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Mississippi delegation thanks Obama for disaster declaration
Mississippi's congressional delegation expressed appreciation, in a news release, for President Barack Obama's prompt approval of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant's request for an expedited federal disaster declaration for areas of the state wrecked by tornadoes and severe storms this week
U.S. Senators Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., with U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Gregg Harper, R-Miss., Alan Nunnelee, R-Miss., and Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., on Thursday issued a statement regarding the disaster designation, which was approved late Wednesday evening:
"The significant losses and hardships caused by the deadly storms in Mississippi this week make this federal disaster declaration more than appropriate. We appreciate the president's prompt approval of Governor Bryant's request to make assistance available to families, businesses and whole communities hurt by these storms. We will be working with the administration and federal agencies helping the resilient people of Mississippi recover and rebuild."
On Wednesday, the delegation sent a letter to pObama requesting full consideration of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant's request for an expedited federal disaster declaration in the wake of devastating weather events across the state. The letter supported Governor Bryant's request for direct federal assistance for Itawamba, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Rankin, Wayne and Winston counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide.


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'The lady/guy in the next cubicle to mine in the office has began to look awfully attractive to you. You are confused of what to do. If you decided to pursue your interest in her and it actually worked out; good. what if it turns around and you still have to work under the same roof, the same office probably for many years as ex lovers. How are you gonna feel and will the office gossip sound like about you?''
People fall in and out of love everyday in office which is ordinarily meant to pursue their carriers
and earn a living. Office romance is not what people plan for, its only comes up, it spark easily because of the proximity, frequency and availability of much free eye to eye contact. you have so many things in common with your interest coworker; and when you add the sexual attraction, that makes it look like LOVE to you. You are now bothered and confused on what to do because of many things running your mind concerning it. Though the lady/guy in question has given you all signs of interest as well.
Am here to help you out, to get you out of this doubt and to guy you to remain your job and still go on office romance. Office romance isa free and common thing, workers get into it everyday and everyday people are fired at office because of the mess from office romance. This is how to do it without been fired. If you must fall in love in your office with that your co worker, consider the following:
1) Be familiar with the company's policy: Some companies have strict policies against dating co workers; some companies will go so far as to terminate the offending couple's appointments. some companies ignore it. Still other encourage it. Believe me, if you must date in office, it is never wise to date someone who is your boss as a guy...and for the ladies dating your boss may look somehow sexual harassment to people.
2)Set rules for each other: As soon as you commit yourselves into office romance, both of you must discuss and agreed on how to handle the Affairs around office, and what you will do if things don't work out well. You must both be matured if you want to keep your lucrative jobs. Don't risk your careers for the sake of a romance that might not out.
3)Be focused and professional: When people in the office started noticing a strange closeness between both of you, Surely gossip will go round. they may even accuse you of favoritism and the likes if you are the boss datinga lady out ten in the office. Some are naturally jealous like me, some really want you but could not make it. so many things will come up just be focused and professional. It is never a good idea to discuss your romantic life with co-workers, because moat times it lead to mockery and the like, it could even be made headline in the office gossip meeting. And you know how easy that could break down your relationship and even tanish your repute.
Finally, office dating can be fun but often times it turns out to be something terrible a sad life experience, because of the mockery and the disrespectfulness. So be wise and know who you are going into a relationship with,its possible he or she might have dated someone else in the same office before you were employed and they now see eachother as Ex.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cozy Villa In Sweden With A Delightful Design By Haubro-Nielsen
This beautiful villa found on Skeppsholmen ,located in Stockholm created by the Danish architect Haubro-Nielsen is a true masterpiece that entwines Japanese, Swedish and American architectural influences. It features different large volumes, bright rooms, open and separate spaces. The house displays a clean interior, with a subtle elegance in each room and includes two large bedrooms, living areas, a kitchen, a separate dining area for 6 people and two tiled bathrooms.
The elements that complement and add a touch of style to the villa are the two fireplaces, as well as the green cave-like garden, which is a source of relaxation and joy. Additionally, the predominance of white in the villa is balanced by the vivid colors of different objects and fabrics. The overall scheme inspires a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.


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In This Section
To ensure that everyone enjoys their visit to the pool, please take time to read through our entry conditions, water safety information and pool rules.
To ensure you and your family enjoy each visit to the pool, please take the time to read the information below which contains key information and advice for your safety and enjoyment.
Caution: For safety reasons pregnant women and people with heart conditions, back trouble or disabilities should not ride the slide.
06 368 0070
Corner Queen & Salisbury Streets, Levin


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Olympic National park photo gallery
New images of Olympic National Park is now posted in the Ocean Landscapes Photo Gallery. Washington Seascapes and Landscapes in Olympic National Park. Shi Shi Beach, Point of Arches, Second Beach, Ruby Beach, Rialto beach are located in the gallery with maps and GPS locations.


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Toor Dal Recipes
Toor Dal with Drumstick Vegetables (Indian Lentil Recipe)
If you're not familiar with drumsticks, they are long, thin, green pods commonly used in Indian cuisine. They are often used in sambar soup but they can also be a substitute for spinach or green beans in dal dishes.
I prepared toor dal, which is the most common lentil paired with drumsticks, although I've seen this dish prepared with mung beans and chana dal (garbanzo) as well. To guarantee optimum tenderness, I choose immature drumsticks at the market; otherwise they become a little too fibrous. When the lentils are soft and gravy-like, drumsticks are added. The drumsticks are chewed until all the artichoke-like texture is eaten, then the outer skin is discarded. If you can get your hands on some, give them a try. They're definitely out of the ordinary.
Full Recipe...
Toor Dal
Toor dal is a staple dish in Indian cuisine. What I like the most about this dish is that no soaking is required. Like kali dal, the lentil dish is finished with baghar, which is a layer of melted ghee with fried darkened garlic cloves.
Toor dal is a great protein complement for a vegetarian diet when paired with a starch such as rice. Dal is a great way to bring a taste of India into your home.
Full Recipe...


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On Sale
Red and Black Check Dog Toy
This canvas squeaky toy is the perfect combination of rustic retro and chic style. Handcrafted of heavyweight upholstery-grade cotton fabric that is beautiful, durable and machine washable.
Stuffed with eco-friendly fiber that is spun from plastic bottles that would have otherwise ended up in landfill. The 100% recycled fiberfill has is specially formulated for pets. A heavy-duty squeaker keeps squeaking even if punctured.
- Dimensions: Approximately 4.5" x 7.5"
- Material: Cotton and 100% recycled fiber spun from plastic bottles
- Each item is handmade so please note that pattern placement may vary.
- We recommend supervising your dog while playing with any toys. As with all stuffed toys these are not indestructible.


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Our club discussed having some "rules" for group riding. Not too rigid, but a few tips for those who join us on group rides.
Any one have a list of suggested "rules" for group riding?
Our club discussed having some "rules" for group riding. Not too rigid, but a few tips for those who join us on group rides.
Any one have a list of suggested "rules" for group riding?
MOA #104910, Twisted Shaft Motorcycle Club #241
Google is your friend here
I just typed in Motorcycle Group Riding Rules and got a plethora of stuff
Here are some quick links
And there is many more
2011 R1200 GSA Smoke Grey Metallic Matt
2009 G450X White
Rogue Moderator
no more than 3 to the group
1) Don't knock me over. 2) Don't be a menace to the neighbors and people who live along the roads.
"Wow I didn't know BMW made motorcycles, Yeah I think Honda does too."
Ride your own ride!
Live fully. Laugh deeply. Love widely.
BMW MOA Ambassador Emeritus / FOM / Roving Forum Moderator/
Selected Friends of Wile E Coyote/ A Million 100 thousand BMW sMiles
Hey all; Some very simple rules that we use in our CMA rides: Ride in a staggered formation, @3 seconds apart, NEVER side by side!! Although they teach this method at the police schools, it's never a good idea. Set up a series of hand signals and go over them PRIOR to the ride. If your group is large, split the riders up into several groups and stagger the departure times a few minutes. Nothing will drive a "cage" driver into doing something stupid (and therefore dangerous!) like have a L-O -N -G line of bikes to pass on a winding road.Have your ride captain describe the ride, how you will ride, where you will ride to, and what to do in case of a problem. Make sure that EVERYONE is "on the same page", and is NEVER, NEVER ride impaired!! Vaya con Dios, Dutch
I can not recall a BMW group that was holding up any cars. I guess it could happen.
If they were Corvettes.
However, spreading out is good, this lets the more adventurous speed up for the corners.
A every road change always have the last person in a sub group wait for the first person in the next sub group to get close so they know which way to turn. The the person waiting gets the fun of catching up to their subgroup.
An interesting idea that actually appears to work - never let the headlight behind you out of sight.
If this is followed right through the ride by ALL members, the string that stretches out will tend to compress, and the last rider won't be getting the snap-the-whip sort of problem they usually do.
And as Voni said - ride your own ride.
That said - I find more than 3 in a group to be a PITA and difficult.. so usually when we have club rides we will split up into groups of 3, and just become destination driven. We all - eventually - want to end up at the destination. However one group decides to do it doesn't matter to the other groups. People then tend to group according to their riding desires and abilities (ie - fast groups and sane groups..)
When I'm ride leader I try to make the following clear:
- I stress (and this is made MUCH easier with small groups) - that IF I go through the tail end of a green light, riders following me should NOT run the yellow (or red) to keep up. I *will* wait on the other side of the light as soon as I find a safe spot to pull off the road. And I do it. People learn to depend on it and ride safer.
- I stress that I use ALL of my lane. I stress never assume I'm going to stay in the left or right of the lane, since I like to "split hazards" (equal distances from potential hazard locations) I tend to move around in the lane.
- Equally - there is no "formation".. this goes along with ride your own ride.
- Don't tailgate. 3 second rule is vital for safety, I actually prefer 4-5 seconds between riders, but in some cases that does open you up for cars trying to break in between bikes..
- And - I do try to remember to use my brake even when I would normally just use engine braking riding solo. The brake light gives people behind me some clue that I'm slowing down. A few people following me suggested this
Don Eilenberger http://www.eilenberger.net
Spring Lk Heights NJ NJ Shore BMW Riders
'12 R1200R - I love this bike!
Here's a start...
Group rides, the positions, rules and reg's are kinda my thing. If you'd like more input...
Being a member of a group ride...
The Pre-ride discussion...
Riding as the Sweeper...
You, riding in the second slot...
The art of staggered riding...
There's more... a lot more... but this is all I have posted to this point. I ride so much group as of late, that I haven't got time to update...
Just ride safe...
Here is an article on this web site written by one of our members that you may find useful.
Group Rides?
Hope this helps.
OOOPPS. I failed to see the post immediately above by the author of the article I referenced. Sorry for the duplication.
See "Sharing the Ride"; Batches of Bikers, Proficient Motorcycling book, page 241-252. Complete with pictures, diagrams. Maybe more than you are looking for, but you can pick and choose.
The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2
Rod; you are probably correct, I don't believe that a group of BMW riders would pose much of a threat to autos unless it's to run the cars over. In our CMA chapter, we have an unusual number of BMW's, but also many different brands of cruisers. Not only are we a very diverse bunch, but some of our members are... how do I say this polity?... not the most experienced riders around. As ride captain, you are tied to the pace of the slowest rider, who may be 70+ or just returning to bikes. However, if we do split the group up, I will assign an assistant road captain to take the "B" group, while I will make the "sacrifice" to lead the faster riders. Lots of great ideas in this tread!! Vaya con Dios, Dutch


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One of My Children is Not Like the Others: Guest Post by Megan is a soul-bearing piece. She is my dear friend, so I will monitor comments and will delete anything that is tacky or rude. We, as mamas of RAD children, are open to answering honest, forthright questions. I
f you are curious, ask, but do so with tact and compassion…anything other than that, and I will block you. We beat ourselves up enough, we don't need anyone else to do it for us. RAD is hard stuff…but God is still on the throne and He is still in the miracle making business. Now, go and gladiate :)~
One of My Children is Not Like the Others: Guest Post by Megan
RAD sucks the end.
Ok, it's not really the end, but seriously RAD sucks. Reactive Attachment Disorder is, in layman's terms, a diagnosable roadblock that doesn't allow for "normal" attachment between the parent and child. It also comes along with a slew of other annoying little quirks. One of which is the constant need to suck the life out the primary caregiver, usually the mother—that's me.
RAD sucks the life out of me. I can't lie, some days I want to just crawl into bed and never come out, but I don't. If I did then, RAD would win, and I am way too competitive to let that happen. You hear that RAD???!! You may win the battle, but you will not win the war! I know you're not listening though because as I type this my daughter, who has RAD, is watching a movie in her room as quiet and pleasant as ever…the calm before the storm. Great, crap, now it's literally raining outside.
Well, I was right.
I've had to take about a week in between writing these paragraphs because of my daughter's constant "fits." She is 11-going-on-4 and constantly craves my attention. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get my attention even if that means being punished and throwing an all-out tantrum. Her fits break me, they make my arms and back sore, they take away hours of my time, but mostly they have me second-guessing her place in our family.
That last one bothers me the greatest. The bruises I acquire and the physical pain I feel is nothing I can't heal from, but the emotional toll from feeling like I made a huge mistake by bringing her into our family is what kills me most. Then the guilt of thinking such a thought creeps its way in and eats me alive. It burns a hole in my heart each and every time. I am her mother. Am I supposed to love her unconditionally? How could a mother feel such things for her own daughter? Well, I do, a lot more than I care to admit.
In addition to the feeling agony that is self-inflicted.
I have to deal with the constant stares and misguided advice from strangers and even a few close friends. They all tend to say, "Maybe if you were a little more relaxed with her she wouldn't want to rebel so much, maybe if you just walked away from her when she's being rude, she's just so sweet I don't believe she could cause so much trouble…" Seriously? Well damn, why hadn't I thought of that?
Oh wait, I have been there and done that too many times to count. What most don't understand is that my daughter's "special need" is not one that can be easily seen, it's not one that you would even know she had unless you lived with her or spent a LOT of time around her. She is a master manipulator, a liar, and the best at conning her way into your well-meaning heart. However, when you start to try and love her back, she fights it with all her might. She punches, spits, curses, screams, and breaks things to get away from love. As I said, it sucks.
I stress eat now.
There are days when I know a bag of Oreos better than I know myself now. Also, I yell more now. I say a lot more in my head than I do out loud now. I've fine-tuned the art of making fun of someone without them ever knowing now. Ya know, when you say something funny to yourself and are laughing so hard on the inside but all you show on the outside is a slow smirk? I've got that down pat now.
RAD has changed me.
It has changed me possibly even more than it has changed my daughter. I see things differently than I used to. I used to have a perfect picture of what my family would look like. My kids would each be sweet and wanting to cuddle every day. My husband would be perfect and never falter, but mostly I saw myself as the world's best mother. I would never scream, I would teach all of my children to speak three or four languages, they'd be kind little angels out in public, and we'd never turn on the T.V. Now, I'm ecstatic if we go an hour with no one yelling "mom!!!" a hundred times.
I'm content if the only thing we spill during the day is the dogs' water bowl. I feel accomplished when we can give the kids a hot meal at the end of the day, even if it is just Ramen noodles. I'm impressed with myself if all of the kids managed to get bathed each week. Hell, I'm impressed if I managed to get a shower longer than five minutes! Being a mother, being a mother to 6 children, being a mother raising a child with RAD, just being a part of my family from the inside, has changed me.
It has made me stronger and weaker at the same time.
I have the strength to admit my faults now, but I also have the strength to know that this thing called RAD, this thing called life, cannot break me. My strength as a mother is something that RAD can never take from me. It's something that can never be taken away from any mother who has to endure the wrath of RAD. We trauma mama's, as we're so sweetly called, are gladiators (thanks Scandal for bringing that one back!)
Most of the time, we manage to dust ourselves off each and every time we go to battle. Sadly, we may end up with a scar or two, but we always get back up. This is because that's what gladiators do. A gladiator stares fear in the face and duck…'cause RAD always comes out of the gate swinging.
For those of you who may not be dealing with RAD directly, but are close to a parent who is:
Don't abandon us because we miss a few play dates, or because we don't ask you how your day was for the tenth time in a row. Most likely, we are tired and only surviving on whatever fish sticks our kids didn't eat that day. We are carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. Yet when you stop caring, we do too. For the most part, we stop caring about ourselves. Sometimes we need a friend who will remind us to put on deodorant if we forget.
We need a friend who will hear us laugh and cry about whatever horrible thing our child did at school that day. Somedays, we need you because we need you to be our gladiator. Currently, my knees are bruised from having to restrain my daughter yesterday safely, but today my heart is ok. My heart has lived to see another day because I've recently found some pretty great friends who get it and who can just be in the moment with me.
RAD sucks, but that doesn't mean our lives have to too.


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Opening up about struggles with mental illness can be a daunting task. Many people don't feel comfortable doing it ― even though such illnesses are quite common.
About 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness in a given year, and 1 in 25 adults will have a debilitating mental illness that can interfere with their daily lives.
Although mental illness can affect anyone, women are at a higher risk for many conditions, including anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. They're also 70 percent more likely than men to experience depression.
In an effort to encourage more people to share their struggles, we talked to four women about diagnosis and treatment for a variety of mental health issues. Here's what they've learned along the way and what they wish others knew:
Kathleen Halliday
Location: Inwood, New York
What condition do you have? Bipolar disorder (rapid cycling with psychotic features), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and an eating disorder
What was your journey to diagnosis? I was always anxious as a kid. I used to tell my mom I felt bad because I didn't know how to verbalize it. I first saw a therapist in middle school, which is where I got the GAD diagnosis. My bipolar diagnosis was rockier in that it was preceded by a manic episode. Bipolar disorder was one of my biggest fears before that, but I didn't really think I would develop it. As for the eating disorder, I had realized I had "disordered eating" for a while, but I didn't think it was serious until it started interfering with my ability to take my medications and to function, and I saw a doctor who helped me understand how sick I was.
How do you manage treatment and self-care? I was very lucky in that I had some incredible doctors. I still struggle to deal ― I have very bad days sometimes, and I'm still not great at taking my pills ― but I've learned that you have to ride it out sometimes. I let myself grieve by watching TV or lying on the couch for a few hours. And then, with help from loved ones, I try to pick myself up and move on. My support system is immeasurably important in my ability to stay functional. Escaping into books and music always helps, too.
"Believe someone if they say they're suffering, and offer your support and love. It's the best and most helpful thing you can do."
How have friends and family reacted? My friends and family have been nothing but supportive, and anytime I mention my illness to others, I'm usually met with kind words. There is ignorance sometimes, but almost never malice. My husband and my family have struggled with me through some horrible times, and I know they worry still. They just want me to be well.
What do you wish people knew about living with a mental illness? I'm fairly convinced you can't imagine the helplessness of anorexia unless you've experienced it; that you can't know the despair of depression unless you've felt it; that you can't understand the panic of anxiety unless you've struggled to breathe. Believe someone if they say they're suffering, and offer your support and love. It's the best and most helpful thing you can do.
Jena Pyle
Location: Seattle
What condition do you have? Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder
What was your journey to diagnosis? When I moved to Seattle, I started therapy, which carved out my path for treatment. She gave me a lot of tools, showed me doctors to work with and gave recommendations for other treatments. It's hard to find a therapist you really connect with, but when you do find one, it's so helpful and worth it to stick with them. I wouldn't know as much about my conditions without someone else there to guide me.
I had a feeling I had a mental illness, but always dismissed it. A lot of people gave me unsolicited advice that wasn't helpful. I thought I was crazy for feeling or being a certain way. There was a time where I had a panic attack while eating a bag of chips alone. The chips weren't that bad, but the problems I had building up were. I stopped talking about my problems. I wasn't taking great care of myself.
I also need to mention that there were different systems working against me. One being that I had completely blocked my sexual assault out from my memory. It just came back to me after reading an article one day on the internet. That was crazy to deal with and I haven't talked about it openly as much. Living in Texas certainly didn't help me either; patriarchy starts to wear on you after a while and though it's still present in Seattle, there's much more space for me here.
How do you manage treatment and self-care? I'm working with two doctors, and I'm on Zoloft right now. I found out I have hypothyroidism, which probably contributes in some way to my depression, and take medicine for that. If you're starting to look into your mental health, be sure to check in with what's going on physically as well.
How have friends and family reacted? It was hard for them to understand at first, but to be fair, I was also terrible at explaining it. I wasn't sure how they could help me, and I'm still bad at asking for help. The more people that talked about mental illness around me, the easier it was for me to be more honest. My family let me know that I could talk to them when I started going to therapy.
What do you wish people knew about living with a mental illness? It's hard to hang out sometimes, and it's not because I don't like you. It's sometimes hard to even get out of bed, eat, function normally. Sometimes it's there for no reason. It's not just sadness; it's debilitating. It's hard to get energy. It's not something that ever completely goes away, and it affects me every day.
Sarah Davies
Location: Upstate New York
What condition do you have? Bipolar II (my lows are just as bad but my highs aren't quite as high as someone with Bipolar I)
What was your journey to diagnosis? As a kid, my parents took me to the doctor because I could go from super-hyper to deeply depressed quickly. Childhood bipolar wasn't known about then. As an adult, I was diagnosed with depression, with doctors just assuming that my good periods were nothing more than it lifting. It wasn't until I was in my 30s that a psychologist looked at the highs as well and I was diagnosed. Before that, I was given meds for ADHD, which I'm really not, and there were horrible reactions to the medications. Even with a diagnosis, I've had doctors try giving me antidepressants, which just spin me into a more heightened manic state than I normally experience.
"The nicest thing is to have someone willing to see you when you're at your worst."
How do you manage treatment and self-care? I haven't yet found a medicine that I like, so right now I manage with diet and exercise. I don't keep it at bay, but can tell the signs and my husband helps by encouraging me to get outside when the depression is creeping in. The mania, I've figured out how to channel, and I use it to be really productive and get ahead on projects so that when the depression does kick in I can be less productive and not fall behind.
How have friends and family reacted? My parents are incredibly supportive, and even as I close in on 40 my mom still calls to make sure I'm feeling OK. They both worry (more than I wish they would sometimes) and have learned the signs ― when I go silent, they'll call because that's usually an indication that depression is making it too hard to communicate. My husband is also as supportive a man as I could have ever hoped for.
What do you wish people knew about living with a mental illness? It doesn't mean that I'm not functional. It doesn't mean that I'm someone to be scared of. My mind is just wired differently and I work around that. It's neither a dirty secret nor something that needs to be broadcast to everyone. It's just part of me. My husband used to call it "going down the rabbit hole" when I'd get depressed. He didn't try to pull me out, he'd just sit with me until I was ready to come out. Just being there is sometimes the single best thing people can do. I can't be talked out of it, I can't "walk in the woods" my way out of it. Some things can mitigate how bad it gets for me, which doesn't mean that's true for everyone, but the nicest thing is to have someone willing to see you when you're at your worst.
Alyson M.
Location: Seattle
What condition do you have? I have major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder by diagnosis. I have PTSD due to my childhood rape. I am also on the spectrum and am trans but I view neither of these as conditions or disorders, no matter what the DSM or certain people in society say.
What was your journey to diagnosis? Well, I was 15 and my parents threw me in therapy because I was different and changed from when I was a kid. It didn't help that I was battling heaps of gender dysphoria and my parents are conservative. Depression and anxiety have basically been major parts of my life since puberty.
I always knew I was different. Between the unrealized [autism spectrum disorder] and the gender stuff in a society of neurotypcial, cisgender people, it's no wonder I developed major depression and anxiety issues. I learned to adapt, and it has been draining for so many years. By the time I started transition, a lot of my depression disappeared but it is still there. It will always be there. Living in my correct gender has alleviated the dysphoric depression.
How do you manage treatment and self-care? I am on some meds for my depression. [Hormone Replacement Therapy] definitely has alleviated a lot of my body stuff now that I am living authentically. I have benefited from talk therapy in the past. Currently, playing and writing music about it has been immensely successful in helping me live. I have a very supportive community of musicians and music in Seattle.
How have friends and family reacted? Friends have been mostly great because we all are in this together. My parents aren't very accepting in general of anything about who I am as a person, so I don't really talk to much other family. I have an amazing wife who is always there for me and I am there for her and her mental illness.
What do you wish people knew about living with a mental illness? It's weird to think of people who don't have a mental illness. It seems everyone I know has something. Maybe it's because we all find each other? Treat everyone the same regardless of what their brain chemistry manifests as. Give accommodations to people seeking them.
Thanks to the bravery and honesty of these four women, we can all take heart in our own battles with mental illness or in interactions with others who may be struggling. Despite what we may think, in the fight against mental illness, we are truly not alone.
These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
As part of May's Mental Health Awareness Month, we're focusing on treatment and the stigma around getting help. Check out our coverage here and share your story at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Party Beauty Tips
Party, party, party… there is what the holiday season brings. OurVanity.com has prepared several must-know party beauty tips for you to meet the forthcoming holiday party season being fully 'beauty-armed'.
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A young white supremacist man killed nine in a historical church in Charleston after saying that he was there to kill black people. A heinous terrorist attack in a place of worship that shows how far away is the American society from get rid of the violent racism embedded in an active minority.
There is a lot of information about the few infected with Ebola in the US and Europe, but not so much about the real core of the problem which is the huge outbreak in Africa and the lack of resources to fight against it and avoid the spread of the virus. with 10,000 new cases per week expected by december Africa needs money and resources as soon as possible to avoid the spread of the virus.
US President Barack Obama announced a campaign of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria to "degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL". He contemplates helping the opposition groups fighting in Syria against the ISIL fighters but not to the Syrian regime that also fights the extremists, because he thinks Al Assad has lost his legitimacy.
The Ukrainian conflict has left 298 international civilian victims in one tragic instant with the shooting down of a Malaysian airliner close to the border with Russia. Now the Netherlands, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Philippines, Canada and New Zealand are mourning innocent victims of the Ukrainian crisis.
Putin has changed a bit his discourse on Ukraine and now says that "the presidential election the Kiev authorities plan to hold is a step in the right direction".
Survivors of the Rana Plaza building collapse one year ago in Bangladesh are still suffering from their injuries and loss of income, Human Rights Watch said today. International companies that sourced garments from five factories operating in the Rana Plaza building are not contributing enough to the financial trust fund set up to support survivors and the families of those who died, said the organisation in a press release.
World military expenditure totalled $1.75 trillion in 2013, a fall of 1.9 per cent in real terms since 2012. The fall comes from decreases in Western countries, led by the United States, and despite increases in all other regions. In fact, military spending in the rest of the world excluding the USA increased by 1.8 per cent, according to SIPRI.


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Thursday, June 27, 2013
Custom Made Guitars | Luthiers Collection
More and more musicians are looking to have custom made instruments from well-known and sought after builders. There are Luthiers collection custom made guitars that allow musicians to own a custom made instrument without the long wait and at competitive prices. Their guitars are handcrafted and made to produce music of all kinds of styles.
A custom made guitar makes for an amazing gift for the musician in your life. They are one of a kind creations that produce rich sounds that are sure to please any musician, from the beginner to the experienced. With builders like Jeff Traugott, Kim Walker, Ervin Somogyi, "Grit" Laskin, Jim Olson, Linda Manzer, and more, there is sure to be a custom guitar creator your musician would love to own an instrument from. Surprise them with a great present they will adore and use for years to come. Whether it's to add to a collection or to get an interested music lover started, it will be a treasured gift they will be thanking you for years for.
23 Showed Some Love:
- Nicole A. said...
I'm not musically inclined. I think it would be cool to be able to play the guitar, and a custom one would be even cooler.
- June 28, 2013 at 1:14 PM
- Melinda Dunne said...
One of my son's friends is a guitar player I will have to share this information with his mother. It is something he would love to have.
- June 28, 2013 at 3:16 PM
- Kathy S said...
I would love to have a guitar made for my daughter
- June 28, 2013 at 4:06 PM
- MikiHope said...
A well made musical instrument can mean the difference between a good song and a magnificent one
- June 28, 2013 at 4:19 PM
- Anonymous said...
My oldest son has always wanted a custom guitar. He plays off and on and I told him when he is more steady with his playing I would look into it. Thank you for the information.
- June 28, 2013 at 4:35 PM
- Chubskulit Rose said...
A custom made guitar is a special one. Daughter is asking for a guitar on her birthday, oh boy!
- June 28, 2013 at 5:10 PM
- Patricia Woolverton said...
My son and husband love the guitar. They learned to play themselves and can play a few metallica songs. I would never be able to do that.
- June 28, 2013 at 5:33 PM
- Chubskulit Rose said...
I browsed their website and they have plenty of selection!
- June 28, 2013 at 5:39 PM
- Shannon Marie Baker said...
My nephew has several guitars, but I don't think he has a customized one.
- June 28, 2013 at 6:13 PM
- Ane said...
My brother is a guitarist and has a collection of guitars, but none that's personalized yet. He would so love a personalized guitar for sure! :P
- June 28, 2013 at 6:30 PM
- jheylo said...
Anybody loves to have personalized stuff, if it's a guitar it would be awesome. I've seen nice guitars that are so girly.
- June 28, 2013 at 7:47 PM
- April M. said...
my husband is into guitars. will be sharing this post to him.
- June 28, 2013 at 11:22 PM
- Mel Cole said...
i miss my sister playing the guitar. she has the knack on playing music. i'm sure it's not bad to get a nice guitar someday.
- June 28, 2013 at 11:26 PM
- G-boy Laxamana said...
Well, I have 3 guitars... and all of them were birthday gifts..
- June 29, 2013 at 12:01 AM
- Mary Anne Vinzon said...
I know some basic from playing a guitar. And, I just gave it to my sister. Now I'm looking for another one.
- June 29, 2013 at 1:13 AM
- melandria romero said...
too bad, i don't know how to play the guitar, so i guess it would just a dream to have them
- June 29, 2013 at 4:52 AM
- Jessica Cassidy said...
I always love listening to a guitarist and that music they played. They look so cool and so artistic. My kids have a noisy guitar that sometimes they play and drives me nuts :-) I bet this guitar will help future guitarist to find the perfect guitar for them :-)
- June 29, 2013 at 6:49 AM
- Mel Cole said...
it is better to make a customized guitar especially that it suits your style. it will be far more unique than any others.
- June 29, 2013 at 7:19 AM
- The Womom said...
My teenager son has his own guitar and we actually share it(since I play occasionally - not that good though :P). But definitely I plan to get him a good acoustic guitar before the year ends :).
- June 29, 2013 at 7:21 AM
- April M. said...
my husband loves guitars. will share this post to him.
- June 29, 2013 at 8:15 AM
- nova hedges said...
my SIL is pretty awesome on playing her guitar I think I should suggest her this website.
- June 29, 2013 at 11:52 AM
- becca said...
omg my son would love these as he plays guitar
- July 1, 2013 at 4:13 PM
- Kaye Figuracion said...
I think professional musicians prefer custom-made guitars than those readily available over-the-counter.
- July 18, 2013 at 1:31 AM


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Thursday, November 14, 2019
FNB Mart
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"More cold storages will help reduce wastes"
Monday, 12 September, 2011, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
Nandita Vijay
Snowman Logistics Limited has always been known for its technology and services. With daily distribution of 500 metric tonnes, the company garners a fair share of India's cold storage business pie. Ravi Kannan, Chief Executive Officer, Snowman Logistics Limited, in an email interaction with
Nandita Vijay
, reveals more about the company in particular and the industry in general. Excerpts:
How would you describe the current scene for cold chains / storages in the country?
India has 7,486 cold storages with a capacity of 34.82 million tonnes. Uttar Pradesh accounts for the highest number with 2,709 storages having a capacity of 165.46 million tonnes. Gujarat is the second with 636 of 17.99 million tonnes capacity followed by Maharashtra with 8, 50,440 tonnes capacity in 579 storages and Punjab which has 553 storages with 17.75 million tonnes capacity.
According to Frost & Sullivan, the total market revenues for temperature controlled market (TCL) are estimated at Rs 7,470 crore by 2012-13. Transportation revenues expected to increase at a faster increasing share from 38.1% to 41.2% of total revenues. Outsourced activity accounts for 91.4% of revenues in transportation and 94.7% in warehousing.
The ministry of food processing views the cold chain infrastructure as a key requirement and expects to invest over Rs 4,500 crore over a period of five years. Preference among multinational companies to deal with organised service providers is expected to see the organised TCL warehousing market to grow at the industry growth rate. The fruits and vegetable addressable market for TCL services is 155.2 million tonnes in 2010-11. In the beverages market, only the in-bound logistics (fruit pulp and concentrates) require TCL services and this is estimated to reach Rs 180.8 million by 2012-13 growing at a CAGR of 22%.
In 2009, India as per the ASSOCHAM and KPMG report, requires over 31 mt, but has facilities for only 21.7 mt cold storage. Would you describe this as grown or fallen?
According to the Directorate of Marketing & Inspection (DMI), the apex body regulating the cold storage in India, the total cold storage space in India in 2008 was 23.3 million tonnes. Out of the total cold storage capacity, approximately 78% is used for potato storage.
Requirement may grow as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail may get nod which will allow growth of organised TCL players. The segment will grow at a CAGR of 20% in the next 5 years. Requirement for cold storages has grown to 35 MT with current facilities limiting to 25 MT only. The demand and availability of cold storages have been growing linearly instead the rate of development of cold storages should be more than requirement. Government initiatives in this sector as per the Union Budget 2011-12 show that there would be huge development in the cold chain industry. It could accord the infrastructure status for cold chain storage facilities. Ensure additional capacity for food grain storage. Go in for 15 more mega food parks. An additional 20 m tonnes storage capacity has been planned, approval for 107 cold store projects over 5 m tonnes and approval for 24 cold storage projects over 1.4 m tonnes was announced.
What is the lacuna in the Indian cold chain space that despite government support the sector has failed to achieve growth?
The need of the hour is an economically viable cold chain solution that will create total integration of the food supply linkages from production centres to consumption centres, thereby reducing physical wastages and loss of value of perishable commodities which in turn leading to the development of the processed food industry. The chain needs to start at the farm level and cover up to the consumer level or at least the retail level.
The Indian Fruit and Vegetables (F&V) supply chain is characterised by large number of intermediaries where farmers mostly do not use TCL services because of poor economies of scale, aggregators refrain from it because of lack of sufficient volume. While traders / wholesalers use TCL services mainly for high value produce, the sub-wholesalers / small retailers do not use the same.
Another hurdle is the last mile distribution where multiple product-handling due to lack of cold chain facilities is degrading quality at retail store end. Thus less intermediates and efficient cold chain use will maintain product temperature and quality. This is where seminars / workshops should be arranged to create awareness among retailers / distributors to use cold chain at grass root level so that people know the advantages of using these facilities.
What according to you are the visible trends in the industry?
A well developed cold storage and food processing industry is expected to increase farm gate prices, reduce wastages, ensure value addition, promote crop diversification, generate employment opportunities as well as export earnings.
The TCL market in the agriculture industry is estimated to touch Rs 51.4 billion by 2012-13 at a CAGR of 10%. Increase in irrigation levels resulting in higher yield & migration from conventional crops to F&V.
In the chocolates segment, the TCL market is estimated to touch Rs 1,861 million by 2012-13 at a CAGR of 19%. In total beverages market, only the in-bound logistics (fruit pulp and concentrates) require TCL services which are estimated to be Rs 18.08 crore by 2012-13 growing at a CAGR of 22%.
The TCL market in ice cream is estimated to touch Rs 349.9 crore by 2012-13 at a CAGR of 25.3%. The TCL market in meat Industry is estimated to touch Rs 645.04 crore by 2012-13 at a CAGR of 7.7%, which is driven by meat exports, value-added products and strict regulation by meat importing countries with respect to hygiene & safety. Road reefer transportation is set to grow at a high rate subject to removal of ban on road transportation of red meat. Ready-to-eat market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27% over the period of 5 years and the road reefer transportation will register 11% growth from Rs 259.35 crore to Rs 441.9 crore by 2012-13.
What are the challenges before cold chain companies in the country to succeed?
Challenges before TCL players in the agriculture (F&V) segment are that the post-harvest losses are estimated at 30% of the produce. There is lack of access to market and technology. In the chocolate segment, there is lack of storage at the retail level to hold the stock and last mile distribution. There is lack of human capital with domain expertise, high capital cost and erratic power supply.
The Indian cold chain industry has not matured to the level of other emerging economies. There is a huge business opportunity with booming retail market and pharmaceutical industry. FDI in retail is in progress and we can hope for positive outcome. As the product moves across the supply chain, the product quality and temperature need to be same from post-harvest to end-retailer.
In terms of technology for cold chain is India at par with the Western world?
In India, most of the cold storages are single commodity storages with refrigeration through an air conditioner or ammonia as refrigerant. But developed countries have gone far beyond these and now advance technologies like liquid nitrogen, eutectic plate technology and CO2- environment-friendly refrigeration systems are used. Snowman keeps experimenting on new technologies to give its customers cost-effective solu
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Aurora with an Almost full moon
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Proper tree trimming is a very important part of developing and maintaining strong and attractive trees. Trees that are trimmed on a regular schedule will require less corrective trimming as they mature.
Proper technique is required when trimming trees because each and every cut carries the potential to alter the growth of the tree. In fact, improper techniques can injure your tree in ways that can actually last the entire life of the tree. Call Go Tree Daddy and keep your trees safe and healthy. We also offer tree trimming services like:
When a tree is trimmed using this technique, its branches can be severely cut back without affecting the health of the tree. Though useful, this process cannot be performed on just any tree. Not all trees are capable of being cut in this way and still remain healthy. If you have questions about whether your tree can be pollarded contact us and we will be happy to let you know.
Often times homeowners and commercial property owners who perform their own tree trimming service are sometimes left with unsightly tree stumps that can ruin your landscaping and in some cases can even be a hazard. Stump grinding is the fastest and most efficient way to remove stumps.
Go Tree Daddy can remove any size tree stump with our professional stump grinding machines. You no longer have to suffer while tree stumps or surface roots impede your sidewalks, driveways and landscaping.
The sign of a job well done is leaving no sign that a stump ever existed at all. If you have unsightly stumps in your yard, garden or commercial landscaping, call us today to ensure proper stump grinding service.
Whether you have trees, tree stumps or other plants in your way, we can handle any safe removal situation. We grind stumps below the surface so that you can plant, cover and revitalize a plot of land as if there was never anything there to begin with.
With years of safe removal experience, the certified arborists at Go Tree Daddy are experienced and well equipped to complete any stump or tree removal. Our goal is to provide you with personable and professional tree service so that your experience with us is thorough and satisfying.
Chipping branches is a common way to remove tree limbs and branches after they have been cut down. Once a tree branch has been cut down, it is then put into a wood-chipping machine, which grinds the wood into chips.
Tree chipping is also an essential part of having trees cut down and removed. Cutting down a tree always involves getting rid of the material.Once the wood has been chipped it can be hauled away, used as bark or even spread back over the land to fertilize soil. This makes tree chipping an environmentally friendly approach to removing and recycling tree waste.
If you are one of those individuals who prefer to clear your land or do your own trimming work yourself, no problem. We also offer a stand-alone tree chipping service.


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I'm printing index sheets for the FSPS photos, so that each streets' group of photos (e.g. Ainslie Road) in the archive folders is divided by a set of A4 colour-printed pages with thumbnails of the photos. These don't actually have each photo's URLs or filenames, which I've been a bit disappointed about, but it does have the URL of the street's page. That is enough to get pretty close to an individual photo, and I think it's good enough. If I were starting this project again I might do things a bit differently, but I'm far enough in now to want to maintain consistency.
I do want to sort out a better URL rewrite for page IDs. At the moment I am including page ID URLs such as https://archives.org.au/Special:Redirect/page/1100 but this would be neater as https://archives.org.au/P1100 (which would prohibit having wiki pages at that URL, but I think that's okay).


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Route 3
Curry Place
Holderness, NH 03245
We are a full service Real Estate Firm, specializing in Residential, Land, Commercial, Rentals and More. 6 Offices serving the Lakes Region, Central & Northern NH areas. Members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio. Independently owned and operated for over 20 years with full time agents ready to assist you.


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21 Davis St, Keene, NH 03431
Toll Free: 800-215-8992 Local: 800-215-8992Email Us
- 21 Davis St, Keene, NH 03431
This wreath arrangement is filled with red, yellow and white flowers accented with greenery and a ribbon.
All items featured on this site represent the types of arrangements we offer and may vary depending upon availability in certain regions. Substitution Policy


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Cameron's Up to the 'Challenge'
The essence of the drama in 'Deepsea Challenge 3D' is the explorer's deepening solitude.
James Cameron has one up—or down—on Orson Welles, who famously said that a movie studio was the best toy a boy ever had. Mr. Cameron has put movie studios to uses that Mr. Welles could never have dreamed of, and has played with some of the best toys that could ever have been imagined by a boy who dreamed, as he says he did, of being a deep-sea explorer. In recent years high-tech submersibles have taken him to the wrecks of the German battleship Bismarck, and to the Titanic, which he memorialized in a fact/fiction twofer. Now a torpedo-shaped, technically prodigious, Kawasaki-green craft called Deepsea Challenger is the co-star, with Mr. Cameron himself, of "Deepsea Challenge 3D." This enthralling documentary, with a few brief moments of fictional re-creation, was made in conjunction with National Geographic Entertainment. It's about Challenger's design and construction, and the 2012 expedition in which the filmmaker-scientist piloted the vessel to a depth of nearly 36,000 feet in the Mariana Trench of the western Pacific, the deepest part of our planet's oceans.
More Reviews
For a while the film threatens to be more about the adventurer than the adventure—lots of footage devoted to Mr. Cameron, and why not: As Challenger's co-designer, with the Australian engineer Ron Allum, he's a tough taskmaster with movie-star presence (though a star, one senses, who takes direction reluctantly). Soon enough, though, the construction phase turns tense. Things don't always work as they should—some components have been wired backward—and tragedy strikes above water when two of Mr. Cameron's close associates on the team die in a helicopter accident on their way to shooting aerial footage of a test dive. Then the sea trials prove successful, the pilot squeezes himself into the tiny cockpit for the climactic dive—the 24-foot torpedo rides vertically in the water—and the drama begins in earnest.
There's the expected, though no less astounding, profusion of life forms on the way down—Mr. Cameron calls them "critters" when he isn't using their scientific names—but the essence of the drama is the explorer's deepening solitude. At times you may want more information than the film is willing to dispense. What was that terrifying snapping sound? "Something just imploded," Mr. Cameron notes coolly, but he doesn't say what it might have been, or how alarming. Five systems have failed, he tells us later, but he doesn't say which ones. Small flaws, though, in a singular saga. The lower he goes, the fewer critters he sees until there are none, just one human critter where humans weren't designed to be, in the vast blankness of Earth's basement.
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The SPACIT Project
EUROGEO is a partner in the Spatial Citizenship (SPACIT) Comenius Project (2011-2014).
Spatial Citizenship is about 'learning how to navigate this world in respect to a) the physical world, b) the meanings attached to physical objects and environment c) the power relations involved in the production of meaning' (Gryl et al., 2010).
The aims of the project are to:
- develop and promote the concept of Spatial Citizenship
- create a competence model for SPACIT in teacher education and training
- develop a teacher training and professional development course (in the project partner languages)
- explore further perspective of Spatial Citizenship
SPACIT provides teachers with the relevant education to support active Spatial Citizenship in the classroom through providing the following measures:
- an up-to-date online reader on the geoinformation society, the technological basics, its social implications and economical effects for individuals,
- a competence model and curriculum for an increased participation in the geoinformation society through Spatial Citizenship,
- materials for teachers to actively learn / teach Spatial Citizenship skills and competences to pupils
There are 4 units of SPACIT training:
i) Basic spatial concepts to understand the correlation between absolute conceptions of space as used in geoinformation and social concepts of space as used in the social/political sphere
ii) Spatial thinking to understand and make use of relational concepts of space
iii) GI (geoinformation)-enabled Spatial Citizenship – spatial communication – to be able to communicate and critically reflect on spatial representations (i.e. maps)
iv) GI (geoinformation)-enabled Spatial Citizenship – participation – to be able to actively participate in collective decision making processes.
Teacher training courses
SPACIT Teacher Training course in English – coming soon
SPACIT Teacher Training course in Italian – coming soon
SPACIT Teacher Training course in German – coming soon
SPACIT Teacher Training course in Turkish – coming soon
Gryl, I., Jekel, T., Donert, K. (2010). GI and Spatial Citizenship. In T. Jekel, K. Donert, A. Koller (Eds.), Learning with GeoInformation. Berlin: Wichman Verlag


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Atherosclerotic plaque composition can be imaged using the optical attenuation coefficient derived from intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) data. The relation between optical properties and tissue type has been established on autopsy tissues. In this study, we validate an ex-vivo model for the effect of temperature and tissue fixation on optical parameters. We studied the optical attenuation of human coronary arteries at three temperatures, before and after formalin fixation. We developed an en-face longitudinal display of attenuation data of the OCT pullbacks. Using the unfixed, body-temperature condition image as a standard, and after extensive registration with other condition images, we quantify the differences in optical attenuation and the backscattered intensity. The results suggest that tissue fixation and temperature do not introduce systematic errors in studies of arterial optical properties.
© 2014 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
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Browns center Alex Mack became the subject of internet speculation during Thursday's game against the Ravens – after cameras showed blood on the back of his pants, seemingly coming from inopportune places.
The situation, first reported by Deadspin, sparked concern. Where was the blood coming from? What does this signify for the Browns? There's an NFL player with the same name as the character in a 1990s Nickelodeon TV series?
Alas, the blood apparently came from quarterback Brandon Weeden's hand, which sustained a cut during the game.
Mack, 26, had bigger problems than his bloody pants Thursday, as his Cleveland Browns fell to the Ravens 23-16.
The center, now in his fourth NFL season, played in the Pro Bowl in 2011 – and even scored a touchdown in the game on a lateral.


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Lewmar Sponsors Hamble Winter Series Yacht Race
UK yacht equipment specialist Lewmar to sponsor the 2012 Lewmar Hamble One Design Championships, the UK's premier winter sailing event.
This sponsorship represents a furthering of Lewmar's commitment to UK competitive sailing, having been a long term supporter of the Hamble Winter Series as a day sponsor.
Taking place over two packed weekends; the 13/14th and 27/28th October, the event is organised by Hamble River Sailing Club as a component championship of the incredibly popular Hamble Winter Series.
Firmly established as a leading One Design event on the Solent, the racing is expected to be furiously contested over a total of 12 races across the two weekends. The Championships are open to Impalas, Sigma 38s, J/109s, J/92s, SB20s, J/80s and Quarter Tonners, with a considerable number of entries already logged.
In addition to being title sponsor, Lewmar will also be providing equipment prizes to the top three entrants in each class.


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A burst of 9 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team
Frozen Android phones give up data secrets >> BBC News
Freezing an Android phone can help reveal its confidential contents, German security researchers have found.
The team froze phones for an hour as a way to get around the encryption system that protects the data on a phone by scrambling it.
Google introduced the data scrambling system with the version of Android known as Ice Cream Sandwich.
The attack allowed the researchers to get at contact lists, browsing histories and photos.
There's something delicious about using a freezer to attack Ice Cream Sandwich. (Thanks @challengingviews for the link.)
Report: Microsoft pushing Windows 8 and Office to smaller devices >> Windows IT Pro
Paul Thurrott:
Citing unnamed "people familiar with the situation," The Wall Street Journal report says that Microsoft is jumpstarting a push to smaller PC devices, most likely including tablets with 7-inch screens or similar. The new devices would arrive in time for the 2013 holiday selling season and will ostensibly compete with Apple's iPad mini, Google's Nexus 7, Amazon's Kindle Fire HD, and other small computing devices.
Amazingly, Microsoft provided a comment that seems to vaguely confirm the report.
The WSJ's "people familiar" construction generally means "people inside the company". Is Microsoft late to this 7in party, or right on time? (Thanks @nazo for the link.)
UK judge declines Samsung's job offer, invalidates three 3G standard-essential patents in Apple case >> FOSS Patents
Florian Müller:
Samsung has now officially failed to prevail on 25 standard-essential patent (SEP) assertions against Apple (including eight patents it withdrew and one case that was stayed in Germany because the patent was deemed likely to be invalid). Today Justice Floyd of the Chancery Division of the High Court of England and Wales ruled on three Samsung SEP assertions against Apple and declared all three patents invalid. Last week Samsung lost its 22nd SEP assertion against Apple (in Japan). Samsung has prevailed on only three of its SEPs (two in Korea, one in the Netherlands). With a hit rate of less than one out of eight it's still less unsuccessful than Google's Motorola Mobility, which won only one of its ten SEP cases against Apple.
The "declines job offer" part of the headline isn't serious (or necessary; it's a snark too far). Would love to see a revised estimated by Google of Motorola's value; it put the 17,000 issued and 7,000 patents pending at a value of around $5.5bn on 30 June 2012. (See Note 8, "acquisitions".)
Rovio's revenue crisis and the app market evolution >> Forbes
Tero Kuittinen:
On March 6, the mobile app industry witnessed something that it had not seen since April 2010. No Rovio games in the US Top 90 chart of iPhone apps generating most revenue. According to Appshopper, Angry Birds Star Wars has dropped to #91 and Bad Piggies to #100 when it comes to making money. Both still fare well in the download charts at #8 and #13.
Something fascinating has happened in the app industry over the past two years; download volume performance has decoupled from revenue performance almost entirely. A few years ago, the original Angry Birds spent 22 months in the Top 20 chart of biggest revenue generating apps in America. The latest Angry Birds game struggled to stay 2 months in the Top 20.
The app industry revenue generation is now utterly dominated by free downloads that lure consumers into paying for in-game features month after month.
Windows RT is a lemon. Here's how Microsoft could make lemonade >> Ars Technica
Peter Bright:
Ever since it was announced, I've had skepticism about the purpose and value of Windows RT, Microsoft's version of Windows that runs on ARM computers. The upside of Windows RT — cheap devices and long battery life—was diluted by Intel finally managing to beat its Atom processor into shape. The downside — incompatibility with almost every Windows application ever written — seemed substantial.
I'm not alone in this skepticism. Acer decided not to ship a Windows RT product, preferring instead to gauge the market reaction (though the company may be softening its stance and might ship a Windows RT tablet later in the year, if it believes that Microsoft has made the operating system sufficiently appealing to consumers). Around the time of CES, Samsung said that it wasn't going to ship its Windows RT device, the Ativ Tab, in the US due to lack of retailer interest. The news has got worse: the company is now not going to sell it in Germany as a result of weak demand.
Worse than that, actually. Samsung told the Guardian it isn't going to sell the Ativ outside Asia. Windows RT has serious problems with developers, OEMs and customers. Thank goodness Microsoft is solidly behind- oh.
How guys will use Google Glass >> YouTube
The future is coming, ladies. Sorry about that.
"Glass, take a picture." Precisely. (From @dartanion on Twitter.)
Getting ultraviolent about UltraViolet™ >> Martin Belam
User experience (UX) designer Martin Belam:
A good UX can be hard to quantify, but you sure know when you are having a bad one. And over Christmas I stumbled over a really good example of a bad one.
Regular readers may have noticed that I quite like Doctor Who, and so of course Santa brought me the latest DVD box set for Christmas. It includes the new UltraViolet™ feature of making digital copies available to owners of the physical product.
The instructions come in a leaflet in the box, and I was eager to try it out.
Anyone had a good experience with Ultraviolet?
New Social Media Startup Launches, Shuts Down Within 45 Minutes >> The Onion
During a candid postmortem 10 minutes after the site had been removed and an hour after it had launched, Nesheim cited myriad difficulties in the site's first 15 or 20 minutes, including logistical hurdles, a stubborn market share, and administrative hassles.
"Within 52 seconds of the site's launch, you could tell things weren't looking good, and after 30 minutes I figured, 'All right, let's just give it 15 more minutes and if it hasn't taken off by then, fuck it,'" said Nesheim, who frantically and unsuccessfully attempted to sell the company to an outside investor within minutes of FrendTrend going live. "It had so much promise when I walked into our office for the first time this morning. People just didn't give it a chance."
Bear in mind that what The Onion does as satire one day often subsequently occurs as reality.
Big-Bang Disruption >> Harvard Business Review
Larry Downes and Paul Nunes:
the strategic model of disruptive innovation we've all become comfortable with has a blind spot. It assumes that disrupters start with a lower-priced, inferior alternative that chips away at the least profitable segments, giving an incumbent business time to start a skunkworks and develop its own next-generation products.
That advice hasn't been much help to navigation-product makers like TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan. Free navigation apps, now preloaded on every smartphone, are not only cheaper but better than the stand-alone devices those companies sell. And thanks to the robust platform provided by the iOS and Android operating systems, navigation apps are constantly improving, with new versions distributed automatically through the cloud.
The disruption here hasn't come from competitors in the same industry or even from companies with a remotely similar business model. Nor did the new technology enter at the bottom of a mature market and then follow a carefully planned march through larger customer segments. Users made the switch in a matter of weeks. And it wasn't just the least profitable or "underserved" customers who were lured away. Consumers in every segment defected simultaneously — and in droves.
What's the next category that smartphones (or their successors) will swallow?
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Today I want to tell you about a product that has been my companion at all times for the last couple of months. You know I am not really a fan of reviews so you can bet this product really impressed me!
I´m sure you all know my skin type by now and I am sure you have all been experiencing (as have I) some dry patches on your skin in these cold months. Well, about 2 months or so ago I got the chance to try something from the brand 4kidsandus. Since their main target are people with mature and/or dry skin I was quite skeptical at the beginning and even turned the offer down at first. After talking to their sales department I realized I just needed their ointment for dry and problematic skin.
Now, at first I did not mean to use it on my face I was more interested in what it can do for my cuticles. Since I started seeing Sara I have to say I have stopped biting my nails, however I have replaced that awful habit with a new one – biting my cuticles. Every time I came to see Sara she was angry at me and tried to warn me about how bad that can be not only for my nails, but my overall health as well. Of course that didn´t stop me.
My cuticles looked like they belonged to a 60-year-old male truck driver who is just too bored to even function. So I gave this product a go, despite being very skeptical, thinking no product in the world could repair my condition. I was surprised at the wax-like texture, but loved the fact how you need the tiniest amount for all 10 fingers. For the first week or so I only used it about once or twice a day since I always forgot to take it with me. I noticed quite an improvement and it motivated me to use it even more often. I soon started carrying it with me to class and when meeting my friends and I even forced them to give me their opinion. They said it has an interesting texture and they were really pleased when I told them about the ingredients. So about 3 weeks passed and I didn´t even pay that much attention to my cuticles anymore. I kept re-applying my ointment every couple of hours, not even putting that much attention into what I am doing. I scheduled my next appointment with Sara and it was at that moment that I actually realized how good my cuticles look. I always got a dirty look from Sara for how I don´t take care of my cuticles and this time even she noticed how good they actually look!
As I have said it has been a couple of months since I started using this product and I have to say I found many new ways of using it and I can guarantee this product will not break you out. About a month ago I got a rash on my right eyelid and although my classmate, who has been experiencing the same problem for the last 7 years told me I should get some kind of antibiotics (however he did mention the rash will probably disappear for only a week or two) I decided to firstly try out the more natural version. I tried everything from not applying any makeup to the area to rubbing Nivea (not such a pleasant experience if I may add) and oils to that area, but nothing worked. After a couple of weeks I finally decided to try out this product and I saw visible improvement from the first usage! I used it at night and in the morning my skin, for the first time in weeks, was not peeling off! I continued using it every night (and sometimes even throughout the day) for about a week and now my rash is completely gone – without the use of any antibiotics!
Ointment 1:0 Antibiotics
Now, if you suffer from dry skin in the winter (especially around your nose) I feel your pain. I am the girl that has to wipe her nose 24/7 (yup, the foundation around my nose is none existent in the first 10minutes after applying it too) and thus has a lot of dry skin in that area. Although I have been using Nivea (the classic blue container one) to help with my problem for years, this year I have decided to try out something more natural. This product completely got rid of my dry skin although it did leave it looking a bit greasy.
Some of my fellow bloggers suggested using it for elbows and some even for feet. I think this is a great all-around product that everyone needs in their life – at least in the colder months.
However I do suggest applying it at home since this product can leave you looking a bit greasy – or at least that´s what it does to my, otherwise quite oily and acne-prone skin. I usually apply it right before bed and when I´m at home, makeup-free. For my cuticles I leave it in my purse and reapply it throughout the day.
You can buy the product here.
Have you tried any of the 4kidsandus products? Do you have any recommendations? How did the ointment work out for you?
If you want to read about how this product works on children, make sure you check out a blog post a fellow blogger wrote in Slovene by clicking HERE.


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Family Portraits
Family portraits are definitely one of my favorite subjects to photograph. Kids are so fun to photograph and you never know what they are going to do next. I love hanging out and meeting new families. Lifestyle photo sessions are a great way to capture the personalities of your family. Pets are family members too!
Family photography in Atlanta, Roswell, Decatur, and the Greater Atlanta area. Addison Hill is a graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Photography. Family Portraits have alway been an important part of Addison's life growing up and providing this service to other families is a great joy. Contact Addison today to set up a Family Photography Session.


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Once upon a time when I was in the process of switching one live to another, I've stumbled upon this gem – a video of Greta Christina's speech on Skepticon 4. The video was made by Rob Lehr of Hambone Productions but it wasn't the form that got to me. It was the content. And I swear on Hyperion – what Mrs. Christina says couldn't be any more true. I was in awe, inspired, motivated and in high spirits. Well, not only because of that, but also due to the great bunch of people I've met on G+ atheism communities. But let's not spoil them too much – the ones who should know – know.
So I decided to make this awesome video available to my countrymen, many of which do not speak English well enough to understand the message. Or at all for that matter.
The story of me doing that is long and boring. I'll just mention that I picked the wrong file with timings and later down the road I had to actually write a program to merge two text files to get the proper text and proper timing.
I requested Mrs. Christina for authorization of the transcript, but I haven't heard from her for over a month. Due to this fact and due to the fact that I don't wish my work to be in vain I decided to publish it and see how it's going.
So please enjoy the transcript. And if by chance you decide to use the transcript to translate it to your native language, it would be awesome if you let me know – maybe we can make dozen of different versions.
What Mrs. Christina talks about is of utmost importance and equal validity all around the world. In this day and age none of that should be happening and it's my little input to try to make the video unnecessary.
Last but not least – I am in no way a professional translator, writer or whatever. Both the transcript as well as translation are purely amateur work and they should be treated as such. Anyway I wish you en enjoyable and fruitful read/watching. The film is really worth watching and is mandatory for each and every one of you out there who was forced to answer the "What's the harm?" question even once. Mandatory!
Polish version of the article to be found here.
Credits that are due:
All copyrights belong to their respective holders:
The content of the video: (C)opyright by Greta Christina
The video of the speech: (C)opyright by Rob Lehr – Hambone Productions –
Transcript and translation: (C)opyright by AdamZielinski
of the Google Community of Atheism – http://is.gd/googleatehism
Visit our Google Plus Page: http://is.gd/atheismcommunity


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Reading Matters
Two events: Enough writers to tangle the imagination
Watch where you walk during the three days beginning Nov. 3. You are very likely to get tangled in a writer's imagination.
Two literary events – Verse & Vino and EpicFest Family Festival – will bring so many writers to Charlotte, the sky will feel bluer, the air headier.
Verse & Vino, a fund-raising dinner sponsored by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library and the Charlotte Observer, is Nov. 3, at the Convention Center. The line-up is dazzling:
H.W. Brands: a Pulitzer Prize finalist for "The First American" and "Traitor to His Class." His latest is "The General vs. The President: Macarthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War."
Candice Millard: her bestselling non-fiction books include "The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey" and "Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President." Her most recent is "Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape and the Making of Winston Churchill."
Rumaan Alam: His debut novel is "Rich and Pretty," based on his career in fashion and interior design.
Lisa Turner: Memphis and the Mississippi Delta are the locales for her mysteries: "A Little Death in Dixie," and "The Gone Dead Train," a 2015 Edgar nominee. Her most recent, "Devil Sent the Rain," is about the murder of a Memphis socialite.
Tom Rinaldi: A national correspondent at ESPN and winner of 15 Sports Emmy awards and six Edward R. Murrow awards. His most recent: "The Red Bandana: A Life, a Choice, a Legacy," celebrating the life of Welles Crowther, a man who was on the 104th floor of the South Tower when the Twin Towers fell and who, his parents later learned, was a hero.
Individual tickets: $125. https://foundation.cmlibrary.org/events/verse-vino
EpicFest Family Festival is a free event – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at ImaginOn.
Authors include Linda Ashman ("Rock-A-Bye Romp"), Tom Angleberger (the bestselling "Origami Yoda" series, the "Inspector Flytrap" series, and a new book "Fuzzy."); Nancy Cavanaugh ("Just Like Me"); Matt Myers, an illustrator of more than a dozen children's books); LeUyen Pham, an author/illutrator whose new release is "The Bear Who Wasn't There"; Charlotte's Kathleen Burkinshaw, whose novel, "The Last Cherry Blossom," is about the bombing of Hiroshima through the eyes of a 12-year-old; Kelly Starling Lyons ("One Million Men and Me," "Ellen's Broom," "Tea Cakes for Tosh,'' and "Hope's Gift"; Adam Silvera ("More Happy Than Not"); and Jessica Khoury, whose latest fantasy for young adults is "The Forbidden Wish."
For more information: https://foundation.cmlibrary.org/events/epicfest-family-festival


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Superhuman was founded in 2015 (3ish years ago at the time of writing this). From their landing page, they are building "The Fastest Email Experience Ever Made." To this day, you can still not sign up and instantly gain access to their product. Yet, they have received more press, word of mouth, and funding than 95%+ of other products. Why? Because they've done the exact opposite of what most do for product and feature launches. Let me explain...
In-Depth Insights and Guides
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If you are looking for "hacks" or "tricks" (that probably don't work) then
my content is not for you. Subscribe to my email list if you want detailed and in-depth guides on growth.
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Don't Let Your North Star Metric Deceive You
We've all heard the rallying cry of the "One Metric That Matters".
Choose your north star and focus. Grow 7% week over week. If you grow DAUs, the rest will follow.
But blindly buying into the concept of the one metric that matters (OMTM) is a fatal oversimplification.
In a recent essay, Casey Winters, formerly Growth at Pinterest, says:
"The search for one key metric for a complex ecosystem like Pinterest over-simplifies how the ecosystem works and prevents anyone from focusing on understanding the different elements of that ecosystem. You want the opposite to be true. You want everyone focused on understanding how different elements work together in this ecosystem. The one key metric can make you think that is not important."
In this post, we'll expand on Casey's points, walking through why focusing only on your north star metric is a dangerous way to measure the growth of your business, and how teams should think about setting their metrics instead.
4 Reasons OMTM is Misleading
Even the name "One Metric That Matters" is problematic. It sends the message that you only need to focus on one metric to build growth into your product - this misleads many teams.
There are four key reasons that explain why buying into the one key metric philosophy can be deadly. Let's walk through each reason in detail.
Building a Growth Framework Towards a $100 Million Product
When I joined HubSpot in January 2014 the mission was clear. One, help build the foundation for a new $100M line of business. Two, do it with a freemium and touchless model. The journey was one with many twists, turns, and lessons which I've boiled down into the Four Fits Framework that I went through in the past five posts.
In this post, I will walk you through how we laid the foundation for the HubSpot Sales product and set it on course towards that $100M goal.
6 Mistakes Growth Candidates Make in the Interview Process
You walk into your growth interview after hours of preparation. You've perfected your 2 minute pitch, polished your work stories, and maybe even done some case prep. You're ready to showcase your achievements and you have an answer ready for any question they throw at you.
But there's one big problem you've overlooked - the interview isn't actually about you.
Most candidates approach the interview process as a way to showcase themselves and their accomplishments. But, the best growth candidates orient the process around the company and its strategy.
After years of interviewing hundreds of people applying for various growth roles, I've seen candidates make the same 6 mistakes over and over again. They all tie back to this one core error - thinking the interview is about you.
In this post, I'll outline the six most common ways those mistakes play out - and look at the mental models that can help you avoid falling into the most common trap that trips up even the strongest growth candidates.
Get the customizable Growth Interview Prep Worksheet that accompanies the post here.
Why Most Companies Fail At Moving Up or Down Market
This is part five in a series about 4 Frameworks To Grow To $100M+. Subscribe to get the rest of the series.
In the introduction I explained there are two types of companies:
Tugboats, where growth feels like you have to put a ton of fuel in to get only a little speed out.
Smooth sailors, where growth feels like wind is at your back.
The difference between these two are not the common mantras of build a great product, product market fit is the only thing that matters, or growth hacking.
In part two, I talked about why we should think about Product Market Fit as Market Product Fit, how to lay out your Market and Product hypotheses, and how understanding whether you have Market Product Fit comes down to Qualitative, Quantitative, and Intuitive indicators.
In part three, I covered Product Channel Fit - the concept that products are built to fit with channels, channels are not built to fit with products.
In part four I covered Channel Model Fit - that channels are determined by your model. I went through the ARPU ↔ CAC spectrum and how your product and product tiers need to align on this spectrum.
In part five I covered Model Market Fit - your model influences the target market and vice versa.
Through out the series I've tried to highlight three key points:
1. You need all four Fits to grow to $100M+.
2. You can't think about the four Fits in isolation because together they form an ecosystem for growth.
3. You need to constantly revisit the fits because they are continuously changing, or breaking down.
Let's walk through each of them individually in more detail.
The Model Market Fit Threshold & What it Means for Your Growth Strategy
Model Market Fit is the concept that your market (and # of customers within your market) influence your model.
The first time I heard about the underlying concept of Model Market Fit was from Christoph Janz @ Point Nine Capital. He wrote a post called The Five Ways To Build A $100M Business. He then followed that up with Three More Ways, but I'm going to focus on the first five as they represent most of the $100M+ outcomes out there.
Get Out of the ARPU-CAC Danger Zone with Channel Model Fit
Channel Model Fit is simple - channels are determined by your model.
First, what do I mean by "Model?" The two most important elements of your model are:
- How Your Charge - For example, free (monetized with ads), freemium, transactional, free trial, one year up front, etc.
- Average Annual Revenue Per User - What the average $$ you make from a customer/user per year.
Product Channel Fit Will Make or Break Your Growth Strategy
Earlier, I discussed our common obsession with Product Market Fit that has led to false beliefs such as "Product Market Fit is the only thing that matters." A byproduct of that false belief are statements such as:
"We are focused on product-market fit right now. Once we have that we'll test a bunch of different channels."
There are two major issues with this statement. I'll break them down separately.
The Road to a $100M Company Doesn't Start with Product
While Product Market Fit isn't the only thing that matters, it is important, so it makes sense that there are no shortage of blog posts explaining Product Market Fit, and how to get it.
Instead of echoing the many great Product Market Fit explainer posts out there, I'm going to focus on the 5 elements of Product Market Fit that I believe are most misunderstood and overlooked:
Why Product Market Fit Isn't Enough
I've been lucky to have been part of building, advising, or investing in 40+ tech companies in the past 10 years. Some $100M+ wins. Some, complete losses. Most end up in the middle.
One of my main observations is that there are certain companies where growth seems to come easily, like guiding a boulder down hill. These companies grow despite having organizational chaos, not executing the "best" growth practices, and missing low hanging fruit. I refer to these companies as Smooth Sailers - a little effort for lots of speed.
In other companies, growth feels much harder. It feels like pushing a boulder up hill. Despite executing the best growth practices, picking the low hanging fruit, and having a great team, they struggle to grow. I refer to these companies as Tugboats - a lot of effort for little speed.


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When she departs her post on April 1, Carol Trujillo, head of the county's Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board, will leave CLERB with the smallest staff in its almost 20-year history—one investigator and a part-time administrative assistant—amid a growing backlog of uninvestigated complaints. Trujillo submitted her letter of resignation on March 11; she left for a pre-planned vacation on March 17 and returned March 29.
Trujillo didn't respond to e-mailed questions from CityBeat, but in her letter to board chair James Achenbach, she said only that she'd accepted a job offer and is "returning to the practice of law."
CLERB, created by voter mandate in 1990 in response to a number of high-profile police-brutality cases—including one brought by former Navy chaplain Jim Butler that resulted in a $1.1-million settlement—is charged with conducting independent reviews of complaints by citizens against sheriff's deputies and probation officers. The board also investigates all deaths that result from an action by county law-enforcement whether or not a complaint is filed. A paid staff investigates complaints, and an all-volunteer board reviews the investigator's findings. Most of the board's work is done behind closed doors, the result of a 2006 state Supreme Court ruling that curtailed what information law-enforcement review boards can make public about the cases they review.
Despite CLERB's relatively low profile, a number of issues emerged under Trujillo's tenure, which began in March 2007 after John Parker, CLERB's executive officer since 1997, retired. Last fall, a proposal to eliminate CLERB's hard-fought ability to subpoena non-cooperative officers got the attention of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, two former CLERB executive officers and the ACLU. Trujillo ultimately added subpoena rights back into the rules and regulations but didn't amend a handful of other proposed changes with which oversight proponents disagreed. And, as CityBeat reported in February, Danica James, a former CLERB investigator who was terminated by Trujillo, filed a complaint against her former boss, alleging gross mismanagement. James, who was a San Diego Police officer and acting detective before going to work for CLERB, said that when she started the job, she found an office in disarray: files that contained wrong information, missing evidence and, in one case, evidence that corroborated a complainant's version of events that went ignored.
Trujillo told CityBeat that the review board—which is responsible for hiring and firing the executive officer—had found James' allegations to be "unfounded." A county spokesperson, however, told CityBeat in late February that, at that point, the investigation into the complaint had not yet been completed.
Most troubling, though, are the number of cases CLERB has dismissed so far this year—14 out of 27 brought before the board for review. Under the Peace Officers Bill of Rights, if an officer is to be disciplined for misconduct, the discipline must be imposed within one year of the incident in question. Even though CLERB can't mandate discipline if a complaint's found to be valid—it can only make a recommendation—and officers have the right to appeal sustained findings to the county's civil service commission, eight complaints in January and six in March were dismissed because the short-staffed department couldn't complete the investigations within a year.
CLERB normally employs two investigators but, since James' termination, has been making do with one, with Trujillo sharing the investigative duties. Trujillo told CityBeat in January that a mandatory 14-percent budget cut imposed by the county was the reason for the staff shortage. But a breakdown of CLERB's budget obtained by CityBeat in February showed enough money available to hire a part-time investigator. CLERB also ended the 2008-09 fiscal year with $155,141 of its allocated budget unspent.
Last month, in response to questions from CityBeat, county spokesperson Mike Workman said Trujillo didn't request that the unspent money be rolled over to her 2009-10 budget. Trujillo did, however, put in a request to hire temporary part-time help, but, Workman said, the county's Public Safety Group, which administers CLERB's budget, opted to freeze CLERB's budget pending a review of Trujillo's job performance prompted by James' complaint.
In response to follow-up questions submitted by CityBeat for this story, Public Safety Group human resources director Jessie Bishop said the review was complete and PSG had approved funding to hire a second investigator as soon as Trujillo's replacement is hired. Bishop said she couldn't comment on the findings of the review, citing confidentiality. James said she'd not been told that the review was complete.
The county has yet to advertise Trujillo's open position. Bishop said the goal was to find someone "as soon as possible" and that PSG will work with the board to recruit candidates. CityBeat attempted to contact the board's chair and vice chair but didn't hear back by press time. The board's secretary, Eddie Castoria, referred a reporter to the board chair.
Louis Wolfsheimer, an attorney and board member since 2005, said he'd expressed concern at meetings about the backlog of investigations and the need for at least a part-time investigator. Wolfsheimer said he wasn't aware that the board's budget had been frozen.
"We're running on half a cylinder here," he said. "We have such a big backlog. People expect that if they file a complaint against the sheriff, that it's going to be heard within a year. There are no excuses.
"We need another investigator; we need a leader, but we need an investigator," he said.
An earlier version of this story had Jim Butler's last name as Bishop. We regret the error.
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