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The other day I had a discussion with a chocolatier who brought into our shop an entire binder of beautiful chocolate and pastry work he had done and photographed. It truly was food art.
Trying to convince me to come aboard, he told me and I quote, "We eat with our eyes." We discussed the possibility of him working for me. He described grandios plans he had for creating wonderful displays of chocolate confections, citing different types of stabilizers he can use to make the products last longer and still look good.
I gave him a two part reply. I said:
People only generally eat with their eyes the first time they visit a restaurant. It's the only mechanism the customer has to focus on something that helps them make a decision, because they've never experienced the food. Once they've actually "tasted" the food, a trust between the business and the customer has begun to develop and the customer is more willing to make subsequent purchases sight unseen. At that point the presentation takes a back seat to taste. Given that I'm interested in RETURN customers, and not a bunch of one-timers, I take the position that taste is more important.
For example: a small subset of our customers complain that we color the whipped cream on our drinking chocolates blue. They don't like how it looks, yet they buy it time and time again because the emotional response from the taste far surpasses the uncomfort they get from the blue whipped cream.
As my daughter so eloquently put it a few years ago: "Daddy, it doesn't matter what it looks like, 'cause when you do a chew-and-show it all looks the same anyway. The most important thing is how the food tastes."
From the mouth of babes..... I couldn't agree with her more. Personally, I don't care how beautiful the chocolatier's creations are when I walk into a shop. The first thing I do is ask what kind of chocolate they use. If I don't like that brand of chocolate, I won't buy a thing regardless of how beautiful it is. (although I DO take time to appreciate the chocolatier's skills with the product).
My second part was pretty blunt: Given my stance that the driving force behind what we do is customer service and product freshness and taste, we will NEVER, EVER, EVER, .....EVER use chemicals or food stabilizers to give our products shelf life. EVER.... If we can't make it fresh, we won't make it at all.
While I truly appreciate his skill with modelling food, that more or less ended the interview.
Having said all of that, what do you people out there in ChocolateLife Land think? I pose this thought-provoking question to you, because in the past couple of years of reading this forum, I've heard many people ask how they can make their confections more beautiful, while at the same time asking questions relating to how to extend the shelf life of their products.
What's important to you as a consumer? How a product looks, or how a product tastes?
I look forward to reading your resplies AS CONSUMERS.
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I don't tend to buy chocolates (centres with a coating of chocolate) personally, I prefer solid dark chocolate bars. But I was recently in a shop, it was holidays and I was buying some for my daughter and wife. I knew what flavours they liked and all my purchases were based on my knowledge of chocolate and how certain flavours would be represented in the offerings in the cupboard and there was a great deal to choose from. All my purchases bar one were based on how I thought it would taste, not how it looked. It was also influenced by not wanting to give my daughter artificial colours and flavours and what I thought would have been freshest. Though I did buy one that looked like big red lips which was made of coloured white chocolate with a white chocolate ganache, I bought this because it was cute and romantic and not for taste. I knew it would taste like waxy milk and sugar with vanilla...and it did! What a surprise.
So majority on taste! or rather perceived taste, I knew they used Belgian coverture so I wasn't going to eat any.
"Given my stance that the driving force behind what we do is customer service and product freshness and taste, we will NEVER, EVER, EVER, .....EVER use chemicals or food stabilizers to give our products shelf life. EVER.... If we can't make it fresh, we won't make it at all."
I'm not sure what this means (and I've seen a lot of other people say it other than Brad, so I'm after lots of opinions on this, I'm not just asking Brad here). So for those of you who say "no additives" or "no food stablisers" or "only natural", would you use glucose syrup? It's my understanding that glucose syrup will help bind water and extend shelf life. If glucose syrup, then what about glucose powder? (After all, you're just removing the moisture). Then what about sorbitol powder? (It's just another sort of sugar). Would you use honey? So is invert sugar acceptable (given honey is more or less a natural invert sugar anyway)? Would you use lecithin to emulsify your product? What about if there is lecithin in your chocolate anyway (and I acknowledge that you may not use it Brad, but people who don't make their own chocolate almost certainly do)? What about adding salt?
I'm not trying to be difficult or split hairs here - just trying to understand what people mean. My opinion starts with Brad's above - everything is about taste. If you can extend shelf life without affecting taste/texture/flavour/smell etc etc etc, using some of the ingredients I mention above, why wouldn't you? So then the question is - where do you draw the line on what you will add? I'm just curious to see what people think about this and what others are doing out there in chocolate world.
You're not splitting hairs at all. In fact I'm glad you brought this up. I'm talking about ingredients that don't exist in nature without some alchemical process being applied. Propylene Glycol for example is a poison. I use it in my race bikes as anti-freeze. However, the FDA and CFIA have deemed it to be safe for use in minute quantities in food to stabilize whipped edible oil products (aka the white whipped crap on mass produced cakes and pastries that some call whipped cream). Stuff like that.
While I have modified our milk chocolate recipes to no longer use lecithin, it does exist in nature. It just has to be extracted from its source.
With regard to glucose syrup, I would expect that even though it doesn't at first exist in nature, currently it IS created through the process of enzyme hydrolosis, whereby naturally occurring enzymes and bacteria are added to a mixture of corn starch and water, to break down the starch and produce the glucose.
I think to determine whether or not the use of glucose should be used would be splitting hairs. However propylene glycol's a pretty blatant one. "Don't drink anti-freeze! (but you can use it in your whipped white crap! HAHA!).
So, Gap... Just to ensure this stays on track, am I to understand that you too believe that everything is about taste as well? I think I read your post that way.
Hi Brad,
thanks for clearing that up - I would agree with you on the not drinking anti-freeze!
As for the argument that "you eat with your eyes": I do think taste is the ultimate trump card and beats all in the end - your example of repeat customers is a good one and entirely appropraite. However, I spend an equal amount of time with patisserie as I do chocolates and visual appeal does have an impact, it just can't be denied - you just need to look at what is being done in Paris with Easter eggs this year. I would happily pay 50% more for an Easter egg that looks like one of those over a standard looking egg made with the same chocolate.
Coloured chocolates/bon bons/confections are another example of how the industry has moved forward with presentation. As are the new modern range of polycarbonate moulds. So for me, while taste is the ultimate trump card over ANY visual aid, presentation/eye candy does have it's role. I guess in my mind the size of its role is probably determined by what your competitors are doing. Where there is a lot of competition and the level of "taste" is similar across the competitors, people want visual appeal. I think visual appeal can also help people justify a higher price in their own mind for a product (eg., taking it to someone as a gift, you want to hear how beautiful your gift looks).
Actually propylene glycol is not considered toxic in humans at levels that aren't extremely excessive over a short period of time (ie drinking a gallon of the stuff in one sitting) - it's used in a huge variety of pharmacutical and food products that you might actually use in your business (check out the blue food colouring you add to your cream). It's also in the Angostura bitters you may add to your cocktails, the valium you might need when you are having a really bad day, it's probably in your toothpaste too. Ethylene glycol is much more toxic.
So cat's shouldn't drink antifreeze - but humans actually can in smaller quantities.
Just because it's deemed "safe in small quantities" doesn't mean we should consume it. Chlorine is even MORE toxic than Ethylene Glycol, and it's put into our drinking water! 10 years ago I started drinking purified water, because the tap water here in Calgary smells and tastes like the water from a local swimming pool. Yuck.
Who wants to try this experiment? Drink a glass of Propylene glycol, a glass of clorine, and a glass of ammonia, and let me know how you feel in the morning!
Oh... and ammonia.... here's a good link to peruse: http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/pinkslime-ammonia-ground-beef.htm
In the meantime, I'll stick to cream, sugar (processed without bone char), fresh butter, and my chocolate. Oh... and the blue powder we add to our whipped cream is naturally derived and not man made - just an FYI.
I personally do not eat blue foods unless it is made with blueberries. For sweetening agents, I prefer those that have been pressed, or lightly processed rather than cooked. Honey, pure grade b maple syrup, agave and evaporated cane juice are my choices. I am unclear if any these can be added to chocolate being they are liquid. I have used pure cane sugar and honey powder so far and bought a stevia sweetened chocolate the other day which I did not like. My concern is taste and health. Presentation is important but not primary. I find I have to pay more if it has obviously taken more human labor.
When I look to buy chocolate bars, I prefer no lecithen for no reason than if it is not necessary, why use it. A minimal approach is preferred for my own personal consumption.
When I buy chocolates as a gift, I am more concerned about presentation, only after taste.
After Bryon Kirk's Sunday update, I guess we are eating pieces of cockroaches.
As a consumer: I use my eyes to determine the signs of care and attention a chocolatier puts into their work. I'm looking for the sheen that indicates good crystallization and correct storage. I look for an absence of bubbles (unless they are an intentional part of the work.)
As far as style goes, shape counts whether it's enrobed or moulded, not just for style but for what the ganache to shell ratio is likely to be. I'll accept the use of a transfer sheet, lustre, or coloured cocoa-butter but they must be used with discretion and purpose, in a way that accentuates the work, or hints at the flavour. Ditto for garnishes. I've seen many a 'dressed up' chocolate that to me is a hot mess visually, and makes me less inclined to try tasting because I'm already sensing a "style over substance" thing going on. Fashion is a tricky game for chocolate to play.
In a competitive market (for example, Paris, London, or Brussels,) I use the (presumed deliberate) absence or presence of these visual cues, hints of attention, and indicators of quality making/handling to try and determine how much of a perfectionist the chocolatier is, as well as whether they might lean more to the natural side or artificial side. This of course helps me to decide if I'd like to buy a taste. When in doubt, I'll usually still pick one or two "benchmark" bonbons... ones that anyone should be able to do but that are inevitably done either incredibly well, or just 'meh'. Stuff like salted caramel or an earl grey infusion.
I personally prefer that a chocolatier rest faithful to "food", (rather than chemicals,) and though you can ask about such things when in a store or do a little digging on your own, you may not get the 100% truth as to whether preservatives are used, etc. In some parts of the world you might not even have the language abilities to ask or understand the answer. If I KNOW a chocolatier is relying on non-natural substances for taste or an unreasonably long shelf life, I automatically don't think of them as a 'fine' chocolatier, and don't expect to pay 'fine' prices.
It doesn't mean I won't try the industrial tastes of the market wherever I go though... as this will tell you a good deal about the local palate for sweets & commercial standards of 'quality' - all things that local chocolatier has to deal with and take into account while trying to sell to their market.
But ultimately, as you've said, taste (and also for me, texture) is king. If I've tried something that shows a good deal of 'promotion' put into the visual aspect, and the product isn't living up to its 'extremely high promise' in my mouth, I'm disappointed. On the other hand, I've had my socks knocked off by small town guys who didn't have anything flashy or colourful on the external display, but just had stuff that looked well made, or possibly some intriguing flavours in their case of plain-but-seemingly-well-constructed bonbons.
Make it well, make it neatly. This is I guess my base standard, with the rest being frills that determine how high you're telling me I should set the bar for you before I've even tasted. Double edged sword, that...
Thanks for the feedback Jessica.
Fun discussion. We believe taste is paramount. Taste first, looks second. We don't do shelf-life, life is too short to sit on a shelf. Enjoy what you like come back later for more. We try very hard to source seasonal products from our region for our flavors and then step outside that when necessary. It's all a very pain in the ass when it comes to trying to get our product out to retailers as we have to switch it out every 2 weeks but it's who we are. If you want something that can sit on a shelf for a year go eat a flavored candle. ;)
Our cakes are the same way, we don't believe in fondant--if you want an architectural masterpiece that tastes like cardboard go elsewhere. If you want a real buttercream, cream cheese, fudge icing that makes you drool--step right up.
I was at a show the other day where this company had all molded chocolates and they were the most vibrant of colors and sparkles. They were beautiful in one regard but it was also very scary to me on another. I was thinking they had their work very process driven but it didn't seem very artisanal. Tasting one of them it was a thick shell with an air gap where they had pipped in the ganache and the ganache was stale and a bit waxy. Well wasn't that right on target. Looked great but hollow and stale. Kudos. hehe.
I'm a lover of all food, as long as it's good food! :D
Interesting discussion Brad,
I think both are important. I like chocolate that engages multiple senses. That said, taste is the most important to me. But I have trialled chocolates that are identical in flavor profile (same ganache) but presented differently, and one totally outsold the other. So I think as consumers, people eat with their eyes first. If you can back that up with great taste, then you have a winning combination.
Assuming that your customers build trust, and are happy to buy on taste I still think well presented chocolates should not be over-looked. Despite the fact they will be more likely to buy because they like your product, you still want to entice new customers to keep your business growing - and I think if you can engage the eyes AND the mouth in terms of impressing people, this is better than just focusing on taste and not worrying too much about the final look. So I believe the more senses we engage well, the better.
That's my two cents worth, and only because that is what seems to work best for me
- Stu
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Chicago housing market slowly, stubbornly improves
BY DAVID ROEDER Business firstname.lastname@example.com September 30, 2012 7:09PM
Deavay Tyler, Executive Vice-President at A & D Property Services, Inc., manages foreclosed homes for banks. Wednesday, September 26, 2012. | Scott Stewart~Sun-Times
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Updated: November 2, 2012 6:06AM
When the housing market gets back on its feet, how will we know?
Will it be when somebody finally fixes up the abandoned house down the block? How about when that stubborn neighbor gets his price on the house he's listed for two years?
Others might say it's when the local bank, if it's still in business, really wants to issue a mortgage. And there will be dreamers who'll say it's fixed when they can unload that condo that seemed like such a great idea in 2008.
The housing market in the Chicago area is getting better, in accordance with improving conditions nationwide, but it's still broken. Its problem is that it is broken in many places, and healing will take, well, how long?
"I'd say its another 10, 20 years. It'll be a generation," said Deavay Tyler, executive vice president of A & D Property Services Inc. on the South Side. His company has a unique perspective, literally straight from the side street.
A & D manages foreclosed properties for lenders, securing them and making sure the grass gets mowed. Tyler said its inventory keeps growing, and now numbers more than 4,000 properties, as more banks sign up for service.
"When we're working, that means banks are addressing their inventory. They have a sense of urgency," he said.
Tyler said he sees a market that's trying to improve but is still "flailing about, not knowing where the bottom is." Its most hopeful sign, he said, is that sellers have gotten more realistic about prices.
Holding it back, Tyler said, is the ongoing rush of foreclosed properties, which tend to sell for substantially less than those in non-distressed situations. Illinois is among the 24 states that require most foreclosures to go through judicial review, said sales data firm RealtyTrac LLC.
Delays in the judicial process mean that housing in the Chicago area will be a year or two behind any national recovery, Tyler said.
A RealtyTrac report said Illinois in August had the highest foreclosure rate in the country, with new filings up 42 percent from a year ago and representing one in every 298 homes. Clearing the active inventory will take just under three years, said Geoffrey Hewings, a University of Illinois economics professor who compiles sales reports for the statewide Realtors association.
The clearance rate represents an improvement from recent months, but Hewings still is glum. He noted the impact of high unemployment, worsened by more discouraged job-seekers dropping out of the hunt.
"Based on current and historical conditions, forecasts of sales and median prices for the coming months do not look encouraging," Hewings wrote in a mid-September report to the Realtors. He predicted that in Chicago, year-over-year median sales prices for homes will decline 1.5 percent to 5.5 percent, a sign of no solid "bottom."
There's an almost daily onslaught of data about housing, however, that can sow confusion. Price movements and sales figures might be reported for local or national markets, reflecting new homes or existing homes. Differences in data collection can make some reports stand at odds with others.
A prime example is the latest reading of the respected Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller price index for Chicago. Compared with the Realtor reports, it is delayed; the latest version for Chicago covers July. It showed prices here rising 2.7 percent from June, the fourth straight monthly increase. Still, the July index is slightly down from its level of a year ago.
Case-Shiller tracks prices for homes that have sold more than once, an attempt to get a consistent gauge of a market. Other sales reports can be skewed by a high number of cheap or expensive houses trading over a short period.
For many analysts, housing's truth is that while the patient is stirring, it has a long convalescence ahead. From the market's peak in early 2007, prices have fallen 30 percent across the country and closer to 40 percent in the Chicago area.
The data analytics firm Fiserv Inc. predicted national prices will bounce back an average of 3.7 percent a year over the next five years. Even at that rate, though, many markets won't pull even with the 2007 high until about 2023.
"In some hard-hit markets, prices will take decades to recover," Fiserv Chief Economist David Siff told CNNMoney.
Do we really need that much patience? Homes are more affordable than they've been in decades and the Federal Reserve's bond-buying commitment, a cheap-money policy known as "quantitative easing," is designed to keep interest rates at historic lows. Thirty-year mortgages shouldn't get much higher than 4 percent through 2015, based on the Fed program.
In that sense, the sales agents are correct when they speak that timeless bromide, "Now is a great time to buy."
So what's the problem? Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust Corp., said it starts with the balance sheet for the average American.
He said people are still working through their debt problems, with job insecurity factoring into every decision. Today, fewer people can "trade up" for a home because they have little or no equity in the one they live in.
"Saving from scratch takes a long time, given low saving rates and low rates of return on some asset classes," Tannenbaum said. "There is a broad community of prospective home buyers who could get a mortgage in 2006 but cannot today."
Compared with 2003, Americans have four times the level of student loan debt.
A further complication is that lenders are still trying to get bad loans off the books rather than issue mortgages to anyone who has less than sterling credit, Tannenbaum said. Many also are holding back on loans out of uncertainty about financial regulations that could emanate from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency created by the Dodd-Frank reform of Wall Street.
The Federal Reserve has reported that while banks are loosening the standards for new credit cards, they are holding tight on mortgage requirements.
"The housing market is slowly turning a corner," Tannenbaum said. "It's no longer dragging the economy down and it's even starting to help it a little. But nobody should think that it's going to be a driver for growth."
It's a bracing outlook, but one to remember as you read commentary about housing, some of it from vested interests.
When the National Association of Realtors reported higher sales figures and median prices for existing homes in August, its chief economist, Lawrence Yun, allowed himself some optimism. He spoke of the "strengthening housing market" that is "testament to the sizable stored up housing demand that accumulated in the past five years."
In 2007, his predecessor in that job, David Lereah, was quoted as saying prices would rise despite "all the wild projections by academics, Wall Street analysts and others in the media."
He spoke in January in that year, about when the rest of the nation heard a bubble pop.


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Developing Marketing Plans
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Sean Paul - She Wanna Be Down
By Steve Kerry
Posted Dec 11, 2009 at 12:00 AM
She Wanna Be Down Sean Paul
Editor Rating: VERY HOTTTTT
User Rating:
Give She Wanna Be Down a spin - it's the latest offering from Sean Paul, having dropped on Friday, December 11th, 2009.
Bump She Wanna Be Down, the latest cut from Sean Paul. It dropped on Friday, December 11th, 2009. Sean Paul's horizons are broadening with each new release, and She Wanna Be Down is no exception. It's a worthy addition to a catalogue that has seen much growth since Sean Paul stepped foot in the rap game. We're looking forward to hearing more.
Hear more of Sean Paul on Porno Tape. If your interest is piqued, hit up Sean Paul's profile for more info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
How does this compare to Sean Paul's previous work?
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chi gung
This breathing exercise quiets your mind and improves your circulation. When school starts, use it before tests or whenever you need inner peace!
By Jennifer Goldstein
Spa Workout: Chi-Gung - Step 1
Step 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Breathe in through your nose (expand your belly, not your chest) as you raise your hands to chest height, palms hanging loose.
Spa Workout: Chi-Gung - Step 2
Step 2. Breathe out through your mouth (allowing your stomach to retract) as you lower your hands to hip level. Repeat 8 times, taking 4 to 8 second for each inhale and each exhale.


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Delfts Toernooi 2013
The Delfts Toernooi 2013, a class A tournament, played from 07-09-2013 to 08-09-2013 in Delft, Netherlands, was won by Filip Vanderstappen 5d (photo), second came Rene Aaij 5d and third was Gelmer Bouwman 3d.
Result table.
placed by Newsbot at 00:22 Tue 10 September 2013
Search for articles: Enter as many words as you like; separate them with a space.


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Sailing was a natural addition to Calema after many years of being a specialty windsurfing business. We now offer Sailing lessons, rentals and camps throughout the year. In our current fleet, we have monohulls – Sunfish and JY15 and multihulls – two Prindle 18 Catamarans and "Ataroa", our 27′ trimaran. "Ataroa" means "Big Smile" and we are sure that your sailing experience at Calema will bring a smile to your face.
Sailing Tours
If you just want to relax and let Calema do the sailing, we also offer sailing "tours" of the river on your choice of our JY15, a Prindle catamaran or for a larger group, our Trimaran. If you want to be hands on, we'll teach you the basics and then guide you through step by step.
Kid's Sailing Camps
Kids can learn to sail in our Summer Sailing Kid's Camps taught each week during school break. If they want to do more than just sailing, we also offer our Watersports Camps which include Sailing, Windsurfing, Kayaking and SUP.
Sailing Rentals
Already an experienced sailor, then it only takes a brief "checkout" with one of our Calema staff the first time you rent and then you are ready to go on any subsequent rental days throughout the year.
We even offer a "Frequent Flyer" card for Sailing, which can be combined with rentals of Windsurfing, Sailing, SUP and kayaking. You just show up (or call ahead) and we can have your gear waiting for you. We just mark off your card and you are off enjoying your day.
Calema occasionally has boats for sale, so just ask Tinho and he'll let you know what is available.
Beginning Instruction (Equipment included)
|Sailing Lessons – JY15
|Up to 2 people/2 hours
|Sailing Lessons – Prindle 18′ Catamaran
|Up to 2 people/2 hours
|Initial Sailing "Checkout"
|15-30 min. w/Calema Staff
3 hours
Full Day
|Sailboat – Sunfish
|Sailboat – JY15
|Sailboat – Catamaran – Prindle 18′
|Taste of Sailing
27ft. Trimaran- Cruise, Relax or learn hands on – you choose!
Up to 4 people included – additional $50/person up to 6 maximum.
|Rental Policies
Renter must be able to demonstrate basic skills prior to renting. Late returns will be charged a late fee. Renters will be charged for damage to equipment. Sales tax of 6% not included. All first time sailboat renters must have a "checkout" run with a Calema Instructor prior to rental.


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Volunteer With AWARE to Rescue Animals in Guatemala
- Country
- Guatemala
- Locations
- Sumpango
- Duration of Program
- 2 to 52 Weeks
- Dates of Program
- Flexible Dates
- Group/Independent
- Both (group and independent)
- Age Restrictions
- 18 Years+
- Project Review
AWARE could not continue without the vital help provided by volunteers. With over 200 dogs and nearly 100 cats we always need help with anything from building dog-runs or putting up fences to bathing, brushing, or walking dogs, providing some human company for both the dogs and the cats, or helping out with our educational programs. From time to time we need help with our spay/neuter and rabies vaccination clinics, garage sales, and other fund-raising events.
- Major Responsibilities
- Dogs: bathing, brushing, obedience training, medicating, cleaning cages, walking, and socialising
- Cats: brushing, medicating, cleaning the cages, and socialising
- Educational programs in local schools - must be fluent in Spanish
- Helping with spay/neuter and rabies vaccination clinics in local villages
- Thinking up and organising fund-raising events
- Photography
Job Responsibilities:
Major responsibilities of the volunteers:
- Cost/Program Fee
- USD 5 Per Day
- What program fee Includes
Program fee covers the costs of electricity, water, and gas. Food is not included in program fee. For detail information on program fee contact us at: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Skills/ Qualifications
No specific skills or qualifications are required. We expect our volunteers to be kind, flexible, friendly and having good communication skills. Spanish language is highly recommended. In addition to this volunteer need to be passionate towards animals.
- Arrangements for Room/Food
Arrangements for the room ans food fo rvolunteer is managed by host family. Volunteer will be staying in quarters provided by the host family. The quarters include shower, bed, drinking water, TV/VCR with a wide selection of movies, cooking facilities and refrigerator.
- Application Process
For detail information on application process contact us at: email@example.com
- Any Missing Important Information
Since you are about to volunteer in another country, we ask you to do necessary preparation before going there. We prefer volunteers to take some small gifts to local people. If you are interested in volunteering at the AWARE shelter, or for more information, please contact Xenii Nielsen at:
Tel: +502 7833-1639, Cell phone:+ 502 5401-3148
Email: email@example.com


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Win $10 in the Anime Wallpapers.Com August 2013 Wallpaper Contest or Origami Sticky Notes!
Songs submitted by Pepper Gem (1)
Songs translated by Pepper Gem (1)
Animelyrics.com now has an OpenSearch plugin that you can install into your browser (FireFox and IE 7 supported)
My Little Pony Ties
Lyrics copyright to their respective owners or translators. No copyright infringment is intended or implied.
Layout and other content copyright Anime Lyrics dot Com / Anime Globe Productions
This is some text here


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Good with...
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two Wii U
- Wii U Your selected format is Wii U
- Also available on …
- PlayStation 3
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- In "Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two," gamers will play as Mickey Mouse and for the first time ever, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney's first cartoon star, in an all-new adventure of creativity and discovery.
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GAME DiscCare will cover your games against future damage. Whether it's caused by an accident or overplay, we'll run it through one of our disc cleaning machines and try to repair your disc and get you back in the game. See below:
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- Suitable for people aged U and over.
Release Date30-Nov-2012
"Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two" returns Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to Wasteland, an alternate world filled with 80 years of forgotten Disney characters and theme park attractions. But for the first time, Mickey and Oswald will join forces as true partners - Mickey with his magical paint brush that wields paint and thinner, and Oswald with his powerful remote control that allows him to command electricity. This new co-op play combined with enhanced in-game physics will further enhance the idea that "PlayStyle Matters" - a unique approach to gameplay pioneered by Warren Spector where players dynamically tackle different challenges in order to explore all possibilities and storylines, but with consequences for their chosen actions.
- Wii U system players will utilize the Wii U GamePad to view a fully detailed, real-time map of Wasteland with waypoints and markers to help guide them through the game and complete the different quests and side-quests. Players will also be able to use the GamePad to access sketches and activate them to use in-game for a more immersive experience.
- Players can play as Oswald in drop-in, drop-out 2-player co-op mode with "The Power of Two" evident as Oswald participates in Mickey's adventure every step of the way.
- All in-game characters-most notably Oswald The Lucky Rabbit whose voice will be heard for the first time ever-are fully voiced by the official voice actors of those characters.
- Players will experience Disney's forgotten characters and attractions in all-new levels and further explore levels from the original "Disney Epic Mickey" game, but now changed, impacted by world-changing events that have shaken Wasteland apart. New 2D levels based on classic Disney animated films and shorts will offer compelling puzzle-based, platforming gameplay.
- Players will enjoy an original game story co-written by award-winning American comic book writer, Marv Wolfman, and Junction Point.
- The storyline will feature a variety of new and returning characters that will further immerse players in Disney's rich history while adversaries familiar and new will challenge players.
- "Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two" is the first video game that can be described as a "musical," where at various points during the adventure characters will express themselves and advance the plot by bursting into song. All songs feature original Disney-inspired music and lyrics. Players will also hear tunes and instrumentation that change based on their personal choices, which will ultimately allow each individual to "conduct" their own unique soundtrack.


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Roza Otunbayeva, a former foreign minister, is claiming to be Kyrgyzstan's interim leader after clashes between government troops and protesters left at least 75 people dead and forced Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the president, to flee the capital.
"The interim government will remain in place for half a year, during which we will draft the constitution and create conditions for free and fair elections," Otunbayeva said on Thursday.
Otunbayeva is widely viewed as having presidential ambitions.
She is an articulate politician who helped steer the ex-Soviet republic's 2005 Tulip Revolution which ousted Askar Akayev, the previous president, and brought Bakiyev to power.
The 59-year-old former career diplomat served as foreign minister in the 1990s under Akayev but broke with him in 2004 to join the opposition movement.
Her Ata-Jurt party was one of the main opposition groups behind the Tulip Revolution.
Otunbayeva briefly went on to serve as acting foreign minister under Bakiyev but failed to gain approval from parliament deputies for the post.
She later became highly critical of Bakiyev, saying that his government continued the corruption and nepotism of the previous president.
The Moscow-educated Otunbayeva is believed to have close ties to the Kremlin, which she thanked for its support in her first press conference as interim leader.
As a woman, Otunbayeva is an unusual figure in Central Asia, where there are few female politicians in senior posts.
In 2007, she became a deputy for the opposition Social Democratic party.
She is a former ambassador to both the United States and Britain.
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Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann, the son of a merchant, was born in Lubeck, Germany, on 6th June, 1875. At the age of 18 Mann moved to Munich where he worked in an insurance office while attending university lectures. He then moved to Italy where he wrote his first novel Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family (1901).
On his return to Germany Mann had several short-stories published in various literary magazines. This included the remarkable Death in Venice (1913). During the First World War he wrote the patriotic Reflections of a Non-Political Man (1918). Mann's international reputation was enhanced with the publication of The Magic Mountain (1927). This won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1929.
A strong opponent of Adolf Hitler he was forces to flee Nazi Germany in 1933. After living in Switzerland Mann emigrated to the United States in 1936. During the Second World War Mann made anti-Hitler broadcasts to Germany. The scripts were published in the book Twenty-Five Messages to the German People (1945).
Mann returned to Germany after the war and had further success with the publication of Doctor Faustus (1947). His unfinished novel, Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man, was published after his death on 12th August, 1955.


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A shattering experience
current projects
The New World Order
The Consultant
Shakespeare à la Carte
How Are You Feeling
The Consultant
So what are management consultants really for?
A timely new comedy about power, business, and the Devil. Written by
Neil Fleming
, directed by
Geoff Church
, produced by Theatre503 and Hydrocracker.
Theatre503 from March 23 to April 16, 2011. Further productions are planned .
"The New World Order" returns
Barbican autumn season
, November 16th to December 11th
Five short plays by Harold Pinter.
Chosen for The Guardian's 'Pick of the Year' in 2007, this site-specific show is being revived by Hydrocracker in 2011 in a new production supported by The Barbican, Brighton Festival and Amnesty International. It will run next from 16 Nov to 11 Dec at Shoreditch Town Hall as part of The Barbican's autumn season.
First produced to great critical acclaim at Brighton Festival,
The New World Order
is an examination of political oppression, torture, and the mechanics of what is done 'in our name.'
Shakespeare à la Carte
Devised by Jonathan Cullen &
Richard Hahlo
Appearing next at the
Canterbury Festival
, October 24-26
Following its award-winning debut at the Brighton Festival 2008, this restaurant-based show has become a regular favourite on the international festival circuit. It has been broadcast twice on BBC Radio Four, on
Easter Monday 2009
, and again in December 2010.
Most recently, in August 2011, it was directed at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival by
Richard Hahlo
Read more, and watch extracts from the show
, and the BBC TV News clip on the show
How Are You Feeling?
A devastating new promenade play
about life, death and the ultimate choice...
Written by Fin Kennedy, produced by Hydrocracker.
This dystopian comedy about Britain's National Health Service is under development for production in 2012/2013. For more information on timescales, costings and production information, please contact ArtsAgenda by email
or by phone on +44(0)1273 626519


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Lost/Found Pets
Tenther Lost in Brooklyn - 10 Sep 2011
Animalkind, Inc
Lost in Brooklyn - 10 Sep 2011
My cat is missing, Thenther, is missing. She was last seen on Sept 10, 2011, near Valentino Pier in Red Hook, Brooklyn. She is a 3 year-old small grey and tan female with green eyes. She's very talkative. If you have any info on her, please help. Her sister Esther misses her.
Please contact Elizabeth at (646) 415-1363
Thank you.


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Friday, February 5, 2010
Are you calling me a liar?
1.Thank the person who gave this to you.
2.Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3.Link to the person who nominated you.
4.Tell us up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5.Allow your readers to guess which one or more are true.
5.Nominate seven "Creative Writers" who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6.Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7.Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them
Here are my six outrageous lies and one outrageous truth. See if you can guess which one is true.
1. After college, I went to Europe with my roommate's brother. He was 39 and worked on an oil rig. I was 22 and jobless. Backpacked the entire continent. Best. Trip. Ever.
2. On our first trip to London, my husband and I were detained for 7 hours at Heathrow. Convinced it was because our last name is Irish, but the agents wouldn't confirm it.
3. I have itchy feet and have visited 22 different countries. Actual visits; airport layovers don't count.
4. I'm a linguistic geek and fluent in English, Italian, French, and Spanish. Speak passable Portuguese and German, can read Latin, and struggling to learn Hindi.
5. I was 1st runner up in the Miss Ohio pageant. My talent was tap.
6. As an intern for Nick Clooney, I briefly dated his son. Who knew the little jerk would grow up to be George Clooney?
7. Was invited to Woodstock, but didn't go because it was supposed to rain.
Can you guess which one is true? I'll come back after the weekend to confirm the one truth. Or is that a lie as well...and they're all true? *evil grin* Please leave your link if you decide to play, as I'd love to see your creativity run amuck!
12 comments:
I think your expertise at Balderdash gives you an unfair advantage. These are hard, Alexia!ReplyDelete
Hmmmm....um...hmm...I choose #2.
Wow, your a really good liar..I mean creative writer...LOLReplyDelete
Haven't a clue but I would guess maybe #2
Sorry ladies, didn't mean for it to be so hard...I even left out that I was once married to Neil Gaiman, my nephew is a rock star, the time I met Sting and Paul McCartney at a Christmas party, my 14 tattoos, my nose ring, and the fact that I was a backup dancer for Tina Turner! *L*ReplyDelete
Should I give you some hints, or would that be cheating?
I think number two is the true one. Although if number one is true, it sounds like it probably was the best trip ever. : )ReplyDelete
I'm going to go all out and say they're all true! (Not the ones in your comment. A backup dancer for Tina Turner...ha!)ReplyDelete
Thanks for checking out my lies, I mean truths.
By the way, Sheryl Crowe thought we were wild (we were). She had just moved to L.A. from Missouri, so you can imagine what an experience that must have been.
And I was on EXTRA! when they did a whole segment on Red Bull martinis. My sister and I were drinking them in a bar when the production crew came in with their cameras and interviewed us.
I plan to walk on my hands across Letterman's stage when I'm 85. lol
Ha ha ha ha ha! Now you really ARE trying to make it hard. I call Balderdash! :-)ReplyDelete
I'm going with #7 as the true one. But I really have no idea, so I'm very much looking forward to the big reveal!ReplyDelete
they're all pretty good, so i'm impressed no matter what!ReplyDelete
Hi Alexia, I've given you an award!ReplyDelete
Lynne's Book Reviews
I'm going toguess number 2!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 6, 2010 at 9:41 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 15, 2010 at 7:29 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.ReplyDelete
Thank you for commenting, as I really appreciated it! Leave me a link and I'll swing by to say hello!


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Van Dantzig 2015: Call for Nominations
24th of November 2014Sent a nomination for the Van Dantzig Award 2015 to Prof. dr. Jan Karel Lenstra (jkl[at]cwi[dot]nl) before January 1, 2015. Read more...
You are on the homepage of the Netherlands Society of Statistics and Operations Research (VvS+OR). A learned society and a professional organization of approximately 800 members that unites those engaged in the fields of Statistics and Operations Research, from areas of application to fundamental research. Please take a look around on the website and become a member if you are interested!
A word from the president
More and more people are involved in the every day use of analyses in statistics and operations research has due to the growth of quantification of strategy and results, the tremendous growth in data collection, and the gain in computational power by computers. These developments increase the importance of the Netherlands Society for Statistics and Operations Research (VvS+OR) since we "pursue to improve the sound application and study of statistics, operations research, and complementary developments in mathematics in service of science and society."


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Ducks winger Teemu Selanne has had a somewhat forgettable NHL season thanks to broken jaw and broken hand injuries, but he is trying to make his fifth and final Olympics memorable.
Selanne became the Olympic career scoring champion earlier in the tournament, he's looking to lead Finland to an upset or two in this report by Tanya Lyon of ocregister.com.
Finland plays the winner of the Czech Republic-Latvia game in Wednesday's quarterfinals.
Related videos:
More Olympics news: Blog | Photo galleries | TV schedule | All coverage
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Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to republish your name and comment in additional Register publications without any notification or payment.


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The outlook for container carriers as described by Alphaliner's Hua Joo Tan at this month's Journal of Commerce TPM Asia conference in Shenzhen was nothing if not cheerless. His message boiled down to this: Carriers' recent decisions to favor the largest ships when placing orders will likely result in vessel supply outstripping demand through 2013.
Although the current order book represents roughly 30 percent of the existing fleet — half of what it was in late 2007 — half of the tonnage on order is for ships capable of carrying more than 10,000 20-foot equivalent container units and 70 percent is for ships greater than 7,500 TEUs. That will likely mean global capacity expansion will amount to approximately 9 percent annually through 2013, a figure that will be difficult to match on the demand side given stumbling Western economies and the unlikely prospects for developing nations making up that slack.
The predictable result? Weak and volatile rates will keep the market on edge for the foreseeable future. "There is still too much capacity that has been ordered. Capacity growth is going to exceed demand growth over the next three years, according to our estimates," Tan told the conference. "If demand does not grow as much as supply, we will continue to face the same kind of downward rate spiral and rate pressure that we saw this year."
He attributes the dire scenario to an irrational rush by the largest lines to order ever-larger ships with no guarantees that the resulting glut in capacity will drive competition out of the market and thus set the stage for stable or growing rates. His premise is that despite the worst recession in its history culminating in 2009, the industry saw no major bankruptcies and that even that wouldn't prevent ships from finding their way back into the open market.
"I don't think in the end it will pan out the way some carriers are hoping," Tan said. "Fact is, we have seen major retailers go bankrupt, but we have not seen a major shipping line go bankrupt, and I don't expect that to happen."
The sobering experience of 2011 should serve as guidance for where the industry is likely headed without remedial actions, such as another massive program to lay up ships. "When we started this year, there was still a lot of cautious optimism as to where this year is headed," Tan said. "But it's clear to most of us by now that 2011 is turning out to be a disaster as far as the carriers are concerned," with the gains from 2010 all but wiped out.
Carriers are beginning to respond, albeit slowly, by removing some tonnage from the market; the idle fleet was 2.5 percent of the total fleet as of Oct. 10, up from 1 percent three months ago and a figure Tan said is likely to climb to 5 percent by the end of the year as the slack season begins. But he noted, "There is not sufficient capacity being withdrawn to push the rates back up again."
That would require taking idle capacity well north of the 5 percent range, something carriers did once in 2009 when they started losing money on every box they carried. Although rates have plummeted to approximately $1,500 per 40-foot-equivalent unit on the trans-Pacific eastbound and $734 on Asia-Europe lanes, according to the Shanghai Container Freight Index, even those low rates can generate positive contribution for carriers, so the situation still isn't as desperate as it was in 2009, Tan said.
Thus, he said, carriers need to realize that limited capacity withdrawals and even slow-steaming, which itself has removed 5 to 7 percent of capacity, still won't be enough to balance supply and demand, so carriers need to take additional action.
"Even with idling and slow-steaming, it is not enough to narrow the gap with demand," Tan said. "More needs to be done in terms of capacity management by the carriers," which he said are "more concerned about market share; capacity management has been put on the back burner, and this is a dangerous situation that the lines have put themselves in."
The signs of a weakening market headed into the final quarter are there for all to see: Transpacific Stabilization Agreement carriers postponing their annual rate increase plans for the following year, Hapag-Lloyd postponing its initial public offering, possibly by more than a year; shipping line stock prices down 55 percent for the year; and Alphaliner estimates 2011 losses in the trans-Pacific alone will exceed $300 million. Some operators at the Shenzhen meeting suggested privately the $300 million figure was beginning to look conservative.
"This is a group of carriers that is not very healthy right now," TSA Administrator Brian Conrad said in his TPM Asia presentation.
Something needs to change. The question is, will carriers wait for change on the demand side, or act on the supply side?
Peter Tirschwell is senior vice president at UBM Global Trade. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com, and follow him at twitter.com/PeterTirschwell.


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Comments about Da Bone Glove Black:
We have used the Seirus gloves with built in wrist protection for ten years now and would NOT be on the slopes without them! These gloves are Warm - and extremely comfortable! You forget that you are wearing a protective glove. Every skier and boarder should try these gloves. They have saved us from wrist injuries numerous times.


text: 4 You gotta get this!cheekychihuahua | 03/05/2007 | See all cheekychihuahua's reviews (21)Top 100 Books Reviewer Wow! A driving game i can actually control without smashing into the sidelines, so if your not that great at driving, well now this gotta be worth getting. Gorgeous graphics, just like in the film with all the great cars to choose from too, this will be a real hit. Well thought out tracks add to the game play, great for boys or girls.


text: The GOP, fresh from stomping on Ron and the Paulians, is upset they're not shining Mitt's handmade shoes. That is, Paulians are not planning to vote for fascist-warmonger B as versus fascist-warmonger A. Instead, they are either not voting (good for them!) or voting for a 3rd-party candidate. No question, absent Ron, if you must vote, choose someone who cannot win and therefore exercise power over others, to escape the moral taint of politics. (Thanks to Travis Holte)8:29 am on October 1, 2012 Email Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.


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Automotive Lawyers and Law Firms in Laurel Hollow, NY
Automotive Lawyers
Pearlman, Apat, Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP
Queens Medical Malpractice Attorneys(516) 681-0250
Pearlman, Apat, Futterman, Sirotkin & Seinfeld, LLP is a medical malpractice firm based in Kew Gardens, New York that has served the surrounding areas for more than sixty years. Dealing with the aftermath of a botched medical procedure or medical decision can be frightening,...
Law Firm's Overview Free Consultation
The Law Offices of Michael W. Alpert
Estate Planning, Traffic, DWI and Real Estate Lawyer in Long Island, New York(631) 225-4603
The Law Offices of Michael W. Alpert is a multifaceted Long Island law practice with attorneys focusing on all aspects of estate administration, estate planning, and drafting of wills and trusts. Practice also focuses on DWI/DUI cases and all traffic misdemeanors/infractions i.e....
Law Firm's Overview Free Consultation
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
Law Firm Offering Full Range of Legal Services(516) 228-8900
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP is a full-service firm with clients in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia. Domestically, we are ranked among the top law firms identified by The American Lawyer and listed in the "Top 50" by The National Law Journal.
Law Firm's Overview
Attorney David A BythewoodMineola, NY - Law Firm near Laurel Hollow
Attorney in New York - Call for a Free Consultation(516) 741-0066
David A. Bythewood holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Hofstra University School of Law and is a trial and transactional lawyer with more than twenty-five (25) years of experience. That experience is in criminal defense, civil litigation and trials, and negotiating all forms of transactions in...
Law Office of Kevin P. SheerinMineola, NY - Law Firm near Laurel Hollow
Mineola New York Criminal Law and Personal Injury Lawyer(516) 248-3494
Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin, P.C.Hauppauge, NY - Law Firm near Laurel Hollow
Philadelphia Defense Litigation Law Firm(631) 232-6130
Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, founded in 1962, is a professional corporation. We are very gratified that our growth, much of which has been client-driven, enables us to make available to our clients 450 lawyers working out of 18 offices throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey,...
Schwartzapfel PartnersGarden City, NY - Law Firm near Laurel Hollow
New York Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice & Auto Accident Lawyers(516) 222-8877
At Schwartzapfel Partners, our team of highly dedicated and committed professionals are here to provide you with the attention and assistance you need when you need it most. Through our unconditional support we strive to make a difficult situation easier while building long and lasting...
Other Offices: Jericho
The Sanders FirmMineola, NY - Law Firm near Laurel Hollow
Auto Accident Law fFirm516-360-2936
The Sanders Firm is one of New York's leading auto accident law firms. Our experienced trial lawyers have successfully won millions in verdicts for clients who were injured in auto accidents, or who had loved ones involved in fatalities and catastrophic injuries resulting from negligent driving. ;...


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Archives for: April 2009, 27
Corruption on a larger scale
Apr 27th
And while the prior article shows how corruption can find its way into even a modestly sized government project, this Washington Examiner article shows the type of corruption (yes, that's what I believe it is) which will plague our government for generat… more »
A local example of failed Keynsian "stimulus"
Apr 27th
Thanks to Ike for this link to a story from his neck of the woods. It shows the economic point that Keynesian government stimulus doesn't work (or at least it's an example of it not working). But there are many such examples...so what I like particul… more »


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GE Aviation will benefit from an order by Delta Air Lines for 40 Bombardier Aerospace CRJ900 aircraft and the option for 30 more.
The CRJ900 aircraft will be powered by the GE-manufactured CF34-8C5 engine. Rotating parts for the engine are manufactured at GE Aviation's facility at Castle Hayne. Final assembly is in Durham.
The engine powers nearly every aircraft with 50 to 90 seats in the world, said GE Aviation spokesman Rick Kennedy.
The firm engine order – that is, not counting the 30-plane option – is valued at a list price of nearly $320 million, GE said Thursday.
More than 2,100 CF34-8 engines power Montreal-based Bombardier's CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft and also the Brazilian Embraer 170/175 aircraft, GE said.
Delta's agreement with Bombardier will allow the airline to replace less efficient, single-class, 50-seat aircraft with new two-class, 76-seat aircraft, Bombardier said Thursday.
The planes will be operated by Delta Connection, Bombardier said.
Delta Connection operates regional jets on most of its flight between Wilmington and Atlanta.


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Rafidha and Salaatul Eid
This is a discussion on Rafidha and Salaatul Eid within the Islam in General forums, part of the Main Topics category; How come the Rafidha come to the eid prayers?? They believe we are kuffar, so why do they come? Maybe ...
- 30th September 2008 #1
Rafidha and Salaatul Eid
How come the Rafidha come to the eid prayers?? They believe we are kuffar, so why do they come? Maybe the rafidhi ahmedjbh can answer.
I am thinking maybe they think they will get double the reward if they do taqiyya on Salaatul Eid.أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
{"And is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom? Thus it has been made pleasing to the disbelievers that which they were doing.'"}
Al-An'aam 122
- 30th September 2008 #2
where i live, they usually look at sunnis eid date and do it the day after. they dont pray with us. we hate each other. im disgusted by their dark looks, especially the iraqi/lebanon ones, dark under the eyes, with that cursed looks. i guess many of you know what im talking about.
- 30th September 2008 #3im disgusted by their dark looks, especially the iraqi/lebanon ones, dark under the eyes, with that cursed looks. i guess many of you know what im talking about.
May Allah keep us firm upon the haqq...
لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول اللهعليها نحيا وعليها نموت وفي سبيلها نجاهد وعليها نلقى الله
- 30th September 2008 #4
LOL me and another brother used to play 'pick out the shiite game' in a shiia populated areaThe Mujahideen do not need you half men, with no resolve. They do not need any advice on Jihad from scholars who are paid for and defeated. They do not need to ask if it is okay with you or if their Jihad is compatible with your thinking. No, they do not need that. They have all the wisdom and the vision that they need. Die in your rage and continue your criticism of the Mujahideen. You cannot destroy their resolve; your poisoned pins will not affect their Jihad. Nothing will affect them. -Sheikh Al Maqdisi
The Sahaba asked Rasulullah (saw) "How come the Shaheed will not suffer the pain of death or have to go through the horror and the terror of the day of judgement." Rasulullah (saw) said "It is enough that he had to go through seeing the glittering of swords in front of his eyes."
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She had time to check that during the evening and make sure the item had some merit to it, but apparently didn't. Whatever.
Latest news, analysis and links on UW football, basketball and other sports
Abbrederis excited to return to UW for senior year
Lincoln, Neb. – So earlier Saturday a report surfaced on Twitter that Wisconsin wide receiver Jared Abbrederis was likely headed to the National Football League.
That was news to me because I had been told by multiple sources Abbrederis was returning to UW for his senior season. (I know it was news to Abbrederis, who was enjoying a leisurely day away from football.)
I chose to ignore the report because I knew it was not accurate.
But in the age of Twitter, which gives anyone with a computer the ability to start an Internet wildfire before anything has been confirmed, that's probably not a wise move.
I probably should have squashed the rumor before it blew up on the web.
Abbrederis late Saturday released a simple statement, through UW officials:
"I'm coming back for my senior year and am excited for it."
I hope Abbrederis' statement ends the rumors, at least for tonight.
And in case UW fans out there are wondering about linebacker Chris Borland and offensive lineman Ryan
Groy, they're set to return to UW for their senior seasons, too.
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Not that Stephanie Sutton has any great credibility or credentials when it comes to "newsy" sports items, but she had a quick reader at ten talking about Abbrederis' inclination to make himself available for the draft.
She had time to check that during the evening and make sure the item had some merit to it, but apparently didn't. Whatever.Hide replies
I called home earlier tonight and was told one of the Madison TV stations reported he was gone.
Funny. Thanks for your diligence.
Here is what I've been able to piece together. Rumor of Abbrederis' departure started by fan on a fan site. Discussion spreads on web. Blogger sees this and reports that "word out of Madison" is that Abby likely gone to NFL. Another reporter sees tweet, doesn't bother to verify, and starts talking about it. As I noted previously, I knew Abby wasn't leaving. UW eventually feels compelled to send out a quote from Abby.
Sad thing is, as a reporter in this day and age, you have to spend a lot of valuable time chasing down things like this to discover the truth, cover your backside and put your mind at ease. Rumors can blow up so much faster than they did, say, 10 years ago. All of that makes reliable contacts -- certainly to a beat writer like yourself -- incredibly valuable.
They ought to refund him the two years he had to pay tuition, food, ect.
Hope he has someone to throw it to him for a big year, would love to see him drafted.
Doesn't your contract as Bart Miller's agent require you to mention him in all football related posts?Hide replies
Last mention was the other day when we reported he would not be on the UW staff in 2013. That mention allowed me to quality for the bonus specified in my contract. More tacos for me! But because I know you're curious, I get double-bonus points when I report where he is hired next. I'll keep you posted.
Jeff, how come there are no articles on why Stave didn't play? There had to be a good reason because it was quite "obvious" that the wrong QB played in the Rose Bowl.
Did a separate blog item four days ago explaining several things about that topic.
OT but since few post on old blog items....interesting nugget. Anyone recall Jacoby Brisset, former player UW recruited who eventually spurned us for Florida? With no PT in sight...he is now transferring. No word on which FL directional school he'll likely land at now. Just goes to show joining a so called elite program isn't all it's cracked up to be.Hide replies
His original decision was strange since Florida had already gotten a commit from the top QB prospect in the state and he enrolled early so Brisset started way behind. Pittsburgh or Arkansas maybe.
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Gender Stereotypes Still Affect Female Scientists
A recent study from the University of Maryland (UMD) has shown that women academics are less likely than their male counterparts to be invited to join corporate scientific advisory boards (SABs), but these same women are also less likely to start new companies. Why is that you ask? Well, according to the study, ŌĆ£From Bench to Board: Gender Differences in University ScientistsŌĆÖ Participation in Corporate Scientific Advisory Boards,ŌĆØ the reason is simply gender stereotyping.
Yep. Still in 2013 gender stereotyping keeps women from corporate involvement. The co-authors of the study, Waverly Ding from UMD, Fiona Murray of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Toby E. Stuart of the University of California Berkley (UC Berkley), explain that ŌĆ£beliefs that women lack leadership and business savvy, and are not capable of helping new ventures attract investment, block their advancement in these areasŌĆØ according to a UMD press release. The UMD study was recently published in the Academy of Management Journal.
The researchers further show that women are available to join SABs since almost 30 percent of about 6,000 PhDs from U.S. universities or research institutes are women; however, only 7 percent of those served on SABs. What do women have to do to get their feet in the corporate doors? With women like Oprah Winfrey and Marissa Mayer, not to mention the umpteen other female CEOs (not to mention college and university presidents), how is it possible that the stereotype that they lack leadership and business savvy still exists?
I understand that cultural ideas and history impact the present, but at some point the gender inequality must be overcome. Stereotypes are dangerous in all cases. Here, we see that stereotypes of women have prevented their ability to step into the SAB arena. They have hardly been given a chance to disprove the gender stereotypes.
According to Ding, ŌĆ£academia can effectively counteract the inequityŌĆ"ŌĆśUniversity scientists have helped create at least half of the publicly traded biotech firms operating today, and our data shows a female professor is most likely to draw a science advisory board invitation by tapping into her school's technology transfer office,ŌĆÖ says Ding. ŌĆśBiotechnology founders strongly gauge an SAB candidate's reputation and quality of his or her network in determining that individual's business savvy.ŌĆÖŌĆØ
The problem, though, is that many institutions do not formally support technology transfer offices. These offices provide a way for administrators to raise the profile of their high-performing female (and male for that fact) scientists, which would then raise networking and exposure of the institutions, yet some still do not have such offices. Why is that?
I know that I am a woman, thus it might seem like I am getting on a high horse out of personal effrontery to this issue, but the gender stereotypes move beyond just me. Here we have an example of women who have not had the same possibilities as their male peers simply because of stereotypes.
Stereotypes of all manners inhibit those they are applied to. If one sees a female scientist who has been successful, worked hard, and received different accomplishments, she should not be discounted simply because the stereotype that women ŌĆ£lack leadershipŌĆØ exists out there. That kind of misogyny is both dangerous and unfair. Frankly, all stereotypes are dangerous and unfair. Now that this study shows the inequity, we all have an opportunity to work to fix it. Gender should not influence this. As Ding said, ŌĆ£Our nation's continued preeminence in science and technology will depend on engaging the best and the brightest, regardless of gender."
Image Credit: Photos.com


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You will Watch CatDog Episode 17 online for free episodes with HQ / high quality. Stream cartoons CatDog Episode 17 Just Say CatDog Sent Ya / Dog's Strange Condition
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In Dress To Play: Cute Witches! Dress to play and play to dress!
Make a little witch and design her outfit in the dressing room. When you finish, get ready to set off on an adventure as your character flies away on her broomstick to a peaceful world inhabited by fantasy characters.
The more you play, the more rewards and gifts you'll receive. You'll also earn more items of clothing to dress your little witches in!
- Features
- 2 games in one: Create and dress up a little witch at your taste. Enjoy playing the adventure with your character.
- 50 challenges which will provide more than 50 new pieces to dress your characters.
- Thousands of combinations to create thousands of different little witches.
- An adventure full of cute creatures.
- A colorful and beautiful universe to enjoy with the 3D effect.
- No. of Players: 1 player
- Category: Dress Up, Action, Adventure
- Publisher: EnjoyUp Games
- Developer: CoderChild
- Nintendo of America
- Nintendo of Europe
- Characteristics
Available on
Release Date: Nov 8, 2012
Language: English, French, Spanish
Nintendo 3DS: Nintendo eShop ($3.99)
Release Date: To Be Announced
Language: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
Nintendo 3DS: Nintendo eShop (€3.99)
In game screenshots
Wallpapers & Artwork ^3^
(right click and select "Save link as…")
© 2011 Nintendo.
To access the Nintendo eShop, you will need a wireless broadband
Internet connection. If you do not have the Nintendo eShop icon on the
Nintendo 3DS main menu, you will need to perform a system update.
See support.nintendo.com for more information.


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A Natural Attraction
The City of Quinte West is situated on the shores of the scenic Bay of Quinte - the gateway to the world famous Trent-Severn Waterway. This beautiful natural setting, combined with a progressive and vibrant community and direct location along the Highway 401 corridor, makes Quinte West a great place to live and the right place to do business.
Trent Port Marina
Scheduled to open Spring 2015. Click here for details....
Featured Property
Commercial Building Available 30 King Street, Quinte West. Read more...
Photo Contest
Enter the 7th Annual Photo Contest. Read more...
Quinte West City Hall / Quinte West Tourism
7 Creswell Drive, PO Box 490, Trenton, Ontario K8V 5R6
Phone: 613-392-2841 Toll-Free: 1-866-485-2841 (Canada Only)
All City documents available in accessible format upon request.


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Reuse Good Olive Oilby Food Network Magazine in Food Network Magazine, July 4th, 2012
Hot tips from Food Network Kitchens' Katherine Alford:
After pan-frying something in extra-virgin olive oil, drizzle the leftover oil from the skillet on salads or bread. The oil is especially tasty after you've fried peppers, onions or other flavorful vegetables, like the artichokes in Food Network Magazine's Caprese Salad With Prosciutto and Fried Artichokes (pictured above). Don't use this trick with vegetable oil, though: It's too bland for drizzling.
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Hash Browns vs. Home Fries: Which Is Better?Which is better: hash browns or home fries? Vote now. ...
Comments (2 )
I've never thought of doing that. I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time. Thanks Katherine for this tip.
I couldn't find a spot to place a comment about restaurant staff. Someone gave me a book called "Tips on Tips." I don't remember the author's name, but it was the very best book I have ever read on how to train wait staff. It dealt with every senerio that I find frustrating when I go out to eat. I wish every restaurant would make this book mandantory reading.
I would love to go to a restaurant that served the customers this well. It also had ways for the waiter to help the customers buy more product. I laughed because I saw how this has happened to me a couple of times.


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Large scale WIFI connectivity and internet access for festivals, sports and meetings
Live video and real time social streaming at event crowd and to the internet.
Immerse your brand in the event and market to the world.
- "Our strategic alliance with ChirpVision has created synergies which combined to deliver our client GE an experiential marketing program with mobile, social, and offline components that entertained and inspired New York City. The social activation tactics allowed the online world to engage with the event in real-time. Chirp is the ideal team to work with and always exceeds expectations!"Zevi Tilles - ATM Media Network
Download the GE Case Study
- "ChirpVision is amazing! I can be in the back of the crowd, charge my phone and not miss the show!"Bonnaroo Attendee
- "Please Bring ChirpVision to more events!!!!!! :)"Bonnaroo Attendee
- "Just a note on how wonderful ChirpVision was at Bonnaroo!"Audience Member
- "Please bring WiFi thru the ENTIRE campgrounds and EVERY stage/tent at future Bonnaroo's It was great!"Bonnaroo Attendee
- "Really tested it out all over! I loved using the app while at that tent and checking out what's happening at the other stages."Bonnaroo Attendee


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Joint Commission 'Top Performers' List Adds 200 Hospitals
Many of the hospitals on the list were recognized for achieving top scores in four categories and one, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Bedford, made the cut in six. Sentara CaraPlex Hospital in Hampton, VA; SSM Health Care - St. Louis, in Richmond Heights, MO; and Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital in Tucson, AZ, achieved recognition in five categories.
Of the top performers, 43 hospitals received recognition on only one measure set for performance of their freestanding psychiatric or hospitals with inpatient psychiatric units.
In a separate fact sheet, the Joint Commission emphasized that "most hospitals not recognized as Top Performers are performing well on accountability measures, but there is still room for improvement."
The Joint Commission is the primary accreditation organization for the nation's hospitals, and its blessing is the main way hospitals are approved to receive federal reimbursement for care provided to Medicare or Medicaid patients.
Its accreditation survey results and complaint investigations, however, have been a subject of controversy. Last year, for example, 60 consumer health advocacy organizations called for the commission to be more transparent about the information it gathers about hospital quality.
See Also:
Slideshow: 3 Hospital Rating Tools Compared
Cheryl Clark is senior quality editor and California correspondent for HealthLeaders Media. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists.
Comments are moderated. Please be patient.
Todd (9/19/2012 at 4:57 PM)
Too bad they only list US hospitals. Several top notch facilities that are JCI accredited would have made the list and been near the top.
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- HL20: Lee Aase—Who's Behind @MayoClinic


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Art & Soul
Art & Soul: Manitoba Overboard!
Saturday March 20, 2010 at 8pm
Ahoy mateys! Set your anchor and come aboard! The S.S. WAG is trimmed and ready to take on passengers.
The WAG is overboard for Manitoba's Homecoming with costumes, live music, DJ's, dancing, art viewing, art creating, and so much more! Invite your mateys from abroad to join us for Manitoba's most creative Homecoming event.
Captain's Prizes for Best-Dressed Swabbie
Come in costume! From the Golden Boy to Burton Cummings, Jeanne's cakes to Old Dutch potato chips, be inspired by Manitoba icons and symbols, including its nautical history. Or just come as yourself--a great Manitoban!
• Prehistoric Lake Agassiz left behind more than 100,000 lakes for the enjoyment of hikers, canoeists, campers, and cottagers
• The West was opened by voyageurs and fur traders coming down our great rivers
• For thousands of years, the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers has been a natural meeting place for trading and settlement
• Southern Manitoba is defined by the mighty Red River and its spring floods
• The port of Churchill is home to polar bears and beluga whales.
Port & Starboard
There's something for everyone below decks and above:
• Exhibition tours 8 to 11pm
• Get reved up by DJs Co-op, Dio, and Grant Paley
• Dance the night away with The Steamers and Almost Famous
• Pirate Radio live broadcast by Curve's own Andrew "Science" Long
• Hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, and prizes
Tickets $70 (portion tax receipt) • Available in advance at the WAG information desk and Ticketmaster (fees apply).
For more information, contact 786.6641 ext 216 or email@example.com
Available at the WAG or through all Ticketmaster outlets. Extra fees apply to Ticketmaster phone and on-line orders.
Previous Events
- Art & Soul 2014
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Gallery Hours
- Tuesday 11am-5pm
- Wednesday 11am-5pm
- Thursday 11am-5pm
- Friday 11am-9pm
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- Sunday 11am-5pm
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Open on the following days:
- Victoria Day
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- Easter
Closed on the following holidays:
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Thanksgiving
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|Does anyone think I can negotiate these prices lower? We're already decided on these specific appliances. However, I want to be sure the prices are on par with what is normally paid. Thanks!
Follow-Up Postings:
|BTW, I had posted a similar thread in the past but I would specifically like thoughts on the individual prices if anyone has first hand experience. Thanks.
- Posted by QuitePossibly (My Page) on Fri, Aug 24, 12 at 13:02
|Sub-Zero/Wolf are subject to UMRP. The pricing should be the same across all the retailers in your region.
If a retailer sells something below UMRP, they can dropped by Sub-Zero/Wolf.
Besides the instant rebate the Sub-Zero is offering right now, there aren't any discounts.
However, sometimes, your appliance dealer will be willing to cut you a break on other non-UMRP appliances when you buy them with UMRP appliances.
|Were you able to negotiate a lower price for any of the Sub-Zero/Wolf appliances? I need to make a final decision next week for the exact same range and refrigerator as yours. Yikes! Do your prices include installation?
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Privilege Card
Welcome to the Classic Lodges Privilege Card – it's free and, unlike rewards and points cards, you don't have to wait to start being eligible for Classic Privileges including:
- priority notification of offers
- in-room privilege pack
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Simply order a card online, join up by calling 08448 003686 or pick up details from any of our receptions. Your Privilege Card will be sent to you in the post and is valid immediately.
Terms & Conditions of Use: The Classic Lodges Privilege Card entitles the holder(s) to the current Privilege Card offer. Offers will change regularly and may include discounts on meals and drinks, complimentary drinks, discounts for early booking, accommodation offers or other incentives. Offers will be on display in the Hotels or on our website. Offers apply to the cardholder(s) only and the Privilege Card must be presented at time of purchase or redemption of the offer. Classic Lodges Hotels reserve the right to withdraw or change offers without notice. The Privilege Card is the property of Classic Lodges Hotels, and we reserve the right to cancel your membership at any time. This Card has no monetary value and cannot be used as a guarantee card. One privilege pack is valid per stay. Offers only available to verified card holders. The Card cannot be used by with third party bookings i.e. via online booking sites. By applying for a Privilege Card you are agreeing that we can contact you from time to time by post or email with information about news and offers within the Classic Lodges Group. We do not however share your information with third parties.
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Melissa is an English teacher in Maryland. She writes that she visited Mexico for a wedding. I don't think it was her wedding, but I bet it was fun all the same. She remembers drinking way too much tequila, which is probably very easy to do in Mexico.
|MailArt365 104/365
I decided to send Melissa one of my MailArt365 postcards to thank her for this return. All my MailArt365 cards are related to food and/or beverage, and I couldn't resist having a little fun with Melissa's memory of drinking too much.


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Find the best Thai Restaurants in Telford and Wrekin as recommended by local Telford and Wrekin people in thebestof Telford and Wrekin's Thai Restaurants directory.
Thai Restaurants Telford. Consistently acclaimed as one of the best Thai Restaurants in Shropshire, Thai Fusion in Ironbridge Gorge offers authentic Thai food using traditional recipes in a relaxed, informal setting. The restaurant menu features a wide selection of freshly prepared, traditional ingredients making this Thai Restaurant a unique dining experience.
Kerry M said
Super authentic tasting food. Great service. Can definitely recommend Thai Fusion


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And Exactly What Is the Scent of Low Ambition?
Downtown Crossing could've gotten a gourmet food hall or a roller rink, but it wasn't to be.
Downtown Crossing could've gotten a gourmet food hall or a roller rink, but it wasn't to be.
It is metallic, gummy, eerie, and sometimes spicy.
Walgreens wants to serve sushi all night long.
A rare pairing indeed.
Let the fight against pricy coffee commence.
If only the beverage wizard could also advise on contraceptive choices.
Larry David and Jon Hamm discuss Japanese food on-set.
Two stories, sushi, groceries, nails.
Downtown Crossing's trail-blazin' Walgreens sells sushi and sake!
It's about time.
The new Downtown Crossing Walgreens isn't the neighborhood's magic bullet, sushi be damned.
Chris Gould denounces the evils of conveyor belt sushi.
Plus the Girl Scouts might collaborate with Nestle on a cookie candy bar and more, all in our morning news round-up.
Sushi comes to Walgreens.
Plus, the Bush administration lobbied European officials to loosen restrictions on genetically modified foods and much more, all in our morning news round-up.
So, this happened.
Plus: McDonald's goes for smoothies, and sushi might have a longer shelf life, all in our morning news roundup.
Todd English does sushi.