text:
They're here. All those great big, beautiful Oscar-winning movies are (mostly) out on DVD and available at WPL.
Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born and Green Book are the really hot ones. You might be lucky enough to snag a FastView copy, otherwise you'll have to take your place in the rather lengthy holds lists.
Here's one that didn't garner quite the same level of attention but which I'm eager to see: If Beale Street Could Talk (it won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Regina King). I read some great reviews and wanted to see this film at the theatre, but somehow never did. Just take a look at the trailer, don't you agree it looks beautiful?
Then I discovered it's based on a novel by American author James Baldwin, so now I'm immersed in the book as I await my turn for the movie. (BTW, I've found reading the book beforehand — if there is one — really enhances the movie-watching experience.)
I can't praise the book highly enough. Set in New York City, it's a tender love story between 19-year-old Tish and 22-year-old Fonny and so much more. Tish discovers she is pregnant, and the scene where Tish tells Fonny's family, now that's memorable. I just can't wait to see that in the movie! When Fonny is wrongfully accused of rape and thrown in jail, Tish and her family — Fonny's family isn't much use — work tirelessly to get him released from an openly racist system.
A lot of themes come into If Beale Street Could Talk. Race and racism and injustice, certainly, but also the universal themes such as hope vs. despair and staying strong and resilient in the face of adversity because, after all, what other choice is there?
N.B. It was a great thrill for me to discover the writer James Baldwin (1924-1987). Within the first half page of the book, less than that really, I knew he was the real deal, a REAL writer. His writing is spare and clean with nothing extraneous added, yet so genuine. I know I will be reading more of James Baldwin.
— Penny D.


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Loch Lomond, Argyll and the Isle of Bute
Since our daughter arrived almost four years ago and now joined by her 9 month old baby brother, we have continued to holiday throughout Scotland, from the far north to the Scottish Borders and western isles. Her first adventure was at just five weeks old for a weekend by Loch Tay, the following week we headed to Dunkeld and so it continues. For her 2nd birthday she had her first Scottish Island experience when we enjoyed a long weekend on the Isle of Arran.
As part of Visit Scotland's Year of Coasts and Waters 2020 #YCW2020, we were invited to take part in the West Coast Waters sponsored campaign. This is to help promote this wonderful part of the country and highlight some of the lesser visited regions and various family friendly activities.
Our trip was set around the Firth of Clyde via Loch Fyne to the iconic bonnie banks of Loch Lomond during the last weekend of September.
This family adventure started at the CalMac Ferry Port in Wemyss Bay, easily reached from Glasgow and less than a couple of hours drive from Edinburgh, from here we were travelling onto the Isle of Bute. When sailing on Scotland's waterways, I would recommend you explore the various options for Island Hopping as this gives you the opportunity to explore the west coast and it's many islands. Check out the many different variations of travel you could do with Calmac Ferries
It's always exciting to step onto a ferry for a holiday, but I think more so for our little people this experience is hyped up with being able to stand out on deck seeing the world flow by and taking in all the many birds and many other animals you are likely to spot on your travels on the water.
After a quick and comfortable crossing we stopped off at the Winter Garden in Rothesay, which is the biggest town on the island. While our youngest had lunch, my daughter and I had a play in the waterfront garden followed by a visit to the Discovery Visitor Centre and museum, which lies within the garden.
Next up we made our way to Mount Stuart House and Gardens, which is a short drive south of Rothesay and lies within a beautiful Estate along the coastline.
We enjoyed a wonderful lunch, which included a selection of their finest local produce from land and sea for both adults and children alike. You will find a playground for the little ones by their visitor centre to run off some energy and lovely grounds to further walk and explore. A visit to Mount Stuart House works perfectly as part of an onward journey along the west coast or as a day trip from the mainland.
After Mount Stuart we continued our journey north towards Rhubodach where we would sail back to the mainland. If you have time I'd recommend you head past the sandy Ettrick Bay Beach, which is on the western coast of the Isle of Bute, a short drive from Rothesay. It's a great beach for walks and running off some energy, you'll also find a little tearoom to sit and watch the world go by.
The drive from the south of the island to Rhubodach was pretty spectacular, taking in some of the amazing coastline around the Isle of Bute. The ferry sails every 30 minutes and takes all of three minutes to cross back to the mainland.
We made our way from Colintraive towards Portavadie and stopped off at Kyles View near Tighnabruaich. From here you look down a narrow sea channel that separates the northern end of the Isle of Bute from the Scottish mainland, well worth a stop!
After a short drive we then arrived at Portavadie Marina, which lies by Loch Fyne, where we would be spending the night in a luxurious two bed cottage with marina views, ample space with a good size twin room for the kids. It was well kitted out with games for all ages in the living room, good living space and nice kitchen dining area, ideal for families.
After a lovely breakfast and before we headed off to Ardkinglas Estate for our next adventure, we made the most of the new Spa and Leisure Facility. What a treat and this was something I had long been wanting to try out. Not only is there an outdoor heated infinity pool (for the adults), and an indoor pool, but they also had a perfect kids pool at only 0.35m deep. This meant our son and daughter could play there (supervised of course) and did not have to worry about it being too deep, but with ample space to play and swim around. The changing facilities are probably the best I've come across in a Leisure facility. So well thought through with several dedicated family changing rooms and play pens next to the free hair dryers.
There is also a gym and spa treatment rooms onsite, with a family friendly cafe next to the pool. Outside the leisure facilities, you'll also find a good sized playground.
From Portavadie you can continue your island hopping journey onwards to Tarbet and beyond with CalMac Ferries or as we did, drive north along Loch Fyne and the Argyll Forest Park.
We then made our way to Ardkinglas Woodland Garden, which is located by the banks of Loch Fyne. There you will find one of only a few Gruffalo trails in Scotland, this is an impressively done trail with wonderful story telling (requires own reading) along the route. Once you have searched (and found a Gruffalo) there is also a small fairy trail, which our daughter loved exploring. A wonderful way to spend a few hours as a family. A great place for kids to start learning more about the outdoors and explore the many different species of plants. We were all excited that we spotted a red squirrel upon entering the Estate, always a treat seeing them out and about Scotland!
There's no cafe on site, but you will find a small kiosk and the Tree Shop Cafe and Loch Fyne Restaurant is only a short drive away.
Next up we made our way along the scenic Ardkinglas Glen, before passing the Rest and Be Thankful viewpoint Video. We arrived at the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond where we hopped onto a Cruise Loch Lomond boat for an hours cruise around the loch. We had been on the cruise a few years ago, but it's something we always enjoy, especially sitting on the top deck and just taking in the breathtakingly beautiful views across the Loch. The downstairs is enclosed and perfect for kids, with large windows looking onto the loch. Our daughter also enjoyed the excitement of sitting on the open deck a couple of times seeing the captain sail the boat.
Our accommodation for the night was at Lodge on Loch Lomond, literally as the name says, with a private balcony overlooking the loch, another beauty of a view! A comfortable family room, with private sauna and also on site leisure facilities.
After we had settled into our room and before dinner, we ventured out to their private beach to skim stones and watch the ducks swim about, as the golden colours were reflecting on the loch. A great way for our little ones to finish another great day.
After a good night sleep and a delicious dinner the night before, we headed down for breakfast at the Lodge on Loch Lomond Restaurant and what a special view across the Loch with the sun rising in the horizon. We enjoyed a good selection from their buffet breakfast which set us up for the day.
When we finished breakfast we got ready and headed for the Sea Life Centre Loch Lomond only a short drive away in Balloch, which is at the southern tip of Loch Lomond. This was a wonderful experience, we had earlier in the year taken our kids to Tobermory Aquarium and also another one in Denmark, but this was by far the best and biggest overall experience. I caught up with James, one of the guides, and his passion for the place was shining through throughout the conversation as he was showing off the various displays.
I'd recommend you make an effort to see the otters getting fed, these fellas were so playful and just an absolute joy to watch. Also make sure you check out the top floor viewing platform and café the floor below, some of the best views over Loch Lomond.
Next up myself and my daughter got the opportunity to try out canoeing on the Loch with Loch Lomond Leisure. She had been canoeing before, but never for this length of time. This was such a fun experience for us both and with her at 3 years old was perfect as this is their minimum age requirement for this activity. My wife and I have been enjoying the occasional canoeing when away on holidays over the years and its such a wonderful way to explore our many lochs and waters from a different perspective and at slow pace.
We spotted loads of birds, paddled past the Majestic Maid of the Loch paddle steamer and even saw a seaplane land by Cameron House, which got us both really excited! Loch Lomond Leisure offers various water based activities including hiring rowing boats, pedal boats, speed boats, you should check them out for your next adventure on Loch Lomond.
After about an hour we called it a day as our daughter was keen to try out the well equipped playground adjacent to the Sea Life Centre, so went there for a while before we headed for lunch.
Lunch was at the iconic Boat House by Cameron House and sits on the banks of Loch Lomond only a short drive from Balloch or is an easy walk from Loch Lomond Shores.
As we arrived the restaurant had a bustling atmosphere with families and groups enjoying Sunday lunch. We were offered a table with lovely views overlooking the marina at one side and the loch at the other.
We ended up going for a full three course meal, which we had not expected, but it was difficult to say no to the delicious food on offer.
A big thanks to all the people who we met throughout our trip and for the various partners and organisations involved who helped make our weekend a special one. We'll be back!
'For further information on booking your trip to Loch Lomond, Trossachs and Clyde Sea Lochs visit http://www.lovelochlomond.com'
The West Coast Waters 2020 Campaign is a partnership initiative and has received funding from the Visit Scotland Growth Fund – more information at
Make sure you follow along on the hashtags on various social platforms:
#westcoastwaters #immerseyoursenses #YCW2020 @WCWScotland
Sponsored Campaign – Any opinions expressed in this blog and on my social media channels are my personal opinions.
Follow me along on Twitter and Instagram

subset: commoncrawl


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Yeah, that just happened. Romain Dumas climbed behind the wheel of Volkswagen's electric I.D. R and just beat the all-time Pikes Peak record from Sebastien Loeb by setting the first-ever time under eight minutes.
Loeb's record, a 8:13.878 set in 2013, seemed unbeatable—especially by an electric car. For a while, it's been internal combustion engines versus an electric powertrain with the latter just considered to be slower, no matter what. But Romain Dumas and Volkswagen have just teamed up to smash down all of those preconceptions and Loeb's record.
Romain Dumas took his Volkswagen I.D. R and set a time of 7:57.148. Yeah. They just did that.
That's 12 miles and 156 curves in under eight minutes. That is an unheard of accomplishment.
It's not like we didn't have a clue. During qualifying on Wednesday, Romain Dumas already showed that he was going to be putting up one hell of a fight to grab that record.
But race day brought with it clouds and fog. The poor weather seemed like it could throw a monkey wrench into this fight, since the Volkswagen was set up for dry conditions.
Turns out, none of that mattered. Loeb's record ate dust, Dumas a full 16 seconds ahead of him. It looks like we might be ushering a new era of electric racing real soon.


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You're going to love this hack! How to start a fire with a gum wrapper, and a flashlight battery. You can use this everywhere and can save you if you're an avid camper…… I think I'm going to try this one over the weekend….Will you?
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Stuart done a absolutely awesome job on my Mercedes Benz E Class bonnet. I had a few scratches a bit deeper than the standard swirls but he still managed to get them off with just a stage 1 polish. 100% showroom finish.
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From start to finish our experience with SAFGas was fantastic, they did everything they promised to do and in a really friendly and personal manner. Our particular job was in a difficult location and yet we were made to feel that nothing was too much trouble. Scott and Fran even stayed late on the first day to make sure we had hot water overnight! The job was done to a high standard and everything was left as tidy as they'd found it. I would highly recommend SAFGas to anyone.
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1 Devon Way, Birmingham B31 2TS, UK – 0845 076 5586
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Good salon, would recommend to our people living in the Northfield area.
Love this place great girls always perfect and realistic
99 Longbridge Ln, Birmingham B31 2UT, UK – 0121 475 0485
Great place, I always leave happy with my cut and colour.
A decent place to get a hair cut. Men's haircuts are abit to be desired though. Would recommend the guys go elsewhere.
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488A Lickey Rd, Cofton Hackett, Birmingham B45 8UU, UK – 0121 453 0519
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A confident,friendly exceptionally gifted stylist. 100 % confidence every visit.Transformations over the years with contented results.
977 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2QT, UK – 0121 477 6798
Came here today after couple of bad experiences at hairdresses. Was made welcome and comfortable and loving my new hair looks so much better. Deffo coming back here won't go no where else now just wanted to say a massive Thankyou 2 Maisie you did a Brill job on my hair xx
Very good vaule for money, nice cut no complaints at all
855 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2PA, UK – 0121 792 1527
1696 Bristol Rd S, Rednal, Birmingham B45 9TZ, UK – 0800 157 7035
Excellent business to deal with commercial and business insurance in Birmingham. Would recommend.
Excellent company ! Advise ANYONE to deal with these guys !
Park House/Bristol Rd South, Rednal, Birmingham B45 9AH, UK – 0121 456 1311
Yewtree Farm/Brookhouse Rd, Bromsgrove B60 1QP, UK – 0121 447 8588
New St, Rednal, Rubery, Birmingham B45 0EU, UK – 0121 464 7676
Clean with decent selection for a local library. However they're hardly ever open and not open at all on weekends.
77 Church Rd, Birmingham B31 2LB, UK – 0121 464 1007
Great staff. Always willing to help. Convenient to where I live.
Small local library which is child friendly, internet access available
7 Library Way, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9JS, UK – 01905 822722
A nice local library with computers but if you are coming in to work bring headphones as it can be noisy with people talking.
Great library
121 Mill Ln, Birmingham B31 2RP, UK – 07887 624595
33 Homemead Grove, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9RH, UK – 07749 506799
42A Barley Mow Ln, Catshill, Bromsgrove B61 0LU, UK – 01527 872416
1575 Bristol Rd S, Rednal, Birmingham B45 9UA, UK – 0121 574 4704
We are really pleased with our photographs. Verity is excellent. She made our family feel welcome, was very accommodating and did an excellent job with the photographs. She's great value for money as well. We've had professional photos done before but these really stand out. We would recommend her without reservation.
We would highly recommend Verity to anyone who is looking for an extremely professional and excellent photographer. We received a marvellous portfolio of shots after our family shoot.
17 Hartland Rd, Birmingham B31 4NJ, UK – 07516 815966
Good value and professional pictures. Very happy.
9 Green Ln, Catshill, Bromsgrove B61 0LD, UK – 07464 741525
Did an excellent job with some product photo's for our online store. Perfect cut outs for both black and white backgrounds....was so impressed i had them restore some old family photos as well and they came out great!
123 Longbridge Ln, Birmingham B31 4LF, UK – 0121 475 3536
Very helpful & friendly service plus they always have what we need. Defo recommend.
Great bunch of lads very helpful
14 Middle Dr, Cofton Hackett, Birmingham B45 8AJ, UK – 0121 445 2950
Neil installed our Worcester Bosch Boiler in 2014. Price competitive at the time and within our budget. Neil worked cleanly and arrived on time. He now services our boiler annually. Available at the end of the phone for advice on small issues we've had. A hardworking and thoroughly lovely man. We'd highly recommend.
50 Hewell Rd, Barnt Green, Birmingham B45 8NF, UK – 0121 445 4480
3C West Heath Rd, Birmingham B31 3TQ, UK – 0121 475 8809
Been going to Richard for years ..his prices are very reasonable and the quality is brilliant hence why i go there all the time for invoice pads , business cards and use Lloyd who does the t-shirt printing there also ....there's parking just outside the shop also
762 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2NN, UK – 07377 196057
Great design and product. Good price and delivery. First class
19 Station Rd, Birmingham B31 3TE, UK – 0121 476 4688
Quantry Ln, Romsley DY9 9UU, UK – 01562 710877
Good site, a little out the way. Staff are really good,
Good location but the staff are miserable, lazy bone heads. They happily watched my wife struggle up & down the stupid steps.
Fairfax Rd, Birmingham B31 3ST, UK – 0121 604 7788
869 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2PA, UK – 0121 476 8822
Ok gud food
Great food. Very polite. Great service
493 Birmingham Rd, Birmingham, Bromsgrove B61 0HY, UK – 0121 445 0938
Foods great, great menu, really delicious tasting food that's cooked perfectly, the staff are always friendly and the service is quick. Never left waiting long for takeaways. Please note it is a takeaway only, NOT a restaurant.
Food was fantastic however having a minimum £10 to pay by card is a rip off. My £8.20 meal cost me £10 and that was a fast way to lose a new customer and get a 3 star review instead of 4 to 5 stars.
8 Arden Rd, Rubery, Birmingham B45 0JA, UK – 0121 457 7500
They've always been really polite whenever I have gone in. I never have any trouble with them and the food, whilst it takes a while to make, is always hot and fresh. The place always has customers when I go in, so other locals seem to like it.
One of the most under-rated takeaways in the area whenever I order via just eat the food always arrives literately in 20 minutes or less, even if I order party boxes ect. Food is always piping hot when it arrives and always tastes good. I've been to the takeaways location once and they do have a nice clean seating area if you are so inclined to eat there as-well. Staff were quick and polite. parking available near by. the fries amaze me as they are almost a carbon copy of MacDonalds fries quite a fan of that. Seriously give these guys a try if you like fried chicken or chicken burgers alike, would choose this place over KFC any day of the week. I cant give it less than 5 stars as I've ordered from here a lot during the past few years and never been disappointed once.
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Victoria House, 966-972 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2PE, UK – 0121 476 9000
We moved house with great ease and efficiency, thank you to Kayleigh and the team. Would highly recommend. Thank you
I have used these solicitors for years. My family used them too and we have always had excellent service and all the staff are friendly and efficient! Couldn't rate them higher.
886-890 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2NX, UK – 0121 476 8481
Brilliant firm - my family have been using them for over a decade and have always been great!
Excellent company
709 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2JT, UK – 0121 709 6506
894 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2NS, UK – 0121 415 5000
I think it's a great taxi base, I got my taxi within 5 minutes, the taxi driver whose name was Tristin was very polite and professional, I would certainly use them again,
157A New Rd, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9JW, UK – 0121 453 7575
2nd time I've used the s taxi service and on both occasions have been on time and very helpful cheap and reliable thank you
Most drivers brilliant service couple of drivers bad
964 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2PE, UK – 0121 475 1234
5 Church Rd, Birmingham B31 2JZ, UK – 0121 296 9282
Always book my holidays in Thomas cook northfield, the girls never fail to get my an amazing holiday at an amazing price!! Wouldn't go anywhere else for a great deal 🙌🏾☺ Roll on Tenerife 🕺🏿
What a shame I can only give 5stars!! All the staff here are so helpful and go out of their way to find the right holiday, all of them have a smile and genuinely want to help. I am reformed to taking a package holiday after so many years of booking myself. A real pleasure to do business with you, well done 😊✈🛫🛬💺
10 Longbridge Ln, Birmingham B31 2UQ, UK – 0121 673 1032
86 Harpers Rd, Birmingham B31 4AR, UK – 07791 201769
951 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2QT, UK – 0121 426 4343
Excellent service-highly recommend
498 Lickey Rd, Cofton Hackett, Birmingham B45 8UU, UK – 0121 453 1006
I've only had brief experience with this beta but my first impression is a positive one. Nice people. The vet was thorough.
I would not take my dog anywhere else the staff here are amazing and the care and love they give to the animals is outstanding. My dog was very ill when a puppy and all the tests were done and the care was brilliant. I have trouble getting Tilly out of there when we go she loves all the staff so much. Thank you for everything
165 New Rd, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9JW, UK – 0121 516 0301
Mine and my puppy's first visit to the vet, and they were fantastic! Really friendly reception, amazing vet, that didn't rush, and gave me more advice than I would have even thought to ask. I have never written a review on anything before, that's how impressed I am.
Love Clent Hills Vets at Rubery. Will is always very caring & considerate with our dog, and we trust him, and know he has his best welfare at the heart of any treatment he gives him. Definately recommend, if you want the best for your best furry friend!! 😁 .
27 High House Dr, Lickey, Birmingham B45 8ET, UK – 0121 792 0695
Great service with fantastic results at competitive prices. Would highly recommend!
12 Appletree Cl, Birmingham B31 2YP, UK – 07814 823788
207 Tessall Ln, Birmingham B31 5EG, UK – 07814 823788
2, The Cofton Centre, Groveley Ln, Cofton Hackett, Birmingham B31 4PT, UK – 0845 470 6400
1660 Bristol Rd S, Rednal, Birmingham B45 9TY, UK – 0121 453 5142
Independent hire company owner manage, full of good tips and advice has a lot of regular customers most local tradesmen use this company.
Always very helpful in/out no messing very helpful always busy he don't mess around gets you on your job as quick as possible if he ain't got it he will always point you in the right direction!
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26 St Chad's Rd, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9DJ, UK – 0121 453 9157
delivered same day picked up next day perfect cheap helpful and friendly could have had skip two three weeks if I wanted
1159 Bristol Rd S, Birmingham B31 2SL, UK – 0300 100 0028
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We have a high-def TV that's really, really old. It's ancient. it's at least eight years old, which in modern technological timelines makes it a veritable dinosaur.
Sometimes it acts up and doesn't like to turn on. You turn it on, and nothing happens. It just sits there with its little red light switched to green, teasing you but refusing to light up. Or tonight's variation: you turn it on, you see the words "PLEASE WAIT" on the bottom of the screen (which is normal), and then nothing happens (not normal).
Whenever nothing happens, no one knows what to do except to inform me of the crisis.
"Mommy, the TV is broken."
"Carla, something's wrong with the TV."
Expectant stares and long lashes blinking.
My usual solution is to turn the power strip off and on. It does the trick most of the time. I'm apparently the only one who can remember to do this. A person apparently doesn't learn the turn-it-off-and-back-on trick while obtaining a Ph.D. in economics. Anthony is lucky to have me around to make up for these sorts of educational deficits.
Tonight, the off/on solution didn't work. Anthony shook his head sadly. "It looks like the TV might really be done this time."
I thought for a moment. I grabbed the TV and leaned it to the left. I leaned it to the right. I jiggled it this way and that. Then I turned the power strip off and back on.
The TV is fine. We're watching an episode of Farscape on it right now.
Anthony was a mixture of impressed and bemused. He doesn't understand how I fixed it.
I explained my thinking. There's wires and stuff in there. Something must be loose. If I wiggle it this way and that, the loose thing can go back where it belongs.
You ever wonder what those peeps at the "Genius Bar" actually do when they take your advanced technological device into the back room to "fix it"? I think I have a pretty good idea.
I'm a freaking genius.


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Victory park on Poklonnaya hill was opened in 1961 in the west of Moscow. It has the central alley of fountains and live flower clock operating in summer time.
In the grounds there is an open air museum of weapons of World War II period representing tanks, artillery guns, planes, helicopters, armed trains, ships etc.
By 1995 the Victory Memorial museum complex dedicated to WWII was constructed in the park grounds. It combines the Central museum of the Great Patriotic war 1941-1945, the Victory obelisk and three worship buildings: a Christian church, a mosque and a synagogue.
6 diorama halls in the museum exposition give the effect of presence at 6 main battles of the war:
- Defense of Moscow
- Stalingrad battle
- Leningrad blockade
- Kursk battle
- Force crossing of the Dnieper
- Capture of Berlin
Opened for visitors:
Central museum of the Great Patriotic war
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. (ticket office until 8 p.m. )
Friday, Saturday – 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (ticket office until 9 p.m. )
Open air exhibition of military hardware and engineering structures
Open air exhibition of weapons and military equipment of local wars and armed conflicts of the 1950-80s
Tuesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. (ticket office until 7:30 p.m. )
Day off: Monday.
Entrance fee:
Central museum 300 rub/person
Taking photos inside is free.
Open air exhibition of military hardware and engineering structures 300 rub/person
Open air exhibition of weapons and military equipment of local wars and armed conflicts of the 1950-80s 300 rub/person
Common ticket (Central museum + 2 Open air exhibitions) 400 rub/person
Memorial synagogue is opened 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (booking tours in advance)
Memorial mosque
Memorial church of St George
You can book online a tour with a museum guideOfficial web page of Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941 – 1945


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The Orange River rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho and flows westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Namibia and between South Africa and Lesotho.
The river plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power.
It's also the playground for adventure!
River rafting is exciting, challenging and simply awesome! Join a 3, 4 or 5 day tour where you'll paddle calm waters, test rapids and sleep in tents. You'll eat food cooked over a fire three times a day and experience the silence and magic of the afternoon sun over the bare, orange mountains as you set up your camp for a night under the stars. There are no designated campsites. Instead all camps are natural areas along the river. Guides make sure you leave the place clean and as you found it.
There are several suppliers of this activity and we can help you book and plan your adventure of a lifetime.
Rafting on the Orange river is a truly fantastic experience and adventure from start to finish. The trips are not about going fast but about enjoying and relaxing and getting back to the simple things in life: warm sunrises, fishing, swimming and spending time in nature. You won't regret it!


text:
Beyond the metaphysical spectre
There was perfect light
Only light, there was no hint of darkness
Nor was this moment ever in the past
Nor could it ever be. Outside time
It simply was. Perfect. Eternal. Pure
The Universe spun, and so did us
Not as beings but as monads in a reverie
In gravity's grip, no circle was pure
No being was being, yet by being we were
Eternal, forever an instant of light's electricity
We were stars, sea seed, galaxies, quarks
Nano things shinning on some starlit
For eons or seconds we were exactly the same
Existence's essence could be nothing than less
All were rapidly burning through nothingness
All were
The same were
Eternally around you, within me
Was only light
[Solo: Broberg]


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The first semi-final for this year's Eurovision Song Contest will be held on May 19 in Vienna, Austria. The list of countries that can vote in this SF are Australia, Austria, France and Spain (the guest country, the host country, and two out of the five countries with straight-to-final-status.) The list of participants that will compete for a spot in May 23's grand final are as follows:
Moldova: Representing this country in this year's ESC will be 22-year-old Eduard Romanyuta. The Ukranian born singer will be performing the song I Want Your Love for his shot at the grand final. He has attempted to represent the Ukraine (who made the decision to not participate this year for both political and financial reasons) three times (2011, 2012, and 2013) and although he did significantly better each time, his performance was not enough to put him through to the next stage of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Armenia: Supergroup Genealogy will be vying for their spot with the song Face the Shadow. The band consists of six members all born in a different continent but still of Armenian descent, whose ancestors had each fled to a different country after the Armenian genocide of 1915.
Belgium: Singing the song Rhythm Inside will be 18-year-old Loïc Nottet. In 2015, Nottet placed second in the third season of The Voice Belgique. His video for the song in question has already reached almost 440k views, despite only having been posted a little over two weeks ago.
Netherlands: 42-year-old Trijntje Oosterhuis will be representing this country with the song Walk Along. Oosterhuis is incredibly well-known in her home nation, having released nine studio albums, one of which soared straight to number one. Some of the others reached up to the top five of the music charts.
Finland: The punk rock band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät will be performing Aina mun pitää (I Always Have To). They are best known for being featured in the Finnish documentary The Punk Syndrome, in which they discussed their lives as singers with developmental disabilities.
Greece: Maria Elena Kyriakou, who won the first season of The Voice of Greece, will be singing One Last Breath. The 31-year-old gained notoriety on the aforementioned singing show through her mentorship with nationally infamous singer Despina Vandi, who chose Kyriakou to be on her team throughout the show's process.
Estonia: Elina Born and Stig Rästa will represent their country in this year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song Goodbye to Yesterday. Born has tried her hand at Eurovision before, attempting to represent the country in 2014 with the track Enough. She also came in second place on the fifth season of Eesti otsib superstaari. Rästa has been a part of two relatively well-known bands, Slobodan River and Traffic. He was also in a group called Outloudz, which he joined in 2010 but are no longer together.
Which of these seven countries listed will have their participant(s) sent to the Austrian grand final for this year's Eurovision Song Contest remains to be seen. As mentioned above, the semi-final in which this is decided is set to be hosted on May 19, 2015.
By Rebecca Grace


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Thanx to all who came and held a Marty book for the first time. It was a great night at Largo in Los Angeles! We showed a couple of clips and then we were treated to a conversation between Eric Idle and Jeff Garlin. Eric was the first to read the Marty book after I did and Jeff was next. It is lovely to see that after 34 years since his passing, Marty lives!
Enjoy this recording of the evening and images shot by Lincoln DeFer, who did the graphic design for the book.
Eric, Jeff, and Marty on stage at Largo
Marty, Eric, and many other famous people. The Frost Report, 1967.
Marty on Eric Idle's honeymoon, 1970


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In a world increasingly driven by visual content, businesses, and individuals are constantly searching for the "best way to stand out" among a crowded field. A skilled team of graphic designers at Artwork Abode can help by providing thoughtful and effective graphic design solutions for businesses of all sizes — from the smallest company to Fortune 1000 corporations.
Perhaps you would like insights about how your competitors are approaching graphic design services. Artwork Abode can study the competition and evaluate how you can differentiate your company by adjusting your graphic design strategies. We are also proficient at what we do — don't be surprised if we can complete a design project in a shorter time it would take for your internal team to complete.
In the eyes of your customers, consistency is an important factor that is directly impacted by graphic design services. This is often an exclusive challenge that Artwork Abode can help you overcome — for example, by choosing consistent font sizes, colors and design attributes that keep the "look and feel" of your products and services one step (or more) ahead of the competition. Below you will find more details about how we can save you time and title Graphic Design Cost money while also improving the effectiveness of your graphic design services.
Our branding designs ensure that your company is perceived with your unique and enduring brand identity. From the smallest font guideline to the most forward-facing logos, our brand identity design captures your audience's imagination or let it fall flat. The right combination comes from a mix of research, creativity, and structure representing the distinctive you.
Regardless of whether you ultimately want to have designs for the web or mobile devices, in print for advertising, or internally on letterhead and PowerPoint presentations, our brand identity design touches every aspect. AWA's brand identity specialists know exactly how to make use of the elements of research, creativity, and structure together to help your business make the most of their reputation.
Artwork Abode Brand Identity Designers work closely with the researchers who analyze trends, styles, and your current competition. They incorporate the data into their designs with the best balance of creativity and structure that transcends both digital and traditional design. The result is a prominent reputation that places your brand as an industry leader.
Continue on for detailed descriptions of AWA's specialized Brand Identity Design Services.
One of the most strategic decisions for any business involves the initial selection or subsequent revision of their logo. We can help you at every step by creating a symbol that "works" by satisfying customers, media, suppliers and investors.
Artwork Abode can show you new ways to promote your services and products. Our designers can enhance both advertising and informational content in ways that consistently convert viewers into social media followers and customers.
One of the best ways to communicate effectively with your graphic design efforts is via infographics. We can help educators, scientists, corporate executives, statisticians and technical writers combine the visual impact of data presentations, maps, and signs in one compelling graphics that is precise and clear.
Great labels bring good business. Artwork Abode's label design services team will design labels that bring your brand and products to life. If you have an idea, we will match it with pleasing graphics and if you don't, our studio artists will design astonishing and high quality labels from scratch that will propel your business to instant fame. Get ahead now.
Video technology continues to play a major role in marketing effectiveness, and Artwork Abode can help you succeed by integrating animated video content such as kinetic typography into your presenter videos. For informing, entertaining, educating and advertising, we will use motion graphics to establish and reinforce your brand and company reputation.
We build with the most professional and advanced resources, we bring the most satisfactory outcomes for your dream business website. We make sure that you will be own a website exactly what you looking for.


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The neo-liberal State governs not so much by making specific demands on the body but by controlling bodily access to, and use of, space and infrastructure. It needn't tell us in overtly dominating terms, "Go Here Now!" because we will go where we are supposed to be without ever thinking beyond the choices that we are free to make. Our milieu will always offer choices … When we drive in our neighborhood after dark, we play a game: Cop or Not a Cop! It started as a way to involve the whole family in a counter-surveillance system designed to protect ourselves from the enforcement of child restraint laws; but gradually, and because in roughly two years of playing we have seen exactly two cops patrolling the streets of our neighborhood, it has become a pedagogical tool for demonstrating the powers of passivity and the awe inspiring expression of instincts made to serve the State and Capital. "If there are no cops here, then there are no laws," my son understands. "But T, I say, the laws are inside each and every one of us. I am a cop. Mamma is a cop, because we police ourselves. We obey, and deep in our bowels, our bodies rejoice." "What?"
A proud mamma explained to me that her son was accepted for kindergarten at a private school. "Money, [blah blah blah], and he passed the psychological evaluation!!" "The what?"
So I did an experiment: "T which is good: an ice cream cone or a hand grenade?" "A hand grenade! No, wait, both!" "Bravo son, but you just failed the psychological evaluation that would've put you on the path to wage slavery." "Hey T, what is your favorite football team?" The son looks at me askance … "T, what are the relative merits of an AK series carbine compared to the M-16?" "AK's will function even when dirty." "Bravo son." Some choices are more valuable than others because they add something to Life that cannot be so easily codified by the State and Capital. I wrestle with books, bourbon, and bullets: not all of our choices serve the State, even if ALL of our choices can serve the State. It depends on what is added to the taxable portion of our assemblages. The neo-liberal State governs in ways never imagined by previous forms of government: by providing access to legal and profitable milieus of habit and governable circumstance.
This past Sunday at the grocery, every single person in the ransacked store, black or white, asked me something about the Super Bowl. I had no great or pithy responses to their questions (the "I don't know, I don't watch TV," response is getting old, so I just played it cool, "Yeah, some becoming-herd dude is gonna feel totally justified and gratified by what his life is capable of in a few hours.") Not too pithy; and then I get back home. You see, I purposely waited until 5:30 to go to the store so that I wouldn't have to play the game, but back home I see my Mexican neighbors down the street. "Hey Mark," one of them says, "we are having a Super Bowl party if you want to come down."
Even the Mexicans. Not the Mexicans too! I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I'd much rather have "All the stores will open up if you say the magic words. The magic words are: Up against the wall, motherfucker, this is a stick up!" than, "A white dude, a black guy, some Mexicans, and even a Jew bought a Coke. Period."
In other words, the State governs by creating an environment that promotes and sustains the thriving of a specific form of human life – by providing a milieu of maximum comfort and ease (one needn't hunt for or slaughter food, walk long distances in an airport – George Costanza rejoices! – walk at all, chop wood, or climb stairs) as well as a set of discourses on morality, altruism, and behavior that coincide with an entire psychological, anthropological, and biological science of being human so as to precisely codify this form of life/mode of being human.
And it does so largely in the name of freedom – a singular embodiment of the sanctity of this milieu: all progress, success, and meaning is demonstrated in one's mastery of comfort and leisure. Even the rights and constitutional guarantees of liberal governance point to such a slavish and capitalistic basis of freedom – and truly protect little more than that in the vast realm of potential human behaviors. We remember that American racial segregation was ended with interstate commerce and access to new markets in mind – and this is not to say that morality didn't play a role, for what could be more moral than freedom?
The agōgē, as it was for the Spartans, assumes that the human is created – not born – by a long associative interaction with certain precise configurations of technologies and techniques (culinary, agricultural, musical, lyrical, erotic, martial, spatial, relational, etc.) that come to prominence largely through our extended apprenticeship with language and narratives.
When these technologies and techniques are circumvented, short-circuited, or better yet, created anew with a view to an-other form of life, then we begin to play with the powers previously reserved for gods and nature (as the State sacralizes or naturalizes this process in order to erase its role in creating the conditions of our servility). We begin to understand just how creative is the human in his/her relationship with life: to wit the effort put into making sure that we never step beyond the stories we are given to explain ourselves and the world.


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Preventing Dystocia Before Calving Season Starts
Calving season has started for some and will begin soon for others. Meanwhile, beef producers are preparing themselves for less sleep each night, as time spent observing cows day and night will soon start. Nearly 90% of beef producers regularly observe cows and heifers during calving (NAHMS, 2008), and research shows doing calving checks every 3 hours yields best results. Yet, the best calving check regimen is not always practical or a guaranteed way to eliminate calving problems or dystocia from occurring. It is estimated 11% of heifers and 4% of cows need some assistance during calving each year (NAHMS, 2008). Therefore, what can we do to prevent calving difficulty before it occurs so calving season will be a little less stressful for all parties involved?
Don't Select for Dystocia
In the hours leading up to calving, there is often little anyone can do to prevent dystocia from occurring. However, looking back on your management decisions from the past the breeding season and fall, may give one insight into how calving will go. Here are some example areas to evaluate before calving starts:
- Calving Ease Direct EPD (CED)
Utilize calving ease bulls when mating to heifers, young or small cows that may have trouble calving. CED measures percent of unassisted births and takes into account the size and presentation of the fetus. Be careful not to over select for CED in mature cows as valuable calf weight will be given up and sacrifice potential revenue.
- Pelvic Measure
Measuring pelvic area in replacement or bred heifers before their first calving event will give producers an idea of which females may have trouble due to abnormal pelvis shape or size. The pelvis continues to grow and shape until cows are mature, so keep in mind the pelvis can change between first and third calving events.
- Body Condition Score
Pay attention to heifers and cows that are carrying extreme amounts of fat or are very thin. Over conditioned heifers are more likely to have troubles calving due to accumulation of fat in the pelvis hindering fetal passage through the birth canal. In addition, if heifers are too skinny their endurance during calving may be limited by the absence of energy resources. At any time, if a female stops making progress during calving for more than 15 minutes, assistance should be offered. Separate cows based on condition so not to overfeed fat cows and underfeed thin ones.
- Pregnancy Detection
If you had the ability to know when a cow would have twins, would you do it? Most of us say yes, but only 20% of beef operations palpate or ultrasound for pregnancy. Modern technologies are available and should be utilized to confirm pregnancy in cows and identify twins or large calves so producers can pay more attention to certain cows as calving nears.
- Provide Exercise
Cows need to be in shape come calving season, so providing adequate exercise prior to calving is important to their physical strength. Feeding cows in a loafing pasture and providing water a ¼ mile away is a good distance for cows to travel daily. If keeping cows in a lot during gestation, less energy will be used every day as they don't have to walk so far. Design rations to meet requirements of cows based on location during gestation. Lastly, avoid moving cows close to calving as fetal growth is occurring very rapidly and calf position can flip if cows slip or fall.
Know the Signs
Not all dystocia is preventable even if you follow the practices listed above. However, if you observe cows struggling during labor, keep a close watch on her to observe her through the stages of labor and intervene when necessary (Table 1).
In Summary
Ultimately dystocia is not a fun event for anyone involved. Producers can do their best to estimate the size of the fetus, presentation in the birth canal and pelvic area in each specific cow, but only time will tell if cows will calve unassisted or need help. Take steps to understand the stages of labor and when assistance is needed to successfully navigate through a dystocia. We wish everyone the best going into calving season 2018!
Source: Taylor Grussing, iGrow


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KUTZTOWN, PA – He is one of the best race drivers – ever – to come from Berks County, and certainly one of the top drivers in history to hail from Pennsylvania. And, on Wednesday, July 19 (fitting because for many years, that was and is currently his car number) the JeffreyHogueRealtor.com Action Track USA on the Kutztown Fairgrounds is planning to honor Kenny Brightbill.
The 2017 season marks Brightbill's 50th season in racing, and Action Track USA co-promoters Rich Tobias and Doug Rose are inviting all of Kenny's fans, former car owners, and crew members to help recognize this incredibly significant achievement.
On July 19, before the races begin, Brightbill will be seated behind the grandstand, signing autographs and posing for photos with his many fans. The Sinking Spring driver will also have his 50th Anniversary T-shirts on sale, as he does each week during the 2017 racing season, which he says will be his last behind the wheel.
There are plans to have Kenny compete in a match race that night, too, against his sons Brad and Keith.
With 441 victories at 41 different speedways during his illustrious career, along with numerous point titles, Brightbill has become a living legend in the motorsports community as well as in his native Berks County.
He ruled the Reading Fairgrounds half-mile oval during its final ten years of existence, notching 135 feature wins at the Home of Champions. And he can still get the job done today, as he's proved in the five year history of Action Track USA.
He was the first point champion in Action Track USA's SpeedSTR division (in 2013), and in 2015 he was voted the track's Most Popular Driver by its fans. Just a few weeks ago, on June 14, Brightbill led the first 20 laps of the SpeedSTR main event. He was passed by Jeff Hartman on a restart, but battled furiously with Hartman and Tim Buckwalter over the final ten circuits before settling for a second place finish.
In addition to greeting his fans and the match race against his sons, Brightbill will also be competing with the USAC All Pro SpeedSTRs on July 19. The Hyper Racing 600 Sprints will be on the card, too, along with the All Star Slingshots.
Warm-ups begin at 6 p.m. with qualifying events to follow at 7:00.


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Mark Kleiman has offered some intriguing observations (here and here) regarding what may happen if a state legalizes marijuana this November. He forecasts the responses of state government, federal government and legalization activists, all of which is fine as far as it goes, but he leaves out an important detail: Legalization would create a new player in pot politics, namely whoever sells legal pot.
As we have seen with the drugs we have already legalized (e.g., alcohol) a legal industry in psychoactive substances will make a great deal of money and use it to keep regulatory structures weak. In Oregon, the legalization initiative gives the private pot production industry a baseline of control (self-regulation only) that the alcohol and tobacco companies could only dream of. In the other states, any new industry will immediately go to work eliminating the weak regulatory controls proposed in the initatives.
How successful these new corporate entities will be in their lobbying isn't knowable, but it is clear that one cannot predict post-legalization scenarios without taking into account the actions of this new player in the game.


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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
-Leonard Cohen
After last week's post (The privilege to live without open wounds), I had the following exchange with a reader who gave me permission to share it below. I think it speaks to the journey we are going on together and the discussion I hope you will join into.
"Living with open wounds"…as with most things, often a lot of grey area in that. Totally get that in the article you do not mean to address a certain level of trauma. "I'm not talking about people that had tough romantic breakups or are dealing with the unfortunate but predictable sadness that life can bring." For many people things can be clearly categorized. Upon first glance I would fall into the privileged category…I am hardly the first to be divorced after a long marriage, have parents deceased, had someone die in his arms, etc. And I do consider myself privileged. But my oldest daughter is MR (the term Du Jour is Intellectual Disability). Make no mistake, I do feel blessed to have her! But I see the things she will never have in her life, the things that for some reason were determined for her before she had a chance to have a say about anything in her life. Because my love for my child is endless, it forever shock my faith in God … why did he allow this with my sweet little innocent? Please, I am not looking for spiritual or religious advice…been there, done that, still doing that, it is a constant in my spiritual life. But I do consider it "Living with an open wound" because if you love someone impacted in such a way, it is a constant tear at the heart. Again, I feel privileged in other aspects in my life, and I feel blessed to have her as my daughter. I just bring this up to point out that this discussion can have multiple layers within multiple layers. Wounds can leave "gaping wounds in the heart and psyche" and "derail your potential" in subtle ways. They can drag you down or serve as motivators. And they can do both at the same time! Definitely a thought provoking topic.
Thanks for this thoughtful comment. I had to give the post a title, but I realize that people have wounds of all kinds. In this case, I was speaking specifically of the wounds that come from dramatic trauma that usually includes violence of some kind. But really my point is that we all have painful disadvantages in life. Suffering is not trivial no matter what caused it. You make that point eloquently and I certainly can see where you struggle with things that many (to include me) do not. But there's something powerful about considering the pain that you/we DON'T have. Often we are so consumed with the pain we DO have that we don't give the emotional energy needed to let others pain in. We may feel we don't owe the world anything because we're still suffering too. I think it is worth trying to feel more despite the pain that is uniquely ours. Because until we can care about what goes on with our brothers, we won't really care enough to help them. So that's my point with these posts. But know that I am sending you extra love and am grateful for your ability to engage in these kinds of conversations.
What does "privilege" mean to you? Are you privileged?


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Trump to former Mexican president: Apologize for 'F word'
Donald Trump wants an apology from a former Mexican president for using a bad word.
"FMR PRES of Mexico, Vicente Fox horribly used the F word when discussing the wall. He must apologize!" Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon, after Fusion published an interview with the former president in which he did not mince words.
FMR PRES of Mexico, Vicente Fox horribly used the F word when discussing the wall. He must apologize! If I did that there would be a uproar!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
In an interview with Fusion's Jorge Ramos published earlier in the day, Fox remarked, "I'm not going to pay for that f-----g wall," regarding the Republican presidential candidate's proposal to build a wall along the border and make the Mexican government pay for it.
"If I did that there would be a uproar!" tweeted Trump, who has generated no shortage of headlines with his use of profanity in various campaign appearances.
Earlier this month, Trump tangled with another former Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, who told CNBC, "Mexican people, we are not going to pay any single cent for such a stupid wall."
"If this guy pretends that closing the borders to anywhere either for trade [or] for people is going to provide prosperity to the United States, he is completely crazy," Calderon said.
"He'll pay. Trust me, he'll pay," Trump responded at the time. "We have such a trade imbalance with Mexico. We have such a trade deficit. The wall is peanuts compared to that number."


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Residents & Visitors
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Sister City Tabor
History of Tabor
History of Tabor
A Brief History of Tabor
Tabor is a city located on the Luznice River in southern Bohemia, just south of Prague. The "old city," with its beautiful medieval central square, stands on under-ground caves and passages that were used when the city was under siege.
Czech in-dependence dates from the "Velvet Revolution" of 1989 with the withdrawal of Russian troops, who had occupied the country since 1948. Although, as Czechoslovakia it had become a democracy following World War I in 1918, with close ties to the United States.
Records show Tabor as a center of the Protestant Reformation in the 1420s. The Hussites were followers of the religious leader, Jan Hus, whose statue stands in Prague's Town Square. In Tabor's town square stands the statue of Jan Zizka, a victorious general, in the Hussite movement. He is an ancestor of Peter Zischke, an Orindan who traveled to Tabor with the first delegation in 1998. This part of their history is portrayed in their "Tabor Meetings," a medieval festival held in September every year.
2016-2017 Visiting Student from Tabor
History of Tabor
What is a Sister City
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Have you heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect? It's an interesting psychological insight about how people's actual knowledge and skill aligns with their perceived knowledge and skill.
People who are not very skilled at a particular task find it very hard to understand the level of skill needed to do that task well. As a consequence, they fail to recognise a truly skilled practitioner when they see one, and they tend to overestimate their own skill. As a people get better at a particular skill, they also get better at accurately estimating how good they are at it. This is true for a wide range of skills and knowledge areas, including grammar, logical thinking, and even humour. It was first described in a 1999 paper by Kruger and Dunning entitled Unskilled and Unaware of it.
Now, here is the problem.


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Trainee engineer jobs will be created in Nottinghamshire as part of a huge recruitment drive by telecoms company Openreach.
Twenty new roles created will be created Nottingham, Mansfield and Worksop, as the company, which is part of the BT group, bids to take on 3,500 engineers across the UK during the next 12 months.
The recruitment announcement follows the news that Openreach are speeding up plans to deliver "ultrafast Fibre to the Premises broadband" (FTTP) nationwide to three million homes and businesses by the end of 2020.
FTTP can deliver speeds of up to 1Gigabit per second – enough to stream 200HD videos at the same time.
Leanne Hindley, who is based in Hucknall, joined Openreach as a trainee engineer in April 2017 and has not looked back since taking the role.
The 34-year-old said: "It's a job I really love.
"My day-to-day work involves installing new lines as well as fixing any faults that occur. It's a great job and one that I'd recommend to others.
"My advice for anyone considering a trainee engineer role is to take a good look into what's involved.
"It can be tough in the bad weather, and be prepared for a lot of training. But don't be put off.
"Put in the hard work and, trust me, it will all pay off in the end."
Openreach currently employs 22,200 field engineers in the UK is looking for people "with an ability to connect with people, and a willingness to get stuck in".
Richard Hall, infrastructure delivery director for Openreach in the East Midlands, said: "This latest recruitment represents a further major investment in Nottinghamshire and is very exciting news for the whole region.
"We're looking forward to men and women from all walks of life applying for these roles at Openreach as we're keen to engage with the aspiring engineers of tomorrow and to build a diverse workforce that reflects the hugely diverse communities we serve.
"We're committed to helping people realise their potential so we're also delighted to be offering work experience placements, under the Movement to Work programme, to 18-24 year olds who are currently not in education, employment or training.
East Midlands courses are often held in places like Chesterfield, Leicester and Lincoln.
Trainees will learn how to expand, upgrade, maintain and install new services over Openreach's national broadband network.
Clive Selley, chief executive of Openreach, said: "These trainee engineers will be playing a vital role in the future success and prosperity of the UK.
"Over the last year our 22,200 engineers have been the driving force behind Government reaching its target of making 'superfast' broadband available to more than 95 per cent of the country, whilst also improving our customer service performance - but we want to do more.
"Every day, Openreach engineers are working in all weathers across the length and breadth of Britain, connecting homes and businesses and making sure people can access the high quality broadband services they need.
"We are already investing in upskilling our engineering team and today's announcement of new jobs, including 120 in the East Midlands, underlines our commitment to make our 'Fibre First' programme a reality - future-proofing Britain's broadband network and supporting emerging mobile technologies like 5G."
If you don't fancy this job, there are loads more at https://www.fish4.co.uk/jobs/nottingham/


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Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Distinguished local and International Guests
All Participants!
Today, I am delighted to attend the closing of this important 36th Health Conference held for the last two days. Indeed, this conference has provided all of us a chance to review the achievements, opportunities and challenges to work together on formulating and implementing the new action plan in consistency with the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs) in the health sector, setting priority areas to be implemented in 2015 and setting direction for the coming years to achieve success and ensure the fruitful outcome and prosperity for our society.
In sum, as raised in the annual health report of His Excellency Mr. Mam Bun Heng, Minister of Health, many health indicators have been improved especially the decline of maternal and child mortality rates. At the same time, physical health infrastructure and health service delivery have been significantly expanded and strengthened. For instance, new health centers and referral hospitals as well as maternal service, emergency service, newborn care service and other public health intervention service have become more comprehensive and been moved closer to the people, especially in rural areas.
This good progress in the expansion of physical health infrastructure and health service coverage is the main contributor to rapid decline in maternal and infant mortality rates, as well as the decline in fatality rates caused by AIDS, tuberculosis and increased life expectancy of the people. These achievements enable Cambodia to achieve health targets set in the CMDGs 2015 ahead of schedule. This is another pride and achievement in Cambodia's effort to bring about socio-economic development after overcoming countless obstacles and challenges to redevelop the health system after lagging behind caused by the nearly-three-decade civil war. Currently, the accessibility to modern health service like other advanced countries has been improved, thanks to full peace, political stability, robust economic growth, openness to foreign investors and enhanced living standards. These factors attract international hospitals to invest in Cambodia, in addition to the modernization of our own hospitals.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to express high appreciation to the leadership, civil servants and health personnel of the health sector for the concerted effort to improve health education, consultation, treatment and care for everyone in the community and those who seek service from health centers, health posts and referral hospitals nationwide, especially the provision of health service at village-commune level. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere thanks our health partners for providing both technical and financial assistance and the capital/provincial, municipal/district/khan and commune/sangkat administration for providing cooperation and support to implementation of action plans of health sector in 2014.
It is true that the achievements and progress in the health sector cannot happen without technical and financial contribution from friend countries, development partners, local and international non-government organization and the private sector. This contribution is indeed vital for ensuring public welfare, development and sustainability of the health sector in Cambodia. At the same time, the Royal Government of Cambodia has given more attention to coverage expansion and quality improvement of health service through improving the attitude of service provider, ensuring enough budget for sufficient and timely supply of health equipment and facilities, strengthening skills and capacity of health personnel, improving the supply of medicines, and strengthening health information system and so on.
Indeed, the main objective not only promotes public confidence and people's support to the Royal Government and the health sector, but also helps enhance the prestige of the Kingdom of Cambodia in the region and the world.
The Royal government of Cambodia has considered the health sector the core of socio-economic development as this sector is another pillar of the education sector in enhancing the quality of Cambodia's human resource in the context of ASEAN economic integration and globalization. In this regard, the Rectangular Strategy-Phase III of the Royal government of Cambodia has determined a number of priorities that will receive heightened attention:(1) developing and improving health sector policies and strategies, strengthening and improving regulatory framework especially for private health service, promoting good governance, strengthening the capacity of health institutions at all levels, enhancing awareness among doctors, health workers and service users about the rights of service users, promoting partnership with the private sector in delivering health service, encouraging community participation in the development of health sector; (2)promoting equitable access to health service through the expansion of the equity fund and payment scheme for the poor and development of health insurance in line with socio-economic development status to promote the welfare of the people by protecting them from the risk of excessive health spending; and (3) further enhancing the quality of health service through strengthening clinical techniques and the management capacity of doctors, medical staff and health officials by focusing on (a) improved quality of basic training, advanced and specialized training, (b) strengthened enforcement of professional ethics, (c) deployment of more doctors, pharmacists, dentists, mid-wives, nurses and medical assistants to all public health establishments, especially in rural areas.
In addition, to achieve the target of health sector development, we must step up the implementation of "Health Strategic Plan" which aims at developing a credible and inclusive health system by focusing on good governance, efficient use of resources, improvement of health service quality, equitable access to health service, skill proficiency of medical staff, especially professional ethics of health personnel. This is our ambition to develop this sector that must be firmly and continuously implemented.
Along with the above mentioned progress, there are a number of challenges which hinder the health service delivery such as rapid population growth, fragmented and unorganized settlement patterns, limited capacity to provide maternity, emergency and new-born care services, limited clinic's diagnosis capacity, disease surveillance and monitoring system not fully integrated into the health information system, limited institutional capacity to use technology in the systematic work and the outbreak of new epidemic diseases and so on. In this spirit, we must step up investment in this sector to strengthen medical technologies and health information system, especially data recording and collection system at all levels of health service providers nationwide in order to timely respond to the demand of our people and help enable medical staff to use the information for the improvement of health service.
Overall, this two-day conference has provided us with new ideas about the work to be implemented in 2015 and priorities for coming years. During my participation in previous health conferences, I always raised some recommendations for promoting and developing the health sector. However, as situation keeps evolving, new needs and challenges emerge. In this sense, I would like to raise some recommendations to further strengthen and expand the health service and increase public confidence in the sector as follows:
1. Strengthening the regulation of private healthcare providers to ensure their business operation is conducted in compliance with laws and the regulatory framework and based on professional ethics and genuine medical qualification. Currently, we notice widespread growth of all types of private healthcare providers in all areas. This requires the Ministry of Health to strengthen its regulatory framework by improving the capacities of its monitoring officials and justice police officers of the Ministry of Health and increasing cooperation with relevant institutions and authorities at both national and sub-national level to ensure that private health service providers are the reliable option of health service, in short, quality and reliable health service.
2. Improving both public and private health services especially on the quality of medical consultation, disease diagnosis, treatment and care which require further attention from the Ministry of Health. In this connection, the Ministry has to firmly and continuously take actions and cooperate with relevant ministries/institutions to ensure the quality of health care service. Overall, providing health service of poor or subpar quality that does not meet the required medical standards not only wastes the state and individual resources, but also put the life of patients at risk. More seriously, this kind of service has destroyed public confidence in the national health system and transformed it into an unreliable system. Therefore, further effort to ensure the quality and medical standards of health service must be undertaken and all health service activities must be thoroughly reviewed.
3. Paying attention to strengthening the quality of medical and health science education at both public and private sectors to ensure that after graduation, doctors, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, midwives etc., are fully competent for their jobs and can provide effective and reliable medical service of required standards. Meanwhile, it is necessary to create continued training and retraining programs to polish professional competencies, knowledge and operational ability of health officials. The swift technological evolution and information network connection have brought about change in all sectors, including the health sector, especially the new trend of heightened attention to health. In this sense, training is the critical starting point in order to achieve a good health system, particularly in the current context, which requires heightened professional ethics, patience and attention to the poor.
4. Improving professional competencies and mindset of health officials and medical staff on medical conduct, professional ethics and communication attitude, especially with the people, to build public trust. I believe that trust and confidence from patients and family is very helpful in treatment and heath care.
5. Regularly and systematically monitoring and evaluating the quality of services including those provided by private sector to ensure compliance with the required quality standards and timely taking actions to rectify the problem in order to make health service more accessible and to gain trust from patients. Meanwhile, we must ensure that "all hospitals, provincial hospitals, health centers have doctors or medical staff standing by all days, all hours and all time including weekends and public holidays" to make sure that regular services are provided including check-up, nurse and treatment for patients as well as to promote the implementation of this work rigorously in accordance with procedures and health professional ethics.
6. Ministry of Health needs to pay more attention to finding the root cause of all of issues mentioned in the Health Sector Achievement Report 2014 and shall solve all those issues effectively and sustainably in a systematic way.
I hope that what I have mentioned above will become additional inputs for helping achieve the 2015 direction set by the conference. In this sense, even though tremendous opportunities lie ahead, I wish to request all colleagues to convert views raised in the conference into actual and effective implementation to help bring about more fruitful socio-economic outcome for entire Cambodia.
Before closing this conference, I wish to express my appreciation and gratitude to all the participants for attending the conference and contributing ideas, knowledge, concepts and useful experiences to make this conference successful and fruitful. At the same time, I would like to call on all the participants to convert all the recommendations, information, knowledge and experiences gained from this conference into vigorous activities within respective organizations to realize more achievement in the future. In this sense, I strongly believe that Cambodia will continue moving forward with optimism, development and prosperity by relying on a broader, more efficient and favorable base while welfare, confidence and professional health service are ensured to help bring about social harmony and sustainable development.
Finally, along with the closing of"36th Health Conference" I wish Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished national and international guests and whole conference the four gems of Buddhist blessings: Longevity, Nobility, Healthiness and Strength!


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Michael Pineda strong as New York Yankees beat Detroit Tigers
TAMPA, Fla. – Michael Pineda pitched three hitless innings and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 Saturday in a split-squad game.
Pineda struck out four, including three in the second inning, and walked one. He retired eight in a row before walking and then picking Andrew Romine off first base.
"I'm happy," Pineda said. "My changeup and all my pitches were very good. The command is still good."
Pineda went 5-5 with a 1.89 ERA in 13 starts last season after missing the previous two years due to right shoulder surgery. He gave up one hit and had two strikeouts over two scoreless innings in his first exhibition start Monday against Tampa Bay.
"Michael believes in himself," Yankees manager Joe Girardi before departing for the road split-squad game with Toronto. I think he has faith in what he's doing. He's a big part of our rotation. Thirty to 32 starts from him would be outstanding."
Rajai Davis doubled in two at-bats for the Tigers. J.D. Martinez went 0 for 4.
This was the first time Andrew Romine and his brother, Yankees catcher Austin Romine, were in a major league starting lineup together. Austin was behind the plate when Andrew batted in the third.
"We're not real, like, chit-chatty," Andrew said. "I kind of said, 'Hey, what's up?' And then when I got in the box, he was still talking and I told him, 'All right, that's enough, stop talking. Get out of my head.'"
After a walk, Austin Romine said he was disappointed not to get a chance to throw his brother out trying to steal a base.
"Had a blast," Austin said. "I wanted him to go because I wanted to throw him out and rag on him."
Tigers: RHP Alfredo Simon will start Sunday's game against Miami.
Yankees: RHP Nathan Eovaldi is the scheduled starter for Sunday's game with Philadelphia.
Tigers: LHP Kyle Lobstein gave up one run and three hits in three innings.
Yankees: Pineda threw 24 of 34 pitches for strikes.
Tigers: C Alex Avila remains out with a back injury.
Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (knee surgery) had a 35-pitch bullpen session in preparation for his first start Tuesday night against Toronto. … RHP Andrew Bailey threw 18 pitches in his second simulated game since right shoulder surgery in July 2013 and is nearing his first game. "I haven't felt this good in a long time," he said. … Top prospect RHP Luis Severino made 32 pitches in his first bullpen session since missing a few days with strep throat.
Dellin Betances, a top candidate to be the Yankees' closer, gave up his first run in three games during the fourth when Davis doubled, went to third on a balk and scored on Josh Wilson's grounder.
"Stuff-wise, I wasn't where I needed to be," Betances said.
Andrew Miller, also in the mix for the ninth-inning role, struck out two in a perfect fifth.