text:
Cal State Los Angeles at Cal State Fullerton
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 | 7 p.m.
Fullerton, Calif.
Titan Gym (4,000)
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio
Cal State Fullerton at Stanford
Monday, Nov. 12, 2012 | 8:30 p.m.
Palo Alto, Calif.
Maples Pavilion (7,233)
TV: Pac-12 Network
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Audio
TIP OFF: The 53rd season of varsity basketball at Cal State Fullerton opens this week as the 2012-13 Titans tip-off with an exhibition against Cal State Los Angeles on Wednesday night (Nov. 3) at 7 p.m. inside TItan Gym. Admission is free to the event, which will be the only regular season tune-up for Fullerton prior to the Titans officially starting the campaign on Nov. 12 with a televised game (Pac-12 Network) at Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. Tip-off against the Cardinal is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
IN THE POLLS: Stanford is receiving two votes in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 and seven votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans' athletics by following us on Facebook (CSUF.Athletics) and Twitter (@FullertonTitans).
I NEED STATS, STAT!: Live stats will be available for both of this week's contests against Cal State Los Angeles and Stanford. Please visit the men's basketball schedule page to access the links.
STRAIGHT FROM THE COACH'S MOUTH: Fans can preview the 2012-13 men's basketball season as the Cal State Fullerton sports information staff sat down with Interim Head Coach Andy Newman to talk about the upcoming campaign. View the video, shot in stunning HD by Matt Brown, on Cal State Fullerton's Official YouTube page at www.YouTube.com/CSFAthletics.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES: Cal State Los Angeles returns four letter winners off last season's squad that finished 17-10 overall and 13-9 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association... the Golden Eagles fell to Cal State Northridge on Sunday (Nov. 4) in their first exhibition of the season, 72-61... junior guard Quinton Watkins, a second-team All-CCAA honoree, returns after leading the team in scoring (11.7 ppg) while shooting just under 39 percent from the field... CSULA lost four of its top five scorers from a season ago... junior Trevor Wiseman, a transfer from Hawaii, averaged 6.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg as a sophomore... Head Coach Stephen Thompson is in his eighth season at the helm, posting a 95-97 (.495) record.
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL: Stanford is coming off a 26-11 season that saw the Cardinal claim the Postseason NIT championship with five consecutive wins over Cleveland State, Illinois State, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Minnestoa to close out the season... Stanford finished seventh in the Pac-12 with a 10-8 record last season, falling to rival California in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament after an opening round victory over Arizona State... the Cardinal were 17-3 at Maples Pavilion last season, winning their last four home contests... Stanford defeated UNC Pembroke, 85-71, in an exhibition on Nov. 4 and officially open the season on Nov. 9 against San Francisco on the road before welcoming the Titans for its home opener on the Pac-12 Network... the Cardinal are picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 this season... sophomore Chasson Randle -- the team's leading scorer as a freshman -- returns for his second season after averaging 13.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting .439 from the field and .438 from three-point range... junior guard Aaron Bright, who averaged 11.7 ppg and 3.68 apg last season, was named the NIT's Most Outstanding Player, averaging 16.8 ppg and 4.2 apg while shooting .641 from the field... Stanford returns three starters and 13 letter winners from last season's squad... Head Coach Johnny Dawkins is in his fifth season at the helm, posting a 75-59 overall record in his previous four years, after spending 11 years at perennial power Duke -- the last eight as the program's Associate Head Coach -- helping the Blue Devils to a 330-60 overall record.
HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH STANFORD: Monday's meeting with the Cardinal will be the first in the history of the two programs.
CONFERENCE CALL: The Titans are 7-33 against the current Pac-12 alignment: 1-4 vs. Arizona, 0-2 vs. Arizona State, 0-1 vs. California, 0-1 vs. Colorado, 0-3 vs. Oregon, 1-1 vs. Oregon State, 1-9 vs. UCLA, 0-3 vs. USC, 3-9 vs. Utah, and 1-0 vs. Washington... Fullerton is 2-2 over the past three seasons against the Pac-12, posting wins at Utah (81-50) on Dec. 7, 2011, and at UCLA (68-65 in 2 OT) on Nov. 16, 2009.
FOR OPENERS: Cal State Fullerton is 22-30 (.423) in season openers dating back to the 1960-61 season and is just 5-5 in its last 10.
HI, MOM!: The Titans will invade the airwaves (or fiber optic cables) on at least seven occassions in 2012-13, playing twice on the newly launched Pac-12 Network at Stanford (Nov. 12) and at Washington (Dec. 2), featured on the ESPN family of networks in their games against UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 29 - ESPNU) and at Long Beach State (Feb. 13 - ESPNU), as well as three more contests on Fox Sports PrimeTicket against Hawaii (Feb. 2), at UC Riverside (Feb. 9), and at UC Irvine (Feb. 16. There are four more possibilites for TV exposure: the first coming in the ESPN Bracketbuster game on Feb. 23 and a possible road contest at The Thunderdome against the Gauchos on March 7 as one of ESPN's "wild card" games as well as possible contests against UC Davis (March 2) and at Cal Poly (March 9) on Fox Sports West.
INTERIM HEAD COACH ANDY NEWMAN: The curtain rises on the Andy Newman Era at Cal State Fullerton as the former Titans' Assistant and Associate Head Coach moves over one chair on the bench to guide Fullerton into the 2012-13 season. During Newman's tenure, the Titans are a combined 155-122 (.560) overall and 79-65 (.549) in the Big West Conference -- including five, top-three finishes in the standings since he arrived in 2003-04.
TITANS PICKED SECOND IN BIG WEST RACE; SEELEY, VAUGHN HONORED: Led by preseason All-Big West Conference picks D.J. Seeley and Kwame Vaughn, the Cal State Fullerton men's basketball team was picked to finish second in the Big West Conference in 2012-13 as selected by the media and released by the league office on Oct. 25. The Titans received six first-place votes and 164 points overall to stand behind defending conference champion Long Beach State, which garnered 13 first-place votes and 194 points overall. UC Irvine (one first-place vote) was third with 153 points, league newcomer Hawaii was tabbed fourth with 132 points, while UC Santa Barbara rounds out the top five at 129 points. Fullerton is the only school to return a pair of All-Big West performers in Seeley and Vaughn, who each earned preseason all-conference recognition from the media panel. Seeley, a first-team All-Big West selection and the league's Newcomer of the Year in 2011-12, averaged 17.3 ppg to stand fourth in the conference and ranked eighth in the league with 66 three-pointers made. Vaughn was a second-team selection as a junior after averaging 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and a league-best 3.7 assists per game. He ranked sixth in scoring, fifth in field goal percentage (.458), and 10th in three-pointers made per game (1.9 pg).
YEAGER SHINES IN ANNUAL SCRIMMAGE: Cal State Fullerton senior forward Sammy Yeager finished with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a quartet of three-pointers, and highlighted a group of four Titans in double figures on Oct. 27 in the team's 11th Annual Blue-White Scrimmage at Titan Gym.
Yeager, who finished with 17 points in last year's scrimmage before sitting out all of the 2011-12 season after transferring from TCU, added four rebounds, three assists, and four steals over the three, eight-minute periods played in front of approximately 100 supporters on Saturday. He finished 7-for-10 in the final two "games", hitting all four of his three-point attempts in the middle contest to finish with 12 of his team's 18 points.
Senior D.J. Seeley finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 from the field, senior Kwame Vaughn added 15 points and four assists, including 9-of-10 from the free throw line, and junior newcomer "Deuce" Johnson made 6-of-7 from the floor to finish with 12 points while adding three boards. Junior transfer Steven McClellan (Louisiana-Monroe) led all Titans with six rebounds -- three of those on the offensive end -- while Vaughn, sophomore transfer James Douglas (Northern Arizona), and Alex Harris all finished with four assists.
As a group, Fullerton shot just over 52 percent from the field (37-for-71) and hit 9-of-27 (.333) from three-point range while shooting just over 73 percent (19-of-26) from the stripe. Despite lineup adjustments from period-to-period, the "Blue" Team won two of the three games by the scores of 21-13 in the first and 19-13 in the third contest while the middle game finished tied at 18.
HAPPY HOMECOMING: When the Titans hit the floor at Maples Pavilion on Nov. 12 for their season opener, it will be a homecoming of sorts for a few Titans as seniors Kwame Vaughn (Oakland), D.J. Seeley (Stockton), and Alex Harris (Richmond) return to Northern California. Vaughn and Seeley will be close to their old stomping grounds after spending the first two years of their collegiate careers at the University of San Francisco and California, respectively.
SEELEY VERSUS STANFORD: While at Cal, senior D.J. Seeley appeared in three of the Golden Bears' four contests against conference rival Stanford, scoring a total of two points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing out three assists in a total of 13 minutes. In his only appearance in Maples Pavilion, he grabbed one rebound and had one assist in three minutes as a freshman on Jan. 17, 2009, in a 75-69 loss to the Cardinal.
"HELLO, MY NAME IS...": Introductions may be in order for the Fullerton faithful as the Titans return just two starters and five players overall to a roster bolstered by three eligible Division I transfers (one of whom will be eligibile beginning at the end of the fall semester), a pair of junior college transfers, and one freshman.
NUMBERS ARE FUN: Fullerton's 21-win campaign in 2011-12 marked the sixth time in the last nine years that the Titans have finished with a winning record and only the seventh time in the 52-year history of the program that Fullerton has won at least 20 games. Last season marked the fourth time in eight years that the Titans won at least 20 games and only the fifth time in the school's Division I history that they finished either first or second in the conference standings.
HEY MR. D.J.: The honors begin to roll in for Fullerton senior D.J. Seeley, who has been selected by Lindy's Magazine as the preseason pick for Big West Conference Player of the Year in 2012-13. Seeley, a first-team All-Big West selection as a junior last season, lit up the scoreboards to the tune of 17.3 points per game (1st on the team, 4th in the Big West) and a .434 three-point percentage (4th in the conference).
HE'S HERE TO HELP: The only Titan to start all 31 games a season ago, senior Kwame Vaughn is a giver as evidenced by his Big West Conference-best 3.74 assists per game en route to second-team all-conference honors. Vaughn, who also led the league in free throw percentage (.847), finished second on the team -- and sixth in the Big West -- in scoring (15.6 ppg) and was a star in the classroom, earning Dean's List honors in the Spring of 2011 and 2011-12 Big West All-Academic Team laurels.
DIVISION I TRANSFERS: Once they step on the court for the Titans in 2012-13, Sammy Yeager, Alex Harris, and Darius Nelson will become the 39th, 40th, and 41st Division I transfers to the Cal State Fullerton program in its Division I history dating back to 1975. In that same time frame, only seven players have left the Titans for other Division I programs.
PACK YOUR BAGS: Aside from a pair of exhibition contests to start the season, Cal State Fullerton will play only one regular season contest within the friendly confines of Titan Gym in the month of November and just four of its first 11 at home before the start of Big West Conference play on Dec. 29 against UC Santa Barbara. This after a season that saw the Titans finish 13-1 on their home floor in 2011-12 while entering this season with a 12-game home winning streak dating back to a 73-66 loss to CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 26, 2011.
WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE: Cal State Fullerton's 13 wins at Titan Gym last season were the most since the 1982-83 Titans finished a perfect 13-0 on their home floor while the 13-1 record extended a streak of 10 seasons with a non-losing record at home dating back to the 2002-03 campaign. Fullerton, which had .500 seasons of 6-6 in 2002-03 and 2008-09 at Titan Gym in that stretch, hasn't had a losing campaign at home since finishing 4-9 in 2001-02 and is 88-41 (.682) during its current run.
MORE WINNING AT HOME: Fullerton went unbeaten at home in conference play at 8-0 for the first time since the 1982-83 season -- a campaign that also included a win over top-ranked UNLV.
OFF-ENSE... CLAP, CLAP... OFF-ENSE... CLAP, CLAP: Led by the scoring prowess of Seeley and Vaughn, the Titans will look to duplicate their offensive exploits from a season ago when Fullerton stood atop the Big West statistical leaders in scoring offense (78.0 ppg), field goal percentage (.472), and three-point percentage (.404).
WELCOME TO THE CLUB: The Big West Conference landscape will look a little different in 2012-13 with the addition of the University of Hawaii to the fold after spending the last 32 years as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (the women's teams were a member of the Big West from 1984-96). The view will shift a bit more next season when long-time member Pacific leaves for the West Coast Conference and San Diego State and Boise State return in 2013-14. The Aztecs were members of the Big West Conference from 1969-78 while the Broncos were members of the league from 1996-2001.


text: Vroom-vroom your toy cars around this 3 tiered garage like a real grown-up! This solid wood play set would give hour-after-hour of fun for your motor-mad child. Start off by filling up your car at the petrol pump, then choose whether you want to use the ramp and gate or pulley lift to go up. Park anywhere you like, before you continue speeding around this realistic set. It's covered in authentic-looking road markings and signs to strengthen the roleplay for your little one. Its size will accommodate most toy cars (sold separately), so it will fit with any your tot may have. With this garage, children will never tyre of their toy car playtime.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
THE black leather hot pants were a far cry from the pink Ralph Lauren gown she wore when accepting her Oscar for "Shakespeare in Love" in 1999. But there she was — Gwyneth Paltrow — at the Sunshine Cinema on the Lower East Side in the middle of February, for the opening of her latest drama, "Two Lovers."
While her leading man, Joaquin Phoenix, sporting a Rasputin beard and sunglasses, glowered and squirmed from the attention, she posed with the impeccable grace of an actress known for her good upbringing and Upper East Side education at the Spence School. She told one reporter she was catching a flight later that night to get home to London. She told another who asked about her Valentine's Day plans that her husband, Chris Martin of the band Coldplay, was on tour so it would be just her and the children, Apple, 4, and Moses, 2, on the holiday of love.
When the film was over, so was she — off to the airport.
Even for recessionary times, it was a strangely modest premiere for a film starring an Oscar-winning actress. But then, "Two Lovers," after a lukewarm reception in Cannes last May, is playing with limited distribution here. The media, it seems, are not fussing a whole lot about Ms. Paltrow's latest role, even though she plays a conflicted mistress with masterful aplomb.
That doesn't mean she isn't being discussed.
In recent months, she has been scrutinized sharply in various newspapers and on many blogs for her surprising and broad-ranging forays into the arenas of lifestyle guru-dom, from fitness to cooking.
In September, Ms. Paltrow appeared on "Oprah" to show off her post-pregnancy workout routine, then proceeded to mystify audiences by appearing with Mario Batali, the chef, in the PBS series "Spain ... on the Road Again," where she drank soy milk and followed her quasi-vegan diet while others pigged out on pork. A few months later, Publishers Weekly announced that she had sold a cookbook proposal about the pleasures of cooking for the family. Then, it was announced that she was partnering with her (and Madonna's) trainer, Tracy Anderson, to open a gym in TriBeCa.Continue reading the main story
The enterprise attracting the most media sniping right now? Goop.com, a lifestyle Web site and e-mail introduced in September that hits subscribers' in-boxes on Thursdays with tips like "police your thoughts" and "eliminate white foods." The site's name is derived from Ms. Paltrow's initials, and its slogan, "Nourish the Inner Aspect," positions it deeply in the New Age realm.
Recent issues have offered tips on family harmony from a leader of the kabbalah community, cozy mothering anecdotes (and the revelation that her children call adults "grownies") and a graphic regimen for detoxifying the body. Ms. Paltrow has recommended expensive hotels, restaurants and jewelry and offered tips on getting reservations at two of the Momofuku restaurants that don't, in fact, take reservations. She has also given out recipes for banana-nut muffins, steamed peas and garlic bread. While the site does have its loyal fans, many critics find the enterprise fatuous and a bit puzzling.
"Why is it called Goop?" a writer for The Globe and Mail in Toronto sniped. "Perhaps 'Any Old Load of Rubbish' and 'Learn From Me, Ungrateful Peasant' were both taken."
Beth Wareham, director of lifestyle books at Scribner and the editor of "The Joy of Cooking," wondered aloud about Ms. Paltrow's qualifications as a chef. "Does the world really need another banana muffin recipe?" she asked. "I think someone like Gwyneth Paltrow would be better at telling people what not to eat."
But in a culture that has given us Jane Fonda workout tapes, Paul Newman salad dressing, fashion and perfumes from J. Lo, Madonna children's books, and furniture and clothing by the Olsen twins, why is Ms. Paltrow the victim of such ridicule? Maybe it's because the public still remembers the graceful girl from a nice New York family who handled early roles in "Emma" and "Shakespeare in Love" with a perfect English accent, and pulled off impeccable aristocratic froideur in "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
As the current model for Tod's, the Italian luxury brand, she looks at home lounging around like Grace Kelly — outdoorsy and to the manner born. It seems that despite several lowbrow films, an aura of pleasant and tasteful hauteur remains. So why is she suddenly on TV giving dieting and fitness tips, backing a gym, writing a cookbook and an online newsletter full of shopping advice, kabbalistic musings and discussion of the Master Cleanse?
It is a question that Ms. Paltrow declined to answer for this article. Stephen Huvane, her publicist, said by e-mail that it would be "premature" to discuss her lifestyle ventures.
"Her cookbook is not expected to be ready until fall of 2010, the exercise studio that she is partnered in is still under construction and Goop is still a work in progress," Mr. Huvane wrote.
Editors involved in the Web site and cookbook also would not discuss Ms. Paltrow's projects — unsurprising given the cone of silence that comes down around stars.
One Goop contributor, Karen Binder-Brynes, a New York City psychologist, described how every few weeks she gets an e-mail message from an editor in London, who asks her to write on topics like pessimism and giving thanks.
"I Google myself and find people are blogging about it, but it's mostly this backlash against poor Gwyneth," Ms. Binder-Brynes said. "But I think what she's doing is great, and she's getting ready for her next phase of life."
So is the criticism of Ms. Paltrow justified?
"I don't think so," said Matti Leshem, the owner of a Hollywood branding company called Protagonist, who said that all Ms. Paltrow is doing is marketing her upscale taste and holistic consciousness to a willing audience. "But if she's smart, she'll take all the vitriol and learn from it."
The question is, why bother putting herself out there so boldly? Is it possible that with her homes in London and the Hamptons, and a husband who, while a star, has to share his profits with a four-member band, she actually needs to find new ways of working her brand to make money?
James Gray, who directed Ms. Paltrow in "Two Lovers," sounds as puzzled as anyone else. "I think she's a brilliant actress, but it's weird all the attention from the film right now has been diverted by her Web site," he said in an interview.
Ms. Paltrow does take her acting very seriously, Mr. Gray said. "I was concerned that she wouldn't be invested in the work, but she was wonderful," he said. "At a certain point I asked if she missed acting, and she said she wanted to come back to it and that it was important to her as an artist, but that there aren't that many roles and she doesn't get enough scripts."
"It's interesting," he added, "because she doesn't seem to care that much about stardom and fame. She cares about her kids."
Ms. Paltrow, 36, whose next role will be as Pepper Potts, the saucy sidekick in the "Iron Man" sequel, has told the news media that she doesn't want to be away from her children more than once a year to make movies. In particular, starring roles can be too time-consuming. She has also said that roles aren't as plentiful when an actress gets into her late 30s (though some of her contemporaries, like Kate Winslet, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Connelly, might dispute this).
And while Ms. Paltrow may have appeared in some memorable clunkers — "Shallow Hal" and "View From the Top" come to mind — her acting career is hardly moribund. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for "Proof" in 2005, and is, according to Internet reports, scheduled to play Regan in a movie version of "King Lear" together with Anthony Hopkins and Keira Knightley. Her brand as a style icon also remains strong. In addition to her endorsement deal with Tod's, Ms. Paltrow has a deal with Estée Lauder. To most it would seem more than enough.
"But maybe because she isn't doing a ton of movies, she's trying harder to keep herself relevant," said Dany Levy, the founder of DailyCandy, the online style newsletter that may have inspired Goop — and that was sold for $125 million to Comcast last year. "Magazines are filled with what celebrities like to do, eat and buy, so why shouldn't she try doing it herself?"
Perhaps because the criticism has gotten so shrill. Last month, The Daily Beast, Tina Brown's Web site, joined in on taking Ms. Paltrow down for her Marie-Antoinette-like tone-deafness to the times. The Huffington Post likened her literary recommendations (Charlotte Brontë, Dostoyevsky) to a high school reading list.
"People get a hit of energy when they are negative about something," Ms. Paltrow responded last month in USA Today, when asked about being mocked for Goop. "And they do not understand why they do not have a happy life."
It's the kind of statement better left to a guru than an It Girl.
But will Ms. Paltrow weather all the criticism as she descends from her cinematic ivory tower? Will she figure out how to use her brand of privilege and holistic chic to muscle in on Oprah and Martha?
Hard to say. But she does have a big fan in her friend Mario Batali.
"She has a great sense of proportion," he wrote by e-mail about her cooking, "which gives her food a natural balance."
The same could be said about her work as an actress in "Two Lovers." But who needs to discuss that when there's Goop?Continue reading the main story


text:
Hikers and backpacker use their feet as a primary mode of travel. Despite all physical conditioning and preparation, unhappy feet will fail you and can make a great trip into a torturous experience. My son and I were invited as "seasoned hikers" to backpack with a Florida youth group one year. The group was new and had set a goal of hiking 50 miles in the Ocala National Forest their first year. While my son and I may have had slightly more experienced at the time, this was our first real long distance trek. The group had been planning and conditioning the boys for months, menus were planned, and then we were off! Well, despite the best laid plans, we encountered many issues from giant squirrels tearing into backpacks to get at food, and hiking through clear cut portions of forest under the heat of Florida's summer sun, to starting at the wrong trail head. It's the little things which make a trip memorable.
What had been planned as an adventurous week long trip ground into a miserable hike as we were just trying to get to the next water stop. To make a long sad story short, many of us ended up with larger than quarter size blisters on our feet. At the time I attributed the blisters to poor shoes and poor conditioning on my part. However with hundreds of trail miles now under me since, I can confidently tell you the problem was cotton socks (who wears wool socks in Florida!?). I remember at the end of each day my feet were wet from sweat. The cotton socks simply did not move the moisture away from my feet and the result was some pretty impressive blisters.
Your feet can sweat 1-2 pints a day, imagine pouring a 20 ounce bottle of water into each boot and then going for a long walk. If you can't get the moisture away from and out of your boot, your feet will likely blister. It's pretty much that simple. Cotton does wick moisture, however it does not release it well. Cotton clothing and socks will hold wetness against the skin. Wet skin under pressure will shear or tear and blister. Wet feet will also tend to get colder quicker and in cooler weather, hasten hypothermia..
Today's wool, synthetics, and wool blended synthetics are amazing in their ability to keep your feet dry and happy. Some people will spend a lot of time looking for a great boot or shoe, but then short change themselves with cheap socks. When shopping for hiking socks, take a close look at what they are made from. Socks with any cotton – pass them up. Move on to the next ones. You should look for either 100% wool, a wool blended with some kind of synthetics or 100% synthetics. If you don't like the typical itchiness feel of wool, try Merino wool. It's a finer grade of wool and is less scratchy. Synthetics such as nylon and polyester, or made with CoolMax, Olefin, or Hollofil help disperse blister-causing perspiration and keep your feet drier and cooler. Consider socks that are padded in high impact areas, like the heel and toe, especially if you have a heavy foot strike or are prone to blisters in these areas. Pick out socks that have a tighter weave in the middle of the foot. This provides support and helps prevent slippage. Make sure you buy the correct size. This prevents bunching and slipping and the resulting blisters.
A great pair of hiking socks will wick away sweat, cushion impact, and protect against shearing forces especially at the heel, ball of the foot, and toes. Proper hiking socks are extremely important to your overall comfort and trip satisfaction. Leave the cotton for home wear or sock puppets. Take care of your feet like you depend on them to make it home, because you do.


text:
As on December 28, the civic body collected nearly Rs 92.23 crore in property tax, which is 65% of the total tax. Last year, at the same time, the civic body collected only 59% in property tax.
The corporation's finance committee held a meeting on Tuesday to speed up their tax collection and look into the corporation expenses.
Officials said with elections coming up and the budget session preponed, they were asked to collect all taxes by February. "Similar to last year, we are sending frequent notices, going from house to house, using loud speakers to make announcements and are also disconnecting water connections of defaulters," said a senior revenue department official.


text:
Today at GitHub Universe in San Francisco, the open source code repository company announced a new 'Actions' service described by head of platform Sam Lambert as the most significant feature for its community since pull requests, while other executives asserted the company's independent status ahead of its expected buyout approval from Microsoft this week.
Actions will help users build and deploy containerised projects on GitHub or external systems without having to run the code themselves, and will be a boon to developers who want to speed up or automate their workflows.
The company explained in an announcement: "GitHub Actions allows you to connect and share containers to run your software development workflow. Easily build, package, release, update, and deploy your project in any language, on GitHub or any external system, without having to run code yourself.
"By applying open source principles to workflow automation, GitHub Actions empowers you to pair the tools and integrations you use with your own custom actions or those shared by the GitHub community... Develop and share actions to automate any task your projects require."
Senior VP of technology Jason Warner opened the conference by recapping the recent history of the company and provided some fairly staggering user figures: 8 million GitHub Enterprise users, 2 million active users on Atom, 1.1 billion contributions this year, 8 million new developers this year. Head of platform Sam Lambert added that GitHub runs on 40,000 CPU cores with 5.4 petabytes of data, transferring 100 Gigabits per second.
While Actions was the big announcement of the day, the company also announced an update to security vulnerability alerts with Java and .NET both now supported, immediate today. And the GitHub Security Advisory API will allow developers to integrate advisory notices into their applications.
On the enterprise side there are updates to GitHub Connect, including Unified Business Identity as a limited public beta to allow administrators to bring multiple GitHub Business Cloud accounts under a single pane of glass view. The latest version of GitHub Enterprise meanwhile allows developers to search public repos on GitHub as well as their own private repositories in Business Cloud.
European regulators will decide this week if Microsoft passes its antitrust checks and is able to finalise the purchase of GitHub. In a press briefing after the keynotes, Warner said that the new relationship with Microsoft has not impacted the announcements made today, and nor will it effect the company's own infrastructure. In other words a switch to Azure over AWS or Google Cloud Platform is not in the offing.
"The reason GitHub was bought by Microsoft was not to make GitHub more like Microsoft, it was to keep GitHub the way it was, because there was something special there and Microsoft recognised that and wanted that in the portfolio," Warner said in response to an analyst question. "But it didn't want changes. When it comes to infrastructure it's the same thing.
"We're not going to be moving to Azure as a default, we are going to move to Azure when the service that Azure has is a very good service for us to use," he added. "We will continue to use AWS we will continue to use GCP, we will continue to use all our bare metal."
But the Microsoft buy will provide GitHub with broader access to enterprise resources, he said, significantly expanding the company's scalability and routes to markets outside of the North America region, where it has most of its business.
"We have always worked with the large cloud providers and large companies in general because of where we sit in the nature of software," Warner told Computerworld UK. "I don't think that any particular conversation or thing we were doing might have piqued Microsoft's interest other than that there are 31 million registered developers, there's something special about GitHub, they wanted to know more... There was no unequally special interest from their part as opposed to others, the difference I would say is that Microsoft seemed to understand a bit more - maybe quicker."
It's all good optics for Microsoft which has very publicly pivoted to supporting open source, in stark contrast to the company's behaviour before Satya Nadella began his tenure as CEO. Microsoft, however, was the elephant in the room and according to Reuters' sources it seems like European regulators are expected to approve the deal.
Warner's comments chime with those of Microsoft CFO Amy Wood, who recently talked with frankness that the company had been buying "networked assets", following other recent shopping trips that resulted in the buying of Minecraft and LinkedIn. With the GitHub purchase the company is acquiring a network of developers to complement its network of gamers and business professionals, and all of the data that comes with that.
During the press conference, GitHub spokespeople also hinted at new enterprise features down the line that would attempt to demystify GitHub data for non-technical, business users, as well as more features around strengthening enterprise security.


text:
Distances are calculated in a straight line and may not reflect actual travel distance.
A rare opportunity to acquire a small country estate with delightful rural surroundings. The property is approached via wrought iron double opening gates that lead on to a long driveway that splits into two with one section sweeping around in front of the house and leading to one of the double garages. The other section runs around to the side where there is another double garage, plenty of parking and the stable block.
It is worth noting that this deceptive and adaptable family home is ideally set up for entertaining with it's large kitchen/breakfast room that opens out into the very wide conservatory and bar area and large family room with stairs that lead down in to the impressive Media/Games room. The entertaining or party theme continues outside where there is a very generous swimming pool surrounded by large patio with changing/shower rooms, indoor kitchen and bar, barbeque area and decked area for sun loungers. In addition, there is also a tennis court just beyond this area.
From the rear there are wonderful views over the garden and pool and down into the paddocks and beyond. For those with equestrian interests it is worth noting that the stables and yard are set discreetly to one side and screened from the house by mature planting.
We would strongly recommend a viewing of this unique property to fully appreciate what it has to offer.
Field House enjoys a lovely rural setting with views over fields to both the front and rear. Located about 3 miles south of Kingswood village which has a number of local shops, restaurants and pubs as well as a train station with links to Waterloo in about 53 minutes. More extensive shopping facilities can be found in Reigate, about 3 miles to the south or Epsom, about 7 miles to the north. The area also offers a wide variety of leisure
pastimes including some fine golf courses such as Kingswood, Reigate Hill, Surrey Downs and Bletchingley as well as tennis and health clubs, football and rugby clubs, leisure centres, horse racing and beautiful country walks.
Junction 8 of the M25 is about 1 mile away, Gatwick airport is about 14 miles away and Terminal 5 at Heathrow about 27 miles. For those that enjoy the shopping or theatre in the West End of London it is worth noting that it's only about 22 miles.
Equestrian Facilities with over 9 acres
Impressive Pool & Sun Terrace
6 Bedrooms & 3 Bath/Shower rooms
7 Reception rooms inculding Media/Games room
Long drive ample parking and 2 Double Garages
Contact branch for relevant Energy Performance Certificate


text:
These Moles On Your Body May Reveal Secrets About Your Life.
Cultures around the world have tried to understand and interpret why people have moles in particular parts of their bodies. The medical term for moles is nevi and they are a type of skin growth on the skin caused by a cluster of pigmented cells. In fact, the average person has anywhere from 10 to 45 moles in the body. Still, many find it tempting to give moles more meaning than what they are.
#1. A mole around the temple represents travelling.
The nevi may mean if you haven't travelled, exploring new places may be in your near future.
#2. For others, it means that they travelled a lot in a past life.
This is not exclusive to just taking off somewhere for pleasure, it includes work as well.
#3. Don't discount a work opportunity because it's across the world.
This just may be the beginning of something special.
#4. A mole on the side of the head also has a different definition in Chinese astrology.
This position means you are focused and driven in whatever you do.
hqjongdae / Twitter
#5. A mole in the middle of the forehead means you have a promising career.
You may not love your current job but don't worry, keep hustling and you'll see positive results before you know it.
Page 1 of 6Next ›


text:
Used Cars For Sale in Little Rock, AR
There are many benefits when shopping the used inventory at Subaru of Little Rock. We have numerous quality used options in stock and ready for you. Our Little Rock, AR dealership is conveniently located with a wide selection of used models for our Hot Springs and Conway customers. Buy with confidence knowing we have one of the leading used inventories around at incredible prices. Whether you're looking for a fuel-efficient sedan, rugged pickup, or spacious SUV, be sure to check out the used inventory available at Subaru of Little Rock.
Why Buy Here?
Not only will you save thousands by purchasing your next used vehicle from Subaru of Little Rock, but we also offer our customers outstanding service and support as well. Our inventory features many popular makes and models-all coming with reliability you can trust. We have models from brands including Subaru, Jeep, Ram, Audi, Cadillac, Honda, GMC, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, and much more. We stand behind our used inventory, and our goal is to get you back on the road in no time. If that wasn't enough, we also have a selection of bargain models priced under $10K to help you save even more. Rest assured that when you shop at Subaru of Little Rock, you are getting a great deal on a fantastic vehicle.
Visit Subaru of Little Rock!
When you are ready to check out our vast used inventory, make your way to Subaru of Little Rock. We proudly serve all of our North Little Rock customers, and will work to make sure your next car-buying experience is a pleasure. Our customers also have access to our available finance department as well. We have a team of finance professionals ready to help get you approved and on the road within your budget. Contact Subaru of Little Rock or stop by our showroom to test drive one of our models today!


text:
Get Inspired with These Free Printable Quotes and Sayings
Are you lacking inspiration in your life? It happens to the best of us. We go to work each day, come home, have dinner and go to bed. Rinse and repeat five days a week. When life gets humdrum, it's hard to stay motivated and inspired to be your best. Even so, your family, your friends and even your job deserve the best you have to offer. You don't want to be known as the person who always looked tired or looked like he was ready to throw in the towel. You want to be known as a caring, motivated person – a real go-getter when it comes to life. Sometimes, we need to look to the inspiring words of others in order to get the kick in the pants we need to move forward. With our free printable quotes and sayings, you'll find loads of inspiration, motivation and humor in our quotes about life, love and many other things. Print out your favorites to hang on your wall, near your desk at work or simply to share them with a friend.
Great Thinkers Provide Inspiration with Free Printable Quotes and Sayings
So, who are these great thinkers with words that were made to move us to action? Glad you asked. Some of the notable people we have in our free printable inspirational quotes selection include William Arthur Ward, Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, Charles Darwin, Thomas Paine, tony Robbins, Ronald Reagan, Jim Elliot and Norman Vincent Peale. There are quotes about helping others, changing ourselves, praising teachers and more. You'll find the perfect quote to fit nearly any situation or personality in our ever-growing collection. All printables are customizable, so you can add whatever you like before printing it out.
Free Printable Quotes and Sayings about Teachers
School is back in session, and your children will hopefully be interacting with amazing, inspiring and creative teachers. If your child has a stand out teacher, consider telling him or her so. The perfect way to show your appreciation is by sending a small token or gift. This free William Arthur Ward printable quote is perfect for teachers of all types. It perfectly expresses how valuable great teachers are to their students and to the world. The quote reads, "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." How true that is! We've probably all had one or two teachers that did nothing but stand in front of the class and talk. Others were better, showing us how to do things rather than just telling us. But the truly inspiring teachers were the ones who inspired us to take action on our own, not because we had to, but because we wanted to learn, to grow and to become better people. Teachers like that deserve recognition. Print out this quote from PrintablesFree.com, frame it and give it to that special teacher in your child's life.


text:
Released on the 13th September 1965, exactly 51 years ago to the day as I write this article, Yesterday continues to be one of The Beatles' most popular song, even though Paul McCartney was the only Beatle who performed on it. In this article are the incredible string arrangements by Sir George Martin which can be heard in beautiful isolated form right here. Take a listen:
Direct Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak8lD1d1TXc
With just vocals and guitar the song is absolutely beautiful but the addition of the string section transforms the song into something else entirely. Hearing the string in full isolation is an absolute joy and only confirms George Martin's status as the TRUE 5th Beatle. Incredible.


text: Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity. The earliest evidence of civilization in Lebanon dates back more than seven thousand years, predating recorded history. Lebanon was the home of the Phoenicians and their kingdom, a maritime culture that flourished for over a thousand years. In 64 BC, the region came under the rule of the Roman Empire, and eventually became one of the Empire's leading centers of ... more on Wikipedia


text:
We get it, Colorado.
Your scenery is the prettiest. Your people are the loveliest. Your state flag is the most appealing on a t-shirt. Your dogs are allowed in most all establishments. Your citizens have an average fitness level of a decathlete.
The only negative thing I can say is that folks there call sneakers tennis shoes. But according to some quick research that's a thing in like 2/3 of the country so even that misnomer gets a pass.
(Kind of. What, are you always playing tennis??)
We just got back from a week in the Wild West visiting my husband's side of the fam and celebrating my little brother's (and now sister-in-law's) nuptials. I tried starting a blog post about the wedding and cried 11 times. I'll get there but this particular post will contain other Colorado things and less me sitting dehydrated in a puddle of my own joyful tears.
I looked up the Colorado tourism board slogan and paraphrased it for you:
"Welcome to Colorado, where we all do everything better than you, but we are super nice and will teach you our ways and invite you to stay for tacos. Which by the way, are better here."
Family is always the best part of our trips to the Rocky Mountain state, but my sister-in-law said I couldn't invite the entire internet to her house for some reason. So here's a few other great things to do instead.
Grand Lake
The first weekend was my future sister-in-law's bachelorette party at Grand Lake. A party I specifically bought ripped jean shorts for to fit in on the pontoon boat because leading up to this party I felt like a great-grandmother of 7, wondering if we were going to stay up past 9pm and if the ladies would want SPF 75 or 100.
Glen laughed at the shorts but I totally blended. Well, I blended until a gentleman at the bar danced up on me and I responded with a polite "no, thank you." That's what I became known for at this party, politeness and making good scrambled eggs. There are worse ways to leave your legacy.
Beyond the truly excellent company of the most beautiful women with the most amazing hair I've seen in real life, Grand Lake was incredible. The lake – gorg. The pontoon boat – super fun. The Airbnb – lovely. The bars – hopping. If you're thinking about a visit to Colorado I give this place two enthusiastic thumbs up, five stars, and an A+.
Denver Zoo
I have about a million mixed feelings about zoos. Basically those feelings are summed up as "Animals shouldn't live in captivity, but OMG look at those elephants!" I love the Denver Zoo though because they do really great work with rescued animals and have created huge habitats keeping the animals physically and mentally stimulated. What did my kids enjoy most? The snacks really. Giraffes came in second.
If you're in Colorado with kiddos check it out. Two enthusiastic thumbs up, five stars, and an A- (only because for some reason my kids seemed unimpressed that there was a tiger standing above our heads. Probably a knock on my parenting, not on the zoo. So forget it, A+)
Red Rock Amphitheater
Gahhhhhhhh!!! This place is everything. I've wanted to see a concert at Red Rocks for a long time and totally geeked out when we got tickets to see Sam Hunt. I did a straw poll and the average reader did not want to read this blog post until the end of time so I had to find a way to talk about my feelings in about 100 words. I just wasted so many of them…
First, this place is part of the earth. Just a casual 250 million-year-old natural acoustic masterpiece. It seats a little less than 10 thousand people but somehow when you are in the audience you feel like you're alone staring right into the artist's soul and with everyone in the world at the same time. That doesn't make sense? I can't help you. That's just how it is. Wind in your hair, view of the Denver sun setting behind the stage, ugh it's so gosh darn beautiful I could pass out.
The artists were incredible too. Chris Janson crushed the opening with enthusiasm and a genuine love and appreciation for the gift of music. Maren Morris blew my mind with her pipes, 80's Mercedes, and this inspiring closing song that made me so happy I thought I was going to sprout wings and fly away. And Sam Hunt? Dude, this guy is TALENTED. I knew he had hits, but did you know he wrote like every hit on country radio for other people? The amount of grit and skill up on that stage was out of control. I felt honored to witness it.
Rating? Four enthusiastic thumbs up (I borrowed Glen's), 11 stars, and an B+. Long bathroom line. #sorrynotsorry.
In summary, Colorado is my second favorite United State.
But Massachusetts is getting jealous, so I'll actually close with one more Colorado burn so my homeland doesn't make me sleep on a couch in Rhode Island and Colorado doesn't get too big of an ego.
You know what Colorado doesn't excel at? Providing oxygen. My resting heart rate was a casual 548 the whole time and I'm in good decent adequate passable shape. Way to make your guests feel bad about themselves, Colorado… gosh.
With an east coast heart and a desire to look cool wearing cowboy boots,
Read More Operation 50 States Posts:
48 Hours in Wisconsin with 3 Broncos Fans and a Career Development Nerd
The State Who Must Not Be Named (Fine, It's Delaware)


text:
When a priest becomes a pastor, leadership takes on a whole new meaning to him.
As pastor, he is now the spiritual leader and executive authority of the parish. Many pastors would agree that there are a lot of practical realities of leadership that they didn't learn in seminary. Here are some free resources a pastor can use to better understand his role as leader.
Courage Article
To understand the courage it takes to be a pastor, read Pat Lencioni's article "The Courage of an American Pastor".
The Better Pastor Book
For a healthy perspective on leading a parish, read Pat's book The Better Pastor.
Pastor Self-Assessment
To assess your strengths and areas for development, take the Pastor Self-Assessment.
Leadership Team Webinar
To understand the benefits of surrounding yourself with a leadership team, watch the webinar Who Should Be Your Parish Leadership Team.
Once you've completed these first steps and embraced your role as a leader, you're ready to move forward with choosing your leadership team. Our support coaches will help you navigate the next steps.
Amazing Parish exists to revitalize the Church by equipping her pastors and leaders with the training, resources and support they need to create vibrant and thriving parishes. Although every parish is unique, we've found that there are three common "building blocks" that form the foundation of an amazing parish.
A Culture of Prayer
Team members regularly pray together and invite God into their discussions and decisions.
A Culture of Healthy Teamwork
Team members commit to and practice the Five Behaviors of a Team.
A Culture of Active Discipleship
Team members actively engage and invest in the faith lives of each other and others.
No pastor, not even the best one, can run a parish on his own. With fewer priests, more demands from parishioners in a complicated society and a faster pace of life, he can't do it alone. Every pastor needs a leadership team, a special group of people who are collectively committed to helping him make the parish amazing and bring more people to Christ and his Church.
Before you begin to form a parish leadership team, watch this video.
Click the button below for additional information on forming your parish leadership team.
Recommended Reading
Learn more about forming your parish leadership team.
Learn how to have an effective parish leadership team meetings.
Learn about the 5 behaviors of a healthy team.
Check out videos of training sessions from our conferences.
What are the best resources to use for parish evangelization?
The best resources to use for evangelization vary by parish and the intention of the evangelization effort. Some parishes have found great success with using a tool like Alpha, while others have found it best to gather a few parishioners who are passionate about evangelization and encourage them to spread the Good News. Another parish profoundly expanded its reach to millennials by holding monthly "Pint with a Priest" events. While options are nearly endless, the key is to focus on your target group and design a plan to reach them, then hold each other accountable for the behaviors that lead to collective results.
Why do you recommend parish staff to work on Sundays?
Pat Lencioni's answer: Without knowing the details, I would probably encourage this person to consider worshiping at the parish where he/she works, even if that is a bit of a sacrifice. Because everything we do in a parish needs to be informed by and lead to Mass and the Eucharist, I can't imagine spending 40 hours a week engaged in an organization and not being with that organization during it's most important activity.
When I encourage parish staff members to work on Sundays, I don't mean they should go into the office and do their technical work. The business manager shouldn't be doing spreadsheet analysis and paying bills. She should be greeting parishioners and engaging with people who need to talk about how the parish can help them, and assisting her peers in the ministry work they're doing on Sundays. The work that parish staff and volunteers should be doing on Sundays is evangelizing, disciple making, ministering, encouraging. It's the same work I should be doing when I'm at home or with my friends or relatives. As an employee of a parish, there is no better day or place than Sunday Mass, when just about all of our "customers" are present, to help people know the love of Christ and His Church. And by all means, bring friends and family to join in this "work". Make it part of the family experience of worship and "rest" and love. It seems that we need to make Sundays at the parish a vibrant, welcoming and fruitful time for all the things that we have to beg people to come to the parish to do during the week.
Would you suggest to move more of the pastor's workload from the week to the weekend? It's often hard for pastors to juggle meetings, individual appointments, hospital visits, etc. while trying to run a parish at the same time.
Pat Lencioni's answer: Well, first I would say that pastors do work on Sundays, and that Mass is the biggest part of that. Second, I'd say that much of the work that pastors do during the week need to be better delegated to staff members and volunteers. I know that this is easier said than done, but it's doable. Unfortunately, we've fallen into the trap over these past forty years of thinking that the pastor does every hospital visit and every counseling session and everything else. Yes, sacraments and certain pastoral duties are reserved for the pastor, and rightly so. But there is so much more that lay people can do. Pastors need to push to encourage lay volunteers and staff members to grow in their evangelizing, disciple-making and pastoral responsibilities. After all, when the pastor burns out and gets sick or needs more and more time off, the staff is going to have to step up anyway. Let's do that before it's forced on us by necessity.
Do you recommend that staff members are on both the leadership team and pastoral council?
We wouldn't recommend this, per se, but we also wouldn't discourage it for individual members. The "who" on a team is less important than the role that the team member fills. Leadership team members need to be committed to helping the pastor lead the parish on a relatively day-to-day basis while parish council members play a more advisory role. Depending on the size of the parish and the people involved, you might have some individuals on both the leadership team and the pastoral council.
Who has more "authority" – staff or leadership team?
The leadership team. The pastor selects his leadership team to help him lead the parish. Keep in mind, the leadership team may consist of staff and/or volunteers.
Who holds, defines and is responsible for the vision and keeping it?
The pastor and his leadership team are responsible for coming up with the action plans (thematic goals) which are true to the parish mission and vision. Ultimately, vision is the pastor's responsibility.
Who would be focused on evangelization and reaching out to all residence of the parish area?
That is up to the leadership team to decide who will head up the specific effort of parish neighborhood outreach. Frequently a point person will be selected to organize a committee effort. This could be a parishioner who is committed to serving the parish or even a staff member.
How do you write a mission and a vision statement?
The first part of mission and vision have to do with answering the question, "Why does your parish exist?" Answer: To fulfill the Great Commission – "Go forth and make disciples of all nations." Some parishes have different ways of describing this, but ultimately the answer to this question is the same. What's more practical (and easier to act upon) for your parish leadership team is the question "How will your parish succeed?" The answer to this question leads you to create an immediate action plan that addresses the most important thing for the parish right now. We call this your thematic goal, or rallying cry, and have created a template that makes it easy for your leadership team to get started. Click here to check it out. The thematic goal worksheet helps you focus on the right plans to accomplish your parish's mission and vision. If you need help with it, please e-mail us at email@example.com.
When a pastor has two parishes, should there be one united leadership team or two, one for each parish?
Ideally there would be two leadership teams, one for each parish since they serve two different communities and may have different needs. However, this may not always be possible. If that is the case, we still recommend have two thematic goals, one for each parish. Click here for the template.
Do we build the standard operating objectives first before we create a thematic goal?
While the order isn't imperative, typically you start by creating your thematic goal (ie: improve the Sunday Experience, make music vibrant, establish a youth program, etc…) then outline your defining objectives. From there, you list your standard operating objectives, the things that your team must manage and monitor on an ongoing basis. When it's time for a new thematic goal, the standard operating objectives will remain the same.
If our parish sets a major goal, is there a point at which we should consider that we're taking too long? How critical are timelines?
As Pat Lencioni pointed out, do not be discouraged if the goals you created around your parish vision take longer than planned, especially if you are implementing a significant amount of change. It's a great idea to create a desired timeline but to not be surprised if the timeline isn't exactly met. Nevertheless, continue to work diligently in achieving these goals and you will be amazed at the fruit – especially if your team, through consistent prayer, invites the Holy Spirit to take the lead.
How can leadership team members build trust with one another?
Let's take a page out of Pat's book for this one: "For a team to establish real trust, team members, beginning with the leader, must be willing to take risks without a guarantee of success. They will have to be vulnerable without knowing whether that vulnerability will be respected and reciprocated." For more information on building trust within your team read Pat Lencioni's Guide to Building Teams for Catholic Parishes, page 6.
What is the best process for onboarding new team members after undergoing and implementing many transitions/changes?
For now, we would encourage the new team members to watch the past Amazing Parish Conference videos and listen to the past webinars. Soon our latest videos will be accessible on our website. Additionally, we're going to produce an online training curriculum this summer that will be accessible via our website. We're glad you see the need for new team members to "catch up" with the rest of the leadership team.
How do we have accountability conversations early and be consistent?
Again, we'll let Pat answer this: "Accountability. It's a word that has become so overused, and misused, within the halls of many companies that it has lost much of its power. When it comes to teamwork, I define accountability as the willingness of team members to remind one another when they are not living up to the performance standards of the group. The key to this kind of accountability is that it shouldn't always require the participation of the team leader. It is direct, peer-to-peer accountability, and it is based on the notion that peer pressure and the distaste for letting down a colleague will motivate a team player more than any fear of authoritative punishment or rebuke." Additionally, to be consistent with accountability, it must continually be modeled by the leader. For more on this, read Pat Lencioni's Guide to Building Teams for Catholic Parishes, page 13.
Leadership team meetings can be very long, drawn out and end with not accomplishing much. Any recommendations for timing?
First of all, we highly recommend that you get a copy of Pat Lencioni's book, Death by Meeting. In the book, Pat covers exactly what you are talking about and how to make meetings more engaging and productive. According to Pat, "meetings are ineffective because they lack contextual structure. To make our meetings more effective, we need to have multiple types of meetings, and clearly distinguish between the various purposes, formats, and timing of those meetings."
People in church ministry do not get paid all that well. We ask so much of them but we don't want to take advantage. Suggestions?
That's a great question to ask directly to those who are serving in your parish. They'll appreciate your vulnerability and acknowledgement that a lot is demanded of them. Keep in mind, you may have to ask them seven times before they're comfortable being honest with you. Just be sure to add, that you reserve the right to tell them when they're not carrying their share of the load.
What staff and leadership members should be present on the Sunday experience?
It's not a matter of who should be present, but that people are there to encounter newcomers. Sundays are the days when the parish is most frequented and the potential for new people coming to check it out is very high. You want to have people there, whether it's staff or volunteers, ready and able to welcome them and answer questions. It is more than just having greeters. It's an all out effort by your parish, led by your pastor and leadership team, to engage parishioners and potential parishioners on the most important day of the week.
How would you suggest that leaders being moved to a new parish, or members of a leadership team at a parish prepare for and whether this process?
Pastors and leadership team members who are new to the process should watch the past Amazing Parish Conference videos and listen to the webinars online. Pastors who are new to the process will also want to read Pat's new book, The Better Pastor, which will be mailed to every pastor in the next month. By the fall, we'll have Amazing Parish online training accessible via our website, and the entire new team should engage in that training together.
Is there such a thing as having too many people on the parish team or council?
Yes, too many people can make parish leadership team meetings chaotic and unproductive. We recommend a pastor chooses between 3-7 people for his leadership team.
How do you prepare and go into a meeting where a fellow team member is hostile to the changes/ideas being discussed and could easily derail the track of the meeting?
In a strategic meeting, where the leadership team is discussing changes and ideas in a conceptual sense, it's good to have a prepared agenda that the whole team has access to prior to the meeting. Having an agenda helps a team stay accountable for staying on the topics that are on the agenda. If the ensuing discussion includes healthy, ideological debate around the issues, then that's a good thing. If hostility and closed-mindedness is just a mindset of a team member, then it sounds like that member needs to be challenged and held accountable to participate as a member of the team.
How can we reinvigorate our efforts after the excitement of the conference has died down?
Take time to pray as a team and re-evaluate the question "What is most important right now?" If your team is distracted by their everyday tasks, consider doing an off-site for a day to give your team some renewal and fresh perspective.
How do you effectively manage transitions for merging/clustering parishes & introducing a leadership team/vision to parishioners?
Check out the talk below on transition management from our conference in Detroit.


text:
Officially Licensed Grateful Dead Graphic T-Shirt, Tee, Tie-Dye designed, dyed and printed in the USA by Liquid Blue.
Showing reviews 1-10 of 12 | Next
Posted by Mike K. on 24th May 2019
As always LB has the best Grateful Dead apparel.I will continue to buy from them.
Posted by teri on 30th Oct 2017
My husband loves this tshirt. He plans to wear it at an upcoming Dead show and picked it out because he thinks it will stand out. All of these shirts are unique and he gets many compliments while wearing them.
Posted by Unknown on 12th May 2017
Probably some of the best shirts I've come to own, they are great quality prints and they fit just how I wanted them to. I will definitely be buying from here again 10/10
Posted by Pete on 26th Aug 2016
What I wanted, got here quickly
Posted by Pete on 12th Aug 2016
You sent me the wrong size M, but my girlfriend said she would wear it, so I gave it to her. Then when I went to re-order you ran out of my size XXL.
Posted by jennifer c. on 22nd Jul 2016
At 63 - I finally have the Grateful Dead T-shirt I've always wanted. Beautifully made. I have bought many T's from Liquid Blue and the quality has always been great. Pleaseee keep making the watermelon tie-dye AND the moon & stars T, those are my favorites. Now I have a third fav - Big Bertha GD ! Please keep making so when I'm 70 or 80, I can buy new ones to replace my old ones.
Posted by Raymond Farr on 19th Feb 2016
Got my Big Bertha t shirt & love it or rather my brother loves it...it was his birthday present.
It fit but it took longer than promised to get here. three days late. Still, a good buy!
Posted by Dean on 8th Feb 2016
My shirt fits, feels and looks great, and I really have to recommend Liquid Blue. I'll be buying more shirts here.
Posted by Dean on 8th Feb 2016
My shirt fits, feels and looks great, and I really have to recommend Liquid Blue. I'll be buying more shirts here.
Posted by Linda on 6th Jul 2015
I love the classic insignias, pre dancing bears, so this tee is just perfect for me. Not too much going on, just Bertha, few roses, and very small SYF. I would recommend getting a size larger to accommodate shrinkage.
Showing reviews 1-10 of 12 | Next


text:
Vacation Rental Property Management
If you are in the business of renting out a vacation property you own, who takes care of it? Do you do the work yourself, having to find the time to make repairs, clean and get the property ready for each new customer? Does this put stress on you and your family, on your time?
When it comes to vacation rentals, a property manager is incredibly helpful! Vacation property management covers all aspects of your rental, leaving you to enjoy your time without worrying about the property and the care it needs.
Vacation Rental by Owner
Vacation rental property management comes with services that are different from a standard rental property. In addition to the maintenance and care of the property itself, a vacation rental manager would take care of getting the property rented. They work to get high quality customers in your rental, making sure everything is clean and ready for each customer's visit. You don't have to spend a single moment worrying about what needs to be done! It's all done for you.
If something goes wrong, for example there's flooding or electrical issues, the vacation home management company handles the repairs. They often have great contacts when it comes to repair companies or contractors, and can get you a better price that you could yourself. The time and energy are spent by the management company, not by you.
Lawn care, home maintenance, repairs, renting the vacation home to great customers, these are all part of the job that vacation home management companies do. Home Monitor, the premium vacation property management company in the area, provides all of these services, and more, caring for you vacation rental like they would their own home. Contact us to find out more about our services, and how we can begin our partnership today!


text:
Welcome to baby gorilla records
This is a label of love and fandom. We publish the music we want to hear and let's hope there are many of us, who want to hear the same thing.
Drawing inspiration from the great DIY and micro-labels of yesteryear, we seek to do things our own way, for our reality is just as valid as anyone's.
We present to you the best we can find in stoner, doom, sludge, psychedelic and different experimental genres, but we aren't afraid of letting go of those labels.
Stick around, take a listen or if you have something you want us to hear and publish, don't hesitate to send us a demo.


text:
Cobertura en los Medios
Decir que es de interés es una sutileza. Nuestras soluciones líderes de la industria ayudan a las empresas más grandes del mundo a desarrollar aplicaciones diseñadas para el futuro.
| Digital Health Age
Pega's Peter Ford discusses the need to improve the quality of care within the UK's NHS through the appropriate use of technology
Why healthcare relies on intelligent resource use and the right tech
| Imaging Technology News
Pega survey reveals patients want personalized interactions and seamless processes when communicating with doctors and insurers.
Survey Finds Personalized Patient Engagement Improving But Still Lacking
| Destination CRM
Captricity partners with Pega to unlock additional value using customer data.
Captricity partners with Pegasystems
| Document Wereld
Merkle and Pegasystems work together to streamline operations across different channels.
Partnership Merkle en Pegasystems koppelt realtime personalisatie aan marketingkanalen
| iStart
IoT solutions offer great potential for the healthcare industry.
Enterprises play catch up with IoT
| eGovernment Computing
Philips and Pega are revolutionizing traditional healthcare by increasing connectivity.
Pegasystems goes to Philips Cloud
Philips and Pega announce partnership to make better use of connected devices and health data.
Pegasystems innovation and Philips should lead to better patient care
| Medical Devices Business Review
Pega and Philips have collaborated to improve health outcomes by increasing connectivity.
Pegasystems and Philips collaborate to improve patient care via connected devices, cloud, and analytics
| Which-50
Pega and Philips partnership to increase connectivity and personalize healthcare.
Philips and Pegasystems flag push into Heath IOT
| Which-50
Allianz selects Pega to provide its customers with a more personalized approach.
Allianz Germany inks digital transformation deal
| Computable
Philips and Pega announce partnership so providers can act preemptively.
Philips is committed to care software with Pegasystems
| Customer Talk
Philips and Pega collaborate, giving providers the ability to improve patient care.
Better Patient Care through devices connected via the Internet
| Fierce Medical Devices
Philips and Pega partner to leverage health data and connected devices
Philips, Pegasystems partner to boost device and wearable connectivity
| Computer Weekly
Philips and Pega predict the future of healthcare will change due to IoT.
Millions of people will have health monitored remotely within five years
| Internet of Business
Healthcare will become more personalized with Pega's collaboration with Philips.
Philips and Pegasystems improve patient care with IoT devices
| EuroBench
Philips and Pega collaborate to improve health outcomes by enhancing device connectivity.
Philips sluit overeenkomst met Pegasystems
| Customer First!
Philips and Pega collaborate to provide care remotely and increase efficiency.
Philips and Pegasystems "connecten"
| Emerce
Pega and Philips join forces to provide more personalized patient care.
Pegasystems and Philips collaboration should lead to better patient care via Internet-connected devices, cloud technology and data analysis
| Noordhollands Dagblad


text:
Sony Vegas Pro 12 Crack + Serial Number incl Full Download
Sony Vegas Pro 12 Crack + Serial Number incl Full Download
Sony Vegas Pro 12 Crack + Serial Number Full is latest most searched software which is used to editing videos professionally provides you with HD videos. In this version, Sony Vegas has some advance features that you have not seen in previous version. These features help you to make much better videos.
Sony Vegas Pro 12 Crack has a little bit difficult interface. When you'll use this software first time, it'll seem to be a little heavy but you will get used to it very easily, as it's inclusive is divided into many small slots of different functions. With the help of this Sony Vegas Pro 12, you can easily drag and drop files from some other video editors and other software like Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Dream viewer.
Some Key Features of Sony Vegas Pro 12 Full:
- Advance Editing Tools
This tool gives you a comprehensive range of editing tools, video effects and some other features such as 3D view, multi camera, video modification, and window layouts.
- Modified 3D editing
With the help of this software, you can easily produce advanced 3D effects. It allows you to edit your 3D along with ability to import, adjust, edit, and view the results.
- Excellent Audio Control
By using this you can also enjoy best audio quality and control. You can easily view many audio tracks and much more improved functions. It provides best mixing console for you.
Minimum System Requirements:
- Minimum 2 GHz multi core.
- At least 500 MB free space must be available for installation process.
- Although it can work with 2 GB RAM but 4 GB is better recommended.
- USB 2.0 connection must be available for importing and exporting files.
- Sound card should be installed.
- CD drive for CD burning.
- DVD drive to burn DVD.
Video Tutorial:
Sony Vegas Pro 12 Serial Number Plus Crack Full Download from the link given below:


text:
One morning while sitting poolside, reading and journaling, I had a radical revelation.
I'd been on a journey of self-discovery for quite some time and was beginning to learn that breakthroughs aren't always BIG.
Sometimes you experience a small shift, a gentle "aha" moment that gets you one step closer to discovering you who are and what you truly want.
On this particular morning, I discovered 4 Lessons for Self-Discovery.
God is talking to you all day. Sit at least for 3 min in silence and let Him give you a nugget of wisdom.
Stay out of your head. Your mind will only get you emotionally drunk and the path to sobriety it tough. When you find yourself going down an emotional rabbit hole, STOP, breathe and say,
"I'm noticing that I'm doing it again. I'm letting my emotions take me to a place I have no business visiting."
Then notice your breath and say "belly rising, belly falling" with each inhale and exhale.
Trust your intuition. Ego will tell you to feel emotions that your intuition warned you about from the very beginning.
4. (This one is my favorite) FOCUS ON THE GARDEN, NOT THE TREE.
Just like Eve in the garden of Eden, sometimes we get fixated on one tree - the tree we have no business sitting under for shade, or grabbing fruit for nourishment or swinging from its branches for entertainment.
We focus so much on that ONE tree, we forget that we have an entire garden of delicious ripe fruit, beautiful blooming flowers, and a bountiful harvest of nourishing greens - all at our fingertips.
Our obsession with that one tree is what keeps us from the abundant blessings God is putting right in our midst.
Let the tree go, the garden has so much more for you to enjoy and it will keep giving long after the tree has lost its leaves and bears no more fruit.
Those are my lessons so far. I hope these words inspire you to go on your own journey of self-discovery.


text:
Amcor Flexibles has won an Alufoil Trophy in the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) 2006 competition for a foil-based composite container for Zinglez coffee pads.
Amcor Flexibles and Weidenhammer Packaging won the trophy.
One of five Alufoil Trophy winners this year, the composite container has an inner lining of foil supplied by Amcor Flexibles Hochheim of Germany and lidding foil supplied by Amcor Flexibles Raackmann of Denmark which also features Amcor SoftValve – Amcor Flexibles' patented one-way integrated valve, which allows the fresh-roasted coffee to breathe, and helps to maintain the full flavour of the coffee over a long period.
Leading independent judge Dr Jochen Hertlein, Head of Culinary Packaging, Nestle Germany, said "This entry breathes new life into old packaging to create a consumer friendly and decorative pack. It is a good example of combining the best of the new with the best of the old."
The aroma-sealed coffee-pad container provides the Ahold Coffee Company, of the Netherlands, with a pack that not only offers excellent protection throughout the product's life it also ensures the brand stands out in the highly competitive single-serve coffee market.
With annual sales of 1.5 billion Euros and manufacturing operations in 18 countries across Europe and the Americas, Amcor Flexibles is one of Europe's leading flexible packaging businesses supplying a wide range of markets including confectionery, snack foods, processed foods, fresh food, beverages, healthcare and tobacco.
The European Aluminium Foil Association is the international body representing companies engaged in the rolling and rewinding of alufoil and in the manufacture of alufoil containers and flexible packaging.


text:
I want to introduce you to one of my favourite conceptual photographers. Her name is Marina Gondra and her work consists in creating stories through her images. She maintains that her camera and Photoshop are her greatest allies. "Photography has been the best hobby I could ever have during my adolescence. I never thought that what I like doing the most in my life could end up being my way of life. Until now. I can say that I dedicate to photography by pure passion, because I cannot live without it, and it would be really difficult being happy without a camera between my hands."
Through her images you can dare to daydream, dive into the best of your dreams or your worst nightmares, and laugh again as a child.
"Some say that my photographs are childish, and I say to them there's nothing purer and more creative creative than the mind of a child. I wish we'd never grow up."
Travels with Love
I am very fortunate every once in a while to get to spend some quality time with my family and to occasionally travel with my parents. This last trip we made in the late fall from Alberta, Canada to Phoenix, USA with some gorgeous scenery along the way. If you haven't yet had a chance, do pencil it into your schedule to go to see the southern part of Utah / northern part of Arizona. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful....and the company I had was world class.


text: ~British Soul~ 1,929 Report post Posted September 12, 2016 New anime series was revealed in this month's CoroCoro. It will air in November, and in it, Ash will receive a Z Ring and meet the Melemele Island Guardian, Tapu Koko. In the series, Ash is going to school and his goal is to graduate "like never before". We'll bring more as it comes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


text:
|Describing and understanding pacing strategies during athletic competition.
MedLine Citation:
|PMID: 18278984 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE
|It is widely recognized that an athlete's 'pacing strategy', or how an athlete distributes work and energy throughout an exercise task, can have a significant impact on performance. By applying mathematical modelling (i.e. power/velocity and force/time relationships) to athletic performances, coaches and researchers have observed a variety of pacing strategies. These include the negative, all-out, positive, even, parabolic-shaped and variable pacing strategies. Research suggests that extremely short-duration events (< or =30 seconds) may benefit from an explosive 'all-out' strategy, whereas during prolonged events (>2 minutes), performance times may be improved if athletes distribute their pace more evenly. Knowledge pertaining to optimal pacing strategies during middle-distance (1.5-2 minutes) and ultra-endurance (>4 hours) events is currently lacking. However, evidence suggests that during these events well trained athletes tend to adopt a positive pacing strategy, whereby after peak speed is reached, the athlete progressively slows. The underlying mechanisms influencing the regulation of pace during exercise are currently unclear. It has been suggested, however, that self-selected exercise intensity is regulated within the brain based on a complex algorithm involving peripheral sensory feedback and the anticipated workload remaining. Furthermore, it seems that the rate and capacity limitations of anaerobic and aerobic energy supply/utilization are particularly influential in dictating the optimal pacing strategy during exercise. This article outlines the various pacing profiles that have previously been observed and discusses possible factors influencing the self-selection of such strategies.
|Chris R Abbiss; Paul B Laursen
Related Documents :
|17950614 - Cytokine response to strenuous exercise in athletes and non-athletes--an adaptive respo...
16558254 - Upper extremity proprioceptive training.
9397324 - Spirometry and airway reactivity in elite track and field athletes.
10978954 - Echocardiographic doppler evaluation of left ventricular diastolic filling in older, hi...
15142684 - Cerebral perturbations provoked by prolonged exercise.
12890124 - 2003 wolff award: possible parasympathetic contributions to peripheral and central sens...
Publication Detail:
|Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review
Journal Detail:
|Title: Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) Volume: 38 ISSN: 0112-1642 ISO Abbreviation: Sports Med Publication Date: 2008
Date Detail:
|Created Date: 2008-02-18 Completed Date: 2008-05-27 Revised Date: -
Medline Journal Info:
|Nlm Unique ID: 8412297 Medline TA: Sports Med Country: New Zealand
Other Details:
|Languages: eng Pagination: 239-52 Citation Subset: IM
|School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia. email@example.com
Export Citation:
|APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex
|MeSH Terms
Energy Metabolism
Exercise / physiology*
Sports / physiology*
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Fat and carbohydrate metabolism during submaximal exercise in children.
Next Document: An applied research model for the sport sciences.


text:
Our Advanced Search is the quickest way to find the perfect Jersey or Guernsey self catering holidayAdvanced Search
Sleeps 3 (+1)
or near here
Facilities at Village Cottage
PRETTY GOREY VILLAGE is the setting for this basic family cottage which is the wing of a former farmhouse. Surrounded
by beautiful enclosed gardens and a small orchard it provides a wonderfully relaxing base
which gives an away from it all' feeling whilst in a lovely village environment.
The well kept and expansive gardens are a definite feature at this venue. There is a picnic table in the garden which is ideal for breakfast on a sunny day. The south-west facing patio has table, chairs, sun chairs and barbecue so you can have a true alfresco dining experience. There is a wide selection of books to read to suit all ages from babies to adults.
A short walk takes you to a sandy beach, bus stop, and a choice of shops and restaurants. Pretty Gorey harbour is approximately 1/2 mile away where there is Mont Orgueil Castle and a larger selection of restaurants, bars, shops and cafe's. There are enjoyable walks from Gorey both along the Green lane network and along the coast; the owners are happy to provide maps and island information and otherwise will leave you in peace to enjoy your holiday.
Management Comment: The convenient village location, extensive outside space and sensible pricing makes this a great accommodation choice for many couples and families.
Village Cottage - Maximum 3 adults or 2 adults, 2 children, 1 infant.
Ground floor: Entrance into second sleeping area with bunk beds leading to lounge-kitchen-diner.
Shower room. Open plan pine staircase to:
First floor: Landing with sofa bed suitable for 1 person.
Double bedroom with doors to balcony.
More about the accommodation
Welcome grocery basket.
Baby & dog sitting by arrangement for reasonable hourly rate.
Coffee machine.
Scenic views are of surrounding area and are not views from the accommodation or the property itself.
Guest Experience
"We have enjoyed visiting Jersey again after 23 years. It has been very relaxing in the cottage and so peaceful" - Mr/s G. Birmingham - Guest book
"Great, well equipped cottage, especially with children. Beautiful gardens. Great base for exploring and fantastic to walk to Gorey Pier for supper every night" - Mr/s F & Family. France - Guest book
"3rd trip here and still we enjoy ourselves in such wonderful surroundings. The garden is great for the dogs to charge about in." - Mr/s H. Suffolk - Guest book
"We enjoyed a lovely warm welcome to our cozy apartment. Good grocery pack provided. Amazed to find such an extensive library of books and very impressed with the variety of general Jersey information including extensive walking details." - Mr/s D. South Shields - Guest survey
"Our third stay in 'our' delightful cottage. We have discovered more places to see both inland and on the coast" - Mr/s S. Hampshire - Guest book.
"What an epic family holiday! The boys loved the bunk beds and the animal print duvets" - Mr/s F & family. Surrey - Guest book
"Lovely holiday. Warm welcome. Super to have such helpful hosts. First time in Jersey - a beautiful Island and the cottage is ideally placed. We enjoyed having breakfast in the relaxing garden. Thank you. Thanks for the use of the 'library' - managed 3 books!" - Mr/s W & Family. Oxford - Guest book.
"A great cottage in a fantastic location, ideal for the dogs with plenty of walks direct from the cottage. Thanks for the garden produce." - Mr/s M. Cambridge - Guest book.
What is provided
Top Tip! Make a list of the accommodation reference numbers that appeal.


text:
What is this place?
Kempner.net is the personal web site of Joshua Kempner. I used to work in astrophysics before leaving the field to joing VisEn Medical in the Boston area. VisEn was acquired by PerkinElmer in July 2010. I'm still with PerkinElmer, now as Senior Manager of Software Development, and continue to work on the products developed at VisEn along with the company's other in vivo imaging offerings.
These days, I put most of my non-work time into being a dad. I also spend much of my free time playing, coaching and refereeing soccer.


text:
News Article
Realistic Study on E-Bike Traffic Safety
CHEMNITZ, Germany – The growing number of e-bikes and the possibility of higher speeds present rising concerns about road safety, in particular the risk of crashes and accidents. But is there any reason for that?
Consequently, the German Insurers Accident Research (UDV) and the Chemnitz University of Technology carried out a large-scale study to investigate vehicle usage, speed and road safety of e-bike users in Germany. Three groups were compared: riders of e-bikes, speed e-bikes and conventional bicycles.
Mainly convenience
The comparison of conventional bicycles, on one hand, with e-bikes and speed e-bikes on the other hand, shows that the latter are not less safe than bicycles or associated with different risks. The potentially higher speeds of e-bikes are used mainly by speed e-bike users. E-bike riders use the motor assistance primarily for convenience.
The field study approach was selected to collect cycling data in a realistic yet controlled setting. More specifically, they took a naturalistic approach: the participants' behaviour was recorded during their daily life as unobtrusively as possible. For this purpose, they developed a data acquisition system (DAS) with video cameras and different sensors which were fitted on the participants bikes.
90 participants
There were a total of 90 participants. 49 of them were e-bike users, 10 were speed e-bike users, and 31 were ordinary cyclists. Each participant was observed for a period of four weeks riding their own bike. In addition, participants were required to fill in a travel diary for one week to record all journeys, not just those for which they used their bike.
Read the full report: http://udv.de/en/traffic-participants/cyclists/vehicles/pedelecs/traffic-safety-electric-bicycles


text:
Daily Archives: October 27, 2014
Playing the Deadline Game
Let's talk a bit about the Deadline Game. As freelancers, we've all played it at some point—and many of us play it regularly. The Deadline Game is where you effectively gameify deadlines for freelance projects. If someone says that a project is due on Monday, November 3rd 2014, you figure if you turn it in


text:
Hello all!
If you find yourself walking along Newbury Street in the next few days and weeks, stop in front of the Marc Jacobs store and look down. An optimistic gardener has planted perky, yellow daffodils and white hyacinths around a sturdy tree. What a bright and fragile touch of spring! No fence, no border protects these flowers from the dogs and humans passing by. I stood and watched for a minute or so. It was great to see people notice the flowers and smile.. and move a bit away to give the little patch some room to be. Spring is nearly here. Just a few hours away…. Ahhhh.


text:
Welcome to Batesville Utilities
Online Payment Website!
A $2.00 service charge will be added to each tranaction.
- You must know and enter your last payment to set up your account.
- If it is your first billing, enter -0- as your payment amount.
* Utility Billing
*To prevent late fee, payment must be made by the 20th deadline.
*Disconnected accounts must Call the office before making online payment,
* If Disconnected payment is made, customer must keep a copy of online receipt to show service man.
* If Disconnected payment after regular work hours of 8:am to 5:pm, a paid receipt must be shown to reflect; past due bill +$20.00 disconnect fee + after hours reconnect fee of $70.00 and be presented to service man on reconnect.


text:
Santa's Workshop
A magical interactive Christmas experience for any child to join the Christmas fun and meet Santa!
Each Christmas Workshop experience lasts approx. 60 minutes and includes an interactive Christmas theatre experience and a visit to see Santa in his drawing room with his Naughty and Nice book! This is a truly wonderful way for your family to experience the real magic of Christmas.
Due to the personalised experience booking online in advance is essential – tickets range from £15.00 – £20.00* per child and £2.50* per adult. (* plus booking fee)
Oh No! The Sleigh!
Before meeting Santa for a personalised experience (he will have his Naughty and Nice book updated with details of all the boys and girls visiting him), join the Elves at Santa's Workshop as they prepare to get the sleigh ready for Christmas Eve. Watch them perform their final checks – but disaster strikes as the sleigh won't work!
Can the boys and girls help the Elves to fix the problem, so Santa can deliver all the presents before Christmas Day? Join us this Christmas for this interactive Christmas experience to find out!!
Watch your Child be amazed at what Santa really does know know about each and every child!
Visit Santa in his drawing room with his Naughty and Nice Book and watch your child and be amazed at the information he knows!
Receive an early gift from Santa as a thank-you for helping the Elves.
Have your photo taken with Santa in his drawing room as a lovely keepsake of your family's 2017 Christmas celebrations!*
* photos are available for purchase on the day.


text:
Following in the footsteps of its box office smash, Marvel has a new mobile game for iOS and Android devices out this September, allowing players to become the Hulk and smash their way through opponents and a growing Marvel video game universe.
Marvel's "Avengers Initiative" sends the Hulk up against a group of escaped super-powered prisoners, on the lam thanks to the Pulse power blackout that hit the world in the Facebook game "Marvel: Avengers Alliance."
Demonstrating the mobile game ahead of its early September release date, Game Director Patrick Moran of Wideload Games and VP of Game Production at Marvel TQ Jefferson spoke to CBR News about "Avengers Initiative," diving into the line, and the planned scope of the Marvel gaming-verse.
"What we've done recently is take a long hard look at what we want and rededicate ourselves to quality above all else," Jefferson said nothing that for "Avengers Initiative," and previous Facebook game "Avengers Alliance," there were three important markers of success he and his team considered.
"First and foremost it's fun to play: fun and engaging game play, fun trumps everything else. Then it's compelling stories -- everything about Marvel is story, the comic books, the film, the series. Telling stories is what we do," Jefferson said, adding with a laugh, "And then true to character experiences -- you're not going to see Spider-Man with guns!"
To execute the mobile gaming app, which will retail for $6.99, Marvel turned to Wideload Games and Game Director Moran. According to Moran it took about fourteen months from start to finish to bring "Avengers Initiative" to life, with a staff of thirty-six people working on the mobile game.
"When I showed up they [Wideload] had a big bookshelf full of Marvel comics -- huge, huge fans," Moran said. "As soon as the acquisition happened they said, 'OK, how do we work with Marvel?'"
Directly tying into the Facebook game, "Avengers Initiative" takes place roughly around the same time as "Alliance," with Marvel stalwarts Fred Van Lente, "Alliance" writer Alex Irvine and even Greg Pak contributing to the in-game story.
"[Facebook] kicked off what we're calling the Marvel Game Universe," Moran told CBR News. "This game is set in that same universe and it's a continuation of that story. In 'Alliance' there was this thing called the Pulse that knocked out electrical grids and communication networks and it was all about the aftermath. This is set a little bit after and where 'Alliance' focused on a breadth of characters, we're going to focus on one character at a time, with new episodic releases."
Launching with the Hulk, Moran stated they were already working on future episodes of "Avengers Initiative" that would allow gamers to play as other characters, such as Captain America. However, there was no concrete release date for future episodes as of yet.
"We're not going to release it until we feel we've fulfilled the promise of that character and the game play is really solid," Moran said.
"That said, [in the Hulk episode] enemies continue to have new attacks, we continue to give the opportunity to get new awards and narrative audio logs -- and we're going to drop additional costumes later on," Moran added, saying there were plans to continually update the existing Hulk episode. While players can complete the game's narrative in about four hours there are still ample opportunities for new fights and villains after the story is finished.
"Avengers Initiative," as Moran and Jefferson demonstrated on their iPads, is a gesture-based combat game. Using their devices' touch screen, players tap arrow buttons to block or doge attacks while swiping the screen allows Hulk to hit his opponents or use special moves that nod to the comics such as the "Worldbreaker" or "Gamma Strike." Additionally, players are able to use and unlock different in-game costumes that also harken back to the comics, such as Hulk's "Planet Hulk" and "Fear Itself" looks, or the original stretchy purple pants.
"I'm a fan of the beard!" Moran laughed as he showed off his Hulk avatar, sporting a Maestro-like beard and scowl.
In addition to tying into the story of the Facebook "Avengers Alliance," Moran told CBR if gamers plays both the Facebook game and the mobile "Initiative" they'll discover game play on one platform affects and enhances game play on the other.
"That hasn't been done before; you've seen console games lead into each other but you've never seen a Facebook game and a mobile game start talking to each other," Moran said. The two games can share and bring up Avengers Dossier entries and audio clips, and awards in "Initiative" can boost experience points in the Facebook game.
"By unlocking those awards in 'Initiative' I'm going to boost my experience in 'Alliance,'" Moran added.
Coming back to the concept of a unified Marvel Game Universe, Jefferson outlined the future for Marvel's mobile and social games, saying the gaming side of the comic book company took cues from both "The Avengers" movie franchise and current in-comics status quo.
"The idea is we're borrowing a bit from Marvel Studios and the cinematic universe where all those films built up to something bigger, but what we want to do is we're creating the Marvel Gaming Universe where it is a lot of games united by a single storyline, and we want to bring in more platforms and such," Jefferson said. "We're also borrowing a bit from the Marvel publishing universe that there are big overarching stories in publishing, like 'AvX' right now. But if you pick up an issue of 'Blade' or something it may have nothing to do with that storyline but it still exists in that universe -- so we want the flexibility still to tell singular stories but with that big overarching thing that's pulling everybody."
"If you come along with us on this journey it's going to be a real crossover game event across platforms," Moran added.
Though excited for the future of Marvel's mobile games, Moran and Jefferson confessed that as huge comic book fans themselves they were just as excited about the villains showing up in "Avengers Initiative."
"I'm actually a very big fan of Wendigo," Jefferson said with a smile, pointing to the furry villain as he appeared on his iPad. "My first back issue that I ever purchased as a kid, mowed lawns to save money to buy it, was 'Uncanny x-Men' #140 which is Wendigo beating the crap out of Wolverine on the cover of it. I was like, 'OK, I need to know what that's about!'" Jefferson laughed.
"I'm really into Abomination!" Moran countered. "When he and Hulk have it out and you see the cut scenes between them I think it's really powerful. We had somebody get beat by Abomination in a play test, the cut scene played out and in the play test lab with his headphones on he was going, 'No, no, no!'"
"To get that emotional response is exactly why you make games," Moran added, Hulk and his villains battling it out in his hands as they concluded the demonstration.
"Avengers Initiative" will be available on iOS and Android devices later this month.