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How a $27 Ebook Made Me $5,500.00
Here's a message I received recently from Robert Keppel, owner of Applied Colors, explaining how "Save the Pixel" (my best-selling ebook on graphic design principles for the web) saved him five and a half thousand dollars!
I sell professional grade equipment for cleaning cars.
This was my site in March:
The feedback I got from customers, friends, colleagues was that my site looked like a blog, and not like a store.Plus, we were trying to do so many things on the home page (educate, ask for email, present reviews, present our articles) but it wasn't clear what our PRIORITIES were.
I paid a few designers for "mockups." To implement them was around $6k, including the shopping cart software (big commerce)
They were good.
I bought Save the Pixel with the intention of guiding THEM as they built the new site.
But, instead, I designed a version of my own in Photoshop, implementing the concepts of…
- simplicity
- space
- color
- contrast
- navigation
- size
…Â to make the site more "gettable" and make it clear that, above all, we wanted our customers to learn about and buy our great equipment
I'm not a designer by trade (I cleaned and painted cars for many years), but have adequate Photoshop skills. Â Most of the elements you see in the home page were bought from Graphic River.
I presented the designs to my customers and they overwhelmingly chose MINE!
So I had a programmer convert the design to a WordPress theme for $500.
I then learned WooCommerce and implemented the shopping cart myself.
So essentially I saved $5500 between your book, hiring a coder, and using Graphic River!
I didn't think I had an eye for "Design" but after reading your book, it gave me confidence to make designs for my own sites —Â and gain more control of my marketing.
Robert Keppel
What I love about this story is how it supports my conviction that the real skills in web design are really marketing skills, and the functional techniques required to publish online are now in the hands of any business owner.
Robert did the smart thing —Â the right thing!
- He educated himself about what really mattered in visual design (through "Save the Pixel")
- He purchased graphic resources (from Graphic River) instead of paying a designer to create them by hand
- And he learned how to use a simple e-commerce plugin!
The net result is a website that looks and works great, for a fraction of the price it would have cost a few years ago.
For more about this, read my recent post: Web Designers, Quit Reinventing the Wheel, Today!.
5 Comments Leave a comment
Congratulations, Robert! And well done; you didn't sit back and complain about web design costs, you learned what you needed to know and took action.
I wish more people would see the sense in Ben's "don't reinvent the web design wheel" mantra! I talked to a prospect yesterday (dentist) who did so, fortunately – he loved the idea of paying less upfront for a site "design" and investing more in marketing the new site – but lots of people still buy into the idea that every site has to be completely unique as far as design.
I was talking to a friend in another online forum – in his business networking group, he's not allowed to call himself a "web designer" because he doesn't hand-code!
Anyway – wish you much success, Robert!
Not to nitpick, but he didn't 'make' $5,500. He probably 'saved' that amount, but I'd be more interested in how much he made from the site once he implemented the information he learned from the book.
Interesting and some good advice for sure. Checking out the WooCommerce link now and will surely enroll for your Pro Web Design Course in the near future. I have been on your mailing list (different mail id) since last year and loved those 50 Web Design secrets. Cheers.
Thanks Ben.
I dont know whether he really saved over 5000 dollars.
To know for sure, we need to compare the time it took him to learn stuff and create the design with what he would have earned if he got the site online earlier, built by a pr.


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Amelia Saltsman had been writing about food for over 20 years when she penned and self-published the Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook in 2007. She hoped it would sell well, but couldn't have imagined the scope of the reception her book has since received.
Fortunately, her timing for this tribute to a popular regional market and its hardworking farmers coincided with a rising national interest in farm-to-table foods.
We caught up with Satlsman (pictured) to ask how she's sustaining the growth of her small business as she juggles writing food articles, producing a TV program, giving radio interviews, offering cooking lessons, and more.
ISBB: What hat do you wear most: home cook, writer, teacher, or community member?
Saltsman: All of them! Everything I do stems from these areas. I've been writing and teaching about food for a long time, so that's my first love. But being a journalist is followed closely by cooking for my family and friends, promoting the cookbook, being a member of the Santa Monica Farmers' Market community, and my other projects.
How's the cookbook selling?
We're in the middle of the fourth printing and have sold over 16,000 books. In the food world for a regional book that was self-published, that total is amazing. My goals in writing the book were to teach people how to shop at a farmers' market, how to help them feel comfortable shopping for fresh foods, and how to cook simply and in season.
The book has taken on a life of its own on bookshelves and in stores because of the content and the message of having things in our lives that are simple, healthy, and sustainable. I feel thrilled and blessed to be given the opportunity to speak to my passion which is very satisfying to me.
Do you promote the book much?
My work is not to promote the book, but what's in the book. I've been in the publishing world long enough to know how big an accomplishment this is. I know that the most successful small businesses are the ones that come from a place of authenticity. It's all about believing in the message, whether you're in the food world or not.
Is a sequel in the works?
Not yet, but I've wanted to step into the digital waters, so I'm creating a series of seasonal entertaining mini-books that can be downloaded for $5 each. This project is a stepping stone into a possible sequel.
The idea behind the ebooks is how to put a whole meal together with shopping lists and a countdown for party planning. The first will be summer entertaining menus from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market, plus some new material. I want to have the virtual medium provide something that a physical book can't, so I'm adding new photography with recipes from the current book to make complete menus with well-balanced presentations, flavors, and foods. It's about how to relax and entertain without worrying.
What's the biggest problem you've encountered in the farm-to-table world?
The biggest challenge is the misperception that shopping at a farmers' market is expensive. It can be, but you're still getting better value per dollar for freshness, quality, and certainly, preservation of the land. The reality is that a farmers' market is less expensive than you would think because when supply is high and it needs to move, costs come way down.
Also, many people still have questions about what the farm-to-table life is, as well as a fear of trying something new like a green tomato or a white zucchini.
With such a busy schedule, how do you solve the problem of being in several places at once?
I'm still working on that one, but what I'm learning is that's it's best to be in one place at a time to be in the moment. It's much more satisfying and much less hectic.
Who's your favorite vendor at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market?
I have several, but my favorites are any passionate farmers who grow for flavor first. When they do that, they let me see how they farm, their land practices, their freshness, the safety of their foods, how easy they make my life, and the never-ending list of interesting foods I can find. They all bring me so much pleasure.
For more information, or to subscribe to her mailing list, visit Amelia Saltsman's website

subset: commoncrawl


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Boy Butter Blog
A blog about being an entrepreneur in the 21st Century who shares his global adventures in fighting friction with a mix of social and personal lubrication.
WATCH: Gay porn magnate, Michael Lucas, backs Israel in interview
Michael Lucas, arguably world's most famous gay adult movie director, is also Israeli and a prominent LGBT rights activist. He came to Israel to show his support amid ongoing fighting with Gaza. Watch full interview and click here for original post
Boy Butter unveils beautiful new catalog for 2014
To purchase any of these Boy Butter Lubricant products visit the official Boy Butter Lubricants Store: Shoplube.com
Boy Butter posters turning up in Chelsea hood of New York City.
Boy Butter posters are showing on key intersections and entranceways of adult stores on 8th Avenue of the famous Chelsea gayborhood of New York City.Poster on corner of 23rd and 8thPoster on corner of 22nd Street and 8th AveBoy Butter poster near Rainbow Station store of NYC
Men's Health highlights Boy Butter as one of the perfect lubes for your penis
The best lube for: MasturbationIf it's truly a solo session and you don't have to worry about eroding condoms or chemical allergies, you can get adventurous: Levine recommends Boy Butter, which isn't completely chemical-free but is made from coconut oil and an organic silicone. Not only does it feel like you're rubbing with, well, butter, but this lube will last for a long time and wash off skin and fabric easily with water (from $12, boybutterlubes.com). Or get creative: Soap in the shower and good ol' lotion can be just as helpful—and easier to get your hands on—as the store-bought stuff.
Boy Butter sponsors new gay NYC themed series.
Boy Butter Lubricants is sponsoring new gay themed NYC series called People you Know. Check out launch party photos with Pandora Box, Baltimore Russell, Michael Chase DiMartino & John Dylan DeLaTorre at Industry Bar in Hell's Kitchen, just in time for gay pride week. Check out the Boy Butter logo in the background and people were given out samples to take home at the event. Sounds fun, can't wait for the Boy Buttery product placement videos.Baltimore Russell, Pandora Boxx & John Dylan DeLaTorreBaltimore Russell, Mister Chase & John Dylan DeLaTorre
Boy Buttering up the Gayborhoods of LA, WeHo and Silverlake
Guerilla marketing always helps with fun posters during Pride month. Here are some famous gay locations in Los Angeles where my Boy Butter poster is gracing some thoroughfares.Photos of PostersSunset JunctionSilverlakeSanta Monica Blvd in West HollywoodSanta Monica Blvd in West HollywoodCircus of Books entrance in WehoNear the Abbey in Weho
Neil Patrick Harris's awesome Tony performance of Hedwig And The Angry Inch
Introduced by RuPaul and alongside Tony winners Lena Hall and Neil Patrick Harris performed "Sugar Daddy" from the musical revival during Sunday's awards show, complete with a car wash for Orlando Bloom and a kiss for David Burtka.
Boy Butter will help you get the perfect tan this Summer.
Fun Fact: Boy Butter Original is not only a wonderful personal lubricant, but it is extremely effective as a tanning accelerator. Just rub some on your skin and hit the sun. It is perfectly washable and non-staining, the perfect summer gift: Click here to purchase
For the Ho on the Go: Boy Butter Minis
If you are looking for the perfect gift for a friend who travels a lot, or maybe for yourself, you should try my new Boy Butter Minis, in Original 2oz Pump (coconut-oil based) and Boy Butter H20 aka. You'll Never Know it isn't Boy Butter 2oz Pump (water-based) formulas. Both dreamy creamy wonderful lubricant formulas are non-toxic, made from Organic ingredients, lasts almost as long as silicone personal lubricants but they are completely non-staining, washing off super easy with water alone, from you, the boys, the girls, the sheets, the toys, the walls, the floors, with just a little water.Minis are 100% Washable, 100% Made in the USA, TSA approved, and the perfect for the ho on the go, cause you never know!
Click here to buy: New Boy Butter Minis 2 oz pumps.
Feel like a teenager for 2 days, use Boy Butter Bonerz!
Check out our popular Boy Butter Bonerz, Herbal Cialis. One capsule activates in less than 1 hour to provide 36 hours of guaranteed performance enhancement and stamina. Natural without, headaches or side effects.Just enter coupon code: BONERZfor 10% off any order on Shoplube.com.Offer Expires June 8th, 2014


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The long trips to Foxboro, endless chanting and tireless jumping are appreciated by current and past players.
Team wide emphasis on defending eases the loss of Goncalves.
The Revs have a little under 2 weeks to wrap up their preseason and finalize their roster for the upcoming campaign. Here's how we think things have changed since last we checked in.
The 2014 MLS SuperDraft is here and we have all the picks and coverage from Philly.
The 2014 MLS SuperDraft is tomorrow and the Revs have three first round selections and a good chance to grab players to bolster their attacking corps.
New England secures the 4th overall pick in Thursday's Superdraft along with an undisclosed amount of allocation money by trading away the rights to U.S. Men's National team defender Michael...
Taylor Twellman set off a bit of late night trade speculation with former Rev Michael Parkhurst returning to MLS, but not New England. Is a trade in the works?
Regardless of what your draft philosophy may be, here are some names you should know as we gear up for the Combine this weekend and the 2014 SuperDraft next Thursday.
As we brace for the impending roster shake-up this off-season, I look at who I think will be a part of the 2014 Revolution campaign and who will be sent packing this winter. Some of the answers...
6 games in and the Revolution only have 2 goals to speak of. Needless to say, New England needs some help in front of net. Well, the new MLS Intra-League Loan System, which was announced last week,...
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Simon Goland
is an educator, facilitator, and consultant who facilitates transformational learning processes internationally for organizations, groups, and individuals. Simon is deeply passionate about ways we connect with and express our individual callings and vocation in the world.
Right Livelihood Quest: Uncovering Your Life Purpose
Have you ever asked yourself, How can I add more meaning to my life? What can I do to make a lasting difference in the world? Why am I here? If so, then welcome to the Right Livelihood Quest, a journey toward a life of living "divided no more," of aligning your values, beliefs, experiences, passions, and commitments. It is an inquiry into what life has been preparing you to do: to make a lasting difference and leave a legacy in the world.


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Water Toxicity
The actual amount of liquid water (from drinks) that an individual needs depends on their age, gender, physical activity, physiological condition or illness and the temperature and humidity of their physical environment.
In general, men require more water than women due to their higher (on average) fat-free mass and energy expenditure.
Infants and young children have need for more water in proportion to their body weight as they cannot concentrate their urine as efficiently as adults and their surface area relative to their weight is more extensive, giving rise to greater water loss from the skin.
The elderly, on the other hand, should take care to ensure adequate hydration, as ageing diminishes the sensation of thirst as well as the ability to concentrate the urine.
Those who take plenty of water-rich foods, such as vegetables and fruits, may not need to drink as much water at all. If not much or any salt and other seasonings are added, then the need for drinking water goes down even further.
Regardless of one's diet, if we sweat on a regular basis because of exercise or a warm climate, naturally we'll need to supply the body with more water (through food and/or liquids) than someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle.
When to drink
As a general rule of thumb, water should be drunk little but often throughout the day such that we are never thirsty.
It is particularly important to hydrate last thing at night to prepare for the significant loss of water during sleeping.
And rehydrate first thing in the morning as this is a time when the blood is most viscous and strokes particularly prevalent.
To make the most of this water "therapy," consume two to three glasses (or even four but no more than a litre) of lukewarm water. Iced water is a no-no!
Leave it 45 minutes to an hour before you eat, or at least 30 minutes. Try this for a week or two and you'll notice a difference in your overall health.
We should also drink before, during and after exercise to maintain our level of hydration.
Energized Water
Water is an important carrier of energy.
To capture the energy field of water, for instance, Kirlian Photography (sometimes referred to as "electrophotography") is used.
The result shows that treated energized or revitalized water emits a larger energy field than the untreated water.
Energized water is also made up of micro-clustered water molecules, which allows it to be instantly absorbed by your body.
The instant absorption of the water means that water will never sit heavily or slosh around in your stomach.
This can also prevent rapid drop of blood serum sodium (salt) concentration when larger quantities of water is consumed.
But this does not mean it's a healthier move to drown oneself with it. Anything excessive is never intended by Nature.
□ More about high-energy water here.
Water toxicity!
Although low levels of water intake do not seem to show any health benefits and may even be harmful, however, there's still a possibility for one to drink too much of it!!
So beware of water toxicity.
Increased water intake is normally easily controlled due to the effective functioning of the kidneys to produce more urine.
Furthermore, the kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day!
If that is the case, how can one likely to suffer from water toxicity even if he or she drinks a lot of water?
There are three possibilities:
The extra water in any one of the situations above can cause (hyperhydration) a rapid drop in blood serum sodium (salt) levels.
This sudden drop in sodium concentration is fatal, and can result in death! Symptoms can become severe when the serum sodium falls below 120 mmol/litre to about 90–105 mmol/litre.
This is what happens
As more water accumulates too quickly (for the kidneys to do their job effectively), serum sodium concentration drops (a condition known as hyponatremia).
The mechanism of water toxicity is associated with osmotic pressure in cells as they try to regain the electrolyte balance. Water outside the cells (the serum) rushes in (swelling ensues) while sodium from within the cells does the opposite.
The symptoms progresses to confusion to drowsiness, seizures, and eventually coma when cells seal blood vessels.
The direct cause of death by water toxicity is often brain oedema (excess fluid).
"Most cases of water toxicity do not result from simply drinking too much water," says Joseph Verbalis, chairman of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center.
"It is usually a combination of excessive fluid intake AND increased secretion of vasopressin," he explains.
Produced by the hypothalamus and secreted into the bloodstream by the posterior pituitary gland, the hormone, vasopressin instructs the kidneys to conserve water, i.e. to allow more of the water they collect to escape back into the bloodstream; thus reducing the volume of urine to be excreted.
As a result, one usually doesn't have to go to the bathroom for several hours when experiencing physical or mental stress (e.g. during a marathon, or when one is depressed or stressed out).
However, the kidneys are still hard at work; they just send less water to the bladder. In this situation, drinking excessive water will only cause the body to conserve but not urinate out at least part of the excess water.
In a nutshell
Drinking more than the kidney's ability to excrete can potentially lead a net gain in water, even with considerable sweating, is what causes water toxicity.
But you also want to keep the body hydrated as well.
Return from Water Toxicity to Yin-Yang


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These series of works are based around the themes of visual communication and information overload. An initial inspiration for the artworks was the 'test card' screen shown when TV stations (such as the BBC in the UK) finished broadcasting for the evening.
We live in times where large parts of the population of the world have access to 24-hour information and communication methods, via the internet or through mobile phones. This amount of information can be overwhelming. The previous generation were restricted by TV channels ending broadcasts late evening. There was no internet or mobile phones, and news updates were obtained via newspapers or TV / radio updates.
These artworks are created by digitally recycling this visual information into new multi-layered, mixed-media artworks. The artworks contain news headlines, distorted imagery and abstracts from various information sources – both online and offline. The title of each piece is taken from a news headline, with further related text contained within the artwork.


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- Mobile site
- E-Newsletters
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All the latest news and views from the Warrington Guardian
All the latest leisure news from Warrington Guardian Weekend
- Find us on Facebook
Warrington Guardian
Like us on Facebook
Speak to your GP about dementia (From Warrington Guardian)
Text us your news! Start your message Warrington News and send any photos or videos to 80360
Speak to your GP about dementia
7:00am Saturday 18th January 2014 in News
STAFF at the Alzheimer's Society are warning people with memory problems to speak to their GP about dementia following a surge in phone calls to its helpline.
One in three people over 65 will develop dementia, which is a set of symptoms that may include memory loss, difficulties with thinking, problem-solving or language.
Call the helpline on 0300 222 1122 for more information.
Comments are closed on this article.


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Australia and New Zealand announced as the hosts of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League International Federation today announced that Australia and New Zealand were the successful bidders to host the 2017 RLIF World Cup. The joint bid was one of two bids, with South Africa being the other nation bidding for the honors to host this prestigious event.
Chairman of the bid committee and RLIF Vice-Chair, Nigel Wood said "This was not a simple decision but with fans of international Rugby League buoyed by the recent success of RLWC2013, we were determined to get it right."
"Both bids were thoroughly compelling but the joint Australia/New Zealand bid was selected as the one with the greatest chance of success in providing more compelling games in world class environments in front of big, passionate crowds."
"The bid from South Africa was very strong, prepared professionally and clearly demonstrated a passion for Rugby League that is growing by the day in that country."
The Australia/New Zealand bid hopes to expand the sport in other territories in both countries. Australia won the 2013 RLIF World Cup in the United Kingdom and hopes that they can defend the title again in 2017. The expectations for the 2017 World cup will be high as the 2013 World Cup, hosted by England and Wales, was a tremendous success and the Super League has seen the benefit with new broadcasting and sponsorship deals concluded on the back of a very successful World Cup.
Kobus Botha, President of South African Rugby League, congratulated Australia and New Zealand on their winning bid, stating: "South Africa will now endeavor to work with the ARL and the RLIF to ensure the growth of the sport and will look at sending a strong team to the 2017 World Cup to compete for the final."
Botha also emphasized that this does not mean that South Africa will stop in its quest to develop the sport, and that SARL and the RLIF have already entered into discussions to look at ways of developing the game in South Africa through a series of international tournaments and exhibition matches to ensure that South Africa is in an optimal position to host the 2021 RLIF World Cup.
"All of the facilities and aspects unique to South Africa to ensure expansion of the game is still available to the RLIF and also the ARL and NZRL to ensure the positive growth of the game in South Africa."
Ian Riley, CEO of the South African Bid was also quick to point out that the Bid for 2017 was not a waste but have very positive spin-offs. "Rugby league in South Africa now has a voice, and the process of bidding has allowed SARL to start the conversation with SASCOC and SRSA and SARU towards recognition and support. It has also created dialogue between developing countries, and has shown willingness by other countries to also get involved and play a role in developing the game. We are in discussions with the RLIF on creating a 7 year roadmap for rugby league in South Africa and other territories to see how we can collectively grow and develop the sport."
13th July 2013, 8:04
By Lewis Firth
Centre Hein Pretorius was the star as South Africa cruised to fifth spot with a comprehensive performance.
The stand off bagged a hat trick while the kicking of Hein Olivier, who finished with 10 goals from 11 attempts, was also significant.
Playing up the slope, the South Africans opened the scoring in the eighth minute when prop Manie Loots powered over and they did not have to wait long to further their advantage as Pretorius went across in the left corner, just about managing to keep his feet away from touch; Olivier with his only miss.
Scotland hit back in the 16th minute, Louis Senter with a brilliant dummy and offload to Dan Turland who went over unchallenged, Senter adding the extras.
South African upped their game and restored their ten-point advantage through Jean Pierre Nel. The big prop bundled over the line and just about managed to get his arm free of the tackle to ground the ball.
Pretorius offloaded for Jean-Di Oosthuisen to score on the left and there was time for one more try before the break but it came in slightly controversial circumstances.
Neels Venter appeared to have dropped the ball over the line, but after speaking to his touch-judge on the far side, referee Tom Hudson awarded the try. Olivier added the two to leave the score 28-6 at the interval.
Pretorius added his second try less than five minutes after the restart, as Olivier's high bomb was too much for stand-in full-back Liam McLaren to deal with and his treble came up six minutes later as he was far too quick for McLaren and Senter to catch as he ran from the half-way line.
In the 54th minute Jean Coetzer was sin-binned after a scrap involving several players, and Scotland made their man advantage tell in the 61st minute through Sam Herron, although Senter missed a difficult kick to leave the score 40-10.
A brilliant Olivier 40-20 gave South Africa the field position for Venter to score his second try, and the near-faultless Olivier added the extras.
By now Coetzer was back on the field and his up-and-under caused havoc, Johan Harmse feeding Riaan Laidlaw for the try.
Scotland prop Terry Skeet was sin-binned after another scrap in the 76th minute but there was time for South Africa to score twice more before the end, with tries from Coetzer and Oousthuizen.
South Africa coach Jonathan Soares said, "The biggest part of our game is that even if we are defending we still try and control the game, and we got that right tonight.
"We knew the guys would dig deep and turn up tonight, we got our heads in front, and we just kept going.
"We are extremely proud, we performed very well tonight."
1 Allan Kasselman
2 Chester Mbekela
4 Jean Coetzer
3 Hein Pretorius
5 Marco Marais
6 Hein Olivier
19 Johan Harmse
15 Jean Pierre Nel
22 Nardus Raubenheimer
24 Manie Loots
11 Ian van Deventer
14 Jean-Di Oosthuisen
13 Neels Venter
16 Rudolf Prinsloo
10 Christo Louw
7 Hans du Plessis
21 Riaan Laidlaw
Tries: Loots, Pretorius 3, Nel, Oosthuisen 2, Venter 2, Laidlaw, Coetzer
Olivier 10/11
Sin bin: Coetzer
1 Paul Stewart
18 Ruaridh Cuthbertson
3 Dan Macleod
19 Aidan Holland
14 Fraser Majoriebanks
13 Callum Boyle
7 Louis Senter
16 Calum Macdonald
6 Martin McNiven
15 Sam Herron
11 Dan Turland
12 Nathan Delgado
17 Gavin Reed
5 Alasdair McDougal-Stone
2 Liam McLaren
10 Terry Skeet
9 Douglas Crighton
Tries: Turland, Herron
Goals: Senter 1/2
Sin bin: Skeet
Half time: 28-6
Referee: Tom Hudson
Last Updated (Friday, 19 July 2013 07:06)
11th July 2013, 10:33
By Pete Jackson
England retained their 100% Student World Cup winning record with a confident 52-14 over South Africa at Castleford's Wish Communications stadium.
England went into the game as firm favourites after successive victories over Ireland and Wales, but fell behind after just two minutes as Scrum-half Hans Du Plessis got the Rhino's off to the perfect start.
Garath Pratt's side were aware that qualification was safe, barring a massive point swing, but were keen to emphasise their desire as Richard Hughes powered over just three minutes later to level.
Big hits and physical power dominated the first 20 minutes, but the visitors were upsetting the odds once more when Rupert Wells restored the South African lead 18 minutes from the break.
Once again, England hit back immediately, capitalising on ill discipline by the South African's as Aaron Small showed his pace to cut through a defensive gap and score.
Before the half was out, England took the lead for the first time after a superb long pass out wide by Chris Atkin fell gratefully into the arms of winger Billy Griffiths, who had the simple job of crossing the line to give the English a 14-8 lead.
Griffiths was over again just three minutes later to give England a somewhat flattering 18-8 advantage going into half time.
England began to assert their dominance in the second half, with Sam Williamson somehow managing to charge over despite the desperate attempts of four South African players.
Quick fire tries from Small and then Tom Carroll made victory almost a certainty, with a 26 point gap on the board with 25 minutes still to play.
Professionalism was in show throughout the second half from the English, who knew victory and qualification had been achieved, yet still played with the strength and desire which saw captain Mark Wilson cross for his first of the evening.
Tries then started to come thick and fast from a rampant England side, as Small completed a clinical hat-trick, with the South Africans powerless to stop their dominant opponents.
The Rhino's got themselves their third try of the night through Ian Van Deventer with 13 minutes to go, but it was to little avail as Anthony Squire scrambled over in the corner to bring up the England half century.
At full time, Gareth Pratt said of his sides display: "This games given us the wakeup call that we needed. They really came at us in the first half and we had to be on our guard,"
"We knew they (South Africa) would be physical and we knew they would take the game to us so we wanted to get the ball wide as much as we could, and we did that well in the second half."
South Africa will take great pride from their display in this competition, after victory over the Irish and an unfortunate defeat at the hands of Wales, they will have high hopes for future competitions.
For Pratt and his England side, New Zealand lie in wait for a big Semi-final tie on Friday night (Tetley's stadium, Dewsbury.)
England: 1 Gaz Hynes, 17 Anthony Squire, 4 Jamie Love, 8 Aaron Small, 18 Billy Griffiths, 7 Nathan Fozzard, 21 Chris Atkin, 12 Carl Loft, 11 Richard Hughes, 5 Sam Williamson, 10 Liam Thomspon, 14 Luke Bradley, 13 Sam Blaney Interchange: 24 Mark Wilson, 15 Tom Carroll, 19 James Wallace, 16 Nathan Britten
Head Coach: Garath Pratt
South Africa: 1 Allan Kasselman, 2 Chester Mbkela, 4 Jean Coetzer, 17 Carel Van Lill, 20 Rupert Wells, 6 Hein Olivier, 7 Hans Du Plessis, 12 Gerhard De Wet, 9 Andre Loader, 23 Paul Van Jaarsveld, 15 Jean Pierre Nel, 11 Ian Van Deventer, 18 Christo Joubert Interchange: 8 Shaunne Bouwer, 24 Manie Loots, 16 Rudolf Prinsloo, 19 Johan Harmse
Man of the match: Aaron Small
Attendance: 262
England: Anthony Squire, Aaron Small (3), Billy Griffiths (2), Richard Hughes, Sam Williamson, Mark Wilson, Tom Carroll
South Africa: Rupert Wells, Hans Du Plessis, Ian Van Deventer
Last Updated (Monday, 15 July 2013 11:33)
(Apologies for the PHOTO its England vs Ireland)
07th July 2013, 18:40
By Jack Hoyle
12 man South Africa romped to a 42-24 victory against Ireland, thanks to an inspired Jean Coetzer performance to claim their first win of the tournament.
South Africa's bright start in their last match against Wales came to nothing as they ended up losing 30-10. However, they were able to take advantage of early dominance against Ireland as they scored three tries in the opening 13 minutes to set the tone of how the game was going to be.
Jean Coetzer was in inspired form in the first half as he scored two brilliant individual tries and also set his team-mates up for two tries, whilst also making two conversions. The Irish defence were struggling to cope with his intelligent running as South Africa started to put points on the board racing to a 14-0 lead.
South Africa had a man sin-binned in the last match for an illegal shoulder charge and lacked discipline again in this one as Hans Du Plessis was shown a red card for kneeing his opponent.
Although his team was faced with disciplinary action again, Jonathan Soares said: "We couldn't worry about the red card. It happened and the boys put it behind them and if we let it get to us we would have probably lost the game."
Ireland took full advantage of having the extra man as they scored almost immediately after the incident. James Kelly produced a neat grubber kick for Paul Power to score in the corner, making the score 14-4.
Despite being a man down, South Africa continued to be dominant in the match as Ireland were struggling to match them physically as they were hit with a number of huge tackles, forcing a number of handling errors. This led to South Africa scoring two more tries, making the score 24-4 at half time.
South Africa started the second half as they ended the first as they scored two more tries through Pretorius and Harmse, but their man disadvantage started to show as Ireland were showing promising signs of a comeback. Luke Malone, Sean Rennison, Luke Dalton and Chris Hall all scored in quick succession to make the score 36-24.
But it was as all in vain as South Africa managed to score the last try of the game through Rudolph Prinsloo, as he charged through the defence to score under the sticks, converted by Hein Olivier to make the final score 42-24.
Ireland vastly improved their performance in the second half and can be proud of the efforts to try and get back into the game, but ultimately it was South Africa's power and pace that won them the match.
Soares was delighted with his team's passion to win as he said:
"The guys are playing for their families and the badge they wear on their heart. They weren't willing to get themselves down again like the Wales game and i'm immensely proud of their performance today, which we hope to carry into the next game against the hosts England."
Ireland Team
Starting: 1. Joseph Mulhern 2. Paul Power 3. Sean Hogan 4. Vincent Morris 5. Shane O'Reilly 6. James Kelly 7. Shane Kelly 8. Ger Arthurs 9. Zac Jungmann 10. Sean Rennison 11. Chris Hall 12. Luke Malone 13. Oliver O'Mara
Interchange: 14. Kenneth Savage 15. Luke Dalton 16. Stephen Costello 17. Joseph McSwiney
Tries: Power, Malone, Rennison, Dalton, Hall
Conversion: Savage (2)
South Africa Team
Starting: 1. Allan Kasselman 2. Chester Mbekela (Captain) 3. Hein Pretorius 4. Jean Coetzer 7. Hans Du Plessis 9. Andre Loader 12. Gerhard De Wet 13. Neels Venter 14. Jean-Di Oosthuysen 15. Jean-Pierre Nel (Vice Captain) 18. Christo Joubert 19. Johan Harmse 20. Rupert Wells
Interchange: 6. Hein Olivier 10. Christo Louw 16. Rudolf Prinsloo 22. Nardus Raubenheimer
Tries: Coetzer (2), Harmse (2), Mbekela, Pretorius, Oosthuysen, Prinsloo,
Conversion: Coetzer (2), Olivier (3)
Sending off: Hans Du Plessis
Referee: Paul Stockman
Man of the Match: Jean Coetzer
Last Updated (Friday, 12 July 2013 07:49)
04th July 2013, 20:48
By Jack Hoyle
After a close fought game in which South Africa started the brighter of the two sides, it was Wales who eventually emerged victorious in the opening game of the Student World Cup following a 30-10 win at the LoveRugbyLeague.com stadium in Batley.
Wales came in to the tournament full of confidence having won the Student Home Nations trophy less than a year ago and that form was evident as they put in a solid all round performance to beat South Africa.
It was South Africa who started brighter after Wales's Callum Bennett dropped a high ball and Marco Marais pounced to drive into the corner to touch down for the first try which Jean Coetzer was unable to convert.
That was as good as it got for South Africa in the first half though as Wales stepped up their performance, scoring four unanswered tries. James Gahan scored two as the South Africa defence struggled with his pace with Yannic Parker and Joel Knight notching the others. Callum Bennett converted two making the half time score 20-4.
Wales picked up where they left of in the second half with a good string of passes down the line enabling Parker to score his second of the game early on.
South Africa were sparked into life a short while after, as Hein Pretorius made a 60 metre break down the pitch, escaping a number of tackles on the way and offloading to Jean Coetzer in support of him to touch down for South Africa's second try of the game.
This excitement for South Africa was short-lived however, as Riaan Laidlaw was sin-binned for an illegal shoulder charge only a minute later. Despite being down to 12 men it was South Africa who proceeded to attack and the Wales defence was being put under serious pressure. Although, a lack of composure in the final 5 metres meant that South Africa could find the breakthrough.
Wales had the final say though as Mike Ward made a break through the South African defence and was able to touch down under the sticks for Wales sixth try of the game, converted again by Bennett.
Wales Coach Clive Griffiths was happy with his team after the game.
"We showed some nice touches in the game and passed it around well," he said.
"This performance was pleasing as it is the first time we have played in 12 months so we were understandably a little rusty.
"It's good to have a game under your belt and we'll do some training over the next couple of days to make sure our performance was better than this one, despite the good result."
South Africa Team
Starting: 1. Allan Kasselman (Captain) 3. Hein Pretorius 4. Jean Coetzer 5. Marco Marais 7. Hans Du Plessis 8. Shaune Brouwer 9. Andre Loader 10. Christo Louw 11. Ian Van Deventer 12. Gerhard De Wet 13. Neels Venter 15. Jean-Pierre Nel (Vice Captain) 17. Carel Van Lill
Interchange: 14. Jean-Di Oosthuysen 16. Rudolf Prinsloo 19. Johan Harmse 21. Riaan Laidlaw
Tries: Marais, Coetzer
Conversion: Coetzer
Wales Team
Starting: 2. Christian Roets 4. Yannic Parker 5. James Gahan 6. Jacob Morgan 7. Scott Amber 8. Isaak Duffy 9. Owain Griffiths 10. Callum Wilkinson 11. Mike Ward 13. Osian Phillips 17. Tom Hughes 18. Joel Knight 22. Callum Bennett
Interchange: 14. Louis Singleton 15. Harrison Elliot 19. Matthew Wilcox 20. Victor Coker
Tries: Gahan (2), Parker (2), Knight, Ward
Conversions: Bennett (3)
Referee: Tom Grant
Man of the Match: James Gahan (Wales)
Last Updated (Friday, 12 July 2013 07:42)


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In June of 2013, Five Talents set out with partner organization Mothers' Union to reach 220 new communities in Burundi. So far, 104 of these communities have received funding; 116 are still waiting.
We're asking for your help to close the gap.
The cost of delivering our services to one community is a little over $1,000. By donating $1,000, you will take an entire community off the "waiting list."
You may also choose to fund individual participants for $50 each. In other words, a gift of $100 will enable two individuals to join the program. Gifts of $250 and $500 will empower five and 10 people, respectively.
The Mothers' Union Literacy and Development Program has been successfully training Burundians in literacy and numeracy since 2005. Five Talents partners with Mothers' Union in order to provide business skills training as well as savings and credit group formation to the literacy program participants.
In FY2013, we served 15,917 group members across Burundi.
By July of 2014, we expect that...
These statistics are incredibly encouraging! They show the kind of impact you make when you support Five Talents.
Please make a gift today and invite your friends to join you in transforming a life in Burundi!
You're invited to Five Talents' 2013 Fall Gala celebrating our microsavings and microcredit programs across Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Cocktails and a silent auction will begin at 6:30pm on October 18 at a private country club in Bethesda, Maryland. Dinner will be served at 8:00pm.
Five Talents is delighted to be hosting several special guests -- including Claudette (R), a staff member with our local partner in Burundi, Mothers' Union!
Guests will also hear about some exciting developments in our Indonesia and Philippines programs, including a new partnership with George Mason University's School of Management.
To purchase tickets for the October 18 event, click here.
If you're not in the local area or are otherwise unable to attend, we'd love it if you would share this webpage with friends and family who live in the Maryland, Virginia and DC area.
Click here to make a donation.
Photo of Claudette courtesy of Mothers' Union
Updated January 13, 2014
The government of the Philippines estimates that at least 4 million people have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan. Almost 6,000 people have died. More than 660,000 were estimated to be living without shelter after the storm, one of the strongest tropical storms ever to hit land.
At times like these, we all want to do something that can make a difference. The good news is, we can.
First of all, please pray for the people of the Philippines, for the relief agencies and government officials who are working around the clock, for the churches and lay people who are ministering to the homeless and mourning, and especially for the families whose lives have been destroyed by this terrible storm.
You can also give.
While Five Talents is not a relief agency, we partner with local organizations that are based in the communities where we work. Our partner in the Philippines, the Center for Community Transformation (CCT), has asked us to help them raise money for water, food, temporary shelter and – eventually – for the rebuilding of client micro-enterprises.
By making a donation today and designating your gift for our program in the Philippines, you will be directly helping people who are right now wondering where their next meal will come from, where they will lay their head tonight, and how they will ever begin to rebuild their lives.
Our partner, CCT, has indicated that their first priority in the coming days is providing food, water and temporary shelter.
Your gift of $25, $50 or $100 will make a difference – and so will your prayers.
Give today and join us in supporting our friends and neighbors whose lives have been devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.
UPDATE: My Journey to the Philippines After Typhoon Haiyan (1/13)
We went to the port and saw what used to be the Estancia market. The roof of the market was completely torn off and there were still much debris all around. However, we could see signs of recovery because there were trucks hauling debris. Vendors also set up shop in the roofless market. As I looked around, I was in awe of the entrepreneurial spirit of the Estancia townsfolk. There were several makeshift stands that had signs saying "Charging Station." People could fully charge their cell phones or laptops for P20 (or 47 cents). I also saw several men piling corrugated iron sheets (roofing material) one on top of the other to sell.
UPDATE: An Enterprising 8-Year-Old Sells Loom Band Bracelets for Typhoon Victims (1/8)
Consider what the boy with five barley loaves and two fishes did in John 6. He gave them to Jesus, and they were used miraculously to feed five thousand people. Julius and his younger brother JB, 5, didn't have loaves and fishes, but they did have lots of loom band bracelets. They had prepared to sell them to relatives and family friends during their trip to the Philippines to raise support for Haiyan victims. Find out what happened.
UPDATE: This Man Reported to Work the Day After Typhoon Haiyan Destroyed His Home (12/17)
Michael said he cried when he saw what happened to his home and furnishings: In the twinkling of an eye, they were all gone. However, he believes that God was present during the storm and he is just thankful that none of his family members died or were injured. While visiting the community partners, he was able to encourage them. Likewise, their comforting words encouraged him. Michael is just one example of the CCT staff's selflessness and dedication to the community partners. According to Anna Mae Labanero, CCT's Regional Peer Servant (or Regional Manager), 100 percent of the Iloilo and Capiz staff reported for work the Tuesday after the typhoon, even if their own homes had been damaged. Click here to read more.
UPDATE: This Micro-Entrepreneur Lost Her Home in Typhoon Haiyan, But Not Her Resourcefulness (12/10)
The day after Haiyan, Willy went to the Estancia pier and, with the last P200 ($4.65) in her pocket, she bought some bread and sold it to her neighbors. In true Five Talents' spirit, she then bought some goods to sell in her variety store. Her inventory was damaged, as the items were either blown away by the strong wind or ruined because of the rain. A neighbor also shared more bread with her, which she then distributed (for free) to her other neighbors. Click here to read more.
UPDATE: A Family Rebuilds Their Home Just 12 Days After Typhoon Haiyan (12/2)
Before the super-typhoon struck, Melodia's family evacuated to a neighbor's concrete home, so their lives were spared by Haiyan. When we visited her to bring her some relief goods, just 12 days after the typhoon, her family had already put the debris on one side of their yard, and built a much smaller home using materials salvaged from their old home. There was an urgency because she needed a space for her two daughters. I noticed how clean the space was and how neatly-stacked the clothes and their other things were. When she introduced us to her two daughters, Melodia (L) stroked them tenderly. Twelve-year-old Tata showed how happy she was with all the attention from the visitors by laughing and gurgling, while 4-year-old Dayday (R) was more shy. Click here to read more of guest blogger Valerie Malabonga's report.
UPDATE: Photos of CCT's Relief and Recovery Effort in the Provinces of Iloilo and Capiz (11/22)
According to CCT staff member Dennis Monong, there are no casualties among their 3,762 community partners in Iloilo and Capiz, but 100 percent of the latter's homes and micro-businesses were affected, and in most instances totally wiped out. CCT staff members' homes and even CCT's office in Capiz were likewise damaged by Haiyan... Despite all their losses, both the CCT staff and the community partners are in good spirits. As the community partners in Fellowship 8 told me: "Crying won't do us any good." Nonetheless, they need to get their microenterprises up and running soon so they can take care of their families. Remylyn Anisco, Coordinator of Fellowship 33 in Capiz, said, "We are very thankful for the relief goods from CCT, but our fishermen need to get new boats and nets so they can fish for life." Click here for the full update.
UPDATE: A Note from CCT on Relief and Recovery Efforts on Panay Island (11/21)
"On the island of Panay alone, over 3,700 of our community partners homes and businesses were destroyed... Without being asked, CCT staff whose homes were completely flattened showed up at the office the Monday after the storm to go and visit their community partners, checking on them, praying with them, bringing relief goods, assessing their immediate and long-term needs. While the needs are great, the hope and joy still visible on the faces of our community partners and staff serves as an inspiration to continue to do whatever we can to help them re-build and get back on their feet. Thank you for your support." Click here for the full update.
UPDATE: A letter from CCT head Ruth Callanta (11/13)
We have just received this letter from the Center for Community Transformation's Ruth Callanta, who says that, so far, she and her colleagues have identified 5,470 CCT "community partner" households that have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
"We are still trying to establish communications with our co-workers in Tacloban [the hardest-hit area] and the 35 partner churches from the same area," said Ruth, continuing:
"CCT, by God's grace, is mobilizing all the funds and relief goods that we can send to the affected areas. Some of our team members and doctors are now in Capiz assessing the damage and providing medical help. We praise God for the several churches and individuals who have expressed their desire to partner with CCT."
"CCT, by God's grace, is mobilizing all the funds and relief goods that we can send to the affected areas. Some of our team members and doctors are now in Capiz assessing the damage and providing medical help. We praise God for the several churches and individuals who have expressed their desire to partner with CCT."
Click here to read Ruth's entire letter.
To make a donation that will be sent directly to CCT, click here. Be sure to designate your gift for the Philippines.
Did you know that, in the developing world, a woman or man who launches a micro-enterprise often faces the same challenges that entrepreneurs in our own country face?Deng, a vegetable farmer and member of a Five Talents savings group in Lietnhom, South Sudan, recently told us about his own struggle to launch a sustainable business.
"I was very green in business. I had not received much of the small-scale business training that I have now, and also I lacked adequate capital to invest and boost my business," he said. "It is no wonder that it finally collapsed."It wasn't until he joined the Five Talents program and began attending workshops and accessing micro-loans that Deng achieved a measure of success.Make no mistake – the road out of poverty can be a long one. So far Deng has used his profits to buy a small plot of land and build a temporary shelter on it. He also bought an ox-plow, which he rents out to other smallholder farmers like himself.
Improvements in living conditions, and ultimately, real transformation is only achieved with a long-term investment in serving communities like Lietnhom.Will you Walk With Us and become a partner in this patient, sustainable approach to empowering and equipping folks like Deng so they can achieve true financial inclusion and provide for their families?
Invest in the country of your choice. Five Talents is seeking to expand its savings and credit-led programs in South Sudan, Sudan, Burundi, Indonesia, Myanmar and Bolivia.
Give via credit or debit card, automatic bank withdrawal or check. Online recurring donations will be processed on the 15th of every month.
Your monthly support will enable women and men to participate in savings and loan groups, access basic financial services, and training in core business skills, such as accounting and marketing. Group members also receive mentoring and spiritual development.
Monthly donors will receive quarterly e-mail updates featuring unique content from the field, including infographics, impact reports, videos, stories of transformation and photo essays. Starting in 2014-2015, Walk With Us partners will also have an opportunity to participate in a conference call with Five Talents President and CEO Sonia Patterson.
Click here to begin your monthly donation. After selecting the amount of your recurring gift and designating a country, click "Next." The donation form will expand and you will see an option to make the donation a recurring gift.
Monthly donations may be canceled at any time by calling Five Talents at 703-242-6016.
This project currently uses the simple savings and Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCA) models, but plans are in place to develop these into Accumulated Savings and Credit Associations (ASCAs) in order to provide group members with the ability to save and borrow more flexibly.
The Department of Tarija is located in the Southeastern part of Bolivia and borders Argentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. The Department is divided into six provinces, and home to 20 different indigenous tribes with Spanish being the shared language. The city of Tarija is located in a high and dry mountain valley at an altitude of 1850 meters. About 60% of the people in Bolivia live in poverty, 25% of the population is malnourished, and 16% of the population lives on less than $1.25 per day (World Bank).
Women in these communities are primarily engaged in work on family farms, with limited access to financial, health or education services. The average number of years of schooling for rural women is only 2.5 years, while it is 4.7 years for men. Seasonal migration among the men is very high in some regions of the country, which leaves women, in many of the cases, as heads of the household.
Empowering the citizens of Tarija with business and personal finance skills are essential aspects of stimulating economic growth and improving unemployment. This partnership focuses on women's groups in the city of Tarija as well as groups in rural communities, including El Puente, Entre Rios, Calamuchita and Valle Concepción. These groups target those populations unable to access services from the limited microfinance industry in Tarija due to geographic or economic barriers.
Through this program, Five Talents expects clients to gain business skills as well as the habits of saving and borrowing, which will enable them to participate in enterprise development.
After operating informally for 2.5 years, Semillas de Bendicion was officially registered in 2012 as an association, the simplest organization under Bolivian law.
The project leaders need training in the establishment of ASCAs, improvement of their English-language abilities and training on the legal process of establishing a small business as well as price fixing. Five Talents has already reached its goal to expand total outreach in Bolivia to 170 group members by the end of 2012.
We'd appreciate your continued prayers for this small but transformative program. Please help us expand our work in Bolivia either by making a one-time donation or by signing up to "Walk with Us" as a recurring donor. A monthly gift of $10 will transform up to five lives.
Are you on Facebook? Become an online advocate for Five Talents! Our online "flash drive" has everything you need to promote the work and mission of Five Talents.
Updated October 2013
The community-based Savings and Loan Associations (SLAs) in this program enable group members to mobilize their own savings and lend to each other.
Burundi is recovering from a civil war that devastated civil society structures, contributed to high illiteracy rates and poor health care, exacerbated gender disparity and plunged large numbers of the population into abject poverty. Thousands of people died and others were driven from their homes, leaving women and children in particular vulnerable to gender based violence or abduction. Burundi is currently one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked 178 out of 187 countries on the UN's Human Development Index (2013). The life expectancy at birth is just 51 years, and only 5.2% of women have at least a secondary education, compared to 9.2% of men.
At the root of the country's problems are issues such as poverty and low levels of education among women; early marriage and pregnancy; and lack of access to land, credit and training. Some or all of these factors result in many women becoming vulnerable and further trapped in poverty. It is especially in more remote areas that women are marginalized and face fewer opportunities for training or for credit to support income generating activities.
The Mothers' Union Literacy and Development Program has been successfully training Burundians in literacy and numeracy since 2005. Five Talents is now partnering with the Mothers' Union in order to provide business skills training as well as savings and credit group formation to the literacy program participants. By the end of FY2013, 340 savings groups will have been started and it is anticipated that 10,000 people will be beneficiaries of this project. The target population for this project is the most vulnerable communities. At least 70% of participants will be women.
The goal of this project is to build the capacity of Mothers' Union Burundi to be able to provide training and skills in the area of savings and credit group formation and small-business skills. We hope for women to gain literacy, manage their assets, take part in household decision-making, join a savings and credit group, establish or expand their businesses, and become empowered to take a lead on development issues within their own communities.
We'd appreciate your continued prayers for this transformative program. Please help us expand our work in Burundi either by making a one-time donation or by signing up to "Walk with Us" as a recurring donor. A monthly gift of $10 will transform up to five lives.
Updated January 2014
5 Ways to Get Involved with Five Talents from Five Talents on Vimeo.
As the busy fall season approaches, a million things will grapple for our attention. It is our hope that, amid the noise, you will remember the women and men struggling down poverty's road.After all, there is no better time to come alongside them, and equip them, than today."Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present," Albert Camus once said.But generosity need not only be writing a check, or making an online donation. When we give out of our wealth of time and energy and intellect, we are also being generous.We'd love it if you would choose at least one of five ways to get involved with Five Talents. No matter where you are in life -- or in the world -- there is something you can do to help women and men in under-served communities gain access to savings groups, micro-business loans, business skills training and mentoring.
On October 17, friends and supporters of Five Talents will have an opportunity to learn -- first-hand -- about the organization's newest program in Myanmar.
The 2014 Fall Gala, titled "Portraits of Empowerment", will feature a special guest and speaker from Five Talents' partner organization in Yangon, Mothers' Union.
Guests will also enjoy a delicious meal and a silent auction featuring beautiful hand-crafted products from Myanmar, Indonesia, Kenya, Bolivia and other countries where Five Talents works.
Attendees will also get an inside look at how their participation in the event and support of Five Talents directly benefits the lives of women and men struggling along the road out of poverty, through access to micro-business loans, savings group formation, business skills training, and mentoring.
Click here to find out more about the special event and purchase tickets.
Our annual Fall Gala provides a great opportunity to introduce friends and family to the work of Five Talents. Click here to invite people in your network via the Fall Gala Facebook Event page.
Last year, McSweeney's gave us our first taste of South Sudanese literature — a collection of eight pieces by South Sudanese writers titled There Is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan.The publisher notes that the volume, edited by Nyuol Lueth Tong, is "the first of its kind, from the youngest country in the world."Just over three years ago, the people of South Sudan gained recognition as a sovereign nation. Young and old took to the streets, crying, laughing and waving flags.The New York Times, in reporting on the historic occasion, noted, "A new nation [is] being born in what used to be a forlorn, war-racked patch of Africa, and to many it [seems] nothing short of miraculous."Over the last two years, however, the celebrations have given way to far more ominous circumstances: continuing tensions with the North, violence between political factions in the country, displacement of entire communities and the threat of famine.It's perhaps fitting, then, that the stories in 'There Is a Country' fall somewhere in-between the celebrations and the sporadic violence. There is romance, mischief, family conflict and dreaming — the stuff of community life everywhere, whether in the American suburbs, or in one of South Sudan's refugee camps.In "Port Sudan Journal," Victor Lugala tells the story of a 25-year-old who has slipped across the northern border into Sudan carrying a black rucksack with a pair of blue jeans, some boxer shorts, a toothbrush and a diary, ostensibly seeking out a long-lost uncle."The diary had been a birthday present from my Ugandan friend, given to me before I'd left home," the young man says. "It was as if he knew that one day I would be far away, wandering without a destination in mind."In "Escape," by Edward Eremugo Luka, the narrator describes his late-night run from a group of men friendly with the North. The action appears to take place before South Sudan's independence, after the main character's family has safely fled their hut outside of Juba. As he turns his back on his now abandoned home, he vows to return one day in the future.
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Sandhill Winery Small Lots One Phantom Creek Vineyard Blend - Meritage 2008, V.Q.A., Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada: Mocha, espresso and smoke on the nose followed by fleshy dark plums and a lovely, full-bodied weight and smooth texture. Balanced, complex and elegant with a long finish. Great dinner party wine. Drink: 2012-2017. 186536 14.90% XD 750 mL $36.95 Score: 92/100. August 4, 2012 Top Rated Red Wine. Full Review
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Posting ID : B1009224049
Date Posted : 2012-06-27
Category : Software Qa Dba Etc Jobs
Join one of the hottest and fastest growing start-ups in New England is hiring top notch Software Engineers for their Corporate HQ office in Boston. The company is roughly 100 people and is doubling in size (revenues) every 6-9 months. This very well could be Massachusetts' next billion dollar company. The eexcutives have been extremely succesful multiple times in the past, having sold companies for hundreds of millions of dollars. Currently they are looking to hire a few talented Java Engineers for the core team. The software is highly distributed and very complex, processing an incredible amount of data in realtime, and it is self-learning (in realtime) in order to become more intelligent.
Skills & Experience:
- A Bachelors or Masters Degree in Computer Science
- Strong professional Java Development experience
- Experience working on highly complex large-scale problems.
- Experience working with Hadoop
- At least 3+ years of professional Java Development experience.
- Strong multi-threaded experience in Java.
- Strong problem solving skills.
- Prior experience working for a startup is a huge plus.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.


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PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Rutgers has reinstated men's lacrosse coach Brian Brecht after suspending him with pay on April 19, following allegations of verbal abuse.
The decision was announced and made effective Tuesday, nearly a month after a university investigation found that the coach used inappropriate language and exhibited unprofessional behavior on occasion at practices. The instances, though, were infrequent and not directed at individual players, the school said. The university also found no criminal or university policy violations.
"We are satisfied with the resolution regarding the situation," acting athletic director Carl Kirschner said.
Rutgers finished 2-13 this season, and 0-6 in the Big East. Brecht missed the final two games of the season, both losses (16-7 to Duke, and 15-7 to Georgetown).
"I regret my behavior and am determined to set a better example in the future," Brecht said. "I'm glad to be reinstated to the program and for the opportunity to work with these fine young men."


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Contact Information
Rice Hall 314
(440) 775-8524
Personal Office Hours:
TR 11:00-12:00 W 10:00-11:50 And by appointment at a time of mutual convenience.
Michael Fisher
Educational Background
- Bachelor of Arts, Trinity College Connecticut, 1972
- Master of Arts, University of Chicago, 1973
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Chicago, 1978
Michael Fisher holds the Robert S. Danforth Chair in History. In 2007, he was awarded the Teaching Excellence Award for the Social Sciences. He has published widely on various aspects of the interaction between the peoples and polities of India and the expanding British empire, as they occurred in both India and in Britain. His latest published book is a biography of on the first Indian elected to the British Parliament who was also a putative lunatic, The Inordinately Strange Life of Dyce Sombre: Victorian Anglo Indian M.P. and Chancery 'Lunatic' Columbia University Press (New York, 2010), co-published by C. Hurst (London) and Cambridge University Press (Delhi). His earlier published books are: A South Asian History of Britain: Four Centuries of Peoples from the Indian Subcontinent (co-authored with Shompa Lahiri and Shinder Thandi; London: Greenwood Press, 2007); Visions of Mughal India: An Anthology of European Travel Writing (London: I.B. Tauris, 2007) which was also published in India as Across the Three Seas: Travellers' Tales from Mughal India (New Delhi: Random House, 2007); Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in Britain, 1600-1858 (Delhi: Permanent Black, 2004); Indirect Rule in India: Residents and the Residency System (Oxford University Press, 1991; 1998); The Politics of the British Annexation of India (Oxford University Press, 1994); The First Indian Author in English: Dean Mahomed (1759-1851) in India, Ireland, and England (Oxford University Press, 1996); The Travels of Dean Mahomet edited (University of California Press, 1997) and A Clash of Cultures: Awadh, the British and the Mughals (Manohar, 1987; Sangam, 1988, Riverdale, 1988).
He is currently writing a book on Migration in World History for Oxford University Press (New York).
Professor Fisher's C.V. is available
at www.oberlin.edu/
For the book Inordinately Strange Life of Dyce Sombre see:
http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-70108-2/the-inordinately-strange-life -of-dyce-sombre
For the book Visions of Mughal India see:
For the book Counterflows to Colonialism see:
For the book Travels of Dean Mahomet see:


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Cleveland Browns
Desmond Bryant - #92 - DT
|6' 6"/ 311 lbs.
|Elizabethtown, NC
|Years played
Browns fantasy report: Week Six
Is TE Ben Watson or Evan Moore the one for fantasy owners to grab? Is Peyton Hillis worth starting? Here's a look at some of the Browns' fantasy football options this week.
Browns-Raiders matchup of the day: Thursday
Here's a matchup to watch in Sunday's Browns-Raiders game.
Patricia Modell, wife of Art Modell, passes away
Patricia Modell, wife of former Browns and Ravens owner Art Modell, passed away Wednesday at 80.
Browns DE Benard placed on non-football injury list
The Browns have placed DE Marcus Benard, injured in a motorcycle accident Monday, on the reserve/non-football injury list, the club said Wednesday.
Browns-Raiders matchup of the day: Wednesday
Here's a matchup to watch in Sunday's Browns-Raiders game.
Browns 60-second rant: Big challenge coming in Oakland
It may take the Browns' best effort of the season to date to beat the Raiders in Oakland, PFW's Mike Wilkening writes.
Browns-Raiders matchup of the day: Tuesday
Here's a matchup to watch in Sunday's Browns-Raiders game.
Reports: Benard faces two charges after accident
Browns DE Marcus Benard was charged Tuesday with reckless operation and driving under suspension after a motorcycle accident Monday, multiple media outlets reported.
Quality, toughness of AFC North clubs evident early
Through five weeks, only one division has all four teams with records of .500 or better: the AFC North.
Report: Browns DL Benard hospitalized after motorcycle accident
Browns DE Marcus Benard was hospitalized Monday after crashing his motorcycle into a highway wall in Cleveland. He reportedly suffered a broken hand.
Reports: Hillis confirms agent advised him not to play
Browns RB Peyton Hillis explained further his decision not to play vs. Miami in Week Three because of strep throat, confirming that agent Kennard McGuire advised him not to play.
Work still plentiful for Hillis in Browns' new offense
Though he has more competition for work, Browns RB Peyton Hillis remains the starter in an offense that keeps its tailbacks busy.
Browns They Said It: Bye-week edition
Here's a sampling of quotes from head coach Pat Shurmur and Browns players from Tuesday's media availablity.
Report: Hillis' agent advised him not to play in Week Three
Kennard McGuire, the agent for Browns RB Peyton Hillis, told The Associated Press that he advised Hillis not to play in Week Three vs. Miami because of strep throat.
Browns rookie report: Week Four
Here's a look at how Browns rookies fared in the Week Four loss to Tennessee.
Browns defensive lineman Desmond Bryant has apologized for his arrest last month, saying the incident was a "mistake" and that "it's really not the kind of person that I am." Bryant, who played for Oakland last season, signed a five-year, $34 million free agent contract on Tuesday with Cleveland.||||||| The 6-foot-6, 311-pounder was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief, and his police mugshot went viral on the internet. Bryant said he's moved on from the incident, and Browns CEO Joe Banner said the team has no concerns about Bryant's character.


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656. Facts facts facts
Purple: 10 facts about my room
- It has a tv in it.
- It has no wardrobe.
- It has a double bed. (uni room)
Purple: 10 facts about my room
As you begin this survey, what is the current date and time?
8.53PM on 17th November.
How has your day been so far?
Not too bad. Woke up with a lie in and a couple cuddles. Had a nice shower and went out shopping and walking around town. Then came back and chilled here. And when David is in a good mood it puts me in a good mood instantly so yay.
Did the last person you kissed celebrate your last birthday with you?
Yep. Woke up next to him and spent whole day with him.
So, how are things going with the person you love/like?
Pretty darn good.
How much time have you spent online today?
A few hours.
What Did You Do Today?
(Bold all the things you did. It's probably best to do this closer to the end of the day, because obviously there's a chance that you'll have done more things, and will have more to bold.)
Made tea/coffee.
Talked to a parent.
Took a bath/shower.
What was the last thing you bought, other than food?
Literally no idea.
What colour was the ink of the last pen you wrote with?
What was the reason behind the last time you wore a bandage?
I can't remember, haven't worn one in a long time.
What music artist have you listened to a lot lately?
None really, Arctic monkeys I guess.
Why are you taking this survey?
Why not.
Don't you hate when girls dress slutty for Halloween?
Nah I would.
Do you ever subconsciously trace words on your leg when you're thinking?
How old are you?
Your current relationship status is?
What is your favorite smell?
Vanilla or fresh doughnuts.
Hello, you would be? Nobody special.
Promise not to lie on these? Yup.
How many times a week do you go on Facebook? Usually everyday.
How did you feel when you woke up today?
Annoyed that it was so early and I had to go into uni and David wouldn't wake up properly for ages.
Who was the first person you talked to today? What did you talk about?
David and the fact we had to get up.
1: Could you go the rest of your life without smoking a cigarette?
Yes, easily.
2: Are you single/taken/heartbroken/confused?
3: What if I told you that you were pretty?
1. What time did you wake up this morning? What was the first thing you thought about?
About 9AM and that I really didn't want to get out of bed, especially when my boyfriend rolled over and spooned me, which just made it harder to get out into the cold.
2. Did you have any unread text messages when you woke up this morning?
1. Have you had your first kiss? Yes.
2. Would you rather sleep alone, or with someone else? With someone else.
3. Have you kissed anyone in the last five days? Yes.
4. How many people have you kissed? 7 maybe.


text:
On Saturday I watched Kentucky play Mississippi State. During that time the commentators wondered why the students are on the other side of the arena in the second half where the visiting team faces, For example Kentucky was shooting free throws on the side of the hump without the student section in the second half. The commentators later said that Scott Stricklin came down and explained that it was part of an SEC Sportsmanship Policy stating that the Student Section cant be next to the visitors bench. Well I flipped the channel later that day to find Missouri playing Ole Miss in the second half. And not only do I notice that Missouri faced the Student section when shooting free throws, but the visitors benches were next to the student section. Well shouldn't the SEC Fine Ole Miss? After all most of their games are on TV and it is very easy to notice. I am not blaming MSU for not having the visitors play on the side of the student section in the 2nd half, i am just simply wondering why Ole Miss can have their student section on the side of the visitors in the 2nd half.
Comment below on your thoughts of this matter


text:
A Biography
Written by
Format: Trade Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Pub Date: November 13, 2007
Price: $22.99
Add this item to your cart
It was an easier commercial fit in 1955 for makers of a laundry detergent who showed Santa dismayed by chimney soot on his nice red coat and proclaimed, "It's a good thing that Tide keeps on working after other suds have quit!" but it was Haddon Sundblom's famous paintings of Santa for the Coca-Cola Company that were the best examples of this technique of turning the gift-bringer into a product consumer. In the 1920s, the Coca-Cola Company was recovering from attacks by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the federal government, and other critics of its soft-drink formula. A U.S. senator had claimed in 1921 that the carbonated water beverage caused sterility in women and dissolved "brain power, and the digestive power and the moral fabric." The company wanted advertising campaigns that emphasized relaxation and carefree refreshment and it also wanted to improve the sales of Coca-Cola during the winter months. To these ends they turned to a Chicago illustrator named Haddon Hubbard Sundblom, a hard-drinking, six-foot-three commercial artist who was able to capitalize on the well-established image of Santa Claus that existed by 1931.
It is far too frequently believed that Sundblom's work for Coca-Cola created the familiar red-and-white-clad Santa of the modern era. In fact, the Coke Santa was in no way groundbreaking; illustrators for the Saturday Evening Post such as J.C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell had already helped fix the standard Santa in the public's mind.* Nor was the Atlanta company even the first purveyor of soda to use the gift-bringer in its ads. That honour belongs to the White Rock Natural Mineral Spring Company of Waukeshar, Wisconsin, which advertised mineral water and ginger ale in Life magazine in 1923 and 1924. Two full-page ads show a portly Santa Claus, reading letters and delivering presents, with a bottle of White Rock and (despite Prohibition) a whisky bottle close at hand. In these presentations Santa closely resembles the gift-bringer the New York Times described as the prototype in its November 27, 1927, issue: "Height, weight and stature are almost exactly standardized, as are the red garments, the hood and the white whiskers. The pack full of toys, ruddy cheeks and nose, bushy eyebrows and a jolly, paunchy effect are also inevitable parts of the requisite makeup."
Sundblom's genius in his decades of work for Coca-Cola was not that he added anything to our knowledge of Santa Claus but that he made a familiar image even more likeable and widespread. Sundblom's vision of the gift-bringer emphasized lavishness and self-indulgence. In the middle of the Depression, he scorned the meagre street-corner and department-store Santas to produce one who was the roliest-poliest yet, clad in an abundance of furs, with a jaunty angle to his white moustache, and a penchant for raiding other people's refrigerators. Sundblom's early paintings such as "My hat's off to the pause that refreshes" and "Away with a tired thirsty face" continued the notion of Coke as an almost-medicinal pick-me-up, but it was his "Me too" (1936) that introduced the theme of Santa Claus as an out-of-control consumer. Here he is portrayed with his red jacket off, making himself at home in an unsuspecting family's living room, playing with the toys under the Christmas tree, and lifting a wasp-waisted bottle to his lips. He is even more brazen in the next year's campaign. A shameless Santa has raided the family's supply of Coke and he has ripped a drumstick from the Christmas turkey, justifying his theft with a specious plea to reciprocity: "'Give and take' say I." Later campaigns would try to soften this image of a midnight raider, implying that Santa Claus had been left bottles of Coke by a grateful family. In 1938, he approvingly notes, while holding a bottle, that "Somebody knew I was coming"; in 1943, he relaxes in an armchair holding a note that reads, "Dear Santa, Have a 'Coke' = welcome at our house. Your Pal xxx"; and in 1945, even before entering the house, Santa has spotted a familiar bottle and letter and remarks smugly, "They knew what I wanted."
There is no evidence that these advertisements ever led to a nation of children preparing a plate of cookies and a bottle of Coke for the gift-bringer, but the ads were enormously popular and became a part of the North American Christmas landscape. Sundblom produced at least one a year from 1931 to 1964, and at one point his work graced half of all of Coca-Cola's billboards. His first model was Lou Prentice, a retired neighbour, and after Prentice's death in the late 1940s Sundblom used himself as the image of Santa Claus. (Though Sundblom was credited for these attractive renditions of Santa, he was not allowed to paint the bottle of Coca-Cola itself. He was commissioned to deliver his canvases unfinished so that another artist with a finer touch could add a flawless image of the bottle, including the line of text asserting its trademark and patent.) The overwhelming ubiquity of these advertisements — with the Coca-Cola-swilling Santa Claus presiding over busy street corners from his perch on billboards, to life-sized cutouts positioned in strategic store aisles, to his face in magazines found in living rooms and bathrooms across the nation, and nowadays to a host of retro "collectibles" hawked on eBay — ensured that no rival version of Santa could emerge in the North American consciousness.
From the Hardcover edition.
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text:
116 South Great Road is on the market in Lincoln for $1.6 million.
A surprise awaits you in this newly decorated and luxuriously appointed custom shingle-style contemporary.
It's the consummate home for entertaining.
The home has more than 4,800 square feet of living space.
It has an open living room with double-sided fireplace, lounge with bar, & formal dining room.
The cherry kitchen is the ultimate home chef's dream.
It's equipped with an island, professional quality appliances, granite counters, walk-in pantry & breakfast room.
Glass sliders extend to a terrace.
Feel as though you're on vacation without leaving home!
There are four full bathrooms and one partial bath.
A media room.
The home has five bedrooms.
This state of the art "smart house" has spared no expense in first class amenities.
Just 20 miles north of Boston, this sought-after community is known for its schools, parks and recreation, commuter rail to North.
A saltwater pool.
Privately situated on over three acres with lush views from every window
A look at the manicured grounds.


text:
The AquaMira water bottle (at least the microfiltration version) gets terrible reviews on Amazon … any other suggestions (besides $150 Katadyn?)
Life comes at you fast, and sometimes you won't have the option of getting all of your gear together. When this happens you just have to drop everything and go. This can cause much unneeded stress but don't lose all hope.
There are a few items that can be carried with you at all times that can seriously improve your survival chances should you be caught off guard. These are what I like to call EDC packs (every day carry). These are items that I carry on me every day that fit into my normal lifestyle and that a normal person would never guess is something useful to my survival.
Below are some of the items that I keep in my car as an EDC kit:
-A folding pocket knife
-A good pair of boots
-Paracord bracelet ( roughly 10 feet of cord)
-Aqua Mira: Frontier emergency water filter.
-8 LED flashlight with batteries and adapter ( takes either 1 C Battery or 3 AAA's)
-Bright yellow emergency poncho
-Mylar survival blanket
-Stainless steel water bottle (also used as a container for the kit).
-Not pictured is one 400 calorie ration bar from Millennium simply because it was time to rotate it out and… I was hungry. Millennium makes a great compact energy bar that fits just about anywhere
I also created an EDC tin from an Altoids container that i keep in my desk. Aside from the odd look I get when I refuse to give a coworker a mint, this fits effortlessly in my pocket or my desk or just about anywhere and no one will ever be the wiser. Inside the Altoids tin I keep an array of items. The most common items are.
-Small screw top pill holder filled with Vaseline: Vaseline has a variety of uses. It can be used to prevent and cure chapped lips and hands, can be put on cuts and scrapes to help prevent infection and is extremely effective as a fire starter.
-Cotton balls
-Weatherproof matches
-A small wire saw
-A small assortment of fishing supplies
-A few hard candies and or bouillon cube if there is room, a small amount of sugar can give you a great energy and moral boost after a crisis.
I have several EDC kits that I have stashed in my car, at my desk, and even in my pocket at all times. Each one is a little different than the last. Whatever you decide to put in yours, make sure that even if you're caught unaware… you're never unprepared.
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The AquaMira water bottle (at least the microfiltration version) gets terrible reviews on Amazon … any other suggestions (besides $150 Katadyn?)
Dear Joseph , For your best value for purifing water from the gutter or other wild source, I don't think you could beat the Seychelle bottle. Filters down to .05 microns which means it takes out Ecoli, Giardia and other like minded pathogens. I found them on line at http://www.beready.com It looks like they have changed the design since I got mine, AND I bet they have gone up in price too, BUT you should be able to get for around $50
No fire starters for the bigger kit?
Including some matches and a couple of "pink lady" type candles wouldn't take up much room could be a life saver in snow country.
I didn't see the paracord bracelet pictured. I assume that this is because you wear it on a normal, day-to-day basis. If so, I have been advised not to use the cord in the bracelet for lifting. That is due to the normal wear to the cord and due to it being kinked and thereby weakened.
It might be nit-picking, but I'd think that including some bandaids and antibiotic ointment rather than fishing gear would be more practical for the little office tin.
I loved your article. It gets me thinking on other size kits than the big Bug-out type kits.
I wear a 1W LED 2AA (AAs are more readily available that AAAs or Cs) flashlight in a holster along with a great tool made briefly by Vise-Grip called the Toolbox in a knife scabbard. My Swiss Army Knife lives in my pocket. A lighter and chapstick live in my other front pocket. My backpack which goes everywhere with me has a good book, a small but powerful and clear set of binoculars, plastic utensils, insulated gloves, a CPR kit, painkillers and meds, a pillow, a set of thermal underwear, pens and a pencil, a small mirror, a bottle of water and of course my wallet. There are a few other everyday items not for survival. I always take a jacket, even if I don't expect to be out after dark.
This has evolved over a period of years due to living in the mountains and being a firefighter. I am not overtly a survivalist, this is just practical.
purifiation of water, try [ first water ]. i have not tried it but it had good reviews, also cleans down to .05 microns. there are some good one's out there but as mentioned, some are pricey.
Pingback: Wearing Body Armor as Part Your EDC | Beat The End Survival Blog


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Skip to content
and found 20 items
Matches found in Motorcycle News
Simon Patterson,
11 July 2014 12:22
A visit this afternoon to the headquarters of the Williams F1 team from Prime Minister David Cameron will be used to confirm that an amendment to the new Deregulation Bill will give local councils the ability to grant road closing orders for motorsports events. The government, who launched a consultation on the idea earlier this year, are expected to hand ...
Simon Patterson,
09 July 2014 15:23
Fifteen time world champion and ten time TT winner Giacomo Agostini will headline this weekend's Mallory Bike Bonanza, as a full weekend of activities descend upon the Leicestershire track, with the Italian joined by a host of modern stars and classic machinery as well as entertainment for the whole family. Joining Agostini on his MV Agusta as he recreates his ...
Simon Patterson,
04 July 2014 14:36
Thousands of biker have descended on the Lincolnshire town of Barton-upon-Humber for the annual Bike Night celebrations last Wednesday, with organisers believing the event, which attracted an estimated 15,000 people last year, was the busiest ever. Guest appearances from TT stars John McGuinness, Gary Johnson, Dean Harrison, Peter Hickman and Lee Johnston helped draw the record crowd, as did BSB ...
Simon Patterson,
01 July 2014 10:00
Thousands of bikers are set to descend upon the North Lincolnshire town of Barton tomorrow night for the annual Barton Bike Night, with organisers expecting somewhere in the region of 20,000 bikes to socialise and catch up with the stars of two wheeled sport. The list of celebrity attendees includes the winners of every single solo race at this year's ...
Simon Patterson,
05 June 2014 13:15
Figures released by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company show that 2014 is set to be one of the busiest TT of recent times, with traffic carried on the ferries up some 7.5% since last year, with 12,050 motorcycles and 36,800 passengers brought over. The Island has been noticeably busier in both race and practice weeks, with a large ...
Simon Patterson,
28 March 2014 13:45
Despite breaking his wrist two weeks ago in what he describes as one of the biggest crashes of his career. TT legend John McGuinness says he can't wait to get to MCNLive! at Butlins Skegness and meet up with the fans (as well as sneaking in a family holiday!). "I've had a couple of weeks of hell since crashing my ...
Simon Patterson,
25 February 2014 09:27
Mallory Park is set to reopen this weekend with a gala event that is open, free of charge, to the public, as the Leicestershire track resurrects from its seeming demise only months ago. The track, now managed by Complog Tyres boss Eddie Roberts and Stuart Hicken, team manager of the Buildbase BMW team, will be open this Saturday the 1st ...
Simon Patterson,
16 February 2014 12:05
2013 Speedway GP champion Tai Woffinden has become the first ever speedway rider to win the prestigious MCN Man of the Year Award since its inception in 1958. Woffinden, who came back from two broken collarbones to win the title, won the fan's vote by a record margin and beat competition from circuit racing world champions Marc Marquez, Tom Sykes ...
Simon Patterson,
03 February 2014 09:50
Close Motor Finance, one of the UK's leading providers of financing for motorbikes, has managed to raise a huge £25,000 for BEN, the motoring industry charity, after a year of fundraising through its UK-wide dealer network. The £25,000 was raised by CMF and their 8000-strong dealer team through activities ranging from 25k runs and chest waxes to bike rides and cake ...
Simon Patterson,
31 January 2014 13:49
Just weeks before she will head off to the Sochi Winter Olympics, Team GB's women's slopestyle snowboarder Aimee Fuller has passed her CBT with the help of KTM UK. Fuller, a 22 year old snowboarder based in Holywood, Northern Ireland, qualified for the Olympics with a fifth and eleventh at the last two World Cups, and sits eighth in the world ...
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John Abraham starrer 'I Me Aur Main' will hit the marquee tomorrow and on Wednesday a grand premiere of the film was organized. Among all attendees was present John Abraham's mother. John's mother got emotional after watching the movie and after coming out of the venue, she looked at her son's ey
Shahid Kapoor Birthday Party 2011
goldie behl News
Bollywood celebrities party hard to welcome 2013 and bid a dancing adieu to 2012. Stars partied at different venues on 31st December. Some performed on New Year eve to earn quick bucks while established stars skipped performance and partied together. Arjun Kapoor performed at Aa
Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Maqbool' and 'Omkara' are an adaptation from Shakespheare classic 'Macbeth' and 'Othello'. Shakespeare has inspired many filmmakers of West as well as East for on-screen adaptation of his classic work. Latest in the row is
Latest Bollywood News
- Bang Bang: Hrithik, Katrina get wetty and romantic in 'Meherbaan'
- Don't Miss: First song 'Indiawaale' from 'Happy New Year'
- Ranveer is too busy to tie the knot with Deepika
- Bipasha Basu highly smitten with Yo Yo Honey Singh
- I wish I could dance half as well as Hrithik, Aamir Khan


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Taken from rotoworld.com.
The Diamondbacks are shopping Carlos Quentin in a bid to land a starting pitcher.
The Nationals and Indians are known to have interest, and we're sure a bunch of other teams do as well. Neither Washington nor Cleveland can offer Arizona the immediate SP upgrade the team desires. Quentin would be a worthy piece in a deal for Jon Garland or Joe Blanton, but we're not sure either of those have been discussed. If the Diamondbacks were to move Quentin, they'd probably give Justin Upton a try.
I would love this kid...it wouldnt help us short term but I would justify trading Lee to Arizona in a heartbeat for this. And, I actually think Lee could help Zona.


text:
Tim Allen owner and founder of Allen's Roofing has brought over 40 years of experience to this company.Starting in the industry in Kansas City then Phoenix, and on to San Francisco. After returning to the South East he established Allen's Roofing in Knoxville, TN. in 1992."I have always considered tile and slate roofing art and my installers artists. They take great pride in each project we do and will make every effort to turn your house or business into a masterpiece". Tim Allen, President
Mike Cambell's (Res) Knoxville, TN.
St. Johns Church (Downtown) Knoxville, TN
Simmons (Res) Bristol, VA.
Covered Bridge
©Copyright 2006 Allens Roofing


text:
New Book Praises Met Opera Maestro James Levine's Deep Humanity
We've all heard tales of what goes on behind the scenes at opera houses: hysterical divas, egotistical tenors, artistic differences that gather into temper tantrums and culminate in that telltale tag line: "I can't work like this."
There are few reasons for this kind of shtick in the real world, but opera is a different beast.
It's a profession that will tax a singer's every reserve: physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological and spiritual. It's a profession that calls on mere mortals to stand before others and sing their hearts out while pretending to be people – usually emotionally distressed people – they're not. In short, it's a profession in which singers must put literally everything on the line for the mere chance of a big payout.
Even worse for opera singers is that opera conductors are endowed with varying degrees of patience and tact. And empathy? Surely you jest.
But the good news for singers who make it big – meaning, who get to sing those coveted roles at the Metropolitan Opera – is that the Met's maestro, James Levine, gets it.
At least so says a new book celebrating Levine's four-decade tenure at the world's most prestigious opera house. James Levine: 40 Years at The Metropolitan Opera charts the career of a brilliant musician as phenomenally gifted at human relations as he is at musical interpretation. The common thread throughout is Levine's humanity and his deep compassion for his colleagues.
Here's Levine's take on what singers and instrumentalists contend with in a day's work:
What you have to understand before you open your mouth is that one of the biggest components is confidence. People always say, "Well, they're not babies." I say, "No, they're artists. And they have nerves. And they play with their nervous system, and it isn't fair that you want the product of their nervous system but then you don't want them ever to feel nervous."
Such insight and humanity are uncanny among conductors. In James Levine: 40 Years at The Metropolitan Opera singer after singer attests to the maestro's genius at putting them at ease and bringing out their best, even when new to the game.
Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe worked with Levine during her first performance at the Met. At the time, she was apprenticing in the Met's Linemann Young Artist Development Program and had been called to fill in for Marilyn Horne as Quickly in Verdi's Falstaff:
It was an amazing experience, and I recollect every second of it. I barely looked at the Maestro at all. You could just feel the energy coming from the pit, and every time I did look at him, I got that wonderful smile and a thumbs-up. What a feeling!
James Levine: 40 Years at The Metropolitan Opera leaves you feeling as though you know "Jimmy" Levine – or would like to.


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Greetings Guests,
We want to personally thank all of the Nike Women's Marathon runners for staying with us over this past weekend. It was great to here your stories of the run and see you all in the "Finisher" yellow t-shirts! We hope to see you again next year!
The Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco, CA is a race to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It's a charitable run for the option of running a full (26miles) or half marathon (13 miles). San Francisco has been the host city for many many years now!
San Francisco is the greatest city in the world and we are proud to be one of the finest boutique hotels in San Francisco. We have SO many events that come here month after month. Including The Bay to Breakers marathon, Gay Pride Parade, and Oracle Worldwide, which just past a week ago. Click on "Calendar" and you'll see upcoming events in town!