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Bringing IT & Telecoms
Closer Together
We are a leader in On-Premise and Cloud technology within the Unified Communication space. From voice
to data to video and chat we have solutions to suit all
Through our vast experience we believe that a true unified communications strategy should include a mixture of Telephony, Data, Video, Wifi and Cloud technologies. We help companies find and support an "any device approach" (BYOD) where a converged joined up approach is the key to greatest efficiencies and reduced costs.
Feel free to explore a few of our our key solutions we provide.
We believe that a technology solution should be more than the sum of its parts and therefore offer a true valued added Business Solution rather than just technology change for technology sake.
Whether you have 1 or 1,000 users, our commitment is the same. We offer a vast array of business solutions backed by state of the art professional support services.
We work with all our clients to help them decide which way they should go for the Unified Communications. On-Premises suits the business who wants to own and control their infrastructure with in-house expertise.
Cloud solutions favour the client who wants to offload the Capex and running costs under a managed agreement and is happy to outsource.
From multi-tier telephone support, email case management, customer portal engagement and web chat support we can offer the support you require.
Our discreet ticketing system is available for all our customers across all our services including telephone systems, SIP Trunks and wireless services.
Let us discuss with you how we support some of the UK's and world's leading brands and some of the smallest upcoming fast track businesses too.
"Staveley has supported our systems since we upgraded with them back in 2000. Their technical support team are second to none and always go that extra mile when we really need them."
"Thank you to the Staveley team who worked through the night to get our system ready for live day. We deployed a new contact centre and telephone system which was a huge business change for us. We couldn't have a asked for a more professional service from your team and we continue to be well served through the helpdesk. Great people and a pleasure to deal with."
"We chose Staveley to take over our AVAYA IP Office and XIMA maintenance as our current supplier was under-performing. We have 6 sites across the UK and Ireland and we are extremely pleased with the level of knowledge the team has on the IP Office, far more than the previous company."
"We looked at many different telephone systems before deciding on the AVAYA IP Office 500. Staveley demonstrated the product exceptionally well at our premises and we were able to involve key staff in the decision making process. We have just implemented the AVAYA mobile client to 25 handsets and we are seeing immediate savings in our mobile bills. It is is clear to us that Staveley are experts in the AVAYA platform."
"We chose Staveley to take over our AVAYA IP Office and XIMA maintenance as our current supplier was under-performing. We have 6 sites across the UK and Ireland and we are extremely pleased with the level of knowledge the team has on the IP Office, far more than the previous company."
Take a look at some of our recent thoughts here or drop us a line and we will be in touch


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Hey guys! This is Rita here. How is everyone going? It is time for yet another healthy vegan breakfast. The first time I ever tasted a chia pudding was in the lovely Pom och Flora cafe in Stockholm. By then we were already going strong in the plant-based whole foods lifestyle, but still I was not totally convinced I'd become a fan of chia puddings. And to this day, André can't even bare the thought of swallowing anything as "mushy" as this, as he likes to put it. But it was a rainy yet dreamy morning in Stockholm and we were finally visiting the well-praised Pom och Flora. Chia puddings are totally their thing and I decided to take the plunge. Turns out I was a total fan all along! Every spoonful had creamy, crunchy, sweet and tangy. It was ever so delicious, nutritious and filling. As soon as I got back home I knew I had to start making my own versions of this yummy breakfast.
I soon realised there is only one rule in chia pudding making (to me, at least) and that is to make it with both plant-based milk AND plant-based yogurt. This will turn the average gelatinous chia concoction into the richest, creamiest and ultimately, the best pudding ever. As far as flavours go it can really go a number of ways, but we opted for one of our go-to combos: oranges and blueberries. You see, there are more oranges than there is oxygen in our region and we always keep a bunch of wild bluebs in the freezer. And of course we couldn't just skip the superfood bonus, so we chose the amazing baobab powder. It is the perfect addition to this recipe because it is citrusy, sweet, sour and completely loaded with health benefits. It is one of the best sources of Vitamin C in the world — it has over 10 times more Vit. C than oranges — and it's also got loads of minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium, just to name a few.
I ended up LOVING this simple morning meal and I hope you guys will too. Give this a go and let us know how it turned out!
Orange baobab chia pudding
with blueberry puree
15 minutes prepping + 8 hours soaking + 5 minutes serving | serves 1
3 tbsp chia seeds
3/4 cup | 180 ml. coconut milk (beverage, not canned)
1/4 cup | 60 ml. vegan coconut yogurt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp baobab powder
zest of 1 orange (about 1 tsp)
1/2 cup | 65 gr. frozen wild blueberries
1 tbsp maple syrup
2-3 tbsp water
a spoonful of vegan coconut yogurt
fresh orange wedges
fresh blueberries
coconut flakes
chopped almonds
orange zest
Start by gathering, preparing and measuring all of the ingredients. This will improve your dynamic in the kitchen.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, coconut yogurt, baobab powder, maple syrup and orange zest until well combined.
- Add the chia seeds and mix thoroughly.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes and them mix again, making sure there are no clumps of chia seeds.
- Cover bowl with cling film and place it in the fridge overnight.
- Combine frozen wild blueberries and maple syrup in your food processor or blender and blend.
- Add the water one tablespoon at a time, until the puree is creamy and smooth.
- Remove the chia pudding from the fridge and start by adding one half of the pudding to a breakfast bowl or mason jar.
- Layer the blueberry puree on top.
- Pour the rest of the chia pudding on top of the blueberry layer.
- Top with some more vegan coconut yogurt, fresh orange wedges, blueberries and crunchy toppings. Enjoy!
Leave us a comment below and share your goodies on Instagram with the tag #cocooncooksblog so we can find them! xo

subset: commoncrawl


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Another segment of a project The Rise and Fall of a Saloon In The Latter Part off The Twentieth Century. These excerpts are not chronological. In fact very little logic prevails…
The Mating Dance is a series of observations of human nature in pursuit of (more or less) romantiic endeavor They are not in any particular order. That would imply rationality .
This sampling is unconnected synapses. Brief little spots in time.
None of these are about the one person.
Which is why I call it…
None of these items are attributable to or about you…
… I don't think
Save The Last Dance For Me
She was a lean, tight bodied, high breasted beauty…dark hair in a pixie-ish cut. A Latina, or partly so, with high cheekbones and a generous mouth…
Her makeup looked like she spread it on a wall and ran her face into it
She was a young thing, barely twenty one. She favored tight t-shirts which did little to hide or diminish her dark nipples, faintly visible, through the thin cloth. A tall girl, slender… usually wore jeans but sometimes wore almost diaphanous dresses because she knew they showed off her legs to an advantage…
Don't get too close to that candle little moth… (The Write Down Book)
She was a pretty girl but she somehow managed to look as if she was mis-cast in a high school play
She moved like a denim clad sidewinder…
A light pout on her mouth
Uncurled but thick eyelashes
If she comes up to you with her hands behind her back and wiggles her shoulders it tends to arch her back slightly to enhance the thrust of her breasts. This is usually accompanied by a fluttering of her eyelashes, a sure sign she either wants something or has a bridge to sell
She was a cross between colt and puppy
All wiggles and struts.
Some women can do wonders of cuteness with a cap or a hat.
When it works it is as effective as Odysseus' Sirens
When it doesn't it is about as exciting as a stump
Women can do amazing thing with a button or two at their bodice
Making the man think he's seeing more than he is.
Want a hint?
Don't eat bar popcorn or bar nuts and breathe on people if you can help it….
I know it tastes good but if you have to talk closely to someone (or maybe kiss them) equalize things somehow. Take a mint or make sure you intended has eaten some also.
I like to come and check out the stock.
A woman's eyes take a special glint when they know they're wearing what looks good on them…
Some do a better job of being female than others.
They scan, weigh and judge, dismiss their target in the flicker of an eye. If you interest them they'll look again
The Warner brothers twins, porky and pig
Gender Check!
Yikes Dykes
'I'm so cute I can't stand it'
It's not that she was perfect. She wasn't. It's just that there was so little of her that warranted correction.
Sometimes a wig works… sometimes it doesn't…
When women have a breast augmentation and they get older the NewBoob skin doesn't' age the same way as the rest of them does and they end up looking like their bodies were put together out of kits and the parts got mixed up.
Tarted up a bit…
A sweetness of pink lips and a dollop of eye shadow…
Very effective…
"You'll do." she said
For Meeee…???


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Due to Hurricane Sandy The Aquarium will be unavailable for events until approximately late 2016.
Please consider our other scenic Zoo locations for your event venue.
Make your green go further! All event proceeds help support Wildlife Conservation Society's mission to help save wildlife and wild places around the globe.
For more information, Contact us at718-741-3836


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- $100-$140 plus HST per session
EMDR sessions are 60-90 minutes.
- Single Training Session: $90 plus HST
- Ten Session: $700 plus HST
Rental unit available: $800 plus HST for 4 weeks/20 sessions
For block packages, sessions can be shared between two people or transferable (ie, the entire block can be transferred to another individual). The first session will be approximately 1 hour long. There will be consent and survey forms to be completed, followed by a full Neurofeedback brain training session. Subsequent sessions are approximately 45 minutes long.
Payment Policy: Registered psychotherapists are covered under most insurance plans with some exceptions. Receipts will be given for both therapy and neurofeedback.
If you have a need to cancel or reschedule a session, please provide at least 24 hours notice to avoid being responsible for the cancellation fee (equivalent to a full session fee).
Methods of Payment Accepted: Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Cheque, eTransfer, and cash.
*** Please Note: Neurofeedback with NeurOptimal® is brain training to optimize brain functioning, and not a treatment. Psychotherapy benefits are not applicable for brain training sessions. ***


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Online flower delivery is one of the best gifts to show a loved one, friend, family or colleague how much you care about them. But it shouldn't break the bank! We understand value for money and are committed to providing you with quality flowers at everyday low prices. That's why the Flower Factory has created an under $60 collection, featuring arrangements that look a million bucks but won't leave you strapped for cash.
This range includes affordable arrangements which utilise the freshest flowers available. At prices like this, you can afford to send that special someone a vibrant, fun bouquet just because. Or, send the ultimate romantic gesture to your loved one in the form of a single rose. Regardless of which arrangement you choose, we guarantee these affordable gifts will brighten up their day!
Christmas is fast approaching and with arrangements from $42 plus same day delivery, you'd be mad not order your Christmas flowers now!
Please enter your email address
We accept safe and secure payment by the following cards:


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Robb A. Warren, DDS
I could sit here and type in my education background and list my accomplishments, and, yet, I don't think that will tell you about the real me. For those of you that would like to know, I earned my undergraduate degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and went on to earn my doctorate from the best dental school in the country, The Marquette University School of Dentistry. All my other fun groups and organizations are listed at the end. All of which I am proud to be a member, and, yet, that only tells you a little about who I am and why I should be your dentist.
What you need to know is that I love what I do! Think about all the great moments in your life, and I am willing to bet you will remember someone smiling at you, or maybe you can picture yourself beaming from ear to ear. When you smile you make someone's day. If we can give someone that gift, be compassionate, get them out of pain, save their smile and let their true self shine through, then we have been successful. If we can do that for you, then I am the one beaming from ear to ear! If a patient ever has a problem in my office, then tell me. If you have what almost all patients have, a positive experience, then please tell others.
I live to learn. I think my wife believes I am part squirrel as I hide dental journals all over the house for when I am ready to read them. As a team I encourage and expect my team to take continuing education courses. The moment we think we know everything it only proves we know nothing. I pride myself on keeping up-to-date on what we can do to enhance your care and consistently work with specialist to collaborate on what options might be best for you. It is about choices and options because, in the end, it is your oral health and your smile!
There are only two things I love more than being a dentist: God and my family. My faith is the center of my life. I believe God has given me a gift to be able to do what I do and love. And with that gift, I strongly believe in giving back to the community, which is why I help run the dental side of the Touched Twice Clinic and have a goal of donating not just money but the most valuable resources we all have: our knowledge and our time.
I could go on for pages about my loving family, but here is what you need to know: I love my wife, and I love my children. At times I am the biggest kid in the house, playing in the snow, jumping in the leaves or running through the sprinkler, and anyone who knows me will tell you the same. My wife, Erin, and I also enjoy our moments together whether it be a date night, a game night, helping out at our church or finding ways to get outside and enjoy what life has to offer. I encourage you to e-mail me if you have any questions, as that is why I am here. To help you find and maintain that beautiful smile and share the joy that comes with sharing a smile and bringing sunshine to someone's day.
Keep Smiling,
Yes, I do maintain active memberships with numerous prestigious professional organizations and as stated earlier I am proud of my role as a volunteer in all of them:
- Dane County Dental Society- Board Member 2003-2010 and President 2011 www.danecountydental.org
- American Academy of Sports Dentistry http://www.academyforsportsdentistry.org/default.aspx
- Dane County Sports Medicine Council- Board Member
- International Association of Dental Trauamtology http://www.iadt-dentaltrauma.org
- University of Wisconsin Team Dentist- 2001 to present
- American Dental Association www.ada.org
- Wisconsin Dental Association www.WDA.org
- SCADA International Association of Student Clinicians American Dental Association http://www.scadaresearch.org/
- Academy of General Dentistry http://www.agd.org/splash/
- Donated Dental Services: http://www.wda.org/wda-foundation/donated-dental-services
- Give Kids A Smile http://www.ada.org/givekidsasmile.aspx
- Mission of Mercy http://www.wda.org/wda-foundation/mission-of-mercy
- Touched Twice Ministries www.touchedtwicemadison.org
Alicia T. Malak, DDS
At a young age, I recognized my vocation to become a dentist to serve and take care of others. More than anything else, I truly enjoy taking the time to get to know each patient and to connect with them on a personal level. Not only do I try to be caring and gentle in my approach to dentistry, but I am also committed to the patient's overall health and well-being. It's not just your teeth I want to take care of, it is you, your smile, your oral health and your family. My attention to detail, as well as my compassion for listening to and taking care of patients, is one of my best strengths.
In addition to the commitment I have to patients at Warren Family Dental, I am committed to serving those less fortunate patients in need. Since 2012, I have volunteered for "Mission of Mercy" and "Give Kids a Smile" events (nationwide organizations that reach out to children and adults in need of dental care) as well as Touched Twice (the Madison local event for those in need). I have also participated in mission trips to rural Jamaica helping serve the poor and underprivileged by providing free dental care. My skills and knowledge are in constant growth by my commitment to learning as much as I can, and by taking as much CE (Continuing Education) as possible in order to be the best dentist I can be.
I grew up in Waterford, WI before attending Marquette University. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into Marquette University's Pre-Dental Scholars program, which allowed me to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences after only three years. I then continued to Marquette University School of Dentistry and graduated with my Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.
As much as I love my job, I love to have fun, too. My husband, Matthew, my daughter, Cece, golden retriever, Lucy, and I love the outdoors. When not in the dental office, you can often find us hiking throughout the great state of Wisconsin and various National Parks, skiing snowy slopes, or cutting across the lakes on our slalom water skis. I also adore spending time with my family and friends.
I look forward to meeting you and building a lifelong and trusting relationship with you as your dentist!
Professional Affiliations:
- ADA - American Dental Association
- WDA - Wisconsin Dental Association
- AGD- Academy of General Dentistry
- GDDS - Greater Dane Dental Society
- GMDA - Greater Milwaukee Dental Association
- Madison Progressive Dental Forum
- CDS- Chicago Dental Society
Cheri - Practice Administrator
Cheri began her career in dentistry in 1979 after graduating from MATC with a diploma in Dental Assisting. She worked as a dental assistant for 2 years and then decided to go back to MATC for Dental Hygiene. Cheri graduated from MATC in 1983 with an Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene. She worked as a dental hygienist for 25+ years; always having a dream of someday earning her bachelor's degree. Cheri graduated from the University of Phoenix Madison Campus in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. Cheri worked at our office for over 15 years as a dental hygienist. Now Cheri enjoys using her clinical background and business background as the Practice Administrator. She enjoys helping patients achieve optimal dental health.
Cheri grew up on Lake Kegonsa in the Stoughton area and continues to live in the Stoughton area. Cheri enjoys spending time with her family and friends, her grown children Joshua and Nicole, and her grandchildren. Cheri also enjoys going for walks, spending time on the water, and riding her motorcycle.
Maribeth - Patient Services
You will find Maribeth at the front desk to welcome you to the office and start your appointment off on a warm and friendly note! She has been at the front desk with our office for a number of years and loves being there. When not at the office she can be found doing fun things with family and friends. Camping is a favorite activity in the Fall and Spring. She will be hanging out in the pool in the Summer after tending to her flower beds! She has a husband, three married adult sons and five granddaughters to keep her active!
Kailee - Patient Services
Kailee has had the opportunity to experience the world of dentistry in a variety of ways throughout the past few years. Most of her experience comes from customer service while at the front desk, but she has also had the chance to assist and see the clinical side of dentistry first-hand.The friendly faces and family-like feel at Warren Family Dental are just a few of the many reasons Kailee enjoys being a part of this team. When she's not at the office, you can find Kailee enjoying the outdoors. She also has a creative side and enjoys cosmetology and photography!
Cherie - Insurance Services
Cherie has been working in the dental field since 1998. She joined the team at Warren Family Dental in 2018 with a vast amount of dental knowledge as well as a passion for helping people. Cherie enjoys the team and family atmosphere within the office. Outside Warren Family Dental Cherie enjoys reading, venturing out to live music venues and spending time with her family and friends.
Kristina - Dental Hygienist
Kristina likes being able to educate and take care of her patients so they feel great about their teeth and smile. She enjoys working in a family practice because it allows her to interact with and get to know patients of all ages. When she's not working, you'll find Kristina spending time with her husband and twin boys. She also enjoys taking walks, gardening, playing volleyball and going camping.
Kacie - Dental Hygienist
Kacie graduated from MATC in 2007 with an Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene and went on to earn her Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene in 2015 from Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Kacie is an attention-to-detail person. She loves to keep up with the latest research and technology. She is passionate about her patients oral health. She loves to help her patients reach their oral health goals and help them eliminate oral health diseases for an overall healthier body.
When not at work Kacie enjoys spending time with her family, party planning, volunteering, and traveling.
Amanda - Dental Hygienist
Amanda joined Warren Family Dental in 2018 and has been working as a dental hygienist since 2015. She really enjoys being a part of a friendly family dental practice and interacting with patients. Her favorite part about being a dental hygienist is being able to work one-on-one with each patient to help them achieve their best possible smile and making sure they have a great experience at each and every visit. When not at Warren Family Dental Amanda enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out at the gym, riding her bicycle, going for walks, reading, painting and catching up on various TV series.
Victoria - Dental Hygienist
Hola! My name is Victoria, and I moved here from California almost 10 years ago with a suitcase. Needless to say, I never left! I adore Madison, and have been in the dentistry field here for nearly 8 years. I'm happy to be a part of the Warren Family Dental team, and look forward to cleaning teeth & connecting with my patients on a personal level. My husband and I love our pets, outdoor adventures, and UW football. Go Bucky! Yo hablo español :)
Lisa - Hygiene Coordinator
Lisa is a self-proclaimed people person who enjoys meeting patients' needs day-to-day. Her favorite part of working at Warren Family Dental is that the team really gets to know the patients. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
Polly - Dental Assistant
What matters most to Polly is building a relationship with patients and getting to know them. She also loves to be able to educate her patients so they know what to expect and hopefully feel more at ease. In addition to being a dental assistant, Polly is a wife and mom of Andrew, Matthew, and Abigail. She is also an avid sports fan and enjoys playing volleyball with her husband and friends and spending time with her active family.
Brandi - Dental Assistant
Brandi's favorite part of working at Dr. Warren's office is interacting with her coworkers: "we have a happy and wonderful team here!" She also loves seeing the smiles on her patients' faces knowing that she had a hand in creating them. Brandi loves spending time with her daughter Raena. Brandi also loves the outdoors, fishing, motorcycling in the summer, and snowmobiling in the winter.
Tammy - Dental Assistant
Tammy has been in the dental field since 2002 and brings a broad range of experience to the team. Tammy is very passionate about helping people, with her huge, compassionate heart and expanse of dental knowledge. She also has the ability to make patients feel at ease during appointments with her calm chair side manner and kind demeanor. Tammy also has enjoyed learning and expanding her dental knowledge at Warren Family Dental. When Tammy is not at the office she loves spending time with her family.
Becky - Dental Assistant
Becky truly enjoys working for the practice and appreciates being a member of an incredible team! She cherishes every moment with each patient, doctor and staff. She loves seeing patients smile and getting to know each of them on a personal level.
Outside of the practice, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband Nick, rescue dog Ace, daughter Nellie, family and friends. She loves traveling and experiencing new restaurants around town.


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We are photographers living with or affected by mental illness; supporting each other one photograph at a time. Join our community, submit today!
Photo taken by contributor Jaeda DeWalt, a conceptual self-portrait artist in her forties from Seattle, Washington. Her battles with mental illness hearken back to her earliest memories, at age 4, when she became obsessed with the number four and performed exhaustive rituals in patterns of four. During her teen years, she began noticing extreme mood swings, manic one moment and depressed the next, and in her late 20′s she finally sought treatment and was diagnosed with Bipolar, OCD, PTSD, Anxiety, and ADHD. Her doctors told her they believed the mental illness was brought on by a severe concussion she sustained at age two, along with the trauma of being sexually abused as a child into her young adult years. Her life was filled with self-destructive coping methods until she went full force into creating, in her mid-twenties. The process of creating and putting herself in front of the camera felt cathartic, liberating and healing. The photographic medium opened up a new world to her and ignited a kind of passion within that she didn't even know she was capable of experiencing. She has been on an ever-evolving, healing journey, ever since.
About this photo: "My struggles have taught me that making my pain productive, empowers me, transforming my tragedy into triumph."
Find more from Jaeda at Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
**Visit Broken Light's main gallery here. Currently accepting submissions.
*Facebook & Twitter @BrokenLighCo & @DanielleHark. Follow for e-mail notifications
Thanks, Jaeda, for sharing both your great story & your wonderful picture: great stuff! . . . I can so relate to your story, as I too have suffered with much anxiety, obsessive-compulsiveness, bipolar symptoms, and PTSD like symptoms, etc., & have quite recently opened up to photography as a way of creative self-expression & catharsis! . . .
Great photo , amazing story
Jaeda…wonderful image…..keep working it, we all have our demons to erase and fears to overcome……..art is a therapeutic help……j


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A friend of mine requested a purple Sackboy with wings. I tried to freestyle and make my own wings but I didn't like how they turned out. So I searched online to see if I could find a pattern to work off of. I found this dragon pattern. The dragon looks really cool, but for now I just made the wings. The free pattern can be found here. I also made a little halo that I forgot to take a picture of. It looked cute.
A craft blog with free crochet patterns, do it yourself projects, jewelry, beads and other creative ideas. Join me in my crafting adventures.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wings for my Sackboy
Posted by daperfectmix at Thursday, April 28, 2011
4 comments:
- Lilacanglia said...
He is fantastic,
my oldest son would love him,
- April 29, 2011 at 9:13 AM
- fialka012 said...
❤ ❤ ❤
- May 2, 2011 at 5:06 PM
- lovestitch said...
It's really really cute!!!
- May 19, 2011 at 5:10 AM
- LambAround said...
Aaw! I'll admit I have no idea what a Sackboy" is, but this is cute :)
- May 20, 2011 at 11:03 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Fortress (1985)
While I may be a full-fledged, hardcore horror fan, I'm also a girl. Like most girls in 1983, I became captivated with the drama of the TV mini-series The Thorn Birds and all of its beautiful actors. Color me tickled when Meggie Cleary, herself, AKA Rachel Ward, was in another made-for-TV movie for HBO. Unfortunately, I wasn't going to have any lovely feels when watching Fortress. In fact, I was going to be bloody traumatized.
Australian school teacher, Sally Jones (Ward), oversees a rural schoolhouse with kids ranging in ages from kindergarteners to teenagers. As the students are about to start their day, four men in rubber masks wielding shotguns kidnap the entire lot. After a failed attempt at escape, the kidnappers display their seriousness by nearly killing one of the youngest children. Sally and the kids are taken to a remote cave where they are sealed in.
Sally begins to organize the children. She was so smartly calm at the beginning of the ordeal, she convinced the kidnappers to let them bring their lunches, as well as a first aid kit. Sally totally MacGyvers some torches out of soda cans, salad dressing, and shoe strings and they find a way out. Once out of the cave, they try to make their way back to safety. They come upon a farm, but as they start to feel rescued, they discover the kidnappers are one step ahead and already at the farm.
Fearing for their lives, Sally gets serious. With the assistance of some of the older boys, she devises a plan and it's to kill or be killed. They fight their way out and hole up in a secure cave, but by morning, they realize the remaining men know exactly where they are and, like morons, announce from a distance, they will be back at nightfall to take care of them. With the time they have left, they create a fortress surrounded by spears and make weapons out of sticks and cans. When the kidnappers return, shit goes down Lord of the Flies style.
|Unacceptable. Totally unacceptable.
Fortress is a low-budget revenge thriller and although it definitely isn't a creature movie, there are monsters. While the kidnapping is never fully explained, it does reference a for-ransom reason. What is somewhat perplexing is why, since the kidnappers wear masks and their faces are never seen, even by the viewer until the end, they are so willing to go to the extreme of tracking them down and killing them. These guys are ruthless. They torment the eldest girl, Narelle, with potential sexual assault. Mind you, she's all of 14. They also threaten Sally. One of the men even attempts an assault, but Sally isn't having any of it.
The character of Sally Jones is a true heroine and Rachel Ward executes this brilliantly. Right from the jump, her only concern is the welfare of the children. When we first meet her, she appears to be a simple country girl, getting taken advantage of by the older kids, but when push comes to shove, she becomes a warrior, their leader (all in a skirt and blouse). The kids feed off of her strength and follow her into the darkness they've tried to escape the entire film. In the end, there is a visible shift in the dynamic of the relationship.
|This might be the worst thing I've ever seen ever in my life.
There is a fair amount of gore in the 3rd act, otherwise there is very little in the way of special effects, but that's inconsequential. Fortress is fraught with tension and fear. You become so engrossed in the story and characters that the brutality of the climax is a huge release.
|Spoke too soon.
I forgot I had a copy of this and gave it a watch last weekend. It holds up beautifully.
Fortress is available on DVD and is worth the purchase.
Fun fact – Rebecca Rigg, who plays the timid Narelle, has been long married to the super hot Simon Baker (The Mentalist, L.A. Confidential). You go girl!
What movie traumatized you as a child?
Tell Suzanne on Twitter: @suzebee04


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Nitin Gadkari
Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari delivered the 22nd leadership lecture on 'Education for development' at the TA Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) in Manipal on Monday.
Gadkari said leadership is about working collectively with people and maintaining good relationships. Vision of the leader, with the help of knowledge, can lead to miracles, he said.
Gadkari shared his experience as a Minister in Maharashtra in 1997-98. He recalled that the government had sanctioned only ₹10 crore to build the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and explained how he was able to raise ₹4,000 crore for it from the capital market.
RC Natarajan, Director of TAPMI, and Ramdas Pai, Chairman of TAPMI Governing Council and Chancellor of Manipal University, were present on the occasion.


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Many people get the terms "abstract of title" and "chain of title" mixed up. When you are dealing with real estate, these two terms are similar but they do have different unique meanings. Here are the basics of the abstract of title vs. the chain of title.
Abstract of Title
The abstract of title is basically a summary of the history of a property. It is much smaller than the actual full version of the history of ownership of a particular property. All of the important information about a particular property is going to be included in the abstract of title.
Chain of Title
The chain of title is similar to the abstract of title except that it is the full version of the information about a particular piece of property. The chain of title tracks all of the individual owners of the piece of property over the years. This is a much more detailed set of information when compared to the abstract of title.
The abstract of title is frequently used whenever a title company is preparing title insurance for a piece of property. If there is ever any question about outstanding liens on a property, the title company will turn to the chain of title to answer the questions.


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The weekends that were
Perhaps the structure isn't working as well as I'd hoped ;). Highlights of the two weekends past include: high tea at the One and Only, just talking nonsense with friends, and gaming.
In other news I'm the temporary assistant manager at the shop - it should make for stressful, but interesting times. I've managed to keep a plant alive for one week, and counting :-) . Have a new kitchen item - birthday vouchers ftw! And tried out one new recipe.
How have you been?


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Home » Recipes » Cottage Cheese
These protein pancakes get a nutritional boost from cottage cheese and Greek yogurt! The recipe makes enough for just two people but you can easily…
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Healthy wraps with peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version), apple, cottage cheese and raisins are a great make-ahead lunch perfect for…
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This no-cook white chocolate mousse is made healthier with a secret ingredient and doesn't have any eggs! I was extremely excited to see that one…
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These super soft pumpkin pancakes have an amazing texture! Unlike other whole grain pancakes, these aren't at all bready and taste amazing. Don't let the…
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These grain-free and gluten-free protein pancakes are loaded with protein thanks to the addition of 1/4 cup cottage cheese per serving – but I promise…
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Decor Mart - Jewellery Box - Handmade - Beaded Fabric - Red - 10 x 7 x 3 inch
Out of stockThis item is currently out of stock
Product Code: DMJB066
Availability: Out Of Stock
Unique and attractive, the Decor Mart - Jewellery Box - Handmade - Beaded Fabric - Red - 10 x 7 x 3 inch Jewellery Box cum Organizer will be the best pick to keep your accessories in a convenient way. The compact size of this box makes it easily fit inside the wardrobe or best for travelling as well. This is a handcrafted designer piece Made in India. THE DECOR MART brings to you an exclusive collection of hand-crafted designer products which blend quality, affordability & functionality. Each product is tested using stringent quality-check protocols & is backed by our Quality Assurance & Returns Policy. This product has been hand-crafted especially for you! Slight variations in colour, pattern, texture, etc are inherent in the nature of hand-crafted product.


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Every penny paid for these dolls (excluding postal costs) will be donated to the DHP&P fundraising fund, via their FundRazr page.
Lovely Antique "Porzellanfabrik Burggrub" Bisque & Composition German Doll
Thank you to Jane Huggett for her generous offer.
Approx. 19" (48.5cm) Long - Played With Condition - Some Slight Damage Mostly To Hands & Feet
This magnificent large doll I believe has a bisque head and composition body, and there is a makers mark at the back of her head on the hairline.
I think it says Porzellanfabrik Burggrub - it is hard to make it out clearly as the hairline is partially glued over the wording. But underneath it clearly says 169 3 3/4 Germany. Age of this doll is unknown but probably early part of 1900s?
Please note that there are some chips and scuffing to the composition body here and there, and most significantly there is heavy scuffing on her lower arms, hands and fingers as seen in these photos.
I thought the arms and hands were simply dirty at first, but then realised that the outer layer of composition appears to have been rubbed off considerably, particularly over the hands and fingers in places. But when she is wearing her clothes, this damage is hardly noticeable. However, her bisque head is fully intact and in good condition.
There is also some scuffing and chips to her toes, but obviously are hidden with shoes and socks on. I think I will describe her as being in a well played with condition and has been much loved:) She really does need a gentle clean as in places she really is a little grubby, but I will leave to that to the new owner, as due to my lack of knowledge of these kind of dolls, I am wary of doing any damage.
She measures approx. 19" long (48cm) to end of shoe when laid out flat.
UPDATE: Thank you to the lady who has informed me that the next two dolls seen below are known as "Dream Babies" and probably originate from the 1920s.
Ref: Doll 2
Pretty Armand Marseille German Bisque & Composition Baby Doll
Thank you to Diane Pearson who paid £50 for both these Baby Dolls
Approx. 12" (30.5cm) Long - Played With Condition - Some Slight Damage Mostly To Hands & Foot
This is a very pretty little baby doll, believed to have a bisque head and composition body.
She is marked A.M. Germany 351 / 2 1/2 K on the back of her head. So am assuming that she was made by Armand Marseille. In fact as this doll is dressed in female clothes I am going to refer to her as a female doll, but could be either sex! She measures approx. 12" long. Age unknown but am assuming early part of 1900s?
Her facial features are beautiful with fixed glass eyes (not sure if they used to open at one time - as her brother below has opening eyes), an open mouth showing two bottom teeth, and the most delightful rosy cheeks! She does have a scratch and some wear to her face as you can see.
Plus she has what looks to be a water stain or similar, down the right side of her face?
Her limbs are strung and movable.
Overall I would say she is in a well played with condition, some wear including little bumps, scrapes and cracks, and she is a little grubby.
Please note that she does have some specific damage to some fingers on both hands and one foot, as shown in the photos. I have ringed them in white in the photos, as I realised that the colour of my carpet is very similar to the patches where the composition is damaged! I dare not fiddle with cleaning her as I am not an expert on these dolls and do not wish to do any damage to her unwittingly. But still she is very lovable indeed!
Her twin brother(or sister) is for sale below. Together they look absolutely gorgeous!
Ref: Doll 3
Pretty Armand Marseille German Bisque Baby Doll
Approx. 12" (30.5cm) Long - Played With Condition - Slight Damage To One Hand & Foot, Plus Wandering Eye.
On the back of the head it is clearly marked A.M. Germany 351 / 2 1/2 K. So again, as with the baby doll above, I am assuming that he was made by Armand Marseille. He measures approx. 12" long. Age unknown but am assuming early part of 1900s?
There is some slight staining to the right cheek and in the corner of the right eye.
The limbs are strung and movable.
Please note that he is in a played with condition, there are some little bumps, scrapes and cracks, plus he is a little grubby. I dare not fiddle with cleaning him as I am not an expert on these dolls and do not wish to do any damage unwittingly.
He does have some damage to one finger on left hand and to one toe of right foot, plus some considerable flaking in the groin area, as shown in the photo. But still very lovable indeed!
He has a rather splendid extensive outfit of knitted clothes in a peach/pinky colour, very smart. And he has obviously been much loved. There is a knitted vest, pants, long all in one trousers which cover feet too, jacket and hat.
Isn't he just adorable!
I hope you can give these lovelies a new home and help save a magnificent website in the process!
Thank you
Celia Thomas
KT Miniatures


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Baby Bumps
Pregnancy is a different experience for every woman and even for each baby. I myself had pretty rough pregnancies, but it is still an amazing experience. It was an experience that I wanted to capture and many others do as well. I suggest around 4 weeks before your due date for maternity photos. If you have a history of early deliveries, we may want to push that to 6 weeks. Congrats and enjoy this time, it will be over before you know it. As always with PICS, "You Get The Digital Files!" with every session.


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Royal Caribbean International evacuates staff on-board Enchantment of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International has evacuated 1,500 employees from Miami on-board the Enchantment of the Seas vessel.
A planned sailing of the ship to the Caribbean has been cancelled, with the company instead deciding to move employees to a place of safety ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma.
The Miami-based cruise line evacuated 1,500 employees moved the people from its PortMiami buildings earlier.
Royal Caribbean cancelled the regular sailing, scheduled to depart on for Friday, and offered space to employees and family at no cost.
Spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said Royal Caribbean "felt that was the right thing to do."
Guests from Enchantment's previous sailings who wished to stay aboard because they could not leave Florida were also allowed to do so.
No one will be charged for staterooms, food, entertainment or gratuities.
Enchantment will return to Miami once the port reopens.
Norwegian Cruise Line had earlier been criticised by Florida senator Marco Rubio for arriving in Miami a day early and dropping off thousands of tourists.
Many were subsequently trapped after failing to get home due to mass flight cancellations.
The cruise line was later able to accommodate most passengers into another of its ships, also sailing away from the storm, or into area hotels.


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I got a nice email from Jennifer Mattern who runs All Freelance Writing. She wanted to make sure I knew that starting next week she's posting jobs on her site only once a week. She spells out her reasons in a post she called Freelance Writing Jobs No More – Sort Of.
Like Jenn, I eventually stopped posting jobs too. But there are lots of job sites out there and even if you take them all together, they are just the tip of a huge iceberg. Which doesn't mean you should use them.
Let me say it loud and clear:
Job postings should never be your sole source of job leads!
In fact, most the posted jobs are entry level writing jobs, or quick writing jobs that can be done in a hurry to generated some cash, or places that, if your work accepted, give you the beginning of a decent list of writing credits.
Just as the best corporate jobs are rarely advertised, so it is with the best writing jobs.
How To Find The Hidden Job Market
One of the reasons I keep telling writers they simply must have their own website or blog is because my website, www.annewayman.com, is how I get most of my ghostwriting business. The phone rings and someone needs a ghost. They find me by searching, like what they see enough to risk a call. Some stumble to me through this blog, but not many. Others, of course, come from referrals from satisfied clients. I don't think I've worked a job I found on the net for at least a couple of years, maybe more.
Does that mean there are never good jobs in the job postings? No, of course not! But what, eight or nine out of 10 are likely to be low paying. It takes patience. experience and some luck I think to winnow the gems out. (I think I just mixed another metaphor – sigh.)
The other type of job that's posted here to keep an eye out for is the lowish paying gig that might turn into something bigger. If it's advertised that way it probably isn't. But once you've got a prospective employer on the phone, ask where he or she is headed with their business. There are, of course, no guarantees, but again, you may be pleasantly surprised. But it's up to you to ask!
The Market Has Changed and Is Changing
If you've been writing for more than a few months, you simply have to accept that the writing market's have changed and are changing. If you don't accept that you'll just make yourself miserable.
T.W. Anderson has been eloquent about how the market has changed and is changing. He blogs and offers his services at Complete Writing Solutions. Entries like Research in the 21st Century give insights valuable to anyone trying to get a handle on how the writing/research world works today.
Although I was one of the early adapters to writing for the web, blogging mystified me for awhile. In fact, I blogged for probably six months before I had any real sense of what blogging and a blogging community might be all about. Then I learned to twitter, or to tweet. Yes I have a facebook account, etc. etc. etc. And you can pay me via PayPal. I'm fairly current. And I pay enough attention so I probably won't miss the next big thing completely.
It's up to you to stay in tune enough so you don't miss it either.
So Where Are The Good Paying Writing Jobs?
Actually, assuming you don't live in total isolation, good paying writing jobs are all around you. (And, because of the 'net, you can live in east podunk and write in metropolitan areas.)
Probably the lowest hanging fruit is commercial writing – the kind that Peter Bowerman teaches so well over at The Well-Fed Writer and in his book by the same name. You'd probably be pleasantly surprised if you called a dozen or so businesses near you and asked how they get their writing done. I'll bet if you call say five a day for a week you'll end up with at least one gig.
There are still decent rates to be had in the well known consumer magazines and even, I suspect, at a few of the large daily newspaper. Writer's Market will be your best source – the online version.
I have a writer girl friend who writes books on a work for hire basis and is making well over $100,000 this year after she subcontracts out part of the work. She got there by working inside publishing houses for awhile, but you could do worse than call a few publishers that service niche markets and find out what's going on. You might be exactly who they are looking for.
Another ghostwriter I know writes books you'd recognize. She got a referral to one and that has led to several others.
And there are in-house jobs for writers and editors. I suspect there are more now than there were twenty years ago. At least there are more in San Diego, for example. When I started so much of publishing was centered in New York city. That's no longer true. These jobs aren't the typical newspaper gigs.
There's a great deal of stirring going on as folks try to figure out what's going to replace newspapers, or supplement them in a profitable way. At the moment, that means websites of one sort or another and those companies can be located anywhere.
Look around you; it's not just sites trying to replace newspapers. I've made good money writing for dating sites, real estate sites and know others who have also made money simply because they checked to see what sort of websites were happening in their are. Websites need content. Content means writers. Web writing is not all going to the article sites, not by a long shot. Many employers still want to be able to look their writers in the eye.
Few if any of these jobs are ever listed on sites like mine. First of all, I don't post inside jobs so you won't find out if there's a full-time writing job next door to you on my site. Nor will you find jobs here that require you to go into someone's office, but over time, I've turned office jobs into work at home gigs.
Your local Craigslist is one good place to look. (Are you aware CL lists cities all over the planet?) Even better, call or go in person and introduce yourself as a writer, leave your card. They may not need you today, but you'll find, if you put yourself out there in a regular way writing work will come to you.
It Really IS Up To You
Much as we might want it to be different, it really is up to me to find the work I want and that pays me what I've decided I'm worth. It doesn't happen automatically, not really. It never has, it probably never will.
Decide what kind of writing you want to do. Decide how much you want to be paid. Then, if you can't command those kinds of writing jobs right now, figure out what you need to get there in a year or ten. Start working toward what you want and you'll either get there or someplace else that turns out to be way better than your original dream.
Easy? No, but actually pretty simple. As some might say, Easy Does It; But Do It.
No clue where the image came from originally – got this one from dozens and dozens at google images.


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Meaningful Decisions: Matt Leacock on Design Choices in Forbidden Desert/
In our Meaningful Decisions series, we ask designers about the design choices they made while creating their games, and what lessons other designers can take away from those decisions.
In this edition, we talk with Matt Leacock, the designer of cooperative games such as Pandemic, Forbidden Island and its successor, Forbidden Desert, about reusing game elements, creating "artificial intelligence," variable player powers and weaknesses, and more.
Forbidden Desert is a sequel to Forbidden Island, borrowing some of its overall structure from its predecessor. Yet it also introduces new mechanisms that make it much more than just a retread. Where's the line between reworking and rehashing? How can a designer know when a mechanism shared with another game is too similar? How can they know when it's too different?
I imagined the Forbidden games as being episodes in an adventure serial. So when I set down to design Forbidden Desert, there were some structural things I wanted to maintain. I figured players would expect to have a role, work cooperatively, and manage a budget of actions each turn with a common goal in mind. That said, I really wanted the game to stand out on its own by giving it some unique elements.
Part of the fun of designing Forbidden Desert was coming up with twists on Forbidden Island. Some of these were inversions: In Island, you often drown because there's too much water, while in Desert, you run the risk of dying of thirst. In Island, the land around you gradually disappears, while in Desert, the sand piles up around you, threatening to bury you alive. Rather than dress up Forbidden Island in new clothes, my approach was to take many of the existing components and concepts and twist them into something new.
That approach was pretty clear for me from the start—I wanted to create a new game. By holding some things constant (pawns, roles, action-point allowance system, and a card-driven threat engine) I was able to give players a game that had familiar elements so they could more quickly get playing. But by twisting things, I tried to ensure that they were getting something new. While testing the game I repeatedly asked people if they felt the game was different enough—would they consider owning both—and got consistent feedback that it was and they would.
The storm in Forbidden Desert is controlled by a single deck of movement cards, creating a sort of "artificial intelligence" that bedevils players. It's an even simpler version of the location cards in Pandemic and Forbidden Island that guide the games' opposition to players. What have you learned about developing an AI that's easy for players to implement yet challenging to play against, and that's predictable enough to not be chaotic but not so predictable that it's solvable?
I've learned that they take a lot of work to balance! Forbidden Desert required a tremendous amount of testing in order to ensure the game was winnable across the different numbers of players, different role mixes, and the various difficulty settings. We logged several hundred plays (and at the time, I got quite good at the game). As an aside: I'd encourage people to start out on the easiest level when they start as there's plenty to learn through the course of repeated play.
I aim to create elegant, emergent systems: games that generate a lot of complex problems through very simple procedures. I don't want the players to have to do a lot of bookkeeping in order to determine what their virtual opponent is doing on a given turn. So far I've relied on AIs driven by dice and cards since they're familiar and immediate. The trick is getting the right procedures baked into the cards and the correct card mixes into a deck.
Getting an even, steady-state challenge that the players have to beat back is hard in itself. The bigger challenges come from creating a sense of increased pressure and finding ways to provide waves of hope and fear from their virtual enemy. I don't want the whole experience to be a plateau (which can feel like grinding) and I also don't want a steady, evenly increasing ramp for the players. Instead I try to modulate the tension to increase engagement, like a good story would.
I don't have a silver bullet here for doing this. When doing expansions, I'm fortunate that I can easily riff off of my own prior work, but each time I'm creating a new game I stare at a blank sheet of paper like the rest of you and just have to buckle up, play, experiment, cherry pick, and refine.
There are several ways players can lose in Forbidden Desert. The sand storm meter can top out, the sand tiles can be used up, or one player could run out of water. As a result, players must guard against threats from multiple angles. How did you decide the right number of "threat vectors"? What happens if a design has too many or too few?
Oh, I think a single threat vector can work just fine for a simpler game. The games I've done work better with multiple threats since it gives the players more to attend to over the course of a 45-minute game. If you have too few vectors, the game may feel a bit simplistic or flat. If you introduce too many, however, you run the risk of creating too much cognitive overhead and/or confusion.
On a related note, sometimes these game-ending threats help you out of tricky game design situations. For example, in Pandemic, I wasn't sure what should happen when the players ran out of cubes or cards. Introducing the simple rule, "you lose" solved the problem! It just so happened that this was also a fun way to ramp up tension.
I've introduced (and pulled out) other loss conditions that were similar answers to design problems. For example, in Forbidden Desert, for a short time, the players lost if a part of the airship appeared in the center of the storm. Testing revealed that players consistently felt cheated by this though, and so I quickly removed the rule. At the time though, it was a simple way to explain what would happen in the situation.
In addition to variable player powers, Forbidden Desert also gives certain players variable weaknesses, since some characters start out with less water than others. How did you decide on these handicaps? Do variable weaknesses influence player behavior any more or less than variable powers?
Since some roles were slightly more powerful than others I tweaked the canteen levels as a counter-balance to their power. This also helps give the players a bit more individuality. You as the Engineer can feel really powerful since you can remove a lot of sand each turn. But you have to acknowledge your Achilles heel—you can die of thirst during the first pass through the Storm deck.
The positive role powers influence player behavior far more in Forbidden Desert than the (smaller) individual weaknesses. I rarely see anyone attracted or repelled by a role because of its canteen. The players' focus is usually squarely on the powers.
Variable weaknesses of a greater magnitude would be a fun area to explore for future games. I usually try to make the role powers sound so amazing that (on first read) players may assume that they're broken. That sets the challenge then to make the game hard enough to be worthy of the powers and also to make the roles equally attractive. Perhaps roles in a future game could be even more powerful if each of them came with a significant handicap.
Read more in-depth interviews with board game designers in our Meaningful Decisions series.


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Mark Kiehl was tangling with Billy Mitchell 20 years before Steve Wiebe even knew Mitchell's name.
Kiehl, a registered nurse who served in the United States Air Force, is an old-school original, a classic arcader from the era when high scores were first being contested.
He hit 279,000 on Donkey Kong Jr. soon after the game's release in 1982, the highest documented score at the time, which led the arcade owner to submit it to a video game magazine.
But Kiehl's record would be beaten, significantly, before the score could be published. It fell under the long shadow of none other than the Mulleted One himself.
Kiehl didn't have time to fight back before the arcade sold the machine, leaving Mitchell the champion for over 20 years.
In 2009, the owners of the 1984 Arcade in Springfield Missouri—Kiehl's home away from home—caught wind of his skills and urged him to make a comeback, donating a Jr. machine toward the effort.
With renewed motivation (and indeed an obligation), Kiehl came out of retirement, blew past his old score, and ultimately claimed the record.
He spent the next year and a half wrestling for the title with Mitchell and Wiebe, and has now held it since 2010, topping it off just recently for good measure.
Having secured the record at Jr., Kiehl then turned his attention to papa. He proved a strong enough player to be invited to the first Kong Off, but relative inexperience at the game kept him from making as much of a splash as some of his competitors.
It was in the year and a half that followed that Kiehl truly asserted himself. He became the fifth verified million-point player in January, and in October grabbed 4th place—right beneath his Jr. rivals Wiebe and Mitchell—just in time for the Kong Off 2.
Kiehl, always a fun presence in live-streamed games for the deadpan wit with which he seasons the chat, is ready to sit down alongside both his contemporaries and the whipper-snappers to put up a good fight and a good show.
"This is what it's all about... friendly competition on a tough classic title, everyone pushing each others gameplay to their limits in a wonderful social setting."
Next: Ben Falls »


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Rule 531.A. Trading Against Orders Prohibited – General Prohibition
No person in possession of a customer order shall knowingly take, directly or indirectly, the opposite side of such order for his personal account, an account in which he has a direct or indirect financial interest, or an account over which he has discretionary trading authority.
Rule 532. Disclosing Orders Prohibited
No person shall disclose another person's order to buy or sell except to a designated Exchange official or the CFTC, and no person shall solicit or induce another person to disclose order information. An order for pit execution is not considered public until it has been bid or offered by open outcry. No person shall take action or direct another to take action based on non-public order information, however acquired. The mere statement of opinions or indications of the price at which a market may open or resume trading does not constitute a violation of this rule.
Pursuant to an offer of settlement in which Frank Ferro neither admitted nor denied the rule violations upon which the penalty is based, on June 15, 2011, a Panel of the CME Business Conduct Committee found that on numerous occasions between March 1 and October 31, 2008, while acting as a broker in the Australian Dollar and Canadian Dollar futures pits, Ferro executed customer orders in the pit and then shortly thereafter sold or bought back for his personal account a smaller quantity of the same product with the same expiration month at the same price as the customer order opposite the same local trader with whom he had just executed all or a portion of the customer order opposite thereby allowing Ferro to indirectly take the opposite side of the customer order. The Panel concluded that in so doing, Ferro violated CME Rule 531.
The Panel further found that on two occasions between June 26, 2008, and July 10, 2008, prior to the 7:20 a.m. opening of the market, Ferro entered orders into the CME Globex electronic trading platform for his personal account based on non-public order information in his possession. The Panel concluded that in so doing, Ferro violated CME Rule 532.
In accordance with the settlement offer, the Panel ordered Ferro to pay a fine of $12,000, which includes disgorgement of profits Ferro realized. The Panel suspended Ferro's membership privileges, access to any CME Group trading floor, and direct access to any CME Group electronic trading or clearing platform for 25 business days beginning on the effective date below and continuing through and including July 22, 2011. The Panel further barred Ferro from filling customer orders for 50 business days, beginning on the effective date below and continuing through and including August 26, 2011.
June 17, 2011
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Choose iD Light Advanced
Updated on 14/05/2019
- Light discomfort and bladder weakness is a very common problem that affects 1 in 3 women at some time in their lives. Women with active lifestyles—women just like you—don't want to change anything about their lives when they're faced with these issues.
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Take Two cuts forecast, delays game release
'BioShock 2' launch pushed back to fiscal 2010SAN FRANCISCO -- Take Two Interactive Software reduced its financial forecast for the fiscal third quarter, as it delayed the release of one of its new video game titles and confronted tougher-than-expected retail conditions.
Shares of Take Two slid 12%, or $1.10, to $7.88 in after-hours trade on Monday.
The company said sales in the three months ending July 31 will total $120 million-$130 million, versus the $145 million-$165 million guidance it provided in May. The company projected a loss of 65 cents-75 cents a share on an adjusted basis, instead of an adjusted loss of 55 cents-65 cents a share.
Take Two said it expects to lose 80 cents-95 cents a share, adjusted, for the fiscal year ending October 31, instead of the break-even to 20 cents a share profit it had previously forecast.
Take Two said the most significant factor behind the revision is the decision to push back the launch of "BioShock 2" from the fiscal fourth quarter to fiscal 2010. Take Two said it was delaying release to provide additional development time for the title.
Take Two also said retail business conditions have proven more challenging than expected, resulting in reduced sales of catalog products and lower than anticipated initial retail orders of new releases.
Take Two said sales in the fiscal fourth quarter, ending Oct.31, will range from $350 million-$400 million, with adjusted EPS of 30 cents-40 cents. The company had previously forecast sales of $420 million-$500 million in its fiscal fourth quarter, with adjusted EPS of $1.08-$1.28.
Take Two said it would host a conference call later on Monday to discuss the financial revisions.


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pizza e pazzi 647-352-7882 http://pizzaepazzi.ca/
It's really busy, almost too busy. The ambiance is boisterous. If you don't want to wait make sure you arrive after 9:30pm. The servers look stressed, they manage until asked questions, then become distracted. I can't blame them when customers never stop rolling through the doors of the restaurant. As I look at the menu I notice a few things: the cocktails are insanely expensive at $10.50 for a vodka soda, the pastas are all $14 flat, and if you want to add mozzarella di campano to any pizza it's an extra $3.50. My favorite dish is polpette della nonna (meatballs covered in a tomato sauce), light tomato sauce, angelic almost, holding a savory home-made meatball that reminds you of your mom's home cooking. Pizza crust is also outstanding. A delicate smoky flavour within chewy crust; I just wish they could get the toppings right.


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Vol. 1, No. 63, 30 June1997
OPEN SOCIETY ARCHIVES MOVED TO NEW BUDAPEST SITE. The Open Society Archives
(OSA) have moved to the Central European University in Budapest. OSA's
holdings include publications of RFE/RL's former Research Institute as well as
its Russian, Polish, and Hungarian samizdat collections. The OSA Library,
which is being integrated into the library of Central European University,
includes RFE/RL's book and periodical collections. The library was established
in 1995 by Hungarian-born U.S. philanthropist George Soros. The archives were
opened to the general public in March 1996.
Copyright (c) 1997 RFE/RL, Inc.
All rights reserved.


text: Boar Tusked Small 280×320 Medium 560×640 Large 896×1024 Download TIFF Original 2100×2400 | (526.2 KB) Description "Argent, a boar's head, erased proper, tusked gules. TUSKED. Any animal having tusks of a different tincture from its body is said to he tusked." -Hall, 1862 Keywords animal, argent, beast, boar's head, charge, coat of arms, erased proper, escutcheon, gules, heraldry, shield, tusked Galleries Heraldry, Charges Source: Hall, Arthur The Manual of Heraldry (London, England: J. S. Virtue & Co., 1862)


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SuPER-W is a "European Joint Doctorate" programme for highly motivated young scientists, combining state-of-the-art research with a comprehensive joint training programme on Resource, Product and Energy Recovery from Wastewater with a strong collaboration between academic and private partners.
The network is funded by the European Community. Through the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks the European Commission makes research careers more attractive to young people.
Project (read more)
The project has started on March 1st, 2016 and will run over a period of four years. The programme offers early-stage researchers (ESRs) the opportunity to join established research teams, improve their research skills, and enhance their career prospects.
Partners (read more)
5 academic partner institutions and 12 non-academic partners from different European countries, including industrial partners involved in technology development, SMEs focused on consultancy/engineering, a service provider, a government agency, and professional network organisations.
Training Programme (read more)
It combines local expert training at each academic and non-academic partner organisation, a network-wide secondment scheme, internships and an intense series of network-wide training sessions, workshops and seminars.
Fellowships (read more) or own funding
SuPER-W awards 3-year PhD scholarships to 15 ESRs.
Also young researchers having own funding to conduct PhD research can apply to conduct research under the wings of the SuPER-W staff members, and join the network and the training programme.
Is open from 24 March till 15 May 2016. Follow the instructions carefully.


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Customer Happiness
This is what Buffered VPN's world-class customer support team is all about and we expect the same from you. We have thousands of satisfied customers from all over the world and we have to make sure that they can count on us when they need our help.
- Responding customer inquiries via email, and social media
- Answering product and service related questions and informing our customers about Buffered's new features
- Customer care – You will be in constant contact with our customers. You will have to make sure that they are fully satisfied with the service
- Customer retention – You will have to make sure that our customers stay with us for the long haul
- Always going the extra mile to please our customers
Reach out to us if you:
- Are somewhat of an internet nerd and possibly used a VPN service before
- Have customer service experience, love helping people via email, social media or anywhere you may meet them
- Have read any of Tony Robbins books, "Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie, or "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill
- Speak and write English like a native speaker
- Are a confident, fast typer
- Feel excited about working with a small, close team that values positivity, self-improvement, education, and freedom
- Are willing to work flexible hours, including weekend shifts (every week is a 5 day work week)
- Are success-oriented. Buffered VPN is on its way to becoming the biggest and the best VPN service in the world. We expect you to share our enthusiasm


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Thousands of UK youngsters are heading for the third world
High unemployment and lack of university places has driven young Britons to volunteer abroad
Many of the 220,000 young Britons who were unable to gain a place at university this year have decided to opt for taking philanthropic volunteering breaks in developing countries instead, according to the world's largest commercial volunteer organisation, Projects Abroad.
"There has been a significant rise in the number of students coming to us to volunteer this year," says Dr Peter Slowe, managing director of Projects Abroad and former economic policy advisor to Tony Blair.
Since being founded in 1992, Projects Abroad has sent more than 35,000 volunteers to 27 different countries on five continents, at a rate now of over 8,000 a year. Although the volunteers range in age from 16 to 75, the majority are students taking time out for a gap year, choosing from a variety of placements in diverse fields from conservation to human rights, archaeology to child care and even taking part in missions to rescue child slaves.
Dr Slowe said early indications are that Projects Abroad's volunteer placements are up around 30% this year, and according to figures from youth specialist travel agents, STA, there has been an overall surge of 35% in the number of students booking gap year travel experiences, and a rise of 28% in those opting for "mini-gaps" (also known as "snap years").
Dr Slowe puts this phenomenon down to a combination of events: Firstly there was a record level of university passes at A-level this year, resulting in 700,000 applicants vying for 480,000 places. This has left the tens of thousands who failed to make it wondering what to do instead, in a time of record levels of youth unemployment. Then, with the prospect of university fee increases coming into effect in 2012, many students who were planning to take sabbaticals decided they should do so now, before facing a heavy financial burden.
"Our young volunteers who were disappointed in not finding a place at university this year are now seeing it as a blessing in disguise," says Dr Slowe "They have realised that volunteering in the third world is an excellent way to step off the treadmill of academia and broaden their outlook, life skills and general education, while enriching the lives of others."
"Even a short experience abroad is a maturing and confidence-building exercise – the perfect pre-cursor to taking on a serious course of study in any field or institution back home."
He said he believes that Projects Abroad will continue to see a growth in the number of youngsters volunteering not only because of the diversity of its opportunities, but because the organisation caters well for "snap years", offering short stints which can be fitted in to university or college holiday periods.
To find out more about volunteering opportunities abroad for all ages and stages, visit www.projects-abroad.co.uk.
Go to the Recent Press Releases page.
Thank you!
One of our Programme Advisors will get back to you as soon as possible with an answer to your question.


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- Join over 1.2 million students every month
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- Level: International Baccalaureate
- Subject: History
- Word count: 1465
What Were The Causes Of The Spanish Civil War
Extracts from this document...
What Were the Causes of The Spanish Civil War? Years of anger, frustration and despair amongst the Spanish people meant that General Franco seized control of the Spanish government in the summer of 1936, the event that kicked off the Spanish Civil War. For centuries, Spain had prospered. It was one of the most powerful empires in the world, with the whole of South America at its feet. For years gold had been rolling into Spain on ships. Spain was so hence so rich that it had never even needed to develop any home industries. So why did it collapse into civil war in 1936? One cause of the Spanish Civil War was economic. For centuries, Spain had depended on its empire's resources to keep its economy thriving. However, when Spain lost the last of its empire - Cuba in 1898 -, it had no back-up plan and the Spanish economy soon started showing its weaknesses. Socially, the effects of a poor economy started showing and when Primo de Rivera he was seen as "an almost messianic figure" because, despite the fact that he was a dictator, he was very open to all views and demands. When Primo de Rivera came to power through his coup in 1923, he started pursuing a policy involving public work schemes. These included building roads, bridges, irrigation systems, railways and other transport infrastructures. ...read more.
These disturbances really showed which way Spain was headed. Many people also believe that the foundation of fascist party, "The Falange" had a great influence on the outbreak of the Civil War. However, Patricia Knight describes it as "insignificant in numbers and influence" in 1936. The final straw was the murder of leading right-wing politician, Sotelo, the "Franz Ferdinand" of the Spanish Civil War. The split between left and right became too much for Spain to bear and the right began accusing the left of wanting a communist leadership whilst the left continued with their uprisings, strikes and vandalism. These political problems were exacerbated by the influence of the Church in Spain. Up until Rivera's reign, the Church had been using its influence to tell people which way to vote as well as having a monopoly in the education system. Primo de Rivera only worsened things when he allowed degrees from all Catholic universities official recognition. Many opposed to this and wanted a more secular regime. So when Aza�a came to power, he legalised divorce, banned religious education in schools and expelled all Jesuits from Spain. The CEDA, led by the Church, hated this and when Gil Robles came to power through election in 1933, he got rid of all the reforms that had been introduced by Aza�a and gave the Church even more power than before, once again causing much anger amongst the Spanish people and the left. ...read more.
Other similar incidents, often organised by the Popular Front, were ruthlessly crushed by the army. Notably, Franco was responsible for controlling an uprising in Asturias. This was a strike by coal miners in 1934. From this, Franco carried on building up his position within the army until - in July 1936 - he took complete control of it and used it to take over Spanish Morocco and then mainland Spain overthrowing the government. The Spanish Civil War had begun. In conclusion, it is understandable to see why what had once been a great and powerful nation fell to pieces. However, why was Spain affected like this? Why did Germany, a country that found itself in a similar position to Spain's with the impact of the depression and a weak government, never fall into a civil war? One of the questions to ask is why there was not an arising before, considering the accumulation of Spain's problems during the 2nd Republic. Andrew Forrest asks why, during 1931 to 1935, "did the army not stage a large scale revolt?" He answers that one of the reasons was the fact that the Spanish population never really showed what they wanted. They never really showed any strong support for any particular party during the 2nd Republic and as a result, there was no popular support. I disagree with this. From the support that Primo de Rivera gained when he first came to power, it is obvious that the Spanish people did indeed some radical change. ?? ?? ?? ?? ...read more.
This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our International Baccalaureate History section.
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As many of you know, I spent the better part of the past ten years as a registered nurse in the NICU and L&D. I left that part of my life behind about a year ago to pursue phtography full time. It was like a calling and I had to follow it, however sometimes I miss being in the hospital surrounded by all the hustle and bustle and of course, I miss the fresh newborns. Well, I am delighted to have had a few of my first fresh 48 newborn photography sessions, or as I prefer to call them, birth space newborn sessions. There is magic in the air in those first few hours with a new baby. The joy, the promise, the excitement. It is intoxicating.
I spent a few hours visiting with one of my long time favorite families a few weeks ago. I was lucky enough to be there while the older kids stumbled in on their new baby sister and it was so beautiful. I have since photographed them in their home for their full session but have yet to edit that one. For now, enjoy sweet Juliet and her family, just about 24 hours old.
I will be offering fresh 48 sessions to my newborn clients only as an add on. Stay tuned for more details on that endeavor. I am very excited about it.


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DCP 11: Jay Burlage - HDR Photographer and Videographer
In my 11th episode, I have the privilege of talking to Jay Burlage who is an architect turned HDR and time-lapse filmmaker and innovator. Not only is he an accomplished HDR photographer and filmmaker, he has been published in Make magazine.
Jay talks about how he adapted a Meade telescope mount into a GigaPan-clone nicked-named the "MiLapse" for automating panning while shooting time-lapse.
Jay goes into detail about his involvement with Timescapes.org and Openmoco.org. Our discussion gets really geeky with Jay discussing time-based tone mapping for HDR video and developments in the openmoco project.
Jay also talks about a special PBS project where he is a principle time-lapse photographer. From time to time, Jay's cat makes an occasional appearance. Caution: time-lapse may be habit forming. 16x9 Cinema is not responsible for any problems resulting from time-lapse addiction. Our longest episode yet at over 1 hour, 18 minutes. But well worth the listen! Jay has so much knowledge and interesting ideas that we could have talked for hours. It was a real joy to talk technology and art with Jay.
Truly amazing stuff! Jay is truly a pioneer in do-it-yourself HDR filmmaking. He is one to watch and follow in the field of time-lapse, motion control, and HDR photography and video.
Get your audio bits here:
Download: Digital Convergence Episode 11
Subscribe in iTunes here: Digital Convergence Podcast
Links from the podcast:
Jay Burlage's website: http://www.hdrtimelapse.com/
Jay Burlage on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MiLapse
Jay Burlage's Make magazine article: Time-lapse Panning
MiLapse YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/milapse
Steffan Minning's Atlas open-source tone mapping plug-in for Adobe After Effects
Brian Clark's 2005 Thesis: Time lapse HDR: time lapse photography with high dynamic range images
Pravin Bhat: http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/pro/
Processing.org: http://processing.org/
Openmoco open-source photographic motion control project: http://www.openmoco.org/
The "Franken-camera" open-source digital camera project: http://soe.stanford.edu/research/profiles/infotech_levoy.html
Elphel open-source camera project: http://cinema.elphel.com/
Timescapes.org: http://timescapes.org/
Tom Lowe - Time-lapse videographer: http://timescapes.org/blog/
Michael James - HDR Photographer and Videographer: http://hdriblog.com/ and http://www.digitalcoastimage.com/


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Business of Giving: Bailing Out Our Schools
World-class education will propel economy into future.
If you look back at our nation's history, our wealth was not built solely by great ideas. Rather, it also came from a very well-educated workforce created by world-class public schools. Children of immigrants who arrived on our shores 100 years ago received an education that lifted them from poverty to the working class and beyond. That influx of new workers built factories and invented and perfected new technologies. Workers on the assembly line could earn a comfortable living.
For the past 2 decades, the factory jobs that created prosperous lives for so many across much of America have been disappearing. The only way we can uplift the children and grandchildren of the working class and prepare them for a different future is by putting a renewed focus on world-class education.
By world-class I mean an education with an academic commitment to science and math, not just a narrow focus on test-taking and reading and writing. This has been said before, but our need is growing more urgent. If we don't commit ourselves to science and math, we will be walloped by the countries that are doing just that.
Take a look at the 2007 Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). At the fourth-grade level, the US is bested in science by Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong and Japan. By eighth grade, 9 countries are doing a better job of teaching science to kids, including Russia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. If we're not creating the world's next scientists, innovators and creators, we put ourselves at risk of being surpassed by the countries that are.
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Copyright 2011 Minyanville Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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For week 5 of my year of Hitchcock I watched the marvel which is Champagne… a light and bubbly comedy.
The basic story is reasonably simple. A millionaire's heiress elopes to Paris with a lover whom her father is convinced to be a gold-digger. The millionaire decides to teach his daughter a lesson and convinces her he has lost all his money on the stock-market. This reality shock means she is forced to get a job working at the bar which she used to visit as a guest. There are some delightful comic moments throughout but not enough to hide the lack of substance within the story.
The best part of this film has to be the sets and costumes, which show the upper-class world of the time, exactly how I would imagine it. The women's extravagant dresses just fit perfectly as do the men's dinner suits. These costumes are highlighted all the more by having several jokes based around them including a rather good one involving flowers. There is also a glorious tilting set of the boat, which tilts regularly so as to trick the audience into believing it is really moving.
Other good points include lead actress's Betty Balfour's performance and mesmerizing on-screen presence. She pulls of the ditsy rich girl performance spectacularly and is quite incredible, also her petty arguments with her lover make for some fine comedy.
In terms of Hitchcockian techniques this film is not particularly auteuristic. There are a few moments in which we see the best of Hitchcock, namely the fact that the film opens and closes with a point-of-view shot through a champagne glass, this is voyeurism at its foremost; it is just a shame just like in his earliest film The Pleasure Garden, Hitch has not yet figured out how to use this point-of-view to its full effectiveness.
There is also an interesting scene in which the girl gets mugged, the entire sequence is a single shot of just her legs which I found to be quite interesting and original as well as probably the most tense moment within the film.
The bad sides of this film are that for long periods it is dull and tiresome with not much going on other than winging and worrying about having no money or being caught. The story has no real tension and is all rather predictable; I think it was supposed to be a shocking twist that her father had pulled a trick on her however I found it too obvious.
The lack of tension is the major issue which I have with this film as that is what Hitchcock is most famous for it is sad to see him fail with no opportunity within the script. There are also lots of title-card something I was surprised by after my recent viewings in which Hitchcock tried to keep them minimal. In this film I guess Hitchcock couldn't find a way to tell the story visually so decided to interrupt the action every ten seconds with a title card which frankly ruined the flow and pacing of the entire film.
There is no Hitchcock cameo in this movie.
Champagne is a tough film to rate; it is probably the least Hitchcockian film I have seen so far and at moments the most boring; however there are several scenes, which stand out to me as more memorable than the entirety of some of the other films. I therefore conclude this film to be awarded two Hitch's (it would have been three but lack of auteuristic qualities make it hard to identify as a Hitchcock film).


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Environment & Permitting
Environmental Studies
Baseline studies provide us with a valuable way to understand the existing environmental and socio-economic conditions in the Back River Project area. They also give us the knowledge needed for assessing our potential impacts and developing our plans. We collected baseline information for the Project from 2001 to 2013 to support the preparation of our Environmental Impact Study.
Ongoing baseline studies:
Archaeology (study of life and cultures of the past)
Air quality
Bathymetry (study and measurement of sea depths)
Freshwater fish and fish habitat
Freshwater quality, sediment quality and aquatic biology
Human health and country foods
Hydrogeology (study of groundwater)
Hydrology (study of surface water)
Land use patterns
Mapping, vegetation and soils
Marine fish habitat
Marine water quality, sediment quality and aquatic biology
Meteorology (study of weather and climate)
Mine site drainage chemistry
Socio-economic conditions
Traditional knowledge
Wildlife including caribou, muskox, wolverine, grizzly bear, birds, waterfowl, raptors, seabirds, small mammals (including their den sites) and marine mammals
We're looking at ways to avoid or minimize the project's potential effects including those that go beyond the boundaries of the project's properties. In addition, we're looking at several animal species that migrate through the Back River Project area as well as to areas outside of Nunavut, including grizzly bears, migratory birds, caribou, and marine mammals.