text:
Chapter 7
My report card is in Mom's hand when I come home from school. She frowns at it, and I know something's disappointing.
"Charlie, if you want to get into a good college, you'll need more extracurriculars. Maybe join a photography club?"
"We don't have one. I've checked." I pull out the milk from the fridge, see that's it's about three gulps from being empty, and drink it straight from the can. "I can't imagine what else to join, honestly."
Mom starts listing a bunch of sports that I can never see myself participating in, until she mentions cross country. There are times when I had to bike to catch a sunset, and my legs were tired and sore. It's worth a shot, because squatting for pictures won't cut it.
"Yeah, I'll try that." And I won't have to talk to people while I run. Fantastic.
"If you sign up tomorrow you can be in the meet on Thursday," she reminds me.
Gabriella's letter mentions the missing shirt. It's hidden under my pillow, clearly out of sight from anyone who walks in. I lie and say perhaps Crystal stole it, even though she only ever wears her designs. I don't want to let go of her scent, that last trace of her in my room. I further reply that I'm joining cross country and there's only two more weeks until I get on a plane to Clovis.
On Thursday I wait at the start line, glancing around and seeing kids are actually serious about winning. Me, I'm going through this as if it's a simple jog. The gun blows and kids push past me, disappearing in the woods.
The rhythm of my feet pounding on the forest floor, the short, quick breaths escaping my nose, the crunch of dead leaves as I stomp on them. The trees blur behind me, brown whirling a nonexistent color. I badly want my camera. But I need to finish the race, need to finish so I can retrieve my camera from the bus and return to this unknown world.
My legs push faster, carrying me to an opening where I see yellow lines, people on the sidewalks, cheers and chants. The sun pours back in, warm and inviting, and I run even faster. I want my camera. I need it.
Four other runners are before me when I hit the yellow stripe on the ground. Fifth place. How is this possible? I thought I was much more behind than the others. Then I realize.
Somewhere along the line I got distracted by the forest and took a shortcut. I don't confess to the officials I cheated because it'll waste my time in getting the camera. Someone hands me a yellow ribbon and I sprint out of there, hoping I can get to the scene in time.
For the next two meets I do this. Finishing the race as quickly as I can and my place soars. I came close to being first but got preoccupied with a bird resting on a branch right next to the line and tripped over a big pebble. But I didn't care. I got the picture before other kids could trample me and disturb the bird.
My father's pleased with this recent activity. He keeps pressing me that I could get a scholarship, but I don't want to be a runner. I want to learn about birds. Whenever he brings it up I just growl and then he drops it.
Ignorant man.
We finally meet Ian officially. Crystal invited him over on Christmas Eve for dinner. I can tell my parents approve of him, but Ian still bothers me. There's no flask present tonight though.
"I can't believe you guys have been together for two years now. That's incredible," Mom compliments.
"We see each other a lot. And I love her ambition to be a fashion designer." Ian looks at Crystal with lovey eyes, and I'm trying my best not to puke. He's acting. Unless he's actually sober.
"And I love watching him play left field and making all the star catches," she nudges his elbow. They quickly kiss and I avert my gaze to the rolls.
"Remember how we met, David?" Mom turns to my father. "We were in Home Ec together. You thought it was absolutely pointless until that old Yules paired us up."
"Yes, and you couldn't stop talking about fondant and sewing together pillows for orphans." I've actually never heard this story. "And I fell in love with your motivation to open a bakery."
Expletives explode in my mind. If he had remembered that then we wouldn't have moved in the first place. Mom wouldn't have lost her calling and she would still bake delicious brownies and pastry items every Sunday. For one second I consider just getting up to leave, but something in my parents eyes begs me to stay. I see it. Certain love.
She sacrificed herself for her family. She knew that moving was the only way Crystal and I would stop fighting, have our own rooms, keep my father happy. Even if she could no longer return to who she was, she built herself back up again. Mom's been smiling a lot more lately, even singing when she cleans the bathrooms. And all I did was wonder why.
"Charlie, pass the corn, please." My father extends his hand. For once I forgive him. Just for the fact he made Mom happy by remembering how they met.
Snow falls heavily as I make my way to my car, yelling to Mom I'll be safe and I won't get attacked by strangers. I'm just so excited to be finally going back to Clovis. I am afraid, though. What if it's not what I thought it'd be? I ached for it every day, for the familiar surroundings, and willed myself to bear with Scranton for a few more months.
The sun glows on the road, and I check the clock. I have time. I get out, snap a few shots, and breathe in the winter air. It won't be precipitating in California any time soon. It rarely did. I never saw snow until Chicago. My mind takes a different trail. Dahlia. I can feel those bruises being punched into me, one by one, all over my back, my arms, my shoulders. The impact of her hand striking my face. My breath taken away time after time, struggling to resurface.
I shudder. Best not to think of it.
I rush inside the terminal and board my flight, being the last one on. Fortunately I get the window seat and gaze outside, flakes spiraling over bare fields, gray sky stretching forever. I count down the hours til I see Gabriella's beautiful face.
Pulling my bag from underneath my feet, I reach inside for a small black box. I open it, and a solid gold chain holds a branch of two birds facing each other, being cutesy but it has so much symbolism all at once. A girl a grade below me creates jewelry and custom made this for me. Gabriella's going to love it.
I unfold the message I hid under the necklace and reread it, looking for imperfections. But honestly, if I was a girl I'd love for someone to say it about me.
The birds, they've escaped the odds. They found their way back together again. It's as if they never left the branch they've always called home.
Gabriella, you are my home. I couldn't stand to be without you for all these years. It's like I never breathed once, and when I saw you all the color in the world floods back in. It's a hurricane I feel inside my chest, to remember us as kids and the days I spent lost in your beautiful eyes.
I love you. Since our fathers finished our tree house, I love you. Since chasing you on the playground in a game of freeze tag, I love you. Since making weird creatures out of messy Play-doh, I love you. The way you smile, the way your eyes light up, the way the sun glows on you, the way your hand touched mine when we were playing in the sand at recess. The school lunches we'd trade our snacks. You're my angel, my piece of Heaven. I can't believe I met you. It's fate our parents knew each other. Fate that I'm only three months older. Fate that we became best friends.
I don't know who I am without you. You take my breath away whether you're with me or not. Do you know how many nights I look up at the stars, hoping you're doing the same? I've memorized this one spot and every night I return to it. I can never tear away from it. Do you know how many nights I wish you could be back in my arms, like the night of my birthday? I miss that adrenaline rush, that spark I feel shooting through me when I even think of you.
I love you. There's no one that could possibly replace you, I swear it. No one can't be nearly as special as you, nearly as beautiful as you. It's you, always.
We're birds that were separated but now we're back again. I promise, I'm not letting go. Never again.
Even my eyes get a little watery. The man next to me stares at me, and I glare out the window, trying to avoid conversation. I can still feel his eyes on me.
The plane finally touches the ground and I hurry to be the first one off. I can't wait to see the look on her face when I give this to her later. At the baggage claim my bag is first out and I'm ready to leave. But I'm still standing there, waiting and waiting for her to arrive.
Where is she? Where could she be? Maybe tennis ran late, but why would she be at practice on a school break, especially the day after Christmas…
It hits me like a house of bricks that landed on me. Squarely in the chest, my throat closes up, lump building on top of each other. My eyes grow hot and it stings when I try to keep them open.
She forgot me.


text:
Holiday Inn Civic Center San Francisco
Select your stay dates to check availability at Holiday Inn Civic Center San Francisco
Holiday Inn Civic Center San Francisco
About the Hotel
Property Location
With a stay at Holiday Inn Civic Center San Francisco, you'll be centrally located in San Francisco, steps from Orpheum Theater and minutes from San Francisco Public Library. This hotel is close to Union Square and South Park.
Make yourself at home in one of the 388 air-conditioned rooms featuring flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wired and wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming provides entertainment. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and desks.
Take advantage of recreation opportunities including a health club and an outdoor pool. Additional features at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access and gift shops/newsstands.
Grab a bite to eat at the hotel's restaurant, which features a bar, or stay in and take advantage of room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Buffet breakfasts are available for a fee.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, a business center, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. This hotel has 4 meeting rooms available for events. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Total number of rooms - 388
- Number of floors - 14
- Health club
- Business center
- Roll-in shower
- 24-hour front desk
- Self parking (surcharge)
- Free WiFi
- Conference space size (feet) - 3000
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Multilingual staff
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Laundry facilities
- Number of meeting rooms - 4
- Elevator/lift
- ATM/banking
- Bar/lounge
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Outdoor pool
- Porter/bellhop
- Restaurant
- In-room accessibility
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Meeting rooms
- Luggage storage
- Accessible bathroom
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Smoke-free property
Room Facilities
- Free newspaper
- Hair dryer
- In-room safe
- Air conditioning
- Desk
- Flat-panel TV
- Coffee/tea maker
- Private bathroom
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Phone
- Free WiFi
- Satellite TV service
- Daily housekeeping
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Room service (limited hours)
- Iron/ironing board
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
Hotel Policy
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Fee for buffet breakfast: USD 25 per person (approximately)
- Self parking fee: USD 42.18 per night (in/out privileges)
- Pet fee: USD 75 per stay
- Refrigerator fee: USD 20.00 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 20.00 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.Show all hotel policy Show less hotel policy

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Courtyard by Marriott Tyler
Select your stay dates to check availability
Courtyard by Marriott Tyler
About the hotel
Property Location
Located in Tyler, Courtyard by Marriott Tyler is close to Faulkner Park and Broadway Square Mall. This hotel is within the vicinity of Rose Rudman Park and Lock and Load Indoor Shooting Range.
Make yourself at home in one of the 121 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and microwaves. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, while 42-inch LCD televisions with cable programming provide entertainment. Conveniences include desks and coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Don't miss out on the many recreational opportunities, including an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness center. Additional features at this hotel include complimentary wireless Internet access and gift shops/newsstands.
Satisfy your appetite at the hotel's restaurant, which features a bar. Dining is also available at a coffee shop/café. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge. Breakfast is available for a fee.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, a business center, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Free self parking is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- Meeting rooms 4
- Indoor pool
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Restaurant
- Number of floors - 4
- Free WiFi
- Fitness facilities
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Total number of rooms - 121
- Laundry facilities
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Smoke-free property
- Coffee shop or café
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Snack bar/deli
- Bar/lounge
- Free self parking
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Spa tub
Room Facilities
- Cable TV service
- Coffee/tea maker
- Hair dryer
- Daily housekeeping
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Air conditioning
- Free WiFi
- Iron/ironing board
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Desk


text:
Reid Racing Heavy Duty Knuckles for 2007+ Jeep Wrangler JK (D30/Rubicon D44)
The new Jeep Wrangler JK Dana 30/Rubicon 44 knuckles are heavy duty stock replacement knuckles. Raised steering linkage, dual steering stops, and increased strength are the primary improvements while installation is simplified by allowing the OEM "outers" to be reused.
- Sold individually
- JK001L (left, driver's side)
- JK001R (right, passenger's side)
- Uses stock 2007+ Jeep Wrangler JK brake rotors, calipers, stub shafts and U-joints.
- Fits JK Dana 30, JK Rubicon Dana 44, and Mopar & aftermarket JK axles.
- Easy bolt-on installation with no machining required.
- Aftermarket high strength axle shafts, U-joints/CV joints, and stub shafts can be used.
- Antilock Brakes, Traction Control, and Electronic Stability Control systems remain fully operational.
- Steering linkage is raised as high as possible while retaining clearance for OEM Jeep and most aftermarket wheels.
- Tie Rod gains 1.5 inches of clearance to minimize vulnerability to trail damage.
- Drag Link is flipped and gains 3 inches of height to perfectly correct the steering geometry for the common 3-4 inch suspension lift; minimizes additional steering correction for taller suspension lifts. Requires an aftermarket drag link, and we recommend a track bar bracket to eliminate bump steer. Works with any standard JK drag link flip kit.
- Cast from high strength ductile iron.
- Beefed up with extra material and ribbing.
- Cast-in DUAL steering stops eliminate bent stop bolts that can cause u-joint and axle failures.
- Tapered tie rod holes fit OEM-size tie rod ends; "1-ton" tie rod ends used in some aftermarket steering linkage may require very minor modification - call for details.
- Tie rod holes can be drilled to accept 3/4" heim ends.
- Powder coated bright orange for long lasting looks.
Vehicle Make
Vehicle Model
Wrangler JK
Vehicle Year
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Special Fitment Notes
Manufacture Part Number
Part Number
Free Shipping
Reid Racing
Installation Difficulty
Installation Instructions
Not Available
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text:
Hi Ladies. After 7 long hard months TTC after 2 miscarriages I finally got my BFP!!?
congrats hun what a great christmas present may you have a wonderful 9 months
How long after sex do you conceive Do you feel anything the day after?
Once the egg is released it will live for 12 - 36 hours. However, sperm can live for up to 5 - 7 days. Therefore, if you have sex in the several days leading up to ovulation, you can get pregnant...
Read More »
How long does it take a hollow socket to heal after the removal of wisdom teeth if it isn't painful and there's no blood and how long before you can smoke?
Answer The hole should heal after about a month. The area will slowly solidify and you will not notice any indentation six months later.How long before you can smoke? Never! It is a good time t...
Read More »
How long long will a Florida pine tree live after being infested with pine bark beetles?
Depends on the species of pine bark beetle. The Southern Pine Bark beetle can kill a tree almost before you knew the beetles arrived. Black Turpentine Bark beetles take longer, but usually attack...
Read More »
How long after I get new sod can I mow?
You should mow newly-installed sod for the first time once the top growth has developed and the blades are longer than 3 inches. This occurs approximately 10 to 14 days after installation. Make sur...
Read More »


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Urgent requirement for Call verifier in Kolkata
₹ 15,000 - 20,000 per month
- 1 - 3 years Exp
- Age 18 - 40 Yrs
- Graduate
- Male/Female
- Kolkata
- Function : Customer Service
- Hiring Industry : BPO / ITES
Job Description
1-3 years of work experience in International Voice process (Sales/Verifier/Quality)
? Should have exposure to audit the sales calls of agents
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Selection Criteria
Attention to detail and accuracy
? Product knowledge
? Knowledge of customer service principles and practices


text:
So he entered his cock up between my legs and held my thighs and gave me the biggest happy smile ever.
wow-gasm! My legs were open and my tits were hard and cock was vanishing up my wet hot pussy and I had cum again and was panting. That felt very good.
Then my hot sticky mouth was turned and another cock was put in between my red lips and pushed into my mouth for me to suck so I did, keeping my eyes closed and legs open for who ever was fucking me.
"Suck that Silke" a deep male voice says. I was I was! o wow this was what I was made for! Another cum takes me and I slide his cock down my throat stretching me. " o fuck I'm going to cum" says the voice. So he spent and my head was pulled off his erect cock so I could breath again. I could smell my passion so much I could even taste it in my mouth!
Wondering who the voices were and where I might be I opened my eyes and say my legs open in a dark building with some hairy guy fucking me and I watches his cock vanishing and reappearing! Another voice laughted! who was that It was a female voice! Didn't recognize that either, or care. And there was cum on my belly. some one had cum before!
So fucking guy has a good groaning and pulls out his shiny cock and woosh spurt, fires his cum load splat into my face! haha ha good one!
"Thats it slut, your done, you were great!"
oh right ok. So I cleared my voice and said:
"Greetings! I am Silke the unseen shadow, a phantom. A bright spring day somewhere with the warmth was a good time to go walk about and amble along looking for what would be."
"yeah" says a voice. "slut" says the woman.
I was in a garage so I lounged against the wall and looked around...two unattended cars. I spotted a another guy. "hay!" says me, has he had a go yet" This blond guy who had been fucking me looks over to him and says "nope" that was it, nope.
So someone calls to him and says "come over and fuck her" "yesss!" says me. So he did. So he entered his cock up between my legs and held my thighs and gave me the biggest happy smile ever. I smiled back stroked his chest fuck fuck slut slut slut noises, good noises.
Big guy walks in and looks over at my tits which were swollen with delight. "She still here fuck!" he says. Then he thinks..a dangerous pass time in my experience...and looks at my eye shadow. "wanna ride back to the ah....place Silke" "yeah ok. I escaped again and have robbed the city bancrupt." says me."I'll just wait until this guy has finished fucking and has cum in me ok"
Another amazing adventure. Hope you liked it too.
NOTE: Did you remember to bookmark this page so you can find it again?
Submit a story - Writers of adult fiction who enjoy sharing their writing talents with readers of erotic literature are welcome to send us their stories.


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WATCH LIVE: UIL hearing for San Antonio high school football players who hit referee
The University Interscholastic League State Executive Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday morning about the incident earlier this month involving two San Antonio high school football players hitting a referee during a game.
District: 2 players to remain in alternative school
Texas high school football coach acknowledged he directed two of his players to hit a referee during a game early this month, according to the school's principal.
In an internal school district statement, John Jay High School principal Robert Harris said assistant coach Mack Breed told him he directed the students to hit the referee because the ref had used racial slurs and had missed calls. Details from the statement were first reported Wednesday by ESPN.
The referee, Robert Watts, has denied using any slurs.
The coach "wanted to take full responsibility for his actions. Mr. Breed at one point during our conversation stated that he should have handled the referee himself," Harris wrote in his statement.
The two suspended students, Michael Moreno and Victor Rojas, appeared Wednesday at separate disciplinary hearings, which were closed to the public. Both were ordered to complete 75 days in alternative school before becoming eligible to return to their regular classes Jan. 15, according to their attorney, Jesse Hernandez. Their punishment had ranged from assignment to an alternative school to expulsion.
Speaking with reporters after Wednesday's hearing, Hernandez cited the Breed statement, saying that if the two players hadn't been directed by the coach and if the referee hadn't used such language, "they wouldn't have done this and they regret it."
Hernandez and Breed, who remains suspended from the district, did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
During an appearance last week on ABC's "Good Morning, America," Moreno said he regretted hitting Watts and wanted to apologize. Rojas said he was just doing what he was told.
The two were suspended from the John Jay High School football team in San Antonio in the aftermath of the Sept. 4 game at Marble Falls. Video from the game shows Rojas blindsiding Watts and Moreno diving on top of him. Watts was the umpire on the defensive side watching a play along the line of scrimmage.
Northside is scheduled to present the findings from its investigation at a meeting Thursday in Round Rock of the state executive committee of the University Interscholastic League, which oversees Texas high school sports, said school district spokesman Pascual Gonzalez.
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|Re: Volunteers: FINAL Cut?
|Fri, 09 Mar 2001 16:08:33 GMT
"Sam Ruby" <email@example.com> wrote: > In case I wasn't clear: > +1 to project representation > -1 to one person from each subproject > > I see nothing wrong with a person representing multiple subprojects. What > I do see as wrong is not having a person representing batik. "Sam Ruby" <email@example.com> wrote: > (P.S. I will find it quite hard to limit myself to five votes). Arved Sandstrom <email@example.com> wrote: > We are pushing for project representation, say about 1 person per 2 > sub-projects. In fact, I would say that this seems to be a primary goal for > the composition of the final PMC. Which I agree with. You all know I am in strong favor of *fair* project representation in the PMC. As it is, I did not think we were shooting for project representation, but more of a dry lightweight management model, that should be kept as light as possible. If we *are* shooting for project representation, then, god damn it, make it fair representation. I don't want Joe Blow to decide the he can represent the Xalan project. The Xalan representative should be elected by the Xalan committers. No, Sam, I don't want a heavy-weight election process. But I don't think the current process will be fair. For instance, where is Xang represented? Should Xerces C or Xerces Perl have separate representation? (Right now the current list is a bunch of Java weenies, as far as I can tell...) At least if we are going for project representation, let's be very specific about this, and so the number '5' becomes moot, in spite of the fact that we already voted on this. Each name on the list should say what projects the person represents, and a given project should be able to veto that representative if they get voted in. And if a sub-project like Xerces Perl felt they did not have representation, they could lobby to be represented. This would have important consiquences: for instance, with this model, I would withdraw my name in favor of Shane, because I would be sure that the Xalan project would get representation, and I could trust that Shane could communicate our views. To be clear: my vote for '5' was not based on a project representation model. I would be happy with the proposal in the above paragraph, but let's be specific about it and revote. -scott --------------------------------------------------------------------- In case of troubles, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com For additional commands, e-mail: email@example.com
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text:
Houston Mayor Bill White says quality of life issues are his priority during the remainder of his term. The mayor spoke to nearly 2,000 people at the annual State of the City address Houston Public Radio's Laurie Johnson reports.
Mayor Bill White addressed his remarks to local elected officials and members of the Greater Houston Partnership. He says since he gave his first state of the city address four years ago, the Houston region has added a quarter of a million new employees. The mayor says that kind of growth creates new challenges, and the first one he listed was violent crime.
"The violent crime rate has declined by eight percent since 2003, the year before this administration came to office. But we need to do still more. And to do this we need to add some additional officers to our police force. So what we're going to do with the help of our city council and our budget and our classes underway in the next two years we're going to add eight percent."
The mayor says that effort, combined with efforts over the past 18 months, will add 500 officers to the force. He also pledged to increase funding for drainage and flood control. The city currently spends $250 million on drainage and White says he'd like to double that, without raising fees or taxes, by dedicating a portion of the property tax. White mentioned these and other challenges, but most of his speech centered on future initiatives to balance preservation and development in communities.
"We believe that consumers should have a wide choice of diverse options of housing and commercial facilities. We think there's reasonable regulations that could allow us to do that while avoiding the over-regulation that has plagued cities and driven up the cost of affordable housing. I mean look, Houston is one of the only big cities in the country right now where a middle-class family can afford a house in the city limits. I like that, don't you?"
White asked civic leaders and developers to stop viewing each other as enemies. The mayor also touted a new energy code, pledged $2 million a year for planting trees and outlined a new recycling effort.
"We need to recycle the wood, the branches and the grass that we dump wholescale into our solid waste facilities in this region. It is ridiculous! And by the end of this year we need to have chipping facilities and recycling facilities for wooded waste and grass for all four quadrants of our city. And we need our citizens to help us because if we want to do this effectively we need to segregate those waste streams out from the sofas and everything else people put out there on heavy trash day."
Mayor White then closed his remarks thanking the city employees and singled out Houston Firefighter Brandon Everett, who was critically injured while fighting a house fire on MLK Day, saying Everett represents the City of Houston and its employees better than his words or the words of any elected official. Laurie Johnson, Houston Public Radio News.


text:
IQRA Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is one of the fast growing
software solution, technical consultancy and knowledge outsourcing
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Contact No: 0512-2505298, 9305529164
Reg Office: Geeta Nagar, Rawatpur, Kanpur - 208 002Corp Office: Subhash Nagar, K.R. Puram, Bangalore - 560 049


text:
On Fri, 2007-06-01 at 12:50 +0000, Kevin Kofler wrote: > I've noticed Bodhi doesn't appear to send announcements about testing updates > to fedora-test-list as the old system used to. Is that intentional? If a > maintainer would really like some specific testing to be done on the packages > (and results reported), should they send their own announcement? This was a mistake - AFAIK bodhi should be sending announcements for new packages in updates-testing from now on. lmacken also said he could resend the announcements for the already-pushed ones, when he gets around to it. -w
Description: This is a digitally signed message part


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text:
The Adventure Begins
The boat ride to Pastoria was long and very tiring, we had one stop before we arrived to Pastoria, and it was at Sunnyshore it was only for the crew to get supplies for the rest of the journey. Sneasel spent, as much time as possible outside of his pokeball he didn't want to go inside because he didn't want to miss anything of this journey.
I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world either.
We decided to put our Pokémon battling skills to the test with the rest of the passengers; they wanted to face Sneasel because he was an Ice type Pokémon. There are very few ice types with comparison with the others, thought most of them knew that Sneasel was also a Dark type.
In the midst of a battle, I felt the excitement and the joy of winning battles.
When a trainer loses a battle we give money or something of value to the victor. In a battle which I fought against a beautiful Roselia, when I won the trainer gave me money and also a razor fang.
He said if I gave Sneasel the razor fang at night, he would evolve into a Weavile. I like Sneasel as he was I wasn't sure if I want him to turn into a Weavile. So I decided to always keeping the razor fang with me because if I needed it could become useful, so I put the razor fang on made it into a necklace.
I check my clock its 6:00 pm it's time to eat I begin to open the door when the boat was pushed to the left; I was slammed against the wall. Second's later people pocked their head to see what had happened.
There must be something wrong; I go up to the deck to see what was going on.
When I got on the deck I didn't know what to expect, some people where already their mostly trainers. They were asking the Captain "what was going on?" The captain looked composed even thought he was being badgered by everyone up here.
I decided that maybe it wasn't the captains fault I don't think he would be reckless enough to endanger the passenger and the crew like that.
Maybe it was a wave.
I looked over the edge and what I saw was more dangerous than a wave. It was a school of Carvanha.


text: "We continue to watch how global monetary policies could potentially impact aircraft finance," Zolotusky said. "However, we believe the industry is well positioned for the outcomes of inflation, higher interest rates or a combination of both. Asset portfolios are excellent inflation hedges and current all-in aircraft financing costs are at historical lows."The 2014 aircraft finance market outlook is available at www.boeingcapital.com/cafmo. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains statements that are "forward-looking" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "should," "expects," "forecasts," and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions, which may not prove to be accurate. As a result, they are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. These statements speak to events only as of the date they are made and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks related to U.S. and global economic conditions, general industry conditions affecting Boeing or its customers, liquidity of the global financial markets, Boeing's planned production rate increases across multiple programs and the overall health of its aircraft production system; and other factors disclosed by Boeing and Boeing Capital Corp. in Form 10-K, 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: John Kvasnosky Boeing Capital CorporationMobile: +1 206-898-9528 email@example.com SOURCE Boeing


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Infinite Canvas – Because of Infinite Painter's tile-based canvas, you can create paintings as large as you want. When you are finished, the system will determine how large the painting is based on its content and then stitch together your painting in the background for you. This gives you the ability to create poster-sized paintings and transcend the boundaries of your mobile device.
Natural Brushes – There are over twenty different brushes encompassing a wide range of painting styles. You can also create your own brushes from an image or from a layer you are working on. All of these brushes are specifically designed to replicate natural mediums and appeal to all sorts of artists.
Blending Colors – Infinite Painter offers a dedicated blend button, letting you blend colors together realistically.
Pressure-sensitivity – Infinite Painter offers pressure-sensitivity support and filters, giving you the ability to buffer or magnify the values to something more suitable for your workflow.
Image Importing – You can import images from your camera (if your device has one), your gallery, or from the web (powered by Google Image Search and Inspire Stream). After importing an image, you can edit it and then stamp it on the canvas.
Five Types of Symmetry – X-Axis, Y-Axis, Angular, Radial, and Kaleidoscopic.
Sketch Mode – Infinite Painter allows you to create vector-based outlines which hover over your painting, allowing you to sketch out a concept of your painting in a non-destructive manner.
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**If you have a Galaxy Note, search for your version of this app**
Permissions explained:
Vibration – Needed to provide haptic feedback when a user does various tasks within the application.
Internet – Infinite Painter uses the internet to upload images to allow users the ability to upload images to an online gallery and when importing images from the web.
Write to External Storage – This is used to cache data and export images.
Record Audio and Manage Audio Settings– This permission is necessary in order to support the JaJa Stylus and the Pressure Pen Stylus. The JaJa Stylus uses high-frequency sound in order to transmit data from the stylus to your device, and the Pressure Pen transfers pressure readings via the headphone jack.
**Special thanks to Benjamin Gilleti (BENGISKHAN) and Mark Walker for allowing me to use images they created with Infinite Painter for the screenshots. Check out Ben's blog at http://bengiskhan.blogspot.fr to see more of his amazing artwork.
Keywords: paint, painting, sketch, draw, art, adobe photoshop, corel painter, artrage, art rage, graphic design, layers, brushes, blend
Neue Funktionen
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text:
Police on Friday arrested a 28-year-old Waianae woman who allegedly kidnapped and robbed a 32-year-old woman Thursday night.
Police said the suspect restrained the woman and robbed her of her property at 9:14 p.m. Thursday on a Nuuanu street. The Waianae woman was found at a Waipahu home Friday and arrested at 3 p.m. on suspicion of kidnapping and second-degree robbery.


text:
Chapter II
"The police would probably convict me. My family would persecute me." He thought while staring into Mary's icy blue eyes when a name came to his head, like a lifeline pulling him out of perilous water. "Martin."
He walked out of the Mansion's front door, holding Mary close to his chest at all times. He turned down a dark street and through winding alley-ways. The stars seemed to be mocking him as they fluttered in and out of existence. His pace quickened as his situation slowly dawned on him. His mind wheeled with thoughts of what would happen if he got caught.
Then he realised where he was. "Rosen Street." Before he knew it he was at Martin's door, pleading to be allowed entry. "Who is it?" A hoarse voice called.
"Martin, it's me. Let me in, it's urgent." The man's reply was followed by the sounds of chains clinking and locks unlocking.
The door eventually opened to a quite short, middle-aged man with blonde curly hair. "Yes?" Martin looked at the man stood at his door from head to toe before his gaze fell upon Mary, cradled in the shadow's arms. "Oh? What's this then?" His voice squeaked as he realised the woman wasn't breathing.
"She's been murdered." The shadow's voice was deep with sorrow, a tear springing to his eye as he spoke the words he refused to believe.
"Well come in, come in then!" Martin closed the door behind him, "would you like a drink?" The man simply shook his head, laying Mary's body in a wooden chair before sitting in one himself.
Martin's house was a dark place, the furniture was dull and worn and the thick air was lined with the bitter smell of opium. A few cigarettes were left upon the table, presumably for later. The shadow picked up one of the cigarettes and cast an accusing glance as Martin who was pouring a glass of whiskey. Martin looked at him, then straight back at his drink, trying to avoid his gaze. He then shuffled across the room and took a seat next to his friend.
The brown liquid swirled around in his murky glass as he took a sip. A candle flickered on the table, lighting part of Mary's face, even in death she radiated beauty. But the candle hit her eyes in a certain way, draining all the beauty from her, leaving only the look of death on her pallid face. But Martin could not take his eyes from the ethereal beauty.
"So, I have to ask this, but did you do it?" Martin studied Mary's face, not once blinking.
"I did no such thing!" The man growled, clenching his fist in anger, the haunting image of Mary sat next to him staining his memories.
"Okay. So why have you brought her here?" Martin looked into the bottom of his glass, swirling around the dark liquor, ignoring the flame burning in Shadow's eyes.
"Well, there's something wrong with her murder."
"Oh yes, then why didn't you contact the police?"
"You know what they'd do to me! Plus, look at this." The man walked up to Mary, pulling her hair back, revealing the marks on her neck. "What do you think that is?"
Martin leaned in, studying the woman's neck. "Well, I can't be sure. But I know someone who might know..."


text: HOME ABOUT US Cancun Great Vacations is a company located in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, that offers some of the best rates on hotel deals, vacation packages, and all inclusive plans in Cancun and the Riviera Maya. Cancun Great Vacations serves as a Cancun travel guide and provides you with essential information about resorts, hotels, tours, attractions, nightlife and dining, so you can plan the perfect Cancun vacation. JOIN OUR MAILING LIST TO RECEIVE E-MAILS ABOUT EXCLUSIVE SPECIALS AND PROMOTIONS! NAME E-MAIL CHECK OUT OUR CANCUN AREA TRAVEL GUIDE!


text: SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- UberConference announced today that it will open its doors to the public as a host company in the second-annual OpenCo event. OpenCo is a business conference taking place is four cities across the US where each city's most innovative entrepreneurs, founders and leaders present their mission and vision from inside their own headquarters. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130703/SF42383) UberConference will open its doors to the event on Friday, October 11, 2013 at 10:30 a.m., with CEO and co-founder, Craig Walker, discussing how his company nurtures an innovation-focused culture in order to make a powerful impact on antiquated technologies. With its visual interface, UberConference makes features easy-to-use and increases the productivity of conference calls. Callers can join without a PIN and always know who's on the call or speaking. They also have the ability to share documents through Box and Evernote, automatically dial out to participants, record calls and see the profiles of others on the call through integrated LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google+. "At UberConference, I encourage my team to think non-traditionally," said Walker. "OpenCo is a great opportunity to showcase how culture, collaboration and hard work play together in building a successful, thriving environment of creative thought and innovation." Previously, Walker was CEO of Dialpad Communications, which was acquired by Yahoo! in 2005 (becoming Yahoo! Voice), co-founder and CEO of GrandCentral Communications, acquired by Google in July 2007 (now Google Voice), and Entrepreneur in Residence at Google Ventures. His co-founders are Lead Front-End Engineer Brian Peterson, Lead Back-End Engineer John Rector, and Head Designer Alex Cornell. The company is funded by Andreessen Horowitz and Google Ventures. About UberConferenceUberConference fixes all the broken and outdated aspects of traditional conference calling, making it a more productive business tool, and transforming an industry that hasn't seen real innovation in decades. UberConference's elegant UI for web and mobile makes features easy-to-use with the click of a button. Built by the teams that brought Google Voice and Yahoo! Voice to tens of millions of users, UberConference launched in 2012 and is funded by Andreessen Horowitz and Google Ventures. Learn more. About OpenCo OpenCo is a mix between a business conference and artist's open studio with the vibe of a music festival. The events offer business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and marketers direct access to the leaders of the most innovative companies across the globe and in their natural habitat. Visit openco.us for more information. SOURCE UberConference


text:
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (of all circuits) has just issued a rather significant free speech case related to the right to protest abortion. According to the L.A. Times story:
The 1st Amendment rights of two anti-abortion activists were violated when they were ordered to stop circling a Rancho Palos Verdes middle school in a truck displaying graphic photos of aborted fetuses, a federal appellate court ruled Wednesday.
Overturning an earlier district court judgment, a U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel unanimously ruled that school officials and sheriff's deputies violated the men's free speech rights by ordering them to leave the school's neighborhood.
The court in its ruling on a lawsuit brought by the activists cited the concept of a "heckler's veto," which states that free speech cannot be limited based on listeners' reactions to the content.
The activists' "speech was permitted until the students and drivers around the school reacted to it, at which point the speech was deemed disruptive and ordered stopped," Judge Harry Pregerson wrote in the ruling. "This application of the statute raises serious 1st Amendment concerns."
The 7-by-20-foot truck with photos of first-term fetuses on three sides appeared near Dodson Middle School around 7:30 a.m. March 24, 2003, as students arrived. Several stopped to stare at the photos, which showed fetuses with small hands and feet and the word "choice" in quotation marks and big block letters, according to court documents.
As a legal matter and without having read the decision issued by the court, my first reaction is that the court made the right decision. The right to free speech, while not absolute, is certainly broad enough to protect the speech of these two men driving their fetus-mobile around Rancho Palos Verdes. After all, if the commercial-based semi-pornographic images that often grace our billboards are permitted in the name of free speech, then it seems that these images, which obviously fall within the category of the more highly-protected political speech, should be permitted. So, without reviewing all of the relevant facts or precedents, my gut reaction is that the court made the right decision.
Still, I am troubled by this. It gets back to the idea that I learned as a kid: just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should do something. Hence, while it is perfectly legal to smoke cigarettes, it doesn't mean that it is a good idea to smoke cigarettes. While it is perfectly legal to go bar-hopping in a shady part of town doesn't mean that it is a good idea to do so.
Although I remain outspoken in my opposition to abortion, I do not believe that anything that can be done to stop abortion should be done to stop abortion. In this case, driving this fetus-mobile around a middle school strikes me as a very poor idea and a counter-productive tactic. Forcing people to see an image that they don't want to see without warning is simply a poor way to present the issue of abortion reasonably.
Moreover, the organization responsible for this fetus-mobile (the Center for Bioethical Reform) already knows that it shouldn't spring these horrendous images on people without warning. The Center's website opens with a graphic video about abortion on its home page. The video, however, doesn't simply spring up when the home page is opened. Rather, it begins with a warning. The page announces: "Warning: Graphic Abortion Video to begin in X seconds", and the proceeds to count down the time until the video starts.
So, if the Center felt it necessary to put a warning on its website before showing a graphic video about the horrors of abortion, why in the world would it think that driving the fetus-mobile around a middle school where 11- to 14-year-old children could see it would be okay? As a father, I think I would be rightfully upset, and I am on the Center's side with respect to their ultimate goal.
To repeat: I am not opposed to the Center or most of its work. Christians should be directing their energies to stopping abortion -- a blight on this world that I believe future generations will look back upon as a time of great sadness since we have legally made it possible to kill helpless, unwanted human beings. But opposing abortion doesn't mean that anything that can be done to stop abortion ought to be done. While the fetus-mobile doesn't quite reach the insane level of bombing abortion clinics or killing abortion providers, it is a poor way to reach out with our message of respect for life to a secular world.


text:
Stone Côte
The Stone Côte Vineyard is a small vineyard block within the well-known Durrell Vineyard, it sits in the path of an ancient, uplifted river bed on the flank of Sonoma Mountain within the cool Sonoma Coast AVA. Tumbled and water-worn cobblestones now litter the landscape of the vineyard, and very little topsoil remains. The nutritionally deficient soils force the vines to search for water and generate considerable stress on the vines. The stressed vines in turn yield very small clusters with intense varietal flavors.
Climatically, this vineyard site is characterized by cool daytime temperatures, high winds and cold ocean breezes. The low fertility soils and the cool temperatures unite to form an ideal site for growing Chardonnay. The wine's flinty aromas and mineral-laden finish are a reflection of the stony vineyard's location.
Wines From This Vineyard
"The 2013 Chardonnay Stone Côte Vineyard is fashioned from a specific block of vines that Don Hartford farms in the well-known Durell Vineyard. Fermented with indigenous yeast, it exhibits lots of white peach, orange blossom, pear and honeysuckle notes in its medium to full-bodied, gorgeously textured personality. With terrific acidity as well as focus, it should drink well for 10+ years." - Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, December 2014


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text:
Home > Paleolithic Recipes > Easy Corn Chowder
Easy Corn Chowder
Paleolithic Raw Food Recipe
Easy Corn Chowder uses lots of fresh, wholesome sweet corn with almond milk plus a bit of chili powder for seasoning.
4 cups fresh sweet corn
2 cups almond milk (or your preference)
Chili powder to taste (opt)
Recipe Directions
Put corn in a quart container with tight lid. Cover with milk to rehydrate, adding more as needed.
When rehydrated, add another 1-1/2 cup of milk and shake to combine.
Pour half or more into a blender and liquefy to creamy consistency. Pour this back into quart container and shake to mix.
Serve as is, or put lid on and warm in basin or pan of warm water.
Recipe Notes
*For crunchy bits, use corn as is, for chewier, dehydrate corn for 2 hours or to desired consistency.


text:
Fading photographs
A song i wrote about two years ago, one which i will happily play to anyone on my guitar :)
Shoestrings, broken bottles,
bits of everything.
Box of memories hid under the bed.
Pieces of time I'll never forget.
Photographs, pictures of the past,
faded now,
a life not meant to last.
Memories you made me save,
flowers gone to their grave,
spread out before me on the floor.
All that time,
when everything was alright.
We lived out lives,
we travelled so far.
Alone now I am,
but you're still my star.
Photographs, pictures of the past.
Faded now,
a life not meant to last.
That smile upon your face,
will never fade away,
you'll always be there in my mind...


text:
How to track? Can we say that the number of times a lesson is interrrupted with at 25% time loss? 1) Due to computers 2) Due to logins 3) Due to wireless networkOverall in-charge?
CyberHubs 1-3 (desktops, full lab)
CyberHub 4 (tablet pcs, half lab)
Mobile Labs (2 sets of 20 tablet pcs)
HP: HeuCampus
Dell: Moodle (Gmlites Online Classroom)
HeuCampus: Nazwan & Cynthia
Moodle: Nazwan & Lai Chan
BY(i)TES overall score to be greater or equal to 3.01 In-charge: ?
teachers ICT skills, Baseline, Lead ICT Software, Internal training
ICT Lessons, Design, Implementation, Pedagogies, Lesson Study, external workshops etc
1. Innovation to be evaluated at national or international competition 2. Paper to be accepted by international conference In-charge: ?
Mrs Liang & Lisa 1) How to cascade it to all MMs? 2) How to influence the middle and bottom two-thirds?


text: Preventive and Social Medicine http://hdl.handle.net/10523/258 2017-05-26T03:36:55Z The psychological and physical health and wellbeing of New Zealand contemporary veterans http://hdl.handle.net/10523/7221 The psychological and physical health and wellbeing of New Zealand contemporary veterans 2017-02 McBride, David We aim to describe risk and protective factors for health and wellbeing in veterans who have served during and since the Persian Gulf War. Some have experienced combat, but all have experienced the 'deployment stress' of peacekeeping duties. Most cope well, but a significant few are at risk of poor health outcomes from their experience, either the early 'signature injury' of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or the later appearance of minor but multiple health complaints, 'multiple symptom illness' (MSI). The personal attributes of resilience and ability to cope, along with good social support, are likely to be protective. Adverse outcomes are more likely in a person with anxiety, depression, aches and pains (somatic symptoms) and insomnia. Building protective attributes during service will improve 'life after service', and the outcomes of this study will define the 'at risk' veteran health profile. Our hypothesis is that recognition followed by intervention and support will minimize the risk of chronic health problems such as sleep apnoea, poor mental health and obesity. A questionnaire survey of contemporary veterans will identify health outcomes along with risk and protective factors. Two statistical models will be developed. A wellbeing model will predict a good overall health score on the EQ-5D, a standardised measure of health outcome. An adverse model will predict PTSD as measured by the Posttraumatic Stress Checklist, military version (PCL-M). Protective factors will be the physical, psychological, environmental and social domains of wellbeing measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) questionnaire; resilience by the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale; coping ability through the Brief Cope questionnaire, and social support through the Social Provisions Scale. Risk factors are demographic and psychological, the latter addressed by items on the General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ28). An epidemiological case definition of MSI will be developed by analyzing the pattern of health complaints identified, to assess firstly the role of MSI as a risk factor and secondly to develop a clinical case definition. The immediate outcome will be a screening instrument which identifies the at risk veteran prior to leaving service. Next steps will involve developing community support mechanisms. 2017-03-27T03:47:31Z Exploring Social Accountability Mechanisms in the Primary Health Care System of Nepal: A Case Study from the Dang District http://hdl.handle.net/10523/7166 Exploring Social Accountability Mechanisms in the Primary Health Care System of Nepal: A Case Study from the Dang District 2017 Gurung, Gagan Accountability problems in Nepal's Primary Health Care (PHC) system is a long standing, yet neglected, issue. This concern has contributed to the increasing interest in direct engagement of citizens on health service delivery to exact accountability from health service providers. However, little is known about the role of citizens in demanding accountability from the service providers. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore the social accountability mechanisms by which citizens voice their concerns about health care services, and to gauge responsiveness to their concerns by health service providers in the PHC setting of Nepal. Using a case study design, interviewer-administered structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 400 participants (220 service users, 100 Health Facility Operation and Management Committee (HFMC) members, and 80 service providers) from 22 public health facilities in the Dang District. In addition, 39 qualitative interviews with key informants, six focus groups with community members, and document reviews were conducted. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS 22. Qualitative data were transcribed, organised, and then analysed using the framework method in QSR NVivo 10. The questionnaire survey found positive attitudes among participants towards citizen engagement in health service accountability. However, there was little awareness among service users of the existence of the Citizen's Charter and HFMC. Less than one fifth (15%) of service users had ever heard of the Citizen's Charter and HFMC. The level of awareness of both mechanisms was varied by sex, caste/ethnicity, and occupation of service users. A great majority of HFMC members (84%) and service providers (90%) had heard of the Charter. Similarly, all of the health service providers had heard of the HFMC. Overall, this study found that the role of social accountability mechanisms in amplifying citizens' voice, and in demanding accountability from the service providers in the Dang District PHC system of Nepal, was mixed. The collective accountability mechanisms appeared to be more effective than the individual ones in stimulating citizens' voice and service providers' responsiveness. Citizens' voice, in the form of individual complaints, and depth and breadth of participation, was found to be weak in creating incentives to make the service providers accountable. While it appears that the concerns raised did result in increased responsiveness from the health system in relation to issues such as infrastructure, resource mobilisation, and service planning and development, limited responsiveness was apparent in relation to entrenched issues which are directly related to the performance of the service providers, such as health facility opening hours and staff absenteeism. Hence, the social accountability mechanisms were examples of 'softer' forms of accountability. This study also highlighted the potential for the role of social accountability mechanisms to trigger existing traditional bureaucratic accountability mechanisms of the PHC system to make frontline service providers accountable. This role appeared important in the Dang District context where there was limited authority/sanctioning power and resources with citizens/representatives at the local level to hold service providers accountable. Different factors related to community, service providers and broader health systems were identified as the factors that influenced the effectiveness of both citizens' voice and responsiveness from service providers. Firstly, lack of knowledge of service entitlement and information asymmetry, little knowledge of voice mechanisms, citizens' lack of interest in and attitude towards the health sector, economic, educational and cultural factors, power relationships in the community, lack of authority of the community and 'exit' options are community related factors affecting the voice of citizens. Secondly, among the service providers and health facility factors, service providers' attitudes and support, and the availability of resources affected citizens' voice and responsiveness. Then, the broader health system factors, such as the lack of health sector decentralisation, political patronage, support for the district health system, and the way voice mechanisms were implemented, were highlighted as factors affecting service provider accountability towards citizens. This study concludes that the evidence for citizens' voice in terms of demanding accountability from service providers is weak. The limitations of the social accountability mechanisms in the PHC context do not, however, imply that this option for accountability is not viable and therefore should be abandoned. Instead, the awareness of the different factors influencing citizens' voice and responsiveness should help in designing improved social accountability mechanisms. Most importantly, this study's findings highlighted the need for strengthening the voice mechanisms by considering their links to the wider contexts and health systems factors, rather than narrowly concentrating on the tools and mechanisms, to yield positive accountability outcomes. Additionally, the government needs to decide what sort of citizen-state engagement it is seeking. If addressing accountability problems are the aim, then there is a need to address the problem of state-citizen power asymmetry. Although confrontational techniques and imposition of sanctions appear to be solutions for the entrenched accountability problems in the PHC system, joint problem-solving seems a promising mechanism to avoid possible power struggles between citizens and their service providers. This study contributed new knowledge by providing insight into the comparative effectiveness of collective and individual voice mechanisms in a rural and underdeveloped health care system, and by highlighting the potentials for social accountability mechanisms to trigger existing traditional bureaucratic accountability mechanisms of the PHC system to hold frontline service providers accountable when there was limited authority/sanctioning power with citizens. Furthermore, this study highlighted the possibility of existing community health system networks to strengthen the individual voice (complaint management system) and the need for the effective representation of community voice by community representatives and meaningful participation of marginalised communities to strengthen the collective voice process. What Nepal has achieved despite the formidable barriers (natural, political and socioeconomic) in the health sector in recent decades is impressive. Existing community health system networks and a successful history of citizen engagement in the health sector are unique strengths of Nepal's health care system. The recent political changes in the country which have created a more democratic environment supporting the expression of voice can be an important opportunity for strengthening citizen engagement in the health system. The insights obtained from the Dang District study about the actual functioning of voice mechanisms provide a useful knowledge base to plan for greater citizen engagement to achieve the health policy objective of establishing an accountable health care system. 2017-03-12T19:56:06Z Secondary school health education: An analysis of the underlying processes http://hdl.handle.net/10523/7140 Secondary school health education: An analysis of the underlying processes 2017 Grant, Anita Health education is the setting where the majority of teaching and learning about health takes place in New Zealand secondary schools. This subject is incorporated within the learning area of Health and Physical Education, which is founded upon a socio-critical approach and is compulsory to Year 10. The 2007 New Zealand Curriculum guides teaching and learning within New Zealand schools and has established a strategic framework that focuses on student competencies, the local context, and meeting the diverse learning needs of students. Available health education research offers insights into the national curriculum, the challenges of implementing the learning area of Health and Physical Education, teachers' professionalism and the influence of the school environment. This qualitative study aimed to investigate health education in New Zealand secondary schools. Eight health education teachers, purposefully selected from secondary schools in New Zealand, participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis, grounded by a dual theoretical approach using social realism and Bernstein's theory of education systems, generated seven main themes located within three thematic levels: wider school community relations, teaching as inquiry, and classroom delivery. Themes in the first level reflected the marginalisation of health education and health education teachers' relationships with parents, caregivers, and external agencies. The second level highlighted the reflexive role of health education teachers in establishing a student-centred health education. The last level reflected a contextual orientation to teaching practices, classroom health education content, and student assessment. This thesis provides evidence of some of the teaching and knowledge processes underpinning health education in New Zealand secondary schools. It highlights teachers' passion and investment in this subject, despite the challenges that arise. Understanding the experiences of health education teachers builds on the best-practice evidence base of school health education. This evidence base is vital in supporting health education to reach a level of subject maturity, establishing its value and need within New Zealand secondary schools. 2017-02-26T03:23:24Z Regulating the Tobacco Retail Environment in New Zealand http://hdl.handle.net/10523/7075 Regulating the Tobacco Retail Environment in New Zealand 2017 Robertson, Lindsay Background Tobacco use is a leading risk factor for preventable mortality and causes around 5,000 deaths in New Zealand (NZ) each year. In 2011, the Government committed to making NZ smokefree by 2025, through reducing smoking prevalence and tobacco availability to minimal levels. However, the retail environment for tobacco remains relatively unregulated, with no restrictions on where tobacco can be sold, or requirements for tobacco retailers to be licensed. This thesis examines the potential for regulating the tobacco retail environment to reduce smoking prevalence and achieve NZ's 2025 goal. Methods This research comprises five distinct projects. The first is a narrative literature review on tobacco retailing and smoking, and potential policy options to regulate the tobacco retail environment. The second project is a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the association between point-of-sale tobacco marketing and smoking. The third and fourth projects involve qualitative research with tobacco control sector key informants and tobacco retailers, in which stakeholders' views of the tobacco retail environment and regulatory options are examined. The final project is a survey with a complex design to investigate smokers' perceptions of the relative effectiveness of five policy options to reduce tobacco availability. Results The available evidence suggests that greater access to tobacco retail outlets and exposure to tobacco retail products at the point-of-sale are significant risk factors for youth smoking initiation, and for relapse after a quit attempt among adults. Key informants within the tobacco control sector believe that licensing of tobacco retailers is an important intermediate step in achieving the 2025 goal, and envisage tobacco being available only at a small number of specialised outlets in the long-term. Retailers' perceptions of potential tobacco retail policies were mixed; some were supportive of measures to reduce tobacco availability and the 2025 goal, though several expressed ambivalence towards licensing policies. Retailers tended to be more supportive of tobacco retail policies where the rationale was to protect children from tobacco-related harm, and where this intention was explicit. Among NZ smokers, of the five policy options to reduce tobacco availability that were tested, two were perceived as most effective: i) tobacco only sold at half the existing liquor stores, and ii) tobacco only sold at pharmacies. Each of these policies was rated more likely to prevent youth smoking initiation, and at least as likely to help smokers to quit, relative to a benchmark policy of continued tobacco taxation. Conclusions In order for the Government to achieve its own goal of reducing tobacco availability to minimal levels by 2025, regulation of the tobacco retail environment is needed. The recent implementation of legislation banning point-of-sale tobacco displays demonstrates that policy interventions in this environment are feasible. The tobacco control sector strongly supports licensing of tobacco retailers and measures to reduce tobacco availability. Retailers are unlikely to strongly oppose these policies, particularly if the public health rationale is clear. Based on smokers' perceptions, policies that substantially reduce tobacco availability and remove it from smokers' usual places of purchase could be at least as effective as tax increases, in terms of reducing smoking initiation and supporting cessation. 2017-02-10T01:16:39Z From School-Based to Community-Based Oral Health Services for Children – Recent Changes in the Provision of Oral Health Services within the Southern District Health Board http://hdl.handle.net/10523/6989 From School-Based to Community-Based Oral Health Services for Children – Recent Changes in the Provision of Oral Health Services within the Southern District Health Board 2016 Ahmadi, Rebecca Mary Introduction: Introduced in 2006, 'Good Oral Health, For All, For Life' is New Zealand's current oral health policy; this outlined the future direction of public dental service delivery in New Zealand. In this document, the reorientation of public dental services was forecast. This research examines the reorientation of public dental services: the change from the School Dental Service to the Community Oral Health Service in the Southern District Health Board region of New Zealand. Three perspectives were sought to gather evidence on the reorientation: stakeholders, dental therapists and parents/legal guardians of children attending the public dental service provided an account of their experiences of the reorientation. Methods: Six stakeholders, eight dental therapists, and eight parents/legal guardians participated in semi-structured interviews. These interviews were audio-recorded and conducted via face-to-face and telephone interviews. The Donabedian Framework for quality assurance in health services was used to frame the semi-structured interview schedule, and to organise and analyse the information collected. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Results: The reorientation process gave rise to unique experiences of change. Stakeholders implemented oral health policy and managed change. Dental Therapists coped with change and kept the public dental services functioning for the child patients and their families. The Parent/Legal guardian participants were unaware of changes to the public dental service, and were satisfied with services from dental therapists. Conclusion: The reorientation of the School Dental Service to the Community Oral Health Service impacted each group of participants differently. Stakeholders managed change, dental therapists coped with change and the parent/legal guardian participants did not notice a change until they arrived at their child's scheduled dental appointment and noticed a new dental facility, or a different location from the last visit they had. The three perspectives of a time of change display the complexities of implementing oral health policy in a public dental service. Key words: reorienting oral health services, public dental services, and public oral health policy implementation. 2016-11-29T19:53:42Z The Epidemiology of Breast Cancer in Oman http://hdl.handle.net/10523/6898 The Epidemiology of Breast Cancer in Oman 2014 AL Farsi, Shamsa Background Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females around the world. Annually, more than one million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally. In Oman, breast cancer is also the most common cancer in females and its incidence has been rising over the years. Published studies have shown that many Omani women have late stage breast cancer at presentation. Possible reasons for this have not been explored. Although Oman has in place a mortality registration database, no population-based mortality data from breast cancer are available. Likewise, the only data available about survival rate of people with breast cancer come from a hospital-based study. Aims The main aims of the research described in this thesis are: 1) To identify the extent of delay in breast cancer diagnosis in Oman. 2) To assess the relationship between delay and socio-demographic characteristics, medical and obstetric history, nature of presenting symptoms and women's knowledge about breast cancer. 3) To identify reasons for delay in seeking medical help for self-detected breast cancer symptoms in Omani women. 4) To calculate the population-based survival rate from breast cancer in Oman. Methods Aims 1, 2 and 3 were addressed by a study of 150 patients attending oncology clinics in both the Royal Hospital and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, who were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Patient delay was defined as a period of three months or more between an individual's first awareness of a sign or a symptom of illness and the initial medical consultation. In order to calculate survival rate, the National Cancer Registry records were to be linked to mortality databases in Oman (Directorate General of Civil Status and to the Parallel Mortality Database). Results The final analysis of delay included 144 patients with breast cancer. The median time taken by women in this sample between discovering the breast symptoms and seeing a doctor was 14 days. 56.9% of the patients had a medical consultation in less than a month after detecting symptoms, whereas 20.1 % had a consultation within 1 to 2 months. 22.9 % of the patients delayed consultation by ≥ 3 months. Of the socio-demographic characteristics examined in this study, it was observed that older age, low educational level and employment status were associated with patient delay. Practice of breast self-examination and having a history of chronic disease were also predictors of delay. 44% of patients had early stage disease (stage I/stage II) compared to 56% of patients with late stage disease (stage III/stage IV). However, patient delay was not associated with advanced stage cancer in this study. The main reasons given for delay were: failure to recognise the symptoms to be breast cancer, not seeing oneself at risk for breast cancer, fear and embarrassment, use of alternative therapy and family and work commitments. Due to ethical consideration, I was not able obtain data from Omani NCR and therefore the linking to mortality databases was not possible. Conclusion This study is the first in Oman to investigate the extent of patient delay for women with self-discovered breast symptoms and the factors that influence this delay. The findings of this study indicate the need for public education aimed at raising breast cancer awareness. Further, initiating a screening program in Oman should be considered to help women achieve diagnosis of the disease in its early stages. Population-based cancer research should be encouraged in Oman, and efforts should be taken to improve the quality and completeness of cancer data, which are important in providing on-going monitoring of cancer. 2016-11-07T20:45:34Z Hepatitis B in Oman, risk factors and sequelae http://hdl.handle.net/10523/6882 Hepatitis B in Oman, risk factors and sequelae 2016 AlHarthi, Rahma Background Hepatitis B is a major public health problem worldwide. The prevalence of hepatitis B is dependent on the modes in which it is transmitted. There are two common modes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) spread: vertical (mother to neonate) and the horizontal (via infected blood or body fluids). Chronic infection with HBV can progress to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma; HCC). Oman is regarded as an intermediate endemicity region and has had neonatal vaccine against HBV since 1990; however, little research has been conducted in Oman regarding risk factors for hepatitis B and its contribution to end stage liver disease and HCC. Aims To identify the prevalence of major risk factors for acquiring hepatitis B in Omani patients currently infected with HBV (positive hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)). To estimate the contribution of hepatitis B to liver cirrhosis in Oman. Methods The prevalence of major risk factors was identified by interviewing HBsAg positive patients using a standard questionnaire. Patients were recruited from outpatient clinics at two tertiary referral hospitals in Oman's capital city Muscat. Data on patients with liver cirrhosis admitted to two tertiary hospitals in Muscat over a period of seven years was abstracted from medical records. The diagnosis of cirrhosis was confirmed using defined criteria and the aetiology confirmed from the results of diagnostic tests including HBV serology. This data was analysed to estimate the contribution of HBV to cirrhosis in the cohort. Results For the first objective, 279 patients were interviewed. The number of male and female patients was similar, and 75.5% of the participants were aged 20 – 39 years. Antenatal screening was the most common means of detecting HBV infection in women and prior to blood donation was the most common means of identifying HBV infection in men. With respect to HBV transmission risk factors, intra-familial contact with HBV infected persons and behavioural risks such as body piercing (females) and barber shaving (males) were more common than nosocomial risk factors. Knowledge about HBV infection was scarce among our participants. For the second objective, we identified records from 419 patients with cirrhosis. The median age was 59 years and males accounted for two thirds of the total studied population. 97.1% of patients were of Omani ethnicity. There was evidence of previous or current HBV infection (positive anti-bodies to hepatitis B core antigen) in 51.3% of the cirrhotic patients. 21.5% had active HBV (positive HBsAg). Of the patients with current HBV 91.2% were infected with HBV alone while 8.8% were co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis C was present in 30.5% of cirrhotic patients and nearly half of those patients had evidence of past exposure to HBV. When stratified by gender, HBV infection was more common among male cirrhotic patients compared to females. Conclusions This study found that risk factors for HBV infection in Omani patients include direct contact of infected individuals within a family and exposure to high-risk behaviours such as piercing and barber shaving. Reducing vertical and horizontal transmission of hepatitis B in Oman could be improved by the implementation of routine antenatal screening of pregnant women and a greater focus on contact screening respectively. Future work is required to determine whether the association with behavioural risk factors is causal, particularly piercing and shaving at barber shops. If confirmed, relatively simple and effective interventions could be developed to reduce the risk of horizontal transmission related to these activities. We found that third of the patients identified with liver cirrhosis had past exposure to HBV and 20% had evidence of chronic infection. Most patients were of older age and male sex. This group of patients may benefit from antiviral therapy to prevent decompensation and regular surveillance for early diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Further research is required to assess the role of other exposures (alcohol, co-infection with other viruses) in the prognosis of hepatitis B to cirrhosis in Oman. 2016-11-02T20:17:07Z Case-control study of risk factors for Legionnaires' disease caused by Legionella longbeachae in Canterbury, New Zealand http://hdl.handle.net/10523/6844 Case-control study of risk factors for Legionnaires' disease caused by Legionella longbeachae in Canterbury, New Zealand 2016 Kenagy, Emma Introduction Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by infection from Legionella bacteria. There is a known association between the use of compost-based soil products and Legionnaires' disease caused by the bacterium Legionella longbeachae. A case-control study was carried out between October 2013 and March 2014 in Canterbury, New Zealand, where reported prevalence of L. longbeachae infection is unusually high, to investigate host risk factors and gardening-related risk factors for the disease. Methods Twenty-one laboratory-confirmed notified cases and 69 population controls were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Logistic regression was used in STATA 13 to calculate univariate odds ratios for variables of interest. Stratified univariate analysis was undertaken to consider the impact of multiple risk factors on disease risk. Results Having smoked for 10 or more years (OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.42-11.24) was strongly associated with L. longbeachae infection. Having an indoor garden also increased disease risk (OR 3.81, 1.18-12.27). Use of compost-based products during the three-week reference period (OR 4.16, 1.37-12.64) was associated with L. longbeachae infection. Opening (OR 4.6, 1.64-12.92) and tipping or troweling potting mix or purchased compost (OR 5.00, 1.71-14.5), and touching the face after using these products before washing hands (OR 12.22, 3.16-47.29) were also strongly associated with disease. Having hanging pots or baskets (OR 0.77, 0.27-2.17) and being near dripping hanging pots or baskets (OR 0.38, 0.27-2.17) during the three-week reference period were not associated with disease, as had been observed in a previous case-control study conducted in South Australia from 1996-98. Wearing a mask (OR 1.80, 0.30-10.64) or gloves (OR 0.64, 0.15-2.77) while using potting mix did not appear to be protective against disease. Discussion Long-term smoking is an important risk factor for L. longbeachae Legionnaires' disease, and those with a history of smoking for more than 10 years should be advised to exercise extreme caution when using compost-based products. Important environmental risk factors include use of potting mix or purchased compost, poor hand hygiene while using compost-based products, and other behaviour that transfers these products to the mouth or face. Use of compost-based products indoors may also increase risk. The findings suggest that transmission of bacteria from the environment to humans may occur through aspiration of contaminated soil particles that are transferred to the mouth. Hand-washing and keeping potting mix and compost away from the face appear to be key measures for preventing Legionnaires' disease. 2016-10-17T01:12:22Z


text: The Beans & Grains Bible by Emma Borghesi English | Dec. 22, 2015 | ISBN: 1626864373 | 320 Pages | AZW3/PDF (conv) | 45.43 MB Beans and grains have been part of the human diet for centuries. Many stories exist of ancient cultures using these foods not only for sustenance, but also in ritual. is a complete source of information on enjoying this naturally nutritious cuisine in your own home. Expert tips on choosing the best produce, storage ideas, and tasty recipes will help you make sure your family gets their daily requirement of these valuable food groups. Buy Premium From My Links To Get Resumable Support,Max Speed & Support Me Code: Download ( NitroFlare ) http://nitroflare.com/view/3EEF7C21D9B89EA/khdcy.T.B.G.B.rar Oboom https://www.xxxxxxxx/6BIDKS73/khdcy.T.B.G.B.rar


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Zurich Insurance Group posted an improved set of results for the first half of 2014 as the company reaped the rewards of streamlining its organisational structure and its delivery on other strategic changes at the company.
The company made a net profit of $2.1 billion for the period, a 14 percent increase compared with the same period the year before. Its operating profit for the period was $2.6 billion, 15 percent more than the year before.
Its gross written premiums and policy fees for the period was stable at $19.9 billion, a 1 percent increase compared with the $19.7 billion it wrote the year before. Its combined ratio was 96.1 percent, an improvement of 2 percentage points.
"I am pleased to report a good set of results for the first half. We have seen clear progress on the execution of our strategy and delivery against our targets," said Martin Senn, chief executive of Zurich. "While still early in our three year plan, we are on track for our 2014 to 2016 targets.
"We have made good progress against each of our three strategic cornerstones. Much of the groundwork for future investment in priority markets, like introducing better customer segmentation, has been completed.
"We have also made progress in the businesses that we are managing for value, including the sale of the Russian retail business and exit from Zurich-branded aggregator distribution in the UK. And we are pleased to note further positive trends at the Farmers Exchanges, with improved customer satisfaction and agent retention. Finally, our strong cash generation reflects the continued stability of our business and we project that full-year cash remittances will be in excess of $3.5 billion dollars, ahead of 2013."
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Zurich, Europe, Second Quarter 2014 Results, Martin Senn


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Job Description:
Brown University, an elite institution of higher education renowned for the rigor and innovation of its curriculum as well as the excellence of its research, seeks an exceptional and experienced professional to serve as Executive Director of Corporate Relations.
A committee, chaired by Provost Richard M. Locke, has been formed to undertake an extensive search to identify the inaugural Executive Director, with a goal of having a candidate in place by July 1, 2017.
About Brown
Located in historic Providence, Rhode Island, and founded in 1764, Brown University is the seventh-oldest college in the United States. Brown is an independent, coeducational Ivy League institution comprising undergraduate and graduate programs, along with the Warren Alpert Medical School, School of Public Health, School of Engineering, and School of Professional Studies.
Under the leadership of President Christina H. Paxson and Provost Richard M. Locke, Brown has adopted a strategic plan, Building on Distinction, which positions the University to attain higher levels of academic excellence over the next decade through collaborative integrative research and an innovative approach to education. In fall 2015, the University launched a $3 billion comprehensive campaign, BrownTogether, to support and achieve the aspirations outlined in Building on Distinction. The Universityâ??s strong commitment to diversity and inclusion as essential to achieving its mission was recently reaffirmed with the development and release of Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion: An Action Plan for Brown.
Executive Director for Corporate Relations
The ED is the most senior officer in the University dedicated to growing and cultivating a robust and holistic corporate and industry relations portfolio to advance opportunities for funding, research, technology transfer, executive education, teaching and student internships and employment.
Reporting to the Vice President for Research, and with significant interaction with the Provost, the Executive Director (ED) is charged with developing and implementing a strategic plan to identify, cultivate, coordinate, solicit and steward corporate partners in support of the Universityâ??s mission and, more specifically, the priorities of Building on Distinction. ED will also be responsible for developing metrics to measure progress toward the goals enumerated in the strategic plan.
ED will:
ED will also engage with colleagues across the University to identify unique resources and capabilities to be maximized through new or broadened partnerships, and to develop a coordinated structure to ensure ongoing effective communication, cooperation and responsiveness between groups. This will include, but not limited to, working closely with individual researchers, Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship, Schools of Medicine, Engineering, and Professional Studies, Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM), the Computer Science Department, and Offices of Advancement and Government Relations.
Ideal candidate will have an advanced degree in a relevant field and a demonstrated record of leadership with a minimum of 10 to 15 years of experience. Understanding of both corporate cultures/organizations and complex institutions of higher education is required.
Commitment to Brown: Ideal candidates should bring a deep appreciation for the history, mission, achievements, and contributions of Brown University, and the ability to effectively and eloquently articulate those to current and potential partners, and other critical audiences.
Vision and leadership: This is a position for an inspiring, energetic, visionary, collaborative leader with a demonstrated record in a complex institution of higher education or comparable organization. Applicants must be entrepreneurial, with deep knowledge of the field and the capacity to make strategic decisions and generate innovative ideas and solutions.
Analytical capacity: Candidates should have the ability to engage in ongoing strategic analysis of relevant opportunities and challenges using qualitative and quantitative data, and to digest, translate and employ information on national and international trends to inform strategic planning.
Exceptional communication knowledge and skills: Candidates must be articulate and persuasive in communicating with a wide array of constituencies.
Commitment to diversity and inclusion: Applicants must have a strong commitment to promoting institutional diversity and inclusion.
Personal characteristics: Superlative interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to work well with people at all levels of an organization. Collaborative and collegial orientation, eager and able to engage diverse constituencies and build strong professional relationships. Strong personal integrity and work ethic, as well as a sense of diplomacy and perspective.
Background check: Criminal/Educational
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Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any staff position at Brown University you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.
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Brown University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive academic global community; as an EEO/AA employer, Brown considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, race, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.


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Burnt Hair, Flaming Doll
I used to have a little doll named Kathie. She was pale as a cloud, with little red lips and wisps of golden hair hanging to the middle of her little pink dress. She had eyes like emeralds, and I loved her. I loved her, but I wanted more.
I told my mom to buy me another doll.
"Kathie needs a friend. She's lonely and I want another doll!"
I was greedy then, too. I pulled tantrums all the time.
So you see, I have always been this way.
Time for a flashback, I guess.