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I am sitting with my feet up, enjoying the quiet after a looooong day of volunteering at a fundraising barbecue for the local skating club as part of the town's Canada Day celebrations.
It was a good day, even though most of it was cool and drizzly. And my feet were cold and wet. As was my nose.
I was the first person to use one of the Port-a-Potties. Have you ever sat in a fresh Port-a-Potty?
I kept busy from 9 am to 8 pm, helping with the set-up and take-down, and spending the majority of the day prepping burger and hot dog buns with napkins. It was actually rather . . . Zen. A simple job, part of a chain of tasks, and although my back did feel some strain after a while, it was flexible enough that I was able to do it while occasionally sitting down.
Hours of no other demands than opening a bag, wrapping a bun with napkin, and making sure each bun opens cleanly. Handing buns to the runners. And pleasant conversation, to boot. Recognizing friends and former students.
Once in a while, Bridget (who had come with in absence of a babysitter, as her dad had gone to an event in another town for the morning as part of his Shriner's stuff) would come back from running around the inflatable bouncy houses to eat or check in with me (I only had to track her down once). By the time Hubby came after his Shriner fun, she was ready for a nap although she left in protest. She was back a few hours later, and eventually helped us with the cleanup as best she could (as she'd helped with set-up).
That was something else that was lovely: the Canada Day celebration was only a few blocks from our house this year. If I hadn't needed the car to transport supplies, we could have walked it. And as I write this, listening to the fireworks (visible from my back windows), she's there, with her brother, having walked back down for the fun.
That's another awesome part of today: Jack taking on more responsibilities. He took his sister to the fireworks, not only because he wanted to see them too, but because he knew I was too tired after the long day to take them. He stepped up. And that was after being at the barbecue all day himself, too — he was there from start to finish along with me, getting going on his 40 hours of required volunteer service (part of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma). He did such a great job handling meal tickets, food, and occasionally money, alongside his peers, and he was complimented on his manner by the both the fundraising and event coordinators. All of the kids who were there did a great job, but hey — proud mama, here.
So it's the end of the day, and I can hear the traffic as the fireworks have come to an end. My children will be home shortly. And hubby is starting his new job tomorrow, so he's already gone to bed for his 4 am start. I shall sleep well tonight, I think.


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Shares of Costco COST have kept pace with Walmart WMT and Target TGT over the past 12 months. The big-box discount giant has also crushed its rivals over the last five years, as all three prove they are ready to fight off Amazon's AMZN encroachment.
Now, with Costco set to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2019 financial results on October 3, let's dive into COST stock.
Retail & Costco Overview
It might seem trite to talk about e-commerce and digital expansion and the need to roll out more delivery offerings. But the fact that these buzzwords seem overused at this point doesn't mean they don't drive the retail industry, or at least stock price momentum.
Walmart and Target both blew away investors this quarter, with TGT up from roughly $85 to $103 per share in one day. Both retailers showed that their digital, delivery, and pick-up initiatives have paid off. Plus, WMT and Target's in-store traffic have remained strong, which is a good thing because e-commerce sales in the first quarter of 2019 accounted for just 10.2% of total retail sales, according to Census Department data.
Costco, like its peers, now boasts multiple digital and delivery offerings. Costco has expanded its same-day delivery service to "most" metropolitan areas through its Instacart partnership. Meanwhile, the Issaquah, Washington-based retailer currently offers free two-day delivery for non-perishable food and household supplies to customers nationwide on orders of $75 or more, with a fee charged for smaller orders. The company also makes money from its membership fees.
Other Fundamentals
As we alluded to at the top, COST stock has soared roughly 130% over the last five years, which comes in well above its industry's 96% average—which is boosted by AMZN's inclusion—TGT's 70% and WMT's 53%. Shares of Costco have also surged 77% in the past two years and 23% over the past 12 months, compared to its industry's 6% decline.
Costco stock closed regular trading Thursday down 1.57% at $287.83 per share. This marked a roughly 6% downturn compared to its 52-week highs of just over $307. But along with this climb has come a somewhat stretched valuation picture.
Shares of Costco are currently trading at 34.3X forward 12-month Zacks earnings estimates. This falls just below its recent highs of 36.9X but marks a huge premium against its own 27.5X three-year median and 23.6X low.
Target stock is currently trading at 16.9X, with Walmart at 23.2X. The chart below also shows how bloated Costco's valuation appears compared to its industry's average and its own history.
Outlook & Earnings Trends
Moving on, Costco is one of a few remaining retailers that still reports its monthly sales. Therefore, heading into its report we have a great idea of what to expect. On September 5, the firm reported its August and 16-week fourth quarter sales figures.
The company's Q4 sales jumped 7% from $43.41 billion in the year-ago period to $46.45 billion. Meanwhile, COST said its total 52-week sales climbed roughly 8% to $149.35 billion. Last year, the firm's sales jumped 9.7%.
On top of that, total 2019 comparable sales popped 6.1%, with e-commerce up 23%. Investors should note that both of these mark slowdowns from 2018's 9.5% comps expansion and 32.2% e-commerce growth.
Moving on, our current Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for Costco's adjusted quarterly earnings to jump 7.6%. The company's full-year earnings are projected to jump 17.8%, with fiscal 2020 projected to come in 5.7% higher. COST has seen its Q4 earnings estimate revision picture trend heavily in the right direction recently, but its longer-term movement has been more mixed.
Bottom Line
It seems like COST stock could be headed for a pullback based on its valuation, as some investors decide to take home serious profits. Costco is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) that holds "D" grades for both Value and Momentum in our Style Scores system.
Costco is scheduled to release its Q4 fiscal 2019 financial results on October 3.
5 Stocks Set to Double
Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth.
Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.
Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Walmart Inc. (WMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Target Corporation (TGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research

subset: commoncrawl


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Get gorgeous nails like the stars. Give yourself fab mani's with these guides.
Galaxy Nails
All you need is a make up sponge, a black nail polish, red nail polish, and a glitter nail polish.
1. Put on nail polish and let dry.
2. Dip fingernail in alcohol-basically any will do, vodka is suggested.
3. Press a strip of newspaper big enough to cover the whole nail on to your alcohol soaked nail.
4. Pull off slowly and be really impressed with yourself.
5. Paint top coat if desired.
Simple French manicure
You can buy these hole reinforcement labels at any office supply store.
Some more uses for hole reinforcement labels.
1. Paint nails red
2. Apply labels
3. Paint nails over with black nail polish
4. Carefully remove labels
5. Apply top coat.
Spray nails with Pam cooking spray and they will dry instantly.
*photo image credits pinterest


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Food is usually the reason why I drag my ass out of the hotel…
Singapore was surprisingly cooler than Taipei when I arrived that day. After checking in at the hotel at 5 in the morning, I slept till noon and met up with Viv for my first meal of the day.
那天我到的時候才早上4點多, 到了旅館5點, 睡到中午剛好起來去吃中飯~
On the way to our first meal, we drove past the new Sands hotel and casino. Which now reminds me, I thought we were going to check it out? What happened?
在去吃中飯的路上, 我們經過了新開的金沙賭場. 現在看到這個照片讓我想起來, 我們不是本來要去看看的嗎? 結果咧?
Lunch was a Ember, a umm… I'm not really sure what type of cuisine it was, Eurasian? Lunch is a 3-course meal, an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert for 38 SGD. Oh, it also comes with tea, coffee, or this fruity soda water thing.
中餐是在一家叫做Ember的餐廳. 應該算是歐亞創意料理吧? 中午一個人38塊錢, 可以選一道前菜, 一道主菜, 一道甜點. 有附麵包, 咖啡/茶/果汁.
Bread and butter, and the iced soda water thing~ The freshly baked bread has sun-dried tomatoes in it~
這個麵包是剛烤好的, 裡面是番茄乾~ 那杯是.. 果汁加蘇打水~
Crab cake and soft shell crab. Both were good stuff~ and only now did I realize, that both were crabs~
前菜一道是蟹肉餅, 一道是軟殼蟹. 兩個都很好吃~
The main course, this was yam crusted veal loin. The outside was crispy, and veal was tender.
The coleslaw looking thing is suppose to be Japanese salsa, it's mainly onions with a miso vinaigrette.
主菜是小牛肉, 外層是脆脆的番薯~ 那碗東西裡面是洋蔥絲, 紅蘿蔔絲還有什麼我也忘了的東西~ 然後用味噌油醋醬拌過. 還滿清爽的.
This is the 12 Hour Cooked Pork Belly. The round thing is apple.
The meat was very tender, and the skin was VERY crispy~
這道菜看起來像烤乳豬, 搞不好他就是~ 肉已經熟透了, 很軟嫩, 那個皮是超級脆~ 那個圓圓的是蘋果~
The dessert was apple tart with vanilla ice cream.
The apple tart was warm, and was very good~ Anyone know any restaurants similar to this in Taipei?
甜點是蘋果塔/派配香草冰淇淋. 這是現做的, 上來的時候還熱呼呼的~ 配上冰淇淋~ 讚~ 有沒有人知道台北有沒有這種類似的餐廳啊?
Then we went to the China Town in Singapore, where Viv discovered the market that sells Taiwanese stuff, like kimlan soy sauce and pickled bamboo shoots and stuff~
然後我們去了新加坡的中國城找到了一家有賣台灣東西的超市, 所以以後Vivian不用再從台灣帶金蘭醬油回去了~
This is the Hai-Nan Chicken Rice at Lucky Plaza.
According to Viv, this is the only place that does both the rice and and chicken the right way. I have to say, it was great stuff~ The rice was flavorful and the chicken was tender, but why is it all white meal? Chickens in Singapore don't have legs?
這家在Lucky購物商場二樓裡面的海南雞飯是很多人推薦的咧~ Viv說有的地方的飯做得好, 但是雞肉不好, 有的地方的雞肉好吃, 但是飯不好吃. 這家是目前他們吃過唯一一家兩樣都弄得有水準的地方~ 確實是很好吃, 不過, 為什麼都是雞胸肉啊? 新加坡的雞都沒有腿的嗎?
I forgot what this new mall is called… it's got like all the big name brands in it~
我忘了這個地方叫什麼, 反正是一家什麼名牌都有的新開的百貨公司~
And for the last meal of the day, we had the coconut rice.
The rice was cooked with coconut milk or something, it's very fragrant. When you order, they give you a pile of rice, and you pick out what you want to go with it from a variety of fried stuff. The fried chicken was very crispy and juicy, I like it. The thing wrapped in the green leaf was minced mackeral with spices called "Otah". It's almost like a paste, but you can still kind of feel the texture of fish meat in your mouth. The drink was barley water, barley broiled in water… so it's kinda like a soup? but it's a drink… hmm… anyway, it's a pretty good drink to go with the fried and spicy stuff~
然後我們到了一家很有名的椰漿飯的地方. 飯聞起來很香的咧~ 配菜幾乎都是油炸的東西, 他們的炸雞很好吃~ 很脆又多汁~ 另外一個比較特別的就是那個用葉子包起來的東西, 它叫做Otah. 裡面是鯖魚磨成泥加入香料, 吃起來很有南洋風味, 還不錯啦~ 然後配上冰冰涼涼的薏仁水很搭喔~
At the airport, there were a few 747-SP parked at the apron. 747-SP is a shortened version of the 747. Boeing produced these to meet the demand of an airplane for the "long and thin" routes back in the 1970's. Airlines wanted planes for the routes that are too lengthy for the DC-10 and MD-11's but needed lesser seats than a standard 747. So the 747-SP (Special Performance) was produced to filled the gap in the market.
It's quite cute I think~ haha~ From the left, it's the 747-400 cargo, and then the 747-SP, You can see the SP is much shorter, but with the same big head and tail~
Hmm… I don't feel like writing anything today, so… I guess that's it~!


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6 Methods To Maintain Your Health When You are Super Busy
Specializing in weight reduction & wellness programs, custom nutrition plans, and fitness coaching. Making a motivated mindset is often the first step in getting unstuck" whether or not it's weight loss, a profession change, ending a relationship, finding what makes you excited to leap out of bed, or just making an attempt to get by your day, I've got a ton of resources and inspiration for you. I strongly consider that manifestation works and you'll have everything you need in life. Not that it will be handed to you on a silver platter, but it is best to never feel hopeless. There's a method to fulfillment, it is just going to take intention, focus, and onerous work. Click right here to learn more about badassery or be part of my 30 day reset and work on mindset with health and nutrition at the similar time.
Having the Fitness Vitamin Certification shows that I'm critical. I absolutely consider you possibly can't out-exercise a poor weight loss program. Fantastic tuning a purchasers fitness level to a better fitness degree is so satisfying. Serving to people be more healthy and stronger is why I am a private trainer. Researchers behind a examine published this summer in the Journal of the American Coronary heart Association found that older people who spent much less time sitting and extra time shifting had fewer indicators of encroaching heart disease as measured by key markers of harm within the blood.
Meanwhile, a number of tendencies moved from the edges of the wellness world to develop into absolutely mainstream. These embrace the rise of digital and social health; the accessibility of mindfulness and meditation; the steadily growing reputation of diets reminiscent of Whole30, Paleo, and keto; and increasing curiosity in meals as a device for healing. You'll additionally notice … Read More . . .


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When I was a kid, my mom watched this soap, Edge of Night. What a great name. I remember those spooky black and white credits. Edge of Night sounds ominous. Scary. She and my Aunt Gen watched it together. My mom in Chicago and Aunt Gen in LA. They'd compare notes - talk about the characters.
I called my mom tonight. I gave her the updates on my soap opera life - who was sick, who was addicted, who had what psych disorder, who was on thin ice. All that shit. She told me to write it all down and publish it. Other friends have said the same thing. When do I do it? Do I wait for it to be over, for him to move away, to see what happens?
I've always wondered, if your life IS a soap opera then do you need to watch more?


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Good morning!
Hey it's great to see you! Howz it going?
Awesome avatar and sig!
Hey nice to see you buddy
What's up?
Everything's cool!! Trying to enjoy the weeked!
Hey maX... Thanks!
How are things?
Hey citadel, good to see you!
Hows it going citadel
Congrats on the new iPhone!!!!!!!
Modding Guru
Modding Rookie
I'm Jailbroken!!!


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Thursday, June 9 @7pm: American Portraits Concert | The Ataraxia Duo
American Portraits, presented by the Ataraxia Duo, is an innovative concert of contemporary American music for flute and piano, offering a panoramic perspective on major trends in American composition from the 1940s to the present by combining musical performance with audience engagement and multimedia elements.
The Ataraxia Duo draws its name from the Greek term meaning "hearty tranquility with continual freedom from distress and worry." With primary professions in the fields of musicology and arts administration respectively, William Gibbons and Kristen Queen enjoy the freedom, tranquility, and trust found in remaining active performers on their primary instruments, particularly in a chamber music setting. Programming primarily 20th- and 21st-century American works, the Ataraxia Duo aims to also foster and perform new compositions for flute and piano duo from composers across the country.
The Program:
Two Bits (1941) by Henry Cowell (1897–1965)
Mountain Song (1949) by Ned Rorem (b. 1923)
Love Divided By (1992) by Philip Glass (b. 1937)
Soliloquy (2012) by Jake Heggie (b. 1961)
Diversions and Escapes (2014) by Martin Blessinger (b. 1978)
Please sign up for a free ticket
Join the Facebook event here.


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Pauline Nwika was born of very poor parents in Atana, Anambra State. She had very lttle education in a commercial school in her area.
After school, she used to engage in hawking goods to help support the family of four. Her father was a truck-pusher at Ochanja market, Onitsha, and a drug addict. He rarely came home to see his family in the village.
Pauline got fed up with village life at the age of seventeen and left for Ontisha where she bacme a call girl in one of
the hotels. The money she realized from the business was not much but it was better than life in the village.
It was one rainy evening that she got to know Dike who occasionally visited the hotel to have a good time. It was while Dike was drinking his beer that he was drawn towards Pauline. In her close-fitting dress which emphasized her youthfulness, she looked very attractive. She had long, coal-black hair, large b—–s and solid hips. Men often made passes at her, but
she cose only the
ones she fancied.
Dike beckoned her to a seat nearby, and she moved over. At first Pauline did not take to Dike but she liked his soft-spoken manner and decided to stay with him.
At that time, Dike had no permanent girl and needed one he would trust. Pauline, on her part, knew hundreds of men but had discovered that none of them was interested in her well-being; rather
they loved her
body and paid for that.
Dike dated he for supper and proved to be generous, Since then, they started going steady. Within six months of meeting Dike, Pauline packed into a two-room apartment, Dike providing the furnishing and paying the rent.
In spite of the fact that Pauline was grateful to Dike and liked him, she regretted the fact that he was much older than her, and was not a girl's idea of a glamorous boyfriend. But he treated her very well and had money to spend on her. They met twice a week. Sometimes he would take her to the cinema or to a dinner. Whatever the programme, they always ended up in bed. As time
went on, Pauline appreciated Dike as a lover who was better than most young men. He and no one else could satisfy her.
Their friendship took another shape two years later when a Volkswagen Bettle car was bought for her by Dike. It made her become more sophisticated, or so she thought.
Dike had won a prize of five thousand naira in the state government lottery and was able to provide the two thousand naira needed for the car under the hire purchase system.
Dike considered Pauline a young girl who was easily pleased. He felt he could trust her and this mattered to him. He had become tired of those he considered toughies and cheats.
Pauline came a breath of fresh air. She was not demanding and was very good at love making. To him, she was more than attractive. She was always content to sit by his side in sillence or talk
whenever he was in the mood,
she never talked of marriage.
To be continued…..


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Most of the communal arable lands in the former homeland areas are currently either underutilized or not utilized at all. Among some of the reasons given is the absence of 'land markets' owing to the communal nature of the rights bestowed on the owners/users of the land. This paper aims to propose the creation of semi-formal 'land markets' in communal areas through the development of land registers, which will enable smallholder farmers to transfer land user rights among each other.
A semi-structured questionnaire was administered on land parcel owners in three villages in the Thaba Nchu. The main purpose of the questionnaire was to establish among others the sizes of land parcels held for arable production, whether it is currently being used and if the owners would be willing to temporarily transfer their rights to other villagers. The study found that there is a general interest in arable production, 95% of the respondents would not transfer their rights as they are still interested in arable production. Among these, fifty-five (70%) respondents would enter into one of the following user rights transfer arrangements; sale, lease, share-cropping and free loan. The commonly preferred arrangements are share-cropping and free loan (46% and 15%, respectively), but sharecropping is the most preferred land transfer arrangement. Selling and leasing are the least preferred (both with less than 10%). The reason for their unpopularity may be understood in the context of the land tenure system wherein land holders only hold user rights and not private ownership of the land. Furthermore, the results underscore the importance of land as an asset that households would not want to lose. This is further expressed in terms of the length of periods for which households are prepared to transfer their rights; more than 70% of the respondents would transfer their user rights for a maximum period of four years. Within this, the majority will let their fields for a period of two to four years (41%) and the remaining 33% for only one to two years. The study recommends the creation of functional semi-formal land markets in communal areas as there is an interest in participating in such markets.


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- Home
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Attorney Keith Gantenbein
Attorney Keith Gantenbein
Gantenbein Law Firm
1861 York Street
Denver, CO 80206
E-MailClick Here
WebsiteClick Here
This Attorney is
Lead Counsel Verified
Lead Counsel Verified
About Me
Gantenbein Law Firm is located in Denver, Colorado and provides its clients with the best representation in the legal areas of Real Estate Law, Tax Law, Business Law, Foreclosure Defense, Homeowner Association (HOA) Defense, Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning, and Credit Dispute. Gantenbein Law Firm's attorneys are dedicated to providing our clients with excellent, comprehensive legal solutions. Gantenbein Law Firm has appeared on national and local news and national publications and on the front page of Denver Post for its dedicated work to helping Coloradoans and homeowners.
I am Licensed to Practice in:
Colorado Court
Federal Court
Lead Counsel Verification Details
This Attorney is Verified in the Following Practice Areas:
Business Law since 2015
Real Property Law since 2015
- Verified Experience
- Peer Recommended
- Spotless Record


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I had the privilege today to facilitate a JUMP! session for the SoTEC conference at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel. What a great group of speakers at this event — really headlined by Peter Coffee, the director of platform research for SalesForce.com. He gave a visionary presentation of what life is, and will be like when software as a service and real cloud computing are ubiquitous. Fantastic! I was pleased to be included on the agenda with such great speakers.
Also, on my way back to LAX, I thought I'd check to see if JUMP! has made it to any stores in California yet. Lo and behold, I went into the Borders in Torrance (about 1/2 between Long Beach and LAX), and there were TWO copies in the store! It's hard to explain, exactly, but there's something amazing about seeing JUMP! "in the real world."
So… I was a little "sneaky", and I took the two books, and turned them "cover-out." It helps a LOT with sales if folks are just browsing, and you haven't heard this from me — but let's start a national trend! Go to your local Borders, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, Tattered Cover, etc., and if you see JUMP!, turn it on the shelf so that the cover faces out! (I'd really appreciate it…) Thank you!
THANK YOU to the folks at Borders, and THANK YOU to the organizers at the SoTEC conference! It was a fulfilling and amazing trip all around.


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Bible reading plans can help you grow as a follower of Christ. They guide you through reading the Bible, so that you can see God's plan for this world and why it matters. A Bible reading plan also helps you stay committed. Regularly reading, studying and applying God's Word will help you develop Bible reading as a habit — something you work into your everyday routine. The goal is to not follow a reading plan just to check off your Bible reading for the day but to have a life changing meeting with God.
For your convenience, we've compiled two Bible Reading Plans for you to choose from……Pick up your copy today at the Welcome Center!


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This video is for promotional purposes and explains in a simple way what the Keshe Foundation is about and how we work. Please share !
About the Keshe Foundation:
The Keshe Foundation is an independent non-profit and non-religious organization founded by nuclear engineer M.T. Keshe that aims to develop new scientific knowledge, new technologies and new solutions to major global problems like famine, water shortage, lack of electrical power supply, climate change, and disease, through the use of specially developed plasma reactors which will also give Mankind the real freedom to travel in deep Space.
The link to the Government Invitation Letter:http://www.keshefoundation.org/en/introduction/the-kf-center/123-events/312-t…
Visit the Keshe Foundation website for more info:
Keshe Health Technology:http://www.keshefoundation.org/en/applications/medical
Keshe Health Videos:http://www.keshefoundation.org/en/applications/medical/volunteers/151-health-…
You can easily help in translation!
Would you like to translate the included subtitles to your language? It's very simple.
1. Download http://www.nikse.dk/subtitleedit
2. Download the subtitle file:http://www.keshefoundation.org/media/video/presentations/Promo_ENG_Final_Lan.srt
3. Load the subtitles SRT file in it and you can choose auto translation from the menu. Please correct the translations, so it is readable.
4. You can also manually translate the SRT file if you do not wish to use the software or don't have a Windows computer.
5. Then send it to webmaster *@* keshefoundation. com
NOTE: You can also share this video on your channel and add the automatic translation in your language to it, as this user did:
Romenian Subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxDsI9aNXgo&feature=g-upl
Preferably, use the same title movie, but add your language to the title, so people can easily find.


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Inspired by string art patterns of the 60s and 70s.
This quick stitching design is intended to be stitched on black or very dark fabric but you can use any colors you want for various looks. Use black thread on white or light fabric for a totally different look. Whatever is black in the design image here will be the fabric color/pattern you choose to stitch it on.
3 sizes MLJ
All of our machine embroidery designs will come in any or all of the following hoop sizes: (You will receive links to download the size(s) you purchased and all formats available)Small for 4 x 4 inch hoop, Medium for 5 x 7 inch hoop, Large for 6 x 10 inch hoop, and Jumbo 8 x 12 inch hoop.Each design description above will state the sizes the design comes in: S, M, L, J standing for Small, Medium, Large and Jumbo. These will be written SML, meaning Small, Medium and Large, or perhaps MLJ, meaning Medium Large and Jumbo, or even SMLJ meaning the design comes in all four hoop sizesFormats Available: ART3, ART4, DST, EXP, HUS, JEF, PES, VIP, XXXIf your format is not listed email us.
These designs are copyrighted and are the property of Susan Makalinaw and BFC Creations.


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Reviewing puzzle games can help not only the creators of the games but also those who intend to create. It helps everyone better understand the ins and outs of what makes a puzzle game interesting and fun. However, puzzle games are as hard to review as they are to make. There is so much to learn about the different aspects of puzzle game design that make any puzzle game stand out. Having a guideline for your puzzle game review can help you to better focus on the game at hand.
Today I present a guideline on how to properly review puzzle games. Note: This was based heavily on comments by Elyot Grant (founder of Lunarch Studios). Check him out at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-qDTvqGQ28BtVLXXSwIfdQ
Not all of the below need to be taken into consideration depending on the type of game. However, looking into the different aspects will give you a pretty good idea into what you may be lacking or have too much of.
1. Puzzle Genre:
First of all, figure out what type of puzzle it is. There are so many types of puzzle games out there that a list of genres may be hard to define. We can start by referencing this big list and this smaller list. Just to name a few types:
Single Character Control/Action Puzzles like Braid, Portal, Antichamber
Logic Puzzles like Atsumari, Mario's Picross, Sudoku
Physics Puzzles like World of Goo, Angry Birds, Portal (again)
Tile-matching Puzzles like Candy Crush, Zuma
Hidden Object Puzzles like Minesweeper, Black Box, or even I Spy books
We can see how games can span across multiple genres or even not fit in any of these. However, it is important to know the kind of experience the target user is looking for. We can do this by simply comparing it to other games of its class.
Ask yourself: What is the scale – are they quick little gems, are they big and complicated? Is it more of a "flow" experience or a "challenge" experience? Is it more systems-based or level-based? Are there unique solutions or multiple solutions or engineering problems? (note: all questions from here on, other than point 3 and 4, are courtesy of Elyot Grant)
2. Enjoyment:
Next, the most important thing to pretty much any form of entertainment. It is pretty darn hard to explain your own enjoyment most of the time. Therefore, you're just gonna have to sit down and feel the game for yourself – fully and without distraction.
Then ask yourself: Were the puzzles good? How do they provide enjoyment? Were the solution paths smooth? Are there emergent surprises and novelties? Were there interesting hidden truths or discoverables concealed in the designs? Does the game subvert expectations?
Asking yourself these will help you better understand the context in which enjoyment is derived in terms of puzzle games. These aspects are what players enjoy in puzzle games – whether or not they realize.
3. Minimalism:
As mentioned in my previous article, minimalism is very important for most puzzle games (albeit not all). Seeing the point of minimalism is simple: The levels should be small, allowing the player to explore and examine the space without having a large and frustrating possibility.
Ask yourself: Did you have to think of an exorbitant amount of possible actions at any given time? Was the level and its features too large to comprehend at first glance? Was it frustrating at any point? If so, what caused it?
4. Learning:
Another aspect mentioned previously was teaching the player. This should be normal in most if not all game genres. We want the player to be able to explore the mechanics or rules of the world. We then want them to be put to the test. Fully use their brain to tackle challenge after challenge with increasing difficulty.
Ask yourself: What were the major mechanics of the game? How does the game teach you about them? Was it simple to understand the games method of teaching these mechanics? Was there any level that was inconsistent with the games teachings (can sometimes be a good thing)?
5. Puzzle Solving:
There are an unsurprising amount of properties to solving a good puzzle. Much like a math problem, we have to consider what makes a puzzle challenging and what makes it frustrating. When solving puzzles, think about the aspects below and try to figure out if it makes it more fun or annoying. There are no true good and bad for the aspects below, but a good puzzle presents a good balance.
Ask yourself: How do you solve the puzzles? Is it logical/deductive? Is it experimenting with a system to determine its properties and lemmas or meta-constraints? Are there intransparencies or logic leaps? Do you have to do a lot of trial and error/searching/nishio/bifurcation? Is there a lot of fiddling or haystacking? Is there pattern-seeking or observation? Are the logic chains deep? Are there confirmers or redundancy? Is there good feedback?
6. The Creator:
In many cases, it is important that the player feels like the game is not working against them. Even if there are evil characters in the game who do not want you to succeed (like in Portal), a good puzzle game should make you feel like you don't have to worry as it is by your side no matter what happens. This makes the player feel like they have a relationship with the game's creator. Makes them much more likely to enjoy the overall experience and keep pushing through the tough parts.
Ask yourself: What is the relationship like with the puzzle creator? Are they always trying to trick you? Are they helpful? Kind? Indifferent? Are they consistent? Do the puzzles make sense once you understand them? Are there Japanese-style tutorials? Indie-vow-of-silence tutorials? Something in between?
7. Tediousness:
I think Joseph Anderson put it best in his video about Stephen's Sausage Roll. He says that many puzzle games make you go through all the solutions in your head before executing the path you choose. Stephen's Sausage Roll feels so good for him because he doesn't have to do that. It allows unlimited attempts so you just keep going and losing until you finally find something worthwhile, without fear of failure. It is important to make sure the player doesn't have to keep all their ideas in their head before execution.
Ask yourself: How laborious are the puzzles? Is there a lot of process or execution? Is there mental toil?
8. Structure:
The way the levels or phases of a game are structured is nearly as important as the levels themselves. Introducing your player to new and interesting things is always wonderful. However, you need to take into account the order in which the player has to consume this information.
Ask yourself: What is the structure like? Linear? Open? Something in between? Are the levels structured in such a way to teach effectively? To avoid tediousness? Are there interesting sequences or reprises? Is there exploration or combat? Are there multi-puzzles, meta-puzzles, boss puzzles, etc.
9. Accessibility:
Knowing your audience and their abilities is absolutely crucial. A game should strive to make the game as comfortable as possible to the target class of players. Some games are too difficult for a younger audience. Some games are too simple for the hardcore player.
Ask yourself: Who are the puzzles accessible to? Do they need a lot of working memory, genre-specific knowledge, dexterity, etc.? Are they good for kids? How difficult are they? Are they puzzles for which experts will be a lot faster?
10. Interface:
The interface a player interacts with makes all the difference in their understanding of the game, its world and its rules. The Witness is an incredible example of visual and audio puzzle design. It teaches you about itself without having said a word. However, no matter if the game has text, we need to make sure that the user interface is cohesive and effective at getting the message and direction of the game across at all times.
Ask yourself: How good are the interfaces? Do the visuals give you any problems understanding the puzzle or inputting the solution? Are the controls good? Are there systems like undo/restart or savestates? Is there a hint system?
11. Replayability:
According to Google, replayability is "the quality or fact of being suitable for or worth playing more than once." The best games of all time are replayable. In Portal, it is because there are so many ways to solve the different puzzles – even ways that the developers may not have intended.
Ask yourself: Is there replayability? Are the puzzles made by a human or an algorithm? Are there interesting optimization challenges?
12. Secrets:
The inquisitive player (or any hardcore fan) would dig deep into the depths of the game to find little pieces of information that the developer may have left behind. They derive a good amount of satisfaction from discovering these hidden gems. These are completely optional most of the time but a great little dose of enjoyment for those who seek.
Ask yourself: Are there optional challenges, secrets, easter eggs, inconspicuous noticeables, etc.? Do they add value?
Whether you're a game designer or just love to play games, reviewing a puzzle game from its many aspects can be difficult without having a solid template in mind. However, once you know what you're looking for, the aspects that make a game so incredible and wondrous present themselves to you. No matter who you are, we could all learn some amazing things from puzzle games and their intricate and beautiful design.


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MUMBAI: India seems to be a lucky hunting ground for Shaun Marsh, just like it was for his father Geoff, the former Australia opener. It is likely that left-hander Shaun is likely be preferred over Usman Khawaja for the first Test after he was included in the XI for the sole warm-up game, against India A at the Brabourne Stadium here. Khawaja, of course, is sitting out of this game.
Seizing the opportunity in his maiden first-class game in India, Marsh cracked 104, adding 156 for the third wicket with skipper Steve Smith, who too warmed up for the series with a century, before the duo decided to cool their heels in the dressing room. Almost nine years back, the man from Western Australia received a surprise call-up to open the batting for Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural IPL, and even though he missed the first four games, Marsh ended up being the top run-getter in the tournament with 616 runs in 11 email@example.com, with five fifties.
The fabulous performance didn't go unnoticed back home, and Marsh was given a break in the Australian ODI and Twenty20 teams in July 2008. Since then, though, his career has been a roller-coaster ride. He has featured in 19 Tests, 53 ODIs and 15 T20 internationals, but many feel that with the talent he has, Marsh, who scored a hundred on his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Pallekele back in 2011, should have played more for Australia.
On the other hand, Marsh's younger brother Mitchell is now a regular part of the Australian team as an allrounder. Time is now running out for the 33-year-old to do justice to his huge potential. As he's no more considered for the opening slot in Tests, Marsh these days has to jostle for a berth in the Australian middle order with Khawaja, another talented left-hander.
In India, though, Marsh noses ahead of Khawaja in the race purely because of his better ability against spin, which was evident in the way he used his feet to smash India A's left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem over long on. Apart from his IPL experience, Marsh has played three Tests in Sri Lanka, in which he has scored at 78.60, with two centuries.
In comparison, Khawaja has endured a poor record in Sri Lanka (115 email@example.com), where the conditions are similar to those in India. It means that even though he's coming off a wonderful run at home this season, which saw him scored 581 runs at 58.10 in six Tests against South Africa and Pakistan, Khawaja may have to wait for Marsh to fail to get a look-in in India.
Keen to put his struggles in the past for good, Marsh is now completely focused on the prospect of doing well again, though in a completely different format this time, in a country which seems to be close to his heart, just like it is for many Aussie greats. "It's a place where I've always enjoyed coming and playing. I always find it a really good challenge. This series is going to be a really good challenge for us as well, coming up against a quality opposition. It's going to be a great series for everyone," felt Marsh.
The veteran bat still can't explain why it's the subcontinent that gets the best out of him. "It's just a good place. It's a really great challenge. I've played a lot of cricket over here, whether it is One-day cricket or the IPL or Test cricket in Sri Lanka. So, I feel comfortable out there. I know it's going to be a good challenge, and I just want to enjoy it," he says.
Playing in India, he feels, will naturally offer a different challenge than touring Lanka.
Source: TOI


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Becoming Your Strongest AdvocateDecember 24, 2014 9:00 am Leave your thoughts
While everyone was holed up inside their homes during this month's storm, Maria was sitting on her porch, basking in the sound of the rain.
Maria hadn't heard rain in many years and was enjoying the experience with the wonder of a child and the appreciation of an adult who knows how easily such opportunities can be taken for granted.
As we end one year and welcome in another, many of us make time for a person who often goes neglected—oneself. We reflect on how to better ourselves and our lives and turn that into our New Year's resolution.
Although, we don't really need to wait until New Year's to do this, just like we don't wait for an authority figure to tell us when it's time to be happy. You can do something for yourself whenever you know it's time to.
This happens quite often with hearing care. Many people decide they don't need the full experience of improved hearing, or the education on how to get the most from their new devices. Some people wait for their doctor to speak up for them and determine when it's time for a hearing evaluation (hint: it's always time for a hearing evaluation—they should be part of your yearly check-ups).
You should be a strong advocate for yourself, especially in regards to your health and wellness. But if that's not enough, consider your loved ones: with better hearing comes better communication and interaction with those around us. It means fuller participation in everyday activities such as music and storytelling.
We encourage patients to get the most from their hearing by providing education on options that fit individual hearing types, hosting educational seminars, and offering free hearing-aid cleanings and evaluations. This is because we know that hearing is more than a commodity—it's quality of life.
Categorised in: Blog, Hearing Aids, Hearing Loss Lifestyle, Hearing Tests, Hearing Treatment
This post was written by jsolow


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Fishing for Miracles
Casting hope into heaven
My father-in-law, Carl, often said, "It's hell getting old."
I always chuckled, though it was difficult to empathize with his aches and pains. But he was a good old guy, and I liked him—especially since he let me hunt on his farmland. My wife, Cindy, would say I married her for the hunting rights, an accusation I am reluctant to confirm or deny.
Pride Goeth . . .
In early December 2007, Cindy and I had to leave the house on an errand. After closing the front door, I walked across the porch and glanced over my shoulder to admire the Christmas lights I had spent the day hanging. Unfortunately, I did not realize how near I was to the concrete stairs that descend to the sidewalk.
As I turned, I stepped into empty air. I sent my feet in opposite directions, fell toward the steps, launched my body toward the lawn (which seemed preferable to landing on the concrete), twisted in midair, plowed my ribs into the edge of a large planter, smashed my knee on the steps, slammed my shoulder into the lawn, rolled down the remaining stairs and came to rest on my back in the middle of the sidewalk. It would have been a perfect 10 if I had kept my feet together at the landing.
The stars were beautiful against the black December night, though some were spinning around my head. Cindy ran over and yelled into my face, "Grady, do not move!" Not a problem, I thought. Carl was right; it is hell getting old.
Extreme pain on my right side made me suspect a broken rib, which the doctor confirmed the next day. He told me there was little he could do but prescribe pain pills and send me home. Weeks went by with little improvement.
Creeping Cynicism
I did not pray for healing and was reluctant to ask others to do so. Why? When I was a boy, I heard testimonies in church about terminally sick people miraculously healed after prayer. When missionaries visited, I listened—completely enthralled—to their stories of miraculous healings on the field: Cancers vanished, the demonically oppressed found peace, broken bones mended before the eyes of astonished onlookers. As an adult, I became a leader in our church. In cell groups, at retreats, in hospitals and at the altar, I prayed for people who wanted healing.
But years passed, and I never witnessed what I considered a miraculous healing. Cynicism crept into my heart. Eventually, I was anointing people with oil and praying for something I believed about as likely to happen as winning the lottery.
I came to believe that the world was a fallen, cruel place, and we should not expect miraculous intervention in this harsh and bitter landscape. This position was validated in my heart after decades of struggling with chronic illness for which I had prayed and received prayer hundreds of times without results.
I grew weary of the kind of testimonies I had believed as a child. I became critical of the church for placing so much positive emphasis on miraculous healings, which I felt caused those—myself included—who did not receive them to feel like second-class Christians.
A Breakthrough
Such was the condition of my heart at a worship service several weeks after my tumble down the steps. Our pastor asked if he could pray for my ribs. I thought, Why bother? But I agreed. He laid hands on me and said a prayer asking for relief from pain, but nothing happened. Just as I expected, I thought.
A few days later, the pain was gone. I contorted my torso every way I could to see if the pain would return, but it did not. It had not tapered off slowly; it had vanished instantly! The suddenness of the healing rattled me.
I later found out that one of Cindy's coworkers and her husband had prayed for my healing the evening before it happened. The reality broke through the doubt and cynicism—I had been touched and healed by God. It was not a healing from a deadly disease, but it was powerful enough to soften my heart and cause some soul searching. And knowing that I'm a lifelong outdoorsman, God gave me a few insights using an analogy I could relate to.
Something Fishy
Miracles are somewhat like fishing. In Pavlov's Trout, a book on fishing and life, Paul G. Quinnett writes, "Positive illusions enhance hope, and hope must goeth before every cast." As an angler, I seldom tire of fishing from sunrise to sunset in blistering heat or frigid weather to catch nothing. Why would a sane person enjoy such a boring activity? It is partly because of those rare days when everything comes together, and I catch fish after fish until my arm is tired of reeling them in. Am I disappointed when I do not catch fish? Sure! But my hope remains strong every time.
True anglers set their expectations ridiculously high. We rise early and go to the water expecting that our fishing skills and special lures will be more than the fishes can resist. The feeling of tense excitement sustains us through endless hours of waiting. If the fish are not biting, we try different lures or change fishing holes, but the pleasant energy of expectation is always there. It does not discourage us much when we catch few or none because we know the fish live in the streams, rivers, lakes and oceans we visit. We do not always see them, but we know they are there. We see other anglers catch them.
Expect a Miracle
My dad used to say, "You can't catch fish if your hook's not in the water." Can we expect to experience miraculous healing if we are not praying for it, expecting it, hoping for it? Of course, some miracles happen without our supplication. But prayer is how we keep our hooks in the water. We invite others to pray for us as we pray for others. And if we grow tired or cynical, we can pass the rod to those who still hope before they cast each prayer.
Will every Christian experience a miraculous physical healing? No. But every Christian can experience the pleasant excitement of choosing hope. We know the power of Jesus to heal is real; we feel it in our heart. Miraculous healings may be infrequent—according to our busy desires—but they happen.
Think of it this way: we never know what will happen with each prayer cast into heaven when hope precedes it. We know miracles are there, and that is exciting!
Best of all, we do not need to fall down concrete stairs to learn the pleasure of fishing for miracles for others and ourselves, unless we have a cynical heart that needs softening.
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Although we like our conventional Gmail app, changes are always welcome.
Recently, Google has come up with a brand new app for Gmail for Android phones.
They have mailed this app 'Inbox'. This is as simple as the name goes.
The new application is rather easy to use. With this application, you can categorize emails of similar types together to make the maintenance of the inbox easy. Searching for emails has become rather simple.
Simple mistakes like sending wrong emails to the wrong people can be easily taken care of with this new software. This is because the software allows you to undo the errors you have made and rectify them.
The Gmail inbox app can be used easily in your mobile phones and your PCs as well. For using this app, all you need to ensure is that you have a Gmail id. You also need to be invited to use the application – an invite can be requested from a contact.
The Inbox app runs on Gmail only, so the Gmail id is mandatory to go ahead. Thus, if you do not have one already, then you can create one at www.gmail.com. creation of the mail id is simple and does not require much time. After your account is open, you can easily download Inbox from the play store.
The change that you see from the conventional mailbox to the mailbox visible through inbox app is rather refreshing. The ease of use on personal computers, laptops or tablets is also quite refreshing.
The best feature that the inbox app provides you is that of email bundling. The inbox app can help you group emails of a similar category in one bundle. For example, if you have been traveling quite often and would like a dedicated bundle for all the trips you made, you can group the corresponding emails under this bundle.
The application is also a smart one, because it can help you schedule what time to send emails and also give you reminders for the same. It can also remind you to keep to your appointments and set reminders accordingly.
For people who have a huge influx of mails in their accounts every day, cleaning them out becomes a tough job to do. For this, you can rely on Inbox to make your life easy. All unnecessary conversations can be selected and moved to trash in one go, simply by using the trash icon, which looks like a bin.
Did you ever have an incident when you were typing an email and accidentally hit the send button without completing it? You never have to be embarrassed again, as the inbox app allows you to recall messages.
All you need to do is to click the undo option and the message will be called back for you.


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|Photo: Wo.
Something made me want to be at this show. A great second record that proved a giant step forward and not a (weaker) rehash of a fine debut record and a vibe I sort of felt within me. My expectations were so high that during the first two, three songs I was totally disappointed. The music sounded flat, the audience hardly responded to that fine punk song 'Yuk'. Is this it?, I was asking myself.
From that exact moment things started to change. The band stepped up its efforts. Bass player Theo Ellis stepped forward and started to waive his arms high, like shouting out "come on, you guys! We are going to give it our whole, so join in". The response was instantaneous. There was no looking back. With every song the audience was responding louder, started jumping up and down, spontaneous handclapping and sing-along moments. I found myself enthralled and encapsulated by Wolf Alice's music. With each further song I found myself thinking: 'Don't let this be the last one'. That moment came inevitably of course.
|Photo: Wo.
The other attraction of the band is the guitar of Joff Oddie. It's almost like the guitar plays him instead of the normal proceedings concerning guitar players. The instrument went places it wasn't supposed to go, surprising its player it seemed every once in a while. Oddie is one of those players who lays down sonic storms, strange effects and whatever it takes to get the effect needed. The two are one making it nearly indistinguishable who does what. A treat to watch.
If something became clear to me, it is that Wolf Alice was not just playing a show. This is a band on a mission. Everything has to go for the greater goal. The band is ready for greater things. The songs and the instruments are so ingrained that the individual members can all perform next to playing. That made it so surprising that something in the audience made singer Ellie Rowsell laugh and could not stop so she just skipped a part of the song, while playing here guitar laughing. It showed that there is still a human side to Wolf Alice.
|Photo: Wo.
Friday 3 November 2017. Time will tell whether this was an evening of legends. Like U2 or UB40 shows when I was much younger in the Countdown studio. There's only one doubt: where were the youths? The average age must have been well over 30 from where I was standing. For the rest, what a great band Wolf Alice is. It lived up well above my expectations. It was so good. To take something by storm? Well, I watched it happen (to me).


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Female Reproductive System
# The female reproductive organs consist of the vagina, cervix, the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. The uterus is a pear-shaped hollow, thick-walled muscular organ located in the lower abdomen between the bladder and the rectum.
# The narrow end of the uterus is the cervix.
When a woman is pregnant, the fetus grows in the uterus until birth
# The vagina extends from the labia to the uterus, and is located behind the bladder and in front of the rectum.
# At the top and on each side of the uterus are the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
Ovaries are two glands that produce various hormones and contain follicles. An ovary is about the size of an almond. Fallopian tubes are two tubular structures that connect the ovaries with the uterus. Fringe-like projections
called fimbriae (located at the opening of the fallopian tubes) sweep an egg released from an ovary into the tube.
Reproductive system
# The ovaries are the main source of female hormone: estrogen and progesterone. These hormones control the development of female body characteristics from puberty onward. They also regulate the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.
# Estrogen stimulates the inner surface of the uterus to grow thick in preparation for pregnancy. Progesterone stops the thickening process and causes the glands to mature so they can nourish the new pregnancy; in most tissues it blocks the stimulating effect of estrogen.
# The process of fertilization starts with the union of an egg and a sperm. Sperm enter the uterus via the cervix during sexual intercourse. After penetrating the cervix, they travel upward through the uterus into the fallopian tubes. In the outer one third of the fallopian tubes, a sperm may reach and penetrate an egg that has matured and been released from an ovary. This is called fertilization. The fertilized egg travels down the fallopian tube and implants in the inner lining of the uterus.
# After implantation, the embryo continues to grow; from the 8th week until birth, it is referred to as the fetus.


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Reflections on Valentine's Day – The Simple, Natural, Knotted Way
02 Feb
What do you feel when Valentine's Day begins to loom large on your horizon? Excitement? Dread? Worry?
Many may remember how simple this day used to be. Mom or Dad would help you pick out the cheap box of small paper valentines, printed with popular cartoon characters clutching sappy pink or red hearts, and you'd hand address each one to all of your classmates. Everyone knew the drill at school on V-Day: cards were exchanged, and maybe, just maybe, you'd get lucky and get an extra-special card, or a second-tier gift from a little girl or boy who harbored a sweet grade-school crush on you. Beyond that "maybe," things were pretty easy!
Then came the teenage years and, alas, adulthood. More often than not, we now approach this day with a kind of complicated dread. Will s/he get me something nice? Will s/he remember? Or, on the other end: What do I need to get her/him? Gone are the days of your basic tiny card.
These days, around mid-January, when the stores begin stocking that special aisle to the brim with iridescent giant chocolate boxes, pink spotted teddy bears, and other commercially touted V-Day tokens of love, this day is no longer a time of innocent, sweet giving, but too often one of fearfully raised expectations, daunting plights of decision, and begrudged obligation.
What if we could reclaim the sweetness, the simplicity that this day was perhaps first meant to be?
In ancient, pre-Roman days, the festival we now know as St. Valentine's Day was once called Lupercalia ("Wolf Festival") and was celebrated in honor of Lupa, the legendary female wolf on whom Romulus and Remus suckled when they were abandoned as infants. Lupercalia signaled the onset of Spring, and it was meant to signify the purification of new life in this season of abundance and fresh beauty.
Rather than a rite of obligation, we like to think of St. Valentine's Day as an opportunity to go back to what is truly special about the relationships in our life–not only the romantic ones, but any relationship that has created something new that wasn't there before. These friendships, romances, and family ties are what keep our own lives fresh and growing, especially when we honor and celebrate them with sincerity and consistency.
It is with this spirit that we make our jewelry, and we like to think that this sense of appreciation and connection is woven throughout each piece. Indeed, if it weren't for our friendship and our desire to spend time with each other, none of these lovely creations would have ever come to be!
We also believe that the greatest teacher about life and love is the natural world. Much like Romulus and Remus were saved by a wild thing, we have always been drawn to the natural–and sometime wild–beauty of Sarasota, and have created our jewelry based on that inspiration.
Finally, like love of any form, The Knotted Stone jewelry is designed to get better the longer you wear it. Whether going about your day-to-day or frolicking in the waves at play, these bracelets will stay snug and strong, like a well-woven friendship or romance.
We invite you to redefine Valentine's Day by choosing these natural, simple-yet-intricate, handmade pieces to communicate something deeper than your typical go-to commercial gift. In all things, it is the heart that is important. Let us share ours with you through these timeless creations that are certain to touch your loved one's heart.


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Sahara Rise – The International Civil Resistance Conference, named after martyr Deida uld Yazid, was held on February 25, 26 and 27, 2018 at the Martir Malek Mohamed School in the Wilaya of Smara in the Saharawi refugee camps in Tindouf.
The conference was attended by dozens of Sahrawi organizations active in the refugee camps and in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. The conference also has the support of different international human rights organizations and support the struggle of the Saharawi people. More than 120 participants representing different Sahrawi organizations and specialists from countries such as Algeria, Palestine, South Africa, Sweden, Tunisia, Germany, the United States, Spain and Denmark were in attendance.
At the conference, several exhibitions were presented and workshops were organized with the aim of constructing and implementing a strategy of resistance to end the Moroccan occupation in Western Sahara. The first day began with a moment of silence in memory of the Saharawi martyr, former political prisoner Mohamed Alayoubi and all the martyrs of the Saharawi cause and those of just causes in the world. After, the presidential table of the conference was established and the activities commenced. First, the Saharawi experience in civil resistance and the struggle against different forces of colonization and the trajectory of the Saharawi people in the construction of a state and its institutions was outlined and overviewed. The Sahrawi presentations were carried out by activists from the occupied territories such as Brahim Dahan and Mina Baali, as well as the activists from the Gdeim Izik Hasanna Aaalia group. The president of the NOVA in Western Sahara, Maglaha Hamma and the General Secretary of the National Union of Saharawi Women, Fatma Mehdi also took the floor. Pepe Taboada, president of CEAS Sahara spoke on behalf of the international solidarity movement alongside the cause of the Saharawi people.
During the panel of international presentations of other nonviolent civil resistance movements, the audience listened to the experience of the South African activist Magdalene Moonsamey talking about her role in the South African struggle against the Apartheid regime. The Palestinian experience was also represented and conveyed its primary focus on the effectiveness of economic boycotts as a way of fighting and civil disobedience against the Israeli occupation. This perspective was presented by Mr. Mahmoud Nawajaa, coordinator of the BSD movement in Palestine. Ahmed Galai, member of the Tunisian League of Human Rights and Inés Tlili, an activist in Tunisian civil society and member of the NOVACT group, compared and contrasted the experience of Tunisia in the civil, non-violent struggle for human rights and freedom.
On the second day, the conference continued and the audience heard the reflections of two experts in nonviolence: Stellan Vintaghen and Marti Olivella.
Also, during the second day, participants were divided into different working groups to attend a workshop on the possible topics through which the strategy of nonviolent civil resistance could focus and to elect a defining the campaign that will be launched at the end of the conference that targets the Moroccan occupation. The day workshops focused on the following topics: human rights, natural resources, resistance and political prisoners. The working groups concluded the day by presenting various results and strategies implemented to focus their efforts on a strategic campaign to abolish the depletion of the natural resources of Western Sahara by Morocco. The election of a natural resources campaign was the most supported among the participants of the conference and reflects significant momentum in this regard in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. This was primarily motivated by a positive ruling from the Supreme Court of South Africa, which stated that phosphate cargo vessels retained for months in South Africa were illegally seized from the Saharawi people and the SADR. In contrast, there was significant interest in contesting a ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union which excludes Western Sahara from fishing agreements between Morocco and the European Union.
That same day, a symbolic referendum was held under the slogan "independence now" and aimed to show the perseverance of the Saharawi people and their insistence on exercising their right to choose their future and build a sovereign state through self-determination.
The participating Sahrawi organizations at the conference committed themselves to continue their struggle in a peaceful and nonviolent way.
The conference appealed to representatives of the international community which vowed to assist in the:
– Establishment of a fixed date to celebrate the Saharawi referendum of self-determination
– Assurance that human rights are respected in the occupied territories of Western Sahara.
– Ending to the illegal exploitation of the natural resources of occupied Western Sahara.
– Pressuring Morocco to release all Saharawi political prisoners.
– Call for the destruction of the wall of shame that constitutes a crime against humanity.
The conference concluded its program through establishing a monitoring device to all the decisions and recommendations adopted during the conference, especially those related to the defense of natural resources, human rights and the release of political prisoners.
Prior to the official closure of events, an act of solidarity with the Saharawi political prisoners was held and the participants celebrated the historic ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which explicit established that trade agreements between Morocco and the EU cannot include to the territory of Western Sahara.
"Strength, determination and will to impose independence and sovereignty "
Saharawi Organizations at the occupied territory and in the Saharawi refugee camps
Asociación de Familiares de Presos y Desaparecidos Saharauis (AFAPREDESA) · NOVA Sáhara Occidental · Equipe Media · UNMS · UGTSARIO · Unión de Periodistas y Escritores Saharauis (UPES) · Unión de Juristas Saharauis (UJS) · Asociación de Abogados Saharauis (UAS) · Asociación de Víctimas de Minas (ASAVIM) · Campaña Saharaui para la sensibilización sobre el peligro de Minas (SCBL) · Observatorio Saharaui de Recursos Naturales · Comisión Nacional Saharaui de Derechos Humanos (CONASADH) · Unión Nacional de Mujeres Saharauis (UNMS) · Unión Nacional de Trabajadores de Saguia El Hamra y Rio de Oro (UGTSARIO) · Unión Nacional de la Juventud de Saguia El Hamra y Rio de Oro (UJSARIO) · Unión Nacional de Estudiantes de Saguia El Hamra y Rio de Oro (UESARIO) · Unión de Periodistas y Escritores Saharauis (UPES) · Colectivo Saharaui de Defensores de DDHH CODESA · Asociación Saharaui de Victimas (ASVDH) · Comite Defensa del Derecho de Autodeterminación CODAPSO · Comité de Familiares de Martires y Desparecidos · Liga de Defensa de los Presos Políticos Saharauis · Comité de Familiares de los Presos Políticos Saharauis · Comité de Familiares de Los 15 Jóvenes Secuestrados · Coordinadora de las Ongs en Al Aaiún · Comité de Protección de los Recursos Naturales · Asociación Saharaui de Control de los Recursos Naturales y la Protección Del Medio Ambiente · Asociación Saharaui para la Protección de la Cultura · Coordinadora de Gdeim Izik · Fórum Futuro de la Mujer Saharaui · Observatorio Saharaui De Protección Del · Coordinadora Gnaidlaf · Asociación de Discapacitados Saharauis · Comité Saharaui de Defensa de DDHH Smara · Comité de Protección de los Defensores Saharauis Freedom Sun- Smara · Asociación Saharaui Contra La Tortura S.O · Liga Saharaui de Defensa de DDHH y Protección de Rw –Bojador · Coordinadora Saharaui de DDHH de Tantan · Comité de Defensa de DDHH de Goulimi · Grupo Contra La Nacionalidad Marroquí · Centro de Conservación de la Memoria · Asociación saharaui de protección de la cultura y patrimonio saharaui
International Organizations
Federació ACAPS · Instituto Internacional para la Acción No Violenta (NOVACT) · Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR)· CEAS-Sahara · Consell de Joventut de Barcelona (CJB) · Afrikagrupperna · Praktisk Solidaritet · Emmaus Stockholm · Servei Civil Internacional de Catalunya (SCI) ·Consell Nacional de Joventut de Catalunya (CNJC) · Cooperació Osona Sàhara (COOOS) · Sahara Acción Granada· Asociación Arena
Matt Meyer
Stellan Vinthagen
Magdalene Moonsamy
Ahmed Galai
Mahmoud Nawajaa
Martí Olivella
Mina Baali
Fatma Mehdi
Hassanna Alia
Pepe Taboada
Felipe Daza
Núria Millán
Ignacio Pedraza
Inés Tlili
Serlinda Vigara
Xavier Serra
Núria Millán
Silvia Abadía
Jordi Oriola
Patrícia Polo Navarro
Oriol Puig Morant
Beccy Allen
Juan Obregon
Nina Schmieder
Olle Svalander
Charlotta Svalander
Sam Svalander
Sanna Ström
Musse Hasselvall
Mia Söllvander
Lluís Rodríguez i Capdevila
Maria Carrión
Mayka Guerao Enríquez
Sara Pujalte López
Marta Aoiz Linares
Haddamin Mouludsaid
Carmen María Roger Padilla
Anselmo Fariña Melián
Fernando Lorenzo Abril
Kavita Kapur
Enjeeh Maaruf Sid-Ahmed
Hanan Bachir
Brahim Ahmed Said
Abdel Wadud AbdelAziz
Labeidi Embarek Dah-Salama
Hamahu-Allah Mohamed
Laal Mohamed
Mohamed Bachir
Shaia El-Wali
Maglaha Hamma
Lafdal Saleh Mohamed
Moulay-Zein Brahim
Mahmuda LehsanAicha Babait
Lafdal Saleh Mohamed
Ayda Abdo Mahmoud
Dihani Elbachir
Essabi yahdih
Abdeslam Omar Lahsen
Ahmed Ettanji
Juan Obregon
Nina Schmieder
Fatma Mehdi
Kasisa Abeida
Abba El Haisen
Mulay Mhamed
Zain Sid Ahmed
Malainin Lekhal
Sid Ahmed Ahmed Mahmud
Basiri Mohamed Salem
Chej Laulad
Aziz Haidar
Baibat Mustafa Abdelhay
Abba El Haisen
Fatma Mehdi
Kasisa Abeida
Zain Sid Ahmed
Sid Ahmed Ahmed Mahmud
Teresa Vázquez
Juan Pedro Higuero Rodriguez


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As a web designer, I am so proud to be inspired by and learn from my administrative professional colleagues!
Administrative professionals know that web design skills are in demand for administrative assistants and other office support staff team members. Not only do today's admins excel at essential communications, organization, and ever-changing office technology skills, they deserve congratulations for becoming increasingly adept at website design and development.
Employers often include skills related to the web, and often specifically WordPress, in their list of required skills for admins. On March 12, 2019, for example, the job search website indeed.com listed 457 jobs that included the words WordPress Assistant. I have taught and attended trainings presented by the International Association of Administrative Professionals on web design topics, and I have found that many admins are in tune with the reality that web design is rapidly becoming a basic, rather than outlier, skill for admins. They know that knowledge of coding tools such as HTML, CSS, PHP, and jQuery will give them an important edge in their careers.
Have any web design questions? Give me a call at (916) 920-2791.
Susan can speak on a variety of web topics and provide training to to administrative professioanls everywhere. Recently, she was very happy to teach a webinar for the IAAP Tulsa branch of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. Take a look at the slides from, "WordPress Website Design and Building." Let her know how she can help your group.


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WARNING: This review contains spoilers
One of the biggest battles we've seen in Arrow is that for Oliver's humanity. In season one Oliver started off as a ruthless vigilante, killing criminals as he saw fit without pausing to feel remorse. However, over the course of the series, and with the help of Felicity, Diggle, Roy, Thea, and Laurel, he's regained his moral compass and sought to save his city in a just way, not with violence. We've seen him be tempted to return to his murderous roots before, but never more so than in this mid-season premiere.
The episode begins with the same funeral scene we saw in the season premiere and Oliver's promise to kill the person responsible, now only four months away. The episode then jumps back to present day juxtaposing Oliver watching on in agony as doctors work on an unconscious and bloodied Felicity with the Arrow brutally beating a Ghost for information on Damien Darhk's whereabouts to no avail. He returns to Arrow HQ frustrated, but determined to find and take out Darhk. Laurel tells everyone Felicity is about to go into surgery and suggests they go see her beforehand. Oliver says he should stay here and keep searching for Darhk, justifying his actions by saying it's what Felicity would want. It's hard to see it that way though as everyone but Oliver is there for her at the hospital. Emily Bett Rickards doesn't have much screen time in this episode, but what time she does have she infuses with both vulnerability and strength, as well as a bit of wit, reminding us why we're so lucky Felicity survived the attack.
Desperate for leads, Oliver also suggests Diggle try again with Andy, leading to him beating his younger up to the points where his own knuckles are bleeding. At home with his wife, she suggests that as hard as it may be, he try to treat Andy not as a traitor or Ghost, but as his brother. She tells him that maybe if Andy saw the love he has for him rather than the anger, he'll start to open up. In the end, he tries it and apologizes to Andy for using force against him and reminds him that they are brother and he does love him. Andy says that he was never as good as John and claims that he always saw him as a disappointment and was ashamed, which Dig denies. He tells Andy that why he can see why Darhk's "new beginning" appeals to him that Darhk hurt someone he cares about and asks him for help in finding him. He finally gives in and reveals a location he's heard Darhk mention before, but that doesn't prove to be immediately helpful.
Oliver turns to Lance asking for the location of Darhk's offices where the two have met before, which Quentin gives him. Suited up he arrives but only to find the bodies of Ghosts along with a villian from earlier in the season, Anarky's, symbol written in blood. The blood doesn't contain the scrambled DNA of the Ghosts though, but Anarky's recently missing foster parents Quentin tells Laurel later. With a decent lead finally the gang, sans Felicity, infiltrates Anarky's guardian's house to find him. He was expecting Darhk but is pleased to unleash his booby-trapped guns on them as well. He and Thea tangle, and though given the opportunity, Anarky doesn't kill her, having taken a special interest in her since she inflicted his wounds. With Black Canary's help though they capture him.
Oliver holds him captive and goes to begin an interrogation when Thea convinces Oliver to go and check on Felicity who just got out of surgery, which apparently didn't go well. She takes this time to converse with Anarky. He thanks her for burning him, calling it a "baptism by fire" that allowed him to be reborn. He notes the similarities between them and says he knows she wants to kill him, can see it in her eyes. And tells her to go for it. And, if the police hadn't arrived at that moment, she probably would have. The parallels between these two are absolutely fascinating and I hope we see more interactions between these two in the future. Anarky clearly represents how Thea would act if she let her blood lust loose and stopped resisting. She however, unlike him, is still holding onto her humanity as best she can.
Oliver shows up to the hospital to find Felicity's mother upset and wondering where he has been. She reveals that the doctors were unable to fix Felicity. She's paralyzed. It's a major surprise to Oliver and viewers, but honestly, however tragic, I think it's a smart choice for the writers to make. This opens up a very interesting storyline for Felicity in dealing with these new physical limitations and how it will affect and change her role on the team. Also, there are very few characters in film and television with physical disabilities so this role (whether Felicity's condition remains permanent or not) can help increase representation for a group that is sorely under-represented.
In a very questionable move, Oliver next decides to free Anarky from police custody. On what condition? Make sure he's dead, the Green Arrow tells him. Despite Laurel understandable anger about letting a psychopathic murderer loose, Oliver is set on getting revenge and finding Dahrk. Dig says he'll stand by Oliver but he should be careful not to loose what made Felicity fall for him in the first place. The tracker Oliver planted on Anarky to track him to Darhk goes out, ruining their efforts.
It takes much too long for Oliver to actually get to Felicity's bedside, but when he finally does it serves as a great reminder of how in love these two are. Despite her condition, she's worried about Oliver and wants to make sure he hasn't gone off the rails and returned to his darker ways. He confesses he has started to question why he even continues as the Arrow when he can't protect those he loves and wonders if he'd been willing to kill again if things would be better, but she reminds him that nothing is worth losing his humanity for. And Oliver promises her that despite her prognosis he will continue to be there for her, for better or for worse, as he puts her engagement ring back on her finger.
Using the last known location from the tracker and Andy's tip the team discovers Darhk's home, where Anarky has Darhk's wife and daughter held captive and is preparing to torture them. Although Oliver could have easily let them die, he ultimately does the right thing and they rescue them and Thea chases Anarky outside. He taunts her that they have the same desire for death and encourages Speedy to kill him, but she resists proving her own strength to herself. Meanwhile, Oliver runs into Darhk who uses his own arrows against him, demanding the location of his family. Upon learning that the Green Arrow saved his family, Darhk spares his life and gives him a few weeks reprieve to spend with his own family.
In a delicious twist we see learn that Darhk's family isn't as innocent they initially appeared. As they head to a new, supposedly safe, location his wife remarks in distaste how the vigilantes saved them. You should have killed the Green Arrow tonight, she says, and reminds her of his promise for a new start and world.
The most shocking moment of the night comes at the very end though with a final flash forward after the mysterious funeral. Oliver enters the back of a vehicle where Felicity, noticeably without her engagement ring, sits in black seeming very distant. Tears brimming in her eyes and anger in her voice she tells him that he needs to kill the man responsible. Throughout the show, and particularly this season, Felicity has acted as Oliver's good angel, keeping his morals in check and making him a better man. To see her encourage the dark in him rather than bring out the light is a major shift and begs the question yet again as to who is in that grave. Obviously, it's someone that Felicity thinks could be worth losing their humanity over.


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Do you have to pay interns?
Internships are a great way for students and individuals to get experience and an idea of what's in store for them in a given industry or job.
However, the latest investigation by Fair Work into a popular startup has uncovered serious contraventions regarding the non-payment of 'interns'. While some businesses may act dishonestly, most businesses are simply trying to do the right thing when they provide opportunities to gain experience in their workplace.
The term 'internship' is a very confusing one as it can mean different things in different situations. In some cases, internships may fall within the scope of an employment relationship and require payment for services provided by the 'intern'.
There are a number of circumstances that are commonly associated with unpaid work, such as internships, volunteering, vocational placement, work experience, and work trials or skill demonstrations. According to Fair Work the purpose of unpaid work is to:
- give a person experience in a job or industry,
- test a person's job skills or competencies for a job,
- volunteer time and effort to not-for-profit organisation or cause.
How do you know if you should pay your interns?
The primary factor that determines whether work should be paid or unpaid, is whether or not an employment relationship exists between the employer and the individual.
An employment relationship may exists where the following conditions are present:
- There is intention to enter into an agreed arrangement to undertake work for the employer.
- A commitment by the person to perform work for the benefit of the business or organisation, and not as a part of running their own business.
- The expectation to receive payment for such work.
Additional factors to consider include the intended length of time the individual will be with the business, the reason for the arrangement, the significance of the work to the business, and who will benefit from the arrangement.
Ultimately, in order to be considered lawful unpaid work, the 'intern' or person undertaking work experience should benefit the most from the engagement.
Circumstances where an employment relationship may not exist
Work Experience & Vocational Placements
Interning or partaking in work experience provides a valuable opportunity for learners and individuals looking to gain experience in a particular industry or job. "Unpaid work experience and internships can be lawful if it is a vocational placement, or if there is no employment relationship found to exist."
According to Fair Work, vocational placements occur when the unpaid work is a requirement of the educational course or formal training the individual is undertaking. They may experience in an observational role, or performing tasks that provide a meaningful learning, training, or skill development experience.
Work Trials & Skill Demonstrations
Work trials or skill demonstrations, "can be legally unpaid if it is necessary to evaluate someone's suitability for the job.
Some factors to consider include if:
- It involves no more than a demonstration of the person's skills, where they are relevant to a vacant position.
- It is only for as long as needed to demonstrate the skills required for the job. This will be dependent on the nature and complexity of the work, but could range from an hour to one shift.
- The person is under direct supervision of the potential employer (or other appropriate individual) for the entire trial."
Volunteer Work
Volunteer work refers to work undertaken for the purpose of benefiting someone else. For example, this may include a sporting club, church, government school, charity or community organisation.
While the concept of working for the benefit of someone else can be an indicator of an employment relationship, genuine unpaid volunteer work must include that:
- The parties did not intend to create a legally binding employment relationship.
- The volunteer is under no obligation to attend the workplace or perform work.
- The volunteer doesn't expect to be paid for their work.
What's your responsibility as an employer?
In determining whether work should be paid or unpaid, employers should consider the individuals working obligations to the business, type of tasks undertaken, and the reason for the arrangement. If the work is lawfully classed as unpaid, there may be other laws that may still apply to the individual including, workplace health and safety, or discrimination. It is up to the employer to ensure that these conditions are met and maintained.
If the work is classed as paid work, it is up to you as the employer to ensure that all employment standards are met, including:
- A minimum wage.
- The National Employment Standards.
- The terms of any applicable Award or registered agreement.
Still not sure if you should pay your interns?
Each employer will likely have different circumstances for their interns, which is why we recommend contacting Fair Work on 13 13 94, or seeking legal advice for information on compensating individuals for unpaid and paid work.
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Events & Media AU Industry Insights |
Greens MP introduces franchise wages bill
A new bill called the Fair Work Amendment (Recovery of Unpaid Amounts for Franchisee Employees) Bill 2015 was introduced to Parliament last week. The bill, sponsored by Melbourne Greens MP Adam Bandt, is a direct response to the recent 7-Eleven saga, in which the Fair Work Ombudsman has already found over $600,000 in underpaid wages and entitlements. The bill aims to prevent this by making the franchisor responsible for correcting underpayments if the franchisee is not able to pay staff correctly and on time. You can read the text of the bill here, as well as its explanatory memoranda. Nobody would argue that it's fair how 7-Eleven staff were underpaid, but this bill skirts a fine line that all franchisors should be aware of. The bill is written in the typical legalese of the Fair Work Awards and the National Employment Standards, but the gist of it is: If a franchisee employer does not pay an employee by pay day, then the employee, or someone acting on their behalf, can give the franchisor a written demand for payment. The employee doesn't need to do this immediately. They have 6 years from the pay day in which they can make this request. The franchisor has 14 days to pay the employee what they've requested. If the franchisor doesn't pay the employee within the given 14 days, the employee (or a lawyer) can take the franchisor to court. So if the franchisor disagrees with the employee's written request… it must go to court! The court must add interest to the amount already owed to the employee. This interest is calculated from the pay day (so at this point it'll already be 14 days worth). In short, if this bill became law, every franchisor in Australia would have unknown liabilities on their books for the wages of everyone who's ever worked at one of their franchises any time in the past 6 years. And they could get these written notices if a franchisee gets their payroll out an hour late. This bill could certainly set a precedent for even more responsibilities for head office over what franchisees are doing. We think this could significantly change the dynamics of franchise agreements and cause a lot of headaches. It's important for franchises to be ready for this sort of thing. Whether mandated by law or common sense, as a franchisor you need to be sure that your franchisees aren't doing dodgy things with payroll that are going to see your brand on the front page of the Australian. About the author Jake Phillpot is a Director of Tanda, a specialist time and attendance company focusing on the interpretation of Australian Modern Awards and Enterprise Agreements. Tanda maintains templates of popular Modern Awards including Fast Food, Hospitality, Retail, and Restaurant. These templates include the Fair Work mandated minimum wages of all levels of staff, as well as rules for penalty rates, allowances, and overtime based on the times that staff worked. For more information, read a Franchise Case Study with Red Rooster or call Jake on 1300 859 117. You can also request an enterprise POA.
Industry Insights |
Why graduates should consider startups for a career
Today's corporate society is changing as businesses begin to measure their success by culture and impact rather than head count. While this attitude change may be slow coming for some, for graduates it represents unlimited career opportunities. The world of today's graduates differs greatly from that of generations before. It is shaped by agile roles, quick moving careers and constantly evolving industries. Companies like Tanda are proving to graduates that successful and rewarding careers can start with local companies right here in Brisbane. The growing success of startups and tech companies in Australia is changing the graduate career space, showing that you can still acquire the knowledge and skills without being just another number on the long list of graduate recruits. Tanda recently hosted its inaugural Tanda Careers Info Night for final year Brisbane graduates, providing an exclusive insight into life at Tanda, and what a career with a growing Tech company could be like. Hearing from a few members of the Tanda team about their experience and career decisions highlighted how the graduate career space is changing. Fellow team member Renee and I both turned down graduate roles at international organisations to work for Tanda, because we were looking for a workplace where we could make a difference in a company free of unnecessary bureaucracy and complex decision-making processes. Meanwhile one of our newest team members Liam, explained that he joined the Tanda team because he was looking for an opportunity where he could fast-track his career in a rapidly expanding and diverse industry. As society changes, so do the requirements for skills and knowledge. No longer are cookie-cutter roles the only option for graduates, as more businesses are looking for graduates who can adapt and apply their skills and expertise to roles outside of their degree. Take the Tanda team for example, with backgrounds in Law, Finance, Engineering, HR and Psychology, it goes to show that you don't need an IT or Mathematics degree to work at a software company. These days many final year students are faced with the pressure to enter top tier graduate programs to secure jobs after university. While this can provide a great career foundation for many, it isn't the only option available for graduates fresh out of university in today's society. By looking for companies that specialise in niche markets, graduates are able to explore the professional world in new ways. The rapid expansion of many emerging industries like SaaS, means that graduates are often thrown into roles where they can be directly involved in the direction of the business. Whether this is through hands-on access and responsibilities or inspiring mentors and opportunities. Graduates are now able to quickly and easily acquire the core skills and knowledge to fast track their career, without the bureaucratic restrictions typical of top tier companies. Australia's tech and startup scene has challenged the conversation around what determines the success of a company. No longer are graduates solely looking at which multi-national will set them up for future job prospects, but they're also considering the culture, values and professional atmosphere of the company as well. Because at the end of the day, company success is not longer solely dictated by the number of employees they have, but also by the impact that they have on their employees and the community. Are you a Brisbane graduate and interested in joining the team at Tanda? Check out Tanda Careers for more information.


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The Trump administration, amid a spike in Mexican nationals crossing the US border, says it will start deporting some Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala to claim asylum there, according to Homeland Security officials.
The administration has rolled out a series of policies intended to curtail people from claiming asylum in the United States. Many of those changes targeted Central Americans who were increasingly coming to the US-Mexico border to claim asylum. Those policies did not apply to Mexican nationals.
Arrests of Mexican migrants increased in fiscal year 2019, compared to the prior year, according to Customs and Border Protection data. While Central American families made up the majority of arrests, there was an uptick in the apprehension of Mexican families at the southern border from around 2,200 to 6,000.
Between October and November of last year, 2,000 Mexican families have been arrested at the US-Mexico border.
It's unclear how many of those apprehended claimed asylum. But in a statement Monday night, Mexico's Foreign Ministry estimated that the proposal could "affect around 900 applicants as of February."
The latest move to send Mexican asylum seekers to Guatemala is an expansion of an agreement signed last year by then-Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan. The agreement marked a major shift in US asylum policy, as it allowed the US to send migrants who may have a legitimate claim of asylum to another country to make their case.
The Trump administration has touted the agreements, which have also been struck with other Central American countries, arguing that they allow migrants to seek asylum closer to their home countries. But immigrant advocates and lawyers say that the countries the US struck agreements with don't have the infrastructure in place to support these migrants.
The US is also working on agreements with Honduras and El Salvador.
Buzzfeed first reported the administration would begin deporting Mexican migrants seeking asylum in the US to Guatemala. Acting Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli confirmed the report on Twitter.
"Certain Mexicans seeking humanitarian protections in the United States may now be eligible to be transferred to Guatemala and given the opportunity to seek protection there, under the terms of the Guatemala Asylum Cooperative Agreement," said a DHS spokesperson in a statement.
As of Monday, no Mexicans had yet to be sent to Guatemala, according to a DHS official.
Overall, the number of people apprehended along the US-Mexico border has dipped in recent months. In December, US Border Patrol apprehended around 32,800 people on the southwest border, according to preliminary Border Patrol data obtained by CNN, down from 33,510 in November.
During the height of the migration crisis last May, Border Patrol on the southwest border arrested 132,856 people, primarily family members from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
But DHS has recently had to contend with an increase in Mexican single adults and families arriving at the US border.
Last month, the US re-initiated a program to send Mexican nationals to the interior of Mexico to deter them from crossing again into the US. The expansion of the Guatemala agreement to include Mexican asylum seekers appears to be yet another attempt to stem the flow of Mexican nationals to the US border.
Mexico's Foreign Ministry rejected the proposal in a statement Monday night, saying that the government of Mexico will work alongside state and local authorities to "offer better options to Mexicans that could be affected by this provision," adding that the foreign ministry will "monitor the fulfillment of human rights contemplated in the international agreements signed and ratified by both Mexico and the United States."
Mexico has previously raised objections to US immigration policies, including the so-called "remain in Mexico" program that requires some asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for the duration of their immigration proceedings in the US but it's moved forward and expanded over time.


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Putting some text on every image you use on your blog can be a pain if you do it manually. It would be so great if WordPress just did this automatically. Here is one, pretty simple, way to do it. You can see the result in the image below.
By filtering the wp_handle_upload hook we can grab the image before WordPress does, write some text on to it, and then save the image so WordPress processes an image with the text watermark instead of the original. You can add this to your functions.php or custom plugin.
add_filter('wp_handle_upload', 'wpfilter_handle_upload');
function wpfilter_handle_upload($resource) {
$text = 'WPWombat.com';
$image = imagecreatefromstring(file_get_contents($resource['file']));
list($width, $height)= getimagesize($resource['file']);
$white = imagecolorallocate($image, 255, 255, 255);
$black = imagecolorallocate($image, 0, 0, 0);
$font = '../wp-content/themes/twentynineteen-child/OpenSans-Regular.ttf';
imagettftext($image, 20, 0, 11, $height-9, $black, $font, $text);
imagettftext($image, 20, 0, 10, $height-10, $white, $font, $text);
imagejpeg($image, $resource['file']);
return $resource;
A few notes. I use imagecreatefromstring so that the function handles any type of image, and you don't have to worry about the file type. Then I uploaded the free Google OpenSans-Regular.ttf font to my child theme directory and put in the path you see there. The ../ at the start is because upload.php is down in wp-admin, so the path needs to go up from there. Or, you can use get_template_directory() if you like instead of a path. You can use whatever .ttf font file you like, of course.
I print the text on to the image twice, using black and then white, with a slight position change. This creates a shadow so the text looks OK on light or dark images. Then I write out the image with imagejpeg, which means this also converts png uploads to jpegs. So you may want to add more logic there if you want to maintain the image format.
The position of the text should be bottom left. You'll need to do more calculations if you want it to be bottom right. Also, the size is fixes and unrelated to the image size, so more calculations there if you want to size the text to fit the image width in a relative manner. I wanted to keep this function as simple as possible so anyone can use it as a jumping-off point to create something specific.


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Nestle Pakistan
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Engro Foods
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IT Services Group
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Senior Team Lead
Konext PVT. LTD
Recruitment & Training Executive
ACS Synergy (Pvt) Ltd.
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