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Acra (fortress)
The Acra (also spelled or Akra, from Ancient Greek: Ἄκρα, Hebrew: חקרא or חקרה) was a fortified compound in Jerusalem built by Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler of the Seleucid Empire, following his sack of the city in 168 BCE. The fortress played a significant role in the events surrounding the Maccabean Revolt and the formation of the Hasmonean Kingdom. It was destroyed by Simon Thassi during this struggle.
The Givati parking lot dig and proposed remnants of the Acra.
|Alternative name
|Aκρα or חקרא
|Antiochus Epiphanes
|2nd century BCE
|2nd century BCE
|Site notes
|Excavation dates
|1960s, 70s, 2010s
|Benjamin Mazar (for Ophel location).
Doron Ben-Ami, Yana Tchekhanovets, Salome Cohen (for Givati parking lot location)
|Public access
The exact location of the Acra, critical to understanding Hellenistic Jerusalem, had been a matter of lengthy discussions. Historians and archaeologists had proposed various sites around Jerusalem, relying mainly on conclusions drawn from literary evidence. This approach began to change in the light of excavations which commenced in the late 1960s. New discoveries had prompted reassessments of the ancient literary sources, Jerusalem's geography and previously discovered artifacts. Yoram Tsafrir had interpreted a masonry joint in the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount platform as a clue to the Acra's possible position. During Benjamin Mazar's 1968 and 1978 excavations adjacent to the south wall of the Mount, features were uncovered which may have been connected with the Acra, including barrack-like rooms and a huge cistern. In November 2015 the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the likely discovery of the Acra in a different location, south-west of the Temple Mount and north-west of the City of David.
The Ancient Greek term acra was used to describe other fortified structures during the Hellenistic period. The Acra is often called the Seleucid Acra to distinguish it from references to the Ptolemaic Baris as an acra and from the later quarter in Jerusalem which inherited the name Acra.
Following Alexander the Great's death in 323 BCE, Judea was contested between the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt, and the Seleucid Empire based in Syria and Mesopotamia. Seleucid emperor Antiochus III's victory over Egypt in the Battle of Panium brought Judea under Seleucid control. The Jewish population of Jerusalem had aided Antiochus during his siege of the Baris, the fortified base of Jerusalem's Egyptian garrison.[1] Their support was rewarded with a charter affirming Jewish religious autonomy, including barring foreigners and impure animals from the Temple's precincts, and an allocation of official funds for the maintenance of certain religious rituals in the Temple.[2] Despite being allowed religious freedom, many Jews were enticed by and adopted elements of the prestigious and influential Greek lifestyle. The imperial culture offered a route to political and material advancement, and this led to the formation of Hellenistic elites among the Jewish population. Hellenization produced tensions between observant Jews and their brethren who had assimilated Greek culture.[3]
Antiochus IV Epiphanes ascended the Seleucid throne in 175 BCE. Shortly afterward, Epiphanes was petitioned by Jason for appointment to the position of High Priest of Israel—an office occupied by his brother Onias III. Jason, himself thoroughly Hellenized, furthermore promised to increase the tribute paid by the city and to establish within it the infrastructure of a Greek Polis, including a gymnasium and an ephebion.[4] Jason's petition was granted, yet after a 42-month rule he was ousted by Antiochus and forced to flee to Ammon.[5][6] In the meantime, Antiochus IV had launched two invasions of Egypt, in 170 BCE and again in 169 BCE, and routed the Ptolemaic armies.[7][8][9] Antiochus' victories were short-lived. His intent to unify the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms alarmed the rapidly expanding Roman state, which demanded that he withdraw his forces from Egypt.[9][10] With Antiochus engaged in Egypt, a false rumor spread in Jerusalem that he had been killed. In the ensuing uncertainty, Jason gathered a force of 1,000 followers and attempted to take Jerusalem by storm. Although the attack was repulsed, when word of the fighting reached Antiochus in Egypt, he suspected his Judean subjects of exploiting his setback as an opportunity to revolt. In 168 BCE, Antiochus IV Epiphanes marched on and sacked Jerusalem, looting the temple treasury and killing thousands of its residents.[11][12][13] Reversing his father's policy, Antiochus IV issued decrees outlawing traditional Jewish rites and persecuting observant Jews. Temple rituals were discontinued, Jewish observance of Sabbath prohibited, and circumcision outlawed.[14][15]
To consolidate his hold on the city, monitor events on the Temple Mount and safeguard the Hellenized faction in Jerusalem, Antiochus stationed a Seleucid garrison in the city:[16][17]
And they built the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with strong towers, and made it a fortress [Greek: Acra] for them: And they placed there a sinful nation, wicked men, and they fortified themselves therein: and they stored up armour, and victuals, and gathered together the spoils of Jerusalem; And laid them up there: and they became a great snare. And this was a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil devil in Israel.— 1 Maccabees 1:35–38.[18]
The name Acra derived from the Greek acropolis and signified a lofty fortified place overlooking a town. In Jerusalem, the word came to symbolize anti-Jewish paganism: a fortress of the "impious and wicked".[17] Dominating both the city and the surrounding countryside, it was occupied not only by a Greek garrison but by their Jewish confederates as well.[19]
The Seleucid suppression of Jewish religious life met with considerable resistance among the native population. While Antiochus was occupied in the east during 167 BCE, a rural priest, Mattathias of Modiin, raised a rebellion against the empire.[20] Both the Seleucid administration and the local Hellenized faction failed to grasp the magnitude of the revolt. In 164 BCE Judas Maccabaeus liberated Jerusalem and reconsecrated the Temple. Although the surrounding city had fallen, the Acra and its inhabitants held out. Maccabaeus besieged the fortress, whose inhabitants sent an appeal to the Seleucid king (now Antiochus V) for assistance. A Seleucid army was dispatched to put down the revolt. When it laid siege to Beth-Zur, Maccabaeus was forced to abandon his siege of the Acra and face Antiochus in battle. In the subsequent Battle of Beth-Zechariah, the Seleucids won their first victory over the Maccabees, and Maccabaeus was forced to withdraw.[21] Spared from capitulation, the Acra persisted as a Seleucid stronghold for 20 more years during which it weathered several Hasmonean attempts to oust the Greek garrison.[17][22]
Judas was killed in 160 BCE and succeeded by his brother Jonathan, who attempted to build a barrier to cut off the Acra's supply line.[23] Jonathan had already assembled the manpower required for the task when he was forced to confront the invading army of Seleucid general Diodotus Tryphon at Beth Shan (Scythopolis).[24][25] Having invited Jonathan to a friendly conference, Tryphon had him seized and murdered.[26] Jonathan was succeeded by another brother, Simon, who besieged and finally captured the Acra in 141 BCE.[27]
Two sources provide information about the ultimate fate of the Acra, although their accounts are contradictory in places. According to Josephus, Simon razed the Acra after ousting its inhabitants, and then quarried the hill on which it had stood to render it lower than the temple, purge the city of its evil memory and deny it to any future occupier of Jerusalem.[28] The account appearing in 1 Maccabees paints a different picture:
And Simon decreed that every year they should celebrate this day with rejoicing. He strengthened the fortifications of the temple hill alongside the citadel [Greek: Acra], and he and his men dwelt there.— 1 Maccabees 13:52.[29]
Thus in this version, Simon did not immediately demolish the Acra, but instead had it occupied and may even have resided within it himself. 1 Maccabees does not mention its ultimate fate. The fortress had been built as an internal checkpoint to monitor and control Jerusalem and its population. If situated in the City of David as most scholars agree, its location would have added very little to Jerusalem's defenses against external threats. It may have fallen out of use and been dismantled around the end of the 2nd century BCE following the construction of the Hasmonean Baris and Hasmonean Palace in Jerusalem's upper city.[23]
Bezalel Bar-Kochva offers a different theory: The Acra was still standing in 139 BCE when Antiochus VII Sidetes demanded it back from Simon, along with Jaffa and Gezer, two Hellenized cities Simon had captured.[30][31] Simon was willing to discuss the two cities but made no mention of the Acra.[32] It was at this point that he must have sealed its fate, as a way to deny the Seleucids any future claim or hold on Jerusalem. Thus, when Antiochus VII subdued the city during Hyrcanus I's reign, each and every one of his demands were met—except the one demanding the stationing of a Seleucid garrison in the city.[33] Hyrcanus may have been able to reject, and Antiochus to drop, this demand because there was nowhere to billet the garrison, as the Acra would no longer have been standing. This explanation places the razing of the Acra somewhere in the 130s BCE.[34][35]
The location of the Acra is important for understanding how events unfolded in Jerusalem during the struggle between Maccabean and Seleucid forces.[16][23] This has been the subject of debate among modern scholars.[36] The most detailed ancient description of the nature and location of the Acra is found in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews, where it is described as residing in the Lower City, upon a hill overlooking the Temple enclosure:
...and when he had overthrown the city walls, he built a citadel [Greek: Acra] in the lower part of the city, for the place was high, and overlooked the temple; on which account he fortified it with high walls and towers, and put into it a garrison of Macedonians. However, in that citadel dwelt the impious and wicked part of the multitude, from whom it proved that the citizens suffered many and sore calamities.— Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 12:252–253[37]
The location of the "lower part of the city", elsewhere referred to as the "Lower City", at the time of Josephus (1st century CE) is accepted to be Jerusalem's south-eastern hill, the original urban center traditionally known as the City of David. Lying to the south of the Temple Mount, however, the area exposed today is significantly lower than the Mount itself. The top of the Mount is approximately 30 metres (98 ft) above the ground level at the southern retaining wall of the later Herodian-era expansion of the Temple enclosure. The elevation decreases to the south of this point.[17] Josephus, a native of Jerusalem,[38] would have been well aware of this discrepancy, yet is nevertheless able to explain it away by describing how Simon had razed both the Acra and the hill on which it had stood. Archaeological research south of the Temple Mount, however, has failed to locate any evidence for such large-scale quarrying.[17] On the contrary, excavations in the region have uncovered substantial evidence of habitation from the beginning of the first millennium BCE down to Roman times,[39] casting doubt on the suggestion that during Hellenistic times the area was significantly higher than it was at the time of Josephus or that a large hill had been cleared away.[34] This had led many researchers to disregard Josephus' account and his placing of the Acra, and suggest several alternate locations.[19] Since 1841, when Edward Robinson proposed the area near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as the site of the Acra, at least nine different locations in and around the Old City of Jerusalem have been put forward.[40][41]
Western hillEdit
Several researchers have attempted to place the Acra in the Upper City on Jerusalem's western hill, within the area currently occupied by the Old City's Jewish Quarter.[34][40][42] These propositions seek to locate the Acra within Antiochia, the Hellenistic polis established in Jerusalem according to 2 Maccabees. This conjectural new city would have been hippodamic in plan and therefore would have required a flat expanse of land which only the western hill could have provided.[40] Furthermore, the eastern edge of the hill is adjacent to the Temple Mount and higher in altitude—two characteristics attributed to the Seleucid citadel.[42]
Opponents of this proposed location point out that there is very little archaeological or historical evidence supporting the establishment of a Hellenistic polis within Jerusalem, let alone sited on the western hill which appears to have been only sparsely populated during the Hellenistic period. Excavations in today's Jewish Quarter display evidence of habitation from the First Temple Period, as well as renewed Hasmonean and Herodian settlement, but scant evidence of Hellenistic occupation.[16][40] Research into the dispersal of stamped Rhodian amphorae handles has revealed that over 95% of these handles found in Jerusalem were excavated from the City of David, indicating the city had not yet expanded to the western hill during Seleucid rule.[43] Furthermore, the western hill is separated from the Temple Mount and the City of David by the steep Tyropoeon Valley—a distinct tactical disadvantage for any force that may have been required to intervene in events within the temple precincts or heavily populated eastern sectors of Jerusalem.[42]
North of the TempleEdit
The Acra was not the first Hellenistic stronghold in Jerusalem. Sources indicate that an earlier citadel, the Ptolemaic Baris, had also occupied a location overlooking the Temple's precincts. Although the exact location of the Baris is still debated, it is generally accepted to have stood north of the Temple Mount on the site later occupied by the Antonia Fortress.[17] The Baris fell to Antiochus III at the turn of the 2nd century BCE and is absent from all accounts of the Maccabean Revolt.[34] Despite the narratives which have the Acra constructed within a very short time-span, it was nevertheless formidable enough to weather long periods of siege. These factors, coupled with references in which the Baris was itself called an acra,[1] have led some to suggest that the Baris and the Acra were in fact the same structure. Although both 1 Maccabees and Josephus seem to describe the Acra as a new construction, this may not have been the case. Antiquities of the Jews 12:253 may be translated to give the sense that the "impious or wicked" had "remained" rather than "dwelt" in the citadel, which could be taken to mean that the Acra had been standing before the revolt and that only the Macedonian garrison was new.[41][44]
Koen Decoster proposes that Josephus wrote of "a citadel in the lower part of the city" to an audience that would have been familiar with the Jerusalem of the 1st century CE—a city that did feature two citadels: the Antonia Fortress and the Herodian palace. As Josephus' Roman Jerusalem had already expanded to the higher western hill, "a citadel in the lower city" could have referred to anything located east of the Tyropoeon Valley, including the Antonia which stood north of the Temple and did indeed rise above and dominate it. In his view, this is the place Josephus must have had in mind when he wrote of the Acra.[45]
Opponents of a northern location counter that this site is not supported by the historical sources, and that this would place the Acra away from Jerusalem's population center. Unlike its predecessor and successor citadels, it was not meant as a defence against external threat, but rather to oversee the inhabited Jewish parts of the city, a role incompatible with a proposed northern location.[34]
A fortified compound in the City of DavidEdit
The available sources do indicate the Acra stood south of the temple, and because 1 Maccabees is a contemporaneous account of the Maccabean revolt, its account of the Acra (1:35–38) is considered the most reliable.[17] Josephus provides an unlikely account of the razing of a hill on which the Acra had stood, yet his description of the end of the Great Revolt (70 CE) provides additional evidence for it being located south of the Temple Mount:
...but on the next day they set fire to the repository of the archives, to Acra, to the council-house, and to the place called Ophlas; at which time the fire proceeded as far as the palace of queen Helena, which was in the middle of Acra;— Flavius Josephus, The Wars of the Jews 6:354[46]
As the other buildings mentioned in the account all stood to the south in the Lower City, this also places the Acra there. This account attests to the persistence of the name "Acra" in this part of Jerusalem many years after Hellenistic rule ended and its citadels had been overthrown, and it can also be seen as referring not to a distinct building but rather to an entire region of the city. Indeed, several clauses in 1 Maccabees may be read as making a similar point:[47]
About five hundred men of the army of Nicanor fell, and the rest fled into the city of David.— 1 Maccabees 7:32.[48]
And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were put out of the country, as were also the men in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel [Greek: Acra] from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary and do great damage to its purity.— 1 Maccabees 14:36.[49]
These suggest that, after the sacking of Jerusalem by Antiochus IV in 168 BCE, at least part of the City of David to the south of the Temple Mount was rebuilt as a fortified Hellenistic quarter of Jerusalem.[17] More than a citadel, it was a Macedonian colony where Jewish renegades and supporters of the new regime lived.[23] This is also supported by archaeological evidence, including Rhodian amphorae handles and 18 box graves found on the eastern slope of the City of David. The latter are dated to the early 2nd century CE, and are uncharacteristic of Second Temple era Jewish burial practices, yet similar to other known Hellenistic graveyards such as the one in Acre (Ptolemais).[41][50][51]
A citadel neverthelessEdit
Even if the name "Acra" were applied to an entire Hellenistic quarter rather than to just a fortress, it is likely that a citadel would have stood within that compound to billet the Macedonian garrison which occupied it.[34] It was normal for a Hellenistic city to have a fortified stronghold at or near the highest point of its walled area.[19] Thus, whether a part of a larger enclave or independent of its surroundings, a citadel probably did stand at the northern tip of the City of David just south of the Temple Mount. Archaeologists have tried to use finds from excavations conducted in the area to pinpoint this citadel's precise location.
Yoram Tsafrir has attempted to place the Acra underneath the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount enclosure.[40][41][52] Tsafrir points to a straight vertical seam in the enclosure's eastern masonry wall as evidence of different periods of construction. North of the seam is an early section of the wall built of large ashlar blocks. These blocks have faces with drafted margins[16] around a prominent boss and are laid in homogeneous header and stretcher courses, one above the other.[53] This style of construction is Hellenistic and distinct from the Herodian construction apparent south of the seam. Although the exact dating of this construction in uncertain, Tsafrir believes it is a remnant of the Acra's foundations which were later incorporated into Herod the Great's extension of the Temple platform.[23][40][53] As further proof, Tzafrir also points to significant similarity between construction methods evident north of the seam, including the use of trapezoid-shaped stones, with the methods employed in the Seleucid city of Perga in Asia Minor. 1 Macabees 1:30 attributes construction of the Acra to Apollonius, Antiochus III's "chief collector" (Hebrew: שר-המיסים, Sar Hamissim), which appears to be an ancient mistranslation or his original title as chief (Hebrew: שר, Sar) of the Mysians, a people of Asia Minor.[40][53]
Meir Ben-Dov believed that the Acra stood just south of the Huldah Gates of the southern wall of the Herodian Temple Mount platform. Benjamin Mazar's excavations of the Ophel, the area adjoining the southern portion of the platform, have unearthed the foundations of a massive structure and a large cistern, both possibly dating to the Hellenistic period. These have been tentatively identified as remnants of the Acra, with the structure, featuring rows of small interconnected rooms, believed to be the remains of a barracks. These had been demolished and built over during the Hasmonean period, matching the descriptions in Josephus. The Hasmonean constructions were, in turn, flattened to create a public square fronting the main gates to the Temple platform during the Herodian renovations.[54][55]
Several cisterns under the Temple Mount itself have also been proposed as possible remnants of the Seleucid citadel. These include a 700,000 imperial gallons (3,200,000 l; 840,000 US gal) cistern shaped like an E, the northern edge of which is adjacent to the proposed southern line of the Temple Mount precinct before its Herodian expansion.[56] This has been identified as the "be'er haqar" or "bor heqer" mentioned in the Mishnah, Erubin Tract 10.14,[57] and commonly translated, perhaps incorrectly, as the "cold well".[58]
Additional evidence for the existence of the Acra may come from the chance discovery, published by Shimon Appelbaum, of a fragmentary Greek inscription in the Old City of Jerusalem. The inscription is a fragment from the top of a sandstone stele and contains what may be an oath taken by soldiers stationed in the Acra, although the reading of the name "Acra" in the text has been contested.[16][59]
2015 discoveryEdit
In November 2015 the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the probable discovery of the Acra. According to archaeologists Doron Ben-Ami, Yana Tchekhanovets and Salome Cohen, excavating the Givati parking lot adjacent to the City of David, they had unearthed a complex of rooms and fortified walls they identified as the Acra. This places it slightly south of previous suggested locations on the Ophel. Finds include fortification walls, a watchtower measuring 4 by 20 meters, and a glacis. Bronze arrowheads, lead sling-stones and ballista stones were unearthed at the site, stamped with a trident, the emblem of Antiochus IV Epiphanes. These are indicative of the military nature of the site and the efforts to take it. The excavation also yielded coins from the reigns of Antiochus IV through Antiochus VII, as well as a multitude of stamped Rhodian amphora handles.[60][61]
The Givati location has been questioned due to its being too low on the hill to overlook the Temple Mount, as described in literary sources.[62]
- ^ a b Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 12:133–138
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 12:138–146
- ^ Goodman (2010), pp. 60–67.
- ^ 2 Maccabees, 4:7–9
- ^ 2 Maccabees, 4:23,26
- ^ Schiffman (1991), pp. 73–74.
- ^ 2 Maccabees, 5:1
- ^ 1 Maccabees, 1:16–19
- ^ a b Schäfer (2003), pp. 36–40.
- ^ "Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, XLV:12". Mcadams.posc.mu.edu. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ Schwartz (2004), p. 144.
- ^ 1 Maccabees, 1:21–25
- ^ 2 Maccabees, 5:11–14
- ^ 1 Maccabees, 1:45–47
- ^ Schiffman (1991), pp. 76–77.
- ^ a b c d e Stern (1993), p. 723.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Wightman (1990), pp. 29–40.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 1:35–38". Livius.org. 2006-10-13. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ a b c Sievers (1994), pp. 195–208.
- ^ Rocca (2008), p. 4.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 6:18–47". Livius.org. 2006-11-03. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ Schiffman (1991), pp. 77–79.
- ^ a b c d e Dequeker (1985), pp. 193–210.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 12:37–41". Livius.org. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ Schäfer (2003), pp. 55–56.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 12:48". Livius.org. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ B. Mazar (1975), pp. 70–71, 216.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 13:215–217
- ^ "1 Maccabees 13:52". Livius.org. 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 15:28". Livius.org. 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ Dequeker (1985), p. 207.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 15:32–35". Livius.org. 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 13:247
- ^ a b c d e f Bar-Kochva (2002), pp. 445–465.
- ^ Chrysler, Arthur Bud; et al. (2011-08-03). "The Akra". Biblical Archaeology Truth. Archived from the original on 2014-11-21. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
The Hasmoneans built their extension to the southern end of the original Temple Mount in 152 BC, before the Akra was razed by Simon in about 137 BC.
- ^ Levine (2002), pp. 75–77.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 12:252–253
- ^ Feldman (1992), pp. 597–610.
- ^ Mazar (2002), pp. 3–73.
- ^ a b c d e f g Tsafrir (1980), pp. 17–40.
- ^ a b c d Mazar (1975), p. 216.
- ^ a b c Shotwell (1964), pp. 10–19.
- ^ Finkielsztejn (1999)
- ^ Loria (1981), pp. 31–40.
- ^ Decoster (1989), pp. 70–84.
- ^ Josephus, The Wars of the Jews 6:351
- ^ Levine (2002), pp. 318, 335.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 7:32". Livius.org. 2006-11-05. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ "1 Maccabees 14:36". Livius.org. 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
- ^ De-Groot (2004)
- ^ Ben-Dov (1985), pp. 69–70.
- ^ Dequeker (1985), p. 194.
- ^ a b c Laperrousaz (1979), pp. 99–144.
- ^ Ben-Dov (1981), pp. 22–35.
- ^ Ben-Dov (1985), pp. 65–71.
- ^ Ritmeyer (1992)
- ^ Sola (1843), Treatise Erubin X
- ^ Schwartz (1986), pp. 3–16.
- ^ Pleket (1980), pp. 482–484.
- ^ Eisenbud, D. (November 3, 2015). "Archeological find in Jerusalem's City of David may answer ancient mystery". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ Hasson, Nir (November 3, 2015). "After 100-year Search The Akra, Epiphanes' Lost Stronghold in Jerusalem, Is Found". Haaretz. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
- ^ Ngo, Robin (13 November 2015). "The Seleucid Akra: 2,200-Year-Old Jerusalem Fortress Uncovered?". Bible History Daily. Washington, D.C.: Biblical Archaeology Society. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
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- 2 Maccabees – Full text from St. Takla Haymanot Coptic Orthodox Church website. Alexandria, Egypt (full text also available in Arabic)
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- Shotwell, W.A. (1964). "The Problem of the Syrian Akra". Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research. Boston, Massachusetts: ASOR, 176: 10–19. ISSN 0003-097X
- Sievers, Joseph (1994). "Jerusalem, The Akra, and Josephus" in Parente & Sievers. Josephus and the History of the Greco-Roman Period. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-10114-2
- Sola, D. A.; M. J. Raphall; translators. (1843). Eighteen Treatises from the Mishna. London: Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper, Paternoster Row.
- Stern, Ephraim; Ayelet Lewinson-Gilboa; Joseph Aviram (eds.). (1993). "The Acra" in The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. vol. 2. Israel: The Israel Exploration Society and Carta. ISBN 978-0-13-276296-0
- Tsafrir, Yoram (1980). "The Location of the Seleucid Akra in Jerusalem" (in Hebrew). Cathedra. (Jerusalem: Yad Yizthak Ben-Zvi) 14: 17–40. ISSN 0334-4657
- Wightman, Gregory J. (1990). "Temple Fortresses in Jerusalem Part I: The Ptolemaic and Seleucid Akras". Bulletin of the Anglo-Israeli Archaeological Society. London, United Kingdom: Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society, 9: 29–40. ISSN 0266-2442


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Palya and welcome to The Northern Territory, Australia.
World famous for its amazing desert landscapes, cultural experiences and chandler night sky, Uluru truly is the spiritual heart of Australia. Iconic and offering a true Australian experience, the Northern Territory presents a breadth and diversity of things to do in the outback and this beautiful country.
Anangu people are the traditional owners of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. For well over 30,000 years they have passed down their knowledge, generation to generation, to keep the land, their culture and their people strong. To Anangu, Uluru has always been a special place - a living place that has a story. Anangu invited us to come on a journey, to open our hearts and open our minds and to take those memories with us. To feel connected with the power of this country and immersed in the wonderfully rich, ancient intricacies of the Indigenous culture and the mysterious tjukurpa.
Inspired and highly impacted by the treasured experience of Uluru, we spent a few days absorbing the natural beauty of the Red Centre, deeply enriched in culture and in stories of the land. Our days were filled with exploration, education and action - Nature, culture, nature, adventure!
Alive - - and swirling in the landscape that surrounds you.
We journeyed through some of the most astounding landscapes and unbelievable land formations on earth, uncovering their ancient stories and discovering the dramatic and raw beauty of The Northern Territory. Experienced the tranquility of the land, keeping culture alive through storytelling and through embracing and celebrating the oldest living civilisation in the world.
Marvelling at distant skies, silenced by the sounds, watching in amazement as the transformation of colours in the desert highlighted the stunning beauty of this remarkable region. Dot painting workshops, cultural dancing performances, riding high above the desert on Camels and adventurous Harley Davidson motorcycle tours.
A bucket list for many... but need I say more? Why not change that "some day" into now.
M. x
✧ ✧ ✧
Much love Lauren, Jack, Matt, Gaz, Flying the Nest & Mon.

subset: commoncrawl


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Miss Universe Dabs with the Panthers
Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the beauty queen from the Philippines, interviewed players from both teams on the media floor for Inside Edition. While she didn't appear to gather any quotes of consequence from the Broncos, her interaction with the Panthers was a little more memorable. With beat-boxing accompaniment from kick returner Joe Webb, Alonzo dabbed with the Panthers.
We all know Cam installed :) dub dance in Panthers and NFL :D1 rumble


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Intelligence and answers
I would like to offer some answers as to why people behave the way they do. The recent case from Ireland of a woman who was refused an abortion and left to die seems human intelligence is not what we think. The contradiction between being pro-life and leaving the woman to die really grates on the intellect.
Then we have all the endless conflicts around the world which show that the smartest solution is the same as it was 5,000 years ago — the most intelligent solution one can think of is to start killing people. How can this be? Are we a ship of fools? In short the answer is "yes."
The "Hydrogen to Human" project exposed human behavior in a stark and shocking new light. You are a living fossil of all the evolutionary successes which allow you to exist, including all your behavior. If you want to see what that behavior is, you need to look at the common behaviors present in every culture; that is who we are, that is why the project was done in Taiwan, whose modern culture is very different from the UK's, yet with some common traits.
What shows up are four important drivers in DNA: copy, conform, compete and be curious. That is it. So simple, but then complexity never takes complex steps, just lots of simple ones. What also showed up is how the universe always self-assembles into states of greater complexity using pairs of complementary partners. The mind and the body are two such partners, they must be interdependent to exist.
Your mind is not merely brain cells, but a complex entity that creates its own reality and tricks all of us into believing that reality as truth. The real truth must be something that is true for every human being on the Earth.
However, remember "copy and conform." If we did not do this, we would not work as a group.
Fifty thousand years ago, our only weapons were working together and toolmaking.
The trouble with this is that we are programmed to conform to any nonsense you can imagine, from bad driving to a God favoring one group above all others. This seems obvious when you think that at the same time humans were walking on the moon, that nation that made it happen was killing thousands in Vietnam. Do not think that killing with modern tools is any more sophisticated; it is just more efficient.
The mind controls the body to exist. It needs sugar and water. It drives the body using chemicals which are more powerful than intelligence. Test this next time you are driving — there is always a chemical reaction first. Overcoming the chemicals needs true intelligence and we admire the people who can do it. Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jesus Christ, former Pakistani prime minister Benazhir Bhutto and former South African president Nelson Mandela are all examples. However, there is also a pattern of such people being killed and persecuted by the rest of us.
We admire them, but soon go back to our chemical ways and nonsense prevails. Is there an answer?
Yes, always work from basic principles. No excuses. If somebody will suffer as a result of your behavior, it is cruelty.
You are programmed to favor yourself and not see it (the selfish gene). We are driven by chemical imbalances which create reactions. Single-cell organisms move, feed and reproduce using imbalance and rebalance as a mechanism to do all the same things as a more complex animal. Now we have no more excuses.


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Al Doggett
In the mornings, I'd come into this room, I'd exercise. And, across the street, about ten people would be waiting for the bus. All black, you know. I'd take pictures, you know. And we're talking about in the 70s. And just to see that group across the street in the mornings now, I look over, and there's no blacks at all, at that bus station, when that's all that was there. To see the changes.
All through the 2000s is when it really began to see a shift. Black families were being offered money to leave and move way out to Renton, wherever. Especially in the last ten years. It's just happening so fast now. If somebody comes in, and offers somebody who paid, you know, 15, 10 thousand dollars for their home, and somebody offers them 200,000 dollars, which isn't much, they take it. And then, of course, they go and try to find a place, and they wind up having to rent, and that's just the bad part of the whole thing.
And, the sick thing right now is that thing across the street. Everybody in the neighborhood hates what happened with that. There was a nice little house there. We knew the family. And uh, the story is just so sad, because the family owned the house. The mother still owned it, and apparently the mother's husband got sick, you know. And he was going through some real severe medical problems that they needed funds. And so the developers got to her. I think it was like, 300,000 dollars. It just opened for showing about a week or so ago. We went over to see it. 1.7 mil. Real estate taxes now, we're getting killed. And I couldn't believe that I'd ever be in a situation where you can't pay your real estate taxes. You're gonna have to move. That's just...
You know, people who are moving in here can pay two thousand, three thousand a month for rent. But I think it would be important for them to know the history of what this community was about. The vital energy that was here. You know it's not there now, in that same way. And again, if we talk about the Central District...it's gone.


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Moray Archery Centre
Open to the public at the weekends and Monday to Wednesday evenings from April to October.
All sessions must be pre-booked at least a week in advance as we do not offer a drop in service.
Our Archery Centre
is 2 miles south of Elgin.
On the road to Thomshill.
Moray Archery
Glenlossie Road
Indoor range
Unit 9 Perimetre Road pinefield Industrial Estate Elgin IV30 6AF
Opening Times
Thursday & Friday
Session 1 = 6-7pm
Session 2 = 7-8pm
Session 3 = 8-9.15pm


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$999.00 $2,099.00
This gorgeous blonde Sex Doll is looking for you to take her home. Lara's sexual spirit is beyond most men's wildest dreams. She will take you on an adventure of sexual self discovery and have you experienced and try all the poses and penetrations you have always wanted to try.
"I love it when you spank me. Fuck me and I will make you lose yourself in passion and rediscover a new you" she says. "I will make you see new colors…"
Being one of the most technologically adaptive industries in the world, the pornography business has been taking steps to bring virtual reality into the fold. In recent years we have seen the introduction of porn filmed in high definition for a smoother, more fluid visual experience and more realistic motion.
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Sit back and be prepared to have your mind and your cock blown, as you put on your VR porn headset and jump dick first into the virtual world of hot sex and fun. With the doll of your dreams and let her take you on an adventure across the internet to end up in her lair with her legs spread, her mouth open, and her pussy dripping. You'll swear you're in the room with her as the 360 degrees 3D video ultra high definition invites and temps you to reach out and feel her perky nipples, to caress her soft face, or to finger her tight wet hole. Let your doll be your guide as she teaches you to enjoy a hot blowjob or a sensual fuck like you've never experienced it before.
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You may not be able to tell, but summer's on its way out. Take advantage of the last few weeks of August and get yourself to a shore. Swim, sunbathe (don't forget to reapply the sunscreen!), and have a clambake. We've rounded up six of our clambake essentials -- we'll leave the fire-building and seaweed-procuring up to you.
Beach chairs are fine and all, but we'll never pass up a striped beach towel.
Lobster crackers seem boring when you think about using this handsome lobster mallet.
It's August and corn is aplenty. Include it in your clambake and then make corn-shaped cornbread using this pan.
You're going to need chowder bowls, we think double handled bowls are the way to go.
Stick to the the theme: use coral reef napkins to keep your hands clean.
Is there anything more appropriate for a clambake than lobster claw salt and pepper shakers? We don't think so.
See what other Food52 readers are saying.


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September 02nd, 2017
There is an incredible turn-around in the gospel text for this Sunday (Matthew 16:21-28). In last week's text, Jesus said to Peter, 'Blessed are you....' This week, in the text which follows immediately, he says to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan.'
To call someone blessed, and then to call someone 'Satan', now THAT is a significant change. It seems as if Jesus is employing 'hate speech', that he is attacking someone. I am pretty sure he made Peter feel quite badly.
I also think it was important that Jesus made sure that he was clearly understood. Part of his role as Son of Man ... Son of David ... Son of God is to be a judge. A judge has the job of being a judge, making judgments. Sometimes another vocation carries that responsibility of judge as well.
The writer of this account brings out that some religious leaders were saying that Jesus was basically Satan because he was able to cast out demons. Jesus makes a good point when he says that, if Satan casts out Satan, his kingdom will not last for long. And he adds, 'And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul (i.e., Satan), by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges (Matt 12:27).'
Jesus lets other people be judges as well. He helps others to understand the situation more clearly. He helps others to understand why he is there, in the midst of all this trouble and turmoil.
I would like to make the point that Jesus does not say to Satan, 'Go away.' He said that to him at the beginning of the account (Matt 4:10). In the Gospel according to Luke, the clarifying point is made, that Satan leaves 'until an opportune time' (Luke 4:13b). In the Gospel according to Matthew, when Jesus is getting closer to the cross, he says to Satan, 'Get behind me.' Although the name Satan does not show up any more in this account, he will be present in many of the coming events.
Jesus is, quite clearly, the leader. Satan has to get behind; and he does not like that position at all. We, on the other hand, do not mind it.
Jesus, you see, is headed in a wonderful direction. It is for our benefit.
Leave a Reply.
November 2019


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How to control pantry moths
Maybe you go into the pantry to grab some flour and you notice some strange webbing on the surface of the flour or maybe even a grub? Only then do remember seeing those small moths flying around the house. You've got pantry moths! Losing the occasional packet of flour or cereal can be annoying, but if you don't get on top of the problem, you could be facing an ongoing battle. However, with good preventative measures and an appropriate pantry moth treatment, you can get rid of pantry moths.
Pantry Moth Identification
What do pantry moths look like?
Pantry moth eggs are small, round white eggs, about 0.5mm in diameter. Up to 400 eggs will be laid on the surface of a suitable food.
The larvae or caterpillars are cream coloured with a dark head. They can grow up to 2cm long. They often leave their feeding site and climb to a higher location to pupate.
The pupae are cream covered wrapped in webbing. They can often be seen higher up in cupboards or on the ceiling cornices of rooms.
The adults are just over 1cm long and a light grey colour with the tip half of their wings a bronze colour.
Signs of an infestation
Webbing may be seen on the surface of foods or food packaging. This hides the feeding larvae underneath.
"Tracks" may be seen in containers where the larvae have been feeding.
Adult moths can be observed flying at dusk or at night around the house, especially the kitchen area.
Main pest season
Pantry moths will be active during the warmer months.
Pantry Moth Facts
Pantry moths are found throughout Australia.
Pantry moth larvae will eat a wide range of vegetable foods, with a preference for dried cereal products such as rice, pasta, biscuits, breakfast cereals and bread, but will also eat dried fruit, spices, cocoa and nuts.
Smaller larvae are able to crawl around the grooves of a closed screw lid (if not screwed on tightly).
The larger larvae are able to bite through plastic packets.
Pantry Moth Prevention Tips
Ensure all food stuffs are stored in tightly sealed, plastic / metal / glass containers (not plastic bags).
Clean up any spills in the pantry.
Carry out regular pantry clean ups (suggest once a month) to clean up any spills, check containers for signs of pests and throw out any old food.
Pantry Moth Control Tips
Carrying out the prevention measures are the key actions to control pantry moths.
Any moths flying around the house can be sprayed with a flying insect aerosol.
The inside edges and corners of food storage areas can be sprayed with a suitable insecticide as long as there is no direct contact with food.
PestXpert Pantry Moth Products
Pro-Spray Flying aerosol is great to have on hand to spray any moths seen flying around the house.
Pro-Spray Indoor and Outdoor can be used to treat the inside of food storage areas. Make sure all food containers are removed before spraying and that the treatment is dry before re-stocking. Ensure there is no direct contact between the treated surfaces and food.


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I am still in the middle of replying emails, if you still yet to receive my reply, I am very sorry for keep you waiting and I'll try my best to reply all by tonight :)
Most of the emails are asking where to purchase my dolls, and my online shop are empty at the moment >__<
very very sorry..... I will send a batch of dolls to Pipit zakka shop : http://www.facebook.com/thepipit?sk=info by next week, the address are:
18, Jalan SS2/55,47300,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Malaysia
* double storey house opposite POH KONG
Business Hour:
Wed- Fri ~12pm-8pm
Sat & Sun ~ 12pm-6pm
Mon, Tue & Public Holiday ~ Closed
Or, visit " The 12" concept store at the New Fahrenheit 88 KL This 7 April , there will be dolls for sell too :)
And, I will be attend a craft market "Pipit Wonderful Market 6" on 7 May 2011
Location at the Annexe gallery Central Market KL
It is near, I know, I still have around 30 days to get prepare, and I will be bringing all my dolls to the event, please come and pick one of your own ^__^ you can see and touch them on the spot :) Also, there will be many many many talented local craftists artists and designers gather together, exhibitions, ( dollhouse exhibition!) you should come and have a look :)
Here's are the poster of the event
follow them to get updates here : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10671857058
That's all for now, get back to emails ! ^o^


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Stocks followed commodities sharply lower throughout Tuesday's session as oil slid and investors reacted to disappointing sales results from Alcoa.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 117.53 points, or 0.95 percent, to close at 12,263.58.
Alcoa, Chevron and ExxonMobil led the Dow lower all day, while Wal-Mart and Proctor & Gamble gained.
The S&P 500 dropped 10.30 points, or 0.78 percent, to close at 1,314.16, while the Nasdaq Nasdaq Composite, 26.72 points, or 0.96 percent, to close at 2,744.79.
The CBOE Volatility Index, widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, rose above 17.
Most key S&P 500 sectors declined, led by energy and materials.
Oil prices tumbled after Goldman said the oil market will experience a "substantial pullback" to $105 a barrel for London Brent crude, which had traded above $126 a barrel last week. London Brent crude fell more than 2 percent, to just below $121 a barrel, while U.S. light crude fell more than 3 percent, to just above $106 a barrel.
"We continue to believe that—even with the loss of Libyan production—the oil market has adequate inventory and OPEC spare production capacity to avoid the degree of physical tightness experienced in 2008 well into next year," Goldman said in a note to clients.
Goldman's decision to also book profits on metals, including gold, silver, copper and platinum, sent prices of these commodities falling as well. Gold closed nearly 1 percent lower at $1,452.90 an ounce. The dollar, meanwhile, continued to slump against a basket of currencies.
"I think we're peaking out on commodity prices," says Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, who said tightening policies in emerging markets like China are succeeding in slowing growth. "You'll see U.S. and global growth slow a bit, which takes the upward trend out of commodities markets."
Oil drillers, suppliers and producers pushed energy stocks lower, led by Nabors Industries, Anadarko Petroleum and Chesapeake Energy .
Airlines, on the other hand, including Delta , United Continental and JetBlue were buoyed by falling oil prices. The sector has suffered for most of this year as operators struggled to offset higher jet-fuel costs by raising fares and cutting capacities. (Read More: Buy & Sell These Airlines Amid Rising Oil)


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Hatfield Subaru Serves the Hilliard, Columbus, Dublin and Springfield, Ohio Areas
We are located in Columbus, Ohio, but we are also proud to serve our friends in Hilliard, Dublin and Springfield. Not only do we have one of the largest selections of new Subaru vehicles but, we also pride ourselves on our thoughtful and enthusiastic customer service, and friendly sales associates.
Whether you're looking for a new Subaru Outback for the family, or you want to live life on the edge with a Subaru Impreza, we've got the trim and package that suits your needs, budget and lifestyle. If you're looking for a pre-owned Subaru, we've got a great selection of used cars from all different makes and models to choose from.


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Coming up on February 7th we will be holding our 2012 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Waldau Park by the Fernsehturm (easily accessible by U-Bahn and with parking on the premises).
At this meeting we will review 2011, look forward to 2012, and elect a new Steering Committee to lead the club until this time next year. This meeting is for members only.
It is very important that as many members attend this meeting as possible, because there is a minimum attendance requirement that we must fulfill to validate the elections results (one-quarter of our current membership must attend).
All members are invited to join us for dinner before the meeting in lieu of our regular Monthly Evening Get Together. The Waldau catering service will have a reasonably-priced a la Carte menu of mostly Swabian dishes to order from and those who were in attendance last year know that their food is quite delicious. Both meat and vegetarian dishes will be available and priced from €10-15
You do not need to come to the dinner in order to attend the AGM, but we hope as many members as possible can join us.
The proposed schedule for the evening will be as follows:
18:30 – 19:00
Doors open
Members can start arriving and order drinks
19:00 – 20:30
Dinner orders will be taken and served
The AGM part of the evening will start promptly at 20:30 and should last no more than one hour. Complementary bottled water will be available to drink during the meeting.
If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact us using the form below.
The International Women's Club of Stuttgart , e.V. Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, February 7th, doors opening at 18:30
Location: SSB-Veranstaltungszentrum Waldaupark,
Friedrich-Strobel-Weg 4-6, 70597 Stuttgart
U-Bahn: Waldau (click here for directions)
RSVP no later than Friday the 3rd of February using the form below
Please let Emily know if you will be coming to the dinner, AGM, or both.


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ZIPPY & YABBA Presents:
The Book
Juke Box
Contact, etc.
Saying 'good-byes' was not one of Harold's stronger character points. (Nor, for that matter, was his singing in the middle of the night.)
"You almost forgot your CheeZits and chunkified peanut butter paste, Harry!"
"Manna'o mahmo, momma," Harold flustered as he quickly snatched the box of orange-colored crackers and peanut butter extract out of the daisy-print wallpaper pantry. He continued to survey the inside of the cupboard, "What'm I gonna do without'cha?"
"Probably learn how to use proper English!"
Harold meekly smiled in approval, "Yeah, mahmo…I knows whatta mean, me thinks…OURP!"
"You are such a tutti-fruitti, Harry!" she bantered in return, then looked up the staircase, "I better go get your father out of bed. With you packing things up and leaving…well, it caused him to pick up some of his old habits, again."
"Really? Damn…" Harold regretfully rued as he thought about his father's recent condition. He began to zone out, reminiscent of the event where he thought he was one of those superhero cartoon characters that he admired when he had nothing else better to daydream about, while sitting constipated over 'ground zero' in 'Toiletville', using his X-ray vision to peer through the ceramic-tiled wall at his father lying prostrate on the mattress, while listening to some alternative 40's and 50's music. (i.e. - That alt-40's and 50's music being the greatest glibs of Spike Jones, of course.) That music (?) had some sort of subconscious reversal on his father's psychological disorder of inebriated post-surgical depression, though.
"He'll get over it. Don't worry, Harry. The first time he gets back into the operating room after you've departed and successfully implants some new neuron tissue into the synaptic lobes in one of those experimental spider monkeys without the occasional slip, he will soon be back to normal, again."
"Down to a third of a fifth, maybe?"
"I'm not sure if he can cut it that far, Harry. Before you know it, though; he'll start replacing damaged cranium components into human subjects."
Harold was pretty impressed with his mother's knowledge of her husband's line of work, since she only graduated from the eleventh grade as a homemaker, gardener, cook and ironer. (She also moonlighted as a substitute teacher in quantum physics at the local community college.) "As soon as he breaks the shakes, I'll send a note back to the high school reminding them that Dad can start looking after all of those serious head injuries and acute concussions on the sporting practice squads that always seem to appear at the beginning of the school year."
Harold's mother started wagging her finger in the air, "That darned Coach Bleech is such a fusspucket! He'd keep all those young boys and girls out of the hospital if he would let them wear their protective head gear during full-tackle drills! At least while they're playing those stupid exhibition games. Stymie…"
Harold began scratching his scalp, "I wonder how I got so lucky?"
Frida presented a grateful little grin, then wryly quipped, "I guess you were just born as a hardheaded baby, son!"
Harold rapped his knuckles on his head a couple of volleys. Then he tried it again, only this time with his mouth open a little wider to try and attain the best echo from his orifice. This Cro-Magnon mating ritual lasted another twenty seconds, until his mother looked at the countertop clock.
"Jeepers! It's almost 4:30 in the morning, Harry! Aren't you supposed to leave about now? You better get moving, corn nut!" she barked in a playful manner, then cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed up the stairwell, "FRED! FRED! ARE YOU DEAD?!? HARRY'S ABOUT READY TO LEAVE NOW! TAKE YOUR MORNING DRIZZLE and LET IT FLY, HONEY!"
"DAMN IT to HELL…(hiccup)…shaken, not stirred," Harold's father dreamily mumbled as he threw the knotted-up sheets off of his naked body, then slowly stumbled and pined his way out of bed, "fubdubbin' kids just don't respect a man and his headbangin' in the middle of the freakin' night!"
"You better go over your checklist, Harry. I'll see what's keeping him."
"Thank you, mom," Harold mentioned as he began to look over his substance screed. Continuing, he mumbled forth, "Hmmmmmm…pink and green polka-dot suitcase filled with enough clothes for four-and-a-half days, toiletry bag containing all the essentials for a healthier, happier body…my favorite red couch pillow and the laundry bag full of my sweaty gym clothes and jock-locks. "Peee-yuuu-WEE!...I better wash them stinkbug catchers as soon as I get to school!" Harold occupied his time further by communicating with himself, "At least no panhandling maunderer will snatch'em while I'm out on the road or stopping to drain my skin flute at some road-side rest stop urinal. Dyoing-wingle-bingle-zippity-drippity-dwip-dwip-dwip-tinkle-linkle-tink-tink-tink…tee-hee!" He proceded to look at his reflection in the toaster, "I like making funny noises in the kitchen and standing here at almost 4:30 in the morning masterbating my mind with some witless wonder…galoob-galoob-galoob-galoob-gayunch-quibity-fibity-d'PHOOOOOSH! Ahhhhh…better not forget the roll of double-sheeted (although, it phonetically sounded like something else) toilet paper for those 'tummy-packin' road apples'!" He looked up at the one water-stained ceiling tile, "Ga Ga Poon? If you're up there watching me…I made sure that I didn't forget some of that paper that you left behind. I'll make sure that I put it to good use! You know, in case I don't have any cash left, I'll put your jar of emergency dill pickles in the glove compartment with my other E-mergency stuff. Let's see…in case it gets cold, I've got my lumberjack shirt that Aunt Minnie made for me for my high school graduation, my BS (Battle Creek Snowstorms) letter jacket, and a safeguard pair of 'Fruit of the Gloom' underwear that I will stash under the passenger side car seat. Hmmmmph! What else? Oh, CRACKER YAKS! I almost forgot my lucky 8-ball and pool stick!" (i.e. - a shiny wooden rod that Harold manufactured in his seventh grade shop class; studded with his baby teeth that his mother had collected from the so-called "Toof Fairy" and stored them in a washed-out Gerber's Baby Food jar as he was growing up. Instead of receiving money, Harold had decided to dowel them into his lucky pool stick for 'The Pool Fairy' to help him with those sticky finales at the Rack-It Club playoffs. It seemed to work, too. The only maintenance Harry had to provide was a nice wood polish and a good fluoride brushing.) Continuing to look over the inventory, Harold kept bantering about his checklist, "Trunk garbage…check! Uncle Froogle's Recycled Motor Oil (a combination of drained sludge from small-engine mechanisms; such as weed eaters, lawn mowers, chain saws, dishwashers, washing machines, go-karts, electric table saws, drills, blowers, ceiling fans and blenders plus biodegradable cow guano and stockyard ear wax)…check! Three cases of this oil should fathom…at least 'til I get through Indiana! JIMINY RICKETS…I almost forgot my soldering gun and wire, just in case I have to do some quickie engine repairs…"
A somewhat bony man splotched with a few sun-baked freckles and skin spots stumbled down the stairs, humming something along with the Nervous Norvus tune, "…tooling' down the highway doin' seventy-nine, I'm a twin-pipe papa and I'm feelin' fine…hey man, dig that…was that a red stop sign?" followed by the sound effects of a horrendous automobile accident in progress, then a short pause, "Slip the blood to me, Bud!"
"Hey, dad? DAD?!? Down here…sounds like Doctor Demento's on the radio, again."
"Hah? What? Who? Awwww…that's not Dr. Deranged, son…it's a 45 spinnin' on the phonograph!" he grumbled correctly as he finally reached the kitchen floor. He rubbed some of the crusted sleep out of his eyes, then looked at the black and white checkered 1963 radio clock sitting by the oven, "Harry?!?"
"What's up, daddy-o?"
"Did you remember to pack your mucky-catchers?"
"Sure did! I even packed an emergency pair under the passenger seat. Hey, pops? Why's the record on at 4:30 in the morning? Doesn't mom get a hissy about that?"
"It's funny…and it makes me toot when I have to pee!"
"Got it…"
"She's up, anyhow! Did you get all your body-toities?"
"Hey, mom. Sure did! I think I got everything…toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, talcum powder, oleo…etcetera…check!"
His mom snickered, "It's called aloe, Harry."
"Doesn't it work about the same?"
"Maybe if you were a biscuit!"
Harold deadpanned, "Or maybe even a big cream-cheese kolachi!"
"Well, then…," she paused, then took a gulp of fresh apple cider that was resting on the countertop, "I guess you're ready to go, then."
Harold peered down at his fathers' swollen feet, then quietly mentioned, "Oleo might help with your condition, Pop."
"At least it would help getting my shoes on!"
Harold laughed softly, "Yes, sir…I guess it would."
Fred lifted his eyebrow, then motioned his finger toward Harold, "You know, you might want to swing by your Uncle Froogle's house before you leave town, Harry."
"At this time in the morning?!?"
"Hell…for Uncle Froogle, this is late!"
"Gee-willikers! How did Aunt Penny do it after all these years?"
"Two of a kind! Went to bed at sundown and got up before the roosters, just to make him some vittles…starting at 3:30 in the morning. I guess I should've brought them out with me more often on our dates, so I could try to liquor'em up a bit more! Oh, well…after his accident…well, he had trouble functioning normally anyway."
"Don't you remember, Harry?" his mother interrupted.
Harold strayed from the insignificant question at hand and looked down at his list resting in his hands, "SHIT! Sorry, I mean…DARN!"
Fred poked his nose over his sons' shoulder, "You actually gonna bring some shit, too? You gonna start some kind of tomato garden at your dorm? Or, are you really into something completely foreign to our family morals?"
Harold rolled his eyes, while Frida shook her head.
"Are you forgetting something that's really important? Eh? You know, maybe Froogle had it coming during one of his episodes of mental lapses…but, you son?"
"Aw, DAD! No…I almost forgot my 'Whiz-O Ice Freeze' glass from last night's dinner! That reminds me…," Harold searched around the corners of the kitchen, "BEER!!!"
"More of that sarsaparilla, buddy? I have seen some of those special cases at the 'Nut Club' where some of those young patients were addicted to that cheap imitation soda pop," his father seriously stated, then whimsically continued, "I think they mutated! Even Froogle kinda changed shape, I think."
"It's called Happy Time Root Beer, daddy-oh! Ya know, the stuff that lumberjacks drink!"
"Like in the commercials!" Harold referenced, then sang a couple of bars to the ad tune, "SWING'em hard, cuts real deep…chop 'til you shop, you'll find the keep. Don't be a girly, or squirm in fear…'cuz 'JACKS are surly, without their Happy Time Root Beer!"
Harold's mom started to snicker, while his dad began to scratch his balls.
"Never mind!" Harold fidgeted, "It wasn't the root beer at the lake. It was that generic beer that Uncle Froogle use to bring with him on the camp outs. Now that stuff was potent! Citronella couldn't hold a battalion of mosquitos like one of Froogle's farts after he drank that crap!"
"Yeah, son…I guess that stuff was pretty im'potent to your dear old uncle."
Making their way towards the garage via the pantry, Harold suddenly paused in mid-stride, "Well…" Harold hesitated, then looked back up at his father, "I guess it's time to go now. I'd like to keep on chatting about the golden years at 4:30a.m.; but class registration won't wait! I'll be sure to write Uncle Froogle and Aunt Penny a letter when I get settled at the new school."
"They'll appreciate that."
Harold's mother suddenly ran back into the kitchen, "HARRY! Don't forget your picnic basket full of your favorite plain yogurt. Just in case you can't find some roadside truck stop to munch at…"
"Mahno-mamma de'muckado-doo! Where am I gonna put it? Hmmmm? Oh, I know…I'll just take out the spare tire and put the picnic basket in its place. If I happen to get a flat, then I can offer some of the stuff to a good Samaritan motorist that's looking for some good will to hand out, or I can whip out Uncle Froogle's 'Blow-Out Buster'!"
Standing around the heap of fribble, the interrelated trio anxiously fidgeted for a few moments while waiting for one of them to respond with some sort of departing reply or gesture. After standing around silent for another nineteen seconds, Harold's father soulfully looked at his offspring and mentioned, "Son…just make sure that you get the best out of that athletic (hiccup) scholarship for that school you will be attending for the next six or seven years."
"C'mon, Pop…I know I can finish in four years."
Fred poked a glance at the garage ceiling, "Well, call me Walter Cronkite! If that comes to fruition, then some headlines will dress the Saturday Evening Post!"
"He's playing with ya, Harry."
"Yeah…I know, mom. Well…maybe in six years, then."
"Now you're flirtin' with reality!" Harold's dad panned, then toned down, "Since I can't help to support you in school too much…ugh…because of my…you know…ummm, my…"
"I'll get plenty of athletic supporters, dad," Harry surmised, then put his hand on his fathers' shoulder, "because a lot of the cronies at the Rack-It Club are behind me. Everything will be fine! It's not like I have to worry about accidentally chopping through some fool's cranial membrane cavity at the operating table, even though the relatives involved knew that it was unnecessary so that they could conjure up a class action suit to acquire a cash settlement, which inadvertently compromised our own family income for four years due to an unjustifiable malpractice and incompetence lawsuit. Look, dad…you're pretty special for carrying all that weight on your pectorals. I sure hope that I never have to be in some fictionalized compromising position like that."
"Did I mention that my brother's going to be fishing for some red herring this weekend?"
"No…but, I'll ask Uncle Froogle for some samples to send to me at the dorm!"
Harold's mom, Frida (maiden name: Beever), quickly intervened into the conversation, "You know how Uncle Red use to always preach to us when we were about to take a long trip out to Lake Powahahopo. He always blurted: 'Take the road less traveled'! Why? Because 'the road to HELL is straight and wide', while the road to…"
"T.I.T.T.I.E.S.!" Harold exclaimed, while pointing in the direction of his foreboding school.
"…HEAVEN…is narrow and crooked."
The father produced a whimsical grin, "Heh-heh-heh…sounds like Ga Ga Poon's breasts, Frida!"
The middle-aged man began to converse in a less saturated manner, "The road less traveled, eh? Maybe brother Red should've practiced what he preached! I mean…wowzies…look at what a sex machine he became. Thirteen kids in thirteen years! Minnie should get her whole damn uterus tied into a knot!"
Harold's mom put her hand to her chin and thoughtfully parleyed, "Or…as she told me on the phone the other night…'I've got to remember to put a stop sign on the EXIT DOOR, also'! Oh, lordie me!"
Fred shut one eye, then began to pirate, "Tie the wench over a barrel and git out me jar ah' WHALE BLUBBER…"
"Aye-aye, Captain…as soon as we port for…whatever," Harold played along, then turned his attention to the matter at hand, "I'd rather not get too involved about 'La Familia DiFornicatto' at the moment. I really better get movin'…it's a pretty long drive."
His father grinned, then acted like he just zipped his mouth shut, while Frida casually mentioned, "I'm sorry, Harry, for holding you up. We'll be sure to write to you about all of it in our letters!"
Harold nodded and smirked in approval, then started waving his hand, "Well…Dad…take good care of your liver. You ought to know that bile should last awhile…'cause if it doesn't, then you won't have very far to go. Right?!?"
Harold's father reached over and gave his son a hug and a slight peck on the cheek, "You crazy kid! Goo' bye, Harry. Try to make some straight A's…or, at least some crooked B's!"
"Son…we love you," his mother confirmed, spearing her hand forth for a departing handshake, "take real good care of yourself, or someone else like you…Luke 6:31. Remember to give the game ball to somebody you really think very highly of and don't forget to always stand with your right leg supporting you when facing a strong north wind."
"That's nice, mom. Thank you."
"Keep in touch. Harry," his mother requested as she peered at her visibly remorseful husband, "your father has a good heart. Even if he carries a little bit of camouflaged baggage, I know he's going to miss watching some of those old Rifleman reruns with you before breakfast time."
"Okay…I know…" Harold affirmed as his visual sockets began to soil. He hesitatingly threw the rest of his belongings into the back seat of the car, jumped into the old derelictobile and forthrightly left the scene of his rearing. The family dog, a purebred mix of Afghan-Beagle-Dalmatian-Dachshund-Rottweiler-Shih'Tzu descent named 'Dingleberry', wriggled under the back yard fence hole and chased after the departing vehicle valiantly, until it started choking and wheezing, then abruptly fainted from the asphyxiating exhaust fumes that belched from Uncle Froogle's aluminum-foiled headers epoxy-layered with recycled gaskets created from an assortment of gauze wrapping, scraped fish scales and latex paint scum…
An hour had almost passed since Harold left his beloved home town of-
***PREREQUISITE QUESTION for FORTHCOMING POP QUIZ:
d Credits: The Smithereens, "House We Used to Live In" (P. diNizio)>
Song: Ch.5-1
End: Chap. 5


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SoilVision has been acquired by Bentley Systems, Incorporated, a leading global provider of comprehensive software solutions. The acquisitions, of SoilVision, Plaxis and gINT, serve to make Bentley a complete source for geotechnical professionals "going digital."
As a member of the Bentley team, we had the opportunity to be a part of the Bentley YII (Year in Infrastructure) held in London, England. We attended industry forums, heard from thought leaders, and started the conversations on how we can accelerate our digital advancement. We also presented at the GeoTechnical round table as well as, met with many Bentley colleagues from around the world.
It was an exceptional opportunity to hear from thought leaders and leading executives in the world of infrastructure to learn how we can improve project delivery, light up your data, build better-performing assets, and impact real business outcomes.
We discovered inspiring new technology and BIM advancements in design, engineering, construction, and operations which can help advance digital business goals.
In this new environment, SoilVision technology will continue to be developed and supported by the SoilVision team. SoilVision' expert support service remains in place. You may continue to contact SoilVision directly for technical support and sales inquiries.
In addition, we will have access to leverage Bentley's extensive software application catalogue and development team. Over time, SoilVision technology will integrate with Bentley's structural and platform applications for unprecedented geo-structural engineering performance.
By becoming part of a larger company, the SoilVision team has joined a larger team of colleagues. The benefit to you as our customer is, that the SoilVision team is still in place yet now enforced with many more colleagues ready to support you.
To learn more about Bentley: www.bentley.com
To learn more about YII: yii.bentley.com


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music videos
white's mercantile
music videos
white's mercantile
Holly Williams | The Highway
HOLLY WILLIAMS is a singer / songwriter who lives with her artist / musician husband Chris Coleman and their 2 daughters and son in Nashville, Tennessee. She has released three critically-acclaimed albums, and also owns two of Nashville's best retail spots: H. Audrey and White's Mercantile. Both stores show off her "exquisite taste", as described by gal-pal and shopper Gwyneth Paltrow. One, H.Audrey, is arguably Nashville's most beloved women's clothing boutique, and the other, White's Mercantile, is a completely curated shop stocked with Holly's favorite items that she's found while spending much of her life on the highway playing music to adoring fans. She describes White's as a "general store for the modern-day tastemaker". She may be from a famous family–country legend Hank Williams Jr. is her father–but don't expect rhinestones and cowboy hats. Holly's style embodies a modern-day chic simplicity fitted for shoppers around the globe.
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post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-21818,single-format-video,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,select-child-theme-ver-1.0.0,select-theme-ver-4.6,popup-menu-text-from-top,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-6.0.5,vc_responsive
The Highway


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Cancer Information Management, Associate in Applied Science Degree
Program Description for Cancer Information Management
Scott Community College offers both an Associate in Applied Science Degree and Diploma/Certificate programs in Cancer Information Management. These programs meet the state of Iowa AAS and Certificate degree requirements and the National Cancer Registrar's Association (NCRA) formal education requirements. All courses are offered in the online format only.
Cancer Information Management prepares you for a career working in hospital-based cancer registries or population-based, central registries. Cancer registration is the basic method by which information about the incidence, type, extent of disease at time of diagnosis, treatment methods used and survival of patients with cancer is systematically collected.
Cancer registrars play an important role in the fight against cancer. Cancer registry professionals are required to collect, analyze, and disseminate cancer data. Specific duties include:
- Identifying reportable cancers.
- Abstracting patient cancer data from patient records, pathology, radiology and other
- Coding and staging primary site, histology and extent of disease.
- Monitoring timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of cancer data.
- Performing cancer patient follow-up activities to identify second primaries, recurrences,
and spread of disease.
- Reporting cancer data to health care officials, hospital administrators, physician
regulatory agencies for use in cancer prevention and control.
- Assisting medical staff and epidemiologists in special studies and research.
- Supervising staff.
- Assuring patient privacy and data integrity and security.
Major areas of study in this program are medical terminology, anatomy/physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, computer principles & data presentation methods, statistics and epidemiology, registry organization & operations, data abstracting principles, oncology coding & staging fundamentals, legal & ethical issues, and quality management principles.
Award Options for Cancer Information Management
- Associate in Applied Science - Cancer Information Management
- Diploma - Cancer Information Management
- Certificate - Cancer Information Management
Job Outlook for Cancer Information Management
Employment of medical records and health information technicians is expected to increase by 21 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations through 2020.
For details, please visit this link http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
|Job Title
|Mean Hourly Wage
|Mean Annual Salary
|No. of Respondents
|Cancer Registrar/Abstractor
|Registry Manager/Director
|Total Number of Respondents
Locations: Scott Community College
This page links to PDF files. Use this link to download Adobe Reader if needed.


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Jenny Mastin
Jenny Mastin
Jenluma Clayworks Studio
101 B North Sterling St.
Morganton, NC 28655
Phone: 828-525-0350
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.jenluma.com
My Fine Art and Craft studies began in the fiber arts over 40 years ago, but transitioned over those years to clay… to ceramic sculpture in particular. Clay anchors me to the earth but sends me other places. It informs my sense of place in the world. It fires my imagination in a way no other material can. Clay comforts and inspires me. It connects me to my collective ancestors, bonds me to my clay contemporaries, and constantly challenges my understanding of its potential possibilities for future aspirations.
The inspiration for my sculpture stems from my longstanding curiosity and interest in anthropology, art, and nature. Some of my greatest influences have been the primal forms and stories of traditional cultures. Indigenous artists were masters of utilizing materials from their natural resources, as well as materials collected and manufactured by others outside their borders. Each form, whether a totem, mask, shield, body art, or figurine was created as a means of connecting human beings to each other and to the natural and spirit worlds. These works created a sacred communion or dialogue, making it possible to bridge boundaries.
I see my work as an exploration on how universal forms, ideas, and traditions evolved as integral components of rituals and influenced civilizations over time. That exploration continues to lead me toward a deeper understanding of how the daily experiences of traditional cultures, and ours, were/are interwoven with our natural environment and spiritual concepts.
My process is strictly intuitive. Stories develop as forms appear in the wet clay. The work will begin with a seed of an idea based on a cultural myth, folklore or legend, or on my observations of daily life to convey my own personal narrative. Each piece is a hand built, sculptural, low fired clay form. The surfaces may be impressed and/or incised with a compilation of natural and manufactured textures, patterns, and symbols to convey a story or idea. Color is incorporated predominately through the application of under glazes, oxide stains, and colored slips which may be finished with heat infused encaustic wax. Metal, hemp, raffia, and other materials may be added to elaborate and exaggerate the sculptural narrative.


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Annie Bolitho has a flair for bringing out the beauty in everyday things and particularly so in her exploration of ritual, grief and uncertainty. A topic like grief is seldom explored possibly because of the fear that we won't be able to handle what surfaces. Annie guided us through the depths with humility, grace, wisdom, and gentleness. It felt like she held the audience in a warm embrace.
The beautiful poem Annie and Lina share in the podcast is called 'On Losing a House' by Mary Oliver and is well worth a few reads. Annie would also like to share these articles with you - one is called 'How to make grief less awkward' and the other is called 'Grief in the Digital Age'.


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My best friend lives in Georgia and I'm in Ohio! I'm glad we have all the modern conveniences for keeping in touch because I'm terrible about sending cards etc! I had no idea Dove made fruit chocolates, I'll have to look for them, I love Dove!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LoveDoveFruits #CollectiveBias
My best friend and her family live 5 hours away in Ohio. We only get to see each other a few times a year, and it is no fun! We are both busy with life and don't keep in touch as much as we should. So how can I make the most of our time together? Why a friendship basket featuring DOVE® Fruit, of course!
My best is so much better at the long-distance friendship than I am. I think it is because she has the craft-talent gene and I don't. She can make all kinds of fancy cards, and is a whiz at scrapbooking.
But that is no excuse for me! She and her family are coming out at the end of this month, so I will have a special treat waiting just for her.
So here are a few ideas to help bridge the distance between you and your long-distance friend.
Nurturing A Long-Distance Friendship With DOVE® Fruit:
- Send a card! This is the easiest way to stay in touch! And if you are really talented like my best friend, you can make your own cards!
- Create a care basket to send. Fill it with your friend's favorite things, and send it off in the mail. Or, if you are lucky like me, present it in person. My bestie and her family are coming to visit at the end of the month, so I will be able to give it to her in person! Yeah! I have it filled with a few things I know she will love, and put it in a fun container!
- Use DOVE® Fruit cranberries to create a sweet-treat to share. I used a simple banana muffin recipe and added the DOVE® Fruit cranberry to it to make a yummy breakfast treat to share when they are out.
I was able to get everything I needed for my friendship cranberry muffins during a recent shopping trip to Walmart. The DOVE® Fruit comes in 3 flavors and I found them in a display right at the end of the aisle. Love the convenience!
To make the muffins, I simply took a boxed banana muffin mix, and made as directed. If you have your own muffin recipe, then you can use that as well! I dropped several of the DOVE® Fruit cranberries into the batter right before I popped them in the oven. I didn't even put them in muffin tins because I didn't want the standard muffin shape.
I let them bake as directed, and then as soon as I pulled them out of the oven, I stuck another DOVE® Fruit cranberry on top! The chocolate melted a bit, and the taste combination is amazing!
I can't wait to sit with my bestie and have a cup of coffee, enjoy the muffins, and do lots of catching up!
Did you like that recipe? Be sure to see more great DOVE® Fruit recipe ideas on the DOVE® Fruit Social Hub. And, because we all like to save, click here to download a coupon to save on your DOVE® purchase.
Being far away from a best friend is never easy. I hope these ideas will inspire you to reach out and keep in touch with a long-distance friend.
How will you enjoy the great tastes of DOVE® Fruit? Leave a comment and tell me who you would create a friendship basket for.
Tags : DOVE® Fruit, sponsored content, Walmart


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Politics & Government
Today at the SC State House: Personhood and abortion
A bill that would give the unborn the full legal protections of a person will be up for debate at the S.C. Senate today.
S.217, the "Personhood Act," will extend the right to life beginning at fertilization, and establish that the "right to due process and equal protection... vests at fertilization for each born and preborn human being."
The bill, before a judiciary subcommittee this morning, would effectively nullify the right of a woman to have an abortion, and, if passed, would almost certainly be challenged in federal court.
Elsewhere at the State House:
▪ 8 a.m. Legislative Group (Rep. Alan Clemmons), Blatt Room 110
▪ 8:30 a.m. Leadership Pickens, Blatt Room 305
▪ 9 a.m. Joint Bond Review Committee, Gressette Room 105
▪ 9 a.m. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on S.217, Gressette Room 209
▪ 9 a.m. Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Professions and Occupations Subcommittee, Gressette Room 407
▪ 9 a.m. Senate General Committee, Gressette Room 308
▪ 9 a.m. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on S.403, S.517, S.547 and H.3442, Gressette Room 207
▪ 9 a.m. House 3-M Subcommittee I, Health and Environmental Affairs on H.3819 and H.3822, Blatt Room 427
▪ 9 a.m. House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Subcommittee of the Legislative Oversight Committee, Blatt Room 511
▪ 9 a.m. House L.C.I. Insurance Subcommittee on S.9, S.254, S.315 and S.463, Blatt Room 403
▪ 9 a.m. South Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association, Blatt Room 321
▪ 10 a.m. Senate Education Committee, Gressette Room 207
▪ 11 a.m. Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, Gressette Room 308
▪ 11 a.m. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on S.100, S.101, S.533, H.3150 and H.3352, Gressette Room 207
▪ (Upon adjournment of the House) General Laws Subcommittee on S.115, S.116, S.325 and S.448, Blatt Room 516
▪ 2:30 p.m. (or 30 minutes after the House adjourns, whichever is later) House L.C.I. Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee on S.279, S.321 and S.366, Blatt Room 403
▪ 3 p.m. House Education and Public Works Committee, Blatt Room 433
Who's Schmoozing Who?
▪ 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. Legislative Breakfast: Absolute Total Care, Blatt Room 112
▪ 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Legislative Luncheon: South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association Legislative "Hospitality Day," State House Grounds
Bristow Marchant: 803-771-8405, @BristowatHome, @BuzzAtTheState


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Measuring just 4.5cm in length, these mighty, mini motorbikes whizz off at super scale speeds of up to 470mph. Relatively speaking, they're the fastest motorbikes in the world! Simply rev them up to unlock their awesome power potential. Don't be fooled by their size, these pocket powerhouses of speed can travel up to an impressive 60 metres – blink and you might miss them! That's not all. Wicked Micro Riderz can perform mind blowing stunts and tricks with ease; copter spin, head spin, hyper spin, high jump and many more. Build your own freestyle course of loops, jumps, flips and watch them fly. Race your friends! Available in six different colour ways; choose yours to suit your Wicked style!
If you're having trouble getting your Wicked Micro Riderz to work to their full potential, or can't get them to work at all, have a look at our handy video and we'll show you how to do it! Wicked Micro Riderz – How to Get Speed and Distance!
WKMRTBuy Now


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About Us
ALEX MANDELL - Founder of Alarm Pictures
Alex is a 10 year international film industry veteran who has worked across film distribution all around the world with extensive experience in both the US and UK.
First finding his feet at Momentum Pictures and then United International Pictures, Alex moved to Paramount Pictures and quickly moved up the ranks to become an Acquisitions and Production Executive.
After 7 years at Paramount Alex moved into US film distribution for Wrekin Hill Entertainment as Director of Production and Acquisitions, working closely with ex-Newmarket co-founder Chris Ball, producer of such cult classics as 'Donnie Darko' and 'Memento.'
Seeing that the US film distribution market had found new innovative ways to reach audiences outside of the traditional cinema and DVD release, Alex decided the time was right to bring these unique approaches to independent film distribution over to the UK.
Alex's passion is film and through Alarm Pictures, his aim is to share this passion by offering movie fans a chance to watch fresh and original independent film/content, through new distribution outlets in the digital space.
Alex's top movies? The Usual Suspects, The Third Man, Dr, Strangelove, City of God, Princess Bride, Crimes and Misdemeanors.


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Call us on: 01332 296200
You are here: MHA Home > Get Involved > Donate in Memory
You can do this in a variety of ways and all donations that we receive will help to eliminate isolation and loneliness for older people in the UK.
You might want to celebrate the life of a loved one through setting up a special Forever Remembered Tribute, hold a fundraising event in their memory or make a single or regular donation.
Or if you are organising a funeral or memorial service collection we can also provide envelopes to assist you with this.
For further information about ways to donate in memory please call our team on: 01332 221641
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Learn more about how we use cookies and how to change your cookie settings.


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The Many Hats of an Online Community Manager
Defining your role as an online community manager is difficult because you do so many different things. On one hand, you're advocating for the customer. On the other hand, your loyalty is to your brand. You answer to many different people and departments and perform a variety of tasks.
Fortunately, most of an online community manager's duties are enjoyable. They allow for creativity, and an outgoing nature can shine through. Other duties aren't so fun and exciting, but they're important nonetheless.
Make no mistake — despite the friendly nature of the job, community management is a huge responsibility. As the most public person in the company, you have to present an image befitting the brand. A major portion of the job is making sure that the customers and the community members are happy with the brand, the product, and the image.
You better like hats because you're going to be wearing a lot of them, and all of them have to fit. The job of community management is for you if you truly rock the people skills and handle negativity with humor and grace, but are strong enough to handle public criticism and not give in to adversity.
There's more to being a community manager than a little social networking. You need a thick skin, a pleasant personality, and the ability to organize and prioritize.


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I was beyond thrilled when I spied this strawberry skirt at my local thrift store. The only problem? The size tag read "13". I thought this meant that it was a child's skirt. However, I decided to buy it anyway, to possibly send to a tiny sized female friend.
Rachel gets done fixing all my terrible spelling, I'll let you guys see it :)