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With 25 restaurants and seven Michelin stars, he's clocked in at number 58 in this year's Forbes list of 100 most powerful celebrities, but Gordon Ramsay is more than just a number, baby. His original television programmes that made him a global household name portrayed him as an intimidating, domineering, profane, powerhouse of a chef with The F Word, Hell's Kitchen and MasterChef. But a more human Ramsay was seen with the launch of last year's Masterchef Junior, televising a cooking contest featuring talented child chefs being hugged by Ramsay when they depart; perhaps suggesting his exaggerated and explosive personality is being tucked away for a focus on his softer side and further expansion of his restaurant empire.
Enter Bread Street Kitchen, Hong Kong. The Gordon Ramsay Group originally began down the fine dining route before transforming into a more casual concept with Gordon Ramsay BurGR, Maze, Savoy Grill and Bread Street Kitchen. In collaboration with Dining Concepts, best known for bringing New York celebrity chef Mario Batali to Hong Kong with Lupa and Carnevino (the latter rumoured to be closing up shop shortly), they have unveiled an identical design of the London branch of BSK with a modern and moody vibe, and a large, exciting open kitchen as its centrepiece. Head Chef Gilles Bosquet from the group in London will head up the team here with the restaurant featuring long, leather booths throughout, ideal for large group dining parties as well as intimate Lan Kwai Fong watchers with its raised mezzanine vantage point.
I couldn't ask for a more fitting location. There's a pulse here, a heartbeat, and it's vibrant for a chef.
Serving up a hearty menu full of British favourites (see our full review of Bread Street Kitchen on page 12 of this issue), we were interested to find out why Ramsay chose Hong Kong as the next stop on his global culinary takeover. So, when he came to our fair city to celebrate the grand opening, we asked him.
"This is an exciting step, entering the amazing food culture of the Asian market with one of our successful London concepts. We're drawn to Hong Kong, as the first place in the region to open, as it has a vibrant and welcoming dining scene with lots of food lovers and explorers looking for new food and drink experiences. I can't wait to open the doors."
When we asked Ramsay specifically about his choice of Lan Kwai Fong, its clear he feels strongly about the area,
"I love the hustle and bustle of everyday business here. Walking up three flights of stairs, through two hairdressing salons and a betting shop and getting to a restaurant on the top floor of a block of flats is extraordinary. I love the energy of this area. And the rents are f**king expensive. So this has to work guys, otherwise my ass is on the line."
Known for his high standards, Ramsay tells how he will maintain them from a distance.
"What we managed to do six months ago was exchange with key staff in London, getting the team up to speed with Bread Street Kitchen and having that collaboration early on. With Facetime, Skype, mobile telephones, communication is brilliant."
We're not the only restaurateur in Hong Kong faced with colossal rents.
- Gordon Ramsay
He says the key here is the size.
"We didn't want to go with 250 seats. I didn't want the restaurant looking half empty on a Monday night. The secret behind any successful restaurant is having it full Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday takes care of itself, naturally. We have 90 seats and a cool bar area where you can have one or two courses, or have people popping in for dessert; so it was maintaining that kind of consistency across the board of the London set up. We're not the only restaurateur in Hong Kong faced with colossal rents. That helps us focus on the business earlier and tweak it earlier.
No one likes to see a restaurant going down, but no matter if it's New York, or even London, this rent issue is not going to slow down. But there is an advantage to that, if we look at the positive that it keeps us on our toes and makes us work harder to be a success."
He also takes a jibe at what some consider his closest rival "And how fitting is that, where Bread Street Kitchen sits in London, we have a fellow chef, a neighbour literally next door to us; you probably haven't heard of him, but he's breaking through the market currently, his name's Jamie Oliver. And now we're in Hong Kong together." Ramsay goes on to joke that at he least he showed up for his restaurant's launch.
Walking up three flights of stairs, through two hairdressing salons and a betting shop and getting to a restaurant on the top floor of a block of flats is extraordinary.
Ramsay certainly knows how to work a room, perhaps unsurprisingly for a personality who has dominated television screens, either charming or chastising chefs, for over a decade. He goes as far as to profess his love for the blogging community, calling them "perfect mystery shoppers" for their rapid feedback that allows them to swiftly amend items on their menus.
"I love that little underbelly because bloggers are critical. Everyone despises them, which I think is ridiculous because you have those food critics with long leads but bloggers give you instant feedback. If there is something wrong, there and then, we get to change it instantly. I'm not talking three days later, but that night. When it's not running right we can take it off in a heartbeat. Redo it, get it perfect, get it back on there."
When we asked of his favourite Cantonese dish, he had many colourful things to say,
"I like the certain amount of lightness, the infusions, the blends, the broths, whether it's the braised pork belly or the caramelised pork belly. We had extraordinary duck yesterday and it came to the table with its neck and its head, and it was smiling at me, and if we did that in the UK, I'd get in so much sh*t for that you have no idea. I like the fact that you've kept hold of those humble beginnings, traditions and steeped in that culture. I couldn't ask for a more fitting location.
There's a pulse here, a heartbeat, and it's vibrant for a chef. I remember my first six months in Paris, I was getting up to speed and learning French and we were running out of asparagus and mushrooms in the middle of service and literally we could step out of the restaurant and buy the fresh produce we needed from the market and I think Hong Kong has that feel still from the local markets. It brings it back to that collaboration, and we'll use those noodles, those broths, those spices and traditions and we'll stamp it down on Bread Street Kitchen's menu to make it compatible and unintimidating for locals.
Jean George was the first big influence for me that managed to grasp that French-Asian influence and that success in New York was incredible. We'll follow suit; Pétrus (Ramsay's UK fine dining venue) is going through a bit of a transformation where everything's a lot lighter. We're using caramelised broths with fish, and glazing fish with meat juices, steering away from that sedated veal stock eight-hour reduction that's cloyingly heavy on the palate. Our responsibility as chefs is to transfer that level of excitement to the customer.
So we've not gotten rid of cream or butter but to use them in moderation, and that's based on our experience here in Asia where we're compelled to use less cream, less egg, less butter and become more flavoursome without the punch at the end. I don't know if you've noticed but chefs are getting slimmer across the world, which is good news."
Ramsay revealed to us for the first time that they will definitely also be opening a restaurant in Macau. Having also recently announced Bread Street Kitchen will open in 2015 in Singapore's Marina Bay Sands, Ramsay's Managing Director Stuart Gillies has confirmed their partnership with Sands Macao but remains tight-lipped about the details of the concept. He does say they will be in Hong Kong frequently to maintain the quality of the brand and he himself will return in six weeks with Ramsay confirming he will be back before Christmas.
When asked about additional locations in Asia, Ramsay batted around a few ideas, "Stuart and I would like to do a cool steakhouse; we did it in Vegas, we took the Americans on with the steakhouse and with our beautiful burger concept, and worked hard. Making these burgers with Devonshire butter, the dressings and the desserts that you never really see in a burger outfit. We're having crème caramel smoothies, burgers, truffle fries, and this amazing shake stroke dessert. We have two or three other possibilites in the pipeline and hopefully across summer 2015, we can be looking to announce something." He also mentions the possibility of a late night supper club.
So, for those looking to try out his Hong Kong venue, what would Ramsay suggest on a first visit to Bread Street? "I would look at some of the confirmed hits: the ceviches, even something as simple as the Tamarind chicken wings, it's the kind of thing we grew up with, that mum cooked. The pork, the beef, the lamb, the desserts. The caramelised sticky toffee pudding – to die for. It is the kind of dessert where you have to lie down for three hours afterwards but it's an indulgence and I like to see that dish shared. Those dishes will give you a proper taste."
Bread Street Kitchen & Bar, Mezzanine Floor, LKF Hotel, 33 Wyndham St, Central, 2230 1800


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Nancy Lefter
Nancy Clayton Lefter has been the Director of Choral Activities at the Citadel since 1993. She is a native of Charleston and was raised on James Island. She received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Furman University, and a Masters in Musicology from the University of North Texas.
Nancy also has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and the Charleston Community Band as a guest vocalist, and has sung in several restaurants in the Charleston area, most recently "High Cotton". Her swing bands have also performed at wedding receptions and private parties, including the Lowcountry Senior Sports Classic Opening and Closing ceremonies and the annual USO concert at Trident Technical College.

subset: commoncrawl


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Visit Oman's First Aquarium
Located inside the Mall of Muscat, Oman's first aquarium features many Omani fish as well as sharks, lobsters, turtles, rays, local corals, penguins and crocodiles.
Eat Middle Eastern Style Breakfast
Leave your taste buds bursting with joy as you eat a breakfast made of fried eggs, haloumi, whole grain bread, hummus, falafel and more.
Visit Marine Museum in Sur
The Marine Museum houses Omani ships, equipment, maps and pictures of sailors and ea-farers. If you are interested in Oman's rich maritime history drive to Sur and spend some time in the museum.


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|Cement is an important commodity that southern Viet Nam currently needs more
The State-run Vietnam Cement Corporation has asked northern cement manufacturers to rapidly provide products for the south where supply is currently low to help reduce the fever in the southern market.
On Monday, 3,000 tons of cement provided by the Hoang Mai Co. and 5,150 tons of clinker from the Hoang Thach Cement Co. arrived at the Ho Chi Minh City Port. An additional 25,000 tons of clinker provided by Hoang Thach and the Hai Phong Cement Co., as well as 30,000 tons of cement from Tam Diep and Hoang Mai are on the way.
Vietnam Cement Corp. has also told northern suppliers to transport unpacked cement to the south for packing.
Almost 60,000 tons of cement in all from the north is expected to reach the south between now and the end of this month.


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Tagged: Guy Opperman
Thousands could lose benefits in Government plan to end youth unemployment
Thousands of unemployed young people across the North East could be stripped of benefits under tough plans in the Government's Queen's Speech.
David Cameron insisted the crackdown was designed to end youth unemployment, as he set out his plans in the House of Commons.
But Labour MPs said the plans effectively meant young people would be forced to work for as little as less than £2 an hour – payment far below the minimum wage.
The North East has the highest youth unemployment rate in England.
Office figures show 21.4 per cent of young people aged 18 to 24 are unemployed.
The figures cover people who are "economically active", which means they are in a job or looking for work. Full-time students are not included.
This is a higher proportion than in any other part of England. It's also higher than Scotland or Wales, and roughly equal to the Northern Ireland figure of 21.8 per cent.
By contrast, the unemployment rate for people aged 18 to 24 in the south east is 11.4 per cent. And in the West Midlands, it is 16.1 per cent.
Official figures also show that 4,000 people in the North East aged 18 to 24 have been claiming Jobseekers Allowance for six months or longer.
But under Government plans, anyone aged 21 or under will lose the right to this benefit – and be put on a new "youth allowance" instead.
They'll get the same amount of money as before, up to £57.90 a week, but if they are unemployed for six months then they will be given compulsory community work such as making meals for the elderly or working for local charities – and they'll lose the right to claim benefits if they refuse.
If they will have to work 30 hours a week as expected, that would be a payment of £1.93 for each hour worked, well below the minimum wage of £5.13 for people age 18 to 20 and £6.50 for those older.
The Government says it plans to prepare young people for work and will create 200,000 new apprenticeships in the North East.
And Conservatives point out that the number of people aged 18 to 24 in the North East actually in work has risen by 13,000 over the past year.
David Cameron told the House of Commons: "One of the most important things we can do is give young people the chance of an apprenticeship and the chance of work.
"What we have done is expand apprenticeships and uncapped university places, so that there is no cap on aspiration in our country.
"We now want to go further by saying that every young person should be either earning or learning.
"Leaving school, signing on, getting unemployment benefit, getting housing benefit and opting for a life out of work—that is no choice at all, and that is why we will legislate accordingly."
And Conservative MP Guy Opperman, MP for Hexham, said:
"This Bill will provide assistance to young people to earn and learn, and give them the skills which they need to have a long term future in employment.
"We need to address the skills gap and using apprenticeships will really make a difference to do that."
Labour Gateshead MP Ian Mearns said:
"If young people are expected to work in order to get benefits then they should be entitled to the minimum wage.
"To tell them to work for £2 an hour is ridiculous. We have legislation which says there is a minimum wage in this country and that should be the minimum level people can expect."
Conservatives will face a battle over plans to stop people aged 18 to 21 claiming housing benefit – with Labour MPs and other critics warning it will put young people who are forced to leave home because of abuse in danger.
Source – Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 30 May 2015
Leazes Homes chairman pens open letter to David Cameron on extending Right-to-Buy
A stark warning setting out "grave concerns" about extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants has been issued to Prime Minister David Cameron.
Bill Midgley, chairman of Newcastle-based social housing provider Leazes Homes, accuses the politician of using "the sanctity of a person's home" as an "election bargaining chip" after the pledge was revealed in the Conservative Party Manifesto last week.
Mr Midgley echoes fears voiced by others in the sector as he outlines how a policy that forces associations to sell off their assets would mean they have less borrowing power.
Because of this, he says, associations could not build more homes for some of the most vulnerable in society, including "older people, those with learning disabilities and those with mental health problems."
The letter reads:
"If organisations like us are unable to secure loan funding for supported housing properties then the potential damage is unthinkable. It is essential that such accommodation can be provided by the affordable housing sector."
The Tories say the plan opens the possibility of home ownership up to thousands of people who may otherwise be locked out of the market.
The National Housing Federation estimates there are 19,620 people in the North East who would be eligible for a mortgage under the plans and that it will cost £808m to implement the policy.
But Mr Midgley fears poor people may be forced to pay higher rents in the private sector.
Signing off the letter to Mr Cameron, he said:
"I urge you to reconsider this proposal. We have a duty as a society to provide our citizens with good-quality, affordable housing, but the sanctity of a person's home is not something to be used as a bargaining chip to secure election votes."
Guy Opperman, the Conservative candidate for Hexham defended the policy –
"We want more people who work hard and save up to be able to enjoy the security of owning their own home.
"Right now it is too difficult for housing association tenants to buy their own home. Until now the Right to Buy has only been available to tenants in local authority properties. This means there are around 500,000 housing association tenants who have no right to buy their home.
"The Right to Buy scheme has already helped around two million families to realise their dream of owning a home. By now extending the Right to Buy to housing associations tenants, we will help more people who want to move on and up the housing ladder.
"Our proposals will increase house building, increase home ownership and reduce waiting lists. Right to Buy improves social mobility and builds mixed communities.
"It gives something back to families who worked hard, paid their rent and played by the rules and gives people a sense of pride and ownership not just in their home, but in their street and neighbourhood."
The Conservatives have pledged to improve their help-to-buy scheme and have also committed to 200,000 new starter homes in their manifesto.
Similarly Labour says it will build 200,000 new homes by 2020 and that private sector rent would be capped should Ed Miliband be Prime Minister.
The Lib Dems have pledged 300,000 homes a year, and ten garden cities as well as a rent-to-buy ownership scheme.
UKIP plan to build one million homes on brownfield sites by 2020, and Nigel Farage wants to restrict right-to-buy and help-to-buy schemes to British nationals.
Should the Greens win power they will regulate private sector rent and build 500,000 social homes.
Source – Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 20 Apr 2015
Red-faced Tories blast one of their own MPs for low speech-rate
North-East Tories were left red-faced after accusing one of their own MPs of failing to "fight for" his constituents in the Commons.
The leader of North Tyneside Conservatives attacked MPs who "short-change" voters by making only a small number of speeches in the chamber.
Councillor Judith Wallace produced a table claiming that such MPs were costing taxpayers many thousands of pounds for each speech they made.
And she said: "Politicians think that they can just turn up at election time, push a few leaflets through the door and think 'job done'. Well it just isn't good enough."
However, the table – based on the number of speeches made during the 2014 calendar year – listed only two North-East MPs as "well below average".
And one of those two was fellow Tory James Wharton, who faces a crucial knife-edge battle to cling onto the Stockton South seat, where he has a majority of just 332.
Mr Wharton spoke just 12 times last year, the Tories said – at an alleged cost of £5,589.17 per contribution – two more occasions than Tynemouth Labour MP Alan Campbell (£6,707).
Cllr Wallace added:
"Voters expect their MPs to be working hard for their salary.
"An MP's job is to stand up in the House of Commons and make the views of your electors known to the executive – to challenge and to fight for your constituents."
Tom Blenkinsop, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland – second in the table (76 speeches) – pointed out that Mr Campbell was Labour's deputy chief whip, so spoke very little by convention.
And he said:
"I'd like to congratulate the Tory party for highlighting how little James Wharton has done in his five years – and also for highlighting how much I have done."
Mr Wharton did not return messages left by journalists, while a spokesman for Cllr Wallace insisted: "Judith's comments are specifically about her sitting MP Alan Campbell, for Tynemouth."
The list put Hexham Conservative MP Guy Opperman top (116 speeches), with Labour's Ian Lavery (Wansbeck – 66) and Grahame Morris (Easington – 64) third and fourth.
Tynedale Green Party vow to contest Hexham parliamentary seat in 2015 General Election
A relaunched Northumberland Green Party branch has vowed to build on growing national support when they take on the Tories in next year's General Election.
Tynedale Green Party, which has reformed in Hexham, will put forward a parliamentary candidate in 2015 for the first time since 1992, challenging Conservative MP Guy Opperman.
And its newly elected officers hope their efforts will be boosted by a 100% rise in England and Wales Green membership since the start of the year, and the possibility of joining further coalition governments in the future.
Graham Howard, who lives in Hexham and has been a supporter of Greenpeace since the 1980s, is press officer for the branch which covers all of Tynedale.
He said:
"We have a broken political system supported by vested corporate interests that resist any change.
"I work in the NHS and have seen this coalition turn the service on its head after it had been rebuilt under the previous Government.
"The Tories promised no 'top-down re-organisation' and then quite cynically reneged on that manifesto promise by instituting a totally unnecessary and brutal shake-up.
"Privatisation has been the mantra which has ruined so many industries at the expense of our basic infrastructure, for the financial benefit of a minority. The Greens must participate in the 2015 TV debates – they are the fastest growing party membership in the country."
"Young voters are already much greener than older generations. That there are still climate change deniers able to get away with denying reality in the face of the science, would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous."
John Hartshorne, a former Prudhoe schoolteacher, was the last Green Party candidate to stand 23 years ago.
He said:
"I joined because I believed that fundamental issues were not being discussed by politicians.
"Every one of us should have an interest in protecting and nurturing our world for our children, and teaching them the importance of compassion, tolerance and the inter-connectedness of all life."
The next meeting of Tynedale Green Party is at 2pm on Saturday at Hexham Community Centre.
Mr Opperman said: "I look forward to a robust and honest debate on my record as Tynedale and Ponteland's local MP.
"I am proud of my achievements such as protecting our local NHS, securing an extra £12m for our schools, fighting for our greenbelt and under this government seeing local unemployment fall by 51%.
"It has been a real honour to serve as the MP for my part of Northumberland over the last four years and I look forward to the campaign ahead. I hope I have tried to do things a little bit differently from the standard MP."
Source – Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 10 Dec 2014
The Chancellor spoke more about Mars than he did about the North East
But his key statement on the nation's finances also confirmed that local councils face years of further deep cuts.
And the Chancellor's big surprise, changes to Stamp Duty leading to lower bills for many buyers, will have limited impact on the North East because low property prices in the region mean many home buyers don't pay the duty anyway.
The Autumn Statement also confirmed that outdated Pacer trains still in use on some routes in the North East will be replaced.
Mr Osborne told the Commons that his goal was to create "a more balanced national economy" and that meant creating a northern powerhouse "as a complement to the strength of our capital city, where we bring together our great cities of the North."
He announced £20m for a Ageing Science centre in Newcastle, to "back the brilliant work on ageing being conducted at Newcastle University".
There was also £28m for a world-class research and development centre, to be called the National Formulation Centre, that will specialise in the development of products such as medicines and chemicals, based in Sedgefield.
And documents published by the Treasury also revealed plans for a Great Exhibition in the north.
But local authorities face at least five more years of further dramatic cuts in spending, the Autumn Statement confirmed. Funding from the Treasury for local services is to be cut by more than a fifth by 2019-20.
The figures are included in forecasts published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the official Treasury watchdog, as part of the statement. It predicted that the main grant provided to local councils will fall from £60.3bn in 2014-15 to £50.5bn in 2019-20.
Mr Osborne insisted: "I do not hide from the House that in the coming years there are going to have to be very substantial savings in public spending."
This would mean cuts of £13.6bn in 2015-16, as previously announced, and "two further years where decisions on this scale will be required".
He added: "We're going to have to go on controlling spending after those years if we want to have a surplus and keep it."
Another key announcement was a change to stamp duty, previously charged on homes costing more than £125,000.
Buyers eligible for the tax paid one per cent or more of the purchase price. In future, stamp duty will only be paid on the portion of the price which is above the threshold, leading to significant reductions for some properties.
However, an analysis of house prices shows that average prices in the North East are below the £125,000 threshold anyway, which means many buyers will not be affected as they pay no stamp duty.
Average house prices are £120,545 in Newcastle, £124,338 in North Tyneside, £123,766 in Northumberland, £99,837 in South Tyneside and £85,438 in Sunderland.
Nonetheless, buyers of more expensive homes will make savings as long as the property is worth less than £937,000.
Responding to questions from Conservative MP Guy Opperman, MP for Hexham, and Labour Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson, the Chancellor also said there would be help for airports in the North if they were hit by a potential cut in air passenger duty in Scotland, following the announcement that aviation duty will be devolved to the Scottish government.
Responding to the statement, Newcastle East MP Nick Brown pointed out that the Chancellor had announced Britain was awarded the lead role in the next international effort to explore the planet of Mars, adding:
"The Chancellor spoke more about Mars than he did about the North East of England. His Northern Powerhouse is located over 100 miles to the South of Tyne and Wear.
"His statement contained no commitment to any type of workable regional policy in the context of further Scottish Devolution. This is grotesquely one-sided. Even his stamp duty changes were focussed on London and the South East."
But Liberal Democrat MP Sir Alan Beith, who represents Berwick, said:
"The Autumn Statement sticks to our strategy to deal with the deficit, enabling us to release funds for key Liberal Democrat priorities that bring fairness and a stronger economy."
Source – Newcastle Journal, 03 Dec 2014
Parties clash over claims North East economy is booming
> Comedy time at the House of Commons…
North East industry is thriving, a Conservative MP has told the House of Commons.
And the Government has created jobs in the region – while Labour was happy to concentrate prosperity in the south of England, according to the Prime Minister.
But the bold claims from the Tories sparked an immediate backlash from Labour, which claimed the Government had failed to tackle the region's high level of unemployment.
Guy Opperman, Conservative MP for Hexham, highlighted what he said was the region's strong economic performance as he questioned David Cameron.
He said:
"Is the Prime Minister aware that the region with the most tech start ups outside of London, and the fastest rate of growth in private sector businesses over the last quarter, and the highest rise in the value of exports, is the North East of England?
"And does he agree with me that we should stick to the long term economic plan so that we all have the benefits?"
The Prime Minister told him:
"It is notable that when we look at things like small business creation, exports, investment, the growth is coming from around the country including the North East – and that is a huge contrast.
"Under 13 years of Labour, for every 10 jobs created in the south they only created one in the North. That is the record of the last Labour government."
He added:
"What we need to do is to increase entrepreneurship and start ups in every part of the country . . . there is a new spirit of entrepreneurship in Britain and this government is backing it."
Mr Opperman was referring to a report by the British Chambers of Commerce which found there were more than 300 high tech and digital businesses in the North East, and that only London has a higher rate of tech start ups in the UK.
He also highlighted the Lloyds Bank Regional Purchasing Managers' Index, which measures business activity in each region and shows that the North East has the highest rate of growth over three months. The latest index, published on October 13, shows activity in the North East growing in line with the national average, although faster than London.
And in September, official figures showed total value of exports in the North East had risen by 2.32% over a year – the highest figure recorded by any English regions.
Second quarter statistics for 2014 showed £3.102bn worth of goods were sold to foreign markets from the region, up by 9.66% compared to the same period last year.
But Labour pointed out that the North East still had the highest unemployment rate in the country. Most recent figures show unemployment in the region is 9.3%, worse than any other region of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The overall UK rate is 6%.
Newcastle North MP and Shadow Treasury Minister Catherine McKinnell, questioning Chancellor George Osborne in the Commons, said:
"Whilst he's been shifting funds from Northern cities to wealthier parts of the country, unemployment in the North East is the highest in the country; wages for working people in the North have fallen by even more than the national average; and, across the North, the number of young people unemployed for over a year is up 62% since the election.
"Why won't he match Labour's plan to devolve real power and £30billion of funding, not just to the North but to all city and county regions?"
Source – Newcastle Journal, 06 Nov 2014
Conservative Party try to reinvent themselves as the party of the North East
> Is there a General Election on the horizon or something ? The Tories are getting all concerned about the North East…
Growing the economy in the North of England and closing the wealth divide with London and the south east was one of the major themes of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.
George Osborne, the Chancellor, spoke repeatedly about backing the North in his keynote speech at the conference.
The focus may seem surprising given that the party has few MPs in the North East.
Guy Opperman in Hexham, Northumberland, and James Wharton in Stockton South are the party's only North East representatives in the Commons, although Tories believe they have a chance of taking Liberal Democrat-held Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, at the next election.
But William Hague, the former Foreign Secretary regarded as unofficial deputy leader of the party, pointed out to journalists that there were many more Conservative MPs in the North West and in Yorkshire.
Mr Osborne, who represents a constituency in Cheshire, even told the conference: "I am also the first Chancellor for almost forty years to represent a constituency in the north of England – and I can see the risk of our capital city's dominance.
> Yorkshire and Cheshire are quite different from the North East. That's exactly why they do elect Tories.
"It is not healthy for our country or our economy."
He pledged: "Let us choose today to make reducing the gap between north and south, London and the rest, one of the central ambitions of the next Conservative Government."
And he highlighted the Government's plan to create a "Northern Powerhouse", saying: "The answer is to build up the rest of our country. To create a Northern Powerhouse of the cities across the Pennines."
The Chancellor's plan is to turn the North into an economic powerhouse rivalling London by investing up to £15 billion on local transport links, picking a scientific speciality for universities to become world-leaders in, possibly building a high speed line across the Pennines, linking the North East and North West, and giving cities more autonomy and cash – if they agree to transform local government by introducing directly-elected mayors.
Mr Hague insisted the party was on course to win in the North.
He said: "At the last general election we made a major breakthrough in the North – if you take the North as being Yorkshire, the North East and North West. We went up at the last election from 19 MPs in the North to 42. That was a huge expansion, including in the North East of course, where we gained Stockton South.
> And… and… oh, just Stockton South, then ? Along with Hexham, that's a really huge expansion in the North East.
"I hope we can add to that – there will be seats we will be targeting in the North including the North East."
Major announcements at the conference included plans to freeze working-age benefits – including benefits received by working people on low salaries – for two years.
This means cutting benefits in real terms, because of the effects of inflation.
Conservative leader David Cameron, in his conference speech, announced plans to raise the income tax personal allowance to £12,500. This would take one million more workers out of income tax entirely and give a tax cut to 30 million more, Mr Cameron said.
An estimated 51,000 North East workers would pay no income tax at all because of the change. Many others would pay less tax.
> Isn't this because wages are so poor to start with ?
Mr Cameron also announced plans to raise the threshold at which people pay the 40p income tax rate from £41,900 today to £50,000.
It means a tax cut for many people earning above-average salaries. Mr Cameron said the 40p tax was supposed to be for the rich, but it's currently paid by some senior nurses, teachers and police officers.
But critics pointed out that the Conservatives had failed to explain how they would pay the £7 billion cost of cutting tax.
Labour Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said: "Nobody will be fooled by pie in the sky promises of tax cuts in six years' time when David Cameron cannot tell us where the money is coming from.
"Even the Tories admit this is an unfunded commitment of over £7 billion, so how will they pay for it? Will they raise VAT on families and pensioners again?"
Source – Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 05 Oct 2014
Tory MP calls for Northumberland to be split in two
A Northumberland MP has issued a renewed call for the county to be governed by separate urban and rural authorities in the ongoing row over the future of its civic base.
Hexham Conservative MP Guy Opperman has revived a debate which raged prior to the creation of a single unitary authority for Northumberland in 2009 in the continuing dispute over county council plans to move its base and decentralise services.
Yet Labour leaders on the council have accused him of an "attempt to divide the county for purely party political ends" and of being "prepared to turn down hundreds of jobs and decentralised services for his constituency."
The county was once governed by Northumberland County Council alongside six district councils.
A referendum in 2004 saw residents voting for two unitary authorities for the county, along a rural urban split, rather than one.
Labour leaders at the county council then submitted a proposal for a single unitary authority.
However, the districts favoured the creation of two authorities, one for the urban areas of Wansbeck and Blyth Valley and one for the rural centres of Alnwick, Berwick, Tynedale and Castle Morpeth.
Yet the government in July 2007 chose the single authority option.
Mr Opperman has now proposed a public debate on the creation of two authorities for the rural and urban areas, amid his opposition to the county council's plans to move its base from County Hall at Morpeth to Ashington and to create nine service hubs around Northumberland.
The MP suggested a new unitary authority covering the Hexham and Berwick parliamentary constituencies could take over services now provided by the county council.
He questioned why Ashington should benefit from a new £40m council base, a £20m sports centre and a £74m overhaul of the town centre, while his constituency is "losing out."
> Possibly because Hexham is a much richer town than Ashington, which has a lot of catching up to do. Anyone who has visited both towns will know what I mean.
Mr Opperman furthermore claimed the recent abolition of free transport for students in post-16 education demonstrated the council's current leadership "simply don't have an interest in the issues in rural communities."
The MP said: "Perhaps now that Labour are wanting dramatic change it is time to consider whether the current county council should be made into two unitary authorities, one urban and one rural."
He added: "Hexham certainly has a lot more in common with Alnwick than it does with Ashington or Blyth. A rural Northumberland authority covering West and North Northumberland would give people back a council which worked for them, listened to their concerns and didn't ignore them in favour of the urban South East."
Responding, a spokesman for the Labour group on the county council said: "This is Guy Opperman's latest political wheeze. "Last week he was arguing that Scotland and the UK are better together and this week he wants to split Northumberland up.
"Here are the figures, the county population is 47% in the South East, 27% in the West and 26% in the North.
"His half baked proposal would see more than 55% of the government's grant disappear to the South East and would see the West having to make do with less than 25% of the current grant.
"His figures just don't add up.
"This is his latest attempt to divide the county for purely party political ends.
"Residents will rightly note that he's prepared to turn down hundreds of jobs and decentralised services for his constituency and yet he stays silent as his government slashes the county council budget by a third."
Source – Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 26 Sept 2014
Hexham MP to set off on referendum "battle bus" to persuade Scottish Border towns to stay in the Union
A North MP has launched a referendum battle bus to persuade voters in the Scottish Borders that "we are better together."
Guy Opperman, MP for Hexham, in Northumberland, will set off on his campaign to save the Union on Saturday August 30, when the postal vote forms will be landing on the doorsteps of all Scots.
He intends to be in the Borders leading a team as they try to persuade the people of Border towns Jedburgh and Howick to stay before September's referendum.
> I suspect they may mean Hawick, not Howick…
Mr Opperman is calling on members of every political party to join him on his journey up the A68 trunk road in a bid to keep the two neighbouring countries together.
"Every two or three weeks I have been going to Scotland to campaign for Better Together for the last six months," he told The Journal. "I've gone from Aberdeen to Fife to the Borders to Dumfries and up to Argyle and Bute either speaking or debating, rallying or simply knocking on doors with the Better Together campaign.
> Really ? Hope he hasn't been neglecting the people who voted him in… although I do tend to think that anyone who votes Tory gets what they derserve.
"I've campaigned with Labour MPs, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives all of whom have come together and put party politics aside to ensure that we keep the Union. It is important that people living in the Scottish Borders know that we do not want then to go. Saturday August 30 is an important date because it's approximately 18 days before the referendum when postal votes will be landing on Scottish voters' doorsteps.
"A huge proportion of the votes in the referendum will be done by post and we need to make this date a significant one.
"My proposal is to get as many people as possible who wish to come and campaign with the team from Better Together to travel with us from Newcastle, Hexham and wider Northumberland on August 30.
"This is cross party because the Better Together campaign does not take into account an individual's political view, provided he or she is in favour of the Union."
The Tory MP has long called for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
He said: "Scottish independence is not what I want. I am a passionate supporter of the Union, as are the vast majority of our constituents.
> But you're not Scottish… what you want is neither here nor there ultimately.
If I was an undecided Scot, I think a bus full of English Tory MPs and other Little Englanders telling me what I should do would ensure another "yes" vote.
"The impact of Scottish independence would be a significant effect on cross-border trade, and there are real concerns amongst my businesses that independence will affect the financial state of the North East."
Mr Opperman proposes to leave from Wentworth car park, in Hexham at around 9.30am on August 30. Those interested in being on board the referendum bus later this month should email the MP direct at firstname.lastname@example.com
> Or if you live in Hexham, you could email him and tell him to get his arse back and do some work for the people who elected him.
I'm thinking of starting a campaign to extend the Scottish border south to the Tees. That'd solve all these perceived lost business opportunities along the border.
Source – Newcastle Journal, 09 Aug 2014
'We must do more to teach British values' – Hexham Tory MP
The UK needs a dedicated minister for integration to promote British values and identity, according to a North MP.
Hexham MP Guy Opperman urged the Government to consider appointing a dedicated minister as he backed the Government's plans to require schools to teach British values.
It follows claims that extremists or religious conservatives have attempted to take over schools in areas of Birmingham with large Muslim populations.
Independent schools, including state-run academies, are already required to encourage pupils to respect British values, which are defined as democracy; the rule of law; individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.
Education Secretary Michael Gove has announced this requirement is to be extended to include local authority maintained schools.
But the Muslim Council of Britain has expressed "deep concern" at the debate over British values, saying: "We have no objection to British values. On the contrary. We believe in a tolerant, more free and more equal society.
"We want a real debate that does not regard us as conditional Britons."
Other critics have claimed it is wrong to suggest tolerance and rule of law are British values, as if the UK is more committed to them than other countries.
But speaking in a Commons debate, Mr Opperman said: "One would hope that those are universal values, but we know that the reality worldwide is that they are not universal values, but are particular values of this country.
"In that respect, these purportedly universal values are, in fact, very British and their promotion must be a very good thing."
He said he wanted to ask "whether we need to consider introducing, as the Canadians have, a Minister for integration."
Canadian Minister Jason Kenney had succeeded in "formulating and promoting integration of people of many different faiths," Mr Opperman said.
"His portfolio includes citizenship, multiculturalism, immigration and integration. It is the unification of those strands of Government Departments and the difficulties faced that we genuinely need to address."
Skills Minister Matthew Hancock said he agreed with Mr Opperman that British values were not shared by everyone.
He said: "British values are not universal around the world, and we should be proud that they are very widely, if not universally, accepted here at home.
"Those universal values flower in Britain because of the protection of our strong democratic state, defended through liberty – with blood, in times gone by – by our forefathers and the forefathers of those from many different backgrounds."
The Department for Education says that the new regulations will take effect in September 2014.
Schools will be expected to show how they are promoting fundamental British values and challenging pupils, staff or parents who express opinions contrary to those values.
Action will also be taken against schools where, for example, girls are disadvantaged on the grounds of their gender – or where prejudice against those of other faiths is encouraged or not adequately challenged.
Labour MP John Denham said teaching British values was "ill-judged and may be counter-productive", adding: "All the attention has been focused deliberately on one community, the Muslim community."
Source – Newcastle Journal, 29 June 2014


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I love a good story. Working with nonprofits, large organizations and creative entrepreneurs for the past two decades, I've found that there's always a story to be told. The key is to find the most unique and creative way to tell it.
As a full-time communications professional, I now work on a freelance basis with select clients to share their vision.
And, my own story is told through my blog, Literary Legacies.
What does your next chapter hold?
Photo: Bob McClenahan, Napa


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Hello! After a fun summer, which saw the inaugural Bluedot Festival at Jodrell Bank, a dinosaur wandering round Cheshire in the rain, and trips to Japan and German (yes, I did get my Spaghettieis, 2 in fact!) for conferences, its back to the grindstone now. There are PhD theses to be finished within the next few weeks, samples to be analysed, and papers to be written. But we do have some events coming up in September and October, and with the programme for Manchester Science Festival 2016 having been launched yesterday, this seemed an appropriate time to share dates and details of those events.
Science Uncovered Manchester European Researchers' Night
Friday 30th September is European Researchers' Night, and the Manchester Museum will be holding a Science Uncovered evening event for adults, from 6pm to 10pm, showcasing Manchester's finest researchers and their work. There'll be research on show, music, drinks and a lively atmosphere.
There's also an A Level Social event for 6th form students from 5pm to 6pm.
There's a Facebook event page here, and follow #ERN2016 on social media for update on this event in Manchester and similar ones taking place all over Europe.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Solar System
Following on from the success of the last few years, we'll be holding another Hitchhiker's Guide to the Solar System day of hands on and interactive events between 11am and 4pm at the Manchester Museum on Tuesday 25th October, as part of the Manchester Science Festival.
Come and see pieces of the Moon collected by Apollo astronauts, along with meteorites from Mars and asteroids. There'll be demos where you can watch a comet forming and volcanic eruptions with your own eyes! And investigate how craters form on planetary surfaces.
Why not have a look at some photos on our Facebook page to see some of the activities from previous years, they'll give you an idea of what to expect. And we've set up an event on our Facebook too – let us know if you're planning on coming along, we're looking forward to seeing you!
Science Spectacular
Each year The University of Manchester hosts the Science Spectacular, as part of the Manchester Science Festival. And this year it will be taking place on Saturday 29th October, from 10am to 4pm, at the Manchester Museum.
Join us and scientists from across the University for a fun-filled day of science challenges, live experiments, and interactive demonstrations. There will be activities for all ages. Activities will include the chance to help create a mini tornado, snuggle up to some creepy crawlies, and crack secret DNA and computer codes. There'll be robots, bugs and drugs, moon rocks, fascinating fungi, and more! With more than 40 interactive science activities you don't want to miss out on our annual family science fun day. And don't forget to chat with the scientists and engineers – they are behind some of the world's most amazing discoveries.
Why not take a look at the photo gallery or watch a short film from 2015 to find out what this event is all about. Can you spot any of our E&SS team in the photos?
And finally…
Remember you can keep up with what we're up to all year on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.


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Contact our office
For all media enquiries
Representing Children on Direct Instructions - Training 27th Sepember 20191 July 2019
27 September 2019, St Bride Foundation, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8EQ - 1.30-5pm
The judgment of Williams J in the case of CS v SBH & Ors [2019] EWHC 634 (Fam) highlighted the importance of solicitors being able to effectively assess the legal competence of children. The ALC will be running a half day seminar addressing this significant issue for practitioners. Topics for discussion will be:
- Meeting a child client - the key principles
- How to assess competence
- How best to communicate/report wishes and feelings as articulated by a child
- Lessons from the Judgment of Williams J
- The relationship between Children's Guardian and Child's Solicitor when representing children
With a mixture of workshops plus our panel discussion with speakers to include: Roger Hutchinson, Consultant Forensic Clinical Psychologist and Matthew Jeary, Children's Guardian; this training is highly recommended for anyone who represents children in family law proceedings .
The cost will be £25 for ALC members; £45 for non-members.


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The Storage Delivery Form has been adjusted in the Details section to make it easier to indicate the kind of delivery is occurring. Instead of having one Delivery Type field with ~20 options such as Buyer Receival (Contract) and Grower Receival (Warehouse), Site Operators will now first indicate the Delivery Direction (Outturn, Receival, or Bin-Bin), and then where it's being Delivered To (Buyer Contract, Grower Contract, Warehouse Inventory, Bulk Inventory, etc). This will make it much easier to find the option you want without having to scroll through options irrelevant to your delivery. In addition, Site Operators can now view a Delivery Category on the Delivery Details Screen, which shows if the Delivery was originally a Warehouse or Bulk type.
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Four little tips to improve SQL performance in ABAP
Nearly 23 years after the introduction of the software generation
This is an example of how to fill several lines
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 supports multiple technologies to optimize the
PSO GmbH is now an official SAP partner and participant


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Feicui Valley – an easy and enjoyable route to a natural swimming pool
The route starts from an old bat-filled Japanese era tunnel. It's not long but it's still dark so it's recommended to bring a flashlight. After going through the tunnel, you have to walk down a small path along the river. The path offers you great views over the river and the mountains besides it. At the end of this part you'll find a man-made waterfall, where you can bump into some locals relaxing and barbecuing. The place is also beautiful, but it pays off to continue upwards towards the natural waterfall.
From the man-made waterfall take the path up and follow the red marks on the trees. Don't go down at any point. The area is lined with tree roots that are wrapped around big boulders. It's a must-see. The path is quite rocky but still easy to walk.
When the path ends, you need to cross the river. Just take your shoes off and jump from one rock to another, and you'll reach the trail on the other side in no time. Only 20 meters more and you will reach the pool! The beautiful blue natural swimming pool is a perfect place for a lunch, taking a dip, and relaxing before going back.
The trace is not too difficult, with the options to either climb through the rushing river and small waterfalls or to simply walk along the path if you'd prefer. On Sundays the place is quite crowded so be there early.


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|Where books are born
Welcome back to an EARLY addition of Tuesday's Tales. This week I'm sharing another clip from last week's story from one of my WsIP. I have moved on a bit but hopefully it will still make sense. I appreciate both your visit and your feedback.
"Mandy is a gentle girl, a bit more naive than we ever realised. How could she live with her mother and not know her parents were going through a divorce? It's hard to credit, especially when the when her father's left the house to her. Did her father assume Mandy would somehow feel less rejected if he settled the house on her rather than on his ex-wife?"


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The sculpture in Paros
What is the element that makes the marble of Paros so special? Its clarity and its lucidity. The Pentelic marble has a light transparency that reaches 1.5 cm. The famous marble of Italian Carrara reaches 2.5 centimeters. The Parian one exceeds 3.5! Due to its outstanding qualities, the Parian marble constituted an ideal raw material for the sculpture art and the architecture in the antiquity. The first marble works of art were the Cycladic figurines and vessels. In the historical times, the Parians were not constrained only to the marble trade, which gave them wealth and power. With the advent of the 6th century a famous school of sculpture was developed on the island. Renowned workshops were created while artistic heyday and cultural development prevailed. Artists such as Agoracritus (5th century BC) and Scopas (4th century BC) became famous all over Greece. Works of this school adorn big sanctuaries of that time such as the temple of Apollo and the treasure of the Sifnians at Delphi, the temple of Zeus in Olympia, the temple of Apollo in Delos etc. Some of the greatest statues of the ancient period were made of Parian marble: Nike of Paeonius, Hermes of Praxiteles, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Aphrodite of Milos.
The ancient quarries
The quarries of Paros are an important geotope. A great part of the island's growth since the ancient years is due to the marble deposits. The main quarries are located on mountain Profitis Ilias, 780m high. The first one is located between the monastery of Agios Minas and the church of Agii Anargyri. The second one is at Marathi, on the southeastern side of the mountain. The third one is the so-called quarry Kleanthi and the fourth one is near the village of Marmara. The fifth one is called "ancient tombs".
Environmental and Cultural Park of Ai Giannis Detis
It is one of the most beautiful areas in Paros and in the Cyclades. The monastery of Ai Giannis Detis which is revealed as a white dot after the shipyard and marks this unique place where the Municipality of Paros created a Model Environmental and Cultural Park with cultural, sport, entertainment and ecological activities. There is a refreshment stand and an outdoor theatre of 600 people capacity where cultural events are organized.


text: The Grumman Avenger Pile Jul 12, 2016 23:42:45 GMT 12 Richard Wesley, ZacYates, and 1 more like this Quote Select PostDeselect PostLink to PostMemberGive GiftBack to Top Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 12, 2016 23:42:45 GMT 12 Here's a great shot from Facebook (hence the "joke") of the Avenger on its way from Hamilton to Wigram to join the RNZAF Museum collection, on the deck of HMNZS Waikato. I guess it must have been towed from Hamilton across the Kaimais to Tauranga's port to be loaded onto the frigate? And then towed again across the Port Hills from Lyttleton? Quite a mission, all told, I'm sure. Was anyone here involved with the move?


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A brief summary of project status
← Back to: Exchanging Data with Ancestry and FTM
Starting simple for quick results
Although the benefits are clear, the users' demand for these functions is not. The scope is also unclear, how complex will things need to be to satisfy differing levels of users? Further, will the concept of a round trip work at all and what are the constraints?
To get something straightforward working quickly the keys steps are:
- Prototype a FH to FTM routine that includes basic (standard FTM?) information and images only.
- Prototype a FTM to FH routine that returns all (FTM) data and images (including updates from Ancestry hints) to FH, perhaps merging with existing FH data.
- Make changes in both routines as dictated by errors, research results and user demand for additional complexity.
This is a "Demand Lead Strategy". An audit report helps to make clear how fields (tags) are treated and identify tags that have yet to be considered. In the way users are clear and the routine can evolve according to demand. An early example of this audit report can be downloaded below. It contains sections for INDI and all other key records broken down by:
- INDI tags: known & work with no processing
- INDI tags: known & work with processing
- INDI tags: known & work partially with some processing
- INDI tags: known & might work with processing
- INDI tags: known & won't work
- INDI tags: unknown but may work
If you are sufficiently interested in this to contribute with research and testing please get in touch. We need to identify which FH fields get to FTM readily, which need manipulating and which cannot.
Converting FH data for FTM
Where we are today
The FH 'Export Gedcom File' Plugin 1.9 in the Plugin Store now handles most export to FTM features mentioned below.
The FH 'Export Gedcom File' Plugin 1.7.6 (after manually preparing certain data) already moves a fair amount of FH data and media into FTM to enable hint matching in Ancestry. A VBA Prototype routine (under development) currently manipulates Plugin data to improve what arrives in FTM and prepares some of the data for a return trip to FH.
The headings below provide a simple work-in-progress list of what exists already, what might be developed and what is unlikely to be achieved. Please refer to other sections for up-to-date detail.
What will convert to FTM today
|Name fields
|FH name fields comprise NAME, NPFX, NSFX, NICK, TITL, _USER. FTM ignores and incorrectly stores certain fields directly from FH. Both the Plugin and Prototype store all of these in FTM appropriately although some reassignment of fields may be necessary on a trip back to FH. The Prototype also ensures that commas in the NICK field are replaced with "or ".
|Events and Attributes
|FTM's regards these both as Facts with a Value, Date, Description and Note. The Plugin allows the ADDRess and second _PLACe to be stored in a note. The Prototype moves INDI and FAM addresses to the Value field for specified events (the list needs enhancing).
|The Plugin enables part (cropped), full or both pictures to be stored in FTM. The Plugin and Prototype assign the first a _PHOTO tag to make that image the profile picture (where object records were been created by the Plugin).
|FTM can store basic SOURce and REPOsitory fields only so the Plugin exports Source records putting certain fields in the note. FTM requires that SOUR, OBJE links also appear under INDI, Event, SOUR (a citation) to display properly which is not yet handled by the Plugin. Further, citations cannot appear against the INDI or FAM, only against an event or attribute therefore the Plugin will have to demote such citations to the first INDI,NAME (not sure where to put the FAM citation). The Prototype currently does this although other citation records are not yet output.
|Sundry other tweaks exist like renaming _FILE to FILE, _EMAIL to EMAIL, UCase(DATE) deletion of SENTence and _PLACe records, etc.
What might convert to FTM in the future
The following matters are pencilled for inclusion:
|Home Person
|Using the _ROOT tag to make the INDI first in the file so they are the home person in FTM.
|_STAT is not stored in FTM. Information in _STAT can conflict with MARR and DIV events which are stored. It is possible some of the other _STAT choices could result in the creation other family events available in FTM.
|Use of notes
|Notes fields and records could be used to store FH data in a structured manner. This approach may be used not only to record data for which FTM has no field (SOUR already done, REPO to do, etc.) but also for a UID to enable a automated merge back into FH (rather than a replacement of the FH file.
What is unlikely to convert to FTM
Further research may result in solutions but these are some of the trickier matters.
|There appears nowhere to store these in FTM
|There appears nowhere to store these in FTM
|CHANge information
|Audit fields (date, time and notes) are not imported by FTM.
|Place records
|Places are stored in FTM. Optionally, they can be matched (normalised) manually against Ancestry's database resulting in better hint matches, the removal of leading commas and abandoning of the user-defined structure (e.g. village, town, county, country). Text, images and co-ordinates found in _PLACe records cannot be imported or stored by FTM.
|This is not yet well understood and it is uncertain if FTM has potential capability
|This is not yet well understood and it is uncertain if FTM has potential capability
|Linked Aliases
|This is not yet well understood and it is uncertain if FTM has potential capability
Converting FTM data for FH
Development has not yet started. Notes and ideas are being formulated as work continues on the FH to FTM Prototype. See Step 6 Import your FTM GEDCOM back into FH


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Winter on the Lake
Dec 26, 2016 11:00AM
By Enjoy Magazine
Enjoy the View
By Mark Bouldoukian
Mark Bouldoukian is a wildlife and landscape photographer from Clovis and has been into photography for more than eight years. He works as a dental technician, and in his free time he enjoys hiking and exploring, with his camera always ready. His passion with outdoor and landscape photography is to show people how beautiful the world looks from different perspectives and seasons. For more of his work, visit his Instagram account, ''i_markian''.


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What is PPC? Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing?
Whether you have heard very little about PPC marketing and you are eager to learn more, or you already know that you want to use PPC to market your business, but do not make sure that Where to start, you came to the right place! This is the first lesson at PPC University, a set of three guided courses that will teach you everything you need to know about PPC and how to make it work for you.
First, we will need to define PPC and establish a basic understanding of how PPC advertising works. let's go!
What is PPC ?
PPC stands for pay-per-click, a model of internet marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Essentially, it's a way of buying visits to your site, rather than attempting to "earn" those visits organically.
Search engine advertising is one of the most popular forms of PPC. It allows advertisers to bid for ad placement in a search engine's sponsored links when someone searches on a keyword that is related to their business offering. For example, if we bid on the keyword "PPC software," our ad might show up in the very top spot on the Google results page.
Every time our ad is clicked, sending a visitor to our website, we have to pay the search engine a small fee. When PPC is working correctly, the fee is trivial, because the visit is worth more than what you pay for it. In other words, if we pay $3 for a click, but the click results in a $300 sale, then we've made a hefty profit.
It takes a lot to create a winning PPC campaign: from researching and selecting the right keywords, to organizing those keywords into well-organized campaigns and ad groups, to setting up PPC landing pages that are optimized for conversions. Search engines reward advertisers who can create relevant, intelligently targeted pay-per-click campaigns by charging less for ad clicks. If your ads and landing page are useful and satisfying to users, Google charges you less per click, which leads to more profit for your business. So if you want to start using PPC, it is important to learn how to correct it.
What is Google Ads?
Google Advertising (formerly known as Google AdWords) is the most popular PPC advertising system in the world. Advertising platforms enable businesses to create ads that appear on Google's search engine and other Google properties.
Google advertising operates on a pay-per-click model, in which users bid on keywords and pay for each click on their ads. Whenever a search is launched, Google digs into the pool of advertisers and selects a set of winners to appear in the valuable ad space on its search results page. "Winners" are chosen based on a combination of factors including the quality and relevance of their keywords and ad campaigns, as well as the size of their keyword bids.
More specifically, what appears on the page is based on the advertiser's Ad Rank, a metric calculated by multiplying two key factors – CPC bid (the maximum amount an advertiser is willing to spend). And Quality Score (a value that takes into account) your click-through rate, relevance, and landing page quality). The system allows advertisers to reach potential customers that fit their budget. It is essentially an auction of sorts. The information below explains how this auction system works
Conducting PPC marketing through Google ads is especially valuable because as the most popular search engine, Google receives huge amounts of traffic and therefore delivers the most impressions and clicks to your ads. How often your PPC ads appear depends on which keywords and match types you choose. While many factors determine how successful your PPC advertising campaign will be, you can achieve a lot by focusing on:
PPC Keyword Research
Keyword research for PPC can be incredibly time consuming, but it is also incredibly important. Your entire PPC campaign is built around keywords, and the most successful Google advertising advertisers continually grow and refine their PPC keyword list. If you do keyword research only once, when you create your first campaign, you are probably missing hundreds of thousands of valuable, long-tail, low-cost, and highly relevant keywords that can bring traffic to your site.
An effective PPC keyword list should be:
Digital Marketing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide
Digital marketing. Just another one of those new, fancy buzzwords you should use to sound smart in meetings or is it the real deal?


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Project Dinner Table returns
It will be chow time — and a good time — for the community on Sept. 29 when the popular Project Dinner Table returns under the stars at the University of Nevada Cooperative (UNCE) Orchard. Doubling as a charity event for the nonprofit Green Our Planet, it will feature a quartet of respected Las Vegas chefs who will deliver a four-hour feast for more than 100 guests.
Diners will be treated to a six-course meal from chefs Geno Bernardo (executive chef at The Summit in Summerlin), Steve Piamchuntar (executive chef at Divine Cafe at Springs Preserve), Leticia Mitchell (owner/chef of Leticia's Mexican Cocina) and Doug Taylor (executive pastry chef at Jerry's Nugget).
As described in the announcement of the event, dishes will be "inspired by the season and location, featuring locally sourced ingredients." As is traditional at this grand community meal, diners will be seated at one long, white table-clothed table, serenaded by live music and specialty libations.
"After hearing from so many Project Dinner Table enthusiasts — each of whom told me how much they missed this community-building experience — I am proud to announce we're back," said Gina Gavin, the event's founder, in a statement. "Our purpose has always been to help build a stronger, more sustainable, resilient community through inclusively connecting new friends with old, while enjoying the culinary talents of some of the world's best chefs at unique locations, all benefiting a worthy local cause."
Green Our Planet operates the largest school garden program in the United States. Green Our Planet launched its Outdoor Garden Classroom Program in Las Vegas in 2013. The Outdoor Garden Classroom Program helps public and private schools raise funding for outdoor school gardens where students can learn a variety of subjects including STEAM, health and nutrition. Green Our Planet's "turn-key" Outdoor Garden Classroom Program is now the largest and one of the most comprehensive school garden programs offered in the United States.
A donation for a minimum of $5,000 from the Sept. 29 event will be presented to the organization on behalf of guests, sponsors and vendors. Over 29 previous dining events, more than $110,000 in charitable donations was generated. Project Dinner Table will begin at 6 p.m. at the orchard at 4600 Horse Drive in North Las Vegas. Tickets are $220 per person and can be purchased at projectdinnertable.com.


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Cyberchase: Crystal Clear
Cyberchase: Designing Mr. Perfect
Cyberchase: Digits's B-Day Surprise
Cyberchase: Double Trouble
Cyberchase: EcoHaven Ooze
Cyberchase: Escape From Merlin's Maze
Cyberchase: Father's Day
Cyberchase: Fit to Be Heroes
Cyberchase: Going Solar
Cyberchase: Gone With the Fog
Cyberchase: Hackerized!
Cyberchase: Housewarming Party
Cyberchase: Hugs & Witches
Cyberchase: Inside Hacker
Cyberchase: Jimaya Jam
Cyberchase: Measure for Measure
Cyberchase: On the Line
Cyberchase: Past Perfect Prediction
Cyberchase: Peace, Love, and Hackerness
Cyberchase: Penguin Tears
Cyberchase: Perfect Score
Cyberchase: Piece of the Action
Cyberchase: Plantasaurus!
Cyberchase: Problem Solving in Shangri-La
Cyberchase: Send in the Clones
Cyberchase: Snelfu Snafu (Part 1)
Cyberchase: Spellbound
Cyberchase: Spheres of Fears
Cyberchase: Starlight Night
Cyberchase: Step by Step
Cyberchase: The Bluebird of Zappiness
Cyberchase: The Borg of the Ring
Cyberchase: The Case of the Missing Memory
Cyberchase: The Creech Who Would Be Crowned
Cyberchase: The Deedle Beast
Cyberchase: The Emperor Has Snow Clothes
Cyberchase: The Fairy Borg Father
Cyberchase: The Flying Parallinis
Cyberchase: The Grapes of Plath
Cyberchase: The Guilty Party
Cyberchase: The Hacker's Challenge
Cyberchase: The Halloween Howl
Cyberchase: The Icky Factor
Cyberchase: The Wedding Scammer
Cyberchase: The X Factor
Cyberchase: Trick or Treat
Cyberchase: Unhappily Ever After
Cyberchase: Watts of Halloween Trouble
Cyberchase: Whale of a Tale
Cyberchase: When Penguins Fly
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Daniel Is Jealous And Jealousy At The Treehouse
Defending Yourself: Bullying, Teasing, & Put-Downs
Developing Problem Solving Skills
Dinner For Two
Eco S.O.S.--War (Spanish)
Everyday Conflicts: Conflict Resolution
Flirting Or Hurting? When Is It Okay, When Is It Harassment?
Get Along Monsters: Don't Call Me Names
Get Along Monsters: Everybody Makes Mistakes
Get Along Monsters: It's Okay to Say No
Get Along Monsters: Let's Make Up
Get Along Monsters: No More Teasing
Get Along Monsters: Stop Picking on Me
Getting Along: Positive Communication
Getting Better At Getting Along
Getting Through It: Kids Talk About Divorce
Got A Problem? Ask Questions
Got a Problem? Keep Your Hands to Yourself
Groovy Joe: Ice Cream and Dinosaurs
Guidance Systems: Harassment Hurts
How to Deal With Anger
In Pursuit Of A Dream
Increase The Peace! Conflict Resolution
Internet Bullies: What Is It?
It Can't Happen Here: Recognition And Prevention Of Extreme School Violence
Kindness Counts: Feelings
Kindness Counts: Ignore It!
Learn Numbers, Shapes, and Colors With Chain Reactions
Making School a Positive Place: Dealing With Mean People
Making School a Positive Place: How to Help a Friend
Making School a Positive Place: Too Much Drama
Making School a Positive Place: Too Much Teasing
Me And My Family: Solving Conflicts
My Blog: 5 Ways to Deal With Anxiety
My Blog: 5 Ways to Respectfully Disagree
My Blog: A Little Respect Please!
My Blog: Dealing With Bullies and No One Gets Hurt
My Blog: How to Get Along
My Blog: What To Do About Rumors, Taunts & Bullies
My Blog: Why Are There Bullies?
My Blog: Working Things Out
My Family: Sharing
My Little Planet: Silence Is Golden
Nina's World: Camp Nina / Nina's Kick Off
Nina's World: Nina the Babysitter/Nina's Thanksgiving
Nina's World: Nina's Color Festival/Nina's Amazing Amigos
Playing Fair
Poppy Cat: Golden Guitar/Mystery Gift
Poppy Cat: Starry Night
Potato Pants!
Pushed to the Brink: Bullycide on the Rise
Raising Cane!
Real Life Teens: Broken Homes
Real Life Teens: Self-Destruction
Real Life Teens: Teens And The Media
Real Life Teens: Weapons And Violence On Campus
Rewind Button
Room To Breathe
S.O.S. Interveners: Anger (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Coexistence (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Competition (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Discussions (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Exclusion (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Fights (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Friendship (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Games (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Intolerance (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Lending (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Love (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Secrets (Spanish)
S.O.S. Interveners: Taunts (Spanish)
School Violence: You Can Prevent It
Self-Advocacy Solutions To School Problems
Silence The Violence: Skills For Violence Prevention
Skill-Building Buddies: Handling Transitions and Change
Skill-Building Buddies: Sharing and Taking Turns
Super Why! The Three Little Pigs
Telling Isn't Tattling
The Bully Report
The Emotion Commotion: Angry Sad Feels Bad
The Emotion Commotion: Stress Mess
The Emotion Commotion: When Worry And Fear Appear
The Parakeet Show- Stage Fright (Spanish)
The Teen Files Flipped: Bullies, Loners And Violence
Too Many Pumpkins
Understanding And Resolving Conflicts
What Does It Mean to Be a Good Friend?
When The Heart Speaks (Spanish)
When You Feel Left Out
Funding provided by the Department of Education
Administered by the National Association of the Deaf


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by Sharon Marie
My journey is ever-unfolding. I am a deep feeler, and I cherish meaning. At my core, I seek deep dives to explore the mysteries of the universe, the power of the mind-body connection, and the connections between all living things.
Growing up I was quiet, very internal, reflective. Building relationships with nature really spoke to me.
I played in my sandbox connecting with maple seeds and started maple tree seedlings. I went door-to-door with my red wagon gifting these seedlings for any donation.
My uncle tucked me into bed one evening and treated me to a guided meditation in nature, opening up a whole new world for me.
My father had a pocket-watch that he had repaired three times, but it never kept working. I intuitively placed it in my hands, closed my eyes and visualized it working, sending it healing energy (which I did not have language for at the time). It kept perfect time after that.
Later, at my grandparents' home in the country, I immersed myself in the nature there. I spent my time walking among the trees and fields, feeding horses, boating on the serene fishing lake, in awe of the beauty of the lily pads, and connecting with food plants in their vegetable garden. My love for nature expanded from my time there and had a lasting impact on me. All of these experiences assisted in my path, and I am so grateful for them.
As an empath, I am highly sensitive; I feel emotions and energy around me. I tap into my intuition in my work and all of these messages guide me. I am also invested in leaving the world a better place. For me, this is my life's work — I'm here to awaken others.
Not so long ago, though, my road was a bumpy one, full of anguish and dissatisfaction. I always felt as though I wasn't enough, that I had to push to get things done — late nights, little sleep, always working. I was spinning; stuck in a cycle and not going anywhere — this was my hamster wheel. "If I just do more, then surely that will get me out of my rut," was my belief then. It brought me to my breaking point.
I was last on my list and never made it to the top. It felt as though my soul was withering away and I was disconnected from my dreams and aspirations. One day I finally chose to start feeling again. I was finally able to listen to my heart, and it was asking, "What makes you joyful?"
You know what the key was for me? CREATIVITY.
I believe creativity is the life force that flows through our beings. Everyone is creative, but we forget. Creativity may show up in many ways — through cooking, raising a family, organizing, building a business, how one goes through life, etc. When consciously and intentionally living life, that creative life force awakens and juices our system, energizing all that we create.
According to my husband, when I am in my creative process there is a softness to me and a glow to my skin. Yes! I love that!
How did I navigate this? I listen to this inner voice. Oh, how I listen. This is my inner compass — my true north star. If you have ever seen Pirates of the Caribbean, you may know about Jack Sparrow's compass. His unusual navigational instrument points in the direction of what he most desires. I see this as his north star.
I had to say yes to myself, to give myself the space to find and follow my north star.
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. I'm a Licensed Massage Therapist Certified in Pregnancy & Postnatal Massage, Reiki Master, Certified Color of Woman Teacher and Intentional Creativity Coach. I've been a Massage Therapist since 2005, and have extensive training in Lymphatic Drainage Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Chi Nei Tsang (a five- element detox abdominal massage), and Reflexology.
I draw from my eclectic mix of bodywork and intentional creativity training. I feel exactly what the tissues under my hands need — listening ever so closely to them and the body. I love to incorporate essential oils, flower essences, healing sound with Tibetan singing bowls and tuning forks, healing gemstones, guided visualizations, breath-work, movement, and elemental card pulls for messages, or other healing tools into sessions.
I work with the energies of the seasons (fall, winter, spring, summer), the realms of nature (water, earth, air, fire, spirit), and the five elements (water, earth, fire, metal, wood) to move the energy within clients. I've been studying the forces of creation with my teacher, Lisa Michaels, since 2014 to become a certified Natural RhythmsTM Creation Coach and Facilitator.
Here are my own words in what I call my Artist Statement:
I am guided by the beauty in all things, mesmerized with the interconnectedness the universe holds. Deep in the unconscious, I gather my inspirations, intuitively expressing those symbols for healing. Consecrating them together energetically onto my canvas, it's a journey of self-discovery building my connection to self and the Divine using intentional creativity and mindfulness.
I'm a bodyworker, healer, and artist. Some call me a Transformational Healing Artist. I am an intuitive guide and mentor; I help bring more calm, peace, and stillness to their life so they can hear the universe speak to them too.
I use the Color of Woman Intentional CreativityTM painting method, taught by Shiloh Sophia, with acrylics on canvas, paper, or wood. I am a Certified Color of Woman Teacher and an Intentional Creativity Coach through her Intentional Creativity Foundation. Shiloh studied with Sue Hoya Sellars throughout her life, and Sue mentored with Lenore Thomas Straus before that. Through this lineage, I now can pass on the wisdom.
I teach others this tool for their self-empowering healing and transformation to bring the feminine into being in a step-by-step process individually with women, as well as facilitating group workshops. It soon became my spiritual practice; my devotion to my Beloved, the Divine. Art had always held many facets in my life, but until I had big life questions, it didn't have meaning. I am blessed and want others to experience this too.
I tap into the Natural RhythmsTM of the season and the energy of the earth to help bring more ease and grace into life. I help bring this awareness to others as well. Connecting nature with inquiry is one of my magical ways to receive guidance from the Universe, and I mirror this reflection back to those I work with on this level in their own Medicine Walks.
In all my work, Intentional CreativityTM leads the way for the artist and healer in me to come through, and alchemy happens. This is so magical to me and lights my soul fire! I believe that to consciously conceive something is to bring one's intention, love, and energy to the desired situation. This act in itself opens up the creative flow of the second chakra and water element, tapping into the One's greatness.
It is within this container that I create a safe, sacred space for others to reconnect to their true essence and awaken their most authentic self. To light one's spark. To birth the beauty within.
Next month, we'll dig deeper into who this work is for and what they may be experiencing. Plus, how bodywork and other modalities integrate with this approach.


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Uttarakhand govt. has launched Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana (AAUY) on the 94th birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Under this PMJAY Scheme in Uttarakhand, all the resident families will get an health insurance coverage of Rs. 5 lakh p.a. People can now avail cashless and paperless treatment (secondary & tertiary hospitalization) in any govt. or private empanelled hospitals or Health and Wellness Centers.
The state govt. has decided to implement Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana (AAUY) in a trust based mode instead of involving insurance companies. Training of Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras (PMAM) has also been started in the state.
Latest Update – Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana Online Registration / Application Form
Check Uttarakhand Ayushman Bharat List of Hospitals to find Ayushman Bharat empanelled hospitals.
All the Rural and Urban beneficiaries of Uttarakhand can claim insurance benefits under AB-NHPM. All the recipients of Ayushman Family Cards can avail scheme benefits.
Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana (AAUY) – Complete Details
Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Uttarakhand has been launched to ensure that health insurance benefits are extended to every family in the state. The primary objective of Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana is that no one is left out for health treatment on the basis of their monthly income, age, size of family. PM Jan Arogya Yojana was launched across the country on 25 September 2018. It is observed that many people are forced to sell their land or jewellery to avail good treatment but following the launch of the scheme, this would be a thing of the past.
The state govt. has already signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National health Agency to provide insurance coverage of upto Rs. 5 lakhs. People will be entitled to get treatment at NHPM Package rates. Beneficiaries will get Health Insurance Coverage through listed hospitals. Around 2.6 lakh government employees, officers, retired personnel & their dependents, journalists are expected to get benefits of this scheme.
All the state govt. employees can avail the treatment under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) outside the state as well. Govt. has also fixed an annual contribution from the employees to avail Atal Ayushman Uttarakhand Yojana benefits.
After the approval of cabinet, approx. 1350 diseases and health ailments have been included under the risk cover. Till date, 99 govt. hospitals and 66 private hospitals have been empaneled under this scheme to which govt. will grant incentives.


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Editor's note: This story has been updated from earlier today.
HAYWARD — If the irony of the situation didn't hurt so much, Middletown High School cross country coach Don Cobb said it almost would have been funny, but he's not laughing and neither are the Mustangs.
Just minutes before the Middletown boys were set to compete in the Division V race at the North Coast Section Cross Country Championships late Tuesday morning at Hayward High School, the official word came down: the five remaining races yet to be run were canceled because of poor air quality.
The championships, always held on a Saturday until this year, were pushed back to Tuesday because of the smoky conditions created by the deadly Camp Fire in Butte County. While section officials made it perfectly clear that no racing would be held if the air quality index (AQI) reached 151 (unhealthy for all), that's what happened as the Division IV girls were about to start their race and the Division V boys, including Middletown's team, lined up right behind them near the starting chute.
Five earlier races — Division I boys and girls, Division II boys and girls and Division III boys — did take place because the AQI was less than 151. The order divisions race changes each year and that proved to be an unfortunate break for Middletown runners in Division V boys (the scheduled seventh race of the day set to go off at 11 a.m.) and Division V girls (last to race at 12:15 p.m.).
"Very disappointing," Cobb said. "My boys were lined up right behind them (Division IV girls) to get into the chute."
Middletown learned later Tuesday evening that one of its own — freshman Brooklyn Huffman — had been chosen to advance to the CIF State Championships on Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno. She was the only Middletown runner selected by a panel of cross country experts who had the difficult task of picking the teams and at-large individuals who would advance to Fresno from those divisions that had their Hayward races canceled.
An announcement on the PA system late Tuesday morning informed runners, coaches and fans that the final five races of the day had been called off because the AQI had reached 154 before the start of the Division IV girls race although Cobb said word began trickling down even before the announcement was made.
"There were a lot of broken hearts," Cobb said. "We were so ready to go."
Just as a team that had already competed got the word it had qualified for Saturday's state meet, Middletown's team got the word it wouldn't be competing at all.
"They were nearby and celebrating, we could hear them and we were happy for them," Cobb said. "But while their reaction was joy, our reaction was horror. Our team let out a loud moan. When some of the other teams who hadn't run yet found out, they let out a moan too."
While nearly all of Middletown's runners are underclassmen who will get another shot at the section championships next year, that's not the case for senior Grace Southern.
"She was very distraught and broke down in tears," Cobb said of Southern's reaction to having her sectional race canceled.
The emotional roller-coaster didn't end until later than night when Southern learned from her coach that she wasn't moving on to Fresno, but her teammate was. Her high school career in cross country had just ended.
"It was powerful and brief," Cobb said of his phone call with Southern on Tuesday night. "She said, 'How can I help get Brooklyn ready?' We're hitting the gym with her and Brooklyn tomorrow at 7:30 p.m."


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How will I know when my plants need to be repotted?
When you see root tips protruding from the bottom drainage holes in the planter it will be time to repot your plants.
added by: Kunta wears a sarong
...another way to tell if your plants need to be transplanted into bigger pots is when they require watering more than 5 or 6 times per week - this is a sure sign that they need transplanting.
Seedling taproots can reach out through the holes in the bottom of the container well before the need to transplant.
You can comment this FAQ


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HoganTaylor, one of the largest public accounting firms in Arkansas and Oklahoma, has promoted Ginger Meister and Cale W. Turner to partner. Their appointments bring the total number of partners to 39 firm-wide.
"Cale and Ginger are both dynamic young professionals who have contributed greatly to the health and success of our Little Rock office," Randy Nail, HoganTaylor CEO, said. "In addition, both were instrumental in the success of the Firm's recent merger with JPMS Cox."
Effective January 1, 2018, HoganTaylor and JPMS Cox merged to create one of the region's largest independent accounting firms. Eight partners joined HoganTaylor from JPMS Cox bringing the total number of partners in the Firm's Little Rock office to 11.
Ginger Meister has more than 15 years of experience in public accounting. She has provided tax compliance, planning and consulting services to a variety of clients including closely held businesses, pass though entities and high wealth individuals, with considerable expertise in the real estate and healthcare industries. Meister works closely with her clients with special attention on planning opportunities and strategy to minimize their tax burden.
Cale W. Turner has more than 15 years of public accounting experience providing tax planning and compliance services for a range of clients, including individuals, trusts, partnerships, corporations and nonprofit entities. In addition, he has unique expertise in political campaign finance. Turner has extensive experience working with political campaigns and other political organizations to ensure their compliance with the accounting and financial reporting requirements of the Federal Election Commission and similar state regulatory agencies.


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Excerpt from: Oregon Live (click for full article)
Parking at Oregon State University just got easier for drivers with disabilities and smartphones.
The Corvallis Gazette-Times says people who have permits to park in spaces reserved for those with disabilities can use their smartphones to locate open spots.
Sensors were recently imbedded in the pavement of 75 spaces around 30 buildings at the center of campus.


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Dubai, United Arab Emirates, June 23, 2019: With continuous focus on innovation and developing digital solutions, Hercules has built itself as a brand for audio devices for over 30 years now. Having built-up a level of expertise and know-of within the audio industry, the brand endeavors to constantly offer cutting-edge devices. Today, with its vast range of products to choose from, Hercules brings together large and diverse communities of DJs.
DJ Control Inpulse 300
The largest controller ever designed by Hercules, the DJ Control Inpulse 300 will make one love to practice their listening skills and learn to master the art of beatmatching manually. The control enables one to not only learn the right moves with ease but also provides the confidence by ensuring a real performance. To perfect those mixing skills, Inpulse 300 offers 16 pads, 8 modes, large jog wheels, effects on par with pro controllers and more. One can activate the beatmatching guide to learn how to mix and the Intelligent Music Assistant (IMA) to get the best music suggestions. Additionally, one can also set the perfect mood just by letting the ENERGY function take control of the party ambience. Also provided with it are the DJ Academy Tutorials with comprehensive video tutorials to learn the fundamentals of DJing. Priced at AED 995.
DJControl starlight
The DJ Control Starlight is inclusive of all features needed to mix and scratch with Serato DJ Lite. To facilitate learning and creating new mixes, the Control allows one to pre-listen in the headphones and then play the mix on speakers. The comprehensive system boasts features such as bass equalization/filter knobs for smooth transitions or touch-sensitive jog wheels for easy scratching. The compact and easy to carry system also offers bright and powerful RGB backlights to ease the process of mixing. Priced at AED 445.
A must-have piece of gear for any DJ is headphones. The Hercules HDP DJ M 40.1 headphones with their effective sound isolation, trendy design, performance and pivoting ear-cups encompass all features that make it an indispensable set. The headphones not only adapt to any type of use but their sensitivity and strong audio output level is perfect to monitor tracks. Providing total comfort, the headband easily adjusts to any head size. Priced at AED 195.
The above Hercules products are available at DJ Corner located in Virgin Store, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Yas Mall, and their main store located in Sheikh Zayed road.
About Guillemot Corporation S.A.
Guillemot Corporation is a designer and manufacturer of interactive entertainment hardware and accessories. The Group offers a diversified range of products under the Hercules and Thrustmaster brand names. Active in this market since 1984, the Guillemot Corporation Group is currently present in 11 countries (France, Germany, the UK, the United States, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, China [Hong Kong], Spain, Romania and Italy) and distributes its products in more than 85 countries worldwide. The Group's mission is to offer high-performance, ergonomic products which maximize the enjoyment of digital interactive entertainment for end users. www.guillemot.com


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I am SO excited to let you all know that The Club Mom is partnering with The Cincinnati Children's Theater for their 2015/16 Performances! Next week the Season kicks off with Disney's The Little Mermaid! Other shows in the line up are Charlie Brown's Christmas, Snow White and the Dancing Dwarfs, and Shrek the Musical JR. We will be sharing details on all the performances and we will be giving away tickets to each one of them, so be sure you are following The Club Mom on Facebook so you don't miss any of the giveaways!!
In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid Ariel longs to leave her ocean home – and her fins – behind and be part of the world above. But first she'll have to defy her father King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she's the girl with the enchanting voice that he has been seeking.
Audiences will dive into the new season of The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati with Ariel and her aquatic friends in DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID JR. which has been adapted from Disney's 2008 Broadway production. The show runs October 16-18, 24 & 25 at the Taft Theatre. The show will be directed and choreographed by Roderick Justice. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, Music by Alan Menken. Book by Doug Wright. Based on the Hans Christian Andersen Story and the Disney Film produced by Howard Ashman & John Musker and written & directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. Puppets by The Frisch Marionettes. Flying Effects provided by ZFX, Inc.
Taft Theatre
5th and Sycamore Streets in Downtown Cincinnati.
Friday, October 16 – 7:30PM
Saturday October, 17 – 2:00PM
Sunday, October 18 – 2:00PM
Saturday, October 24 at 2 PM and 5 PM
Sunday, October 25 – 2:00PM
Tickets $7-$25. 1-800-745-3000 OR www.ticketmaster.com.
Feeling Lucky??
We have vouchers to give away that can be redeemed for 4 tickets to see Disney's Little Mermaid JR. at the Taft Theatre on Friday, October 16th at 7:30 pm. The winner will be emailed and have 24 hours to contact me via email or another name will be drawn. I will mail you the vouchers which you will need to take to the Taft Theater box office the day of the show (Box Office opens 90 minutes before) to trade for tickets. Winner will be Drawn Monday, October 12th. Good Luck!
To enter leave a comment below answering this question: What is your FAVORITE Song in the Little Mermaid?
2. Check out The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati on Facebook.
Disclaimer: I was given complementary tickets for the show in exchange for this giveaway and review. All opinions are my own.


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Product Code: R1250B
Price:£790.00 Excl VAT£948.00 Incl VAT(Price includes delivery within NI)Description:A good quality, robust 1250 Litre Oil Tank.Dimensions:Contact us for dimensions.
We are Northern Ireland's Largest Independent Oil Distributor with over 50 years experience of delivering high quality oil products throughout Northern Ireland.
Nicholl (Fuels Oils) Ltd
176 Clooney Road Eglinton BT47 3DY
We accept all major credit and debit cards.