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Interviewing Tips
Preparing for the interview
Make a good impression at your interview by doing a little homework beforehand.
Research the Company and the Position. The more you know about the company and the job you are applying for, the better you will appear in the interview. An interviewer will be impressed by your interest and motivation and you will be able to explain what you can do for the company.
Find out as much key information as you can about the company, it's products and it's customers. There may be other sources of information on the Web, especially if the company is publicly traded.
Search for the following:
- Products and services
- Customers
- Competitors
- Philosophy
- History
- Recent news
- Financial information including salary and stock
Rehearse Your Interview with A Friend
Practice your answers to Common Questions. Likewise, prepare a list of questions to ask the employer. Most interviews follow this pattern: First, you answer questions about your experience and qualifications, then you ask questions about the job.
Prepare your interview materials before you leave. bring several copies of your resume, a list of references and if appropriate, any work samples. Make sure they are all up-to-date.
Dress professionally and comfortably. You will be judged in some respects by what you wear.
Take a pen and notepad to jot down any information you may need to remember (but don't take notes during the interview).
Making A Good Impression on Job Interviews
Here's what you should keep in mind the day of the interview and immediately afterward.
Before the Interview:
Be on time. Being on time (or early) is usually interpreted by the interviewer as evidence of your commitment, dependability and professionalism.
Be positive and try to make others feel comfortable. Show openness by greeting with a firm handshake and smile. Don't make negative comments about current or former employers.
Relax. Think of the interview as a conversation, not an interrogation.
During the Interview:
Show self-confidence. Make eye contact with the interviewer and answer his questions in a clear voice. Work to establish a rapport with the interviewer.
Remember to listen. Communication is a two-way street. If you are talking too much, you will probably miss cues concerning what the interviewer feels is important.
Do not ask questions that raise red flags. Ask, "Is relocation a requirement", and the interviewer may assume that you do no want to relocate at all. Too many questions about vacation may cause the interviewer to think you are more interested in taking time off than being employed by the company.
Show you want the job. Display your initiative by talking about what functions you could perform that would benefit the organization and by giving specific details of how you have helped past employers. You might also ask about specific details of the position, such as functions, responsibilities, who you would work with and who you would report to.
Avoid negative body language. An interviewer wants to see how well you react under pressure.
After the Interview:
End the interview with a handshake and thank the interviewer for his or her time. Reiterate your interest in the position and your qualifications.
Send a "Thanks for the Interview" note. After the interview, send a brief thank-you note. Try to time it so it arrives before the hiring decision will be made. It will serve as a reminder to the interviewer concerning your appropriateness for the position.
Common Job Interview Questions
By rehearsing interview questions, you'll become more familiar with your own qualifications and will be well prepared to demonstrate how you can benefit an employer. Some examples:
"Tell me about yourself".
Make a short, organized statement of your education and professional achievements and professional goals. Then, briefly describe your qualifications for the job and the contributions you could make to the organization.
"Why do you want to work here?" or "What about our company interests you?"
Few questions are more important than these, so it is important to answer them clearly and with enthusiasm. Show the interviewer your interest in the company. Share what you learned about the job, the company and the industry through your own research. Talk about how your professional skills will benefit the company.
"Why did you leave your last job?"
The interviewer may want to know if you had any problems on your last job. If you did not have any problems, simply give a reason, such as relocated away from job; company went out of business; laid off; temporary job; no possibility of advancement; wanted a job better suited to your skills.
If you did have problems, be honest. Show that you can accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes. You should explain any problems you had (or still have) with an employer, but don't describe that employer in negative terms. Demonstrate that it was a learning experience that will not affect your future work.
"What are your best skills"
If you have sufficiently researched the organization, you should be able to imagine what skills the company values. List them, then give examples where you have demonstrated these skills.
"What is your major weakness?
Be positive; turn a weakness into a strength. For example, you might say: "I often worry to much over my work. Sometimes I work late to make sure the job is done well".
"Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others"
The ideal answer is one of flexibility. However, be honest. Give examples describing how you have worked in both situations.
"What are your career goals? or "What are your future plans?"
The interviewer wants to know if your plans and the company's goals are compatible. Let him know that you are ambitious enough to plan ahead. Talk about your desire to learn more and improve your performance and be specific as possible about how you will meet the goals you have set for yourself.
"What are your hobbies?" and "do you play any sports?"
The interviewer may be looking for evidence of your job skills outside of your professional experience. For example, hobbies such as chess or bridge demonstrate analytical skills. Reading, music and painting are creative hobbies. Individual sports show determination and stamina, while group sport activities may indicate you are comfortable working as part of a team.
Also, the interviewer might simply be curious as to whether you have a life outside of work. Employees who have creative or athletic outlets for their stress are often healthier, happier and more productive.
"What salary are you expecting?"
You probably don't want to answer this one directly. Instead, compliment the employer. "I am looking for a challenge and an opportunity to prove myself. I am sure if you were to make me an offer it would be acceptable". This tells the employer you are confident in their ability to make a competitive fair offer.
Here are some other job interview questions you might want to rehearse.
Your Qualifications:
- What qualifications do you have that relate to the position?
- What new skills or capabilities have you developed recently?
- Give me an example from a previous job where you've shown initiative.
- What have been your greatest accomplishments recently?
- What is important to you in a job?
- What motivates you in your work?
- What qualities do you find important in a co-worker?
- What would you like to be doing five years from now?
- How will you judge yourself successful? How will you achieve success?
- What type of position are you interested in?
- How will this job fit in your career plans?
- What do you expect from this job?
- Do you have a location preference?
- Can you travel?
- What hours can you work?
- When could you start?
- What have you learned from your past jobs?
- What were your biggest responsibilities?
- What specific skills acquired or used in previous jobs relate to this position?
- How does your previous experience relate to this position?
- What did you like most/least about your last job?
- Whom may we contact for references?
- How do you think your education has prepared you for this position?
- What were your favorite classes/activities at school?
- Why did you choose your major?
- Do you plan to continue your education?
Asking Questions During a Job Interview
At most interviews, you will be invited to ask questions of your interviewer. This is an important opportunity for you to learn more about the employer and for the interviewer to further evaluate you as a job candidate. What you learn from an interview may determine whether or not you want the job you're interviewing for. It requires some advance preparation on your part.
Here are some guidelines for asking questions:
Prepare five good questions. Understanding that you may not have time to ask them all. Ask questions concerning the job, the company and the industry or profession.
Don't ask questions that raise warning flags. For example, avoid initiating questions about compensation (pay, vacations, benefits, etc.) or tuition reimbursements. You might seem more interested in pay cheques or time-off than the actual job.
Don't ask questions about only one topic. People who ask about only one topic are often perceived as one-dimensional and not good candidates.
Questions to Ask During a Job Interview:
- "How does the position and the department contribute to the overall company mission and philosophy?"
- "What is a typical day for the position you are applying for in the company?"
- "What characteristics best describes individuals who are successful in this position?"
- "Does the position offer exposure to other facets of your organization?"
- "What other positions and/or departments will I interact with?"
- "To whom does this position report?"
- "How much decision-making authority and autonomy are given to new employees?"
- "What are the opportunities for advancement?"
- "Does your organization encourage its employees to pursue additional education?"
- "How would you describe the organization's culture/environment?"
- "What makes your organization different from its competitors?"
- "How would you describe your organization's personality and management style?"
- "How is the work environment affected by the organization's management style?"
Common Job Interview Mistakes
Want to know what not to do at the job interview? Learn from the mistakes of others:
- Arrive late for the interview.
- Look disheveled and inappropriately dressed.
- Slouch in your seat.
- Don't maintain good eye contact with the interviewer.
- Do your company research at the interview by asking, "what do you guys do here?"
- Don't make a connection between your skills and the needs of the employer.
- brag about how great you are, but neglect to cite evidence of your accomplishments.
- Respond in an unfocused, disorganized and rambling manner.
- Remain low-key and display no enthusiasm for the job.
- Answer most questions with simple "yes" and "no" answers.
- Appear desperate for a job - any job.
- Call the interviewer by his or her first name, or use the wrong name.
- Give memorized responses, forgetting parts in the process.
- Badmouth your current or former employer.
- When asked, "Do you have any questions?" reply "No."
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5 Easy Ways to Add Comfort to a Room!
The latest issue of House Beautiful is dedicated to the "secrets of comfort". We've all been in homes where we immediately felt comfortable upon entering. We've also been in houses that felt cold, stuffy and like a museum. While it's not quite scientific, we've gathered five of our favorite ways to add a touch of instant comfort to a space...
- Informal seating arrangements Giving guests (and yourself) lots of different ways to lounge instantly ups the comfort level of any home. Try grouping different pieces of furniture together to create unexpected arrangements.
- Flexible furniture Your furniture being prepared for any situation also helps add a level of casualness to a space. Showing that you're not afraid to also use your dining room table as a kid's craft table will help put guests at ease.
- Soft textures Chenille throws, linen pillows, suede sofas---altogether they will make lounging in any space super luxurious and comfortable.
- Not having things arranged perfectly Nothing screams "Don't touch anything!" like a bunch of tablescapes carefully arranged. Let the books get a little crazy on the shelves and let tabletops fall into place over time.
- Put your feet up Have plenty of coffee tables and ottomans, and don't be afraid to let people kick off their shoes and put their feet up for a good conversation or a movie.
What are some of your favorite ways that you add comfort to your home? Let us know!
[Photo credit: From Stephanie and Bob's Silveridge Sanctuary home tour and the Ikea Dream Home house tour.]

subset: commoncrawl


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text: > -----Original Message----- > From: firstname.lastname@example.com > [mailto:email@example.com]On Behalf Of David Nugent > > I am currently working on a project to integrate LDAP directory > functionality into the FreeBSD operating system. The directory server will > be an integral part of the OS, providing a generic directory solution for > system tables currently maintained in flat files or specialist databases > (/etc/{master.}passwd, /etc/group, /etc/networks, /etc/protocols, > /etc/services etc. etc). The idea is that ultimately, a UNIX box with an > LDAP-based core will be easily configured as part of a cluster, by either > pointing the system or parts thereof at an external LDAP server, or the > machine's LDAP server is integrated into an existing DIT. There are other > benefits as well stemming from the fact that access controls in the > directory are independant from native UNIX credentials, so you may no > longer require root access to a machine to, for example, create a user or > change a password. This is definitely an interesting idea. The guys at www.padl.org have already done a lot of work in this area. We've done a lot of work in this area at www.symas.com as well. You may want to look at RFC 2307 for a schema for representing NIS databases in LDAP. I submitted several suggested changes for this RFC to make it more generic, so that it would be usable for AIX, HP and SCO's particular enhanced security databases but those changes haven't gone anywhere. (Not surprising, since the primary force behind the RFC is Sun. Oh well.) At any rate, the NIS-based schema is adequate for any BSD-based OS. > > All of this solves the problems usually handled by NIS, but in a more > elegant and generic way. However, there are a number of hurdles to get > over first. > > The primary problem is authentication. All processes are owned by a user, > as is the usual model in UNIX. Since authentication comes from the > directory, login sessions can therefore be tied to the specific object > against which the user was authenticated. The problem is, during that > session, the user will be accessing the directory (albiet hidden under the > libc API bonnet), and since we don't want to make the directory world > readable, the user requires *authenticated* access to the directory until > the login session terminates. However, I doubt whether reserving a tcp > connection for the life of each session is desirable, so a connectionless > protocol, or at least a pre-authenticated tcp network connection is > needed. > > The problem can be solved using AF_UNIX type sockets instead of network > transport, which solves a lot of issues so far as credentials go. This > requires modification to the server to support of course, but this assumes > that the server is running locally which it may not, so I do not consider > this a viable option. I also looked at connectionless LDAP, but since it > (understandably) does not support authenticated access, it too is not a > suitable mechanism. The only option I can think of is to use kerberos, but > before requiring kerberos as part of this equation I thought I'd ask to > see if anyone has done any development along these lines, or perhaps > someone has other helpful comments. > > Any thoughts or points will be appreciated. > > David There is code for Unix-domain sockets in the development stream now. I'm not sure that I'd want to use LDAP as my local lookup protocol, but it's an available option. If you go this route, the solution is pretty straightforward: Use AF_UNIX sockets for client access to a local slapd. In addition, if you want a particular machine to use the auth database of a remote slapd, use back-ldap on the local slapd as a proxy to communicate with the remote slapd. I would use TLS on top of the proxy connection, of course. There's still an access control issue in this case - with the proxy, you would have a single authenticated connection from the local slapd to the remote. I believe it would be sufficient to place ACL clauses on the back-ldap backend to control search results, but there is no ACL checking on updates. -- Howard Chu Chief Architect, Symas Corp. Director, Highland Sun http://www.symas.com http://highlandsun.com/hyc


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U.S. says Assad fails to take responsibility for violence
Jan. 10 - The U.S. reacts to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's televised speech. Amateur video appears to show the speech has prompted continued protests against Assad's rule. Katharine Jackson reports.
They slap shoes together and chant "God curse you and your speech." Obtained from a social media website, this video cannot be independently verified by Reuters. It purports to show protesters in Homs, Syria, denouncing President Bashar al-Assad after his speech on Tuesday. During the speech broadcast on Syrian TV, Assad blamed foreign-backed Islamists for continued violence and made scathing remarks about the Arab League, which has sent monitors to check the regime's compliance with a peace plan. The U.S. reaction: Assad needs to own up to the role he and his security forces have played during the 10-month uprising against his rule. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN VICTORIA NULAND, SAYING: "It is interesting throughout the course of this speech Assad manages to blame a foreign conspiracy that is so vast with regard to the situation in Syria that it now includes the Arab League, most of the Syrian opposition, the entire international community. He throws responsibility on everybody but back on himself and with regard to his own responsibility for the violence in Syria, he seems to aggressively deny any responsibility or any hand in the role of his own security forces. The United Nations has estimated more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began. On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said hundreds more have died since the Arab League arrived. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, SUSAN RICE, SAYING: "In the days since the Arab League monitoring mission has been on the ground, in fact an estimated 400 additional people have been killed, an average of 40 a day, a rate much higher than was the case even before their deployment." More amateur video obtained online appears to show people handing papers to Arab League monitors and carying photos of relatives they say have died in the conflict. The Arab League said Syria has not fully implemented the peace plan. The monitoring mission is set to continue until January 19. Katharine Jackson, Reuters.


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Laura Linney, Michael Cerveris, Celia Keenan-Bolger & More Set for Habitat For Humanity's 'Broadway Builds' Event, 9/24
Broadway stars, writers and producers will don hard hats and dedicate a day to making a difference by building affordable homes for deserving families with Habitat for Humanity – New York City (Habitat-NYC) as part of Broadway Builds on Monday, September 24.
Laura Linney, Patrick Stewart, Jordan Roth, Daryl Roth, Michael Cerveris, Stephen Belber, Emily Bergl, Carrie Preston, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Tom McCarthy, Stew, Dominic Fumusa, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Arian Moayed, Jennifer Mudge and other Broadway greats are scheduled to volunteer.
The Broadway volunteers will spend their day helping revitalize eight homes in a multi-family building in Bedford- Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Together, they'll build alongside future Habitat-NYC homeowners at the Jefferson Avenue Residences and help promote Habitat for Humanity – New York City's work creating affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income families. The event's co-chairs include Jordan Roth, Daryl Roth, Michael Cerveris, Stephen Belber, Emily Bergl and Broadway Serves.
Event organizer Emily Bergl, a longtime Habitat for Humanity volunteer, explains, "We in the Broadway community have a real understanding of the need for affordable housing in New York City. By coming together on this day, we will bring Habitat for Humanity – New York City one step closer to realizing its goal of helping 100 Brooklyn families."
"We're thrilled to have so many members of the Broadway community spend their day helping Habitat- NYC build homes for deserving families in Brooklyn," said Rachel Hyman, Acting Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity – New York City. "We're appreciative of their hard work and commitment to service and volunteerism."
The Jefferson Avenue Residences are part of Habitat-NYC's 100 Homes in Brooklyn initiative, which aims to build or acquire and rehab 100 affordable green homes in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Ocean Hill-Brownsville by 2014. The initiative is funded in part through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Neighborhood Stabilization Program Round 2.
Building will take place from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 836 Jefferson Avenue, Between Ralph and Patchen, Brooklyn, NY. For more about the event, follow Broadway Builds on Twitter: #BroadwayBuilds @HabitatNYC @emilybergl
Habitat for Humanity - New York City is the largest builder of Habitat homes in the Northeast, and thousands of volunteers build with Habitat-NYC each year. Each homebuyer contributes at least 200 volunteer hours as part of their partnership. To volunteer, donate, organize a fundraising event, or learn more, visit Habitatnyc.org or call (212) 991-4000.
Habitat for Humanity - New York City transforms lives and our city by building quality homes for families in need and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing. With the help of thousands of volunteers every year, Habitat-NYC has built more than 260 affordable homes in the five boroughs of New York City.
Photo © RD/Jackson/ Retna Digital


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When a famous professor disappears just as he's about to make a major scientific discovery, you suspect foul play. You play the news reporter who takes on the investigation in this puzzling saga for the PC. Explore environments like Easter Island and Stonehenge solving mysteries, interacting with friendly and ill-willed characters, and much more. There are more than 100 locales to discover (all of which are rendered in 3D), and the game's massive story is divided into eight challenging chapters.
Release Region: United States
Release Date: December 31, 1997
Publisher: KOEI
Also available on: PlayStation
For more info on these technical requirements and features, please view GameSpy's Specs FAQ.


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YEP! It is my fabric line! This is a story board that is presented to fabric buyers all over the world! It still has a few months before you will see it in stores, however I am SUPER excited that a dream of mine is finally coming true! Here are the prints!
If you're a fabric buyer, please contact Riley Blake Designs / Alpine Fabrics if you would like to order!


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White iPhone 4 holdout?
You're not alone. But that doesn't mean you won't have to wait a while longer to get your hands on an iPhone 4 in any shade other than black. Today, Apple reps announced a white iPhone 4 will not be released until the spring of 2011 – almost a full year after the launch of the black iPhone 4. "We're sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone again," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told Reuters.
No reason for the delay was given.
This isn't the first hiccup on the iPhone 4 front: Back in July, Apple announced that the white iPhone 4 would not ship until "later this year."
That admission prompted plenty of gossip around the Web, including this little gem from Business Insider's Jay Yarow: "While there's likely a manufacturing glitch, there could be another reason for the delay: Apple is working on a fix for the antenna problem which it will add to the new white iPhones." Yarow credited the rumor to buzz on Mac support forums.
The loudest iPhone 4 gossip these days, of course, revolves around the Verizon iPhone, which many analysts believe will land as soon as January. The most recent rumor, floated recently by the Wall Street Journal, had Verizon toying with a 4G-capable iPhone 4. That would give Verizon a big leg-up over AT&T, the network that currently has exclusive rights to power the iPhone.


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Mapping efforts in an unsurveyed land - Koorachundu Village Panchayat experience
A detailed note by Jaisen Nedumpala (Asst. Secretary , Koorachundu Village Panchayat and EC Member, SMC)
"Part IVA Fundamental Duties;
51 A. It shall be the duty of every citizen of India-
(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;" - Constitution of India.
There was a time when the world relied on paper maps to get a spatial idea about a geographical area of interest. But those days are long gone in India - at least for the general public, except for government officials (yes sadly, including me). We now live in an age where the world goes ahead with numerous web or mobile based mapping, routing and tracking services, whereas government officials in the various tiers of the union or state governments still rely on paper maps. Many officials still don't even have a clue about the ease of using such internet based mapping services to make their jobs easier. The overall result of this state of affairs, is the poor quality of spatially relevant service delivery from the government.
Various statutory organs of local authorities like village panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations etc, routinely meet (most of them are statutory meetings) and make important decisions having direct spatial connections. Many of these decisions evolve into official implementation orders to the different officers under these organs. During discussions in such meetings, it is not practical to carry big paper maps or plans to the different levels of decision making, and properly present them in a useful manner. That is why the developed world relies on GIS, WebGIS or Web Mapping, replacing paper maps for almost all of their spatially relevant jobs.
Village Panchayats are constitutional bodies. Articles 243 to 243O of the constitution of India details the authority and functions of village panchayats. They are local authorities having quasi judicial powers over their jurisdictions including those to asses and collect taxes and cess. In Kerala, they are the implementing agency for various developmental projects and schemes of their own and of the union and state governments. They enforce the building rules, the Coastal Regulatory Zone notification (in coastal areas) etc. They have a role in environmental protection according to the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act 3rd Schedule, which details environmental hygiene, environmental awareness, environmental upgradation and social forestry. The Biological Diversity Act - 2002 constitutes the village panchayat level Biodiversity Management Committee. The Village Panchayat secretary is the secretary of that committee as well.
Koorachundu Village Panchayat:
When I was transferred from the post of Secretary (to the Kizhakkoth Village Panchayat) and joined duty as the Junior Superintendent of Koorachundu Village Panchayat, I felt like, I have landed in an unusual place to work. Yes, the peoples' representatives as well as the Secretary and the subordinate staff were very friendly, kind and cooperative, and the office was a well managed one, considering the other stations I worked earlier. The office became a nice place to work, because of the insightful efforts of the then accountant, Mr. K T Manoj Kumar. He was working there for more than eight years, as Upper Division Clerk and then promoted and posted there as Accountant.
O/o Koorachundu Village Panchayat
Koorachundu Village Panchayat lies in Kozhikode District and in Balussery Block of Kerala state. It includes the forest area coming under Pervannamuzhi Range, and also includes a part of Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. The Village Panchayat includes the Kuttiyadi Hydroelectric Project (Kakkayam Dam and reservoir) of KSEB Ltd. A part of Peruvannamuzhi Reservoir of Kuttiyadi Irrigation Project under the Department of Irrigation also lies within this village panchayat. Koorachundu has a very good potential for eco-tourism and related activities.
Initially I felt that I have nothing to do here, so I just carried out my routine duties as usual. I was a bit suspicious about Mr. Manoj Kumar, and about the ways he manages things, in his own peculiar fashion. But, I gradually realised that his management strategies are the best (as far as I know), for a rural local authority. Gradually we began to discuss, plan and work together. President and Secretary gave us their whole hearted support for our ventures. Manoj Kumar got promoted as Junior superintendent when I became Assistant Secretary, and then got transferred to Unnikulam Village Panchayat, where he works now.
Maps and related issues:
Coming to the mapping, the first reality I noticed was, that Koorachundu Village Panchayat had no standard base map. This was not the case of all the three village panchayats I worked earlier. Cheruvannur Village Panchayat, Kakkur Village panchayat and Kizhakkoth Village panchayat had village level cadastral maps. Chervannur and Kakkur had resource maps too. (Not sure if Kizhakkoth Village Panchayat have or not, as the routine duties of an average village panchayat secretary involves a lot of manual paper works and so is one of a - heavy to handle - kind of job, so couldn't spare time to check that.) But here, most of the area within the village panchayat remain unsurveyed and is divided into four, and comes within the jurisdiction of four village offices namely Koorachundu, Chakkittapara, Kayanna (all three lies in Koyilandy Taluk) and Kanthalad (lies in Thamarassery Taluk). Not a single revenue village comes entirely within this village panchayat. All the four revenue villages share their area with adjacent village panchayats (Yes, revenue village and village panchayat are totally different entities). Also, the village offices here doesn't hold their corresponding cadastral maps. Three of these villages - Koorachundu, Chakkittapara and Kanthalad - are unsurveyed in the sense that the re-survey activities are stalled just before and at the stages under the section 9(2) of the Kerala Survey and Boundaries Act (1961) and the land records were never finalised and settled. We can see several marking stones and rock marks in the field, but those doesn't correspond to finally settled land records. So the village officers here, issue the possession certificates stating that the area is unsurveyed. Along with the need of accurate demarcation of the forest boundary adds more complexity to this. This makes the situation very difficult that, it is virtually impossible to draw an authentic cadastral map for Koorachundu Village Panchayat, right now.
The people of this village panchayat, pay their basic tax to these four village offices, so it created a very inconvenient administrative problem to find out the corresponding village office of the various resident applicants. And, three among these village offices remain too remote from the village panchayat so, the residents have to travel long distances to pay their basic tax. So, the panchayat (in a previous term, I think) took a formal resolution to request the government about re-organising the Koorachundu village, so as to include all the areas of all the wards of village panchayat, excluding all the areas outside the geographical boundaries of the village panchayat. That means, in case of geographical jurisdiction, the revenue viillage and village panchayat will be the same, and all the villagers can pay their basic tax at Koorachundu village office and, the inconvenience in administration also would be solved for ever.
The state government published a notification (Ref: 7) for Koorachundu village re-organisation as stated before. But I think, the notification was published without enough homework and contained some serious mistakes. We will come to this later. Besides that a few motions and resolutions were passed by the village panchayat on this and related issues (Ref: 8, 15, 25 and 27). And on behalf of village panchayat, I also attended several related meetings held at the district headquarters (Ref: 16).
Need of maps:
At the same time, the requirement for panchayat map and village cadastral maps were popping up several times. Well, what is the need of maps for a village panchayat? Here are a few:
The Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects of Government of India, 2008 (Ref: 4) details two entire chapters about the need of Technology inputs and GIS while preparing plans: Chapter 2. Guiding Principles - V. Capacity Building and Technology Inputs: Current trends & advances in IT & Remote Sensing and and Chapter 3. Technology Inputs - Core GIS facilities, DPR - Resource Maps, Cadastral maps etc.
Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Village Panchayats need to prepare a Watershed based master plan, as detailed in Watershed Works Manual (published in october 2007 by Baba Amte Centre for People's Empowerment for Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India). It's two chapters 5 Mapping and 6 Technical Surveys of a Watershed, details the techniques of mapping (Ref: 3). Government of Kerala also issued an order (Ref: 4) stating a list of different types of maps and documents to be used while preparing Watershed based master plan. Here is the list:
Base maps and documents :-
- Topo sheets from Survey of India
- Watershed Atlas, Land form Map, Drainage Map and Relief Map from KSLUB
- Resource Map from KSLUB, CESS or Village Panchayats
- Watershed Maps from Soil Survey Department and IKM
- Administration Map from Village Panchayat
- Block Level Watershed Plan from Block Panchayat
- Cadastral Map from Village and Taluk offices.
State Perspective and Strategic Plan (SPSP) for Integrated Watershed Management Programme (for IWMP) (Ref: 6), was submitted to Dept. of Land Resources, MoRD, Government of India By Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala, which talks about the availability of GIS layers of cadastral map at Information Kerala Mission(IKM) in the scale 1:5000.
As instructed by the Kasturirangan Report (Report of the High Level Working Group (HLWG)) State Government issued an order to fix the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). A village Panchayat level verification committee is constituted for field verification purposes, and instructed to fix the ESA and submit a report before 13/01/2014 (Ref: 12, 19, 20, 23, 24, 28, 30, 31, 32).
Government issued a circular (Ref: 29) to constitute "Sevagram" Gramakendram, and an order (Ref: 38) is issued framing the detailed work chart of them. It is an extension centre of Village Panchayat in each ward, important statistics, various maps (political, resource, social, drainage, land use) relating to that ward should be displayed for public information.
The Kerala State Election Commission's handbook named "Good governance through legal awareness - Hand book for People's Representatives and officials at LSGIs" - 2013 (SEC-K & KILA - Page no: 12, 13) describes that ward delimitation should be done using cadastral map. And that will be available at the Information Kerala Mission. If IKM didn't prepare a cadastral map for a particular village panchayat, then that should be prepared with the help of the Survey Department. The State Election Commission issued an order (Ref: 37) which finds that, Local Self Government Institutions of Kerala have no systematically prepared base maps useful for administrative, scientific and academic purposes as an official document. Such a map would be useful as a base document for future delimitation of wards or bifurcation of LSGIs (Ref: 42).
The real state of affairs:
The Reality is that Koorachundu Village Panchayat has no resource map, or cadastral map. But we have an administration map. Here it is:
The State Election Commission's Order (Ref: 37) appeared less scientific to me. It says that, "To be authentic, a map should be prepared by Department of Survey and Land Records." That is ok. "The maps for village panchayats will be in A3 size and will be in defined scale (municipality: A2 size, municipal corporation: A1 size)." (Initially I couldn't get how to achieve this at the same time, because village panchayats of Kerala vary largely in their geographical area, the largest among them is Kumily in Idukki District, with a huge 816.73 Sq. Kilometers size, and the smallest is Valapattanam in Kannur District with only 2.04 Sq. Kilometers, and all the others lie somewhere in the range in between. But they gave a more clear instruction on how to prepare it, later.) "Department of Survey and Land Records will prepare the final map, using AutoCAD." This can be better made with the help of any standard GIS Software program. With best of my knowledge and belief, pouring land survey data into CAD is less intuitive than getting it done with the help of GIS.
But there is a hurdle that, the village panchayats can't formulate projects to develop a custom GIS or software program of their own, because of two standing government circulars (Ref: 11), and (Ref: 17). The circulars came in force based on the resolutions of State Level Coordination Committee for De-centralised Planning and the first one was clearly based on the recommendations of the Executive Chairman of the Information Kerala Mission. The first circular enforse some restrictions over the individual software development activities of the Local Self Government Institutions of Kerala. And the second circular prohibits village panchayats from developing a custom GIS for themselves, stating that the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has taken up a big project to develop GIS map of the panchayats of the country, so village panchayats do not formulate projects or make expense for GIS either until the completion of the said project of MoPR, or until the different departments of the state government make a joint policy decision in this matter.
We are abide by the decisions of the government, we are working for. But, I personally believe that Information Kerala Mission has taken away the freedom of village panchayats of Kerala to have their own better technological solutions.
But when I searched for the details of the GIS project initiated by MoPR, in the web, I got an article about their plan, titled "GIS-enabled framework for geo-referenced works under e-governance" published in Geospatial World Weekly on 13 May 2013, by G.P. Singh, Senior Technical Director of National Informatics Centre (Ref: 13). If it is the plan of MoPR to develop a GIS for village panchayats, which considers panchayat boundaries as lowest level, I am doubtful whether it would be good enough to handle the information generated in panchayat levels, precisely. Our GIS needs at village panchayat levels include the data from the survey/resurvey/unsurvey fields, Field Measurement Books of concerned village offices, and high resolution satellite imagery for cross-verification. Also, the details relating to the forest, from forest authorities. The said article says "All the layers should follow uniform projection. WGS84 projection may be considered for uniform projection." Anyone with basic knowledge in GIS must know that WGS84 is not a projection, but a datum. Besides, now a days it is possible to present the vector GIS data belong to one projection in any other, on the fly.
In my humble opinion, the base GIS data for the village panchayats should be generated in a de-centralised manner, because its accuracy largely depends upon the local knowledge about the survey/resurvey/unsurvey fields, and connected features.
The Village Panchayat and Panchayat Secretary made several attempts to get the shapefiles corresponding to the area to prepare an accurate map through various letters to KSREC, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF(FMIS)) (Ref: 21) and IKM (Ref: 22). But all in vain. After several enquiries via phone KSREC replied (only through phone) to pay a very high fee for shapefiles that village panchayat couldn't afford. APCCF(FMIS) issued a soft copy (PDF) of the forest range map, no shapefiles. IKM replied that they haven't prepared a cadastral map for Koorachundu Village Panchayat (Ref: 26).
What to be done?
Here we have several issues to be solved:
- Village re-organisation.
- Acquiring a correct and authentic cadastral map of the village panchayat.
- Get enough spatial data that government agencies already have (those are prepared using the tax money of the people) without paying an exorbitant amount of money, to prepare accurate maps of the area which can be used for future requirements.
- If we don't get spatial data that other government agencies already have, then make a parallel attempt to make our own spatial data framework through community involvement and make use of existing WebGIS or WebMapping solutions for future mapping needs of village panchayat, without formulating village panchayat's own project and without violating the existing rules, orders, circulars and guidelines of the government.
Thus I thought to start from the Department of Survey & Land Records (Ref: 34,36,39). and also to make a parallel attempt to develop spatial data with the help of OpenStreetMap volunteers.
Why OpenStreetMap?
OpenStreetMap is a Webmap, which is also a database containing vector map data (Ref:1). It offers freedom to use the data as data is distributed with Open Data Commons Open Database License (OdbL) (It was Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike earlier (CC-by-SA)). OpenStreetMap can be updated easily. It can be edited and updated as a Wiki and users can improve the underlying data at any time. It is a huge repository of GPX tracks of contributing volunteers. Also, it is a community project initiated by a British Entrepreneur named Steve Coast in July 2004. There are many practical difficulties to get vector data to draw custom maps (as we discussed earlier) and mainly because of this, many areas in the world remain to be mapped properly until now. We know that many of the available maps are not free. Few of them are freely available, and come bundled with strict copyright restrictions and thus remain unfit for any customisation purposes. But with OpenStreetMap data, we can draw maps for innovative purposes. Commercially available maps may occasionally contain purposefully added errors. Last but not least, free services delivered by corporates could be stopped, or made to be a paid service, but that usually doesn't occur with the services delivered by communities.
Besides, in case of all types of hazard emergencies, OpenStreetMap data could be available at the finger tip, to plan logistics to transport aid, as happened when 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010 (Ref: 2).
Koorachundu Village panchayat OpenStreetMap Mapping Party:
The Koorachundu Village panchayat OpenStreetMap Mapping Party was held in response to the order of the State Election Commission to make an accurate ward map depicting all the polling booths and important public institutions of the area. It was held with the instruction of the Village Panchayat Steering Committee vide resolution no: 2 dated 17/07/2014 (Ref: 41). We conducted the Koorachundu Village panchayat OpenStreetMap Mapping Party to map the area with the official partnership of Swathanthra Malayalam Computing. Twenty OSM – GPS survey volunteers from Swathanthra Malayalam Computing, Wikimedians, and students of Dr. R.Satheesh Centre for Remote Sensing and GIS (Mahatma Gandhi University) and seventeen field level resource persons from the village panchayat participated in this joint volunteer effort, during four days starting from 21/07/2014 to 24/07/2014. They were divided into 13 teams as 1 or 2 OSM volunteers + 1 or 2 resource person would constitute a team. The team which went through forest areas had more members. Food and accommodation for the volunteers were provided by the village panchayat.
Volunteer participants:
- Anuradhika Padman
- Harsha C Anil
- Archana Deth V
- Anjali M Nair
- Sivakumar P R
- Ark Arjun
- Alex K Thottunkel
- Manoj K
- Sooraj Kenoth
- Anandu Vishnu P S
- Lifo Lukose
- Anvar Ali M
- Jean Joy
- Divya Merin Abraham
- Justin Thomas
- P Yogeshwaran
- Sainath P Nair
- Poornima Rajan
- Sarath S Karanchira
- Sreejith Koiloth
Resource persons participated:
- George Pottukulam
- Tomy Pazhampallil
- Jose Malepparambil
- Sijo
- Thomas Thundiyil
- Andrews Kattikkana
- Jose Veliyath
- Johnson Ettiyil
- Manoj Kumar K T
- Johnson Thannikkal
- Devasya Kappalumakkal
- M J Mani
- Asees O S
- Joy Kurian
- Jolly
- M C Joy Master
- Koovannil Jose
How we did it:
The survey volunteers used Android mobile phones with GPS receiver and three Android Apps namely: GPS Logger for Android (GPL), Keypad-Mapper – OpenStreetMap (BSD) and OSMTracker for Android™ (GPL V3). With these apps GPX tracks and data in OSM format were collected from field.
In Field
GPS Logger for Android (GPL)
Keypad-Mapper – OpenStreetMap (BSD)
OSMTracker for Android™ (GPL V3)
At Desk
These data are processed at desk using two application programs namely JOSM (GPL) and iD (WTFPL). Microsoft Bing imagery were used for a cross reference.
Tools at desk
iD (WTFPL)
Here is a comparison:
Before Mapping activities
Before Mapping party
After Mapping party
Feedback from Volunteer participants:
"This was the first experience ever in my life. It totally improved my knowledge towards my studies. And thanks for giving such an opportunity" – A volunteer
"I feel great experience and I am very lucky to get such a great motivation and support from authorities" – Another volunteer
It was fun as well as a learning and knowledge sharing experience for all of us. :)
Special thanks to:
Prime Jyoti (SMC) – For suggestions on mapping and tips.
Hrishikesh K B (SMC) – For web support.
John C Mathew - Faculty, Dr. R.Satheesh Centre for Remote Sensing and GIS (Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam) - For sending his students for volunteering.
Members of Koorachundu Village Panchayat.
Staff at O/o Koorachundu Village Panchayat.
Medical Officers and staff, Public health establishments at Koorachundu Village Panchayat.
Range Forest Officer and staff, Peruvannamuzhi Forest Range.
Assistant Engineer of KSEB Ltd. in charge of Inspection Bungalow, Kakkayam.
Map making:
The map was drawn using this data following a standard ETL Procedure:
- Added attribute data in Unicode Malayalam in OpenStreetMap using iD
- Extracted the data from OpenStreetMap
- Transformed and Loaded in QGIS
- Processed and prepared map with QGIS
- Vector → OpenStreetMap → Import topology form .osm(xml).
- Output SpatiaLite DB →Export topology to SpatiaLite DB in QGIS
- Compose in QGIS Map Composer → Exported as .svg
- Finishing works were done with Inkscape using the panchayat boundary map obtained from State Election Commission, which was prepared by Central Survey Office, Thiruvananthapuram.
Boundary map issued by State Election Commission
(Prepared by Central Survey Office, Thiruvananthapuram.)
Ward Map-Administrative (Compromised)
Ark Arjun, who was also a volunteer participant in this effort, helped me with his skills on Inkscape.
The map was duly submitted to the State Election Commission. And the data will be there in OpenStreetMap for future mapping requirements of village panchayat. :)
Media coverage:
India Today magazine (Malayalam), August 6, 2014 featured this effort.
Yes, we can't achieve the maximum accuracy and precision a GIS can achieve now a days through this method, because hand held GPS receivers show varying error of 2 to 15 meters from actual position, and Microsoft Bing imagery is only a medium resolution imagery as we get here. Also, few of the areas are not covered by Bing imagery. But I can definitely say that this is the most accurate administrative map ever drawn for Korachundu Village Panchayat. Without violating the standing rules, orders and circulars of the Government, I was unable to find some other way to get it done more accurate.
Village Re-organisation and Cadastral Map:
Then what happened to the village re-organisation and cadastral map?
After several meet-ups with Regional Joint Director, Kozhikode and Assistant Director of the Kozhikode Range of Dept. of Survey & Land Records (Ref: 43, 44), and with District Survey Superintendent, Kozhikode, two surveyors - Shinju and Irshad prepared a draft Cadastral map based on current notification (Ref: 7), and presented at the panchayat. And found that draft map includes a few areas outside the village panchayat and also it didn't included a few areas inside the village panchayat - so it made a difficult condition that it couldn't be implemented as such. It was decided to conduct a joint verification of the area to solve the issue, with the participation of three parties: 1. Department of Survey & Land Records, 2. Four Village officers of this area, and 3. The village panchayat. Shinju and Irshad – surveyors - were deputed from the office of the Assistant Director (Kozhikode Range) on behalf of Dept. of Survey & Land Records for this task. I also participated in this joint verification on the days: 20/10/14, 19/11/14 and 26/11/14, on behalf of village panchayat.
Boundary line between Koorachundu Village panchayat and Chakkittapara Village Panchayat run through the middle of this rubber plantation.
The joint verification is finished now and the documents have been handed over to the Tahsildar, Koyilandy by the District Survey Superintendent, and now under consideration of Taluk Head Surveyor. Hopefully, after the corrected notification got published by the State Government, this issue could be solved once and for ever. When we get the certified cadastral map from the Department of Survey & Land Records, after the corrected notification got published by the government, the corresponding pages of Field Measurement Books will be collected from the village office and individually georeference and digitise them using Differential GPS along with the cadastral map for the sake of precision. This could form the base GIS data (Shapefiles and GeoDatabase) of the newly reorganised revenue village. The data generated by mapping party need to be enhanced with more added features, and can be overlayed above this as a detailed layer to make up the detailed map of the area. That map and GeoDatabase can be used as base GIS data for all future mapping needs of the Village Panchayat.
Other credits:
Photographs from stock file of O/o Koorachundu Village Panchayat, from the mapping party volunteer participants and from those clicked by myself.
Reference and timeline of events:
- OpenStreetMap
- Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team – Description on the activities done when 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010
- Watershed Works Manual, October 2007 by Baba Amte Centre for People's Empowerment for Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India
- Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects of Government of India, 2008
- 07/04/2009 - G.O.(Ms.)No.49/2009/LSGD Dated 7/4/2009 List of maps and documents can be used for preparing perspective plan under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.
- State Perspective and Strategic Plan (SPSP) for Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), submitted to Dept. of Land Resources, MoRD, Government of India By Local Self Government Department, Government of Kerala
- 17/09/2012 - G.O(Ms)No.354/12/Revenue dt 17/09/2012 Notification - Koorachundu Village reorganisation.
- 15/12/2012 - Motion - mover: O K Ammad Second: Michael Pulikkal Resolution no:XI(1) request to government to restart the stopped basic tax collection from the farmers who remitted taxes until 2002.
- 19/12/2012 - Meeting at Balussery block panchayat office - Integrated Watershed Management Programme – attended by Jr. Supdt.
- 05/01/2013 - Meeting – Hotel New Nalanda, Kozhikode - Watershed based management seminar conducted by Kerala State Landuse Board – attended by Jr. Supdt.
- 11/3/2013 - Circular No: 71639/IB1/2012/LSGD dated 11/3/2013 - Enforced restrictions over the individual software development activities of the Local Self Government Institutions of Kerala.
- Kasturirangan Report (Report of the High Level Working Group (HLWG))
- "GIS-enabled framework for geo-referenced works under e-governance" published in Geospatial World Weekly, 13 May 2013, G.P. Singh, Senior Technical Director of National Informatics Centre
- 17/05/2013 - Letter no: No.29/SLNA/2012/CRD dated 17/05/2013 - Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) - Centrally sponsored scheme – Instruct secretaries to collect required maps and other relevant data from concerned Krishi Bhavans to hand over to BDOs for revision of State Perspective and Strategic Plan (SPSP).
- 27/06/2013 - Motion - mover: Jessy Jose thannikkal second: Simily Biju - Resolution no: 42(2)/13-14 request to the chief minister, revenue minister, forest minister to start collecting Basic tax of farmers belonging to Koorachundu, Kanthalad, Chakkittapara villages.
- 06/11/2013 - Meeting - Collectorate Kozhikode - Basic tax problems and Forest boundary issue – Attended by Asst. Secretary.
- 13/12/2013 – Circular No:1942/D.C.2/2013/LSGD dated 13/12/2013 - Prohibits village panchayats from developing a custom GIS.
- 17/12/2013 - Meeting – Hotel New Nalanda, Kozhikode - Western Ghat Development Programme Workshop – Attended by Asst. Secretary.
- 21/12/2013 - G.O.(Rt) No.188/2013/Envt. Fixation of ESA - Field verification - Constitution of Village Panchayat level verification committee.
- 03/01/2013 - Letter no: B3.179/14 From Panchayat Deputy Director, Kozhikode – instruction panchayat secretaries to Fix Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and submit report before 13/01/2014.
- 07/01/2014 - Letter no: A3.7153(1)/13 From Secretary, Koorachundu Village Panchayat to APCCF(FMIS), Forest Headquarters, Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram - requesting shapefiles of the Forest range map.
- 07/01/2014 - Letter no: A3.7153(2)/13 From Secretary Koorachundu Village Panchayat to The Executive Chairman & Mission Director, IKM, Thiruvananthapuram - requesting Shapefiles of Cadastral maps of areas of Koorachundu, Chakkittapara, Kayanna, Kanthalad Villages included in Koorachundu Village Panchayat.
- 10/01/2014 - Kasturirangan Report - Fixing ESA- submitted panchayat level committee's report to the District Collector, Kozhikode. - Asst. Secretary.
- 13/01/2014 – O/o Deputy Director of Panchayats - Kasturirangan Report - Fixing ESA - submitted Map annexure with panchayat level committee's report - Asst. Secretary.
- 23/01/2014 - Panchayat resolution no: 110/13-14 Village Boundary refixation - reading the notice from Tahsildar, decided to request to make the boundary refixation faster.
- 25/01/2014 - Letter No.IKM/GIS/02/2001 – Stated that, Cadastral map of Koorachundu Village Panchayat is not available at IKM, and the said map will be available from the Department of Survey and Land records.
- 31/01/2014 - Panchayat resolution no: 150/13-14 Village Boundary refixation - delegated president to inform all political party representatives about the actions done by survey and land records on village reorganisation issue.
- 27/03/2014 - G.O.(Rt) No.57/2014/Envt. dated 27/3/14 - Demarcation of exact boundaries of ESAs as refixed - (1.) To fix the boundaries accurately for final notification in cadastral map. (2.) Local level verification committee will be the forum to fix the boundaries as per the guidelines.
- 28/03/2014 - Circular No.35208/DA3/2012/LSGD Dated 28/03/2014 – Constituted "Sevagram" Gramakendram.
- 19/04/2014 - Proceedings no: CA/11/2014 dated:19/4/2014 - disrict collector. - Based on the recommendations of the expert committee regarding the high level working group on western ghats (Kasturirangan committee) -
- Receipt of cadastral maps from the Kerala State Biodiversity Board.
- Distribution of Cadastral Maps to Village Panchayats.
- Fixing of boundaries by the panchayat level Verification committee within 5 days of recipts of maps.
- Collection of the maps and data and delivering back to Kerala State Biodiversity Board.
- Extremely Urgent.
- 24/04/2014 - Letter no B3.7156/2014 from Deputy Director of Panchayats, Kozhikode - Cadastral maps – ESA boundaries demarcation - inform DDP about the actions done based on collector's letter, before 25/04/2014 3.00 pm.
- 24/04/2014 - Meeting – O/o Chakkittapara Village Panchayat – in connection with the fixation of ESA boundaries - attended with the President of Koorachundu Village Panchayat, - Asst. Secretary.
- Kerala Institute of Local Administration & Kerala State Election Commission - Hand Book for peoples representatives and officials at LSGIs - States that Ward delimitation prior to three tier LSGI Elections must be done, based on the cadastral map prepared by IKM, instructions will be issued by district collector.
- 29/04/2014 - Letter no: A3.7153/13 From Secretary Koorachundu Grama Panchayat to Regional Joint Director, Department of Survey & Land records, Kozhikode - Requesting to prepare the cadastral map of Koorachundu Village Panchayat.
- 03/06/2014 - Meeting - Collectorate Conference Hall, Kozhikode – Western Ghat Development Programme - Asst. Secretary.
- 09/06/2014 - Letter No: A3.2933/14 - From Secretary Koorachundu Grama Panchayat to District Survey Superintendent, Kozhikode - Submitting all the documents the village panchayat have, on preparing the cadastral map of Koorachundu Village Panchayat.
- 18/06/2014 - Order No: 311/2014/SEC Dated 18/06/2014 - Guidelines for preparing ward map of village panchayat in connection to forthcoming 2015 LSGI election.
- 25/06/2014 - Order no: G.O.(Ms) No.112/2014/LSGD Dated 25/06/2014 – Detailed work chart of "Sevagram" Gramakendrams.
- 27/06/2014 - Letter No: A3.2933/14 - From Secretary Koorachundu Grama Panchayat to the Assistant Director, Kozhikode Range, Department of Survey & Land records - Submitting all the documents the village panchayat have, on preparing the cadastral map of Koorachundu Village Panchayat.
- 30/06/2014 - DDP Office, O/o Survey Asst. Director - To submit letter and maps on related issue - Asst. Secretary.
- 17/07/2014 - Steering Committee resolution no 2 – to conduct OpenStreetMap mapping party.
- 05/08/2014 - Meeting - Collectorate hall – Election - Ward map meeting - Asst. Secretary.
- 22/09/2014 - Kozhikode Survey & Land records - To meet Survey Asst. Director - Asst. Secretary.
- 01/10/2014 - Kozhikode - To meet District Survey Supdt. - related to the preparation of Cadastral map of Koorachundu Village Panchayat - Asst. Secretary.
- 20/10/2014 - Koorachundu village panchayat field - Boundary survey - Asst. Secretary.


text: Thrie-Beam Steel Guardrail is a type of guardrail that is essentially two pieces of W-Beam Guardrail formed into one single shape. It is used in specific circumstances where additional coverage may be necessary. Certain States prefer this product for highway use, and it can frequently be seen at racetracks where lower vehicles could interact with the guardrail posts.


text:
Independent State
Independent State was a major participatory project that celebrated Frome's reputation for independence. Foreground commissioned leading British artists Edwina Ashton, Bob and Roberta Smith and Matt Stokes to work with groups of local people from Frome's community from July to September in 2009 to make significant new artworks, which formed entries into the annual Frome Carnival on 26 September 2009.
The 64-page publication, designed by regular Foreground collaborator designer Daren Newman features a visual essay by photographer Charlie Thomas charting the events staged by the artists to research, recruit participants and make the works together with the carnival night itself. The visual essay is accompanied by an intriguing written account of this innovative project written by Foreground Director, Simon Morrissey.
Independent State
Edwina Ashton, Bob & Roberta Smith, Matt Stokes
Designed by Daren Newman
Essay by Simon Morrissey
Published by Foreground, 2012
Perfect bound
205 x 150mm
ISBN number: 978-0-9567002-0-9


text:
Product Description
- 6 Sachets of Oral Electrolyte Powder.
- Fast and effective replacement of lost water and body salts.
- Dioralyte is indicated for the replacement of essential body water and salts in the treatment of acute diarrhoea in infants, children and adults. Early use is important to avoid dehydration, particularly in the young and elderly.
Each sachet contains Sodium Chloride 0.47g, Potassium Chloride 0.30g, Glucose 3.56g, Disodium Hydrogen Citrate 0.53g, Also contains Silicon Dioxide, Saccharin Sodium, Blackcurrant Flavour
Store in a cool dry place.
Preparation and Usage
- How to Use Dioralyte: Dissolve contents of one Dioralyte sachet in 200ml (approx. 7 fl oz) of drinking water. Use fresh drinking water for adults and children. For infants, and where drinking water in unavailable, the water should be freshly boiled then cooled.
- The solution should be made up immediately before use. If refrigerated the solution may be stored for up to 24 hours, otherwise any solution remaining one hour after reconstitution should be discarded. Dioralyte should only be reconstituted with water and to the volume stated. A lesser or greater dilution may result in electrolyte imbalance.
- Dose: - unless prescribed otherwise by your doctor.
- Adults (including elderly): One or two sachets after every loose motion (each sachet dissolved in 200mls of water). Children: One sachet after every loose motion. Infants up to the age of 2: One to one and a half times the normal 24 hour feed volume using Dioralyte solution prepared as directed above. If the illness is not improving within 24-48 hours consult your doctor. When vomiting is present with the diarrhoea, it is recommended that small amounts be taken frequently.
Recycling info
Recyclable Carton
Name and address
- MA Holder:
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Return to
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Net Contents
6 x Sachets
Using Product Information
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text:
Hi readers! I'm Mary Beth.
I write and photograph for Annapolis & Company, a blog that records the story of two artsy parents with 3 schooners, as we've dubbed our children, and bubbles over with bits and pieces of creativity and inspiration.
We heart the kitchen over here in schoonertown. I'm pretty sure it stems from all the memories I have with my grandmother in the kitchen as a little girl. She taught me that you can love people with food. That it is a way to give back. That it is a form of art and a way to pour your creativity out in the world.
She had a row of strawberries on their farm and you could just begin to see it from the window over her kitchen sink. Me and my siblings would go out and pick to our heart's content, eating as we went. My grandmom never made a fuss if we picked the green ones before they were ready, or if we crushed a few berries beneath our toes.
And those beautiful memories have stuck with me all these years and remind me that putting effort into creating something, amidst the messy and a little crazy, is worth it. Worth the time. Worth the process. Worth the creating...
Strawberry season is just around the corner {beginning in April} and I can't wait to take my own schooners out for some local Oklahoma picking. They'll probably pick green ones, and smoosh a few underneath their toes. We'll come home, put on our aprons, and make a bonafied mess. Right here in the kitchen. Just like me and my grandmother...
...and we'll call it art.
Roasted Strawberry Brown Butter Pancakes
- serves 3-4
- 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1-1 1/4 cups milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss sliced strawberries with olive oil and a pinch of salt, then lay on a nonstick baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until juicy and caramely. While strawberries are roasting, heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until brown bits form on the bottom, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup milk, egg and vanilla extract. Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing until just combined, then stir in brown butter (get all the brown bits from the pan!) and 1/4 of the roasted strawberries. If batter isn't smooth or is too thick, add additional milk. (The strawberries will add liquid to the batter so you may need to add a little more milk if needed, based on your strawberries.)
Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of butter to the griddle and using a 1/4 cup measure, spoon batter into pan. Cook until bubbles form on top, then flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Top with remaining roasted strawberries and syrup.
Note: If you don't have time to make the pancake batter from scratch, Trader Joe's multi-grain Pancake/Waffle baking mix is my all time favorite and go-to on busy Saturday mornings. The roasted strawberries are the part that make this recipe.
Source: How Sweet It Is
Thank you, Casey, for asking me to share "our art" here. I couldn't be more grateful...


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Due to the renovations in the Union, SAPAC will be moving for the 2018-2019 school year! We will be relocating to the 3rd floor of 330 E. Liberty St. (the Michigan Square Building)! There is a door to the elevator just slightly past the CEW office doors. All of our contact numbers will remain the same. We are excited to continue providing service to the University of Michigan community in our new space!
If you have any questions or concerns about reaching our office, please call our office line at 734-764-7771 and we'd be happy to help.


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ATLANTA -- Georgia State softball standout Ivie Drake was named a first-team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, becoming the Panthers' first ever first-team selection.
The senior catcher from Carlton, Ga., earns All-America honors for the second time in her career after making the NFCA second team as a freshman.
The honor is the latest in a long line of accolades and records for Drake, who goes down as one of Georgia State's most decorated student-athletes in any sport. She is GSU's eighth first-team All-America across all sports and one of just three Panthers all-time, along with golfer Joel Sjoholm (2007 and 2008) and tennis player Abigail Tere-Apisah (2012 and 2014), to earn first, second or third-team All-America status more than once.
"I am so proud of Ivie and all that she has accomplished in her career at Georgia State," head coach Roger Kincaid said. "As a two-time All-American she will go down as the greatest player ever to play softball for Georgia State. She has worked extremely hard on the field and in the classroom and deserves all of the recognition that she is receiving."
Drake, the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, hit .436 this season with 18 home runs and 60 runs batted in, leading the Sun Belt in average, homers, RBI, on-base percentage (.568) slugging (.919) and walks (44).
Drake has rewritten the Georgia State career record book, finishing as the Panthers' all-time leader in batting average (.408), hits (285), home runs (65), RBI (215), runs scored (214) and walks (177).
She is the only active player in Division I with at least 50 career homers and a .400 batting average.
Drake is a four-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and a three-time NFCA All-Region choice.
Also an outstanding student with a 3.91 grade point average while majoring in early childhood education, Drake was named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District softball team and is a candidate for the Academic All-America team. She is also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award.
"Ivie has represented our program for the last four years in a way that all student-athletes should take note of and try to emulate," Kincaid added. "I am blessed and thankful to be her coach."


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Do you want to create a website, but don't know HTML? Do you know HTML, but want to submit a quick and relatively static page in a very small amount of time? Google Page Creator is the perfect space for "extreme beginners" to get their feet wet with web design and development, or for a web design professional to publish content to the web in a hurry without the hassles of saving and resaving, publishing and republishing pages through FTP.
The following is a step by step guide to using Google Page Creator to create a mini website in under 20 minutes.
Step 1: Sign In and Access Your Account! (2 min)
The first step is to sign in to Google Page Creator with your Google name and password, as indicated by the screen shot of the initial Google Pages sign in to the right.
Don't have a Google username / gmail account? Sign up! I guarantee you'll love Gmail more than Yahoo! or Hotmail, or many other email services.
Step 2: Agree to Google's Terms and Conditions (1 min)
Agree to Google's terms and conditions by checking the "I have read and agree" checkbox, as shown below. Then, you are ready to create your pages, so click the pushbutton to continue.
Step 3: Design your Home Page (10 min)
By default, you are taken to the home, or index page of your site, which will be available at http://yourusername.googlepages.com, once you publish it.
This homepage will be where visitors start when browsing your content. You can link other pages you create to this home page later.
Design your home page using the easy to use, what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) editor, as shown below.
If you don't like the look and layout that the page has defaulted to, use the Change Look and Change Layout buttons located in the upper right hand corner. Choose the desired look and layout from the list of options, as shown below. Click the thumbnails to see larger versions of the theme and layout options available when using Google Page Creator.
Step 5: Publish to the web (1 min)
When you are done designing and creating your home and sub pages, and are ready to publish your site to the web, simply click the "Publish" button located in the top left side of the WYSIWYG editor.
You have now created and published a baby sized website, all in under 20 minutes! As you can see, Google Page Creator can be a very useful tool if you want to publish a site to share with others quickly and easily, while still maintaining an attractive look and functional layout.


text: Hairyarse 166 Report post Posted October 21, 2016 Well if all goes to plan, I'm picking up a silver 530i Sport Auto tomorrow morning - my first petrol E39 (Excuse the dull pics, it was getting dark!) I'll be the 12 owner! However, it's only got 125k miles on it, very clean indeed, especially inside there's little signs of wear. It's got four new tyres, a lot of new suspension and cooling system components and drives beautifully. Spec isn't too bad, not as good as my old 530d sadly. Prof sat nav (MK4), heated seats, a Baris upgraded amp with AUX and removable tow bar. Looking forward to burning some petrol for a change!! 9 themanstan, jones73, Carl-e34 and 6 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Enjoy this two bedroom cottage, which is nestled in Dennis Seashores, a quaint Cape Cod seaside cottage resort. Year after year, this seaside resort has been voted "Best Mid-Cape Cottages" by readers of Cape Cod Life. This recently renovated cottage is a one minute walk from Dennis Seashores' "spectacular private beach" on Nantucket Sound.
This bright and cheery Cape Cod style cottage has a beach-themed decor with gorgeous wide board pine floors, a new fire place, an updated kitchen and a beautifully tiled shower. The cottage is fully equipped. Linens, towels, blankets, beach chairs, two cable TVs and internet access are provided. Our resort windmill office is managed by our on-site property manager.
After a relaxing day of sunning and swimming, jump into the cottage's enclosed outdoor shower, then retire onto your deck and grill on the barbeque. Many restaurants and recreational activities are nearby for your dining and entertainment pleasure.


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The Green Season--Spring 2008
Local greens for fresh salads, green fields of spring wheat, the first green leek sprouts in the garden---in a time of rising energy prices from fossil fuels, the greens of spring are most welcome! Anyone may reduce their negative impact on the environment by paying attention to eating lower on the food chain, and seeking local food sources.
We've been teaching monthly classes in Wenatchee on The Healing Power of Food, and expanding our Green Catering business, The Healthy Gourmet. All of a sudden, organic food, local food, and green cuisine are popular...and hey, it couldn't be more timely
With the trend in Green Weddings on the upswing, we are there to create an incredible gourmet food experience to celebrate sustainability in food and relationships! It is a pleasure to work with brides and grooms-to-be to create a unique food experience for the reception or wedding dinner. We have two weddings on our catering calendar already, and there are room for more, with enough advance notice.
As Grower/Chefs we plant the best varieties, selected from our 36 years of experience in natural agriculture. In the early spring garden now are kale and leeks (full size and harvestable), arugula, nappa cabbage, onions, fennel, tarragon, spearmint, spinach, lettuce, red cabbage, and a wonderful oriental 'braising greens' mix for stir fries.
It has been a challenging year with many late frosts, so having the above crops in the garden which are hardy and totally frost resistant, is really comforting. Our fruit crop is uncertain, due to late frosts, but we will know more in several weeks as we can then see the appearance of the fruits as they form and size up. It has been too cold for bees to fly for most of the spring so far, plus temperatures as low as 25 in the last two weeks have been rude to the fruits and the growers...
If you know of anyone interested in natural, sustainable, gourmet foods for a wedding or family celebration of any kind, give us a call.
Scott and Ruth Parsons
The Healthy Gourmet Food and Lifestyle School


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She was on her way to the top of the hollywood scene and showed promise of becoming a huge star, but then it happen...Jennifer Grey decided she needed a nose job (Rhinoplasty), so she went under the knife and the rest is history.
Just a tip, if you become celebrity, in part because you have a unique look about yourself. Don't have plastic surgery to change you're appearance.


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A few more stands finished up…
(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)
These are, I believe, Medieval Axemen from Old Glory. I didn't really paint them because they were needed for the HOTT Campaign Weekend… I painted them because they were easy, and Chris could take them home (They're part of the pile o' stuff that he sent to paint…). Not sure what he's going to use them for so I've left it to him to make a flag for them!
A Dwavish Druid/"Cleric" stand. The Dwarf druid and badger are Reaper Miniatures, the Irish wolfhound is from Gripping Beast, and the bear – believe it or not – is just some cheap, junk, plastic, made-in-China toy that just happen to be about the right scale….
Some Dwarf Handgunners ("Thunderers") from Games Workshop.
A stand of Shooters for my Vikings – these are actually Old Glory Dark Age Welsh archers… but I figured they were "close enough" – I even added a beard to one with green stuff to make him look just a bit more "Viking-ish"
These are also from Old Glory – Peasant Hordes! These would be for either the Anglo-Saxons or the Normans – whichever is using a Cleric stand. Clerics being 3AP – you need something else that's either 3AP (Clerics, Artillery, Sneakers) or 1AP (Horde or lurkers). I thought a Horde would be an appropriate sort of thing to team up with a stand of religious types…
Coming soon on Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:
I still have a couple more Vikings and Orcs/goblins I'd like to finish up – but I think I'm going to concentrate on the Map and some terrain for the next couple days… ONE WEEK to the HOTT Campaign Weekend!!
A little over a week left and so many things I'd like to get done…
Friday, May 29, 2009
Still Cranking 'em Out!
Labels: Hordes of the Things, Painting Update
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UEFA Ask To See More Documentation For Sponsorship's That Help Inter's FFP
UEFA have requested to see further documentation from Inter with regard to sponsorship from a related party according to a report from Calcioefinanza.it.
The Nerazzurri hierarchy are confident that they have followed the correct protocol and have no worries about European football's governing body wanting to look at extra documentation.
In particular UEFA are looking to examine the naming rights deals Suning signed for the training grounds of both the first team and youth teams. They have requested the further documentation to completely clarify the trade relations with China.
Said agreements were signed to help aid Inter's financial fair play woes last summer and raise some all important funds and Suning could very well rely on signing more sponsorship deals to help out again this summer with financial fair play still affecting the Nerazzurri. In fact, Corriere della Sera report that Suning are currently working on securing three more sponsorship deals from their native China.


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Specifications are provided by the manufacturer. Refer to the manufacturer for additional explanations. Product may not be exactly as shown.
Additional Product Specifications
Full Product Specifications: Click to view
Alarm Type: Visual
- Bank
- Courtroom
- Institutional
- Telephone
- Warehouse
Brand Name: CyberData
Form Factor: Wall Mountable
Power Source: DC Supply
Product Functions: Alarm
Product Type: Security Strobe Light
General Information
Brand Name: CyberData
Manufacturer: CyberData Corporation
Manufacturer Part Number: 011377
Manufacturer Website Address: http://www.cyberdata.net
Product Name: Singlewire RGB Strobe with SIP Support
Product Type: Security Strobe Light
Physical Characteristics
Depth: 2.1"
Form Factor: Wall Mountable
Height: 4.5"
Weight (Approximate): 1 lb
Width: 4.5"
Power Description
Input Voltage: 12 V DC
Power Source: DC Supply
Technical Information
Alarm Type: Visual
Product Functions: Alarm
Limited Warranty: 2 Year


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South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.Higher, Professional, Technical.Outstanding by standing out
International students at SGS Filton can choose from a wide range of courses at various levels. Each course has its own specific entry requirements, and your level of English needs to be at least upper-intermediate (IELTS 5.5 or equivalent). Our international office can help you decide which course is right for you. You can call them on +44 117 915 2412, or email firstname.lastname@example.com
These are the examinations taken by most students in England and Wales at 16. You need five passes at grade C or above before you can progress to Level 3.
If you're thinking about applying to a British university, you'll need at least two passes at A Level. We offer A Levels in 24 subjects.
These include BTEC diplomas, NVQs and CACHE courses, and are the ideal choice if you already know what career path you want to follow. Vocational course can prepare you for work or progression to higher education, and all Level 3 qualifications can help you gain entry to university.
These courses are for adults who've had a break from education and want to progress to higher education, but who have few academic qualifications.
Foundation degrees can give you the knowledge and skills you need for a head start in your chosen career.
Foundation degrees are the equivalent of your first two years of your degree and many students progress onto a third year to complete their full degree. We also offer some 3 year BA(Hons) degrees and a BSc Sports Coaching 2 year fast-track degree. Our degrees are validated or franchised from the University of Gloucestershire. This means your degree you will also have the opportunity to attend the Graduation Ceremony at the University.
Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) are vocational qualifications at Level 4 and Level 5 that provide practical and theoretical skills and knowledge in your chosen subject. As well as being highly valued by employers, some HNDs allow direct entry to the third year of a degree course. We offer a variety of HND and HNC's both full time and part time options are available.
Once you have the necessary qualifications and English language skills, you can progress to a range of courses at other colleges or universities – either in the UK or in your own country – or into employment in your chosen field.
Our careers team can help you decide what to do after you finish your course. They can provide careers guidance and information on further study, help you with job applications, and guide you through your UCAS application if you want to go to university.
Prepare for Success is an interactive web learning tool for international students who are getting ready to come to the UK for study in further or higher education.
Prepare for Success


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Staffing Solutions
IT Consulting & Staff Augmentation
We offer contract, contract to hire, full time/permanent, on-site and offshore resources of the highest quality at the most competitive rates.
Our core competency, our ability to truly partner with you and understand your pain points.
Our core competency, our ability to truly partner with you and understand your pain points.
ITC believes true success manifests itself in meaningful relationships that propel achievement, encouragement and pride. We work to build a relationship with you, to understand your needs and your pain points that make it possible for us to do whatever it takes to provide you with the best possible service. This approach to customer satisfaction makes us the professional services organization of choice for our customers.
ITC focuses on understanding each customer's unique needs and implements delivery teams and processes in meeting those needs. ITC utilizes a proven and customized process called Rek engineering to consistently exceed our customer's expectations. Our strength is our commitment to earn your trust every day.
We believe that a relationship built on trust is a relationship that will last.
At ITC we believe that the entire system has to be processed and quality driven. Our motto is Finesse at every step. It is how we run our company. We provide seamless execution and delivery of our services. We ensure our team has been given the right training, provided a nurturing and creative environment and are managed with an objective, metric based system. Our Quality process is based on our holistic approach that starts at the top and ends with great service.
Our core values drive our success:
- Address the increasing and changing needs of our customers through constant process improvements. (Be proactive and flexible to change).
- Partner with our customers to ensure they succeed (Understand the needs before trying to service the customers).
- Provide the highest quality resources available in the market place by conducting in depth screening and evaluation before submission to the client (Ensure Rek engineering processes are followed diligently).
- Ensure that our rates are the most competitive. (Business is about adding value and not about profits).
- Treat our employees as clients. (We believe satisfied employees perform at the highest level and provide the highest quality services to our customers).


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Post #532 The Second DateJune 17, 2017 at 4:18 PM | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Post #532 The Second Date
Partner/Spouse and I have been together for nearly a decade, but sometimes it feels like we met yesterday. We met online after I stopped the traveling part of my job, and he moved to the east coast from the western desert. After going through all the hoops for the online service (which back in those days was wasn't just a hookup process as it is now) we decided to meet at a local national park and hike a couple of trails with my dog. That date, which should have lasted 45 minutes tops, stretched out to nearly three hours as we talked and ate at a diner and played with my dog. (If any of you are friends on FB the dog picture I posted yesterday was that dog.) We reluctantly parted, but agreed we wanted to see each other again. He was work busy, and I was work busy, and neither of us wanted to seem pushy, but finally about mid-week I invited him to a nearby bar/restaurant that I wanted to go experience.
So, first date at a park that segued to a restaurant; second date at a bar/restaurant which lasted literally for hours. Our lives seem to revolve around food. Good thing we're both such good cooks.
The b/r we went to was attached to a hotel right next to an exit from a main artery which traveled through Northern Virginia going east-west. At the time, I lived near a national park dedicated to a civil war battlefield. I knew nothing about this restaurant, but had been wanting to try it for some time. Our second date seemed like the perfect time. I figured we'd sit for a few hours, eat appetizers, drink wine, and get to know each better than we had the previous time we'd been together. He was amenable so about 7:30 we walked into the place which was DESERTED! Honestly, apart from the wait staff, it was just the two of us. Not a good sign.
But we sat down, told the waitress we wanted to do appetizers all night which made her smile, and we perused the menu. I liked the wine list, although it was not extensive or sophisticated. They had a few good reliable labels and he let me order the wine. Kendall Jackson Chardonnay to start and we were off. I was still looking at the appetizers when the wine arrived so we ordered one order of chicken wings while discussed what else we'd be trying.
Then I saw a hot crab and cheese dip that also had artichokes in it. The last time I had that was at a friend's Christmas Eve party but it was wonderful. Just the right next "course". He ordered another round of chicken wings.
When the hot dip was set in front of us, we also got a variety of dippers. We had sliced baguette, assorted crackers, and some tortilla chips. There were also a few veggies to go with it. It didn't smell exactly like the dip I had before, but I was still open to it. I took a baguette slice and used a knife to smear a goodly helping. I took a big bite, and immediately regretted it. The hot cheese tasted fine. Nothing else did. I thought maybe I remembered it wrong and decided to give it a chance.
We talked, drank, ate, shared. I asked him to try the dip insisting that it didn't taste fishy. He hates fish for very valid reasons I will not bore you with. He was hesitant, but such was our desire to impress each other, he took a healthy bite.
"I hate this stuff." I had to laugh.
"It's not the best I've ever had."
Our waitress came by about then and I asked her to take it away. "It's really not good."
"Yeah," she said. "No one really likes it. It always gets sent back. I don't know why it's on the menu."
To this day, I have no idea why she didn't tell us before we ordered it. However, it wasn't on the bill so that was okay. I tasted like cheddar cheese, tuna, and spinach; all things I like, but in a combination that was oily and gross. So we filled up on chicken wings, and chips and salsa. The next time we went there, a few months later, the dip was not on the menu. So all's well . . . .
Today is Saturday and we had some errands we wanted to run. There was a focus to them. We had arranged our route so we ended up at an antique bookstore with the solemn promise to each other that we wouldn't overdo it. We lied to each other.
We started at a farmer's market which turned out to be pretty small, but we still managed to spend a ton. We got two loaves of bread, some pastries, a ton of veggies, and some honey. We stopped at a hardware store but that turned out to be a bust since they didn't have the part we needed. We stopped at another farmer's market to get some more pastries because they have this shortbread cookie filled with raspberry preserve and dusted with confectioner sugar that I have become addicted to. You only get four in a box, but boy are they good! If anyone has a recipe for that, let me know.
And, of course, there was the book store. We spent far below $100 but we got some treasures. One of them I want to share with you.
Ever hear of Mrs. Beeton? She's a British icon, well known to anyone who cooks. She was the foremost authority on cooking and household management in her day which was the mid to late 1800s. She wrote several books on the subject but it's her first one that made her name so well known. Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. It was the go-to volume for all new housewives and was eagerly anticipated by all new brides. She taught generations the art of running their household efficiently and frugally. I found a reprint of that book, and the lady at the store told me she had one more, the one pictured. Mrs. Beeton's Book of Everyday Cookery. I can't find a date on it anywhere, but I know old books and this is an old book. I don't think I've got a first edition, but I certainly got one on the level of a century old. It's got original color plates in it showing how to butcher animals, cut veggies, decorate a table. I haven't read through the whole thing yet, but I'm going to have some fun with this.
The lady who owns the store knew that she'd met two kindred spirits so she ended up giving us a deal on everything we got. I love small towns.
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By Josh Clark
The hospitality uniforms you choose can impact how your company is perceived by customers and how employees feel about their work. When chosen well, hospitality uniforms present a professional and high-quality appearance to those you are serving. They also help employees feel empowered, confident and positive about the work they do each day. Before selecting a uniform, keep these tips in mind.
1. Represent your brand
Use your uniforms as a marketing tool by designing them to represent your company's brand. An embroidered logo, name or design will raise awareness about your business and can impact how customers perceive your company. It will also help employees feel like they are part of the team!
2. Choose comfortable materials and fits
When working in the hospitality industry, employees have to be pleasant and sociable, which is hard to do when they're feeling uncomfortable. Choose materials that will allow your team to work effectively, such as ring-spun cotton or a nice cotton/polyester blend.
3. Opt for durable designs
Your employees work hard and you'll need uniforms that can handle a little wear and tear. Pay attention to the fabric, stitching and features offered for each uniform you are considering. Double-needle or even triple-needle stitching on the hems and sleeves can ensure your polo shirts last longer than others.
4. Look for high-quality features
Uniforms that are resistant to moisture, snags, wrinkles, stains or color-fading can enhance comfort and prevent typical work-wear issues. Consider which features your employees and business would most benefit from before you start browsing online.
5. Search for affordable options
A professional, high-quality uniform shouldn't have to come at a high cost. And it doesn't. At Clothing Warehouse, you can find top brands at affordable prices. This is especially helpful when new employees are hired or uniforms become damaged and you need to buy replacements.
Choosing hospitality uniforms is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Consider which options would offer a positive impact on both your customers and employees before deciding on a final design.


text: Today i went for a last session at my homespot, lake steinhuder meer, before we're not allowed to surf there until april. I was fully powered up on my 4.2 and have had a lot of fun trying new things. My sister took some nice Pictures and fimled this no handed Spock-crash.


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Mike Mills's Beginners deals with homosexuality. He offers a rather sharp character study, but his analysis is sometimes close from drowning into a sea of anecdotes.
The film takes place in 2003. Oliver (Ewan McGregor), a man in his forties, is shaken by two things his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), tells him. Hal comes out of the closet and reveals that he has cancer. Oliver hardly understands it, because his father was once married to a woman.
Hal decides to see a young man named Andy (Goran Visnjic) and meet other gays. As he copes with the eventual death of his father, Oliver sees Anna (Mélanie Laurent), an eccentric French woman he met at a party. Unfortunately, while Hal is on cloud nine with Andy, Oliver doesn't know if he wants to be in a serious relation with Anna.
As Oliver compares his love relation with that of his father, we see Mills's droll analysis on how some people born in the 1960s might live their love relation today. Hal sets himself free by loving Andy. In fact, the 21rst century offers him the opportunity to display his homosexuality in public without fearing to be arrested by the police. Coming to the realization that he lives in an uninhibted society, Oliver, as a straight man, wonders if love is still relevant.
While there's nothing wrong with having a slow pace, Beginners becomes unfortunately dull at time. By attempting to depict the quotidian life of Oliver, Mills gives a touch of realism to Beginners. Unfortunately, we're sometimes bombarded with boring anecdotes about Oliver's life at work and with anyone who is neither Anna nor Hal.
Nevertheless, Beginners is a diamond in a rough. In fact, in order to appreciate it, one has to forget that Mike Mills could have trimmed his film for brevity's sake.
Rating: 3.5/5
|105 minutes
|Mike Mills
|Mike Mills
|Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Mélanie Laurent


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|Summer of Unfortunate Events
Event Type: Youth Program
Age Group(s): Teen, Tween
Date: 7/11/2018
Start Time: 3:00 PM
End Time: 4:00 PM
Please do not even think about attending this summer program where you will explore the world of the Baudelaire orphans. You do not want to spend your summer worrying about the dreadful Count Olaf. If you unwisely choose to attend this program, you will be subjected to a summer full of grotesque games, creepy crafts, suspicious snacks, and no fun at all. For teens ages 13-18. summer1Library: Westbrook Branch Library Map
Location: Community Room


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by Ray Bert, Contributing Editor;
A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea: The Race to Kill the BP Oil Gusher By Joel Achenbach. New York City: Doubleday, 2011
Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 2011, Vol. 81, Issue 6, Pg. 77-77
Document Type: Editorial
Services: Buy this book/Buy this article
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