embodies something they've been sorely missing, perhaps without knowing it, for years.
Produced off Broadway last summer by the Naked Angels troupe, "Next Fall," a first play by the actor Geoffrey Nauffts, bravely arrives on the main stem with few of the accoutrements that help ensure success in that neighborhood. True, one of its above-the-title producers, the pop star Elton John, has a famous name. But none of the six cast members do. Nor can this comedy's immense appeal be summed up in a sexy tag line.
Still, you would hope New Yorkers would be eager to embrace a play that so eloquently celebrates humor as the great urban defense system. Most of the characters in "Next Fall" which portrays a gay couple wrestling with issues big enough to be called cosmic are as quick with a quip as the denizens of a zippy sitcom. Yet as portrayed by a wonderfully human cast, directed by Sheryl Kaller, there's nothing synthetic about them. Their doubts and pain are very real, and the laughter they elicit comes more from the heart than the belly.
There was a time when American plays like this or at least works that aspired to this level were as common on Broadway as street lamps. (In recent years popular comedies here have usually arrived with a British passport.) During the 1960s and '70s Neil Simon scored hit after hit with shows about anxious Manhattanites under siege. But Mr. Simon's comic style was soon appropriated and mechanized by television, and the perception settled in that it was easier and cheaper to turn on the tube than shell out at the box office. And the mantle of neurotic Manhattan's poet laureate passed to Woody Allen, whose films offered a hipper variation on the same sensibility.
You can trace elements of both Mr. Simon's and Mr. Allen's work in "Next Fall." Its central figure, Adam (Patrick Breen), is a gravely jokey hypochondriac in the mold of Mr. Allen's cinematic alter egos. Mr. Breen is also (like Mr. Allen) a nebbishy looking guy. But his natural wit has serious sex appeal, and you're not surprised that (like Mr. Allen) he winds up with a real babe.
The essential difference is that the babe in this case is a man. And on the surface Luke (Patrick Heusinger) would hardly seem to be the man for Adam. He's much younger, for one thing, and not nearly as sharp or as literate. But most important Luke is a devout Christian, who sees homosexuality as a sin and nonbelievers as future inhabitants of hell. This understandably perplexes and alarms the agnostic Adam. Yet by the play's end Adam and Luke will have stuck it out together for more than four years.
This sounds like an easy sitcom set-up, just waiting to have the title "Another Odd Couple" slapped onto it. Yet while it features a host of quotably clever lines, "Next Fall" is no cousin to "Will & Grace." Mr. Nauffts has a gift for making breezy repartee sound spontaneous, and that's what first engages us.
But once we're hooked, "Next Fall" gently pulls us into deeper waters. (Seeing it for the second time I realized how this production sets those depths churning from the beginning, in the silences that exist between the forced, cheery talk.) Suddenly you're in the middle of a serious work that turns out to have more on its mind than could be found in the collected works of Yasmina Reza, Broadway's comic playwright du jour.
You could say that "Next Fall" is about religious faith, and how even in everyday life it separates people as much as it unites them. But the play doesn't wear its theme like a merit badge. Instead it considers how the need to believe in something beyond other people tests relationships among lovers, friends and family members.
Mr. Nauffts has created a finely graded scale of the forms and degrees of such faith within his cast of characters, all conceived without judgment and much compassion: Adam's best friend, Holly (Maddie Corman), a single woman with a fondness for gay men; Butch (Cotter Smith), Luke's fundamentalist, manly father from Florida; Arlene (Connie Ray), Luke's mother, a reformed wild woman; and Brandon (Sean Dugan), a friend who fell out of Luke's life when Adam showed up.
In theory the characters line up in camps, with Adam and Holly wryly waving the banner of agnosticism, while the others toe the line of a literal-minded Christianity. But it gradually becomes clear that no one believes in exactly the same way, that, like it or not, religion is as individual and ingrained as a fingerprint. Having brought its characters together in a New York hospital by a serious accident, "Next Fall" alternates between flashback and present-tense scenes to examine those differences and to consider the leaps of faith that any relationship requires.
"Next Fall" has achieved the tricky and necessary feat of retaining its subtlety while increasing its clarity in making the transfer to Broadway. Wilson Chin (sets) and Jeff Croiter (lighting) have scaled up their designs to fill a larger house without strain. Ms. Kaller's direction is, if anything, more fluid and organic.
The performers, all original cast members, have now moved into their characters as if they had taken lifelong leases on them. They are, to a one, as big as they need they to be, without ever sacrificing complexity. Seen on the deeper stage of the Helen Hayes, they look a little lonelier and more vulnerable than they did off Broadway, which helps to make "Next Fall" the funniest heartbreaker in town.
By Geoffrey Nauffts; directed by Sheryl Kaller; sets by Wilson Chin; costumes by Jess Goldstein; lighting by Jeff Croiter; music and sound by John Gromada; executive producer, Susan Mindell. Presented by Elton John and David Furnish, Barbara Manocherian, Richard Willis, Tom Smedes, Carole L. Haber/Chase Mishkin, Ostar, Anthony Barrile, Michael Palitz, Bob Boyett, James Spry/Catherine Schreiber, Probo Productions and Roy Furman, in association with Naked Angels. At the Helen Hayes Theater, 240 West 44th Street, Manhattan; (800) 432-7250. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.
WITH: Patrick Breen (Adam), Maddie Corman (Holly), Sean Dugan (Brandon), Patrick Heusinger (Luke), Connie Ray (Arlene) and Cotter Smith (Butch).


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"My philosophy is: If you can't have fun, there's no sense in doing it." - Paul Walker
This year has been amazing so far. More and more friends are getting 18 and most of them already have a driver's license. The most recent "wild" birthday party I attended and wrote about in the blog was Karlis'. On the picture above you can see his first car too, ofc we already have "tested" the car fully. The car's radio is broken or smth and we tried to fix this too but right now Karlis has to accept that his only music while driving will be his car sound. I just can't wait till I get my driver's license..
Also, I had a doctor's appointment in Tartu and after that went to see my sister too. Just had a coffee and a small chat with her.
On Wednesday I had a nice grilling evening again with my friends. We just can't wait till it's summer again..
But yeahh!!! What about this weekend?? Tomorrow I'm going to Tallinn and staying there until Monday. SIMPLE SESSION! See ya there!


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Technology in Developing your Staff
When it comes to any business it is important to try and firstly hire the right people and then retain them. This is a big focus for any UK business as according to a recent report by ADP, we Brits are the least likely to stick in our careers, with almost 50% of us looking to change our career in the next three years. Under 20% of us want to stick with the same company for the rest of our career. This means that companies now need to look for interesting ways to develop their staff in order to retain them.
Hiring New Staff
Technology is becoming increasingly important in the recruitment of staff. This is especially true for large corporations who have an influx of applications and need appropriate technology to sort through various applications. Online application processes are becoming more and more commonplace, especially in graduate recruitment. Graduate recruitment is lengthy in the process that is used; they typically begin with an application form, which is then measured against the criteria; successful candidates will then often be invited for a video interview, this is typically replacing telephone interviews as the questions are asked by a computer and the candidates answers are then compiled and a selection is made. Any successful candidates are then invited to a recruitment day. This process has saved a lot of man hours and wasted time, as only appropriate candidates are invited forward.
Once staff have been hired they need to become efficient and self-driven quickly in order to be productive. If current staff are tied up in training new staff for weeks then they too will be unproductive. This is where technology can increase your production levels whist training new staff – by creating online manuals and interactive guides that new employees can refer to.
Maintaining Current Staff
If some people aren't constantly learning or being developed they begin to feel complacent and bored. They seek new challenges and opportunities and will therefore be more likely to leave, wasting all the training up the this point you have provided. If your staff are constantly growing and advancing then it can greatly benefit you as productivity levels will rise. If staff are talented then you should make a real effort to retain them. Many businesses are not large enough to spend huge amounts in developing staff, this is where technology has helped things. Staff can now learn from just about anywhere; their desk, home or abroad. This has saved on travel costs in sending staff to training centres. There are so many resources online now as well which can save you huge amounts in developing your staff.
Identify Skill Gaps
Using technology to assess your employees skills and attributes can prove invaluable when new jobs are created or when job roles are changing. These tests can assess where employees may perform better and from this information you can analyse their current performance and decide whether it is a suitable role for them. It may also identify where further training may be required.


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XenCentricHosting is the new name of PurleyHosting.com
Our hosting operations operated under the trading name purleyhosting.com since 2006. Why the change?
Several reasons:
1. Hosting is not regional
We have customers from all over the UK, and many from outside it, so having a name based on our location only means something if you happen to live in the same town as us. A few of our clients are local to Purley (which is a small town in Greater London) but the majority are dotted around the UK.
2. A case of mistaken identity
About 10 months ago, a company formed in the US with a name that was almost identical to ours. They joined some home-based working internet scam and this saw us inundated with support emails incorrectly addressed. We now spend more time redirecting people to the correct hosting company than answering queries from our own customers!


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Perhaps the most influential event in ediscovery and information governance is Legaltech (otherwise known as Legalweek). Invariably, the most anticipated topics of the year are highlighted, showcased, and analyzed here, with thought leaders and industry observers convening to explore and prepare for the year's challenges. Again, this year, the prognosticators appear to have predicted the most impactful topics correctly, which was borne out by the in-depth and well attended seminars, keynotes, and discussions on offer.
Office 365
One of the most significant topics of discussion again this year was Microsoft Office 365. With over 120,000,000 commercial monthly active users and counting[i], Office 365's flexibility and functionality are reshaping how companies store, manage, and interact with their data. Unsurprisingly, this has substantial implications for policies, procedures, and best practices regarding data portability, retention, analysis, and privacy.
It was clear from the volume and scope of discussions at Legaltech 2018 that the great migration from legacy repositories to Office 365 is well underway. While Office 365 offers users considerable control over the relocation of their data, using that control intelligently is key. A data migration represents an invaluable opportunity to take stock of what data should be relocated, how it should be organized, and what rules should be applied to the data when it is moved.
The axiom "measure twice, cut once" is particularly applicable to an enterprise data migration project. Stakeholders from across the organization, including IT, HR, legal, compliance, data security, operations, and finance must collaborate to identify a process that complies with the various and increasingly complex requirements. The expertise to accomplish this often does not lie within the organization's core competencies, so selecting a trusted advisor with the needed know-how and resources to assist with the assessment, mitigation, deployment, and training needed for long-term success is critical.
With the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) set to go into effect on May 25, 2018[ii], thought leaders continue to evangelize the importance of conforming business and legal practice to the requirements of one of the most stringent data privacy laws ever implemented.
Legaltech saw no less than twelve presentations addressing data privacy, with four of them specifically focusing on the implications of, and strategies for compliance with, GDPR. Each session was well attended, attesting to the heightened awareness of this regulation, and the desire by counsel and technologists alike to be able to integrate emerging best practices into their operational models.
Participants at Legaltech 2018 took to heart the recurring warning that, although it may be tempting for stateside companies and law firms to discount the importance of a rule promulgated by the EU, they do so at their own hazard. GDPR has global reach, and can impose substantial penalties on any business or professional entity that mishandles data falling under its purview. In short, any data that either resides in the EU or is in certain ways associated with a business or individual who resides in the EU, may be subject to GDPR oversight. It is critical that anyone who even might come into control over data regulated by this rule, understand and ensure compliance with GDPR.
Artificial Intelligence
Another topic of significant interest at Legaltech 2018 was the rapid emergence of analytics and artificial intelligence. Technology-driven solutions have become increasingly prominent in data analysis and ediscovery due to advances in machine learning as well as improved acceptance of, and even a growing appetite for, the immediate, accurate, and intuitive functionality available in an ever-increasing number of off-the-shelf applications available to practitioners.
Multiple keynotes and panel discussions explored the coming age of artificial intelligence, and what it will mean for the industry. Undoubtedly, machine learning is quickly surpassing both the speed and insightfulness of humans. Machines are already capable of working alongside humans in real time, learning how humans correlate data patterns, anticipating the relationships within data that humans find meaningful, and making on-the-fly suggestions and improvements to search methodologies. Humans can formulate and validate theories, and more rapidly and efficiently apply that learning to the matter at hand.[iii]
It is understandable then, that users will want to leverage this kind of processing power to achieve ever-faster understanding of their data. As this becomes possible, they will become increasingly expectant of more immediate analysis of ever larger data sets. This feedback loop will only serve to accelerate the innovations and availability of more powerful, more intuitive, and more integrated artificial intelligence.
From the technology of data storage, integration, and accessibility, to the privacy implications associated with technologically managed data, and the rise of still more technology that learns and analyzes that data better and faster than ever before. Perhaps never more so has the "tech" in Legaltech been so apparent than it was at Legaltech 2018.
If you have any questions, or would like to further discuss these trends and how they may impact you, please feel free to contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
[i] Foley, Mary Jo. "Microsoft Office 365 Now Hass 120 Million Business Users". ZDNet. Web. 26 Oct. 2017.
[ii] https://www.eugdpr.org/
[iii] Josh Becker, Patrick Fuller, Sr., Scott Reents. "Legalweek Keynote – Fireside Chat on Legal Analytics and the Future of Data Driven Law" Legaltech 2018. New York, New York. 31 Jan. 2018. Lecture.


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It's just a rock.
But it's not just a rock. It sat in front of our house when we were kids. I would lead my pony up to it so I could get on her. She would stand nicely until I crawled up onto the rock. Then she would move her hind end just far enough away so I couldn't jump on. So I would get off and reposition her. Then I would crawl back onto the rock. She would wait…….. You get the point!
It's not just a rock. It is where Nathan sat for hours on end, waiting for Dad to drive back into the yard. Or ponder life as the summer grew old, knowing it was time for school (and time away from home) to start again.
It was the perfect size for a small girl to crawl onto her horse. And the perfect shape for a small boy to sit and think and wait.
It's not just a rock. It's a very special rock; one full of memories.


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Yes I know what month it is. June. And yes, it says "2/3" up there. That is not a typo. This post really does detail an event that took place on February 3rd. Why? Why wouldn't I get over something that happened months ago and move on? Two words: Pine Grosbeaks.
Simply put, Pine Grosbeaks transcend the borders of months and seasons. Their beauty, personality, and wildness defies all oddness about posting on an event that occurred months ago. Although strictly winter visitors to Southern New England, this species is the "cream of the crop" when it comes to winter irruptives, and can (and should) be enjoyed year round.
My first encounter with these birds came during a trip to Yosemite National Park last August. Having desired to see this species ever since I could tell a Northern Cardinal from a Canada Goose, chancing upon two female-type Pine Grosbeaks working the undergrowth on my way up Tioga Pass was a dream come true.
But my want to experience Pine Grosbeaks did not end with a tick on a list. Instead, that tick furthered my desire to get to the next level in the Pine Grosbeak experience.
During the periodical irruptions of these birds into New England, it is no surprise to start-up one's computer and be baffled by the sheer quality of photos and looks of nearby Pine Grosbeaks that others are describing. To me, the "next level" in my Pine Grosbeak saga was not to be on the receiving end of this event for once. I wanted to be the one doing the bragging. I wanted to be the one with the looks and photos.
The last major Pine Grosbeak incursion occurred during the winter of 2007-2008, when I all but missed chancing across these birds. Thus, when reports began to build during this past fall of individuals moving south, my excitement began to build.
My anticipation and excitement over seeing and documenting Pine Grosbeaks well culminated in a visit to a corporate park in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts back in February. There, on that glorious day, I didn't just reach the next level in Pine Grosbeak experiences. I surpassed it.
A flock of around thirteen Pine Grosbeaks had taken up residence in the area, feeding on the plentiful berry-bearing trees spread throughout the park. For more than two hours, Jim Orrico and I had these wonderful birds largely to ourselves, as they gorged on berries within arms reach.
It had been the experience I had been waiting years to enjoy. During our visit, we took numerous photographs and fields notes, but also relaxed and watched the birds stuff themselves. Their feast was accompanied by a chorus of soft, clear whistling notes, as if the grosbeaks were noting their contentedness with the whole thing as well. Occasionally, the flock got too full and would fly up to one of the nearby trees to rest and preen.
Despite the fact that I had heard just how tame Pine Grosbeaks can be during their southerly movements, I never expected the experience I enjoyed on this faithful day. At first, I tried to keep my distance from the birds, as I assumed they'd be stressed from their constant wanderings. But much to my surprise, the grosbeaks took no apparent notice to our presence, making their way even closer to get at the best berries, even if they lay on the ground next to our feet.
The tameness these birds exhibited might have been due to hunger, but was likely more the consequence of their lack of experience with humans. Based on the remote places that this species inhabits during the breeding season, it would be fair to assume that some of these birds may have never seen people ever before this winter. Thus, their tolerance of our close presence was probably more attributed to their lack of experience with our species, than for any other reason.
Below, I have posted a selection of the numerous images and video I captured during our time with these birds. As always, click on the pictures to enlarge.


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More About Domino's on Main St
Destination? Delicious Pizza at 4000 W Main St
When your stomach starts talkin' and your tastebuds start tinglin' for a classic slice of meaty, cheesy goodness, we know you're not craving any old pizza in Belleville You want a scrumptious pizza prepared with a flavorful tomato sauce, generous heaps of mozzarella, expertly diced pepperoni, and a golden crust that's simultaneously chewy and crispy. You want an undeniably good pizza. You want Domino's.
At Domino's on Main St, we make it fast and easy to get the fresh pizza you're craving. Order your pizza in person, give us a call at (618) 277-0300, or place your pizza order online!
First, start by selecting from one of our handmade crusts, like our hand-tossed crust that's packed with buttery flavor, a pan crust featuring two huge layers of cheese, a crispy thin crust, or a gluten-free pizza crust! And next, select your sauce and start loading up on toppings. Pick as many or as few as you want! Whether you're all about the veggies like green peppers, spinach, and onions, or you prefer the sweet and savory combination of ham and pineapple, your pizza dreams can come true at your local Domino's.
There are over 34 million ways to craft a single Domino's pizza. That means you can be sure we've got a slice for whatever your hunger demands! Build your own pizza from scratch or choose from one of our specialty pizzas, like the popular Wisconsin 6 Cheese, Pacific Veggie, or ExtravaganZZa™, and have it delivered to your doorstep, super fast!
From Our Oven on Main St to Your Door: Belleville Pizza Delivery
At your Domino's on Main St, we don't take pizza delivery lightly. In fact, we're so serious about it that we promise your pizza will arrive piping hot and freshly made, right from our oven to your door. Want to see how fast we can deliver? After you place your order, use our patented TrackerⓇ to stay up to date on the status of your pizza order. Follow it from the moment the sauce is added to the second it leaves our door for delivery... and in the meantime, try not to drool on your phone or computer.
Call (618) 277-0300 now or order online for the best pizza delivery near you! Why keep your hunger waiting?


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Onboarding the call center
If you partner with a call center, please know that RaiseDonors is available to provide training and onboarding to get your vendor onboard and familiar with RaiseDonors.
There are built in tools within the platform that can help bridge the gap of data between RaiseDonors and your vendor.
Report Builder - we can help build specific reports for your vendor.
API - we can help provide or guide specific integration needs.
Webhooks - we can help provide or guide custom notifications to the vendor.
To get started, drop an email to firstname.lastname@example.com and introduce your vendor.
Parameters are included on all transactions so that reports can be created to track revenue from specific admins. For call centers, this will allow for valuable reporting on each individual admin and overall reports related to the call center.
Managing call-center agents
RaiseDonors already allows the creation of admin users in the system along with custom permissions per user. This allows you to invite other admins to help manage RaiseDonors.
With respect to call centers, you may want to restrict the access agents have within the RaiseDonors administrative area. Here is the common configuration we recommend.
Customized access permissions
Pages - No Access
Transactions, Data, and Export - View & Edit
Funds - No Access
Account Settings - No Access
- It's often advisable to select one key person at the Call Center (manager) who is responsible for managing all other Call Center operators.
Managers may need "View & Edit" access to the Account Settings so that they can manage call-center agents (add/edit/remove as needed).
If a call center agent needs access to multiple RaiseDonors accounts, please send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com with the name of the requested RaiseDonors organization to be associated with. A verification with the organization may be required before approving.
Adding scripts for call center admins
The VT can be configured to provide scripts for reading to call center agents. Using the "Welcome Content" feature along with including scripts on specific Pages in RaiseDonors, the experience should be capable of being scripted from start to finish.
Organizations can work with call centers to find the desired workflow that minimizes call time and costs. RaiseDonors recommends the following format as a good starting place.
Provide consistent internal naming conventions for pages.
If your organization has many active pages, the call center agent may have difficulty locating the appropriate page during the call. For this reason, use the "internal" name to segment those pages that are specific to call centers.
- For example, if your call center vendor name is "ABC Calls", consider including "ABC" in the internal name of the page. For example, if the page is called "Spring Campaign", make the internal name, "Spring Campaign - ABC". This will enable the call center operator to filter results by typing "ABC" when they are looking up the page the donor wants to respond to.
- Consider archiving pages no longer in use.
Provide tools for admins to access within the Welcome Content.
Common FAQ's
Links to other internal systems
Create reports that can be reviewed regularly.
Using the reporting tool, you can easily track information about all the donations processed via your call center vendor.
Review these processes regularly to ensure it's meeting your needs!
RaiseDonors collects a lot of rich information specific to donations and donors. Included with this will be meta data specific to call center donations. It's helpful to review donations placed on behalf of call centers and RaiseDonors has built in tools that enable you to quickly see that data.
Create a report.
Go to the report builder
Add relevant fields of information for your reporting needs
For example, add Donation -> "Virtual Terminal Place By Name"
This field will provide the name of the call center operator placing the donation on behalf of the donor
Include a "filter".
Filter out donations to show only those made via the virtual terminal.
Add Donation -> Is Virtual Terminal -> Is True
Add a timeframe so only relevant data is returned.
Add Donation -> DateCreated -> _______
- Include a "schedule".
- Optionally schedule the report to be emailed to you and/or anyone on your team.
Fraudulent activity
RaiseDonors has business rules in place that monitor activity in every organization to determine when fraudulent activity may be occurring. Because the nature of call centers, it's possible that call centers receiving high volume of transactions at once may experience higher than normal thresholds of perceived fraudulent activity.
For this reason, if a donation is initiated from the VT, the built in fraudulent monitoring tools are adjusted and should not place any blocks against a call centers IP address.
Random and unique email addresses
When using the Virtual Terminal to place a donation, the public facing donation page is adjusted to include the ability to auto create a random and unique email address. This is only necessary if the donor does not have an email address. You can ready why it is important to have unique email addresses here.
VT + Vortx integration
The Virtual Terminal can work hand-in-hand with the integration between RaiseDonors and Vortx. When an administrator logs into RaiseDonors, they are simultaneously logged into the appropriate Vortx store.
This allows admins to view the Vortx purchase history directly in the RaiseDonors interface. It also allows the admin to switch over to the Vortx interface and look up data and complete orders on behalf of the customer.
One known issue with Vortx: if an admin uses the "impersonate" feature in Vortx, it will log them out of Vortx and they will need to login again for the next call. This is a bug within the Vortx system that has been reported to them and they are working on.


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Celebrating Mid-Winter's Day in British Antarctic Territory
Flag of the British Antarctic Territory is today flying above the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Marking Mid-Winter's Day (in Antarctica!).
Mid-Winter's Day falls on the winter solstice in June and marks the shortest and darkest day of the Antarctic winter. It is traditionally celebrated by those over-wintering in Antarctica, as it means that it will soon start to be light again and the austral summer will then return. Antarctic stations relay mid-winter greetings to each other and, on British stations, it is traditional for home-made presents to be exchanged and films to be watched (and sometimes produced!).
This day of celebration can be traced back to the early explorers of Antarctica, such as Captain Scott. It was an event to put out decorations, have entertainment and enjoy a good meal. These days, the BBC World Service traditionally broadcasts mid-winter messages to British Antarctic Survey stations and the Prime Minister sends a Mid-Winter greetings. In this year's greeting the Prime Minister wrote:
"The Government and I extend sincere greeting for Mid-Winter's Day to all staff at the British Antarctic Survey's Research Stations and to all international community celebrating this special day in the Antarctic Calendar.
As you enjoy your Mid-Winter celebrations I want to remind you that the Government is proud that Britain continues to take a strong leadership role in polar research."
Finally if you wish to tweet the staff working in the Antarctic, use #BASmidwinter.


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Three Simple Self-Care Beauty Rituals
It's been a little while hasn't it? There's been many times these past eight weeks since I last posted that I've sat in front of a blank blog post, ready to set my fingers to the keys and yet nothing came out. No inspiration, no jolly demeanour, just nothing.
That's the thing when we're stressed, you just can't force it and need to down tools and practise a little self-care. Over the last few weeks I've really struggled with various unplanned events, family illness, an immense work load and general bad luck that it zapped my time and my joy for blogging. For the first time in a long while I feel energised and ready to crack on with things again. Seeing as self-care has been so incredibly vital to me lately I thought I'd share the beauty rituals that have made me feel a whole lot more human and ready to tackle everyday life again.
Beauty is sometimes considered vain, but for me its a quick win for taking me from feeling poop to fantastic! I figure that if I can do just one small self-care thing a day it's to take some time out in the tub and soak away everything that's grating on me. I find that a bath can shake off a bad mood, a headache and aching tired limbs, so it's my does-it-all solution. What really aids this is a relaxing bath oil. I've dabbled with many oils over the years, from the most purse friendly options to something a whole load more luxurious and fancy but I always return to the Olverum Bath Oil. It's pretty affordable and my local apothecary sells it so its easy to stock up when I'm running low - a situation that I don't like to happen! Yes, we actually have a local apothecary - Apotheca, and it makes me feel quite fancy telling you that! I've lost hours in there looking at all of the pretty jars. Back to the oil... The Olverum Bath Oil is super concentrated so it lasts for such a long time, making it incredibly economical. The essential oils create such a feeling of wellbeing and relaxation that I look forward to my evening soak all throughout the day.
I am the worst at nourishing my limbs, which considering how well I look after my face is just criminal! So when I take time to keep my skin smooth, soft and moisturised it really elevates my mood and means that I nod off much quicker each night.
Starting with the Herbivore Coco Rose Body Polish which I basically bought as it looked so pretty! Luckily, as well as looking good in my bathroom it's one of the best exfoliators I've used in a while. It's sugar based and infused with Moroccan rose and coconut oil and so its incredibly nourishing as well as packing a punch in the scrub stakes. It's perfect for sensitive skin as its not at all scratchy, yet it removes all of my bumpy skin. I gently massage it in until the sugar dissolves into a soft oil, revealing the most smooth and nourished skin. I'm smitten in case you can't tell!
I want to pop on my pjs and jump into bed as soon as I can so hopping around waiting for thick creams to soak in is not an option. The Caudalie Thé des Vignes Body & Hair Oil* is the newest edition to the well loved Thé des Vignes range. It's a blend of uplifting essential oils which include white musk, neroli and ginger which transports me to the mediterranean. That's the best way I can describes this sensual yet light scent - a complete mood changer! It's inspired by the sun setting over Caudalie's grapevines and I can totally see why! What I love about Thé des Vignes Body & Hair Oil the most is that it's a multi-purpose dry oil that comes with a pump so it's so easy to apply and not waste a drop. Caudalie do oils so well, which you'll totally appreciate if you've tried the Divine Oil. Needless to say, my skin is super soft and moisturised these days and sore lizard skin is a thing of the past...
With my body all sorted, there's nothing I enjoy more in a self-care session than a face mask or two. Having a bright clear complexion so that my skincare works better and my makeup sits well makes me very happy so I indulge in a couple of face masks every week. At the moment where I'm feeling stressed and dealing with the heatwave we're having in the UK, keeping my skin happy and decongested is my number one aim. Gentle exfoliators such as the Pixi Peel & Polish are what I reach for as it does the job very quickly without the need to physically exfoliate and potentially irritate my complexion. Pixi's offering relies on lactic acid which is super gentle, and enzymes to slough away dead skin cells and leave a much brighter complexion. This is the best exfoliator to go for if you're used to manual scrubs but want to dip into chemical alternatives. It has a very fine amount of sugar granules that make it feel like a traditional scrub, and yet there's no need to buff it into your skin.
To go in a little deeper and clear out any nasties, the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask* is just the ticket. I'm not usually a fan of clay masks as so many that I've tried have felt awful on the skin and break me out, but this beaut from Caudalie is my perfect solution. Grape marc draws out impurities and toxins which are then absorbed by the pink clay. As this is a clay mask it does dry down a bit but doesn't have that awful tight my skin might crack feeling which I absolutely hate. It's also really easy to remove and leaves my skin feeling comfortable and ready to go with some serums and treatments. A hero of mine for sure.
What self-care beauty rituals do you practise?
The post Three Simple Self-Care Beauty Rituals appeared first on Lelore.
This post contains press samples and affiliate links. Please read my disclaimer to find out more.
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Access Equipment Specialists
We have been working in the industry for over a decade and throughout this time we have supplied equipment to many companies across Bedfordshire. Our extensive experience has enabled us to build a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable suppliers in the area.
Platform Lifts Bedfordshire
With our site in Milton Keynes, we are perfectly positioned to supply new, used and rental platform lifts throughout the area.
As members of the Access Alliance, we are committed to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective platform lifts to meet your requirements.


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Creating extruded surfaces is one of the easiest ways to create a surface in 3D. uMake has a powerful extrude tool that enables you to create surfaces from a single curve. If you want to create even more complex surfaces, you can extrude along a path to create complex tubes, or other forms. This tutorial shows you how you can use the extrude tool in uMake and create complex 3D surfaces.
Symmetry and Mirroring
Using symmetry and mirroring to create complex 3D models


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
The Town of Ellington offers residents an easy and secure way to view, print, and pay real estate, personal property, and motor vehicle excise taxes as well as sewer bills online.
Pay for your water and sewer bill online or view your current records.


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ice t lololol, originally uploaded by sizzled.
ice tea glass. i love it here!
all (inside) jokes aside, sarah's going away partie(s) last night went off despite the snowstorm and guest appearances by homeless troublemakers.
However, i think i liked the brunch immediately followed by ali's doubles best of all. since i had no camera, this one of sarah laughing into her iced tea in the PEC while we were talking Farm Biz shall suffice.
karaoke before she actually leaves? can i get a what what?