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You've completed your content marketing or organic search strategy and are overflowing with excitement to get started on content creation. You know what the client or your manager wants, what they need (which may, of course, be different) and how to get there.
All that stands between you and completing your objectives is some awesome article writing. But when you don't have the skills or capacity to complete the job yourself, how do you ensure that all your knowledge and enthusiasm is transferred to your writer?
The answer: a stellar brief.
Below are nine key points you should include in every article brief to a freelance writer, why the information is essential and what freelance writers themselves have to say.
Why is a brief important?
Many of you will already be sold on the concept of a brief, but for those of you used to offering only minimum guidance to your freelance writers, here's the elevator pitch on comprehensive briefing.
Freelancer Celina Bledowski, who has 10 years of writing experience, says:
"Frequently, some commissioning editors think that it's enough to give their writers the keywords and copy length. That's never enough. You, as a writer, have to know where the piece is going to be posted to understand the tone of voice, the readership and also what the article is supposed to achieve. There's a world of difference between a snappy, amusing blog post and a more in depth informative piece."
The purpose of creating a brief is to ensure that your freelancer has the level of understanding and knowledge required to complete the work that you need.
Some editors make the mistake of thinking that a brief is an instruction – "Write an 800-word article for a small business blog", for example – and a list of keywords. The danger in this simplistic view is that you're leaving a lot to chance. You're asking the writer to make a lot of assumptions about what you're looking for in your article.
If they make choices that don't align with your needs, you'll be the one stuck in multiple rounds of tedious feedback or else rewriting the article yourself. Alternatively, you'll be inviting email-thread hell as your writer asks question after question to clarify the details as they go. Either way, you may find yourself asking the question, could I just have done this myself?
Your brief should be detailed enough that your writer knows exactly what they need to do while still providing the freedom for them to use their creative expertise. Think of your brief as leading by example: if you want quality as an output, you must put quality in.
Be clear about your requirements and you will start to see working with your freelancer as a collaboration.
1. Objective
Tell your freelancer what you are hoping to achieve with the article. For example, is it an article based on a keyword that you believe you or your client could rank for? Will the article be used by the CEO on LinkedIn to show thought-leadership within their industry? Or is it content that you'll outreach to secure links on third-party sites?
"The most important part of the brief for me are the details relating to the specific client. What is the purpose of the article, what's the audience, and, how much detail is required.
If I understand what a client is really looking for, then I can write accordingly – then the commissioning editor is happy and the client will also be happy."
– Celina Bledowski
Your writer's approach will differ depending on how the content will be used. For example, a writer will know to keep the tone of a thought-leadership article fairly formal, with industry-relevant sources. For outreach articles, the focus might be on finding the most compelling angle to grab the attention of the web editor.
2. Target audience
You should define the target audience, even if you think it is implicit in the title, and be as specific as possible. Before you get to the stage of commissioning an article, you have probably already analysed your target market. If not, now is a great opportunity.
Simon Pickerhill, experienced writer and freelancing newbie (with just six months under his belt), says:
"What I look for in a project brief is how the content is intended to connect to its readers. Who's the audience and what drives them? What problem does the content solve, and how is the content meant to make the reader feel?"
Let's say you want commission the article: "Having cats as pets: everything you need to know". Your writer comes back with an in-depth look at everything involved with adopting and caring for a cat. It's a great article, but you forgot to say it was for a lettings agent and that the target audience are people who are renting. While some information is completely valid, there are essential aspects that haven't been considered such as:
- How to approach your landlord or landlady about getting a cat
- The consequences of getting a cat without seeking prior permission
- How your deposit may be affected.
To rectify the article you either need to rewrite it yourself or ask the freelancer to do it. The latter may mean an extra fee (after all, you didn't specify upfront) and both options involve precious time that could be spent on other tasks stemming from your genius site strategy.
3. Tone of voice
When you work closely with a client or are writing for your own site, you probably don't think much about tone of voice – you live and breathe it! But for a freelance writer working on a variety of clients every day or week, defining tone of voice is incredibly useful.
"Tone of voice seems to be the most common thing that editors forget to mention. Is the tone formal, excited, playful? This is one aspect of copy that can really make it shine, but sadly often gets neglected in the planning process."
– Simon Pickerhill
Some companies will have a tone of voice document, sometimes as a section in their brand guidelines. You could send this across to your freelancer, but just as important is distilling this into a few lines that the writer can quickly and easily reference.
Is it formal? And if so, is it friendly or strictly professional? If it's informal, are colloquialisms and idioms ok to use? Should it be light and entertaining? Educational? Emotionally stirring? Taking a few minutes to think about this can be the difference between a two-second tweak and a two-hour rewrite when it comes to the final content.
"Having an idea of the required tone is essential. Should it have humour or focus more on information. Will the audience want a lighter touch or a more serious vibe. Sometimes the theme of the piece dictates this, but not always, so it's great to know from the outset."
– Lucy Toseland-Bolton, editor and writer with eight years of freelancing experience
4. Title and synopsis
Provide a title for the article. Explain whether the freelance writer can come up with a new titles or if the one provided includes a target keyword that must be adhered to. If you are trying to match a specific search intent (eg. "How to") or content format, say so.
"The article title is a great source of information in terms of the angle I should approach the topic from, as well as guiding my writing style. For example, a listicle would be very different in tone to a serious opinion piece."
– Charlotte Addicott, tech writer with 2.5 years of freelancing experience
Keep the synopsis short – a few sentences that briefly explains the objective, target audience and topic. It should be a quick reference guide for the freelancer to keep them on track.
"An informational article about car tax aimed at families relocating to the UK from outside Europe. It explains what it is, how to pay and how much it will cost."
"My instinct is to say that the word count and deadline are the most important parts of the brief, because they immediately indicate the size and length of the job, but actually the synopsis itself is the most crucial, as it informs all of the research to come – and essentially forms the backbone of the narrative."
– Louise Hoffman, writer and editor of 10 years
5. What to include
Some editors may see this as part of the synopsis – it doesn't matter, as long as it is in the brief somewhere. Setting out a rough structure for your freelancer can have several benefits: you know that sections essential for organic search will be included and can shape the direction that you want the content to take.
"Although you never want reams of information, it's great to have as much as possible. I've had briefs that are very scant and it makes it hard to know exactly what the client is asking."
– Lucy Toseland-Bolton
Being specific about what it is you want doesn't mean that you're controlling – writing creatively, with flair and passion, can be easier with some guidance. It simply means you want the writer to focus on what they do best without worrying about misinterpreting what you're after.
"I think one of the most challenging aspects of feature briefs – for both parties – comes when an editor has a very specific vision of what he or she wants. In these cases the skill comes in clearly conveying this through the brief, and in the writer's ability to accurately interpret the brief – and adhere to it."
– Louise Hoffman, experienced writer with 3.5 years of freelance experience
6. Keywords
If you're hoping that the article your commissioning will rank, including keywords are incredibly useful. But do your homework first. It can be hard for any writer to fit certain keywords naturally into the text and as such, you should offer your freelance writer guidance on what keywords to use and where.
Sending an Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of keywords may seem like a quick win to you, but remember that your freelance writer specialises in just that: writing. If you bombard them with keywords, even the most SEO-savvy of writers can get distracted from what matters most in SEO: creating natural, quality content that matches the searcher's intent.
Instead, prioritise keywords into those that are essential – that competitors use and rank for – and those that are semantically similar, and note where they should ideally fall in the article.
7. Word count
Giving a word count allows your freelance writer to estimate the time they will spend on your article and the fee they will charge. A 600-800 word article is much less intensive than one that's 2,000 words – less research, less review time.
"There can sometimes be a tendency to underestimate the size of the subject matter, or to request more angles or interviewees than the word count really allows. If it's quite a meaty, controversial or wide topic, or if several people need to be given a voice, a low word count will result in a feature that never really gets to the core of the matter or explores ideas fully, but simply sweeps across the surface."
– Louise Hoffman
If you're not sure how long the article should be, review articles on competitor sites (particularly if you're targeting a keyword) and aspirational sites (for thought-leadership, for example) to get an idea. At the briefing stage, however, word count will always be a 'best guess' scenario. Until the writer dives into the topic, neither they nor you will grasp how many words will be right to meet the criteria set out above. As such, clarify how closely the word count should be adhered to or give a minimum and a maximum range.
8. Useful articles
For articles where you're trying to rank for a certain term, include the competitor pages you are trying to better. For other content, for example thought-leadership or report for PR, you should share some useful links. This could be to relevant research, similar articles or interviews.
Use this section of your brief to guide the writer on the type of sources they should be using. If you want to be an authority and build trust, suggest credible sources of information to your writer. For example, if you commission an article on mental health and provide links to the World Health Organisation and Mind, you're setting a precedent in regard to the level of credibility you expect. Send a link to a review of the latest distasteful horror flick about a Victorian asylum and you'll get something quite different in return.
9. Deadline
It's likely that deadline is something that you've already discussed with your freelancer to ensure they can deliver what you need. However, it's always a good idea to reiterate this in the formal brief to be clear on expectations.
If you are briefing multiple articles at once, include whether you want all of the documents in one go or as and when they are complete. And of course, it won't always be possible, but make sure the writer prioritises quality over deadline. Always give as much lead time as possible – after all, it will save you subbing time if your freelancer has plenty of time to review and refine their work before sending it over.
I don't have time to do all this for every brief. What do I do?
Creating a brief can be time-consuming, but the details above are the basics that a writer needs to create a relevant, quality article on a given topic.
For sections like objective, target audience and keywords, you'll likely already have these elsewhere – in a strategy document, for example. Copy across what you can, and adapt if necessary.
For other sections, there is nothing to say that you have to do everything yourself. Remember to think of your freelance writer as a collaborator. If your time is scarce, you could ask your writer to create the synopsis, structure and sample source sites from the objective and target audience you have provided. You can then put in a review step to ensure that the full brief – created in partnership with your writer – matches your needs and requirements before they start writing.
Creating an unambiguous brief allows your writer to focus on what they do best: crafting the words that will best engage the audience in the chosen topic. To do this, your writer should have complete understanding of what you're trying to achieve.
"Having a clear brief from a company makes it so much easier when it comes to approaching a project and knowing what to research and what to write."
– Lucy Toseland-Bolton
Be clear and detailed in your brief by using the above nine aspects as guidance. Doing so will not only save you time in the long-term by reducing amends and feedback, it also means you can get the best quality content for the fee you're paying.


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15.07.2020 05:02
We just don't get it. What is the matter with this property that it's been on the market so long, with so many price cuts, and no one wants it? It was originally listed in November 2013 asking $10.5 million. Now it's five years later and the ask is $5.25 million, half what it was five years ago and $2.5 million less than the $7.5 million paid for it in 2006.
The owner was Barbara Goldsmith, a founding editor of New York magazine and the bestselling author of Little Gloria ... Happy at Last. She passed away two years ago at the age of 85.
So granted, $10.5 million was ambitious, but even so, this place (now repped by John Watson at Saunders) has to be a bargain at $5.25 million. Unless maybe it's in terrible condition--but the listing says it's renovated, and it looks perfectly fine. The house, built in 1907, is a pleasant, gracious building. At 4500 square feet, with five bedrooms, four baths, and two half baths, it's not as huge as most people want in a Hamptons house, granted. The listing does note, "There is an additional two bedroom, one bath carriage house above the detached two-car garage."
The 1.15 acres of grounds are just as pretty as the house, boasting a round pool that looks like a pond and a pool house with changing room, bath, bar, ice maker and an outdoor shower.
So what's the problem? Just price? One of those inexplicably overlooked properties? Haunted burial ground? Let us know your opinion in the comments.
For more, click here. 86 Georgica Road, East Hampton

subset: commoncrawl


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"Fazalur Rehman is a traitor and just like a snake," he said speaking to a host of a news channel. He said that khawarij (aliens to Islam) of today also belong to Deobandi sect.
He said that the facilitators of the terrorists were enjoying the status of parliamentarians and JUIF chief Fazal and PMKAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai are two main facilitators of the terrorists hence these two must be targeted under Operation Radd-ul Fasaad."


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|Forum topic by Wejr89
|posted 10-13-2017 07:28 PM
|784 views
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Hello all. This is my first post of probably many. Its so cool to have access to so many knowledgeable people, and I hope I can contribute as well.
So, Im currently in the process of building my first drumset. I love the look of burnt wood and want to use that on my snare drum. I made up a test shell and took a torch to it. The problem im running into is where the staves connect. Im getting really noticeable lines, where as I would like it to look like one continuous piece all the way around. Is it burning to much off on the edges of the staves(are my joints not tight enough)? Am I melting the glue? Any help would be much appreciated as Ive never tried anything like this. Thank you so much.


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text:
BE Chapter 7: One year of tough training
TN: From now on Xie Gan's name will be changed to Xie Qian, sorry for such a mistake, i have edited everything accordingly. Xie Gan was the name for Xie Aoyu's father. the word 乾 has two pronunciation to it. it is a mistake on my end, sorry.
After knowing the origin of Dragon Overlord fist from Zi Yan, he could not imagine for this, how much effort Xie Qian had put in, it's to be said he risk his life for it.
Such a kinship has allow Xie Aoyu to be more excited to cultivate wildly.
It is as if he does not understand what it means to be exhausted.
There is only a single thought lingering around his mind, that is to cultivate.
No matter if it is for his father, or for himself, he could not give up. Even if it is difficult, he must persist, and never give up. He will defeat any obstacles he meet.
In a flash, one year has pass since he tough training.
Within this year, Xie Aoyu put his days into practice, Zi Yan and Bing Wu came, but he will never say he is training.
Bing Wu wholeheartedly wants to be the second Butterfly Queen, You Lan Ruo, thus her primary aim is to train hard.
Therefore the two of them were no longer like before, not meeting as often.
This day, the hot sun is shining right overhead.
Under the turbulent current, Xie Aoyu stood proudly, no matter how strong the turbulent current is, his body stood rooted to the ground, stretching out his hand, making an action of pushing.
As if he trying to block the current.
But at this time, the Dou Qi within Xie Aoyu's body is concentrating from all four limbs and all his bones, slowly gathering around his dantian, and it is flowing along a fixed line, one after another the circulation with his body gradually storing up that strong energy.
Following that vigorous Dou Qi, one can see that the turbulent current is being separated and not falling onto his body, but it diverges around his body, flowing on his left and right. Within 0.5 meter of his surrounding, there is nothing.
Deep within, Xie Aoyu is gathering Dou Qi.
These Dou Qi are returning back to where the dantian is. The Dou Qi is currently revolving around his dantian, as it revolves it get stronger and stronger, and on the outside the turbulent current is as his dantian gathering Dou Qi like, swirling into a vortex, which is gradually becoming bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper.
This is exactly Xie Aoyu tackling the Advance realm low rank.
One year of tough training, he have relied this arduous training, as well as his incomparable talent, from producing Dou Qi all the way to the current Middle realm upper rank.
If this is known by anyone from the Xie's, afraid they will shock to the extreme.
Xie family is Langya city only family with influence, almost 30% of Langya city's expert come from Xie family, and Xie family's cultivation method are all Xie Qian's creation.
Which is one year, one can cultivate to Middle realm low rank.
And the second record is one year time to reach Primary realm Middle rank. Majority usually take one or two year to breakthrough a realm, yet Xie Aoyu only took a years time, breakthrough to Advance realm low rank, much faster compared to what Xie Qian has recorded.
As Xie Aoyu tackles Advance realm low rank, his Dou Qi starts to revolve crazily, forming a giant vortex. Finally this vortex reached the bottom of the waterfall.
One can almost see that the vortex has reach river bank.
There is sound of thunder within Xie Aoyu's body. His Dou qi fluctuates as the quantity increases, achieving double of what he originally had.
As he made a breakthrough to Advance realm low rank, the vortex made an explosive sound, shooting all the water up the sky, forming a mid air water column with Xie Aoyu in the middle.
Xiao Ba appeared like a drenched chicken ashore after the water fell from mid air.
"Yiya Yiya," Xiao Bai shouted while making threatening gestures with his claw.
His snow white fur has been made wet, making him look extremely funny.
Xie Aoyu laughed as he walks out from the puddle of water, with a smile he pick up the scroll reel, "I've finally reach Advance realm low rank, I can finally practice Dragon Overlord fist."
During this one year period, other than cultivate, Xie Aoyu studies the Dragon Overlord fist, even when he is eating. He is clear that Dragon Overlord fist is very mysterious, therefore he started studying before he even cultivate it.
Through his research, Xie Aoyu discovered that even though Dragon Overlord fist seem like a Dou technique, it actually fused the tyranny of a lightning, an explosiveness of fire, and the malleability of water, thickness of earth, speed of wind. One could say that this is a fusion of five different element and a peak Dou technique.
Compared to saying this is one Dou technique, it's better to say that it is a combination of ten Dou technique of five different element.
However in practical use, one must have the suitable Dou Qi, the lowest among realms in order to practice this move is Advance realm low rank, any lower, one will have insufficient Dou Qi, and thus causing harm to himself instead.
He looked at Dragon Overlord fist again.
Xie Aoyu kept the scroll reel, take a step back. He practice the posture which follows according to what the Dragon Overlord fist depicts.
Dou Qi rushed to both his arms as both his arm interlocks. He brandishes his arm and body at the same time as the scroll described.
Once this Dragon Overlord fist is displayed, it was like a king of a tyrant dragon. with a vigorous blows, and unmatched power, it gave out an oppressive feeling.
As he dances, the stones ashore were crushed and flew about with his movements. They "whizzed" as they rose and fell, and made "bang" sounds whenever it hit a tree.
Xie Aoyu occasionally jumped, sometimes he twisted his arms. He rose and fell as if fluttering in the wind. His body is indistinctive as if he could knock down a hill like a tyrant dragon.
Fist after fist was sent out, explosion could be heard.
Finally, Xie Aoyu felt that he could use Dragon Overlord fist with ease, he roared like a tiger, shooting a fist down from the sky.
His fist slammed down and the earth emitted a loud cry.
With his fist as the focal point, a crater could be seen.
Xie Aoyu's Dragon Overlord fist training at the back mountain created a stir, attracted demon beast from deep within the mountain. Although it was a Manli bull beast, it is a Advance realm low rank beast.
This Manli bull beast not only born with supernatural strength, it also has earth type magic.
Belonging to the powerhouse of Advance realm low rank.
Initially it was sleeping, until it was awoken by the fist that Xie Aoyu made. Unable to contain its anger, it rush out from the forest.
Xie Aoyu just broke through, moreover he is able to cultivate Dragon Overlord fist, thus unable to contain his excitement. He raised his hand at the Manli bull beast and taunted it with his finger.
Being looked down on, the Manli bull beast roared again and again, before wielding his forehoof on the ground.
The immensely strong bull made a crack by pounding the ground, seemingly trying to split the mountain into two.
Xie Aoyu smirked and shrugged, looking as if he is bored.
It infuriated the Manli bull beast even more.
The bull was a brutal demon beast, it is extremely fierce and cruel. Looking at Xie Aoyu's countenance had infuriated it even more. It's eyes grew red, even the black fur on his body stood up, looking fiercer than ever.
The violent Manli bull beast used its strength to smash the ground below.
This time it wasn't a simple physical attack, but it used earth magic.
Countless thorns start erupted from the ground. They were all aimed to pierce Xie Aoyu, to either severely injure or even kill him.
Xie Aoyu lifted his foot and stomped the ground.
An incredible amount of energy spreaded out from under his foot.
All the earth spike broke apart, none remained.
The smirking Xie Aoyu looked over to the Manli bull beast, raising his hand and waved his finger. His intention were extremely clear, that is you aren't good enough.
Manli bull beast got even crazier.
The immensely strong Manli bull beast's strength was still close combat, its attack would render countless beast and expert dead. Its hooves could crush boulders over 10 meters in size with ease.
Xie Aoyu turned cold as a golden light appeared on his hand.
The radiant golden light is dazzling.
Xie Aoyu stood proudly, entirely still. Looking at the Manli bull beast, the immensely strong demon beast tumble back from the impact by 8 meters.
This is Overlord Emperor art.
Xie Aoyu took small steps, within 5 steps he stood in front of the Manli bull beast.
The Manli bull beast who just got up simply lowered his head to hit, using all of its strength to kill this human who dared to provoke him.
Xie Aoyu wielded his fist and punched.
Wailing, the Manli bull beast cried out in pain as it fell onto the ground. It, the manli bull beast, is dead.
"Yiya Yiya." Xiao Bai jumped excitedly, turn around and ran, quickly picked up some firewood, placing them by the dead body of the Manli bull beast.
Xie Aoyu rolled his eyes, he thought Xiao Bai was excited because of his victory but instead it was happy that it could eat the Manli bull beast.
They ate till they were completely full, both of them burped in satisfaction. When they return home, they saw a beautiful Bing Wu standing by the door waiting for them.
"What have you two been up to?" Bing Wu asked.


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If you are anything like me, the taste of Mike's Hard Lemonade has become a summertime staple, but as we get into the winter Mike is often replaced by heartier malt beverages. The folks at Mike's want to change that with their Winter Grab Bag and the new flavor this year is Mike's Hard Chocolate Cherry. Sceptical that this would make a delicious beverage?
So was I at first but since I had the opportunity I gladly accepted the chance to review it and the other two flavors included in the pack this year: Winter Blackberry and Cranberry Lemonade.
Upon ariving home last week, I was treated to this box awaiting me on my front porch - #WINNING!
How does Mike's Hard Chocolate Cherry Taste?
Surprisingly, Mike's Hard Chocolate Cherry was absolutely delicious and something completely unique that I will add to my beverage list during this season's Thanksgiving and Christmas parties.
The taste can be best summed up by saying that it tastes like drinking a tootsie roll with a bite of cherry at the end. This excited me because other malt beverages with chocolate flavors tend to be overly sweet or overly bitter. While this was certainly sweet, the bite of the cherry at the end cut through the sweet flavor and prevented this from being "candy".
Other flavors in the pack included Mike's Hard Cranberry Lemonade, which is available year round and was also quite tasty - but maybe since it wasn't "new" to me it didn't stand out like the Chocolate Cherry did.
Next up was Winter Blackberry, which is a seasonal flavor that I liked quite a bit. Flavor wise though, both the cranberry and the blackberry were exactly what you would expect from Mikes and both would be suitable for enjoying around a fire-pit in the back yard or watching football games this fall when you want something a little heartier and less "summer" than Mike's Hard Lemonade.
Thank you to the folks at Mike's who followed along as I live tweeted my initial thoughts!
@mantripping The men (and nonphotographed women) of Mike's salute (cheers) you. Thx for tweeting your thoughts! twitter.com/mhl/status/259…— mike's hard lemonade (@mhl) October 20, 2012
The three flavors combined make up for a great Winter Grab Bag collection from Mike's, but personally my favorite was the Hard Chocolate Cherry!
Mike's Winter Grab Bag and Hard Chocolate Cherry are available now at your favorite beverage retailers. When you pick it up and give it a try, let us know what you think!


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The best Chianti roads by car
In view of the new season we want to recommend you the best roads way to go in the Chianti's hills, one of the most known and appreciate landscape of Tuscany. A variety of landscapes such as woods, vineyards, villages and castles that meet each other through the Chiantigiana way, combined with other Chianti roads like the SR408 and SR484.
In the program that we propose you the start point is obviously the Hotel Borgo Grondaie, maybe after having visited the past day the beautiful Siena, one of the city art most beautiful of Tuscany. The Chiantigiana road is far away from our hotel just 3km and it's easily reachable through the road along the train station until you get to the roundabout for the bypass. Then turning to the right you can reach the Chiantigiana SR222, leaving the Siena's periphery.
During the path of the SR222 you can find Quercegrossa, and admire the Fonterutoli Castle. Following the road thenext stop will be a little village, Castellina in Chianti, remembered especially for its wine activity in the Chianti area; the next stop will be Gaiole in Chianti where will be impossible not to stop at Brolio Castle set between hills and woods of oak and chestnuts trees. In the end, continuing to the SP484 you will met the small city of San Gusmè: this village it's a small reality which still has the round walls and it's a turistical centre thanking to its medieval history which deserve a visit.
Now if you decide to continue the trip to Florence or to return to Siena following the SR408 to Borgo Grondaie, the trip you made in the Chianti area it's been surely unforgettable!
We're waiting for you at Hotel Borgo Grondaie in occasion of your stay in Siena or in the Chianti area!
Visit our website to discover your best offer www.hotelsienaborgogrondaie.com
Edited by Borgo Grondaie


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Sometimes Play Time Could Get Very Heated, But This Little Kitty Is Cool As Catnip!
Siblings can be very annoying at moments! They always know exactly how to push all of your buttons! This is the perfect example of a sibling argument! One wants to play, but the other doesn't so the mood gets a little heated!
This is when the peacekeeper steps in and calms everything down! This little kitty comes to the rescue and makes sure everything is OK! All she had to do is be funny and roll around!
Source: Kitten eases tension between adult cats by CynthiaB on Rumble


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The Rev. Paul J Cain, Jr.
Acts 1:12-26
Vacancy and Call
Seventh Sunday of Easter, 20 May 2012
Immanuel Lutheran Church Sheridan, Wyoming
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The sermon text for this Seventh Sunday of Easter is the appointed First Lesson, From Acts chapter 1. It tells of the aftermath of the Ascension of Jesus.
Acts 1:12-26 looks to be one of the most neglected texts in the New Testament. It was only appointed to be read in our churches according to the historic one-year lectionary on the festival of St. Matthias. February 24th doesn't appear on a Sunday very often, and then, the feast is often ignored if it falls during Lent. The Three Year lectionary we currently use also appoints this lesson for St. Matthias' Day, yet also for today.
This is an important reading for your consideration—not only because it comes after the Ascension of our Lord—not only because it is the next story in Acts next—not only because it appears to be an ignored text. This is worthy of your consideration and careful attention today for two other reasons. Since the text talks about the filling of Judas' vacancy and the first call meeting of Christians, it is an appropriate text to consider as we consider Immanuel's pastoral care need and prepare for our next call meeting.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120)…
St. Luke carefully lays down the timing of this call meeting in earlier and later context. Earlier, on the fortieth day since the Resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven, hence, our large Paschal candle, lit in remembrance of His Resurrected life, (which was lit at the Easter Vigil,) is now extinguished. Later, as Acts Chapter 2 begins, the day of Pentecost arrives, the fiftieth day. We can narrow the occurrence of this event in the life of the early church down to within a ten-day period.
And there were about 120 there. Only eleven of the Twelve are here. Judas' death left a vacancy. Many of the seventy or seventy-two sent out by Jesus are probably in attendance, too.
In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
We will continue with David's Spirit-given words from the Psalms shortly, but right now St. Peter's words have my attention. Did he get yours with his rather gruesome references to Judas? St. Luke in his Gospel account makes no previous reference to these things, but Matthew 27 satisfies our curiosity.
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.
Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself." And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money." So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord directed me."
With the money Judas earned for betraying Jesus, the Chief Priests and the elders bought a field as a burial place for strangers. Blood money bought the Akeldama, the Field of Blood.
I won't spend long on the other, more gruesome aspect. Judas, not believing that even Jesus could help him, went and hung himself. Then, either due to divine intervention or simply the passage of time, Acts 1:18 was fulfilled. Let's leave it at that.
St. Peter continued, "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, " 'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and " 'Let another take his office.'
Men come and go, but the Office of the Holy Ministry remains. Judas' place of habitation is to remain deserted, but another will be called to the vacant office.
By common consent, St. Peter exercises the role we usually attribute to the congregational president. He leads the call meeting. After first explaining the need in a brief "congregational self-evaluation," he then teaches a part of the doctrine of the Call as the District President often does in our Wyoming District. Peter elaborates on what will be in this very special set of call documents.
So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection."
Here is a unique qualification. Again, this is another example of not going for the least common denominator. Why settle for that? They didn't want just anyone. They wanted someone who knew the whole of what would be recorded in the four Gospel accounts. Apparently, only two men met this qualification.
And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.
Joseph was an extremely common name in ancient Jerusalem, so he is identified by his surname, Barsabbas, literally, son of Sabbas, the aged. His Roman name, Justus is also given, not unlike the use of Saul's Roman name, Paul. Multiple names are given to make sure exactly which person is being referred to. A similar practice regarding ancient name has been in the news due to the discovery of a bone box: James, son of Joseph, the brother of Jesus. And then, the second candidate on the call list is Matthias.
We are now waiting for a third call list from President Boche. We have made three calls as a congregation and all three have been declined. It is a privilege for me to serve you. I ask for your continued prayers and encouragement. It is easy to let self-doubt get to me when I'm stretched, stressed, and tired. I'm getting the essential bases covered, but not everything I wish I could. I readily acknowledge that I am nowhere near perfect. For any and all sins of omission or commission on my part, I ask your forgiveness.
As we continue considering the pastoral care need for a congregation of over 800 baptized but under 200 on average in Church on Sunday, we should think about things other congregations have in similar situations.
How you may we best care for an additional servant of the Word? As our new call documents are prepared, ask:
Is his proposed salary comparable to service elsewhere? Does it acknowledge the realistic cost of living in Sheridan and the lack of a second parsonage?
Will our second pastor have ample vacation time to visit far-away family, time away with his spouse, time for personal renewal and rest?
Will you pray for him, speak well of him, defend him, support the preaching of the whole pure Word in good times as well as difficult ones? Will you put the best construction on everything, say everything in the kindest way, and give him the benefit of the doubt?
Will you support this pastor's wife if he is married? (Will you respect her as an individual, not expecting her to do everything every other pastor's wife has ever done? Will you choose to help her with her children, especially during a service, when her husband is rendering you service elsewhere?) Will you pray for her, their children, and provide for their time together as a family?
Remember, pastors are human, too. A pastor is a servant with authority in the office of the Holy Ministry, not Superman. He is a sinner in need of forgiveness just like you are. Do not despise preaching and God's Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it! That is the best thing you can do to support any pastor, even me.
What follows has much in common with Jesus' original choosing of the Twelve in Luke 6. In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Our Lord Himself places men into this Office. Our Lord's placing of men into the Office follows a pattern of elements: calling the disciples together, prayer, electing, and specifying either by naming, or laying on of hands. The pattern repeats itself in Acts 1 and in our congregations today.
And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
When the occasional scholar does speak to this text, Acts 1, there is one place of disagreement: did they vote, or literally cast lots as done in the Old Testament and at the foot of the cross.
So which is it? In favor of the view that this verse refers to election by ballot is the fact that the Greek here is not one of the regular terms for casting lots and the verb seems to refer to voting. If this is the case, the "lots" referred to would be the balloting counters given to the voters to deposit in the "ballot box." "The lot fell upon Matthias" would mean that he got the most votes and so the office was allotted to him. Also supporting this view is the text used to translate the King James or Authorized Version.
Favoring the interpretation that the reference is to drawing lots rather than casting ballots is the fact that "they cast lots" elsewhere refers to the falling of a lot. The bottom line is very simple. We go to what is most certain and sure—the Lord.
About the only thing Matthias has going for him is that the Lord Jesus chose him. That was enough for the early church--and the church absolutely believed this. They knew Jesus had chosen the other eleven; you heard what Luke wrote in Luke 6: "And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles…" The method was a little different this time. The first time Jesus had done the choosing with his voice; this time he did his choosing with the casting of lots. The result was the same. The Lord Jesus made the choice.
We go back to the text (Acts 1:24-25) and trace the decision to the Lord. And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
And so there is a happy ending, numerically speaking. Jesus now has His Twelve again. Just as there were 12 tribes of Israel, the Lord saw fit to call 12 disciples, 12 apostles. Completeness is the promised pattern. After Pentecost, there is no more mention of the Twelve apostles. They are out doing what the Lord called them to do. They were apostles, sent ones. They were sent, and off they went.
Your Lord's promises remain with you. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. He has not left you without comfort. His Word and Sacraments abide with you. His ministry continues. Jesus is always your Pastor, your Good Shepherd.
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.


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Fashion Fashion Fashion
Friday was my official day of fashion. I started the day off by attending the Kate Spade show and ended with a night at the Whitney Museum. It was the most "New York" day I think I've ever experienced. At one point, we were rushing to try to make a preview appointment only to be stuck in traffic for what felt like a zillion hours. It was high paced, high intensity, and all about fashion.
Knowing Friday would be my big day of shows and previews, I wanted to make sure I was dressed appropriately and also felt the most like myself. A few weeks before our trip I had found these wide leg pants and was instantly in love. They were chic and under $40… there was little not to love. I topped my look off with my favorite fancy mules, a crisp white top, and oatmeal colored coat.
Mango Coat // J.Crew top // Mango Pants // Marion Parke Shoes // Cuyana Bag // 31 Bits Earrings // J.Crew Necklace (old, similar here)
Diary, Day 4
Backstage at Kate Spade
I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to go backstage before the Kate Spade show. I'd never been backstage at a fashion event before and was so intrigued. It truly was like nothing I had experienced before. There were models, makeup artists, and hair stylists everywhere. There was a nervous buzz in the air, and I couldn't get enough. I even overheard one model telling a makeup artist that it was her very first show and she had "butterflies". So sweet.
It truly was such an incredible experience and one I will never forget!
Kate Spade x Essie
As you know, I've been a long time fan of Essie, so when they asked me to document the "look" for the Kate Spade show I was over the moon! I loved hearing all about the inspiration behind the look and was thrilled to see it involved glitter. The lead nail artist, Julie Kandalec, called it "second-skin glitter". She told me she wanted the models to have a dewy-glow as the walked the runway!
Essie Polish "Summit of Style"
The Show
The show itself was magical. I has lucky enough to attend Kate Spade's first official runway show last season, and I have to say this may have topped it. Nicola Glass, Kate Spade's lead designer, seems to have totally hit her stride and I couldn't get over the stunning purple hues and mix of textures. I truthfully cannot wait for this collection to hit stores this Fall.
After Kate Spade we hopped in a taxi and made our way to the West Village to sneak in a preview at Lilla P. I started working with Lilla P. late last year and have just loved their easy to wear and classic collections. I got the chance to take a peek at their Spring line that will be launching very soon and guys, it's so chic!
Warhol at the Whitney
After a very VERY full day Ryan and I met up with two of his brothers and sister-in-law who live in Brooklyn for Mexican food and a night at the Whitney. I was so excited when my sister-in-law, Hope, suggested visiting the Whitney to see the Warhol exhibit after dinner! Neither Ryan nor I had been to the Whitney and we both said "YES!!!" as soon as it was suggested!
If you haven't seen the Warhol exhibit yet, it's definitely worth the trip if you are in town, and a little pro tip, go on a Friday night! During the hours of 7-10pm it's pay what you want admission! 😉


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Place a chunk of the clear mineral Iceland spar on top of an image and suddenly you'll see double, thanks to double refraction caused by optical anisotropy. Beyond just a nifty trick, materials with optical anisotropy are vital for a variety of devices such as lasers, liquid-crystal displays, lens filters and microscopes. Now, a team of scientists and engineers led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Southern California have created a crystal that has a higher degree of optical anisotropy than all other solid substances on earth especially for infrared light.
"The optical anisotropy is enormous, making the material promising for a range of optics applications," says Mikhail Kats, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at UW–Madison. One especially promising use for the new crystal could be imaging and other types of remote sensing using the mid-infrared transparency window, an especially important range of wavelengths that penetrate Earth's atmosphere with little distortion. "This class of materials and this approach has a lot of potential," says Jayakanth Ravichandran, a professor of chemical engineering and materials science and electrical engineering-electrophysics at USC. "We designed the material, made it, and saw a huge effect."
The new crystal has roughly 10 times greater optical birefringence for mid-infrared light than has ever been measured before. That spectacular light-splitting ability comes from a unique molecular structure consisting of long chains of atoms arranged in parallel rows. Using advanced computational methods, the researchers carefully selected rows of atoms, precisely grew them in the lab, and meticulously studied them.
Light waves in the same beam traveling through a material with optical anisotropy will slow down more or less depending on polarization, a measure of the direction in which waves vibrate. Human eyes cannot see polarization on their own, but the ability to alter the vibrational orientation of light is essential for LCD screens, 3D movies, lasers and lens filters. Most devices that change light's polarization rely on materials with optical anisotropy. The new material might also be useful in energy-harvesting photovoltaic cells or light-emitting diodes. In the future, the researchers plan to explore other properties of the new material as they also work to develop strategies to synthesize it in large quantities.
The project was a team effort involving researchers at multiple institutions with varied expertise. "This is a big success for collaborative science," says Kats, who led the optical measurements, while Ravichandran and USC electrical engineering Professor Han Wang synthesized the material. "The wide array of knowledge and capabilities across our team enabled this breakthrough." (Source: UW Madison)
Reference: S. Niu et al.: Giant optical anisotropy in a quasi-one-dimensional crystal, Nat. Phot., online 18 June 2018; DOI: 10.1038/s41566-018-0189-1
Link: Kats Laboratory of Applied Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA


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05 Jul 2020
8 May 2019
Why not join us and your fellow R20 London and Porsche Club GB members at Brands Hatch for our Spring Porsche Club track evening. If you have never attended a Club track day, this is your chance for just £145. We welcome beginners and experienced drivers alike and instructors will be available. The number of cars on the track is limited giving you the best chance to learn about and test the capability of your Porsche.
Please be aware that due to the nature of this event the evening will be running at a reduced noise level of 102dbA and will not be appropriate for Cayman GT4 or Carrera GT3 models. It is anticipated driver sign-on will begin at 3:30, with a mandatory drivers briefing taking place at 4:30. The first cars will head out on track at 5:30 and the day will end at 8pm.
Photos from our 2018 evening at Brands Hatch:
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Online booking is now open:
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Partnership Accelerates Path to More Successful Lighting, Electrical & IoT Mergers. Whether a multi-national corporation or a family business, Tounge Associates' expertise in the Merger and Acquisition field combined with The Pompeo Group's nearly three decades of lighting industry experience can assist lighting, energy, IoT and electrical companies source the right buyer, the best merging partners or the most strategic acquisition targets to help them reach their financial and/or corporate objectives. Visit http://www.pompeo.com or http://www.toungeassociates.com
The Pompeo Group Forms Strategic Alliance with Tounge Associates
Tagged with: M & A, pompeo, Tounge
Posted in Industry News
Posted in Industry News


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Quakers -- Family relationships
Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Bartlett Family papers
Identifier: HC.MC-950-014
Overview This collection is comprised of the correspondence, school records, financial records, legal documents, and miscellaneous papers of various members of the Bartlett family.
Dates: 1842-1859
Cadbury-Brown Family papers, addition 1
Identifier: HC.MC-1177-addition 1
Overview This addition consists of over 240 letters between Caroline Cadbury (1851-1914) and Thomas Kite Brown (1851-1929) during their engagement. There are also letters between Caroline's parents Richard Cadbury (1825-1897) and Lydia Comfort Shinn (1828-1904) during their own engagement, as well as later letters from Caroline to her family.
Dates: 1849-1919
Cadbury-Brown Family papers, addition 2
Identifier: HC.MC-1177-addition 2
Overview Much of this addition is comprised of letters from Caroline Cadbury Brown (1851-1914) to her parents, husband, and children. Additionally, there are letters from her mother, Lydia Comfort Shinn Cadbury (1828-1904), her husband Thomas Kite Brown (1851-1929), and all six of their surviving children.
Dates: 1850-1914
Morris-Shinn-Maier collection
Identifier: HC.MC-1191
Overview This collection spans approximately 200 years, from the late 1700s to the late 1900s, and five generations of the Morris-Shinn-Maier family, which are traced through matrilineal and patrilineal lines. They were prominent Quaker businessmen and lawyers in the Philadelphia area, and a large portion of the collection is dedicated to their legal and business material, as well as a great deal of very detailed financial material. There is also a quantity of personal material, namely diaries and...
Dates: 1720-1975


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The retailer, which operates 601 pharmacy and general merchandise stores in 15 states, as well as three specialty pharmacy-only locations, also partnered with media outlets to publicize the kits' availability. About 60,000 customers received a screening kit.
Fred's also recently wrapped up its latest Heart Disease Awareness campaign. Together with the campaign to raise awareness about colorectal cancer, the company brought screening and early detection tools to more than 98,000 people. The campaigns also resulted in Fred's making a $38,244 donation to the American Heart Association in May.
"More than 11% of adults are diagnosed with heart disease every year," commented Tim Leibmann, executive vice president and chief operating officer for health care at Fred's. "When it comes to colon cancer, incidence and death rates are higher than the national average in many of our geographic markets. We're proud to bring much-needed awareness of these diseases to our communities by providing information, free blood pressure screenings and free colon cancer screening kits for our customers."
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Clearly, a latest post the place I discussed that my coffee roasting interest has taken on a new dimension now that I import my inexperienced uncooked cofffee beans from the grower in Costa Rica, piqued the curiosity of lots of coffee lovers. Fortunately for us our espresso forefathers eventually came up with a more environment friendly methodology to extract the goodies from the espresso! By grinding the espresso beans you help the water to extract effectively the solubles which can be responsible for the taste and aroma in coffee.
No-Fuss Products In How To Roast Coffee Beans – What\'s Needed
Quickly discover an official Giesen Espresso Roasters distributor near you. We suggest shopping for from trusted sellers that concentrate on coffee to keep away from receiving poor quality beans. Even with the dire warnings above, dwelling roasting could be very protected – I've roasted at the least 1,000 or extra batches in popcorn poppers during the last 10 years, and have by no means had something past a slowly melting plastic lid.
Lay the beans out on the pan. Pour the beans onto the sheet in order that they lie in one layer over your complete pan. The beans ought roasted coffee beans to be shut together however shouldn't be overlapping. Once the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet with the beans onto the middle rack of the oven.
TO: The coffee taste that you end up with within the cup is a few issues combined. It is the origin of the green espresso; we call these origin flavors. Those are things that are intrinsic to the coffee because of the place it's from, the soil, the altitude and the plant sort (we name it cultivar or varietal). And then home roasting coffee the roasting – what style and approach you've got roasted it with. After which, of course, related to that is the freshness. Because if espresso is 2, three or 4 weeks out of the roaster, it has began to drop off in high quality. It is not going to have a really dynamic flavor. It is a mixture of those things.
Most significantly you'll need to buy some green coffee beans ( view our unbelievable selection here ). Preheat the oven to 475F – 500F or no matter temperature you have calculated works best to your oven. Put the coffee beans into the collander. Hold the collander over the sink or exterior and shake the collander round in a circular movement. Do that until you stop seeing chaff coming off the beans.
For those who use the optionally available thermometer mod (talked about under), the coffee should be about 420F as soon as first crack has really beginning occurring. Eventually it can subside. Measure the coffee beans out and use the grinder to grind them medium-positive. Deposit the ground espresso within the filter.
As soon as the beans obtain your desired roast, cease the oven and take away the beans. Use an Ove Glove or a really good oven mitt. Also, be ready to be nose to nose with a cloud of smoke. Don't panic. Take your espresso to where you intend on doing all of your cooling. I like going straight open air or to a patio, however it is not required.
A Spotlight On Speedy Products For How To Roast Coffee Beans
All that is left to do after that's grind, brew, and savor the day's roasting. In under 20 minutes from begin to finish, you will have implausible, home-roasted coffee. Purchase a home roasting machine if it's inside your budget. Your resulting roast is often higher than a popcorn machine, and these are purpose built so will usually last far longer than a popcorn machine ever will.


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Welcome Chargers!
Hello Chargers! My name is Heather Weaver, and I am excited about the 2019-2020 school year at Cheatham. This will be my seventh year working in education. I've had experiences in both secondary and elementary education. Before becoming a Charger, I worked at Rice Middle School in Plano ISD as a Behavioral Instructional Assistant and then Allen ISD for the last three years as a Resource Instructional Assistant at Bolin Elementary.
I grew up in Dallas and attended Lake Highlands High School. I graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology. Go Comets! My certifications are in EC-6 and Special Education.
My husband, Tim, and I have three boys, Tanner (12th grade), Hudson (9th grade), and Connor (7th grade). We have two loveable cats, Nacho and Smokey. I enjoy cooking, baking, spending time with my family, and reading a good mystery. We have been blessed to call Allen our home for the last 17 years. We love Allen. Go Eagles!
I work with Elissa Caldwell. She is our Instructional Assistant. She has five years in the Resource classoom. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a major in English and a minor in Secondary Education. She lives in Allen with her husband, Ron, who also works in Education. They have three children, Olivia (22) and Noah (20), and a middle schooler, Caroline (14) who attends Ereckson.
We can not wait for you to join us this year as we continue to stretch our learning, because we believe learning is a lifelong adventure.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 972-396-3016


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Coupon excludes instant bonus items, hot deal items, and gift certificates.
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Tsunami Warnings as Mexico Rocked By Strongest Earthquake in a Century [RAW VIDEOS]
(CommonDreams) A massive earthquake struck off the Pacific Coast of Mexico early Friday, sparking mass evacuations and tsunami warnings.
Initial reports from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) placed the magnitude of the quake at 8.1, but it was later revised upward to an 8.2, more powerful than the 1985 earthquake that devastated the country and left thousands dead.
According to Bloomberg:
The president said that 62 aftershocks followed the quake and it's possible that one as strong as 7.2 could strike in the next 24 hours. Peña Nieto also said that serious damage had been caused and that one million [residents] initially had been without power following the quake, but that electricity had been restored to 800,000 of them.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of one meter (3.3 feet) above the tide level were measured off Salina Cruz, Mexico. Smaller tsunami waves were observed on the coast or measured by ocean gauges in several other places. The center's forecast said Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala could see waves of a meter or less. No threat was posed to Hawaii and the western and South Pacific.
The earthquake was sufficiently powerful to rock Mexico City—450 miles northwest from the epicenter—setting off alarms, toppling walls, and shattering windows. At least six people have reportedly been killed, but authorities say that number could rise.
The USGS pager system declared a red alert after the earthquake struck: "High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past red alerts have required a national or international response."
In a series of tweets following the quake, President Nieto expressed condolences to the families that lost loved ones and announced that schools would be closed for the day to assess the damage.
Videos on social media documented some of the effects of the quake across the country and the chaos that resulted:
A Magnitude 8.0 #earthquake just struck off the coast of Mexico.
At this point I'm just praying for every living thing on this planet. pic.twitter.com/skBv761y8P
— E5QUIRE (@Dj_E5QUIRE) September 8, 2017
#Temblor | De esta forma se vivió el sísmo en oficinas del Centro Historico de la Ciudad de México pic.twitter.com/1gBXq4Aq70
— El Big Data MX (@ElBigDataMx) September 8, 2017
Massive 8.1 magnitude #earthquake strikes Mexico
Our prayers for the well being of Mexicans#PrayForMexico #temblor #Chiapas #Mexique pic.twitter.com/NMXmTAg6Yu
— Dikeledi Roux (@DikelediRoux) September 8, 2017
Así se vivió el sismo de esta noche en el Ángel de la Independencia pic.twitter.com/94e6wgjy5W
— BuzzFeed News México (@BuzzFeedNewsMex) September 8, 2017
BIGGEST IN A CENTURY: Massive Earthquake in Mexico kills at least five, two of them children https://t.co/SqNzODmdWt pic.twitter.com/XMmMz2MAFf
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) September 8, 2017
One of the most powerful earthquakes ever to strike Mexico has hits off its southern coast. https://t.co/BhDilSSabp
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 8, 2017
Mexico is surveying the damage after what is being called its most powerful earthquake in a century: https://t.co/10Xv7Y5QJN pic.twitter.com/CIwYYEZXI0
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 8, 2017
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License – CommonDreams.org


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Price: $11.50
Quantity: 1 available
Book Condition: Very Good in Good dust jacket
Book club edition. In tan leatherette and orange paper-covered boards, with lettering in black on spine. Interior clean, bright and firm. Dust jacket has tears and chafing at extremities, with lightly sunned spine. The famous French painter was also quite the writer; this volume includes '...collection of his letters, articles, books and journals...'. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 304 pages
Title: Writings of a Savage
Categories: >>Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, >>Art & Architecture,
Edition: BCE
Publisher: New York, The Viking Press: 1978
Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Very Good in Good dust jacket
Weight: 1.00 Item
Stock No.: 74086


text: Eurozone Sentix Investor Confidence dropped to -3.3 in June, down from 5.3 and missed expectation of 2.5. Current Situation Index dropped from 11.0 to 6.0. Expectations index dropped from -0.3 to -12.3. Sentix noted that "renewed escalation in the US-China trade dispute is also having a considerable impact on the Euro zone economy". Also, it warned "the Euroland economy is once again on the threshold of recession". Sentix also complained that "more than ever, the economic forecast becomes a short-winded Twitter analysis." The Overall Investor Confidence Index for Germany tumbled from 7.9 to -0.7, lowest since March 2010. Current situation Index dropped from 18.3 to 13.5. Expectations Index dropped from -2.0 to -14.0. Germany's key industry, the automotive industry, is still "in a crisis of its own making". And the "current government coalition's inability to act does not contribute to stabilization." For US, Overall Investor Confidence Index dropped from 17.7 to 6.5, lowest since February 2016. Current Situation Index dropped from 43.3 to 31.8, lowest since October 2016. Expectations Index dropped from -5.3 to -16.0. Sentix warned that Trump could "underestimate how much he is currently threatening to shoot himself in the knee with his trade rhetoric". The US economy is "currently experiencing a real emergency stop."


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Effect of pre-miRNA-1658 gene polymorphism on chicken growth and carcass traits
Article information
Polymorphisms occurring in the precursor region of microRNAs (miRNAs) affect the target gene and alter the biogenesis of miRNAs, resulting in phenotypic variation. The purpose of the study was to investigate the genetic effects of rs16681031 (C>G) mutation in the precursor region of gga-miR-1658 on the economic traits of the Gushi-Anka chicken F2 resource population.
To explore the effect of miR-1658 polymorphisms on chicken economic traits, the SNP was genotyped by MassArray matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. The association between the SNP and chicken body size, growth and carcass traits was determined by linear mixed models.
The SNP was not only significantly associated with body weight at the age of 6, 8, 10, 12 weeks, respectively, but also with the breadth of the chicken chest, body slanting length and pelvic breadth at 4 weeks, chest depth at 8 weeks of age, and body slanting length at 12 weeks (p<0.05), respectively.
Our data serve as a useful resource for further analysis of miRNA function, and represent a molecular genetic basis for poultry breeding.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a novel class of highly conserved, small 21- to 25-nucleotide (nt) non-coding RNA molecules, which modulate the gene expression at the post-transcriptional stage by specifically interacting with target mRNAs in eukaryotes [1,2]. These single-stranded RNAs play a major role in post-transcriptional gene regulation in a sequence specific manner [3]. Growing evidence suggests that miRNAs are involved in a broad range of biological processes, including cell differentiation, cell proliferation [4,5], oocyte maturation and ovarian follicular development [6,7], metabolism and apoptosis [8,9], stem cell maintenance, embryonic development [10,11], hematopoiesis [12], fat deposition [13,14], and skeletal muscle growth [15] as well as in transposon stability and tumorigenesis via regulation of gene expression [2,16].
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) represent the most abundant form of DNA variation in animal genome [17]. Common SNPs of miRNA precursors interfere with miRNA function by altering miRNA expression or maturation, resulting in phenotypic variation, including disease susceptibility. Emerging evidences supported that SNP in miRNA target sites or miRNA genes may contribute to change economic traits in domestic animals. For instance, a research reported that a SNP in the miR-27a gene was associated with litter size in pigs [18]. SNPs in porcine microRNA miR-1 significantly altered the expression in the level of miR-1, and associated with muscle fibers type compositions [19]. Bartz et al [20] reported that polymorphism of the porcine miR-30d was associated with adipose tissue accumulation, its fatty acid profile and the malic enzyme 1 (ME 1) gene expression. An et al [17] reported that single-nucleotide polymorphisms g.151435C>T and g.173057T>C in prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene regulated by bta-miR-302a were associated with litter size in goats. Gga-miRNA-133a and gga-miR-1a were reported to be related to skeletal muscle, whereas gga-miR-122 was adipose-related miRNA in chickens [21]. A research promulgated that chicken gga-miR-202* was involved in regulating the development of embryonic gonad in chickens [22]. An SNP in pre-miR-27a (rs895819) affects miRNA expression, serves as a risk factor for breast cancer and reduces breast cancer risk in younger Chinese population through genetic variants [23]. The SNP rs2910164 in pre-miR-146 affects the coronary artery disease incidence through a common variant [24]. Increasing evidence suggests that SNP in miRNA target sites or miRNA genes are likely to contribute to economic traits in domestic animals. Meat quality traits, body size and growth are the most important economic traits in poultry genetics and breeding. Lower feed conversion and production is an important concern of the poultry industry. In this study, we identified an SNP located in the precursor region of the gga-miR-1658, and analyzed its association with carcass traits and body weight of chickens in a Gushi-Anka F2 resource population. Our data identified the potential role of miR-1658 in growth development.
Study population
A total of 860 chickens from a Gushi-Anka F2 resource population previously generated by the Henan Innovative Engineering Research Center of Poultry Germplasm Resource [25] were used for the study. The F2 generation resulted from a cross between the native Chinese Gushi chicken breed, which represents an excellent meat and slow-growing variety, and Anka broilers, which are large-bodied and fast-growing broilers. The Gushi-Anka F2 resource population created from 4 cross families and 2 reciprocal cross families, was composed of 42 grandparents (2 roosters and 24 hens from Gushi chicken, 4 roosters and 12 hens from Anka chicken), 70 F1 parental chickens and 860 F2 chickens produced from two hatches 2 weeks apart by intercrossing 7 F1 cockerels with 63 F1 hens. One-day-old F2 chickens were raised in the top 3 levels of 4-level-coops with 50 chickens per coop, providing 392 cm2/chick. At 56 days of age, chickens were moved to triple stair-step coops in groups of 3 per coop, providing 448 cm2 per chick. All the birds were managed in cages under similar environment, including free access to water and food ad libitum until 12 weeks, according to the Chinese National Research Council [26]. All the chickens were slaughtered under similar conditions at the age of 84 days. In this study, all the experimental animals used were handled according to the national and institutional guidelines of animal care in research.
The body weight of the birds was weighed individually, measured and recorded every 2 weeks from birth to 12 weeks of slaughter, starting with hatching, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks later. The body size traits mainly included shank length (SL), shank girth (SG), chest depth (CD), chest breadth (CB), breast bone length (BBL), pectoral angle (PA), body slanting length (BSL), and pelvis breadth (PB) at different growth stages. The carcass traits such as semi-evisceration weight (SEW), the carcass weight excluding reproductive organs, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, crop, esophagus, intestine, and trachea), evisceration weight (EW, SEW excluding the abdominal fat, gizzard, liver, head, proventriculus, feet, and heart), breast muscle weight (BMW), leg muscle weight (LMW), and carcass weight (CW) and so forth were accurately measured after slaughtering.
Polymorphism detection
The genomic DNA samples in 860 F2 chickens were extracted from the jugular vein blood anticoagulated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid using standard phenol-chloroform methods in molecular biology [27]. In accordance with the criteria for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) genotyping, the genomic DNA was adjusted to accurate concentrations and stored at −80°C for further utilization. One hundred DNA samples from the F2 resource population individuals were selected randomly, and equal amounts of similar working concentrations of each DNA sample were used to construct a DNA pool. The miR-1658 gene sequence, which is located in intron 13 of the guanine monophosphate synthase 201 (GMPS-201) host gene on chromosome 9, and chicken pre-miR-1658 sequence (GenBank accession no: MI0007392) were obtained from the miRBase database version 19.0 (http://www.mirbase.org). A pair of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sequencing primers (forward: 5′-GAGA TCTTGGATTACAAG -3′ and reverse: 5′-GTTCGTAGA TACAAAGTAAG -3′) was designed according to the genomic location (Accession no: NC_006096.3) to scan SNPs in gga-miR-1658. The primers were used to amplify the molecular fragment containing the gga-miR-1658 gene precursor region. The DNA pool was sequenced by Sangon Biotech Co. Ltd. (Shanghai, China), to detect polymorphisms. All the genomic DNA samples were sent to a reputed diagnostic company to identify the SNP using the MassArray MALDI-TOF MS assay.
The rs16681031 SNP occurring in miR-1658 (+60 bp C>G) in the F2 chickens was genotyped using MassArray-iPLEX GOLD System (Sequenom Inc., USA). The SNP genotyping was accomplished with a pair of sequence amplification primers and a single-base extension primer designed using Sequenom software Assay Design 3.1 version. The first PCR primer sequence of pre-mir-1658 SNP was 5′-ACGTTGGATGTTCTGCCATAC CAGTGTGTG -3′; the second PCR primer sequence was 5′-ACGTTGGATGACTCCTCCAGCTGCTGCTTC -3′, and the single-base extension primer was 5′-CATCAACACCAACCCA -3′. The SNP of pre-mir-1658 was genotyped using Sequenom MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry according to the manufacturer's instructions [28]. Related genotyping data including the peak area and call rate were obtained. Alleles were assigned automatically, using the software package provided by the manufacturer.
The prediction of pre-miR-1658 secondary structure
According to the rs16681031 SNP with C>G alleles in the precursor region of miRNA-1658 in chickens, the most stable secondary structure of pre-mir-1658 with the lowest free energy was calculated by M-fold [29]. The absolute difference in the free energy for pre-mir-1658 with different alleles was used as the parameter for the assessment of the impact on the secondary structure of pre-miR-1658.
Statistical analysis
The SPSS20.0 Statistics software (SPSS for Windows, Standard version 20.0; SPSS, USA) was used for the association analysis of the correlation between pre-miRNA-1658 SNP and the economic traits of the F2 chickens. The relationship between poly-morphism and the F2 population-related economic traits was analyzed using a procedure with two linear mixed models. Model I was used to evaluate growth traits and model II was used to calculate the carcass traits. Considering the effect of body weight differences on carcass traits, the model II carcass weight was used as a covariate to investigate its effect on carcass traits. In case of significant effect of genotype, the Bonferroni test was carried out for multiple comparisons of the genotypes. Less than 0.05 p value was considered considered statistically significant. In the analysis, the two mixed linear models were as follows:
Where Yijkl represents the observed value; μ the overall mean, Gi the fixed effect of genotype (i = 3: CC, CG, GG); fl the random effect of family (l = 7); Sj fixed effect of sex (j = 2), Hk the fixed effect of hatch (k = 2), eijklm the random error, b the regression coefficient of carcass weight; Wijklm the individual carcass weight; and W the average carcass weight. Less than 0.05 p value was considered statistically significant.
Identification and genotyping of miR-1658 SNP
The polymorphism was verified by PCR product sequencing results compared with the published chicken genome sequence, showing the occurrence of a C>G mutation at +60 bp of pre-miR-1658 in the F2 resource population, in Figure 1. The MALDI-TOF mass spectrograms of variant genotypes CC, GC, and GG are displayed in Figure 2, respectively. The allele frequencies of the SNP in the gga-miR-1658 gene of the F2 resource population were 0.746 for C and 0.254 for G, and the genotype frequencies were 0.525, 0.441, and 0.034 for CC, GC, and GG, respectively.
Second structure alterations of the miR-1658 precursor
The result showed that the C>G variation located in the seed region of pre-miR-1658 could introduce a base-pairing mismatch, resulted in generation of a new RNA bulge in the predicted second structure, with the altering of the free energy (Figure 3).
Association of miR-1658 SNP with performance traits
To investigate the role of +60 bp C>G pre-miR-1658 polymorphism on poultry phenotypic traits, the SNP was correlated with the body weight at different times (at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks), and carcass traits at 12 weeks and presented in Table 1. The miR-1658 SNP (+60 bp C>G) had a significant (p<0.05) effect on body weight at the age of 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks in the Gushi-Anka F2 resource population of chickens. These mutations indirectly affect the body weight at different developmental stages and carcass traits of the chickens. Association analysis of rs16681031 genotype with chicken body size is depicted in Table 2. At the age of 4 weeks, the SNP was significantly associated with the chicken CB, BSL, and PB (p<0.05). Chickens with the GG genotype were the largest on CB, BSL, and PB. Individuals with GG genotype were lower than the CC genotype on BSL. The SNP was significantly associated with the chicken CD at 8 weeks (p<0.05). At 12 weeks, the C>G polymorphism was significantly linked to BSL (p<0.05). Chickens with CC genotype showed a greater 8-week CD and 12-week BSL, compared with the GC genotype.
Studies have shown that a common variant in pre-miRNA is associated with disease or cancer risk, and is probably associated with phenotypic variation, including disease susceptibility, including a few miRNA SNPs serving as genetic markers of disease in clinical trials [30,31]. However, few reports investigated the polymorphism within the pre-miRNA genes for commercially viable traits in animals. Wang et al [14] reported that three novel melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) SNPs were associated with growth traits in Hu sheep and East Friesian×Hu crossbred sheep. The association analysis between three SNPs and body traits indicated that two of the SNPs were associated with body weight, except for g.306 G>A mutation. All the three loci were significantly associated with the body size [14]. The study involving Nanyang cattle showed that SNPs within bovine hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene were significantly associated with growth traits [32]. Yu et al [33] reported that a G/T polymorphism (ss52050737) in exon 11 was significantly associated with the total number of ova and the number of transferable embryos by examining polymorphisms in luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) and the genotypes associated with superovulation traits in 127 Chinese Holstein heifers. SNPs in miRNAs may alter miRNA expression or maturation, leading to miRNA regulatory function. Increasing evidence suggests that SNPs in miRNAs and their target sites alter miRNA function. The miRNA mutations leading to aberrant miRNA-mediated gene regulation may modulate the transcription and stability of pri-miRNA and pre-miRNAs, resulting in phenotypic variation [34]. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the SNPs in miRNA and study their association with economic traits in domestic animals. Zorc et al [35] found that some miRNAs had highly polymorphic seed regions, pre-miRNA gga-mir-1658 had one SNP within the mature sequence (gga-miR-1658) and two SNPs within the minor miR sequence (gga-miR-1658*), in addition, in chicken gga-miR-1658 with seven quantitative trait locus. Jevsinek et al [36] reported that polymorphisms residing within the miRNA seed region of chicken gga-mir-1658 were selected for experimental validation. The rs16681031 and rs16681032 SNP is located in seed regions of chicken gga-mir-1658-3p which resides in the intron 13 of miRNA host guanine monphosphate synthetase (GMPS) gene, the rs16681033 SNP is located in seed regions of gga-mir-1658-5p which resides in the intron 13 of GMPS gene [36]. Geng et al [37] reported that the rs16681031 SNP located in seed regions of gga-mir-1658* in 6 chicken populations 180 individuals. The results represented that genotype frequencies of the gga-mir-1658* C>G has significant differences in Beijing Fatty Chicken and other chicken breeds [37]. Geng et al [38] investigated that polymorphism of pre-microRNA-1658 gene in chicken. Additionally, the seed zone mutation could affect the stability of gga-mir-1658 gene precursor secondary structure and the selection of target genes, which might be the important functional site having potential phenotype effect [38]. This study has reported the pre-miR-1658 SNP of an F2 resource population for the first time. In this study, we identified a SNP located in the seed zone of the miR-1658 and investigated its association with body weight and body indexes traits at different developmental stages in chickens. The association analysis between the SNP genotype in the gga-miR-1658 precursor region and growth and carcass traits showed a significant correlation between genotype and economic traits. Our work suggested that a point mutation occurring in miR-1658 was significantly associated with body weight and body indexes traits in chickens. The gga-mir-1658 gene seed region mutation could affect the selection of target genes and the stability of precursor secondary structure in chickens, which might be the important functional site having phenotype effect.
Further, rs16681031 was associated with body weight at 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks of age and also with 8CD, 4CB, 4BSL, 12BSL, and 4PB. The relationship between the genotype and carcass traits was not significant, which was unexpected considering our previous hypothesis. Our results revealed that the genotype CC showed the heaviest body weight compared with chickens containing genotypes GC and GG, except birth weight. At birth, chickens showing the CC pattern had a lower body weight than those exhibiting the GC genotype, but greater than the GG. Statistical analysis showed that chickens with GG genotype showed the greatest body size at 4, 8, and 12 weeks (4SG, 4CB, 4PA, 4PB, 8BBL, 8BSL, 12PA, and 12PB). The SNP in the gga-miR-1658 precursor region showed an important effect on the commercial traits of the F2 resource population of chickens. The result indicated that the SNP may alter the processing efficiency of pre-miRNA to mature miRNA, thereby altering the function. Therefore, pre-miR-1658 might represent a potential candidate gene controlling growth traits. The probability of a positive association with the body weight was presumed for the presence of G allele in the SNP +60 C>G of the gga-miR-1658 gene precursor in chickens. The mechanism of phenotypic variation attributed to pre-miRNA-1658 polymorphism needs further study.
In conclusion, we identified and established the rs16681031 (+60 C>G) SNP within the pre-miR-1658 gene in the F2 generation of the Gushi-Anka chicken population. The association analysis revealed a significant impact of pre-miR-1658 SNP on growth and carcass traits at different developmental stages. These results enable early artificial selection and breeding of poultry. These findings provide insight into the role of biomarkers and molecular genetics of poultry breeding. Further investigation into pre-miR-1658 genetics in different chicken populations is needed.
The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.31201795), the Postdoctoral Science Found-ation of China (2013M531675), the Colleges and Universities Key Scientific Research Project in Henan (16B230006), and the High-level Personnel Scientific Research Foundation of Nanyang Normal University (2013022).
We certify that there is no conflict of interest with any financial organization regarding the material discussed in the manuscript.


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