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Tech Witch: Practices For The Age Of The Internet
Thanks to the wonder of technology, we find ourselves entering a shiny new era of globally accessible magic. Communication has rapidly evolved over the Internet, making it so much easier to connect with folx from all over the world. And it isn't just the normies! Witches can now join international online covens, learn spells through Instagram posts, and even browse online for hand-crafted altar materials through little shops like ours (as well as participate in powerful group rituals for a New World Order from sacred spaces everywhere).
Meanwhile, 19 million neighbors in the so-called United States of America don't have functional Internet access. The same communities that face nutritional scarcity, voter suppression, targeted policing, and systemic poverty are also at risk for digital communication starvation. It seems like every few months we're calling our reps to protect Internet autonomy (and in the interim, arguing with Instagram about unfairly banning SW and anti-racist accounts). Even the materials in our devices, like everything else we consume, are worth scrutinizing. The conflict mineral industry thrives under the forced necessity of phones and computers.
Phones and computers are compulsory these days. They're integral to our everyday lives, and a lot of us keep our devices within arms reach at all times. Especially in this age of unchecked media bias and the ever-looming Covid 19 virus keeping us (especially our schoolchildren) physically isolated, access to the World Wide Web is absolutely vital, and more organizers are mobilizing on behalf of accessible Internet.
So, why the disconnect from our connection machines? There's obviously a ton of power in our digital connections or they wouldn't be so costly, so maybe it's time for modern witches to take up a new kind of magic wand. Here are some simple spells to make your laptop and phone experience feel much more magical, and help keep your channels clear for max revolutionary efficiency (spoiler alert: they don't start with "put your phone away")!
Crystal Magic
First thing's first: we gotta keep in mind that our devices naturally carry a lot of personal energy. Since they're undeniably extensions of ourselves, they're equally subject to our many fluctuating moods and the emotional interactions we have with them. Get a text from our special friend and we beam, or get a worrisome work email in our inbox and we are overcome with frustration (we won't even get into the trauma of those Breaking News notifications). Further back, someone far away pulled the materials out of the Earth, assembled them in a factory. Those souls all left their impressions on the products that keep us current with our communities, and each deserves to be acknowledged and honored.
And at the source of all this polarized energy is a crystal ally. Nearly all electric devices depend on quartz crystals, which are piezoelectric and vibrate when they come in contact with an electrical charge. Ever wonder how phones, computers, and clocks can be so accurate? It's because of these stable crystal frequencies that keep a steady rhythm through a wide range of internal temperature changes. Because they can be set at a certain frequency, quartz are great "filters" for blocking unwanted electric pulses... which means they can also get clogged with leftovers from softening the blow.
In essence, the crystal vibes we talk about in ritual are definitely real: the fact that you're reading this from your laptop, tablet, or phone is science-proven magic. These mighty minerals deserve our gratitude, and some dedicated time for healing inherited energy. Besides fighting capitalist eco-fascism through the open and protected channels we can access through our electronics, one way to heal the accumulated energy of our own digital experiences is through a simple crystal-cleansing spell:
-Place your devices in a far corner of your room or office
-Grab two selenite towers and a clear crystal quartz OR 3 small vessels of salt
-Place one tower/vessel on each end of the device, and the clear quartz/last vessel on top of your laptop or phone screen. Selenite, being a 24/7 cleanser, clears out lingering feelings or emotions, while the quartz renews and restores 360-clarity. Both crystals are amplifiers of directed intentions, and salt checks every box as an ancient magical ally
-Express your gratitude for the privilege of working with these machines, and your deference to the sacrifices made for their production. Focus on manifesting a future free of the colonial conquest that destabilizes areas rich in natural resources. Blow away the ghosts of petty Instagram comments, Facebook messages, Tweets, and emails that divert your power. Store loving, radical exchanges with your digital coven in your internal memory drive (and at least two other forms of backup storage!)
-Leave everything to charge overnight
-Restart your devices
When you do work with your devices, placing Shungite and Tourmaline around your space can ground your own energy by helping you stay focused and not succumb to the overwhelming need to scroll for hours on end. Phones and computers can easily become the source of how we feel day to day, so it's extra important to put healthy boundaries between ourselves and our electronics in order to develop a balanced relationship. News and organizing are good; wallowing in Buzzfeed quizzes... well, in moderation!
Emojis as Sigil Spells!
Sigils are visual forms of magic that are charged with emotional energy to set an intention. They are symbolic representations of intentions, thoughts, and feelings that communicate a desire. After the creation of a sigil, the idea is to send it off (by burning or sealing with with candle wax for example) so it can be received by the universe.
This process sounds really familiar doesn't it? It's like texting emojis! You select a tiny image that expresses what you want to communicate, and shortly after you hit send your friend gets a buzz and (hopefully) totally understands the underlying message. It might mean something simple like "want pizza?", or something serious like an ambulance for "emergency". These images transcend written language, providing an oft-overlooked universal hieroglyphic alphabet that speaks across borders.
So witches, why don't we create our own 21st-century sigils based on charged emojis and digital covens? If anything, they can be spells to distract killjoy boomers from getting in our way!
Before you start, you can decide to go with the traditional archetypes (four leaf clovers to send good luck! Black hearts for protection!) or you can tie in your own personal associations (like your favorite moon phase to send good vibes!)
-Pull the emoji or series of emojis up on your screen and meditate on them to infuse with your high-vibin' energies
-Now to activate it, send your selected emoji to your closest friends or a virtual comrade who needs it. They can send it back to create a virtual magic circle and amplify the spellpower.
-You can also adopt an emoji sigil of your own energy, to add a little oomph to messages to your reps, landlord, employers, anyone with whom you exchange electronic correspondence (to keep it "professional" that could even just be a discreet asterisk or tilde in your signature. An asterisk, or star, is great for manifesting, while a wavy tilde is great for networking)
Also, ever noticed how we add emojis to diffuse or harmonize a tense situation? Well, that's actually a form of peace making magic! Select an emoji that represents peace for you, and once again, pull up a large image on your phone and infuse feelings of comfort. Now next time you feel a recipient needs some peace, you can send the charged emoji their way!
Bottom line is you craft your own special meanings and feelings before you send them, so go ahead and have fun trying out different combos for different magic purposes. Any help we can get, right?
Inbox Divination!
The internet can be part of our sacred work, if we develop a sense of respect for the interconnectedness it has provided us, including through email! But who hasn't gotten even the tiniest bit stressed seeing their inbox count grow and grow, especially when most messages come from long-forgotten, irrelevant subscriptions?
However, email is another form of communication not just between us and institutions, clients, and colleagues, but also with the universe! If you have a burning question, you can practice a form of e-divination by setting the intention that the content of the next email will provide a clear answer (this is especially effective if you sign up for rad newsletters from people + groups like Alice Sparkly Kat, SURJ, Diana Rose Harper, and NARAL) What information is the universe conspiring to send your way? What will you do with it?
When used wisely, tech makes it easier for us to follow our soul path, whether that's as a source for anti-racist and anti-colonialist education, starting up our business or a fundraiser to welcome a flow of abundance, and even start widespread organization of political movements! At their core, our devices are a powerful source of magic, and its about time us witches started to wield it!
-By Dee Ros, @salembrujita
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.


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Love doesn't sound like the slow swell of a string orchestra.
The wail of an oboe as you search for your worth in the pigment of another's irises.
The ascension of piano keys,
the half note rest when your fingers interlock, your thumb resting outward,
signaling your ever persistent need to launch into the unknown
amidst your desperation to be tethered to home.
Love's soundtrack is the moment of silence shared when the song ends.
When you can't exhale because it will move the moment forward.
You can't bear to know what comes next because it won't be as perfect as this.
It's the echo of a low laugh falling off the smirk of a man who spends as much time shaking his head at you as he does occupying your thoughts.
It's the metallic click and creaking hinge of opening the door you slammed.
It's the staccato of your daughter's giggle.
It's the pianissimo rustling of fabric as she buries her face in the valley of your clavicle.
It's the prayer you whisper, pleading with the divine to let her grow up.
To not cut her life short, but to slow the time between now and then.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
It's the exhale of relief as you watch the rise and fall of her chest before the dawn rises.
It's the vibrato in the scream caught in your throat.
It's the coda, telling you to start over every time you think you're done.
Gena Killion is a poet currently living in Illinois (by way of Florida, by way of Chicago). She is a decent mother and at best a mediocre daughter. She has read poetry on more stages than she can count and approximately four unelevated surfaces.

subset: commoncrawl


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UK home secretary defends naming Extinction Rebellion as extremist
The inclusion of climate activists Extinction Rebellion (XR) by police in a guide to "ideological extremism" marks a serious escalation of the assault on democratic rights. Although the guide has now been withdrawn, the Conservative government has still defended including XR. The Guardian reported last week that Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) had included XR among extremists requiring reporting to the[Read More…]


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The Seattle Times named its Top 50 Regional Wines of the Year in the Sunday, Nov. 15 edition of the its Pacific Northwest Magazine.
Among the rankings was #34, Andy Perdue writes of the Ross Andrew 2010 Boushey Syrah:
"Ross Mickel got his start at Betz before launching his own Woodinville winery in 1999. This syrah comes from arguably the best grape grower in the state."
Price in the low $40 range and available nationally, this wine illustrates a variety over which the winemaker, Ross Mickel, shows continues mastery. Also the recipient of a 91-point score from Wine Spectator's Harvey Steiman, acclaim for this Yakima Valley wine is far from over.
See the full list of Top 50 Northwest Wines of 2015 here. View the best-of-acclaim sheet on the wine here.


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I am often asked why mold has suddenly become a major issue in American life. Is the new interest in mold simply driven by scare tactics and profit? If our grand-parents were not overly concerned about mold, why are we?
First, concern over mold is not the new phenomenon that many think it is. People are often surprised when I tell them that the concern over mold is several thousand years old. The book of Leviticus warns the Israelites about the dangers of mold, and instructs them about protecting themselves. In the worst case scenario, Leviticus commands that the building be torn down!
Second, major changes have been made in building construction over the last 100 years. For example, lead was once a popular material for the manufacture of paint. For public health reasons, lead was removed from paint.
Unfortunately, what was good for humans was also good for mold. Metal is a very uncongenial material for mold growth. For this reason, mold rarely grows on lead paint. By contrast, mold has no objections at all of growing on latex paint. Mold is much more likely to grow on painted surfaces than it was 100 hundred years ago.
In order to conserve energy, houses are much better insulated than they were 100 years ago. Older homes were said to "breathe." Newer homes are described as "tightly built." This "tight" condition means the newer homes cost less to heat and cool. It also means that less air is exchanged between the outside and the inside.
The EPA has found that outdoor air quality is virtually always better than indoor air quality. Often, the indoor air has 10 times more contaminants than the outdoor air. There are many scientific reasons for this. Biological mechanisms such as beneficial bacteria, the respiration of flora and the complexities of the water system help to purify the outdoor area.
The thing to remember is that the outdoor environment was created by a perfect creator. Our indoor spaces are not.
The "new" concern for mold is not an invention of money hungry contractors. We are grappling with a very old problem that the ancient Israelites took very seriously. Advances in the building arts have complicated this very old problem with some unintended consequences. All the evidence indicates that we should take mold more seriously rather than less.


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Wisconsin Dells resorts prepare to reopen for summer vacation season
Resorts in the Wisconsin Dells are getting ready to reopen after the state Supreme Court blocked the stay-at-home order that kept the vacation hot spots closed during the pandemic.
Nick Laskaris, owner of Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park, says he is now taking reservations, and plans to kick off the season on May 26, when the extended order would have expired.
"I woke up today and looked at my wife and said, 'Isn't it nice that we're going to finally be able to leave our home, with the stress of how we're going to be pay our employees?'" Laskaris tells NBC15
With a new plan in place, Laskaris says resort amenities will be held for overnight guests only.
"Our main objective here is to bring the capacity of overall attendance down by 50 percent [compared to pre-pandemic]. It doesn't mean anybody else is doing this in town, but this is how I felt it was important," says Laskaris.
Wisconsin Dells extends across four counties, each with its own guidelines. The Visitor and Convention Bureau says it's waiting for further direction.
Laskaris says health officials from Sauk County hosted a conference call with some of the major Dells resorts to provide guidelines.
"The overall goal from what I took from yesterday's meeting is that we practice social distancing and keep our customers apart from each other," according to Laskaris.
NBC15 News reached out to some other resorts in the area. The Great Wolf Lodge is currently set to reopen in June, but a spokesperson says it will happen once employees are trained on their safety plan.
NBC15 reached out to Sundara Inn and Spa. The general manager there says they notified staff of plans to reopen on June 4 to utilize social distancing and personal protective equipment.


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© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and Applied Clinical Trials Online. All rights reserved.
Company News Release
ICON Medical Imaging has launched a new cardiac echocardiography analysis software which attempts to address important unmet needs in clinical trials using echocardiography.
Dublin, Ireland, December 10th, 2008-ICON plc (NASDAQ: ICLR; ISIN:IE0005711209), a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced that its Medical Imaging division has launched a new cardiac echocardiography analysis software solution. The software, MIRA-ECHO, enables cardiac echocardiography (ECHO) images to be viewed, measured and interpreted in clinical trials and is the latest addition to ICON Medical Imaging's proprietary MIRATM (Medical Imaging Review and Analysis) platform.
Dr. Jonathan Goldman MD, Chief Medical Officer at ICON Medical Imaging, and a recognised expert in echocardiography commented: "MIRA-ECHO satisfies an important unmet need in clinical trials that involve ECHO. For the first time we have a solution that allows us to adjust and fine-tune traced cardiac measurements stored in the eCRF against a moving source image, whilst maintaining regulatory compliance and an audit trail. Combining MIRA-ECHO to the existing MIRA-QCA module for quantitative coronary angiography allows us to offer clients unparalleled capabilities for cardiovascular assessments."
ECHO is a widely used clinical method for assessment of heart structure and function. It is playing an increasingly important role in clinical trials as both a marker of cardiac safety and as a measurement of the therapeutic effects of drugs and devices being evaluated in patients with heart failure. Currently available ECHO software is limited by the inability of the interpreting physician to fine-tune tracings of measurements of the borders of the heart wall against the full motion image of the heart. This fine-tuning can optimise the accuracy of an important marker of heart performance-the left ventricular ejection fraction.
MIRA-ECHO is a digital DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) image viewer and analysis software module that is integrated with an eCRF (Electronic Case Report Form). It displays links from the traced images back to the measured moving heart image, and also to the numerical measurements captured in the eCRF. Functionality embedded within the eCRF allows a physician to adjust preliminary measurements, while maintaining compliance with 21 CFR Part 11 regulations. MIRA-ECHO also enables measurement and assessment of the full complement of ECHO parameters.
About ICON Medical Imaging
Located in Warrington, PA, ICON Medical Imaging, a division of ICON plc, is the leading provider of Medical Imaging core laboratory services to pharmaceutical, biotech and life science clients globally. The team's extensive experience and expert guidance enables clients to maximise the success of their medical imaging endpoints, supporting their current research and development capabilities. ICON Medical Imaging has managed over 260 imaging trials in oncology, cardiovascular, CNS, medical devices and imaging agents.
Further information is available at www.iconmedicalimaging.com


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Cash In on Facebook Marketing with New RV Dealer Services
If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest nation in the world. More than 50% of Americans have a Facebook account, and the majority of them are between the ages of 36 and 63, the prime target demographic for RV sales. If you're an RV dealer, tapping into Facebook's lucrative buyer-rich environment should be at the top of your marketing to-do list. RVT.com's new social engagement marketing services for RV dealers make it easy for RV dealers to tap into the Facebook market and create a dynamic social media presence that will engage RV shoppers.
RV dealers who are making the switch from traditional marketing to social media marketing find that social media marketing requires a different mindset. Where traditional marketing is static, social media marketing is fluid. You can't just come up with a single marketing plan and run with it all year. To engage the interest of Facebook users, you have to constantly tweak and reinvent your marketing plan.
Think of it as the difference between handing a customer a brochure and engaging them in conversation on the showroom floor. When you talk to a potential RV buyer face-to-face, you're changing your presentation minute-to-minute to engage and maintain the shopper's attention. Facebook business pages move your showroom conversations online where you can "talk" to a much larger crowd of RV shoppers.
RVT.com's new social engagement marketing services can set up your RV dealership Facebook business page and show you how to start "talking"!
amos slater
February 2nd, 2012 at 4:17 pm
I would like to know more about what you do with Facebook for a dealer.
Shawn Friesen | Marketing Director | RVT.com Classifieds
February 9th, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Hi Amos
Thanks for your interest in our program. We do a couple different aspects of Facebook management + different levels of servie. 1. Business Page set-up 2. Facebook Page management, which includes Page updates, interaction, and posting links, videos and interesting content that helps build value for your followers. Here's the info sheet on the different levels of service etc – http://www.rvt.com/sem/RVT_Social_Engagement_Marketing.pdf
Feel free to contact us me at 778-484-5091 with any further questions, or reply to this post.
Shawn Friesen
RVT.com | Social Marketing Services


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P2Binvestor Review
|Total Rating
|Terms & Fees
|Application Process
|Sales & Advertising Transparency
|Customer Service
|User Reviews
- No credit score requirements
- High borrowing amounts
- Rates tend to be inexpensive
- The application process is fast and easy
- Only available to B2B businesses
- Not available to businesses in some industries
- Some additional fees charged
- Collateral is required
P2Binvestor Overview
P2Binvestor, known as P2Bi for short, is a peer-to-peer lender that offers asset-backed lines of credit to qualified B2B businesses. The company was founded in 2012 and opened its doors to customers in 2014.
Initially, the company exclusively offered credit lines that were secured by invoices. To differentiate its streamlined product from clunky, fee-ridden traditional invoice factoring, the product was named "Ex-Factor" because it's "better and easier to use" than traditional factoring. Currently, the company's credit lines can be backed by inventory in addition to accounts receivable.
While P2Bi is not the first (or only) company to offer streamlined asset-backed financing, this lender targets a thus far largely-ignored customer base: businesses that are established enough to need a fairly large credit line but are not yet bankable. To qualify for the product, you must be a B2B business that makes at least $500,000 per year.
P2Bi has been in business for a relatively short amount of time; however, while there are very few customer reviews online, the company has built up a lot of positive press. Its product is reasonably priced and all-around convenient, and the company is very transparent.
For businesses interested in an asset-backed line of credit that don't yet meet P2Bi's borrower qualifications, BlueVine and Fundbox are both excellent companies that offer similar products to smaller businesses. However, if your business is large enough to qualify, you'll want to investigate P2Bi.
Is this service right for your business? Read on to find out!
Table of Contents
Services Offered
P2Binvestor offers asset-backed lines of credit. A line of credit establishes a maximum borrowing amount called a credit limit. If approved, the borrower can draw funds from the line of credit at will, so long as the cumulative amount they draw does not exceed their credit limit. Interest is typically only paid on the amount of credit used. An asset-backed line of credit uses the value of a qualifying piece of collateral the borrower puts up to establish the credit limit.
Supplemental term loans are also available to qualified borrowers.
Borrower Qualifications
P2Binvestor describes its ideal candidate as follows (the company does not, however, give hard minimums):
|Time In Business:
|1 year
|Credit Score:
|$2 million+ in revenue (10%+ annual growth)
|Must be based in the US
Must be mostly B2B
Although P2Bi's underwriters look at your credit score, the company does not enforce a minimum required score. P2Bi cannot provide lines of credit to businesses in the following industries:
- Construction
- Real estate
- Medical insurance billing
- Cannabis
Terms & Fees
These are the terms and fees for P2Binvestor's product:
|Borrowing Amount:
|Term Length:
|1-year revolving
|Interest Rate:
|High teens
|Origination Costs:
|Personal guarantee
P2Bi's lines of credit can be secured by A/R receivables and inventory. Additionally, the company requires a personal guarantee, though it does make exceptions for certain clients.
The maximum you can borrow is based on the value of your assets. Typically, you can draw 70% to 80% of the value of your accounts receivables or between 25% to 50% of the value of your inventory. Like a traditional line of credit, you can draw from your credit line at any time, and you only pay interest on the amount that is outstanding.
Draws from the credit line do not have set repayment term lengths. When you enter into an agreement with P2Bi, the company will create a bank account, called a lockbox, in which all the revenue from your assets will be diverted. If you have any outstanding debts with P2Bi, the incoming capital will go toward paying off the debt. Otherwise, the funds will be sent along to your regular business account.
Interest is non-compounding and charged daily. For example, if you have an interest rate of 18%, you will be charged about 0.049% interest per day, or 1.5% per month, on the amount currently outstanding. Although P2Bi doesn't state a specific interest range, its rates are in the "high teens."
Aside from interest, P2Bi charges a one-time origination fee of 1.5% of your credit line, but there is no fee for borrowing from your line. The company also charges a fee for terminating the contract before the year is up. However, it will waive the fee if you are graduating to a bank line of credit product with better rates than P2Bi can offer.
P2Bi also offers term loans as a supplemental product to its lines of credit. The amount of your term loan can't exceed the amount of your line of credit.
Application Process
The process begins with a simple 10-minute online application. You will need to enter basic information about your business and financials and integrate accounting or invoicing software so that P2Binvestor can get an idea of the value of your assets.
After you've finished, an underwriter will get in touch with you to discuss your application and your funding options. If the company has decided your business is a good fit, it will ask for additional documentation to verify all your information is correct. According to the FAQ, these are the documents P2Bi will ask for:
- Balance sheet, as of the end of the last closed month
- Balance sheet, as of the end of last year
- Income statement (P&L), current YTD (through the end of the last closed month)
- Income statement (P&L), full year for the last two years
- Accounts receivable aging report, current YTD (through the end of the last closed month)
- Accounts payable aging report, current YTD (through the end of the last closed month)
If everything checks out, the company will present you with a preliminary offer for a credit line. If you agree, P2Bi will run a full underwriting review. After you have finalized the agreement, a lockbox will be set up, and you will be able to start drawing from your credit line.
The time from application to funding normally takes ten days or less.
Sales & Advertising Transparency
P2Binvestor shares a fair amount of information on its website, though it doesn't have many specifics regarding rates and fees. Regardless, you should have a fair idea about how P2Bi's credit line compares to other options and what to expect from the application and borrowing process. P2Bi is devoted to providing a transparent service.
Customer Service & Technical Support
P2Binvestor is available via phone or email.
Although there are very few customer reviews that address the customer service, I did not have trouble getting in touch with representatives from the company and had a positive experience overall.
User Reviews
Negative Reviews & Complaints
This lender is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau but currently has an A+ rating. P2Binvestor doesn't have any complaints logged, nor does it have any negative experiences.
In fact, this company has very few customer reviews online; this may be because P2Bi hasn't been in operation for very long, its clients aren't prone to online reviews, or it just offers a really good service.
The most common problem potential borrowers might encounter is that P2Bi has difficult-to-meet borrower qualifications. This product is not for everybody — you have to be making at least $500,000 in annual revenue and have approved assets that can be used for collateral. Businesses that don't meet these qualifications will have to look elsewhere for financing.
Positive Reviews & Testimonials
The largest source of positive reviews comes from P2Binvestor's Facebook page, where it has seven reviews with an aggregated rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Most reviews are not accompanied by comments, but here's what one reviewer had to say about the service:
Seriously amazing staff and customer service! They really work hard to make sure they aren't only providing a financial tool, but also want to help companies grow.
In general, customers like P2Bi's product because it solves cash flow problems. Most businesses experience cash flow difficulties, but B2B businesses can be especially susceptible to these problems. Other companies operate similarly to P2Bi, but most target either smaller or larger businesses than P2Bi does.
Final Verdict
While many businesses will not be able to qualify for P2Binvestor's services, this lender offers an excellent product for those that do. There's a lot to like about P2Bi. The initial application is fast and easy, and the company is transparent and communicative. Plus, the product is competitively priced, useful, and solves problems commonly experienced by mid-sized B2B businesses.
Naturally, if you think you are qualified for a bank loan, that possibility should be investigated first. However, if you are not yet qualified, a line of credit from P2Bi is an excellent way to keep your business growing until you are eligible for a line from a bank.
Doesn't sound like P2Bi's lines of credits will work for you? You may want to consider invoice factoring. Don't have a lot of assets to put up? You may want to look at unsecured loans.
Find Funding for Any Credit Level
Explore a wide range of business loan options at BusinessLoans.com. With no minimum credit score requirement, find the perfect funding solution for your needs. Get Started.
Find Funding for Any Credit Level
Explore a wide range of business loan options at BusinessLoans.com. With no minimum credit score requirement, find the perfect funding solution for your needs. Get Started.


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Pearl Harbor Contact Us
Mahalo, for your interest in visiting Pearl Harbor. We look forward to serving you!
We look forward to welcoming you back to Pearl Harbor now. All of our tours are running except those going to Polynesian Cultural Center (which starts in March). We are available to offer small private tours across the island of Oahu as well.


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Strategies fail in the execution phase. Bridge the gap between plan and practice. Replace your permanently outdated strategy. Plan and iterate towards your Big Hairy Goal.
Strategy is a journey – taking small steps towards a big goal. Not a yearly one-off.
Does your strategy fail consistently?
Are you at the point you stopped creating one? I bet you have been looking for the antidote against your strategy failure for ages. Haven't we all?
Strategies fail in the execution phase. It turns out to be hard to bridge the reality gap: the gap between plan and practice.
The classic image of a strategy is a paper document ending up in a drawer. Or in tons of disconnected spreadsheets and presentations, with the same result: nobody will look at it again.
Or do you have a hard time updating it regularly?
The reality is that your company strategy is never finished. We have to get rid of the idea that if we create a strategy once, it will all fall into place in practice. It is simply not true.
The outside world changes constantly and customer behavior will always remain mysterious to some extent. We all know the world is not perfect. Strategies very rarely work out well in the real world, the first time around.
There are just too many variables to account for in any industry, and the start-up world Boardview.io is operating in may be one of the most challenging and dynamic.
Embrace your 'never-finished' strategy!
You'll always have to keep changing and you'll always have to dispose of concepts you thought would see you through to retirement a week ago.
But this is nothing to be ashamed about. Here is how we embraced it!
"Kill your darlings. Embrace your Darwins!"
All you have to do is kill your traditional strategy plan. Don't be scared to throw away your strategy all together.
From now on iterate towards your Big Hairy Goal. Have a long-term goal in mind but only define and work on goals for this month. Don't become specific about goals laying further ahead, but update the goals you have frequently.
It will relief you and your team of the unnatural pressure of 'having to know it all beforehand', while you know that's impossible in the back of your mind.
Put your strategy on post-it notes
Just like you use post-it notes in agile scrum, use post-it notes for your goals. Make sure all the goals add up to the Big Hairy Goal.
A tree like structure will emerge in front of your eyes. That is the visual version of your strategy! We like to call it a Goal tree or Growth Map.
"Structure your strategy, in the name of growth"
The most important part of creating a strategy, or Growth Map, is to continuously optimize the structure for your goals.
You can structure your goals across numerous dimensions, following e.g. your sales funnel, organization, conversions, regions, etc.
We learned it is a both insightful and rough journey. Insight was the biggest benefit for us. It prevented us from making many costly and time-consuming mistakes up front.
Continuously craft your strategy to grow as fast as you can
You sometimes just have to have the b**ls to throw away your company strategy altogether and start from scratch.
We know because we did so three times in the last three months. Three 'darlings' lying lifeless in the corner…. and we don't feel any remorse, and neither should you for doing the same.
We planned, did, checked and acted, and we are on the right track (for) now.
Why we rebuilt our own growth map 3 times in just 3 months
As a real life example, here is our story of how we shaped our own goal tree, or rather how we cut them down and planted new ones. A fruitful exercise.
At Boardview.io we iterated through three strategies in three months. It brought a steep learning curve with tons of insights and pivots.
When we put our goals into a tree, things started looking up. Building a tree helped us structure our thought process and output. This is how we did it.
#1 Our first Growth Strategy - the Hubspot funnel
We were still in pre-launch phase at the time. We were featured on Beta List.
Our tree was built from scratch. We used a funnel as a basis for our tree. We loosely followed the Hubspot model, consisting of Brand + Buzz, ToFu, MoFu, Evangilism and marketeering.
As with many new enterprises and products, we did not have enough real figures and benchmarks to be able to properly estimate conversions. 80% was just guesswork.
But that did not matter. The exercise mattered.
It helped us to identify potential pitfalls BEFORE we started working. That is the real value of the Growth Map exercise in a highly uncertain situation. It is no fail safe solution, but it narrows down the range of potential failure scenarios.
It ruled out a lot of possibilities that would have surely lead to disaster. It prevented us from wasting energy, money and resources.
We estimated 40% of the strategy would be right, but we didn't know which part. Without the strategy it would have been a lot less than 40%.
We got to work and ended up achieving 124% our intended goal. We got 24% more 'Beta Users' than we aimed for.
It turned out the Inbound goal structure was not specific enough for this phase. So we decided to improve it...
#2 Our Second Growth Strategy – Pirate Metrics
By this time, we just launched our tool. We were featured on ProductHunt.com, the nirvana for new products.
The second time around we decided to build our tree on metrics specifically for start-ups. Refusing to rest on the laurels of our first moderate success we decided to use Pirate Metrics in our new tree.
We tweaked Pirate Metrics by distinguishing between 'I like what you TELL' and 'I like what you SELL', separating content conversions from the product conversions.
Again the Growth Map exercise helped us to prioritize goals. We prevented ourselves from doing a little bit of everything and ending up with nothing.
It made our tree simpler, going from five to three goals on the second level of the goal tree.
We got to work and achieved 110% of our intended goal. We got 10% more 'Users in the Tool' than we aimed for.
#3 Our Third Growth Strategy – Funnel + AARRR
By now we had a pretty solid idea how to go about setting up a tree that works in practice. We added ToFu MoFu BoFu to our Pirate Metrics setup. Specific team members are responsible for three different areas of the funnel.
This time we applied the AARRR model twice. Roughly the AARRR for content conversions ("I like what you tell") applies to the ToFu and MoFu part, whereas the AARRR for product conversions resides under the BoFu part.
We also upped our iteration frequency to be more agile and learn faster. Every week we add, adjust and close goals. We started to get into a routine of updating our goals regularly. It resulted in improvements in UX and the addition of some new features you may have used already. We are now seeing steady growth week over week.
See if your strategy needs trimming… if you have one
We are often asked if we use our own tool: Boardview.io. Yes we do. We built the tool specifically to propel business growth, also our own. It helps us to keep an overview on strategy, even when goals and structure are changed regularly.
You'll most likely find out that some of the goals you've been working towards don't really serve a purpose, which may sting a bit at first. But it is all in the name of growth.
- Write down your company goals in Boardview goal cards. No need to become specific about the goals or their position in the tree just yet.
- See if you can build a proper goal tree. Put every goal in the right place in the tree to prioritize goals, and to see how you contribute to the bigger goal.
We can't wait to hear what strategy you have built. Do you dare to share?
Fail forward, fail fast. Go fast.
Three major overhauls of our own Goal Tree may sound like a lot, but when your learning curve is steep it is very normal.
Future developments and new insights will probably force us to overhaul our tree yet again. And we will do so with pride, knowing that it will only bring us quick wins in the short run and make things better in the long run.
The trick is to fail forward fast, just like we did, to end up victorious in the end.


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News archive
- All topics
- Textron Aviation
- Beechcraft
- Cessna
- Textron Aviation Defense
- Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability
- All years
- July
- Reset
Collaboration Utilizes our Best Resource, People
Daniel Butherus, a supervisor in experimental engineering, says that no single idea is as important as the end goal, which are successful results for the Textron Aviation team and our customers.
Women in Engineering keep our world moving: Meet Victoria Mattingly
It was a high school physics teacher who told Victoria Mattingly she had a knack for science that encouraged her to consider Electrical Engineering. In many cases, it only takes a push from a mento...
Becoming a Civil Air Patrol Intern at Textron Aviation
Did you know Textron Aviation offers internships for Civil Air Patrol cadets? Hear from 2019 CAP intern Thea Kirkpatrick on what a day in the life of a cadet intern looks like.
A Legacy of Flight: What the Cessna 172 Means to Pilots
Watch Textron Aviation President and CEO Ron Draper (and fellow #AvGeek) describes what the 172 means to pilots as he takes his son for a flight around Wichita, Kansas.
Cessna signs a multi-year agreement with Kent State University, delivers new Skyhawk
Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today delivered a new Cessna Skyhawk 172 as part of an agreement recently signed with Kent State U...


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Cristian Rodriguez
Field CTO
The cyber threat landscape is unpredictable and features security concerns that must be shared across all levels of the organization. Understanding the significance of recent events gives visibility into the shifting dynamics of adversary tactics, which is critical for staying ahead of and ultimately defeating today's threats. As security teams assess the evolving threat landscape, what changes are required, and what can be done about it?
Dinner Agenda
5:00 PM EST Welcome Reception and Arrivals with Refreshments
6:00 PM EST Leadership Discussion
- Introduction (10 mins) The peer executive will engage the audience for brief introductions and discuss the format and key takeaways from the guided interaction conversation and dinner discussions.
- Guided Interactive Conversation (30 mins) – Topics include:
- What security teams need to know – and do – in an increasingly ominous threat landscape
- How to implement the right combination of security tools to stop an adversary with speed
- Effective security strategies and practical recommendations to stay ahead of next-level threats
- Open Forum Discussion (35 mins) This discussion will be based on the list of challenges discussed already and will take the format of group brainstorming and open discussion to come up with suggestions and solutions to common challenges at the executive level.
7:15 PM EST Dinner Service
9:00 PM EST Conclusion


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Selous Game Reserve is an immense area of protected wilderness that has remained untouched for thousands of years. Join us on this 3 days and 2 nights south Tanzania safari to Selous game reserve safari.
The Selous game reserve boasts Tanzania's largest population of elephant as well as a large number of lions, leopard, African hunting dogs, buffalo and hippo. Species commonly seen are bushbuck, red and blue duikers, eland, hartebeest, hyena, giraffe, oryx, reedbuck, impala, waterbuck and zebra. The park has the most extensive diversity of safari activities ranging from Romantic Boat Safari along the Great Rufiji River, legendary fly camping trips, walking and compliment standard game driving in thriving wildlife areas.
While on this Selous safari, you can enjoy a variety of activities such as Boat safari thanks to the lakes and the Rufiji River and Drive safari. The Selous is also the biggest stronghold for wild dogs in Africa and surely one of the places where you would have more chances to stop them! The Selous is also the biggest stronghold for wild dogs in Africa and surely one of the places where you would have more chances to spot them!
Rates & Costs Selous Game Reserve Safari
- Price per person $1050
Enjoy 3 full days and 2 nights at Selous River Camp
Day 1 – Dar Es Salaam /Zanzibar to Selous Game Reserve
The safari starts by departing from Zanzibar with a flight to Selous at 14:00, upon your arrival at Mtemere Airstrip, you will be met by our Driver/Guide drive to the Lodge with a game drive en-route and then proceed with a boat cruise where you will be served dinner and overnight at Selous River Camp.
Day 2 – Full Day Selous Game Reserve Safari
After breakfast, you can go on a walking safari and a full day game drive in a 4×4 modified safari vehicle with a professional guide in the Selous Game Reserve exploring the game in the surrounding areas. From your seat on an open-roofed vehicle, a comfortable and privileged journey through the wild African bush. You may expect to see any of the major African great favorite mammals, including elephant, giraffes, lions, buffalo, zebra, and even the rare African wild dogs. Picnic lunch shall be provided in mid-day where your guide will select a location with a clear view all round so that no predator can creep up. Before the end of the day, you will make your way back to camp where dinner will be served and you will once again overnight at Selous River Camp.
Day 3 – Selous Game Reserve to Dar Es Salaam or Zanzibar
Early morning village tour, usually start at 6:00 to 6.30 after an early morning tea or coffee, a short drive by car. Home to many of our camp staff, a tour here is a very personal experience and the focus is on meeting locals, learning about their day-to-day lives, and visiting places like the primary school, market, and police post. Back to the camp for breakfast at which point you will then depart from Mtemere to Zanzibar at 10.30
Image Gallery
Important Information
Price Includes
- Park fees, Conservation and Community Development fees
- Mid-range lodge and tented camp accommodation as stipulated
- All meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Complimentary mineral water 1.5lt per person in the safari vehicle
- 4×4 game viewing vehicles plus driver guide (window seat guaranteed)
- Unlimited game drives
- All transfers and activities as mentioned above
Price Excludes
- Tips suggested: Driver guide $10+ per person sharing the vehicle per day
- Drinks apart from 1,5lt mineral water during the safari
- Items of personal nature and not mentioned in the above itinerary
Terms & Conditions
Packages available 1 week in advance of booking date and are non-refundable. Please do note this package is subject to flight and accommodation availability. Do ensure to inquire about children's policy. Prices are subject to change without notice.
Inquire now on our bookings page for more information


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Insight: What to do in Bordeaux, the French Phoenix
By Liz Schaffer At the turn of the 21st century, Bordeaux was in trouble. Dusty and lifeless, the once majestic stone city was crumbling. So understandably, contemporary Bordeaux feels a little like a phoenix from the ashes. With eons of soot removed from its opulent medieval churches, Baroque-era facades and Art Nouveau town houses and its once questionable docklands transformed into a playground for the hip and design conscious, Bordeaux is once again a European gem.Continue reading on thecultureist.com


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- Availability:
- In Stock
- Product Code:
- 20061029swdvd
Stranglehold Wrestling DVD October 29, 2006 "Bloodstock" - Toronto, ON
Stranglehold Wrestling DVD Oct. 29, 2006 "Bloodstock" - Toronto, Canada
This is the 1st ever Canadian Death Match Tournament which features Viking, SeXXXy Eddy, LuFisto, Necro Butcher, Mad Man Pondo, Bloody Bill Skullion and more. Matches include Viking vs. Necro Butcher and Necro Butcher vs. Lufisto. This DVD was filmed by SMV with 3 cameras and includes replays of all the carnage and backstage interviews.
1. BJ Stardom vs. Asylum
2. Hammer vs. Notorious TID
3. Hornet vs. Aurora vs. Beef Wellington
4. Necro Butcher vs. Viking
5. LuFisto vs. Juggulator
6. SeXXXy Eddy vs. Mad Man Pondo
7. Bloody Bill Skullion vs. Independent Soldier
8. Random Acts Of Stupidity
9. Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Matt Burns
10. Necro Butcher vs. Mad Man Pondo
11. Bloody Bill Skullion vs. LuFisto
12. Barbed Wire Ropes & Lighttubes - Necro Butcher vs. LuFisto


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Penn State's 2021 bowl plans: A New Year's Six game is completely out of the question
Penn State should either stay close to home for the holidays or venture nearly out of sight.
There may not be any recognizable middle ground for a team that's lost five of its past seven games.
The most uninspired bowl game destination since joining the Big Ten is what you get for losing one excruciating game after another.
Grading Penn State:PSU report card vs. Michigan State: How Lions found ways to lose close, yet again
Look ahead to 2022:Which Penn State seniors will return in 2022?
Alas, the Nittany Lions still held hopes for a top-level, New Year's Day bowl before narrow defeats to Michigan and Michigan State the past three weeks.
Now, they figure to either revisit the bowl game from Franklin's first year in State College or play in a once-forbidden postseason destination.
Who could have seen this coming during their first half in Iowa in October?
Since, they've lost five of their last seven by a combined 21 points.
They've fallen out of the Top 25 and meaningful postseason talk. And yet they won't pass up a bowl game for the ever-crucial practice work for younger players and evaluating ever-shifting rosters in the transfer portal age.
Penn State, officially, will learn of its bowl destination late Sunday afternoon after the playoff teams and New Year's Six bowl games are announced.
Here are their possible landing spots:
Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 29, New York City
The Big Ten/Penn State bowl thinking this week probably goes one of two ways:
Either keep this disappointing product close to its alumni stronghold as possible, an easy sell to the masses (Quick trip to see your team in Yankee Stadium!).
Or give the fans something something new and glitzy to make them care. Vegas, suddenly a football destination, qualifies.
While the Pinstripe in the South Bronx makes much more geographic sense, it's tough to decipher which way a decision may lean.
The Pinstripe would offer a comfy mid-afternoon start against an Atlantic Coast Conference team such as North Carolina, Virginia or Louisville. It also is the site of feel-good Penn State memories: Fans ate up the team's other appearance here immediately following the NCAA bowl ban and were treated to a rollicking overtime victory.
One deterrent now: Though Penn State hasn't played in the game in seven years, other eligible Big Ten teams have never. That may mean something. Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota would be new faces here.
Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 30
The Lions have never played in the game and maintain a strong West Coast alumni base which rarely gets to see them in person. Allegiant Stadium is a gem, too.
The Pac-12 opponent would be intriguing, as well, either high-powered Arizona State or UCLA.
Maybe you just give Penn State fans something unique and shiny when the air has been unexpectedly sucked out of the season. This would be the time.
On the other hand, would Big Ten officials think anyone back East would stay up to actually watch this on TV? Maybe they don't care.
Kickoff isn't until 10:30 p.m., ET.
Music City Bowl, Dec. 30, Nashville, Tennessee
This seemed like a much better possibility with a victory over Michigan State last weekend.
Still, the Lions could be attractive because of their TV ratings power and fan loyalty, and they've never played in the game. Nashville could be seen as an advantage (The scene of Franklin's successful head coaching start at Vanderbilt) or a detriment (The scene of his criticized exit and program-embroiled rape case).
There may not be enough to gain, with the here and now. Let another Big Ten team with a better ending and record (Purdue, Minnesota) go instead.
They would play an SEC team such as Tennessee.
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com and follow him on Twitter @YDRPennState.


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The thin veneer of heat that passes for summer in Britain is retreating. Of course, this has been one of the greatest summers ever. Only the great summer of 1976 bears comparison and constant reference is made to this in the media and the street (by those old enough to remember). I can't make this comparison personally as I first arrived on these shores in 1977. The temperature came dangerously close to 37oC at its peak but overall it can be called benign by Australian standards.
But as we get further into September the cool mornings and occasional brisk winds remind us that we are heading into Autumn. What a lovely time to have been here! The beautiful sunny days and green countryside are blissful. So much of our time here has been spent driving along roads with overhanging trees that filter the sunlight to make peaceful, secluded enclaves. There was a slight harshness to the sun in the summer when you walked over open ground. Now that has passed and the soporific pleasure of basking in fading full sun is divine. The trip to Scotland was lovely but the nights noticeably cooler. How British to spend so much time discussing the weather. But when it is lovely it is a time to rejoice here. The atmosphere of the place is so dependent on it. Places that seem lovely now will soon be cruelled by the grey blanket of winter that lasts as long as an Australian summer.
One downside of being here at this time has been the fact that travel to Europe is so expensive. From the middle of the month we hit the road to Europe for a few short bursts. A lot more time could have been spent here but with the focus on India, it'll just have to be another time.
Living here, I have also fallen victim to an extent of Brexit fatigue. It now seems that stupidity will prevail and it will happen. Probably in the worst possible way. Now there will be a morbid fascination as to how it will unfold and if it will be as destructive as many think. Deal or no deal, it is clear that some things will continue as before for a while as there is simply aren't the resources to make it happen from day one. HM Customs (or whatever they are called now) have said they don't have the resources to stop every truck entering from the EU and will just wave them through until they can come up with some way of managing. There will be a lot of unintended consequences – mostly bad but there'll have to be some good. The Tories are set to tear themselves apart over it. Probably a good idea the Conservatives (like the Liberals in Australia) split into factions of centrists and right wing nut jobs. In the UK it's really all about Brexit whereas in Australia it's the moderates versus the coal loving, gay hating, bible thumping dinosaurs. Either way the parade of clowns "ruling" both countries is risible. More fun to be had in the chaotic beauty of India. No order to be sought there, just go with the flow.
Scotland was lovely and great to see other people not seen in years. Again, we were blessed by the weather. Dundee seemed thoroughly pleasant despite its reputation for being poverty stricken and drug ridden. Other travel so far has taken us to the West Country, Norfolk, Derbyshire, Kent and the New Forest. Nearly all in bright sunshine through the green and pleasant land. More travel in the British Isles awaits. Ireland and Wales have yet to come.
Amongst the joy seeing our old friends we are reminded also how random and cruel life can be. One of our Scottish friend's life had been hit with tragedy, two suicides and illness had decimated her close family. A couple known to Jackie for years (and to me for that matter) had been cut to one by an untimely death from cancer. Another friend had lost a nephew recently through a freakish accident. One other friend who had seen off an abusive relationship was faced with breast cancer. I admire the way she could brush it all aside and embrace life. I guess our close family was very near to tragedy but luck was on my side. But to reconnect with old friends is to give meaning to our presence here. It is life affirming and it feels that to have embarked on this adventure is a way to seize the day and live in the present. It also shows how our focus has shifted. Our ties to Britain have weakened. Time has taken quite a toll and the place has lost its magnetism. Its withdrawal from Europe has also lessened my pull towards it. It's like seeing a once admired relative become grumpier and weaker, with more of the already fading mystique leaving a feeling that maybe there was less to admire than originally thought.


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Students Prefer to Attend Virtual Class Without Cameras On
February 25, 2021
The global pandemic has affected many students all across the country, especially in terms of how they learn. Virtual school became a common practice for many school districts in an effort to prevent covid from spreading. During this virtual learning period, Zoom meetings and Google meets have been a part of every student's way of learning. In every meeting, no matter the topic, size, or length, teachers at GCHS have reported that they all have one thing in common: students prefer to have their cameras turned off for the entire portion of class.
High school teachers have noticed that few, if any, of their students are willing to turn the camera on for class, while teachers of younger students have stated that their students typically join class with their cameras on, and sometimes with their microphones on as well, anxious and excited to interact with both their teachers and their peers. Why would this be? Why wouldn't high school students want their teachers and classmates to be able to see them for class? Why are elementary students more willing to turn them on?
Western Elementary School student Peyton Scaggs, a fifth grader, arrives at his virtual class with his camera on each day. Scaggs stated, "I like to turn it on in the beginning and off at the end. I mostly like to keep it on in the beginning, so they know that I'm there."
Teachers prefer students to have their cameras turned on in class. Social Studies teacher at Great Crossing High School, Erica Blair, prefers for her students to have their cameras on. "I love teaching, and I miss having face-to-face interactions with my students."
Ms. Blair stated, "At times it feels awkward talking to blank screens, and it's almost impossible to tell if students are understanding the content or not." While Blair hopes that most of her students will turn on their cameras for class, she understands why many choose not to. "They may feel uncomfortable turning their camera on if no one else is," Blair said. "Or they may have just woken up to join the zoom call, or the background is chaotic."
GCHS senior Alaina Fueda seldom turns her camera on for class. "I prefer having my camera off mainly because I am super insecure about how I look, I am mainly insecure because there are a lot of very judgemental people who will judge you so quickly. I also feel super awkward and am super shy whenever I have my camera on."
Another teacher at GCHS, Leslie Murphy witnessed firsthand the difference between what she sees with her high school students and with her third grader's classmates. "My son Daniel has only had to do virtual school for three weeks this school year, and when we were all doing virtual school from home, it was so surprising for me to see that ALL the third graders logged on for class with cameras on. Daniel loves to have it on so he can see his friends. His teacher also gave them breaks where everyone could stay logged on and talk. All those third graders were talking at once over each other–and they didn't care because they were together. It just showed me that we all crave interaction with others, especially the younger students."


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This listing is for 1 set of brand new KAM pliers PLUS a wooden handle awl for KAM snaps sizes 14, 16 and 20. The awl is an essential tool to use with the pliers. Please note that the awl you'll receive might be a little different from the picture as it depends on what is available, but it's guaranteed to be a nice product. Please feel free to contact us if you have any question at all. If you are looking for some KAM snaps too, we have them in a few varieties in the shop- make sure you grab some before checking out :)
I have also found a great Youtube video on how to use the pliers, please find it on this page :)
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You loved Lockdown Love Part One and Part Two and we just had to bring you Part 3 with even more lovely couples celebrating their would be wedding day. As lockdown restrictions eased, some were able to celebrate with family and friends and going out to their favourite restaurants. This month we (Lauren and Tiffany - the brides behind this blog) celebrate our would be wedding days on 12th September and 19th September. If your original date is coming up, this post should provide you with a ton of inspo! There are lots of ways to mark the occasion, so you should choose the one that is right for you as a couple, whether that means spending the day just the two of you keeping it lowkey or with some of the important people in your life.
Nicola + Eoin
Original Date: 27.06.2020│ New Date: 14.05.2021
We were lucky enough to be invited to celebrate the original date in the beautiful gardens of our venue, Ballyscullion park.
Our families organised a gorgeous picnic for us and surprised us by organising a VW campervan to come and take us to and from!
We spent the afternoon strolling around the beautiful gardens with our dog Luna and had our wedding photographer, Honey and the Moon photography, come to take some photos of us so that we could mark the day.
We had such a fab day making memories and it was so lovely to be able to celebrate the date. We are so grateful to our venue, photographer, families and friends for making our would be wedding day a day to remember!
Allen + Will
Original Date: 22.05.2020│ New Date: 21.05.2021
Will did a picture and clue hunt around our home with pictures and clues taken from my Instagram from all the big moments leading up to the wedding day such as proposal, engagement party, cake tasting, my ring etc.
We then had our Maid of Honour over and we had afternoon tea with bottles of veuve which all our friends and family know is our go to drink for all celebrations since we met. We then had a zoom party with our Chief Bridesmaid.
Roll on 2021 when this lovely pair become Mr + Mr Ross Jones!
Charley + Hal
Original Date: 13.04.2020│ New Date (small ceremony): 12.07.2020
Congratulations are in order for Charley and Hal who are now married! The newlyweds have a wedding celebration pending. Here's what they got up to in April for their lockdown wedding date...
We made food from our wedding menu and door stop visits from our family, Dresses up, had a surprise socially distancing photo shoot, a little 'I dos' at our original wedding time and put on foil rings. The sun was shining and we had each other and loads of love from the family sending us selfies toasting us!
Vicki + Will
Original Date: 18.06.2020│ Then: 05.11.2020 │ Now: 23.09.2021
We spent the morning at home enjoying Coronas...
We then went to my parents with my sister and her bf for socially distanced afternoon tea, surf and turf dinner and then hot tub party!
Lydia + Ed
@shiggs_wed + @wildrenee
Original Date: 11.07.2020│ Now: 19.06.2021
Jade + Stuart
Original Date: 22.08.2020│ Now: 27.06.2021
Our original date marked 10 years since we first met, and we didn't want to let it pass without doing something. So, we decided let's just have a 'not-wedding day' instead!
We were lucky to book what seemed like the last good cabin on Airbnb for that weekend. The Skipper's Hut was beautiful. Set in a secluded woodland by Loch Voil. Camping would have been the backup plan.
Dressed for the occasion and celebrated just the two of us. I wore white boho bridesmaid dress that I'd bought online for £40.
We made a bouquet and buttonhole using flowers from Lidl and many Youtube videos.
For the wedding feast, we had a take-home Mexican feast from our favourite restaurant (Bibi's Cantina) and heated it up in the cabin's oven. Of course, there was a lot of prosecco too!
We'd always wanted a small woodland wedding, but in the end our actual wedding planned out to be the opposite at Enterkine House Hotel, Ayr. The silver lining to our wedding being postponed is that, we ended up having a woodland wedding after all. Fingers crossed that the weather in June is a little warmer.
We also had a little photoshoot, Stuart took some photos using his drone. It was good practice for Wedding 2.0 next year.
Lauren + Ross
Original Date: 15.08.2020│ New Date: 05.12.2020
We had a socially distanced family brunch in the garden.
Lauren and Ross then headed for an overnight luxe night over at Turnberry Hotel.
Nicole + James
Original Date: 27.06.2020│ New Date: 08.04.2021
The day started by my mum who surprised me with the biggest bunch of flowers delivered to the house in the morning, blush pinks just how I would have my bridal bouquets.
I then surprised James with a video I put together of messages from our family and friends which made us all emotional as it was so lovely! It came together perfectly.
In the afternoon we all went to James's parents house where I was surprised with a 'pretend' ceremony and we said some vows to each other, had our very own pageboy, and a reading from James's dad!
We also had a wedding cake to cut with our engraved cake knife that had our original wedding date, at least it didn't go to waste!
We couldn't have hoped for anything more on our would be wedding day! We felt so loved. We see it as we got an extra day of celebrations! Here's to our new date, bigger and better!
Aisling + Brian
Original Date: 06.06.2020│ New Date: 04.06.2021
We celebrated our day by booking a gorgeous little cottage for two nights along a private beach! We played our wedding music, danced and had drinks! We put our phones away and enjoyed our time together! It was the most amazing trip ever!
The couple even had a cute photoshoot to mark the date!
Leanne + Pete
Original Date: 03.07.2020│ New Date: 02.07.2021
Mr + Mrs Peebles-Malone to be were due to get married at Carlowrie Castle in Edinburgh, but sadly had to postpone their wedding until July 2021.
We had a continental breakfast platter delivered from the amazing @pinot2u we then had a lovely afternoon tea that my sister organised with our family.
We had lots of lovely deliveries from our friends and families and we ended the night watching the Broadway screening of Hamilton (we got engaged in NY) and sipping fizz and eating chocolate strawberries!
Dani + Liam
Original Date: 04.07.2020│ New Date: 24.07.2021
We celebrated by supporting small business and having 2 wonderful women to the house to create a backdrop for a "would be wedding day" photoshoot shot by our photographer Gavin Hardy.
We spent the day drinking prosecco and whisky, dancing to our first dance song, eating steak like we would have done for our wedding meal and "cutting the cake" the cake being a shop bought birthday cake... but it was pretty perfect all things considered!
The guys who were involved were: @boardsbyjess, @littledreamers_co_events, @gavyophoto
Alex Hannah + Stephen
Original Date: 05.07.2020│ New Date: 27.12.2020
Alex Hannah and Stephen marked their original wedding date with a BBQ with family and friends. Their daughter wore her bridesmaid dress since she will grow out of it by the couple's new date.
Victoria + Paul
Original Date: 05.07.2020│ New Date: 04.07.2021
After a postponed and 2 cancelled honeymoons (first one was booked with Thomas Cook who went bust), we decided to see the positives of postponing and celebrate our original date anyway.
Our neighbours put on an incredible spread and even made us a homemade cake which we cut to celebrate. We drank, danced and laughed with family and friends.
We even wore our wedding rings for the day which was fun too. Can't wait for the real deal next year!
Victoria's florist @lavenderblueglasgow recreated her bridal bouquet for the day too.
Nicola + Mark
Original Date: 08.07.2020│ New Date: 08.07.2021
Future Mr and Mrs Thompson were due to get married in Thailand in July. "We postponed our destination wedding at the end of March and I knew we would need something to look forward to on our original date but we had to wait to see which lockdown restrictions would be in place."
"We were lucky that restrictions had eased so we could have a garden party with both our parents, siblings and our bridesmaid. We had ordered some cupcakes and made lots of treats like chocolate strawberries!"
"We both felt so spoiled with love all day, the weather was great and we could have our fur baby, Dory with us. We had a great day with everyone (even at a distance!) and feel like we can now look forward to our new date and begin the countdown again!"
We celebrated a would be wedding day party at our home with our close friends and family (socially distancing of-course).
Bethanie + Gavin
Original Date: 08.05.2020│ Was: 18.09.2020 New Date: 07.05.2021
Because the day arrived during full lockdown we hadn't planned a lot except a few drinks at home, walking round to my parents in the village for a socially distance "cheers 🥂" and then home for a nice meal. My bridesmaids had treated us to a 4 course meal each as a little treat to cheer us up. The morning arrived and we got up, had planned to get dressed up lots but it turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. From the moment we woke we got spoilt with lovely messages, especially a video made from our family with lots of good will messages and through out the morning lots of surprise waves /chats and gifts through the garden.
Watch the video the bride made of their would be wedding day.
By lunch time my mum and dad told us to pop for a drink, where we received the biggest shock of our lives. My mum dad and sisters has set up the most amazing afternoon tea set up for two with the help of my amazing best friend (also bridesmaid) business "Crash The Wedding" events planning. I cried my eyes out, it was the most beautiful and romantic setting and just perfect for our day. My mum and dad must of worked all night to set it up.
We had a few hours in their garden eating and drinking where they waited on us hand and foot. The day was also VE Day so we listened to the event all day on the tv and everyone thoroughly enjoyed a day we were dreading.
By the evening we walked home to where we dressed up to enjoy our San Pietro meal in our own garden. Below is Bethanie and Gavin's wedding venue lit up for VE day, how they planned to have it.
Amanda + Ian
Original Date: 17.07.2020│ New Date: 09.05.2021
We celebrated our original date at home, just the 2 of us. We decorated the house, started the morning off with brunch (in our matching t shirts I made! With our wedding hashtag!)
We then spent the morning /early afternoon in the garden together, reminiscing about things we'd done together and listening to music we were going to have played during our ceremony and reception. Later on we then dressed up and treated ourselves to a 6 course meal with plenty of prosecco.
We might have also danced to our first dance and around around our living room! We ended the day watching the Wedding Singer one of our favourite films!
Stuey + Francis
Original Date: 16+17.07.2020│ New Date: TBC
Mr + Mr Armfield-Haugen to be were due to get married at Aynhoe Park in July, but have been unable to secure a new date so far.
We celebrated our original date with a surprise for us garden party that our grooms party put on for us.
It was so special, they made it out like it was the real thing and we had such a lovely day.
Ash + Craig
Original Date: 18.07.2020│ New Date:26.09.2020
We drove down to St Ives and had a beautiful day on the beach doing what we do best - eating, drinking, relaxing to the max. We are both NHS Doctors too so it's our first break in a long time!
This photo is from the day that Craig proposed to me in San Sebastián in September last year.
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Ellie + Liam
Original Date: 18.07.2020│ New Date:15.05.21
We decided we didn't want our original date to pass us by, as it is such an important date for us. We were meant to be getting married on our 11 year anniversary so we decided to hold a small celebration in our garden with close family & friends.
I actually won a competition through Instagram to win a "we still do" wedding cake topper which inspired me to attempt to make my own "non-wedding day" cake! We decided to get our DIY on and made a white and gold themed balloon arch to frame our drinks and nibbles table (which also happens to be the perfect photo op!) My fiancé surprised me with a replica of my wedding bouquet from our wedding florist which made my day!
We finished our day by watching Dirty Dancing at the Luna Drive in Cinema. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day and feeling super grateful to be able to have two celebrations! The countdown is now on for the day we get to say "I do"!
Joanne + Tom
Original Date: 18.07.2020│ New Date: 24.07.2021
We had an unplanned wedding day with close family with drinks and BBQ food.
I had bought a lovely ASOS white dress to wear on the day but ended up staying in the bridey t-shirt and just wanted to feel comfortable plus it rained aaaalll day!
The night before their original date Mr and Mrs Appleton to be had a pre-wedding photoshoot with their photographer, look out for that coming soon on the blog!
Holly + John
Original Date: 26.08.2020│ New Date: 27.08.2021
We celebrated at a local restaurant with our parents john surprised me with flowers from our wedding florist a personalised balloon and a cake.
We celebrated at a local restaurant with our parents john surprised me with flowers from our wedding florist a personalised balloon and a cake.
The next day we went for dinner with our parents and his sister and her fiancé. As a family his sister had her wedding cancelled in June so there was two siblings due to marry this year within two months of each other and both postponed!
Holly + Tom
Original Date: 08.08.2020│ New Date: 09.07.2021
The 8th August 2020 was a celebration in its own right, it was 12 years to the day we met at a wedding - so it was perfect for us to also get married that day, before COVID got involved!
I had been shielding during the COVID pandemic while working for the NHS from a laptop at home so knew early on that we would need to postpone. We therefore wanted to do something super special to mark the occasion, and had been toying with buying a boat after we were married. Given everything that's happened, we thought 'why not' and so we bought a boat!
The morning of our 'would be wedding', we exchanged cards and headed out on our new boat in our matching 'almost husband and wife' T-shirts. We moored to meet our families for a distanced picnic on the riverbank, in the village where we first met, 12 years to the day.
We took photos, threw confetti and had a really lovely afternoon. After our families went home, we cooked a cute little camping dinner, danced to our first dance song on the riverbank and ate some of our wedding cake from our cake supplier. We then stayed the night on our new boat, before heading home the next morning.
It was perfect, we cannot wait to create more memories and adventures before we finally get married in July 2021. A friend bought us a beautiful heart shaped plaque, which we have positioned in the front of our boat to remind us that the best is yet to come, each and every time we go out.
Jenny + Dominic
Original Date: 11.07.2020│ New Date: 17.07.2021
The future Mr and Mrs Holmes made the most of their original wedding date.
With help from our photographers, I planned a surprise picnic for Dominic at our wedding venue.
On the original date we visited the church where we are getting married and had a mini photo shoot with our parents acting as the photographers.
We were spoiled by family and friends who sent us cards, gifts and flowers which was really lovely. My dad even went to the effort of getting the mornings photos printed and put into frames and gave to us as a gift later that day.
We had our parents over for a BBQ to mark the occasion and my friend provided us with a cake so we could do a cake cutting too. It was a really lovely day!
Ammie + James
Original Date: 01.08.2020│ New Date: 03.07.2021
We were told to go to my parents house for 2:30pm, our close friends and family were there. Food drinks etc.
I missed out on the hen do so all my girl friends were there in their t-shirts that they got made.
We had a lovely cake made by our wedding cake maker! It was also out 10th Anniversary. My sister randomly came out dressed as a Vicar and pretended to marry us as a bit of comedy!
Laura + Rob
Original Date: 11.07.2020│ Then: 11.09.2020 Now: 17.04.2021
We spent our would be wedding day at home just us as we were still in lockdown so weren't able to do much else or see anyone. I'd not planned anything at all and wasn't sure how I'd feel but I just went with the day and we honesty had the nicest happiest day I wasn't sad at all.
We decided to have a pretend wedding day and make a joke of all the wedding nightmares (thanks to Becky with the pink hair @bb_wedding_ for the idea) so the make up artist didn't turn up, my dress didn't fit cause of the lockdown eating, guests didn't arrive etc...
In the morning we decided to exchange our wedding gifts we'd bought for each other instead of them being in the box for a year. That definitely softened the blow!
We also received lots of gifts and cards throughout the day from family and friends which was lovely.
We got a takeout afternoon tea and used some of our wedding bits with the old date on and just generally had a really lovely time and drank LOTS of prosecco. We ended the night singing and dancing to our wedding songs.
Sarah + Rob
Original Date: 20.08.2020│ Now: 02.06.2021
We spent the day in our garden with our family and friends and had a BBQ as it was so sunny!
Aimee + Thomas
Original Date: 20.08.2020│ Now: 09.04.2021
On 20.08.20 we had our morning of giving each other some gifts and had a grazing breakfast given to us as a gift from our best men.
My husband-to-be had flowers hand delivered from our wedding florist on our should have been wedding day which was amazing. Then we had a surprise from all the women from my should have been hen (that got postponed too) where they paid for us to have an overnight stay at our venue, with a 3 course meal, breakfast & spa entrance all paid for. There's a video of me crying in shock! So we had a lovely evening there.
Then on 22.08.20 we have only close family over for a small social distance garden gathering/party.
We never expected our wedding to end like this, but we have had so much love from our family we just can't wait to celebrate with everyone on our new date in April 2021!
Demi + Josh
Original Date: 29.08.2020│ Now: 11.07.2021
I woke up and he surprised me with the biggest bunch of flowers all white and some yellows (he said he wanted to keep with our wedding theme of white with a touch of gold which I thought was super thoughtful). We had champagne and wedding cookies for breakfast. The flowers continued to be delivered throughout the day from our families (all beautiful white bunches). Our home is like a white Forrest! We had a nice chilled day and spoke about what we would be doing in that moment if our wedding did go ahead. But we were secretly pleased as the weather was dreadful, cold and wet! I had a pamper bubble bath, prosecco, face mask and watched a Disney film.
That evening we had a reservation at the wonderful Chapter One Restaurant with our parents. The evening was full of laughs, good food and good wine. My mum (in the red) me, future mother in law (in the black). Celebrating x
Georgia + Daniel
Original Date: 21.08.2020│ Now: 07.05.2021
21.08.2020 was our original date and we celebrated by having our close friends and family round my parents garden which we decorated for a BBQ and drinks which marked our would be wedding day.
We're now continuing our countdown for our new date 07.05.2021 which we managed to get at our same wedding venue Cooling Castle Barn!
From Brides, With Love xo


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The Law, A Shadow Of Issues To Come
Although it's possible you'll assume law is a dry subject, it deeply influences tradition. On this case, you'll be able to think of the collective power that's the government, as a group of individuals who're serving to you defend yourself in opposition to someone attempting to take your life or property. A person can change his will as many instances as he pleases either by executing a new will or by adding a authorized modification referred to as as a Codicil which needs to be rigorously made.
Ferdinand Grapperhaus, professor of (European) Labour Law at Maastricht University Faculty of Law, has been named Minister of Security and Justice in the third successive Dutch cupboard led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Clearly, the first obligation of all liberal democratic governments is to enforce the rule of law.
Those who want to determine similar institutions must do as follows: Set up frequent ownership of property as in the republic of Plato; revere the gods as Plato commanded; forestall foreigners from mingling with the people, with the intention to preserve the customs; let the state, as an alternative of the residents, set up commerce.
72 This turned generally known as the Corpus Juris …Continue Reading


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You do not know me, and never shall, but be forewarned, dear reader: You may want to buy all of the Bridgerton gifts that I'm about to share with you. In case you live under a rock (and if so, let's hope it's a Regé-Jean Page–shaped rock), Bridgerton season two drops this Friday, March 25, on Netflix. And surely, just as the weather warms, so will our loins with desire for whatever sordid scandal Lady Whistledown's quill won't quiet.
Maybe you're a longtime fan of Julia Quinn's Regency-era Bridgerton book series, or maybe when the first season aired, you fell deliciously in love with empire-waisted dresses and the very much undressed Duke of Hastings (who won't be featured in the second season, but there's still plenty of Anthony-and-Kate romance to quench fans' thirst). Perhaps you've never actually watched this talk-of-the-"ton" TV show (for shame!), but you most definitely have a burn-for-Bridgerton fan in your life. Whether you're celebrating your Bridgerton-loving BFF for their birthday, your ambitious mama for Mother's Day, or you personally want to ring in the Sharma sisters' storyline, we've rounded up the best Bridgerton gifts out there.
Below, you'll find Bridgerton-themed gift ideas like wine glasses, tote bags, and coloring books, as well as Bridgerton-inspired gifts such as tea sets, swoon-worthy sex toys, sexy romance novels, and pearl headbands from Amazon, Etsy, Free People, and more. Now, get thee to shopping!
All products featured on SELF are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.


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Gone Cold
A Simon Fisk Thriller by Douglas Corleone
Review: Simon Fisk's six year old daughter, Hailey, was taken from her home twelve years ago and has never been found. A former US Marshal, Simon was not allowed to help the different agencies in the search for Hailey. He was told to stay close to home waiting for a ransom call or any information that may be conveyed by phone. A few months after her disappearance, Simon's wife, Tasha, died of an overdose. Hailey was never found. In the twelve years since he has spent his life as a private contractor specializing in searching not only in America but many foreign lands to finding and returning children who have been taken away from one parent by the other, or by a relative. When he was a child his own father took him from his mother and sister in their home in London and brought him to America. He has never seen them since. He has made a promise to himself that he would finally discover who took his daughter and why, or he would die trying, in Gone Cold, the third mystery in this series by Douglas Corleone.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Gone Cold.
Acknowledgment: Minotaur Books provided a copy of Gone Cold for this review.
Review Copyright © 2015 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Selected reviews of other mysteries by this author …
Good As Gone
Location(s) referenced in Gone Cold: Ireland; England
— ♦ —
Gone Cold by Douglas Corleone — A Simon Fisk Thriller
— ♦ —
Page Author: Lance Wright


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You didn't really think those book reviews in the New York Times or the major newspaper in your home town just appeared on their own, did you? Publishers provide advance review copies (ARCs) of books to the reviewers at these papers. Multiply that by hundreds of publications, from large ones such as Library Journal to smaller or specialized ones such as The Suspense Zone and you see the magnitude of the process. There's a good bit of decision-making in sending out ARCs to reviewers. But one good review at a major site can result in the sales of hundreds of books. Each publisher has a long list of potential reviewers. It's the job of the marketing department to match each book with appropriate sites to receive ARCs.
As for endorsers, these are the people who write one- and two-line squibs that appear on the cover or just inside book. For example, the hope is that you're more likely to buy my novel if you look at the back cover and see that a respected author said, "Lethal Remedy is the perfect cure for boredom: a first-rate medical thriller with humor, engaging characters, and realism that only a seasoned doctor could bring to the story."
Who lines up endorsers? It varies. Authors, agent, publishers all participate in the process, and it varies with each of them. In my case, I personally contact all my possible endorsers. I make the following stipulations: if they agree, they'll be sent an ARC with a view to endorsement if they have the time, can read the book, and truly endorse it. So far, the only negative responders have been those with time crunches due to their own writing deadlines.
Then what is an influencer? These are people whom you hope will read the book, like it, and tell others. They're people with large blog followings. They're church and public librarians. They're the heads of book clubs. The list can be huge, but again economics rears its ugly head, so distribution of ARCs to influencers must be limited. I sweat bullets over the list I turn in with each book, knowing that I've probably forgotten some important people.
Writing the novel is just the first step. Then you hope to get an agent and eventually a contract. After that comes the editing process. Is that all? No, now you have to think about ARCs and endorsers. The fun never stops, does it?
Richard L. Mabry, MD, is the author of the Prescription For Trouble series of medical thrillers. His latest novel is Lethal Remedy. He also serves the ACFW as Vice-President. You can learn more about him at his website and follow him on his blog.


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Santa Teresa 1796 is a superb single estate Venezuelan rum. Santa Teresa 1796 is made using the solera method (used more famously in the production of Spanish sherry). The rums in the blend are aged for between five and 35 years, resulting in a smooth, dry and balanced spirit that is perfect for sipping or serving in an Old Fashioned.
Nose: Caramel sweetness, toffee brittle, pepper. Cooked apple, foam banana sweets.
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Finish: Long, fruity finish with caramel and nuts.
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Not bad .spiced rum back notes . A little bit over priced . But worth a try.
9th September 2021
I like it for craft cocktails but it's not my favorite to sip on. The vanilla comes through a little too much for me
18th November 2020
Simply amazing. Smooth, sweet, delicious. Venezuela sure knows how to make great rums.
16th September 2020
Smooth and balanced. A bit too much as I find it a bit anonymous, for the price.Nothing wrong with it but not memorable
1st July 2020
Great rum, a world champion. In my opinion the best solera rum. But it is over priced outside latin america.
28th June 2020
Best rum I tried so far!
27th April 2020
nose is pure salted caramel, its light with an alcoholic bite. There's a subtle spice, I wanna say nutmeg
12th April 2020
Great after taste!
13th January 2020
Initially, the taste is truly wonderful, then there is a strong bitter flavour coupled with an unpleasant alcohol taste and burn. Considering the price that it is, I was not expecting this. I might have even given it 4 stars, but at £50 a bottle there are much smoother and better Rums out there.
15th August 2019
very nice Rum. Purchased a bottle aged in the solera system, what a smooth and tasty rum.In addition to the a good rum, understand that percentage of any bottled sold goes towards the cost of teaching younger generation sport of rugby. What a Princely act, well done guys, thank you.
25th February 2019
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Large basin or bowl used in purification rites. The OT describes the lavers used in the tabernacle and in Solomon's temple. The bronze laver of the tabernacle was constructed from metal mirrors provided by the women who ministered at the tabernacle entrance (Exod 38:8). The priests used the laver for washing their hands and feet before priestly service (Exod 30:18; 40:30-31). Levites also used water from this laver to purify
themselves (Num 8:7). Solomon's temple employed a large laver, the molten sea (1 Kings 7:23-26; 2 Chron 4:2-5), and 10 smaller lavers (1 Kings 7:38-39; 2 Chron 4:6). The priests washed in the molten sea. The 10 lavers were used for washing sacrifices (2 Chron 4:6).


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The Dallas Mavericks will again play the national anthem before home games, a day after team owner Mark Cuban confirmed to The Washington Post that they had not played the anthem this season at his direction.
The Mavericks are scheduled to host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night and will play the anthem going forward.
"We respect and always have respected the passion people have for the anthem and our country," Cuban said in a statement. "I have always stood for the anthem with the hand over my heart — no matter where I hear it played. But we also hear the voices of those who do not feel the anthem represents them. We feel they also need to be respected and heard, because they have not been heard. The hope is that those who feel passionate about the anthem being played will be just as passionate in listening to those who do not feel it represents them."
The Mavericks did not play the anthem in their first 13 preseason and regular season home games, breaking with a universal practice for professional sports in America — but one that has become fraught in recent years as athletes have seized on the moment to protest racial injustice and other causes.
Cuban denied to The Post a report from the Athletic, the first to break the story, that the organization had decided not to play "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the American Airlines Center moving forward.
"That is incorrect," Cuban said in an email. "We have given no comment on what our plans are."
Cuban did not respond to questions about why he has directed the organization not to play the anthem so far this season. The team's home game Monday was the first time this season that a limited number of fans were allowed inside the arena. The Mavericks owner came to the decision in November after consulting with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, ESPN reported.
Cuban's move comes after scores of athletes have followed the lead of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick by kneeling in protest during the national anthem. While the NFL effectively blacklisted Kaepernick over the practice, the NBA has largely supported players as they have spoken out during the widespread protests tied to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The NBA has a rule that players must stand for the anthem, but it has declined to enforce it in recent years. At the NBA's restart in Orlando last summer, most players and coaches knelt during the national anthem as the league invested in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and other social issues.
Representatives from the NBA and Dallas Mavericks did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Tuesday. An NBA spokesperson told the Athletic that "under the unique circumstances of this season, teams are permitted to run their pregame operations as they see fit." The rest of the league's teams have mostly played recorded versions of the anthem before games.
"The Star-Spangled Banner" has long been intertwined with sports.
The first reported instance of the song at a U.S. sporting event came in 1862, but the practice did not catch on until the 1918 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. With World War I raging, a band struck up the song during the seventh-inning stretch, resulting in thunderous applause.
After it was adopted as the country's national anthem in 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" became ubiquitous at sporting events. And more recently, the protests started by Kaepernick have turned it into a frequent target of the culture wars. As a Post poll in September found, a majority of Americans believe it is acceptable for professional athletes to kneel during the anthem.
The Mavericks have chosen not to play the anthem in the past. As the New York Times pointed out, the team, then owned by Donald Carter, played "God Bless America" before games for the club's first 16 years. The team switched to "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 1996 when Ross Perot Jr. became owner, four years before Cuban took over.
Cuban's own views on the anthem have evolved in recent years. When President Donald Trump ripped NFL players for kneeling during the anthem in 2017, Cuban applauded athletes for speaking out, but also noted that he expected Mavericks players to stand for "The Star-Spangled Banner." In an interview with ESPN's "Outside the Lines" last June, the Dallas owner acknowledged that he had "learned a lot since 2017," and now supported the players who decided to kneel.
"If they were taking a knee and they were being respectful, I'd be proud of them," Cuban said. "Hopefully I'd join them."
Ben Golliver contributed to this report