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Aquaria KLCC – Kuala Lumpur's world class oceanarium
Discover Malaysia's largest aquarium! Aquaria KLCC is situated at Kuala Lumpur's city centre, just ten minutes away from the great Twin Towers. Home to over 5000 marine animals, divided into 7 zones including living ocean, weird and wonderful, evolution zone and deep forest, the diverse species of beautiful marine life will blow your mind away!
Here are some of Aquaria KLCC attractions:
- Feeding sessions
- The hungry sharks (Aquatheatre)
This is one of the main attractions in Aquaria KLCC that you mustn't miss when you are here! Watch the divers come up close and feed the ferocious sharks! Keep your eyes wide open and don't blink your eyes, as it will be over in a split second! Do note that this attraction is only available on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays, at 3pm!
- Arapaima (Flooded Forest)
Watch the divers feed the Arapaima fish, which is among the largest freshwater fish in the world! It is said to be able to grow up to 3m in length and weigh more than 150kg! Catch the spectacular feeding sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays, at 2.30pm.
- Piranhas
Known for their razor-sharp teeth and predatory behaviour, the aggressive red-bellied piranhas are notoriously known as ferocious predators, who have an insatiable appetite. Are you ready to meet them face-to-face? Witness the incredible feeding session at 4pm daily!
These are some of the feeding sessions which you definitely should not miss at Aquaria KLCC!
- Zones
Divided into 7 zones, some of the creatures they have on exhibits are the green sea turtle, your favourite sharks – including the blacktip reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks and sand tiger sharks, the majestic rays, the alligator garfish, jellyfish, sea horses and many more!
- Swim with sharks
For certified divers, if you would love to experience what it is like to swim with a real-life shark, then why not try Aquaria KLCC 'Dive with Sharks' experience? Enjoy the amazing feeling of diving in a world class oceanarium tank and go on an adventure with the sharks and along with other beautiful creatures of the ocean.
Not to worry if you do not have a diving license, you can still experience up-close encounters with the sharks, in Aquaria KLCC's custom-made underwater cage!
Hop on and get ready for an educational tour around Aquaria KLCC and learn more about the amazing creatures living in the ocean. It will be such a great experience, and you definitely would not want to miss out on this when you are in KL! So head on down to the sea aquarium which is opened from 10am – 8pm daily, but do note that the last admission is at 7pm. Bring the whole family along and enjoy a great time with these beautiful underwater sea creatures!
Other popular attractions in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur Bird Park
Jump Street Trampoline Park
KLCC Skybridge
Petaling Street Night Market
Alor Street Food Night Market
Things to do in Kuala Lumpur
Theme Parks


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How Much You Need To Expect You'll Pay For A Good iq option honest review
A unfavorable aspect of employing any binary option robot, is usually that we do not know the algorithm which generates the trade signals. So we're left to come the varied binary robots, depending on what hazard administration attributes they provide us.
I've study a few of this reviews on below people producing IQ option sound undesirable.In the event you don't belief them still then facebook me Individually i dont do the job for them or anything at all.I'll be honest with you"
About Forexpeacearmy: it's honest and you'll want to go to them far more regularly. You will discover superior reviews (incredibly suspicious) and lousy reviews. But obviously you don't need to browse them…attempt to examine every other broker (forex or BO) and you'll discover that the most serious reply to individuals's grievances. What does it suggest? That critical brokers reply, Iqoption never ever replied. Have you seen this:
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The pretty very first thing It's important to do is, naturally, browsing the web site of IQ Option and then click the inexperienced button just soon after filling some details about you.
You must send scanned copies of a federal government issued ID, a utility Monthly bill and a replica of your signed credit card if that is the withdrawal technique you are working with (hide the credit score number, definitely).
Any time you Enroll in the Opposition, you're provided $10k in virtual funds (similar to the demo). At the conclusion of the twenty moment Level of competition, the trader with the best returns wins the prize.
As Now we have seen, IQ Option appears to be to really value their public impression. Besides the plain publicity that originates from sponsoring the Aston Martin racing workforce, IQ Option has gained many broker awards from the Group.
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Choose the rate motion course either by pressing "Set" for downtrend or "Contact" for up-craze.
Now about Forex Peace Military. We have now no usually means to confirm if reviews on that Web-site are get more info true or not. But Forex Peace Military doesn't have the very best track record, some brokers are saying that they happen to be blackmailed by FPA (by way of example: ). So we foundation our recommendations purely on our expertise and on comments from other traders that we are able to validate.
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For the reason that launch 12 months of 2013, IQ Option has become rising its support high-quality level using a sustainable pattern. A lot of new capabilities happen to be additional to the broker repeatedly.

subset: commoncrawl


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Animal cruelty has to stop.
There are two types of cruelty. Deliberate cruelty and cruelty through neglect. The majority of cruelty cases are largely due to neglect according to Redwings, which only goes to show the extent of work still to do be done on educating people in the care of animals. However some cases are deliberate cruelty and these in particular need to be punished with a longer prison sentence. A life harmed is a life harmed, be it human or animal. For the cases of neglect it is more imperative that the lifetime ban on keeping animals is effectively enforced.
In light of the need for harsher sentencing the top equine charities have backed a motion to increase the maximum jail term for animal cruelty. Currently the longest sentence available is a mere 6 months, which is not much given the levels of degradation that some individuals stoop to. The Government have agreed that 5 years would be a better maximum sentence and are supporting a change in the law. This would give judges greater scope for sentencing, and provide a stronger deterrent.
The Government have called for more research on the link between animal abuse and human abuse. However according to PETA the link is there and should be used a warning sign of an increased likelihood of violence towards people.
"Murderers … very often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids," says Robert K. Ressler, who developed profiles of serial killers for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Historically notorious murderers have displayed violence towards animals prior to any aggression towards humans. Research into the spate of high school shootings across America found that many of the aggressors had begun with cruelty to animals before moving onto humans. It seems to be that a basic disregard for animals is a fair indication of how people treat others.
While we cannot prevent deliberate cruelty we can encourage and promote good welfare standards. With Sue Palmer's book "Understanding Horse Performance Brain, Pain, or Training?" we hope that by improving people's knowledge we can help to improve welfare standards. There is a huge movement across the world to improve welfare on every level. Make sure you are part of that. Together we can make the world a better place.
For more information and top tips visit www.thehorsephysio.co.uk and sign up to our newsletter. Sue Palmer is a Chartered Physiotherapist, an Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associate and a BHSAI.


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The Shirley E. Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession Speaker Series presents:
Pushing the Diversity Agenda Forward in the Legal Profession: Learning from Global Perspectives and Opportunities
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fauteux Hall – FTX351
57 Louis-Pasteur, uOttawa
Lunch included. All are welcome.
This event will be in English.
This program contains 1.5 Professionalism Hours.
- Audrea Golding | Partner, Fragomen Worldwide
- Shirley E. Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession
- Human Rights Research and Education Centre
- Cavanagh LLP Professionalism Speaker Series
- Law and Social Justice
- Black Law Students Association Ottawa
*The Human Rights Research and Education Centre may take pictures at this event for use on the website and social medias.


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Martin: Hi, today we are in San Francisco with Ludei. Eneko, who are you and what do you do?
Eneko: Hi, how's it going?
Martin: Good.
Eneko: So, our company, it's a platform for developers, specifically for HTML 5, JavaScript, and app developers.
Martin: Ok, great. And how did you come up with this idea and what type of other companies did you start before?
Eneko: I started a web hosting company back in Spain like 10 years ago. This company was acquired by Telefonica. And then I started different companies, so one of them was Ludei, in the beginning Ludei was game studio, and we were looking for a solution for cross-platform development. We were looking for a way to code once and have a game running everywhere. And it was like 4 years ago that we started using HTML 5 or messing around with HTML 5 to see if it was an actual feasible technology to use for games. And we were facing different problems, we solved all of them, and we manage HTML 5 to run really fast on every device, and that's when we decided to become a platform, in sense of our games to the technology company, to sell this technology through this platform to other developers. And we also open this technology to every app developer, not only game developers. So, Ludei is a platform for every app developer, we make their lives easier, we make their apps run faster without any problem on every device.
Martin: And how's the revenue model working?
Eneko: So, it's software as a service model. So developers they come to our platform, everything is web-based, really scalable, they sign up for, they choose their plan and they pay, or they have our free plan, or they pay depending on the different features that they want, and we also make money by publishing different apps. When we find an app or a game that could be successful, we partner with the developer and then we share their revenue.
Martin: Ok, great. And if you segment your customers, by size for example or maybe region, what percentage is, for example, in terms of production and developer studios, or single developers, and maybe even in countries?
Eneko: Our developers, now we have more than 40 thousand, they are from all over the world, so a big parties they Lire la suite


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There's a New Slayer in Town (Dean or Spike)
Of course, she'd gotten the scare of her life when she'd received the call about Giles a few months back. She hadn't been able to work up the nerve to go visit him in the hospital. Not right away. There was a part of her that was terrified of losing the only stable father figure she had in her life. She'd already lost her mother, and the thought of losing Giles...
Well, it had hurt enough when he'd left for England. Which meant that it had been easier to simply carry on as though he was still in England and not lying in a hospital bed in Pennsylvania.
Of course she could only carry that on for so long before a slight lull in the action in Sunnydale reminded her that she had other places to be and other people to watch out for. She would have to face the now-fully recovered Giles and apologize for not visiting while he was in the hospital. Or worse, she would face him and he would be too British and Giles-y to call her out on her desertion. And she would have to check on her sister and make sure Dawn was okay. She would also have to make sure that her ex-whatever she could call Spike-wasn't secretly plotting to add to the problems at this Hellmouth.
Right now, though, she simply needed to get past the vampires that had greeted her almost as soon as she'd got off the bus into town. The vamps seemed extra-hyped up. Possibly from some leftover Hellmouth energy. From what she'd heard, this one had been especially active lately.
Buffy slammed her fist into one of the nearby vampires and then pulled out a stake.
"This is your welcome wagon? I was at least hoping for a basket of muffins or whatever your local delicacy is."


text: Carrie & Brandon met up with me while I was in Raleigh NC for some engagement photos around Haywood Hall (one of my favorite wedding venues!), and the Capitol. They were so laid back with each other and it made them so easy to work with! We spent an early morning exploring the grounds of the Haywood Hall Gardens and then walked to some of their favorite streets around the Capitol. And Carrie had the prettiest dresses!


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Is $70,000 a sufficient way to show appreciation for being appointed to the UNC Board of Governors?
Tillis's Super PAC, Grow NC Strong, Raised $105,000, Including $70,000 From Three Men Tillis Appointed To The UNC Board Of Governors.
An Appointment To The UNC Board Of Governors "Is One Of The Most Prestigious And Sought-After Appointments In North Carolina Business And Political Circles."
Maybe $70K is enough, but why not give a few thousand more, just to be sure?
A controversial pick for the UNC system's Board of Governors backed by House Speaker Thom Tillis gave another $5,000 toward the Tillis campaign effort.
George Sywassink donated $5,000 to the Thom Tillis Victory Committee, a joint-fundraising operation with the Republican Party. It now brings total donations from Sywassink, his wife and his company to $38,000. He earlier contributed directly to the campaign and to a super PAC designed to boost Tillis' bid.
And apparently what matters most is campaign contributions, not qualifications.
When his fellow Republicans questioned why House Speaker Thom Tillis backed a Democrat to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in March, the speaker had a simple reason:
R. Doyle Parrish had raised a lot of money.
"I would estimate he is directly responsible for more than $100,000.00 in financial support through personal contributions to my campaign committee and other candidates and through the Hospitality Alliance," Tillis wrote in a March 21 email to House leaders.
Sywassink is just a garden variety greeder
Parish, on the other hand, is supposedly a Democrat ... a Democrat who gave $20,000 to Thom Tillis. He gets his seat on the UNC Board and Tillis gets his ass kicked in November.
Poetic justice?


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Toy Soldiers: Cold War – Giant Flying Tanks !?! – Toy Soldiers Cold War Download Game for Free
Welcome everybody to Toy Soldiers Cold War! Toy Soldiers Cold War is a complex tower defense game where you fight oncoming Toy Soldiers with your Toy Soldiers. In this first episode we begin the main campaign and quickly realize the Soviets have some secret weapons. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Toy Soldiers Cold War, thanks for watching and liking.


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I love pretty sparkly things. You know, like diamonds… 😉
Anyway, since I was the oldest granddaughter I inherited my grandmother's rings. They sat in my jewelry box for years and years. Didn't fit. Never really did anything with them. So a few years ago, SuperGuy took them to the jeweler and had them made into this cute little ring and necklace.
Are they pretty? I feel so connected and close to my grandmother when I wear them. I know they aren't the biggest diamonds in the world. Okay, they are like tiny diamond chips. My grandparents didn't have a lot of expensive things, but she wore her rings everyday from the day they were married to the day she died.
I love them. They inevitably put me into a good mood when I wear them. Not only because they were my grandmothers, but because SuperGuy took the time to go have them made into jewelry I could actually wear. :love2:
So have you inherited any jewelry that you like to wear? Or what do you have tucked away as a momento that you could actually drag out and use?


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AMD has delivered an upbeat set of financials, publishing (PDF) its Fourth Quarter and Annual 2018 results last night. Dr Lisa Su was pleased with AMD's "second straight year of significant revenue growth, market share gains, expanded gross margin and improved profitability," and promised more exciting product launches during 2019. In particular Su highlighted the upcoming 7nm Ryzen, Radeon, and EPYC products.
Above you can see a summary table for the quarterly and annual results just published. It is quite a good custom table from AMD's presentation as it breaks down the firm's operating segments too. General financial highlights from AMD are bullet pointed below:
- Annual results: Revenue of $6.48 billion was up 23 per cent year over year, driven by higher revenue in the Computing and Graphics segment. Gross margin was raised to 38 per cent, compared to 34 per cent a year earlier.
- Q4 results: Revenue of $1.42 billion was up 6 per cent year over year primarily driven by the Computing and Graphics segment. Enterprise, Embedded and Semi Custom segment revenue down 14 per cent. Gross margin improvements arrived thanks to Ryzen and EPYC processor sales.
In a post-results conference call, Dr Su boasted of new products gaining market share and significantly boosting the gross margin. This lead "to our most profitable year since 2011," highlighted the AMD CEO. On the topic of GPUs, Su admitted "near-term graphics weakness," due to a stall in crypto demand (in Q4 such sales were said to be negligible). With AMD Navi introductions planned for later this year, hopefully things will pep up for AMD in this segment.
Wafer supply agreement update
AMD enetered its 7th agreement with GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GF). As you can see in the presentation slide above, AMD gains the flexibility for wafer purchases from any foundry at the 7nm node and beyond, without any one-time payments or royalties to GF.


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Tourism in Nice
Nice Côte d'Azur is, in every sense, the beating heart of the French Riviera destination. Nice la Belle (Nissa la Bella) is to be discovered in all its facets: historical, cultural, artistic, festive, beach, societal, tourism.
You will find numerous touristic attractions in Nice, which you can find on the map below.Amongst these attraction are the following:
• Mont Boron
• Place Garibaldi
• Avenue Jean Médecin
• Place Masséna
• Colline du Château
• Vieille Ville de Nice
• Stade multifonction Allianz Riviera


text: ronkkey 0 Posted January 26, 2019 Please I am currently developing my site. I will want to develop my site without having the outside world see my site while this is going on. Please how do I put my site in maintenance mode Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Construction products must be safe, be in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, and not be harmful to health. Construction products are fit for construction purposes when they meet the essential technical requirements defined in the Land Use and Building Act, for the following properties:
Environmental Administration's Image Bank
Construction products refer to products intended to become a permanent part of a structure, such as concrete elements, windows, steel structures and timber. The EU's Construction Products Regulation applies to a construction product if it is covered by a harmonised product standard or if its manufacturer has applied for a European Technical Assessment (ETA) covering the product.
According to section 4 of the Act on the Type Approval of Certain Construction Products (Laki eräiden rakennustuotteiden tuotehyväksynnästä 954/2012), a construction product means a permanent construction part, structure or component, product or equipment that is a permanent part of a construction work and for which essential technical requirements have been defined in the Land Use and Building Act. Construction products also include the components needed to install these products.
The performance of construction products is confirmed with the CE marking, if the product in question falls within the scope of the harmonised European product standard or its manufacturer has applied for an ETA for the product. The CE marking shows conformity of the product with the declared performance and compliance with the Harmonised European Standard (hEN) or ETA. This allows designers and consumers to easily compare construction products. This will also make the trading of products across borders easier.
The national procedure for product approval is only available for construction products that do not fall under the scope of any European product standard or ETA.
National procedures for product approval are voluntary for manufacturers. However, the municipality's building supervision authority may require testing or document-based verification of product performance for construction purposes on a construction site, if there is reason to suspect that the product does not meet the essential technical requirements set for it and its performance for intended use has not been proven.
National procedures for product approval
Construction Product Decree (EU 305/2011 pdf)
Contact information
Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
Contact information and service points
Personnel search
About this website
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Reach Cambridge is designed to not only give our students a taste of University life and an experience of Cambridge, but also to show them the best that the UK has to offer. Friday was all about the latter, with our students setting off bright and early this morning to head into London for a guided sightseeing tour and private look around the Houses of Parliament.
The students arrived at the iconic Trafalgar Square, site of Nelson's column and the National Portrait Gallery, where they were met by long-standing Tour-Guide-Extraordinaire, 'Tricia. We were wowed by her knowledge, as students heard stories of some of London's most famous landmarks and saw the Changing of the Guard. Learning all about the 'Fourth Plinth' in Trafalgar Square which currently displays an art installation made entirely from date syrup tins from Iraq, the students were then asked to design what they would put on the plinth if they had the chance. Following this, we had the chance to see Buckingham Palace up close having walked down the world famous Mall.
At Lunchtime we had a group picnic in St James' Park, the site of a Medieval pig farm for Leprosy sufferers, a Tudor Deer park and a zoo home to crocodiles and exotic birds. Thankfully today there were no predators in sight, just a beautiful space for some students resting their feet after some intense learning and walking, whilst others engaged in some impromptu sport with Kate and Jenny.
The Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster, are the centre of all political action in the United Kingdom, where the most important decisions are taken and citizens' voices are heard. We were incredibly lucky to receive a private tour of the building before it closes for renovations for two years. Students were able to see the famous green benches of the House of Commons, where Prime Ministers have for centuries stood to deliver inspiring speeches. From Churchill to Blair, our students shadowed the footsteps of former greats as they prepare for Public Speaking and Leadership workshops this weekend.
In the evening, the students returned to Reach Hall for dinner and activities. We were treated to food from a local Gourmet Burger restaurant, as everyone had some well deserved relaxation time after a day on their feet. Everyone heads to bed having well and truly earned their dinner this evening, and looking forward to their return to subject classes tomorrow morning!
From now until 11.59pm on 9th April, you will save £300 when you apply and pay your deposit for Program 1, running 1st - 21st July. See our COURSES page for further details. For more information about what the course involves, keep a weather eye on our blog and newsletter – you can sign up for our newsletter in just a few seconds via this link.
You can now also register your interest for SPRING 2019 by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Taking care of a pet is always an important task because they are just like us, the humans. In particular, when we have a pet at home, we need to give the basic care and comfort to them. What you need to do is just organized way of taking care of them. You don't need to toil a lot if you are systematic in taking care of them. We certainly may need all the necessary pet items when we own a pet because it needs maximum comfort and care. You cannot just ignore their needs. Moreover, you don't need to worry a lot about this. When you can avail pet supplies out there in the market at reasonable rates, why you need to panic? You can have a wonderful time with your pets if you pay attention on such things.
Keeping all sorts of essential pet meds at home is more than a necessity. You never know when the pet is going to fall sick. It does not mean that you have to keep all the medication at home; however, you must have at least all the necessary medications at home. Medications for flea, stomach illness, cold, vomiting, and diarrhoea is a must. You can get them easily from a local store or else you can order these pet medications from an online pet meds store. No matter what your choice is, what is important is keeping such medications at home for an easy access at the time of emergency.
Keeping frontline plus is an advantage as a pet is really very prone to fleas at anytime. If you start treating it with frontline plus just at the onset of flea infection, you can make sure that the fleas are away from the pets very soon. Another choice of medications at home is NSAIDs. Such medications are a real help as you can give them when they are in any sort of pain or stress. For instance the animal who suffers from osteoarthritis can take the help of NSAIDs such as Deramaax and Etodolac. Meds like amitriptyline takes care of depression in animals. This medicine should be a great help in controlling behavioural changes in cats and dogs. Pet meds like Atopic a plays a key role in treating allergies completely in animals.
Above mentioned are some meds for example you can keep at home as precautionary meds. However, it is always apt for you to visit a veterinarian at your locality and seek for his opinion regarding your pet's health. Once he prescribes you meds you can buy meds from online pet med pharmacies because they let you to have pet meds discount. This would be much lesser than the price at your local pharmacy. Therefore, trying out it in the internet is going to help you for sure. Moreover, these online pharmacies are reliable and cost effective. You can interact with them for knowing their deals and packages. After all, what really important for you is nothing, but good health and great comfort of your beloved animals! Isn't it?


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Chandigarh be an Eduprenuer ! The team of BRAINWONDERS is proud to provide business opportunities in North India, with The Franchise India Expo 2019, The Lalit (Chandigrah) on 19th and 21st January 2019! It is an amazing opportunity for all budding edupreneurs.
In September 2018, BRAINWONDERS has launched itself at the North India School Awards and Summit to revolutionise the concept of education counselling via their U.S. Patented DMIT, multiple intelligence tests, IQ test, online aptitude test and psychometric tests which is followed by expert career counselling and guidance by certified psychologists.
Following the same, BRAINWONDERS has already connected to 12 schools for assessment and regional partnership alongwith with 75 more in the pipeline across the Northern part of the nation.
This, BRAINWONDERS is providing Unique Franchise Opportunities to become an Edupreneur to oversee the North India Operations and expand to provide the best educational counselling and career guidance there is!
Chandigarh be an Eduprenuer ! Chandigarh is an educational hub in the North, with several aspiring students lining up for it with the intention of securing their future. Which means that there are several people looking for guidance.
BRAINWONDERS is determined to expand its reach via Franchise Opportunities, and here are top reasons why you should grab it-
- SUNRISE INDUSTRY: Education is a necessity. It is a sector which is constantly blooming and upgrading. Hence, edupreneur is guaranteed to never have a dull day.
- CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY: The highlight of being in the education industry is the power of shaping the scene of national development and fuelling the progress on a global level.
- LOW INVESTMENT, HIGH RETURN: With the BRAINWONDERS Franchise Opportunities, the profit is maximum. One can easily break-even with the invested amount in a matter of months.
- UNLIMITED CLIENT BASE: The students, teachers, parents and principals are always there to stay. This field has no bar as to age or background and thus, the edupreneur is sure that their services will always be in demand.
- INNOVATION AT ITS BEST: BRAINWONDERS is the only U.S. Patented DMIT organisation which has authenticity and credibility. DMIT has already proven as a technological advancement which helps the students and educators alike.
- WOMEN EMPOWERMENT:With their modules designed specifically for the mothers and female graduates, BRAINWONDERS has resolved to let the ladies take a lead on this one.
- MAXIMUM INPUT, MAGNIFICENT OUTPUT: The team of BRAINWONDERS has a vast network with full online and offline support from the start to…well it doesn't ever end. The promise is that BRAINWONDERS will keep your schedule busy and booming, and they will be there every step of the way.
With so many advantages and much more, there is no time to lose! INVEST AND GROW! Be an EDUPRENEUR- BRAINWONDERS will tell you how!


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Photo By: Jason + Anna Photography
Photo By: Bercy Chen Studio
Photo By: Kristina Wolf
Contemporary Living Room With Beige Sectional, Diamond Pattern Rug and Turquoise Accents
A large beige sectional and cozy cream chair line the wall in this living room for stylish seating. A reflective circular coffee table centers the room over the diamond pattern rug. Throw pillows contribute to the neutral shades in the design while a single pillow adds a pop of turquoise for an accent.
Visit Original Photo
Long, Brown Leather Sofa in Midcentury Modern Living Room With Turquoise Accents and Built In Shelves
A long brown leather sofa matches the length of the window allowing natural light into this midcentury modern living room. Turquoise accent pillows bring color to the space. Two diamond pattern pillows compliment the diamond pattern of the floor rug. A mirror coffee table reflects the natural light and contributes to the brightness of the room.
Small Living Room With Stacked Book Towers
Several stacked book towers, a large blue and brown area rug and neutral couch with patterned pillows fill this small contemporary living room with a turquoise accent wall.
Open, Modern Living Room With Floor Length Curtains and Glass Walls
The monochromatic color scheme in this modern living room complements the open, relaxing feel of the design. Full drapes allow control over the amount of natural light let in from the glass walls. The beige sectionals are accented with turquoise and patterned throw pillows for a pop of color and life.
Royal Colors in Living Room
A little color and pattern goes a long way in this Tudor-inspired living room. A charcoal sectional is topped with colorful and textural throw pillows ranging from ikat to flokati. Rich purple accent chairs tie in the contemporary area rug and offer a subtle pattern of their own.
Yellow Eclectic Living Room Mixes Asian and Contemporary
A round pedestal table holding an Asian tree is used as a living room divider and is flanked by a large beige sofa and a contemporary seating area with modern turquoise blue arm chairs. Arched window shades cover the large windows above three sets of French doors. The contemporary seating area features a zebra print rug and glass coffee table while both sections are accented with red throw pillows.
Neutral Contemporary Living Room With Animal Print and Red Accents
A large neutral sectional sits against a neutral wall and rug in this contemporary living room. Red and zebra print throw pillows and a cow print stool add a pop of color and pattern to the room. A gray accent wall around the window matches the color palette of the tile flooring. A large square wooden coffee table sits in the middle.


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Chimneys are a Colonial American fixture, but they need care every once in a while. Let Mike Dhembe's Chimney Sweep Service keep your chimney in top shape.
For professional chimney services in Central Massachusetts, call:
Contact: Mike Dhembe
Phone: 508-765-9606
Email: email@example.com
Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
We also serve Northeastern Connecticut including Thompson, Woodstock, and Putnam.
Installation warranties
24-hour emergency service
Professional workmen
Locally-owned and operated
15 years of experience
Hands-on owner
Licensed, certified, and insured
Construction Supervisor License #64154
Home Improvement Contractor License #118230
Sheet Metal Workers License #14131


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Pynwheel Your Community Tours
9 Tips To Help You Close More Leases
By John Hall - August 23, 2018
Technology has transformed apartment marketing. Now, like never before, potential residents have access to more information about your community before they even set foot on it.
Despite this fact, there is one element of the leasing process that hasn't really changed - the community tour. At Pynwheel, we have made it our business to determine how apartment operators can improve the community tour process with new best practices, technology, and time-saving techniques.
Here are some of our favorite community tour tips.
1- Don't let them wait
It should go without saying, but we still hear stories all the time involving residents who give up waiting for a leasing agent to help them. Engaging walk-ins with your lobby technology is a good way to start the sales process, even if you are unable to be with them at the moment. If nothing else, every single walk-in needs to be greeted within seconds.
2- Use your touchscreen on every tour
While touchscreens are a great way to engage potential residents when you are unavailable, they are also most effective when used in conjunction with your community tour. Touchscreens are still a novelty to the average consumer, and their existence in your leasing center sends the message that your community is technology forward. More importantly, touchscreens let your prospects inform you of their interests, so that you can shape a tour to their needs.
3- Keep their options open
Consumers are more likely to seek other alternatives
when they only have one option. Touchscreens allow you to present multiple options for apartment homes. Do not make the mistake of trying to get a prospect all in on one unit that you have pre-selected for them. Also, make sure that you know your value propositions. Make sure that you are talking more about the things that differentiate you from nearby competitors, and less about the things you all have.
4- Be a part of the neighborhood
Your prospects are interested in knowing what businesses and services there are around you. While it is not possible to take a field trip on they typical tour, you should make sure that you are communicating the benefits of your location. Pynwheel neighborhood maps are able to display a multitude of local offerings, and now offer images accentuate the appeal of those offerings.
5- Don't give the same old tour
Take the information you have been provided, and tell each prospect what are going to show them. By avoiding a "canned" presentation, and making it clear that you are choosing specific points of interest from a larger menu, you will send a message that your interaction is unique, and that your offerings are vast. Your touchscreen gives you a great starting point to creating each tour's custom script.
6- Talk less. Show more.
It is no secret that visuals are more important than words. So, let your prospects see your best visual features for themselves. Also, by letting your touchscreen communicate the more data-driven elements of your sales presentation (ie, which units are available when), you have time for information gathering and relationship building. Which brings us to…
7- Build a relationship
Leasing is sales, and you need to always remind yourself of what is important in selling. Do you remember to ask questions? Do you think of yourself as a consultant, with a priority on truly helping your prospects? Do you take the time to talk to prospects about themselves? (
Don't ever forget: people love talking about themselves!
) As much as they are choosing a new home, potential residents are still greatly influenced by the personal connection they feel during the leasing process.
8- Give them a brochure that works
E-brochures trump paper brochures by letting prospects curate them to include the things that they find most appealing. Also, they don't end up in a stack of other brochures, or on the back seat of a car. E-brochures end up in on smartphones and in e-mail accounts, where they are certain to be seen again. They are more easily shared, whether with spouses, roommates-to-be, parents, or co-signers. Imagine your prospect's spouse making a choice based on an e-brochure with relevant images and floor plans, instead of a verbal description of those features.
9- Ramp up your follow-up
With every prospect, you should be taking note of two things: 1) What community amenities or units were appealing to them, and 2) what things about themselves did they like to talk about? Then, both of those things should go into your e-mail or phone follow-up. Send images and information about their preferences that enhance what they have in their e-brochures. If they mention an interest, mention something that you didn't already discuss that pertains to that. Offer concessions that are specific to them!
Community tours are all about time-management. You have the a limited time to gather information, establish a personal connection, and display all of your community features that might be important to each potential resident. Technology that is most helpful to the success of that process will help you manage the time spent on each of those priorities. When potential residents pre-screen your community offerings, and curate their own e-brochures, you have more time to do the things that can't be done over the phone or the internet.
How do you get the most out of your community tours?


text: Congratulations to the CAL Cheerleading squad for receiving the following awards at FCC (Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders) camp last week: Varsity Camp Champions, a bid to Nationals, Home Cheer Winners, Jump Jam Champ, and 2 All American Nominees. In addition, two senior CAL cheerleaders were asked to join the FCC staff. Congratulations girls!


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There is a saying – "In Politics, a gaffe is when you accidentally tell the truth." With that in mind, Sean Hannity just committed the most epic of gaffes during his own radio show when he forgot everything and admitted the truth about not only himself but Fox News as well.
The issue being discussed was Hannity's softball interviews with Donald Trump. While most of the Republican establishment are doing everything they can to stop Trump, Hannity has been practically turning over his own show to Trump for his propaganda purposes in every interview he conducts with him.
Hannity has gotten some recent blowback on this behavior and took it VERY personally. It got him so worked up and upset, that in a moment of anger-fueled honesty he blurted out, "I'm not a journalist!" Well, look who hit the final stage of grief — acceptance.
Sean finally admitted the thing he's been denying for years; the fact that he's nothing but a screaming loser who has as much journalistic ability as a rotten egg.
"I'll be honest, if I'm interviewing Hillary Clinton, it's going to be 100 times harder than any Republican, because I believe the Republicans have a far better vision, one that I agree with. I just have less disagreement with them."
"I'm not a journalist, I'm a talk show host."
"Fair and Balanced?" – The hell you say!
It surely has to be uncomfortable for the Fox News executives in charge of Hannity to be put into this pickle. He's a huge cash cow for them, yet now he's admitting that not only himself – but Fox News by extension in their employment of him – are nothing but hacks stirring a huge stinking pot of propaganda stew that they force feed gullible Americans every night.
Listen to Hannity destroy that final scrap of his credibility below:
Featured image via youtube screen capture


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I am still working on the memorial page to those who gave their lives in the Great War of 1914-19. As part of my research I have been working through local newspaper archives and have now found a report containing the names of those young men from Old Brampton who made the ultimate sacrifice and who's names were inscribed on the memorial at St Peter and St Paul's Church. The memorial was unveiled on 7 November 1920 and commemorates the names of 25 young men killed in the conflict.
At the time of writing only two of those are already commemorated on the role of honour attached to this site. I shall now be starting work to add the remainder.
If you have any information about these individuals which will help us learn more of their story, please let me know.
There are also many young men remembered on the Brampton St Thomas War Memorial who's names I don't yet have, if anyone is able to help by photographing the name panels I would be most grateful.
The following names are from the Old Brampton memorial:
John Adlington
Tom Black
Walter Black
Ellis Bradbury
Ernest Bramall
Herbert Burman
Alfred Collis
William Cooper
Maurice Fletcher
Walter Gascoigne
Glossop Gill
Frank Hancock
Charles Edward Hill
Arthur Jackson
Joseph Jackson
Luke Jackson
Leonard Kingwell
Frank Nicholls
George Shaw
Herbert Simpson
Hugh Stroyan
Gervasse Turner
Thomas turner
Henry White
Robert Taylor Wright


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Non-poolroom: No AV monitoring or support phone
Twin 82″ LCDs with audio, connected to lectern PC with wireless mouse, keyboard and control panel.
No Skype camera or mic, but conference phone will work in either wall outlet.
Please make sure that mouse and touch panel are returned to respective charger bases when finished/shutdown.


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Focus on overcoming links between poverty and education
Ready or not, local kids will go back to school in mid-August. From kindergarten to senior year of high school, good schooling is fundamental to a child's success as an adult. Of course, life circumstances also play a role in that success, especially when it comes to household income. When schools invest resources to help those less fortunate get ahead, it's a win for the entire community.
Two of three students at Marshalltown Schools qualify for free and reduced lunch prices, which are based on social and economic status. That percentage is the second highest compared to other schools in the same athletic conference, just behind Des Moines Public Schools. Many kids in our community, and across the state, do not come from well-off homes.
Barriers of coming from a low-income background don't stop at home. Poverty is cyclical and affects all parts of life. Students from low-income backgrounds are more likely to have health problems, cognitive readiness issues and social issues related to problems at home, according to a study from Louisiana State University. From the get-go, these students are faced with challenges that those from middle class or upper class backgrounds are not.
And why is this something all of us should care about even if it doesn't affect us? Impoverished kids are more likely to grow up and then have impoverished kids. Poverty affects the entire economic vitality of a community.
Schools, and other community organizations focused on education, have a chance to make a positive impact on this issue. From small efforts to large efforts, initiatives addressing how poverty affects education helps pave a better future for many kids and our community at large.
The state recently changed the law on how schools handle free and reduced lunch. The law is meant to eliminate the stigma that qualified students face as much as possible. This is a great step in addressing social barriers less fortunate students face. Additionally, school district programs like summer lunches and school supply drives help give students basic necessities.
Beyond basic necessities, many other programs help provide for kids with these circumstances. Programs that focus on early childhood education, such as the ones facilitated by Mid-Iowa Community Action, help give kids a good foundation even before coming to school. On the other end of the spectrum, programs like GEAR UP Iowa and dual credit courses through Marshalltown Community College, help prepare students for college and careers.
As we send our kids back to school, we should be cognizant of this issue by looking to invest even more resources in creating opportunities for less fortunate kids. When our kids succeed, our community succeeds.


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A company's executive leadership teams historically focus their attention and resources on improving financial performance … tangible "hard-side" results. There is an almost endless list of quantifiable measures captured on spreadsheets, tracking individual and team performance. Here are some.
|Profit Margins
|Client Growth
|Market Share
|Units Sold
|Cost of Marketing
|Cost of Sales
|Production Costs
|… and many more
"Soft-Side" components are mostly cultural intangibles, which are harder to quantify. Here are just a few.
Leadership Committed to Innovation and Excellence
Employee Buy-in to Company Vision and Mission
Engaged Employees (Empowered to Adapt)
Organizational Transparency and Accountability
While a company's culture is sometimes seen as a low priority—as far less than a pressing requirement—it really isn't. A positive company culture—fully supported by the entire leadership team—can be a powerful force inside a company, empowering its employees to accomplish so much more.
Think of a positive company culture as a workforce multiplier.
Empirical evidence supports that statement. Harvard Business School a few years ago, in a 11-year study of a variety of businesses with either positive or negative cultural attributes, concluded that:
Positive business cultures averaged 682% growth.
Negative business cultures averaged 166% growth.
The difference is striking. Investing in and supporting the development of a positive company culture … literally drives more growth.
Even if organizational performance measures are consistently meeting established business goals and objectives, strengthening company culture can dramatically improve those measures even more. Big change doesn't happen overnight, but small changes can quickly establish new directions.
What cultural changes are most needed in your business?


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Support The Satanic Temple on Amazon Smile
Amazon has a program where it donates 0.5% of your purchases to a charity of your choice at no cost to you. You can name The Satanic Temple as your preferred charity by following this link:
Amazon Smile is "a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support."
Now one of the charitable organizations you can support through the Amazon Smile program is The Satanic Temple.
Every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation toward The Satanic Temple's campaigns.
Recurring Donation option:
The Satanic Temple now has a recurring donation option, for those who want to contribute automatically on a regular time-table, click HERE


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Some fundamental questions have to be asked in the wake of Mondays decision by municipal council and staff to shelve the Whistler Three development proposal, such as "Is there a need for more employee housing?"
Apparently staff and most members of council think the demand can be met with housing projects that are already approved and coming on stream in the next couple of years. Thats news to the Whistler Housing Authority, which has been working with two developers for much of the past year to shape projects that would provide the 900 additional rental units it feels are needed.
Three members of council and the municipal administrator sit on the housing authority board, but in the words of WHA general manager Rick Staehli, "the housing scenarios and the discussions weve had here havent materialized over at the hall."
Apparently theres more than disagreement between municipal hall and the WHA, theres something of a rivalry for power. While its true the WHA has a simple mandate to provide housing and municipal staff is asked to weigh development proposals against a variety of policies and principles, including protecting the environment, the rationale for some decisions doesnt seem to make sense. If protecting the environment was the reason for rejecting the Whistler Three and, earlier, the Alpha Creek proposals, then the municipality has failed. There will be development on those lands, under the existing zoning, and the municipality will have little control over it.
It was suggested by several council and municipal staff members Monday that there are other options available for employee housing, if and when it is needed. There were allusions to the B.C. Assets and Lands Corporations stockpile of floating bed units and that BCALs mandate may change following the provincial election. Perhaps the Liberals have dropped hints at municipal hall that we dont know about, but this scenario raises more questions: If the municipality acquires BCALs bed units will it be bartering with developers for them? And if so, where will those bed units land? Will zoning and bonus densities be for sale? Is another three-way deal such as the one to preserve the Emerald Forest in the works?
These types of questions suggest it is time the municipality updated its Official Community Plan and Comprehensive Development Strategy, so the community has a clearer idea of what direction things are headed.
One option the municipality may have difficulty pulling together, at least in the short term, is partnering with private land owners. The proponents of the Whistler Three and Alpha Creek developments feel they have been ambushed by the municipality. They arent the first two developers to feel that way about Whistler, and its understood that there are no guarantees in the development world. But its also easy to see why they feel theyve been betrayed. They went to the housing authority, which is accountable to council, with the expectation they were getting the municipalitys position on housing needs. Both projects were reviewed several times by council and municipal staff members as they evolved only to be rejected after a great deal of time and money was spent.
In the wake of these decisions, as Staehli said this week, its unlikely anyone in the private sector would step forward with an employee housing project. And the problem with that if more employee housing is needed is the housing authority is almost out of money. It cant afford to build any more housing itself.
Finally, Staehli and members of council Monday all agreed that Whistlers goal of housing 80 per cent of its employees within the municipality is probably unachievable. Staehli said Whistler dropped below 80 per cent this winter and the number could be as low as 60 per cent in a couple of years. At that point the Whistler Three and Alpha Creek proposals will be long gone.


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Guidelines to Help One Sell Home Fast
There are various steps that one should follow when trying to sell a home so fast. When people decide to sell their homes they do it for different reasons. They are those who move out because they have another home they live in. When selling a home, there are those who decide to use a retailer . Below are some guidelines that one can follow to sell a home.
It is recommendable that one improves the curb appeal. When we live in homes we tend to believe that they look good. If one wants to sell a home it is advisable that one checks to see the shortcomings of the home. There are exercises that one can do like going out of the house and having a good look at it. Look at all the things that need to be adjusted. With all that one will be able to make all the changes that are necessary to make the home attractive. The planning of the home outlook is also improved. That is the outside look of the home. Home should always be considered in painting. The paths that lead to the house are those which can be worked on. More importantly one should improve on the house landscape. That is the home garden area should be well maintained like uprooting all the things that are not necessary around the place. The plants that are in the garden should be well be sorted out. It is also very important for one to ask for opinions from friends those whom you know they cannot lie to you. They will help in upgrading of all the places that need improvements.
Anything that has a personal attachment one should do away with it. All belongings that are personal one should do away with them. Family portraits should not be left there. People coming there they have no association with it. One the required furniture should be left behind. The other house things the people moving income with them.
All that they buy or remodel should be taken care of. All that they spend should be paid. On top of all the expenses one should get profits. When one wants their homes to sell fast they should sell them in cash.
It is important to have a professional photographer when selling homes. This is because they will take images that are good looking. Good pictures do catch people's attention. Interested buyers get to see them.


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My friend Julia came up to visit for the Fourth of July last weekend. Before we headed out to see the fireworks, we went over to Inman Square to have dinner. We were going to go to Montien, my favorite Thai place, but it was closed for the holiday. So we ended up at Haveli, an Indian place across the street that I've been meaning to try for a while. (I've also been craving Indian food for the past week or so, due to an excellent meal had in Northampton at my college reunion a few weeks ago.)
Haveli might possibly be the quietest restaurant I've ever been in, despite it having a healthy amount of customers at the time. The service was very good – nice, polite, quick. The food was, overall, good as well, though it wasn't quite as good as India Palace in Northampton.
I had Keema Dosai, which I'd expected to be more like puff pastries with ground lamb and spices, turned out to be a semi-crunchy pancake with ground lamb, potatoes and some kind of spice that gave the potatoes a slightly limon-y color. (I know I've seen it before, but I don't know what it is. I keep wanting to say saffron, but I know it's not. Any thoughts?) I liked it, though it had a little more kick to it than I was expecting. The pancake itself wasn't very good on its own, but with the filling, it worked out.
I also had Chicken Biryani, which I am discovering can be made in a variety of different ways. The first time I had it, it had cashews and yellow raisins in it; the second had no raisins, but did have green peppers; the third time had raisins and peppers and cashews. All were good, but it threw me for a bit, thinking that I was remembering a different dish. Haveli's was good, and as an added bonus, still tasted great the next day when I had leftovers for dinner.
The thing that I loved, though, was the Peshawari Nan. Oh my god, I could eat this forever. Nan is good, but this has coconut, almonds, raisins, and apricots in it. (Though I couldn't actually taste the raisins or apricots, but it was excellent anyway.) It's just so warm and chewy and coconut-y. I looked online to see if I could find a way to make it at home. I found a few recipes that look like I might be able to do them on my own. I won't have time to test them out for a while, but I shall report back as soon as I do.
So, Haveli: good Indian food, good service, decent prices. Not sure it's worth the rave reviews I'd read about it, but not a bad place to go.


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Portumna travelled to Borrisokane for a 2pm kick off today. Both teams took some time to settle into the match with more chances falling to Portumna which should have been converted. The first Portumna goal came in the 42nd minute with a lovely through ball from Chris Guilfoyle which Simon Curran rifled into the net with his right from 25 yards out. The second goal came just before half time when the ball was headed on to Simon Curran who took it around his defender and struck it with his left from 28 yards out
The second half started with plenty of pressure from Borrisokane which saw them awarded a penalty which they converted. The Portumna backs and midfield had to work hard to keep the Borrisocane threat at bay. With 3 minutes left to play Garry Curran who had come on in the second half scored a very good individual goal to close out the match at Borrisokane 1 Portumna 3.


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2017 Toyota Prius Safety in Hollywood, CA
It's not only a groundbreaker in terms of eco-friendly performance, but the 2017 Toyota Prius is also a forerunner in the latest safety features that the automotive industry has to offer. From a suite of advanced safety technology to a design to protect you and your loved ones, this hatchback hybrid will keep you confident and moving forward. Read our detailed spread about the safety features below, and then come in to Toyota of Hollywood to put them to the test today!
Active Safety Features
Activating without your initiation, the active safety features of the new Toyota Prius monitor driving input and road conditions to prevent accidents when they're avoidable.
- Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control with TRAC: All four wheels are under watch with this system that checks for understeer, oversteer, and wheelslip to apply braking where it's needed when it's needed.
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System: Make sure you've got air in the tires so you don't experience a blowout on the highway. You'll receive an alert when it's time to check up and fill up the tires.
- Hill Start Assist: Driving on an incline, you'll always stay headed in the right direction. Whether you're parked or stopped at a red light, this system automatically kicks in to make sure you're always moving forward.
- Anti-Lock Brake System with Brake Assist: We don't always know when we have to slam on the brakes, which is why this system is so important. Keeping the brakes from locking up under pressure, you'll come to a complete and short stop.
Passive Safety Design
Toyota prioritizes the protection of you and your loved ones. The newest Prius model was built to with features to cover passengers in the event of an impact to avoid injury when possible.
- Ample Airbags: Front seat-mounted airbags, a passenger seat cushion airbag, a driver's knee airbag, and front and rear curtain airbags deploy when needed to protect passengers if a big impact is detected.
- Engine Immobilizer: The vehicle stays vigilant against theft, locking the engine when the correct key is not used to ignite the ignition.
- Safety Connect: An automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle locater, roadside assistance, and emergency assistance systems combine to connect the appropriate services when needed.
Toyota Safety Sense-P Driver Assistance Technology
A comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance technology monitors vehicles and the road around you to alert you and intervene when a fender bender might be about to happen.
- Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection: When travelling on the road, the front end monitors for cars ahead of you to initiate alerts and braking if you come up on stopped or slower vehicles. Additionally, when traveling at low speeds, the vehicle looks for pedestrians entering your path to do the same.
- Lane Departure Warning with Steering Assist: A camera keeps track of the lines that divide lanes and alerts you in the event of driver fatigue or distraction when you may drift from your lane. Steering torque can also be applied to guide you back.
- Dynamic Radar Cruise Control: Relax when you set your desired speed. An advanced radar system will brake the vehicle if you come up on traffic so that you're not in danger of hitting the car ahead of you.
- Automatic High Beams: On dark and dangerous roads, your high beams will automatically dim if an oncoming vehicle approaches so that everyone has the best visibility.
- Intelligent Clearance Sonar: This system checks for objects or vehicles around you when you're parking to avoid any bumps or dings with alerts and braking.
Safety Ratings
All of the aforementioned safety features have been put to the test, and government agencies stand behind the integrity of these systems to give you peace of mind.
- NHTSA: The highest rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a 5 stars, and that's precisely what the agency has awarded the 2017 Toyota Prius.
- IIHS: This hybrid has reached a stellar achievement, as the IIHS has named it a 2017 Top Safety Pick+, meaning it's one of the best equipped vehicles available on the market after going under crash tests.
The 2017 Toyota Prius is Here For Your Safe Commuting
Take the 2017 Toyota Prius on a test drive today to enjoy all it has to offer including its wealth of safety features. Meet us at Toyota of Hollywood, located at 6000 Hollywood Blvd, serving the greater Los Angeles area. You can reach us at (323) 300-5026 or contact us online to speak with a sales specialist about the specs of this hybrid today!


text: Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos MD DPhil Institute of Metabolism and Systems ResearchHoffenberg Clinician Scientist in Endocrinology and Human Metabolism Contact details Telephone+44 (0)121 414 7525Fax+44 121 415 email@example.com@manolotino View my research portal AddressInstitute of Metabolism and Systems ResearchCollege of Medical and Dental SciencesUniversity of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TT UK Konstantinos Manolopoulos is a Clinician Scientist in Endocrinology with a research interest in human in vivo metabolic physiology. He is exploring the hormonal determinants of adipose tissue function, and is particularly interested in the factors causing adipocyte dysfunction in obesity. Furthermore, he investigates the cross-talk between adipose tissue and other organs such as gut, liver and muscle. He is responsible for the Human Integrative Physiology and Metabolism lab at the NIHR/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility. His research is funded by the Society for Endocrinology and the Academy of Medical Sciences. He is an Honorary Consultant in Endocrinology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and his clinical interests range from PCOS to complex endocrine obesity. Qualifications DPhil Clinical Medicine 2011 MD 2005 MBChB 2004 Biography Konstantinos Manolopoulos qualified in Medicine from the University of Dusseldorf, Germany in 2004. His core medical training was at the University Hospitals Dusseldorf and Bochum, Germany. He obtained an academic MD from the University of Bochum with a thesis on the effect of a collagen polymorphism on the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. In 2007, he relocated to the UK and joined the University of Oxford as a Wellcome-Trust funded Clinical Research Fellow at the Oxford Laboratory for Integrative Physiology (Oxlip). Under the supervision and mentorship of Prof. Keith Frayn and Prof. Fredrik Karpe, he conducted in vivo research in human adipose tissue physiology. He obtained a DPhil in Clinical Medicine from the University of Oxford in 2011. He joined the University of Birmingham as a Clinical Lecturer at the Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (CEDAM) in 2011. In 2015 he became a HEFCE-funded Clinician Scientist in Endocrinology at the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research. Teaching MBChB – Obesity BMedSci – Adipocyte biology BClinSci – In vivo metabolism assessment MPharm – Biology of absorptive and postabsorptive state Postgraduate supervision Konstantinos Manolopoulos is interested in supervising medical students studying for intercalated degrees, as well as doctoral research students in the following areas: Hormonal determinants of human adipose tissue function in vivo Determinants of adipocyte dysfunction in obesity The cross-talk between adipose tissue and peripheral organs, and the effect of exercise If you are interested in studying any of these subject areas please contact Dr Manolopoulos on the contact details above. http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/metabolism-systems/research/integrative-metabolic-physiology-obesity/index.aspx Research Konstantinos Manolopoulos' research interest is in human metabolic in vivo physiology and pathophysiology, with a special interest in adipose tissue and obesity. He is interested in the hormonal determinants of adipose tissue function, and in particular what determines adipose tissue dysfunction leading to the deleterious health effects of obesity. Furthermore, he studies the cross-talk between adipose tissue and other organs, such as gut, liver and muscle. He studies the function of human metabolic tissues under "near normal" conditions using a range of gold standard integrative physiology techniques such as the arterio-venous difference technique, stable isotope tracer methodology and xenon washout for selective measurements of fatty acid trafficking and adipose tissue blood flow. He also applies integrative physiology methods across muscle in vivo, using the arterio-venous difference technique and venous occlusion plethysmography for muscle blood flow measurements. These methods are complemented by in vitro cell culture-based work, helping to elucidate the molecular mechanisms behind tissue dysfunction. Find out more about Konstantinos' research here Publications Kumarendran B*, O'Reilly M.W*, Manolopoulos K.N*, Toulis KA, Gokhale K.M, Sitch A.J, Wijeyaratne C.N, Coomarasamy A, Arlt W, Nirantharakumar K (2018) Polycystic ovary syndrome, androgen excess, and the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in women: A longitudinal study based on a United Kingdom primary care database; PLoS Med. Mar 28;15(3):e1002542 *joint first authors Hornby C, Botfield H, O'Reilly M.W, Westgate C, Mitchell J, Mollan S.P, Manolopoulos K.N, Tomlinson J, Sinclair A (2017) Evaluating the Fat Distribution in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Using Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Scanning, Neuroophthalmology. 2017 Jun 20;42(2):99-104. O'Reilly M.W, Kempegowda P, Walsh M, Taylor AE, Manolopoulos K.N, Allwood J.W, Semple R.K, Hebenstreit D, Dunn W.B, Tomlinson J.W, Arlt W (2017) AKR1C3-mediated adipose androgen generation drives lipotoxicity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Sep 1;102(9):3327-3339. Scotney H, Symonds M.E, Law J, Budge H, Sharkey D, Manolopoulos K.N (2017); Glucocorticoids modulate human brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in vivo, Metabolism, May; 70: 125-32 Manolopoulos K.N, O'Reilly M.W, Bujalska I.J, Tomlinson J.W, Arlt W (2017) Acute hypercortisolemia exerts depot-specific effects on abdominal and femoral adipose tissue function. J Clin Endocrinol Metab Apr 1;102(4):1091-1101. Nicholson G, Pinnick K.E, Manolopoulos K.N, McQuaid S.E, Valet P, Frayn K.N, Denton N, Min J.L, Zondervan K.T, Fleckner J, The MolPAGE consortium, McCarthy M.I, Holmes C.C, Karpe F (2014) Gluteofemoral adipose tissue resists molecular adaptations associated with obesity-related complications, Diabetes, Nov; 63 (11): 3785-97 McNelis J.C, Manolopoulos K.N, Gathercole L.L, Bujalska I.J, Stewart P.M, Tomlinson J.W, Arlt W (2013) Dehydroepiandrosterone exerts anti-glucocorticoid action on human preadipocyte proliferation, differentiation and glucose uptake, Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, Nov; 305 (9): E1134-44 Manolopoulos K.N, Karpe F, Frayn K.N (2012) Marked resistance of femoral adipose tissue blood flow and lipolysis to adrenaline in vivo, Diabetologia, Nov; 55 (11): 3029-37 Hughes K.A, Manolopoulos K.N, Iqbal J, Cruden N.L, Stimson R.H, Reynolds R.M, Newby D.E, Andrew R, Karpe F, Walker B.R (2012) Recycling between cortisol and cortisone in human splanchnic, subcutaneous adipose, and skeletal muscle tissues in vivo. Diabetes 61 (6):1357-64 Thompson D, Manolopoulos K.N, Bouloumié A (2012) Arterio-venous differences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells across human adipose tissue and the effect of adrenaline infusion. Int J Obesity,Sep; 36 (9): 1256-8 For a full list of Dr Manolopoulos's publicationsView all publications in research portal


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Blood and Money 2020
A retired veteran hunting in the Allagash backcountry of Maine discovers a dead woman with a duffle bag full of money. He soon finds himself in a web of deceit and murder.
Genre: Thriller
Companies: Allagash Films
Release: 2020-05-15
Status: Released
Duration: 0 min
Quality: HD
Rating: 4.6


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City Winery is known for its concerts, private event space, restaurant, and winery. On April 9, it will host a Seder which brings together people from all backgrounds to share in the wisdom and underlying message of hope in the classic story of Jews being led out of slavery.
This non-traditional Seder (ritual feast) incorporates community leaders, activists, artists, politicians, and comedians of diverse faiths and experiences. The venue is set with long community tables, and food is served with abundant glasses of wine and a customized Haggadah.
For City Winery Boston's upcoming Seder, the location is proud to have Israeli singer-songwriter, David Broza, Judy Gold, Mira Awad, and members of BETTY: Alyson Palmer, Elizabeth Ziff, and Amy Ziff. Also appearing will be: Melissa Ferrick, Ezekiel's Wheel Klezmer Band, Prof. Jonathan Kaufman, Oompa, Phillip Martin, Callie Crossley, Prof. Lloyd Schwartz, Anita Diamant, Tanisha Sullivan, and Jill Sobule.
"The Downtown Seder is being held 10 days prior to the start of Passover so that guests can bring the inspiration from our event into their homes and make their own Seder dinners more relevant," said City Winery Founder and CEO Michael Dorf. Both food, wine and entertainment are included in the ticket price.


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The band is interviewed by Bitter Sweet Symphonies, before their headline set at The Royal Oak pub in Chorlton. They talk about recording their upcoming album:
The way we are going is more current. We're really proud of what we're doing so far. We've got five tracks done so far, because we work in the day, we kind of work around that, we get it done when we can. Hopefully, we'll have an album's worth by 2020 [laughs]. I don't know, but it's gone pretty well so far and the producer we're working with is really good. But it is different, but not different totally. Different good.
We're really proud of [Forever In Your Debt] though, so if the rest of the album can come up to that standard. I think there's one or two at the moment that we probably think are there, then we'll be more than happy. But to me anyway, I can't speak for everybody, but I think that is kind of a blueprint, like the bar, that we want to meet. It might be that people prefer the other stuff that we're doing more than that one but we're proud of Forever In Your Debt and that's why it's going to be the first single…I remember the first couple of times we did Forever In Your Debt live and my heart was just up in my chest, you know what I mean. Especially, when you're first introducing it to people, and the reaction for that one has been pretty good live.


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It's a pleasure meeting you! My name is Josh Buege. I serve as a Project Manager here at Mangold Creative. I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running working alongside our tightly-knit team of creative specialists and diverse portfolio of clients.
When I'm not at work:
I always have a long list of activities to tend to outside the workplace. Sometimes it involves household chores or selling pottery at weekend art shows with my wife. On other days my activities might involve antiquing, home remodeling, or spending a little free time on Netflix.
Something most people don't know about me:
I'm mildly obsessed with coin operated machines. If I ever run across a pool table, jukebox, arcade cabinet, or pinball machine there is a pretty good chance I'll be feeding it with a couple dollars.
Things that make me happy:
Spending time with the family will always make for a great day. Having enough free time to read a book from cover to cover is also a bit of a luxury these days.
Favorite foods:
Pizza is the perfect food. A Sobelman's cheeseburger comes in close second.
There really are too many to list in a brief biography. Shooting pool, console gaming, rebuilding arcade cabinets, competitive marksmanship, furniture construction, antiquing, camping, fishing, kayaking, and traveling round out the top ten.


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Tea and infusionsView all products in Tea and infusions
Teas and infusions are hot drinks that are characterized by outbreaks that come from various plants. Teas and infusions are obtained after pouring the dried leaves in hot water.
Teas and infusions are often taken for breakfast or with snacks, and accompanied by biscuits and cakes. Teas and infusions can have many variations depending on the scent and smells that make it up.
Buy Tea and infusions online.


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Can he claim adultery if he forgave me?
Adultery is one of the biggest reasons people decide to divorce. It's when one partner cheats on the other with a third party. In some instances, it's a physical relationship with someone outside the marriage, and in other instances it's an emotional relationship with a third party that causes the end of a marriage. It's never easy to learn your partner has cheated on you, but not all couples are willing to end their marriage over something they can potentially work out. Many couples make the decision to work through their issues when infidelity is a problem.
If you agree to work through your issues and your spouse forgives you for cheating, it's possible he or she may still use that against you if they decide to file for divorce. Forgiveness is always helpful when a marriage is going through difficulties, but it's not something that people always mean when they say it. Unfortunately, the trust might be so far broken that it's irretrievable, but your partner might not realize this right away. This is when it's time to call it quits.
What is grounds for divorce?
When your partner files divorce paperwork, he or she is legally required to provide a reason. You can't simple divorce someone for fun, but you can cite problems within your marriage. If you want to be indirect with your reason, you can cite you have irreconcilable differences. It means neither of you is to blame for the issues at hand but your marriage is broken beyond repair.
If your spouse cites adultery for the reason behind the divorce filing, you might not think it's fair. He did, after all, forgive you when you apologized. Forgiveness indicates you attempted to work through your problems and you did what you could to save your marriage, but it simply didn't work out. If your spouse decides to cite the reason for divorce as adultery on your part, you are now at fault.
Can he file for divorce if he forgave me?
It's a question many people ask, and it's one with a very simple answer. Yes, he can file for divorce and tell the court you were unfaithful even if he decided to forgive you initially. Sometimes it seems easy to forgive someone for what they did with another person in the moment, but it's not possible over time. The feelings of resentment, the lack of trust, the worry, and the fear might make your marriage more miserable than anything, and his forgiveness means nothing at this point.
If you are served with papers citing you were a cheater even though he forgave you, there is nothing you can do about it. You can contest the grounds of your divorce, and it's always easier to do this with an attorney on your side. Calling a professional divorce attorney with ample experience in this line of work can make the divorce process much easier. You don't have to agree to divorce him in the manner in which he wants, but you do have to go through with it if he doesn't want to be married to you.
Forgiveness means nothing if it's not helping. If you find yourself in this situation, call an attorney. This is a difficult time in your life, and it's time for you to find someone to help you. An experienced attorney can get things taken care of for you, and that leaves you feeling much better.


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RSU#3 Volunteer Program
Veronica Kupferman, District Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteers * Internships * Community Engagement
Mount View School, 577 Mount View Road, Rm. M113
Thorndike, Maine 04986
(h) 207-568-3782
"Like" and follow us on Facebook — RSU #3 Volunteers
Updated! Volunteer Awareness/Orientation schedule
Middle School/High School Volunteer Survey
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text: liyboviz 0 Report post Posted April 23, 2010 Hi, Just bought a Zakk Wylde model. I bought it from a local store, not an Ebay auction or some unknown dealer. To my surprise, after sending pictures to Gibson customer support, I was told it's a fake... The guitar was made in China, comapring to a korean one I saw in another store - there are defenitly finishing differences. The packaging, manuals all seems original. The problem as I see it is in the neck joint, zakk and Epiphone logo The contact person in china is sure it's not a fake. Could it be that the korean and china are constructed differently? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Scratch off Map Rose Gold Edition
- Description
It's safe to say that the Scratch Map range has offered several inspired designs over the years, meaning that there is a Scratch Map that's perfect for every occasion.
Regardless of whether you're searching for a gift as an anniversary present, or looking for something special for a close friend, GiftLab ensures that its wide range of Scratch Maps offers an alternative for those bored with conventional gifts.
The Rose Gold Scratch Map is a perfect example of how a specific aesthetic can be appealing, even in the form of a map.
What's more, the gift of a Scratch Map doesn't have to be limited to adults, as children can learn so much about the world in a fun and immersive way
The dimensions of the map are 59.5 x 82.5 x 2.3 cm and are made from real pine wood complemented with arose gold matte finish.
The Rose Gold Scratch Map includes a 23 mm wide picture frame moulding that completes the look and makes it ready for hanging in any school, home or office.
Why Choose a Rose Gold Scratch Map as a Gift?
Some may assume that only the few will enjoy a Scratch Map as a gift, but nothing could be further from the truth.
For example, the Rose Gold Scratch Map looks great in modern apartments thanks to the overall aesthetics and professional finish.
Similarly, those who work as a teacher may love the concept of teaching children about their environment.
The Framed Scratch Map is not only an immersive tool when it comes to educating children, but it looks great on display afterwards.
Those who work in an office environment may have all the photographs they need to remind them of loved ones, so may be looking for something a little different when it comes to what's on display.
The Framed Scratch Map Rose Gold is the perfect gift, as the frame is already included. What's more, its lightweight nature ensures that there's never any danger of it causing an accident.
Maybe you have a family member or friend who is going backpacking and is looking for an original way of recording their adventures around the world.
The Framed Scratch Map Gold is a novel way of keeping track of what countries have been visited as well as allowing the user to unearth a series of facts about the countries they are visited.
As well as being a practical tool for those planning journeys, it also makes an ideal keepsake that will remind the person of their many travels in the years to come.
If you're looking for an inspiring and original gift, then why not consider the Framed Rose Gold Scratch Map.
Even if the Framed Scratch Map Gold isn't for you, there are a series of other Scratch Maps to choose from, as well as other quirky and original gifts for all occasions.


text: Going to a Jesuit university, ethics are a main part of our curriculum. My capstone course for the Honors Program is philosophy and ethics, and I recently wrote a paper on the ethics of Santa Claus. I wrote as the devil's advocate, but it really has me considering the value of incentives in behavior and… Continue reading The Ethics of Incentives: Motivated or just plain spoiled?


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This past Saturday, I was trying to figure something out. I am a cool person, but do I also have swag? Well, let's look at Joseph, the "cool dude," first, shall we?
About a month ago, I asked you whether or not I was a "cool dude" … and one of my blog's subscribers, who will remain nameless, said that I was, indeed, a "cool dude" … and I agreed with that person. I am indeed a cool dude.
Now, let me ask you a question. Do I also have swag? Well, look at these two pictures … and then tell me whether or not I have swag.
Well, I really don't know what the word "swag" actually means, but I may have some swag here. Either way, I'm cool … and I may also have swag.


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We are excited to share that Parts Expert and Guru, Chuck Hartle put together a 2.5 Day Advanced Parts Training in Minneapolis, MN with Dealersedge. Geared towards Advanced Analysis and Planning Tools for Automotive Parts Managers, Chuck explored which inventory and source (Stock Group) controls are important and how to examine existing settings: sourcing; pricing, accounting, product isolation for reporting purposes. Most importantly, how to create best practices, customized to each Dealership, to help improve inventory control and profitability. Chuck also went over creating the "perfect" pricing scheme for your parts department: Where are your grosses coming from, what profit centers within parts? What is your gross profit on Menu / Grid priced items? What percentage of your sales are actually escalated (Matrix)? Lastly, as a group, we reviewed current pay plans to get an idea of what can be changed or adjusted. Working on the right pay motivates increased grosses without sacrificing idle growth.
Attendee Testimonials:


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Phone: 910-455-4868
Degrees and Certifications:
MSgt Thomas Garcia, USAF (Ret)
I graduated from Lejeune High School in May of 1994 and entered the United States Air Force in October 1994. After basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas I was trained as an Aircraft Hydraulics Systems mechanic and over the next 19 years of my career I worked on E-4B (Boeing 747), C-141, C-17, C-5 and KC-10 aircraft. During this time I also completed a 4 year assignment as an Enlisted Accessions Recruiter in Wilmington NC. My last 4 years in the Air Force I served as a First Sergeant, where my day-to-day mission was to guarantee a mission ready force to support the Air Force's combat mission. I did this by advising my Squadron Commanders on problems, concerns, attitudes, morale, welfare and effective utilization of up to 450 personnel. During my career I have been deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. I look forward to supporting the students of Northside High School and helping them achieve their goals not only in education but in life.
2000 Airmen Leadership School, Rota NS, Spain
2004 USAF Enlisted Recruiter School, Lackland AFB, TX
2007 Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET), Brunswick Community College, Leland, NC
2008 USAF NCO Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Alabama
2012 Associates of Applied Science, Aircraft Maintenance Technology, CCAF, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2012 Associates of Applied Science, Human Resource Management, CCAF, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
2012 USAF SNCO Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Alabama
2014 First Sergeant Academy, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Alabama
2016 Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice, American Military University, Charles Town, West Virgina
March 1995 – September 2000, E4-B Hydraulic Systems Journeyman, 1st ACCS, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
September 2000 - August 2004, Aircraft Hydraulic Systems Craftsman, 725 AMS, Rota NS, Spain
October 2004 - December 2008, Enlisted Accessions Recruiter, 337th Recruiting Squadron, Wilmington, NC
December 2008 – July 2012, KC-10 Hydraulic Systems Lead Tech, 660 AMXS, Travis AFB, California
July 2012 – January 2013, Section Chief, 660 AMXS, Travis AFB, California
January 2013 – March 2014, Lead Section Chief, 660 AMXS, Travis AFB, California
March 2014 – June 2015, First Sergeant, 60 MDTS, Travis AFB, California
June 2015 - July 2017, First Sergeant, 9 ASOS, Ft. Hood AIN, Texas


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Our interactive, electronic class takes 2-3 hours to complete and provides expectant parents with essential information about breastfeeding.
Within one business day from purchase, you receive an email from InJoy with a link to access the e-Class. Families who purchase this e-Class will be able to view it for 270 days (from first use).
Pre Requisites
Expectant parents who prefer an electronic learning option are encouraged to purchase this class.
Understanding Breastfeeding e-Class
Class information:
Insurance Information
Insurance does not cover this class.
Contact Information
Women & Infants Health Education Department (401) 276-7800
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Some products can only be purchased through our partner. In this case you will see an "External Register" button. Click this button to purchase through our partner's website.


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Auction delay remains in Bush budget
The Bush administration appears serious about delaying spectrum auctions and
levying analog spectrum fees on broadcasters.
The proposals remained in the official budget Bush sent to Capitol Hill
Monday. The administration would delay auctions of channels 60 through 69 from
2000 until 2004 and auction of channels 52 through 59 from 2002 until 2006.
'As a result of the increased certainty about how and when the spectrum in
channels 60 through 69 will become available for new entrants and shifting the
deadlines for both auctions closer to when the spectrum is expected to become
available, revenues for these auctions are expected to increase by $7.5
billion,' the budget says.
The administration also proposes charging broadcasters approximately $200
million per year for staying on their analog spectrum starting in 2002 and
continuing through 2006.
Finally, the administration plans to propose legislation that would authorize
the Federal Communications Commission to 'develop regulations that promote
clearing the spectrum in channels 60 through 69 [747 megahertz through 762 MHz
and 777 MHz through 792 MHz] for new wireless services in a manner that ensures
that incumbent broadcasters are fairly compensated,' the budget says.
Bush initially proposed the ideas -- with spectrum fees a holdover from the
Clinton administration -- when he sent his more informal budget 'blueprint' to
Congress in February.
Both the House and Senate already have approved the blueprint, and neither
house included either delays or fees. But Congress still has to work with the
official, more detailed version of the budget, so there will be another
opportunity for the administration to get the fees and delays inserted into
final bills.
The White House's Office of Management and Budget plans to send a legislative
proposal to Congress this month.
The television industry's top news stories, analysis and blogs of the day.
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Sidsel Meineche Hansen
by Rebecca Sykes
Reviews / Exhibition • 24.10.2019
The day before I went to see Sidsel Meineche Hansen's exhibition at the Chisenhale Gallery, London, an Amazon Echo Plus (2nd Generation) was delivered to my flat. A Big Tech bauble thrown in for 'free' as part of a new broadband deal, 'our Alexa' became the subject of some serious domestic debate. Should we join the estimated twenty per cent of British households who already have a chatbot in their homes, or learn from the fate of the Trojans and keep it shut up in the box it came in? The number of spaces where we are truly alone is shrinking as surveillance technology, like a bacterial culture, rapidly colonises our public and private spaces. What is maybe most remarkable about the spread of the new technologies that feed on our personal data is the extent to which we, as consumers and citizens, have been largely content to let them into our lives. It is this relatively happy acquiescence between the users and providers of our digital products that Welcome to End-Used City aims to probe.
End-Used City (2019), an interactive installation made for the exhibition, consists of three short films accessible through the use of a game controller. The start menu that viewers navigate to initiate the session is dominated by an avatar made using body-scanning technology. The menu looks like the title-page to Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, the seventeenth-century treatise on our need for an absolute ruler who can keep men 'all in awe' if we wish to live a life of peace and comfort. Crucially, the people must give their consent to this arrangement before it can take effect.
In the original engraving, the Leviathan takes the form of a moustachioed muscleman whose arms and torso teem with the bodies of his subjects. End-Used City's virtual leviathan is an enormous smooth-headed tech-bro sat crossed-legged with a dystopian London cityscape at his back FIG. 1. Instead of a sword and sceptre, he holds a game controller that covers his genitals. The faces of several dozen, predominantly white, men – the all-powerful tech-industry players who set the terms and conditions of 'surveillance capitalism' – are embedded in his chest. The latter phrase was coined by Shoshana Zuboff and describes the business model that drives the digital economy by finding new ways to entice consumers into gifting the 'raw material' of their 'behavioural data' to the digital giants, who will then make immense fortunes by laying 'bets on our future behaviour'.1
The three films that follow are inspired by Cyberpunk 2077, a role-playing video that features a conspicuous Keanu Reeves as a non-playable character and that is organised around an investigation into the way surveillance technology impacts our experience of public, semi-public and private spaces in London. Common to all three videos is a female game character who speaks with a voice that belongs not to the actress on screen, played by Anna Smith FIG. 2, but to 'Harmony', a real-life sex robot with a Scottish accent that can be programmed via an app. In the first video we see the character travel around the London Underground wearing zombie contact lenses and a blank stare. Inspired by Transport for London's recent roll-out of a Wi-Fi tracking system designed to monitor the movement of passengers while underground,2 the video imagines a world where the city is full of humanoid robots who mingle with flesh-and-blood humans-cum-data sources in order to monitor their behaviour. The low-budget sci-fi visuals are accompanied by a voice over that describes how 'smartphone penetration' allows for data to be traded for an 'effective life'.
The second video juxtaposes the surveillance technology of different eras as the android is monitored by close-circuit television cameras operated by the concierge of a residential block. As we watch her move around the building on Cameras 1, 2 and 4, the audio tells us how 'I type the name of the subject into the search field', in reference to the detection and tracking methods today's facial recognition technology has opened up for surveillance professionals. In comparison, the clunky decades-old CCTV used by the concierge FIG. 3 can only watch its target leave the carpark attached to the building. Finally, the video set in the 'private' space of the artist's flat sees our android, who is now a drone operator, taking the Big Five Personality Test, a personality survey that maps users' answers against a taxonomy of behavioural traits, like neuroticism, over the phone: 'Do you think that people are reluctant to be as close to you as you want to be with them?'.3
Despite its compelling premise, it is not clear exactly who the audience, or end-user, for a work like this is. The exercise of disentangling the varied source material for the visual and scripted references – the videos are overlaid with 'clues' in the shape of acronyms and symbols – is not easy for anyone not already immersed in the language of artificial intelligence and is one that ultimately neglects the psychology of such technology's all-too human consumers. The framing of the female agent as a 'playable character' who viewers control from a first-person perspective is in the end limited to starting the videos playing in a pre-determined sequence – 'once you have selected a video you cannot exit' – and by the end I was hungry for a more human touch.
The growing number of men for who the opposite appears to be true is, in part, the subject of the other video work on show. Maintenancer FIG. 4, made in collaboration with the filmmaker Therese Henningsen, is a linguistically awkward but visually compelling film about a woman whose job it is to clean out the orifices of a sex doll in-between client bookings in a German brothel. We hear first from the Madam who describes the benefits of diversifying her services by putting sex dolls with silicone bodies and robotic heads on the menu: 'the dolls are ideal employees ... they're never sick, they always look good and they offer all three holes with no complaints or extra charges'.4
The work makes clear that it is chiefly desire that makes us tick 'I Agree' without so much as scanning the legal contract we're effectively signing, as well as, more substantively, how female labour is being redirected in a post-human, prostitution world. While it is interesting to take a moment to think about the men who pay to ejaculate into a silicone pouch 'used' by dozens, if not hundreds, of 'guests', it is the woman who talks about her transferable skills, she worked previously as a care assistant, while pumping her arm into a plastic vagina. 'Anna', the brothel's most requested doll, is seen here sprawled on its back. Hardware still has its place, it seems, and its maintenance requires latex gloves and lots of wet wipes.
Next to the screen sits Untitled (2018), two cardboard boxes, like a delivery left on your doorstep, that come courtesy of WM Dolls, a sex robot manufacturer based in Guangdong Province, China. Much like creating a Memoji, visitors to the WM Dolls website are invited to pick their preferred eye colour, manicure style and vaginal depth. Untitled's larger box is similar in size to a small coffin, while a smaller square-shaped box sits on top (robotic heads are sold separately). The latter package mirrors Public Sculpture (Everything is Personal Data) FIG. 5, a 3D-printed head cast in bronze of the virtual leviathan, placed just to the side of where viewers of End-Used City stand (the leviathan is decapitated by a drone once all three videos have played). Despite their shared fate, the two disembodied heads littering the exhibition space seem destined to reinforce the binary of man = (dispassionate) data, woman = (programmable and playable) desire, that the architects of AI seem so anxious to maintain.
The implications of inviting technology that likes to listen into our intimate spaces are far from clear; it will take years for the digital dust to settle. What we do know is that the issue of consumer consent is not something surveillance capitalists show any signs of taking seriously. An insistence on the importance of informed consent is an idea that recurs in Welcome to End-Used City; the exhibition even demands that we ask to go to the toilet via Keychain Secure FIG. 6, a key attached to a laughably impractical key chain, similar in shape to a kayak paddle's bulky protrusion, that is necessary to unlock the door to the gallery toilet and can be requested from the front desk. The work parodies the keychains issued only to paying customers in coffee shops and succeeds in showing that there is no realistic route back to the pre-digital past. The data market place is our new state of nature.