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Photograph by Juliana Malucelli
HARD RAIN: The one-named Rain shows off his gym work in 'Ninja Assassin.'
J'accuse Yakuza
The ripe dialogue outstrips the grotty action scenes in 'Ninja Assassin'
By Richard von Busack
THE SHINY Orientalism of Ninja Assassin's dialogue is more of a treat than the fight scenes, which consist, basically, of a lot of whipping razor chains and puréed ninjas, who go up in what look like explosions in a ragu factory. The beginning made me whicker like a quarter horse: a tattooist (the great Randall Duk Kim) is hand-poking a squirmy yakuza who won't hold still—this despite his large entourage, the alcohol he's guzzling and the artist's sage comment that "the needle is doing what the needle is meant to do." Reminding the punk that the tattoo he's getting illustrates "one of the four sacred professions of the Book of Five Rings," the master has to gently wonder if maybe the ink is too noble for the no-good hide. That's when a messenger delivers a sealed envelope full of black sand. Only the tattooist is wise to its meaning: it is the harbinger of They Who Cannot Be Named, the horror in the shadows. Men? As if! Not men, but masked demons from the depths of hell! Or words to that effect. When the punk yakuza scoffs, the tattooist gravely bares his breast and shows the scar the dreaded Ninja gave him years ago—and explains the reason why he lived anyway. It is an explanation that I've loved ever since Dr. Julius No told it to 007 years ago.
Unfortunately, this is just the pre-title sequence. James McTeigue, of V for Vendetta, tells of an apostate ninja named Raizo (Korean pop star Rain), who turned against the Clan of Black Sand and is hiding in Berlin. Suffering nobly, he tries to protect an Interpol-like investigator (Naomie Harris) from the wrath of his seemingly hundreds of fellow warriors. In flashbacks, we see the savage training: kidnapped children are beaten into the ninja lifestyle under the glare of Lord Ozuni (venerable martial artist Shô Kosugi.)
When McTeigue slows down the camera, the violence has an effect, such as in Raizo's first kill, his filleting of an Everest-size mofo with a giant X-actoblade. The mofo in question, Stephen Marcus, is named "Kingpin," probably in honor of the Daredevil comics, which have hosted their share of Ninja activity over the years. And there's the odd sick-artistic effect, like the calligraphy of blood sprawling on paper screens. More often, we get grotty stuff: an edit between a bisected fool and tomato sauce splotching on a paper dish of Berlin-style curlywurst.
The Wachowski brothers developed this comic-book-like film. Despite the playfulness of scripters Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski, the story gets stuck in origins; the fountains of gore are not so much nauseating as lulling. Where the movie sings is in its explanations of ninja lore and its occasional borrowings from Ian Fleming; seen here is the "Nightingale Floor" from You Only Live Twice. Scriptwriters and ninjas alike have to respect all traditions. Talking up hooey—creating the theatrical speech that gets an audience fluffed for the supernatural—is a lost art. Every chump with a laptop in Los Angeles is afraid of going over the top, when they really ought to dread going under the bottom.
NINJA ASSASSIN (R; 99 min.), directed by James McTeigue, written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski, photographed by Karl Walter Lindenlaub and starring Rain and Naomie Harris, opens Nov. 25. (For movie news and updates by Richard von Busack, follow us at Twitter.com/metronewspaper).
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Lindt Dark Thins 200g
Swiss brand Lindt is a world-renowned master of chocolate production. Recipes from this company is the result of more than a century of traditions, each ingredient has to pass strict control — the world's best sweets are made in this way. Dark Thins are thin fragile pieces of excellent dark chocolate with at least 52% of cocoa content. They are melting in your mouth releasing tender taste with a noble bitterness, This chocolate is pure delight for classic dessert fans.
Sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), vanilla. Cocoa solids: 52% min.
Pick up the goods you have chosen at Uzhhorod border-shop "Duty Free Shop". You need to give your pre-choice's number or your name to collect your purchase.

subset: commoncrawl


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Czech Glass Bell Flower Beads, 8x6mm
Colour/Style: Pebblestone, assortment.
Quantity: 10 beads
Size: 8 x 6 mm
Home - Beading, Beautiful Beads! - Glass, Czech, Chinese... - Czech Glass Beads - Flower Beads Bell & Trumpet 8x6mm - Czech Glass Flower Bell Beads 8/6mm Pebblestone x10pc
Free Packet of Coiled Wire with orders over £25
Please add choice of wire to your basket from our Clearance selection of wire.


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(2010; 44 pages)
The development of this second National Health Policy (NHP II) has been informed by the National Development Plan (NDP) for the period 2010/11-2014/15, the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda and the new global dynamics. The NDP places emphasis on investing in the promotion of people's health and nutrition which constitute a fundamental human right for all people. Constitutionally, the Government of Uganda (GoU) has an obligation to provide basic health services to its people and to promote proper nutrition and healthy lifestyles. The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (as amended) further provides for all people in Uganda to enjoy equal rights and opportunities, have access to health services, clean and safe water and education, among many other things. Investing in the promotion of people's health and nutrition ensures that they remain productive and contribute to national development.
The NHP II was developed through a participatory process involving twelve technical working groups (TWGs) whose membership was drawn from the Ministry of Health (MoH), relevant government ministries, Health Development Partners (HDPs), the private sector, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and local governments. Their task was to review the NHP I adopted in 1999, determine elements of the policy which were still appropriate and needed to be carried forward in the new policy and identify new and emerging issues that required policy guidance. The focus of NHP II shall be on health promotion, disease prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of disease. It will specifically prioritise the effective delivery of the Uganda National Minimum Health Care Package (UNMHCP), more efficient use of available health resources, strengthening public and private partnerships for health and strengthening of health systems. In the period of the NHP II and in line with global agendas, emphasis will be placed on attempts to achieve universal access to a minimum health care package as well as equitable and sustainable financing mechanisms. Uganda's NHP I guided the health sector between 1999 and 2009. Over this period, a number of changes have occurred, for example, the increase in the burden of disease due to HIV/AIDS and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the negative health consequences of changing climate, new and emerging diseases, challenges in implementation of the decentralisation program and the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) in health. In a broader context, former conflict areas are now relatively stable, and there is a new focus on recovery and development in those areas; there has been a significant increase in the number of districts; and the world inclusive of Uganda has been affected by globalisation and the recent global credit crunch. In an attempt to focus attention and resources on main goals, the international community in 2000 adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and three of these are directly related to health while most of the others address determinants of health. While significant progress has been made in aligning development assistance to country programmes, the country could still benefit from an even stronger alignment. All these call for a review of Uganda's NHP to incorporate emerging issues and identify new strategies for action.


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Written, Arranged, Produced & Recorded by Darryl Duncan, this song is dedicated to the memory of
Trayvon Martin
the young lives cut short by violence.
It's available now on iTunes, Amazon mp3 and other music sites. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to CeaseFire.org
Main Navigation
Home (Play Video)
Buy on iTunes
Buy on Amazon mp3
Donate to CeaseFire
Song Credits
My Inspiration
Contact Me
"All children deserve their 18, and beyond..."
Content Copyrighted Material


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Fellow blogger Chenae (check out her blog here!) and I are excited to start a journey along with bloggers from all over Australasia!
The Bloggers Society is a group where bloggers can connect, chat and share content. We aim to have this group highly active and beneficial to all members, here's hoping we can all learn from each other!
If you'd like to come on this journey with us, search 'The Bloggers Society' on Facebook and click join!
Hope to see all you NZ & Aussie bloggers there!
Love, Lydia xo


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The latest version of the system (v0-1053) now includes a mock-up of 'resource allocation'. Each colour now has a numeric limit. By default this is 10 per colour. Once this number of basic blocks of that colour have been used up, blocks are no longer painted using that colour but instead are shown with a thick red border since the resource has 'run out'.
The aim here is for the user to see value in analysing their constructions as they construct them not after they construct them. Ultimately, in the case of the footpath pattern for example, we want the user to be able to say that the number of green needed is 5 times the number of red plus 3. Rather than seeing this as a secondary phase, resource allocation is a mechanism for integrating both analysis and construction (as discussed in previous meetings and in Issue 237.)
At any time, users can use 'color icon variables' in the same way as 'iterations' icon variables. The expression toolbar has been updated to include an extra button 'color' which provides this functionality. A lot more work needs to be done here.
Currently there is nothing to stop the user just allocating (say) 10,000 to each colour and working without worrying about the algebra. We have yet to design and implement mechanisms for what happens if the user has too many resources.
Note that there are some bugs with repainting but it generally works well enough to function as an object to think with. Note also that currently expressions can only consist of a single operator optionally repeated. For example, 3 + 5 + 2 is fine as is 4 * 3 * 2 but 3 * 4 + 2 is not parseable yet. This means that the expression 5n + 3 is not parseable yet either. This will be addressed in the near future.
Filed under: system | Tagged: software | 1 Comment »


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Infertility takes a huge toll on a person. I've talked about my own infertility and what I've had to go through to get here. I've asked Hubs to write a little something about my infertility from the perspective of a husband:
Hello all, you all know me as the husband of Knock on Wood. Not too long ago my wife shared our story about the battle with infertility. I'm going to add my perspective on our troubles, and the toll it took on us and our marriage. First of all it was rough seeing all the negative tests. The depressed look on my wife's face cycle after cycle, and there was nothing I could say or do that would help. It made me feel helpless and useless. Our love life became monotonous because sometimes it was scheduled, and to be honest, there were times I didn't enjoy it at all. It was a very stressful time for us and I tried to just go with the flow. She just needed to feel sad, or be mad sometimes, so I let her. I listened and just tried to be there as much as she wanted me to.
Now that my wife is pregnant (YAY!!!!!!) Our relationship has been better, she's been more upbeat, and positive (even thought she's sick right now as I'm writing this). I have been learning how to feed a baby and change diapers with my new nephew around (I've never been around babies). I want to end on this note: despite this hard chapter we've gone through, I love my wife with all my heart, and I think we're going to be great parents.
And all of this leads to the question: How does infertility affect marriage/relationships?
Well, I'm taking a research class this session and I've decided to conduct my own little study. I know some of you, dear readers, have fought or are currently fighting your own war on infertility, so I am asking you to help me out. I've created a survey that is completely anonymous that will hopefully give me a better sense of a possible answer to this question. If you would complete the survey for me, I would greatly appreciate it. If you haven't experienced infertility, but know someone who has, feel free to pass it along those you know who would be interested in participating.
Have you ever participated in an study like this before?


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- Home
- Departments
- Community Redevelopment Agency
- Events & Promotions
Events & Promotions
Sounds at Sundown
The annual Sounds at Sundown concert series brings live music, local vendors and delicious food trucks to Margate. The free events take place on the first Saturday of each month from January to June from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the corner of Margate Boulevard and State Road 7.
Margate Under the Moon
Local businesses, a unique art and crafts bazaar, free beer, DIY activities, food trucks and fantastic indie rock and roll will fill the atmosphere, beginning in August 2017 for the third Annual Margate Under the Moon event series. Admission and parking are free, and the first 100 people to register at the CRA tent will receive a ticket for a free beer. The event takes place the second Saturday of each month August-November from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the NW corner of Margate Boulevard and U.S 441.
Meet the Business Tuesdays
Join neighbors and fellow residents for an opportunity to get to know local businesses in your neighborhood. Come sip, snack and mingle during these special open house events and celebrate the businesses that make Margate great! The MCRA is once again sponsoring the "Meet the Business Tuesdays" event series - held the fourth Tuesday of the months April - September from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at various businesses in the CRA district. The public is invited to attend and learn about local businesses in Margate while enjoying lite bites, music, fun activities and business giveaways.
Executive Business Seminar
Held in October, this is an affordable educational event geared towards small business needs and interests.
Local Business Promotional Opportunities
The MCRA offers Margate business owners many low or no cost opportunities to promote your business. If you are interested in participating in any of the programs or events listed below, call the MCRA Marketing Coordinator at 954-969-3642.
Digital & Print Marketing Opportunities
- Promotion in weekly consumer newsletter (B2C): We love promoting specials, discounts, news or events for Margate businesses! FREE to CRA district businesses - just send us your promotion!
- Promotion in monthly business newsletter (B2B): Have a business that focuses more on B2B? No problem! We are happy to promote your service, special, or event to other businesses. Free to CRA district businesses!
- Social media promotion / shout out: Get in front of the more than 4,000 followers the MCRA has on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. FREE to CRA district businesses!
- New Digital Co-Op Advertising - Soon to be Announced!


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Opening in a medium size resort town where the number of accountants was seven times the national average per capita wasn't quite bright. Next time I'll look before I open a practice. But that's another story, and how I wound up developing all the nifty marketing tools you can find at Practice Builder Publishing.
After playing the prestigious networking game, and before I started writing articles, textbooks, courses, and all the passive and viral marketing techniques I wound up using later, I tried cold calling, and canvassing.
I had to know why we weren't growing at the same rate we had in other cities. Why weren't the client engagements just rolling in? What could we do? The answer was cold calling.
Not Just Sales!
Cold calling was invaluable to us because it got us a foot in the door of a range of different companies, and allowed us to conduct powerful market research. We literally picked up the phone and called every small business within 15 miles.
Using a survey technique with our cold calling we learned that a lot of small businesses wanted to focus on their core competency, not spend their time wrangling with different reporting and compliance functions.We learned that a lot of small businesses wanted to focus on their core competency Click To Tweet
This knowledge was the answer to our marketing problems. We decided to hone our cold calling efforts to companies that most other accountants had labeled "problem accounts." Once we took the time to understand our target market, we could make more efficient use of our time, and gradually make the sales that built our business into a success.
Through cold calling we were able to conduct face-to-face market research at no charge (other than our time, and the cost of driving across town). With our newfound knowledge, we continued to use cold calls to our advantage, contacting our target market of "troubled businesses" as we invited them to our free tax reduction seminars.Through cold calling we were able to conduct face-to-face market research at no charge Click To Tweet
We collected registration information at every seminar and followed up with thank-you calls and visits, laced with offers of free surveys and mini-audits, to fill our marketing funnel and begin the growth we would experience over the next few years, in what was undoubtedly one of the hardest markets I have ever seen.
Cold calling has negative connotations among the small business community, especially as why-are-they-calling-me-at-dinner-time-to-sell-me-long-distance-services-that-save-me-$1-a-month telemarketing puts a bad taste in people's mouths. But cold calls are actually a very positive way for companies to generate new business.
Join us here at Practice Builder Publishing and become a part of the community, whether you become a contributing author, a peer recruiter, or merely a raving devotee of the Practice Builder Publishing resources, I'll work with you personally so you can reach the goals you set.
Best to you and yours,
P.S. Think I'm full of B.S.? Maybe you ought to let me know what you think. Plop your comments in the section down below the related articles and let me know what you think.!
P.P.S. Got questions about products and services I talk about, the terms of service, privacy nd all that stuff related to Practice Builder Publishing? Click Here to read the fine print.
Share your experiences, and pick our brains.
Get GREAT Results - Fast!
I would love to see you become a part of the Practice Builder Publishing, and work with you personally to reach maximum profit potential this year! Nothing I teach or help you with damage your credibility. It will simply get you more clients and help you make more money.
If you stop searching for the next magic trick, the perfect software, the "shiny object" that's going to do all the work for you (note: it doesn't exist)- and just focus on building & serving your market - you'll actually start seeing GREAT results. FAST.
On the Practice Builder Publishing site, I teach everything I have learned over the years, and how you can use it effectively and efficiently. One of the coursesI teach is the "Absolute Beginners Guide To Starting And Building Your Own Accounting Practice When You Are Flat Broke" training course, and it's only $27.
To get started building your practice, and building it FAST, all you have to do is click this link below. Click the button below and order now!


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The Wren Academy
Wren Academy is a Church of England secondary school, with academy status in North Finchley. The school takes boys and girls from 11 to 18 years of age, currently with around 1150 pupils. It opened a primary department in September 2015.
The Academy, specialising in Design and the Built Environment, is sponsored by the London Diocesan Board for Schools and Berkhamsted School and is located in a brand new suite of buildings with state-of-the-art facilities.
Over recent years we have begun to develop some links with the school. These have focused on prayer and helping the Chaplain, David Booker.
Since September 2015 our Youth and Schools' worker has been spending 1 day a week supporting the chaplain by:
- Mentoring some students
- Taking a leading role in the running of The Monday Thing (the Christian Union)
- Being a resource for RE
- Leading collective worship for tutor groups
- Assisting on school trips, including the Year 7 residentials in September
- Contributing to Focus Days
- Being available in the chapel at lunch-time
Further information about the school is available at www.wrenacademy.org.


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In House Party Information:
We have recently remodeled and now offer two private party rooms. Our front room will hold around 35 people, perfect for smaller groups and secluded for your privacy. The front room is exclusive and only holds one party at a time. Our back dining room will hold 200 people. Its very spacious and ideal for large parties. In the event we have two or more parties scheduled in the backroom at once, we will pull a divider out to try to make it a little more private for your group. Any group over 8 using these rooms without a reservation will also get a 15% tip added to their bill. Reservations are first come first serve.
The Backroom
The Front Room
Our backroom can hold up to 200 guest. This is the room we use for all of our larger parties. It includes a large Dance Floor in the front center of the room. Decoration is allowed, as well as any table movement. DJ's, live bands and dancing are allowed, however there are limitations to the sound during business hours. There is no time limit on our back room, but there is an additional charge for any after business hours parties. Rates for this room vary upon specifics of the renters. Any Parties who come within business hours and are eating with the group are only charged the price of their meal and a 15% tip to the servers taking care of you. This rate may change if a private buffet in the back is requested. There is an additional charge for any parties who book with us and do not eat with us. Please call with any special request or questions to get up to date pricing on this room.
Our newest addition to FatBoys' is our private front dining room. Offering both table and booth seating, it will hold up to 35 people. There is one flat screen television in this room. It offers a door that can be shut to be more private. This room is smaller than our backroom but it offers close access to the buffet and is more private. Rates for this room vary to specifics of the renters. Normal rates for this room are the price of your meal with a 15% tip added to the servers taking care of you. If the majority of your group is not eating there will be an additional charge for this room. Reservations are on a first come first serve basis.


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An Israeli journalist is to stand trial for possession of secret military documents leaked to him by a former soldier who is now in prison.
Israel's attorney general, Yehuda Weinstein, announced on Wednesday that Uri Blau, an investigative reporter for Haaretz, is to be charged with unauthorised possession of classified information. A statement from the state prosecutor's office said: "The potential for damage in the unprotected possession of the documents was enormous."
Blau is not accused of endangering the state, although the charges he faces are listed under "aggravated espionage" in the Israeli penal code.
Blau was passed thousands of secret documents by a former soldier, Anat Kam, who copied the papers during her compulsory military service. She was convicted in February of collecting and passing on classified information, and jailed for four and a half years.
Kam copied 2,000 documents, including 700 marked top secret, during her national service as a clerk in the office of a top Israeli general. Among them were papers showing that Israeli military and security officials had authorised the killing of Palestinian militants in operations in which they could have been arrested. Blau's story based on some of the documents was published in November 2008.
Kam was arrested more than a year after publication. The Haaretz journalist remained in London, where he was at the time of the arrest, fearing he would face prosecution if he returned to Israel. He flew back in October 2010 after his lawyers struck a deal with the Shin Bet security service to return the documents.
Two months ago, the state withdrew the agreement, saying Blau had failed to hand over all the documents.
Haaretz said the attorney general's decision was "unfortunate and sets a precedent in terms of its ramifications on the freedom of press in Israel, and especially on the ability to cover the security apparatus".
The Association of Israel Journalists said the move "endangers freedom of the press, which is the soul of democracy".


text: The Bombay Lawyers Association (BLA) today claimed a petition filed in the Supreme Court, seeking a probe into the death of special CBI judge BH Loya, was "motivated". The petition, filed by journalist B R Lone, was submitted to ensure a petition by the association on the same issue is not heard by the Bombay High Court, the BLA claimed. The association had earlier this week petitioned the HC, seeking a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Loya in 2014. Loya, at the time, was hearing the case related to the alleged fake encounter killing of gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife Kausar Bi and associate Tulsi Prajapati in 2005. BLA president Ahmed Abdi today held a press conference following allegations made by four senior judges of the Supreme Court claiming impropriety on part of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in assigning important cases. Among the cases mentioned by the four SC judges included the one linked with Loya's death. "Our petition was filed on January 4. This petition in the Supreme Court has been filed subsequently. This was motivated and meant to ensure the High Court does not hear our petition on the ground that the apex court is seized of the matter," Abdi said. He also alleged that even though their petition was filed on January 4, it was numbered by the HC Registrar only in the afternoon of January 12 after the unprecedented press conference of the four SC judges in New Delhi. "If the lawyers association faces such treatment then what about the general public? The High Court takes suo motu (on its own) cognisance of issues like potholes on roads but not in the case of a judge's death. My demand is for an open inquiry (into Loya's death)," Abdi said. HC Registrar General SD Agarwal, however, refuted the allegations and said at present there is only one registrar doing the job of accepting petitions, PILs and other suits, and numbering them. "There are supposed to be two registrars. But right now there is only one as the second registrar has been transferred. Hence, there is a delay in petitions being assigned numbers," Agarwal said. Abdi had earlier this week mentioned his petition before a Division Bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Bharti Dangre, which posted it for hearing on January 23. Abdi today said he would now be filing an intervening application in the SC, seeking that the case and all petitions pertaining to it be heard by the Bombay HC as it is in-charge of Maharashtra's subordinate judiciary of which Loya was a part. Loya had allegedly died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter. Lone, in his petition filed in the SC, had submitted that a fair probe was needed into the death of Loya.


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The Network Manager provides traffic and delay forecasts and analysis to support the global performance of the European aviation network, in line with the European Commission's 'Implementing Rule'. The Network Manager:
- continuously assesses the performance of the network functions and has established pan-network processes of monitoring, analysing and reporting on all network operational performance aspects
- recommends measures and/or take the actions needed to ensure the network performance
- compares these performance against the objectives established in the NSP, NOP & Performance Plans identifying gaps and proposing remedial actions
This way NM provides a consolidated and coordinated approach to all planning & operational activities of the network.
Three activities feed into this, as well as into the decision-making of the 'NM Performance Plan' and 'Network Strategy Plan':
|Statistics and Forecast Service (STATFOR)
|The STATFOR forecasts are used as direct inputs into the NSP, NOP and the Network and local Performance Plans as required by the NMF IR. These forecasts are also a prerequisite for the establishment of the unit rates used to calculate the route and terminal charges. Traffic forecasts are also used by an extensive number of planning departments of airlines, ANSPs, airports, government authorities, etc. for general planning.
|The Operational Analysis and Reporting (OAR)
|The Network Manager annual report describes the implementation of the Network Strategy Plan and the Network Operations Plan, and the performance of all aspects of the network compared to the performance targets and performance plans. A comprehensive set of more detailed reports covering all operations, performance and compliance aspects of the network are also published.
|The Central Office for Delay Analysis (CODA)
|In addition to monitoring and reporting on the performance of the ATM network in terms of delays from flow management regulations the Network Manager provides a monitoring and analysis function for all delay reasons (ATFM, airline, airport, etc.). This enables correlation between airline and network reported delays, and is used in schedule and turnaround planning, enabling better punctuality.
In addition, to our on-going monitoring and reporting activities, we help deliver the PRB targets using a network approach through the forecasting of traffic flows and a pan-network data management capability.
To achieve this, EUROCONTROL monitors the objectives set by the Performance Review Body (PRB) as closely as possible. The role of the Network Manager is to work in a true partnership with the different aviation actors and service providers and to take the actions needed to ensure network performance within an EU regulatory framework. Learn more about the European ATM Network Performance Targets.


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post4097698991806653624..comments2019-05-23T20:00:25.832-05:00Comments on Valeroni: What's up Holidailies?Melliehttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post-92223574253917715852011-12-17T13:47:52.575-06:002011-12-17T13:47:52.575-06:00I didn't realize that wwe voted on Holidailies...I didn't realize that wwe voted on Holidailies...after all these years! It was up and running for a few days before I discovered it too...I wonder how the people who signed up found out about it--I had checked the site the week before December. I'm glad to have it back in its original format, but sad that so few are part of it this year.

That said, however, I am going to be Bev Sykeshttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post-86995161482450592442010-12-20T15:08:27.010-06:002010-12-20T15:08:27.010-06:00I concur. There's nothing here I'd e-mail ...I concur. There's nothing here I'd e-mail Jette or Chip about; it's not that we're having trouble with Holidailies or that there's a problem to be fixed. I understand that doing it this way makes things much easier for the organizers, and I'm certainly not stepping up to volunteer to run an old-style portal myself.

That said, Holidailies-on-Reddit is</Shmuelhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post-31619681046972721612010-12-20T15:02:51.476-06:002010-12-20T15:02:51.476-06:00I totally agree with you! I really did prefer the ...I totally agree with you! I really did prefer the other format better, but I'd rather have Holidailies than not.Lisa-Marie Jordanhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post-82709139291434675662010-12-20T11:24:58.140-06:002010-12-20T11:24:58.140-06:00Glad to know it isn't just me. Thought maybe i...Glad to know it isn't just me. Thought maybe it was just me who didn't get it!

Jette, it's nothing really I'm having trouble with. I'm sure there are lots of bloggers who like Reddit. It just isn't a good fit for me. I know it's much easier for you guys rather than setting up your own portal.Melaniehttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post-21900691924444186162010-12-20T10:38:47.035-06:002010-12-20T10:38:47.035-06:00Thank you for your input. I wish you all would ema...Thank you for your input. I wish you all would email me personally if you are having trouble with Holidailies and/or Reddit this year, so we could possibly find a way to work it out, rather than posting entries and comments where I may or may not see them. I would appreciate that much more.Jettehttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post-90614673623444455222010-12-20T09:13:13.836-06:002010-12-20T09:13:13.836-06:00Reddit doesn't fill me with warm fuzzies, eith...Reddit doesn't fill me with warm fuzzies, either, and I've been less motivated to do Holidailies posts this year because of it.KarenDhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-10416789.post-76823500966604335342010-12-19T21:13:29.582-06:002010-12-19T21:13:29.582-06:00I agree. I very nearly didn't do it this year ...I agree. I very nearly didn't do it this year because of disliking Reddit. I don't like the votes, I don't like the moving posts around, and I miss being able to read quotes from the posts.

I'm sure it makes it a billion times easier on J&C to not have to set up their own portal and all every year, but... yeah, I don't like it much.Jenniferhttps://email@example.com


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From Magic City Morning Star
M Stevens-David
Vengeance is Mine
(Part 1)
The long black automobile slowed to a crawl and the tires made a crunching sound as it wound its way along the gravel driveway. The limousine slid to a halt in front of the large brick building and the driver jumped out to open the rear door for the sole occupant.
He reached out his glove-covered hand to the woman inside who had slid forward on the leather seat. "Let me help you dear," he said as he reached out to assist her. "Get away from me," she snapped and she slapped his hand away. "I don't need your help and don't call me dear!" A wave of expensive, cloying perfume engulfed him and overwhelmed, he turned his head aside to catch a breath of fresh air.
She stepped out of the car, slipped her full-length mink coat off her shoulders and tossed it back inside onto the leather seat. She picked up her pocketbook and slid it under her arm as she jerked her blue custom-made suit into place. She eyed the driver for a second and with a curt, "Wait here!" she brushed past him and started up the steps of the old Victorian building. As she approached the frosted glass doors, the doors suddenly opened and the driver saw a flash of black before the doors were firmly closed behind her.
Embarrassed and angry by her treatment, he said to himself, "Friggin nasty bitch! I don't give a shit how much money she has or who she is. I won't ever drive for her again!" He shivered as a raw gust of wind blew around the corner of the large mansion and across his face and he hurriedly slid back into the warm interior of the Buick. He flipped the heater switch to high and turned up the radio. Suddenly, the air was filled with wild, sweet jazz and he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel to the beat. He leaned his head back against the soft leather head rest and closed his eyes.
Once inside the building, the woman followed the swiftly moving black clad figure down a long, dark paneled hallway. The mahogany floor gleamed in the dim light of the only chandelier which hung by a long chain from the center of the high ceiling and when they reached the end of the hall, the Nun stopped in front of two large pocket doors and rapped lightly. Not waiting for a response, she slid the doors open and stepped aside for the visitor to enter. The woman stepped through the open doorway into the room and the massive doors closed silently behind her.
The well-dressed woman walked over to the large, oak desk which occupied the center of the room and stopped. One by one, she tugged her black, leather gloves off her fingers and threw them down on top of her pocket book on the immaculate desk then she turned and looked about the austere room. She smiled slightly to herself as she slid her index finger along the length of the desk as she walked past.
She walked over to the large window and drew aside the old red, velvet drapes which had hung there for as long as she could remember. She looked out onto the barren courtyard and closed her eyes as the dappled winter sunlight flashed across her face. Leaning her head against the glass, the coolness felt good against her skin. Suddenly, she became aware that she was no longer alone. She turned and saw that another, older Nun had entered the room. She stayed where she was as the Nun slowly made her way across the worn carpet to where she stood.
She turned and her eyes met eyes that were the identical color of her own, dark blue. "Hello Mother," she said as the older woman got closer. "Or perhaps I should say, sister." The Nun stopped and looked at her intently. The old woman's eyes widened with recognition at the sound of the harsh voice. Her eyes slid down the woman's figure and as she saw her distended belly, the Nun inhaled sharply. "Oh, good God in heaven!" she exclaimed as she clasped her worn hands to the large gold cross that lay against her bosom. "Not again!"
The woman stepped past the Nun and sat on the corner of the desk. She adjusted her clothes and then looked at the old woman. "Mother," I don't like coming here either. But, you know how it is." "No, I don't know at all how it is!" the older woman snapped. "No, I guess you don't," the woman said. "Well, I promise you, this is the last time!" "It's not like I've never heard that one before, is it?" The old Nun replied in a flat voice.
The Nun turned away and walked past her sister over to the fireplace. "What is it that you'd be wanting this time Jeanine?" "Well, look at me for Christ's sake!" the younger woman retorted angrily. "Why else would I be here, to get religion? I want you to take care of this." And she gestured towards her distended belly.
The Nun walked over to where her sister was sitting on the desk and looked directly at her. "Who do you think you are?" She demanded. "Do you even know where you are for God's sake? Have a good look around. This is the Sacred Heart of Mary Convent and I am the Mother Superior! How dare you come here when you've gotten yourself in trouble again and demand that I take care of it."
Jeanine, picked up her pocketbook, extracted her cigarettes and lighter and then she slid off the desk and stepped past the Mother Superior. She walked over and sat down in an old wooden chair that was in front of the fire place. She withdrew a crumpled cigarette from its package and lit it. She inhaled deeply and blew the smoke across the room in the Mother Superior's direction. "Mother, I know who you are and I know exactly where I am. I could ask the same questions of you, now couldn't I?"
With that, Jeanine reached into her pocketbook and took out her checkbook. She opened it and began reading. "January, 1940, Sacred Heart of Mary, five thousand dollars, March, five thousand dollars, May, five thousand dollars," She stopped reading and looked at the Nun. "Do I have to go on?" The Mother Superior flushed, lowered her eyes and didn't reply. "I didn't think so!" Jeanine spat at her.
"Jeanine," the Mother Superior finally said, "All my life, I've lived by a certain religious code. You cannot ask me to help you again. I simply cannot do it!" Jeanine dropped her cigarette to the floor and ground the still lit butt into the faded carpet. "You can and you will!" She retorted. "I don't give a damn about your religion and I certainly don't give a damn about this thing either!" She placed her hand over her large belly. "All I know is that you helped me before and you're going to do it again! Like it or lump it!" And she looked at her sister expectantly. "I don't really think that you have any choice in the matter."
Hearing this, the Nun's face turned the color of old parchment and she stumbled as she groped blindly for the chair behind her and tried to sit down. "Jeanine, I helped you the first time because you were only a child and you said you had been raped. I don't know why I helped you the second time, I guess it was because we are sisters and somehow I still felt responsible for you. But, you can't expect me to help you again. I won't do it!" The Nun wiped a trembling hand across her sweating face. "It goes against everything I believe in? Do you realize that because of you and what I've had to do, I'll never get into Heaven! It doesn't matter if I live to be a hundred, I'll never go anywhere but Hell for what you've made me do!" The old Nun dropped her head into her hands and rocked back and forth in her chair.
"Don't you dare preach to me?" Jeanine screamed at her older sister. "If it wasn't for me and my money, you couldn't keep this place going another minute and you know it!" The old Nun covered her face with her blue veined hands and began to weep. Jeanine stared at her sister for a long moment and then she turned her back. She walked over to the old fireplace and stood there.
As the old woman wept, Jeanine continued to watch her from the corner of her eye. Then, she walked back to the desk and placed her jeweled hand on the top of her sister's black-covered head. "Look," she said softly. "I don't like coming here either, but I don't have any other choice." The old Nun lifted her head and looked at her. "For God's sake, Jeanine, haven't you ever heard of abstinence or birth control?" "Yes, I have as a matter of fact," sneered Jeanine at her sister. "But, this was one of those times that I didn't expect to get caught." "And what were the other two times, accidents?" The old Nun asked.
Jeanine's face reddened with the insult and she stepped closer to the desk. "Look, I don't have the time nor the patience to discuss this matter any further with you. I'm here and I want this taken care of today! I have a very important dinner tomorrow night and I have to be back in Washington before seven!" She slammed her hand down on the desk in front of her sister. The Nun flinched and fell back in her old leather chair. "Jeanine, surely you don't mean that you want it done today!" Her sister nodded her head and said. "You bet your ass I want it done today! My driver is waiting outside for me. Now, lets get this friggin thing over with!"
"Please Jeanine, won't you reconsider?" The Nun begged. "What will your husband say when he finds out?" "Who gives a shit what he thinks!" she retorted. "It's not his baby and he doesn't even know that I'm pregnant. He's so busy being important to everyone else in Washington and around the world that he doesn't even see what's going on with me." "What about the father?" The Nun asked. "Him!" She gave a short, harsh laugh. "He was just a good lay! Now, let's cut this bullshit and get this taken care of." Jeanine started towards the double doors and then she turned and looked at her sister. "I assume that you still have all the necessary equipment to take care of this?" The old Nun nodded her head and slowly and heavily drew herself to her feet.
Jeanine slid open the office doors and started down the dim hallway towards the back of the mansion. She didn't turn her head but, she smiled to herself as she heard the shuffling, compliant gait of her sister's feet following her hesitantly down the long, dark hall. "I send her over fifty thousand dollars a year to keep this hell hole running and she has the nerve to preach to me!" She thought angrily. She continued down the hall way until she reached a familiar door. Then, opening the door, she stepped inside. The old Nun followed her into the room and closed the door.
The small, windowless space was outfitted like a hospital room. It was only used when one of the sisters took sick and they had to have the doctor come in. It had an adjustable bed and an examination table and against the wall near the bed stood a small bureau with a lamp on it. Jeanine turned and looked at her sister. "Are you going to do it yourself or do you need some help?" The Nun looked at her, "I'll need some help, I'm not as young as I used to be and my eyes aren't so good any more." Jeanine looked at her sister and with a start, realized that what she'd said was true. She had aged a lot in the two years since they had last seen each other. "Well, lets get this done," and with that, she began undoing her clothes.
The Nun turned around and pulled a long cord that ran along the wall next to the bed. A few minutes later, the same Nun who had admitted Jeanine to the convent, opened the door and stepped inside. "You wanted to see me Mother?" She asked.
"Yes Sister Anne," the Mother Superior replied. "I'm going to need your help in taking care of this poor unfortunate women." The Mother Superior turned and looked at Jeanine who was now nearly undressed. When she saw the size of her sister's belly, she couldn't contain herself. "My God! Jeanine, how far along are you?" Jeanine looked down at her belly and said. "I'm not very far along," she lied. "Around six or six and a half months, I guess." Seeing the lie for what it was, the Mother Superior looked at her for a long moment and then she turned to the younger Nun and said. "Sister Anne, we are going to perform an abortion on this woman. I know that you helped me with her once before, and I'm hoping that you will help me once again. I know that you find this as reprehensible as I and I can only ask that God will forgive us for what we are about to do. I will understand if you choose not to do this." The younger Nun reached out her hand and touched the Mother Superior on the arm. "I don't like it any more than you do but out of respect for you Mother, I'll help."
Hearing this, the Mother Superior turned once again to her sister and said, "Jeanine, once this is over, I don't want to see you ever again. Don't think you can blackmail me with the threat that you will stop sending me money. I don't want your money. We will manage just fine without it." Hearing her sister's words, a coarse laugh erupted from Jeanine's throat and she said. "That's just fine with me but let's see how long it takes for you to come crawling."
Jeanine lay back on the clean white sheet and then she slid her body down on the table and lifted her feet into the stirrups. She placed her hands on her stomach just above her round, white belly. "Well ladies, lets get this friggin show on tha road." Sister Anne moved over to the Mother Superior and took her old hand in hers. "I'll take care of everything Mother. I know exactly what to do." The older Nun hugged the younger woman for a second and then let her go.
The two Nuns moved around the small room taking out the necessary equipment and placing it on the metal stand next to the bed. Sister Anne came closer to Jeanine and placed a stethoscope against her abdomen and listened then she moved the instrument up to listen to Jeanine's heart and lungs. Next she took her blood pressure and pulse.
Then she went to a small cupboard that was located in a corner of the room and withdrew several items. She removed a hypodermic syringe and a small glass vial from one of the shelves. She withdrew the syringe from its paper sheath and inserted the needle into the small bottle of clear liquid. Jeanine's eyes widened as she watched the cool, professionalism of the Nun. "What tha hell are you going to do with that needle?" She asked. The Nun looked at her with an expression of contempt on her face. "You're further along than you said and this is going to be very painful so I'm going to give you something to take the edge off the pain," she announced coldly to Jeanine. "Unless, you want to do this cold-turkey."
Jeanine looked at her as though she was going to challenge her for a second and then she acquiesced and closed her eyes. Sister Anne stepped over to the bed and pushed Jeanine onto her side. She quickly moistened a cotton pad with alcohol and then she swiped Jeanine's hip with the pad and swiftly inserted the needle. Jeanine gasped as she felt the sting of the medicine and then she lay back on the table.
The Nun took a bottle of white pills out of the cupboard and read the prescription then she walked over to Jeanine and handed them to her. "These are penicillin tablets, two hundred and fifty milligrams each. I think you should start taking them as soon as possible to prevent infection." The Nun twisted off the cap and dumped two tablets into Jeanine's hand. She went to the small sink and got a glass of water and handed the pills and the water to Jeanine. Then she held her up while she took a drink and swallowed the pills. "Remember," she said to Jeanine. "Two tablets every four hours and I suggest you see your own physician as soon as possible when you get back to Washington." Jeanine just looked at her, closed her eyes and she didn't reply.
The young Nun slid Jeanine down closer to the end of the table and adjusted her feet in the stirrups. A burst of profanity flew from Jeanine's lips as the Nun inserted the icy cold speculum into her vagina. "It's not so much fun now, is it?" the sister asked her. Jeanine glared at the top of the Nun's head and said, "Just get this frigging thing over with! I don't want to hear any more preaching from either one of you!"
Sister Anne placed a clean sheet over Jeanine's bent knees more for the sake of not seeing this very amoral woman's face than for the sake of modesty. She pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and inserted the fingers of her right hand into Jeanine's vagina. Then she placed her other hand on Jeanine's abdomen and pushed down ever so slightly. As she felt the size of the fetus, she felt sick to her stomach. "She's not six and a half months gone," she thought to herself, "She's more likely closer to eight months along, if she's a day."
The Nun looked up and her eyes met Mother Superiors. They exchanged a long look and then the old woman turned away. The younger Nun reached across Jeanine and picked up a long needle with a curved hook on one end. "This is going to hurt but, there isn't anything I can do about it. If you want to change your mind, now is the time."
She watched for some sign of humanity from the woman and seeing none, she began feeding the long, hook-nosed needle into Jeanine's birth canal. She slowly pushed the needle upwards until she felt it reach the mouth of the uterus and Jeanine's belly contracted as Sister Anne turned the needle and applied pressure. Feeling the resistance, the Nun turned the needle slightly and the needle slid up inside the small opening in the uterus. Jeanine screamed as she felt a sharp slash of pain roll across her belly. Sister Anne, still feeling the resistance of the uterus, applied more pressure and the needle finally slipped through the small opening. The Nun twisted the hook-nosed needle slightly and waited for a moment.
Jeanine's scarlet smeared mouth opened in protest and a loud burst of profanity flew past the Nun's head. She drew her legs up against her belly in reaction to the pain. The Nun pulled her feet back into the stirrups and said in a strong tone. "This is nothing new to you and you know what to expect. So, just lie still and don't make it any harder for me than it already is." Jeanine glared at her and mouthed the words, "Fuck you," The Nun, seeing her profaneness, applied a little more pressure to the needle and then she swiftly twisted the hook and pulled it out of the uterus. There was a sudden rush of water out onto the floor as the birthing membranes broke.
Jeanine writhed on the table as one strong contraction after another ripped across her belly and she moaned and gasped and tried to get off the table. The Nun held her feet in place and waited. It wasn't too long before it was over and the already formed fetus delivered itself. The Nun tenderly placed the sack enclosed child in a plastic, lined pail and slid it around under the foot of the exam table.
She glanced casually at Jeanine and saw that she had passed out from the pain of the delivery. "Good, I don't have to put up with her filthy mouth right now." she said softly. She applied a strong massaging pressure to Jeanine's abdomen and the afterbirth was soon expelled. She continued cleaning up Jeanine and then, hearing a soft cry, she bent down and looked at the baby lying curled up in the bottom of the pail.
The child, a girl, was fully formed and she was beautiful. The baby was slightly blue but, it was apparent that she was developed enough to breathe on her own. She wasn't crying fully, just a slight whimper every now and then as though to protest the fact that she'd been ripped from her nice warm cocoon too early.
The Nun looked up at her Mother Superior and their eyes met. "Oh, my God in heaven!" exclaimed the Mother Superior. "It's alive! Now what are we going to do?" "Well, I guess that God doesn't want it to die and I'm certainly not going to kill it!" responded the Nun. She bent down and tenderly gathered the baby from the pail.
Sister Anne placed the child on the end of the table near Jeanine's feet and quickly wiped the newborn with a rough towel. The child, feeling the first touch of tender hands, stretched its arms and legs and made a soft sound like the mewing of a kitten. Seeing this reaction, the Nun smiled at the baby and she wrapped the newborn more securely in a clean, coarse sheet. With the infant cuddled to her breast, she turned and looked at the old Nun. "She doesn't want her and I'm sure that she thinks this child is dead. I don't see that she deserves to know any of this either!" She turned and left the room.
The old Nun sank slowly to her knees and bent her head. She lifted her rosary from her bosom and began soundlessly saying her prayers. As Jeanine slowly came to, she was startled to see her older sister kneeling on the floor beside her. "What, are you praying for me?" She asked her sister in a groggy voice. "I hate to disappoint you but I ain't dead yet." "It's too late to pray for you," The Nun answered. "But, there are others in this world who are still worthy." "Did you get rid of the brat like before?" The old woman grabbed the edge of the exam table and pulled herself to her feet and she didn't answer. She gazed down at her sister for a long moment and then she turned and walked slowly across the room to the door. She slid the door open and then she turned to her sister and said, "Jeanine, we did what you wanted, it's all over! There's a box of sanitary napkins for you to take on the table. Now, get your clothes on and get out of here as soon as possible and don't ever come back!" With that, she turned, stepped out into the hallway and slid the door shut.
Upon hearing her sister's harsh words, anger was the only emotion that Jeanine really felt. A wave of dizziness washed over her and sweat broke out on her body as she tried to lift herself into a sitting position. She finally made it to an upright position and after a few more tries she slid off the table onto the floor. Her knees buckled and she felt herself falling forward. The cold linoleum felt cool to her body and she just lay there.
She lost all track of time and when she felt her strength returning, she finally pulled herself up against the exam table and began dressing. She stumbled as she tried to lift her foot to slip on her shoe. Then, finally, she staggered over to the wall and looked at her reflection in the mottled mirror. She was shocked at what she saw.
Her long, bleached blond hair had flattened out and hung limp and sweaty against her brow. She had large black circles under her eyes and there was a white cast to her skin. She slowly reached over, opened her purse and extracted her makeup bag. She wiped the sweat off her face and began renewing her makeup. Finally, she slid her lipstick across her lips and decided that that was the best she could do under the circumstances. She pressed her lips together and said to her reflection in the mirror, "You're one friggin tough bitch!" She reached into her pocket and withdrew a check. It was for the "usual" amount, five thousand dollars. "Don't say I never pay my dues!" she said to herself and she tossed the check onto the soiled sheets.
Jeanine adjusted her sanitary napkin inside her underwear and walked slowly across the room. She slid the old wooden door open and stepped out into the darkened hallway. She gasped and leaned against the cold wall as an afterbirth contraction tore through her belly. As the pain eased up, she continued slowly down the long hall until she reached the front door.
Just as she reached out a trembling, sweaty hand to pull the door open, she heard a slight mewing sound from a room at the top of the long stairs that made her heart leap. She turned and listened again but the air in the old mansion was pregnant with silence. "These stupid Nuns must have cats to keep them company in this decrepit mausoleum," she thought to herself. Again she reached out her hand to open the door but it was too heavy for her. Jeanine slumped back against the door and swore to herself. Then she took a deep breath and pulled again. Finally, the door opened and she inserted her body between the door and the door jam. She gasped as she felt the heavy door close on her belly and mustering all of her strength, she heaved the door aside, pulled herself free and staggered down the stairs towards the waiting car.
When she pounded on the door, the driver pulled himself up out of sleep and stumbled out of the hot car. He adjusted his hat and stepped forward to open the rear door for her. "Thanks for all your friggin help!" She screamed at him. Shocked by her vulgarity and anger and still half asleep, he grasped her hand and tried to help her into the rear seat. She wrenched herself free and holding her belly, she continued to berate him with every expletive known to man. Bewildered, the driver gave up trying to help and simply shoved her into the seat. She gasped and fell back against the leather and lay where she was, too tired and too weak to complain any longer.
The driver shoved the back door shut, jumped into the front seat, slammed the vehicle into drive and roared down the rock covered driveway into the main road. He couldn't wait to get back to Bangor and be rid of this crazy bitch as quickly as possible! He hoped to himself that she would leave him the hell alone for the long three hour drive back to Bangor.
There was very little traffic on the road and with a long sigh of relief; he finally pulled up at the Bangor Airport terminal. A couple of times he'd heard a few soft moans but the woman always seemed to be sleeping. He pulled the long, black Buick up in front of the Northeast Airlines Terminal and parked. Then he stepped out of the car and adjusted his uniform. "No telling, the bitch just might give me a nice tip after all." He said to himself and he stepped forward to open the door.
He quietly opened the rear door and waited for his passenger to get out. Not hearing any sound from her, he bent down to peer inside. The woman lay curled up in a fetal position on the seat. She'd thrown her fur coat over her legs and she was fast asleep. The driver hesitated for a moment and then he reached inside and touched her gently on the arm. The woman jerked awake in surprise and looked wildly about her. Her hair was plastered against her face and she appeared to be sweating. She slowly sat upright and carefully slid her legs down off the seat. She grimaced and gripped her abdomen as a wave of pain hit her. She gasped and lay back against the seat and closed her eyes. The limo driver didn't know what to do. He stood where he was and finally the woman spoke. "Are you thick or just stupid? Can't you see that I'm sick? Go inside and get me a wheel chair for Christ's sake!" The young man was dumbfounded! He'd never been spoken to with such disrespect in all his days! Angry, he turned and slammed the car door shut with such force that the windows rattled. He strode into the terminal and walked over to the Departure Desk. He glanced at the clerk and said, "I have a woman in my limo out front and she needs a wheelchair." The clerk indicated to the driver that there was a wheelchair section off to the right and the driver made his way there to get the chair. He snapped it open and locked it into place and then he pushed it rapidly across the floor and out the arrival door to the car. He wrenched the door open and saw that the woman had attempted to clean herself up a little.
Jeanine slowly slid herself off the seat and staggered into the wheelchair. She carefully sat herself down and with a jerk of her head indicated to the driver that he should push her into the terminal. He grabbed the wheelchair handles and swiftly propelled her up the ramp and through the airport doors. He pushed her over to the Northeast Airlines gate and guided the wheelchair up to the departure desk. He waited until she'd rummaged through her purse and finally handed him his check. He took the check and without a word to Jeanine, he turned on his heel and walked back outside to his waiting vehicle. That was one bitch that he was well glad to be rid of.
Jeanine pulled herself upright in the wheelchair and looked up at the clerk who was standing behind the counter in front of her. "How can I help you?" the clerk asked. "I have a round trip ticket to Washington," Jeanine said as she pulled her ticket out of her purse. The clerk quickly read the information on the ticket and then she handed the ticket back to Jeanine. "Mrs. Stanton, are you sure that you're well enough to take this flight?" "Yes! I'm fine! I want to get out of this hell-hole as quickly as possible." Jeanine told her. The clerk informed her that she had about a forty-five minute wait and then she signaled for one of the baggage men to push the wheelchair to the first class departure deck.
Once they'd arrived there, Jeanine wheeled herself over to the ladies room door and tried to push the door open with her foot. The door opened slightly but not enough to allow the wheelchair to go through, Jeanine gasped as the pain ripped through her belly and sweating profusely; she sank back into the seat. Then, she grabbed the arms of the wheelchair and pulled herself up out of the chair. She stood up and pushed the chair away from her with her foot. Then, she leaned her weight against the door and it soundlessly slid open. She staggered slowly across the room and into one of the stalls. She closed the door and sank down on the toilet. "This one's a lot worse than the other two." She thought to herself. "Oh well, it won't be long and I'll be home and then I can rest in my own bed." She changed her pad and then she left the toilet and walked slowly over to the stainless steel sink.
She ran hot water into the bowl and began bathing her face and arms. After wiping herself dry she began reapplying her makeup. "I look like death warmed over!" She said to herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She combed her hair as best she could and then she reached into her purse and withdrew a small flask that she opened and took a couple of long drinks. She gasped as the liquor seared its way down her throat. After a couple of minutes, she began to feel slightly better as she felt the liquid warm up her belly. "It'll take more than an abortion to kill this old bird." She thought to herself. Jeanine checked herself once again in the mirror and then she headed slowly for the door.
As she exited the toilet, Jeanine heard the page for first class passengers being announced on the public address system. She ignored the wheelchair and began the long walk down the boarding corridor to the waiting aircraft.
She handed the stewardess her boarding pass and was immediately escorted to the first class lounge. "Is there anything I can get for you while we're waiting to take off?" the solicitous stewardess asked her. "I'm not feeling very well; could you please bring me a couple of blankets and a pillow and wake me when we've landed at Dulles?" "Yes, certainly I can do that." The stewardess assured her. Jeanine settled herself into the soft seat and immediately fell into an exhausted sleep...
Martha Stevens-David
Autobiography of a Simple Soul
Memories, Another Place - Another Time
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See also Vengeance is Mine a short mystery novel published at Magic City over 4 days.
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© Copyright 2002-2013 by Magic City Morning Star


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I think that is one of the reasons I'm contemplating an early retirement in say 5 1/2 years is that I want to have more time to focus on other things like my genealogy research, crafts, etc.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand.
While doing the office clean-up, I came across something that I know I didn't talk about last year. I guess I was a little disappointed when I received it. You see, last year, I had to give another presentation during the Hosch-Pierce family reunion, so I decided to splurge and do the PatriClan Analysis from African Ancestry for my maternal grandfather's line.
Several years ago, my first cousin, Larry Hosch, had done the yDNA test for me through Family Tree DNA (FTDNA). So, when I decided to splurge on the PatriClan Analysis, I ordered African Ancestry's Paternal Analysis Only, then emailed them the results from FTDNA.
I waited ever so patiently for the results to arrive. Checked with several online genealogy buds who I knew had already used African Ancestry, who all stated that the receipt of their results didn't take the amount of time that mine were taken. They all suggested that I contact the company, which I did. At this point in time I forget the reason why they were running behind schedule but they were behind schedule. So, I waited, and waited some more. Finally, the long awaited results arrived during the last week of August.
I vaguely remember being interested when they arrived but not jump up and down excited as I've been in the past when I received ancestral DNA results but I'm making up for that now.
So, I'm proud to announce that my maternal grandfather's paternal line descends from the Ibo people in present day Nigeria and the Ewondo people in present day Cameroon.
The letter that was received with the certificate states that the Sequence Similarity Score is 100%, which means that they are 100% confident in the result.
Obviously, I now have much research to do on these two groups of people, since we don't know anything past my great grandfather, Barto Hosch, for my grandfather's direct male ancestors.
I'm sure you are wondering why initially I was disappointed when I received the results. Trust me when I say it had nothing to to do with the actual results. The disappointment was the time frame in which I received the results. Based on the time frame given at the time of ordering when I would receive the results, I thought I would have the results in plenty of time to use in my presentation at the family reunion. Sadly, I didn't receive the results until several weeks (nearly two months) past the scheduled date of receipt, which was one month past the family reunion, hence, the major disappointment. However, I do have to give kudos to African Ancestry in that they provided me with two additional certificates, for free, to make up for the extended time in getting the results.
So, I had a certificate made up for one of my 2nd cousins, who's probably the better historian / researcher on this branch of my family tree, and also had one made up for my mother. And because I was initially disappointed, I've yet to forward any of the certificates to my family members and that includes my mother. But since I'm trying to get back on the genealogical research bandwagon, my goal is to rectify that this week. My mother will be receiving hers on Friday. I contacted my second cousin today via e-mail, so that I could get his address to mail him his. And hopefully, I'll see my first cousin sometime this week and present his copy to him.
Even with the delay, I'm hoping to do another splurge this year with African Ancestry, but on the paternal side of the family this time. If I can make it happen (I'm having some unexpected expenses this summer), you'll be able to read all about it over at Conversations With My Ancestors.
So once again, until the next post, whenever that may be.


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Highway 39 Community GroupDate: October 28, 2018
Time: 5:00 pm
Our Community Groups meet in homes throughout the week to share a meal together, pray together, study the Bible together, and share life together. This group meets each Sunday at 5:00 PM. If you would like more information or to find out the location, you can email the group leader.


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An open look is paired with leaf and vine accents in this lovely oval wall art design.More Details >
From the Eden Park Home decor collection by the Franklin Iron Works™ brand, this wall mirror offers an open and warmly inviting look. The French bronze finish frame features an open oval decorated with a vine and flower motif. A beveled glass mirror completes the design.


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'Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?' I'll bet everyone remembers that rhyme! The question is, how can you tell from looking in a mirror? The image you see is a reversed version and not a true likeness. How many of you learned 'The Lady of Shallot' and remember that she was forbidden to look directly out of the window but only via the reflection in her mirror. Then there is 'Alice through the Looking Glass'. There is something about mirrors that has an enduring fascination, after all, breaking one gives us seven years bad luck! Everyone knows that the way to identify a vampire is by looking at them in a mirror, vampires don't have a reflection...
I suppose our earliest ancestors first saw their reflection in still water and puzzled over what the image was. It wouldn't take them long to realise that there was something strange going on as the scar was in the wrong place. How could this be? Further, our faces aren't symmetrical. Have you ever seen a picture of yourself where the image is divided by a centre line and each side reversed and put with its double to produce an image. The two images of a double left and a double right are surprisingly different.
In sunny climes mirrors have been used in warfare. The Greeks tried using large mirrors to blind the steersman of invading ships of war. The heliograph was a clever invention used extensively by the Indian Army as a way of communicating over a distance using Morse Code and a mirror reflecting sunlight that could be accurately aimed at a distant observer.
Convex mirrors are used at blind junctions to give sight of oncoming traffic and in shops to enable staff to keep an eye on customers in the fight to contain shoplifting. The climatologists tell us that the biggest mirror in the world is Polar Ice and the fact that it reflects sunlight back into space makes it a vital component in combating global warming. If it is darkened by ash fall out from a volcano there is a measurable rise in temperature. In deserts, arrays of mirrors all focussed on one point have been used to produce pure heat for scientific experiments or to heat a boiler producing steam to drive turbines and produce carbon-free electricity. There is more to mirrors than meets the eye and we have come a long way from Narcissus being obsessed by his reflection in water or the early civilisations using polished plates of metal to gain a reflection.
I suppose all the above reflects the fact that I should get out more! But I can't help being fascinated by mirrors. I remember that a full length mirror on the guard room wall at the entrance to the barracks was standard equipment when I was in the army and we were required to check our appearance before going out into the wide world. I still do that.
The mirror at Bancroft used for checking smoke from the boiler house.
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3 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: MIRRORS
Gardeners and model railway enthusiasts make good use of mirrors to trick the brain into thinking it's seeing a more distant image. The gardener will make an arch and put a mirror behind so it looks like there's another garden beyond. The railway modeller will put a bridge at the end of the layout with a mirror behind and this gives the impression of much more railway world beyond. Periscopes are another good use of mirrors although I expect the ones on submarines are replaced by digital equivalents now. Most people know about mercury being used on glass to make mirrors but less well known is the liquid mercury mirror telescope: LINK
- Stanley
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Re: MIRRORS
Interesting. I knew the effect but not the use. I was always impressed by the fact that the large prismatic light units in lighthouses floated on mercury as a low friction, maintenance free bearing.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Stanley's View
scg1936 at talktalk.net
"Beware of certitude" (Jimmy Reid)
The floggings will continue until morale improves!
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1


text: [...] > packages/spambayes/classifier.py", line 311, in probability > assert spamcount <= nspam AssertionError This is saying that the database is stuffed - there's a token that you have seen in more spam messages than you have trained, which is obviously impossible. You said that you recreated the database, though, so it's not quite that simple. There's some sort of flag that you pass to sb_filter/sb_mboxtrain (-f? -n?) in this sort of situtation - did you use that? Sorry I can't be more exact, but I don't use either tool myself. =Tony Meyer --- Please always include the list (spambayes at python.org) in your replies (reply-all), and please don't send me personal mail about SpamBayes. This way, you get everyone's help, and avoid a lack of replies when I'm busy.


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- Mondays - Yoga after work
- Tuesdays - Run with Gertie at the park after work
- Wednesdays - Yoga after work
- Thursdays - Run with Gertie at the park after work
- Fridays - off
- Saturdays - a.m. run with Gertie in the park
- Sundays - off (unless I'm feeling crazy - optional afternoon yoga class)
You like? I do... I can totally do this... Operation Fierce Booty!!! Yes, let's call it that. Alright girlz... any of y'all have new workout plans to get bikini ready or whatever ready? Now I realize I may have to adjust this somewhat if my doctor tells me to take it easy... we'll see! I'm currently on my last cycle before we start IUI next month!!! I'm so ready to go. I've had two girlfriends recently conceive through IVF so I'm hoping their baby dust rubs off!
And speaking of baby dust... tomorrow I'm debuting my new blog and venture! And yes, it has to do with babies! That's all I'll spill for now. But there is a FABULOUS giveaway involved, so stay tuned!!!


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Handwriting is a huge topic currently in occupational therapy and the education field in general. Cursive handwriting was eliminated from the Common Core State Standards, which 40 states follow. Most states still teach cursive, but are considering dropping it since there is no longer a standard. Schools are instead encouraging typing as technology evolves. Handwriting (cursive and print) is also being put on the back burner because teachers have so many other standards they must meet. To many Americans the loss of handwriting is not a concern and instead is seen as the education system adapting to the changing environment, but to an occupational therapist this trend is leading to a variety of problems and raising concerns.
If handwriting is decreased or eliminated in schools, then fine motor skills are going to deteriorate according to many. This connection has not been proven since typing requires fine motor skills too, but some have found that handwriting offers benefits to cognition and memory that typing does not. This is likely because the brain has to be more engaged to produce a shape versus hitting the correct key. A few also point out that handwriting offers a way of personal expression that typing does not. Not only does handwriting have more variety than typing, but children write more and faster.
Handwriting has causing another set of concerns for another population. More people are learning about occupational therapy everyday, but many just know us as handwriting experts. Many students in school are being referred to occupational therapy for handwriting, but not because of underlying issues, but instead because not enough time is being spent on handwriting in the classroom. As much as I would love to help every person function better, is helping children who just need a little more instruction on handwriting the best use of our time? Occupational therapists need to make sure their expertise is being used properly, especially when it comes to handwriting, and they are not just another set of hands.


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Sorry for my hiatus folks. As you all know life gets complicated some times. In time like these, you gotta slow it down with something like this. This throwback jam is super soulful and relaxing. It was produced by one of the greatest producers of all time, J Dilla. Keep it easy. Keep it simple. #StayMedicated
Tag Archives: Common
Common ft. Nas "Ghetto Dreams" (Official Video)
My favorite rap track of the summer. "Ghetto Dreams" has that old, classic hip-hop feel to it that most songs in the game just lack now a days. With that ill raw sound and smooth visuals to boot, this video becomes an instant classic in my mind. See if you agree by peeping the premier of the official music video above. Ghetto Ghetto Dreams…


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CITY GUIDE >Highlights
A green scene
By Thoma Talhelm (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-08 07:49
When Julian Wong and Brendan Acord sat down with two friends for dinner in April, 2007 to talk about China's energy issues, they tossed around the idea of restructuring their meetings into an environmental group.
Since then, the Beijing Energy and Environment Roundtable (BEER) has grown through word of mouth from four to 150 members - without a single advertisement or mass mailing.
BEER has outgrown its original home at Drum and Bell bar and found a new base in Sanlitun's Blue Frog Village, now host to biweekly happy hours and ecologically minded discussions.
"It really started out as a group of friends and friends of friends," Wong says.
"We thought maybe we could build up a critical mass of people, but it's more like people wanted to join up."
BEER is not the only environmental organization with a membership that has recently skyrocketed in Beijing. Greening the Beige started in March, 2007, as a group using artistic creativity to address environmental problems and grew as quickly as BEER.
"The initial planning meetings I organized for Greening the Beige attracted quite a few volunteers," founder Carissa Welton, says in an e-mail.
"Within a matter of months I was steering a decently sized event with over 30 participants that ended up becoming a full day of speakers, workshops, music, performances and films."
Greening the Beige now has more than 300 members.
Beijing is becoming a hotbed for environmental work and a hub for the national and, increasingly, the international environmental movement.
"I would say that Beijing is the most important place to be for energy," Wong says.
Environmentally oriented activities are becoming a more prominent part of the cityscape, with new clubs, NGOs, conferences and environmental art installations appearing every day.
"There are conferences here every week," Wong says.
Host to some of the world's worst pollution, China might seem an unlikely beacon for an environmental movement.
But part of the appeal for those with a green streak is that Beijing changes very rapidly.
"There's an idea that if you get the Chinese government onboard, a lot is possible in a short amount of time," Wong says.
New Energy Finance senior analyst and BEER member Justin Wu says: "Because China is developing, there's a huge opportunity to get these things clean from the start."
Wu believes the capital is "naturally becoming a center of renewable energy".
In addition to being the seat of government, the city is also the country's academic hub.
Institutions such as Tsinghua University are in close touch with leaders and attract many foreign researchers. BEER, for example, has several Fulbright scholars, including Wong, among its ranks.
In addition to being in the middle of the action, BEER's success also comes from the opportunities it offers members to relax and meet others working for the environment.
"Everyone who comes has their own day jobs," Wong says.
"We wanted to give them a place where they could be comfortable."
The group also largely represents the global environmental movement's newest philosophy.
"The idea was to draw people from different walks of the industry - business, government, NGO's, the media - both foreign and local," Wong says.
"Their idealism is informed by an appreciation of the structure."
Instead of coercing people to voluntarily change their behaviors, the new movement seeks market-based solutions to environmental problems.
"Sustainability is not just about being ecologically sustainable," Wong says.
"If you can't pay the bills, it's not sustainable."
One challenge both groups face is attracting more local membership.
"The aim is to operate as a fully bilingual organization," Welton says of Greening the Beige. Currently, its membership is only 20 percent Chinese.
"Of course, the idea is that (the group) was founded here, and it should serve the Beijing community, and hold a strong voice that reflects the population correspondingly and more accurately."
The residual optimism of the Olympic environmental push provides momentum for such groups.
"The 2008 Green Olympics was more than just a PR scheme to impress the rest of the world," Welton says.
"Some very radical measures have been made in terms of environmental practices and policies here."
Pitching in
Those interested in becoming involved with BEER can e-mail Julian Wong at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Greening the Beige: New members can sign up at www.greeningthebeige.org or e-mail email@example.com.


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You come from a long line of mistakes, Guy Caulder tells his daughter Alice. My mother married the wrong man. Her mother did the same.
At the end of a love affair, Alice journeys to Normandy to meet Guy's mother, the grandmother she has never known. She tells her granddaughter that, in spite of the troubles her family has faced, there was one true love story in her past.
In the summer of 1942, Kitty is an ATS driver stationed in Sussex. She meets Ed, a Royal Marine commando, and Larry, a liaison officer with Combined Operations under the command of Louis Mountbatten. Kitty falls instantly in love with Ed, who falls in love with her. So does Larry.
Mountbatten mounts a sea borne raid on the beaches of German-occupied Dieppe in northern France. One of the worst disasters of the war, it has a profound effect on both Larry and Ed, and its repercussions will echo through the generations to come.
MY REVIEW: Accomplished author William Nicholson struck a resonant chord with me as a reader in "Motherland", a sweeping tale of romance, human drama, and survival. I am deeply drawn to the poignancy, passion, and patriotism of the WWII era. I am in my early fifties, and the stories told to me by my mother and her parents of life during this time helped to shape the person I am today. I also had a very dear friend, an older gentleman who had served as a US Navy gunnery sighter aboard a noted WWII battleship in the Pacific. His vivid recollections of his combat experiences are just like photos in my own mind. "Motherland" begins with a young woman meeting her grandmother for the first time. Born out of wedlock to a disinterested father, Guy Caulder, Alice Dickinson is eager to pull the pieces of her disjointed heritage together. Surprisingly, during one of her rare shared moments with her father, he informs her that his mother is very much alive and living in Normandy, France. Alice journeys to meet her grandmother, Pamela Avenell, whose remembrances of her own mother, Kitty Teale, and the two men whom she loved, and was loved by in return: Ed Avenell and Larry Cornford are intertwined with the horrors and heroism of WWII. In Sussex, England, in 1942, Kitty was a young and pretty army driver who met Ed, a Royal Marine commando, and Larry, a liaison officer. Kitty and Ed soon fall in love, but Larry also loves Kitty. The two men go off to war, with Ed returning a war hero and claiming Kitty as his prize. However, the war which changed the world forever has left its mark on Ed, a mark which tragically remained indelible. As the years pass, the darkness which often overcomes Ed casts a shadow upon his life with Kitty, and she is more and more drawn to Larry for comfort. Eventually, after years of yearning, Kitty and Larry will be together, but not without great personal cost. "Motherland" is much more than a complex love story. It is the story of humankind in the midst of a mighty battle against an evil and insidious foe. While one side may eventually surrender the victory to its opponent, a war never really ends. Its effects are widespread and consuming, with spots of hope for humanity rising here and there from the ashes. William Nicholson has written a well-researched, thoughtfully-told tale of heartbreak and redemption. For many survivors of war, their day-to-day lives are ever filled with sights and sounds from a battle fought long ago--their memories never fade.
Review Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
Author William Nicholson
Author William Nicholson is also one of the most successful Hollywood scriptwriters, twice Oscar nominated, the go-to man for big characters, big stories and worldwide audiences. From Shadowlands to Gladiator, to the current Les Misérables and next A Long Walk To Freedom — the Nelson Mandela biopic being released later this year.
William Nicholson was born in 1948, and grew up in Sussex and Gloucestershire. He was educated at Downside School and Christ's College, Cambridge, and then joined BBC Television, where he worked as a documentary film maker. There his ambition to write, directed first into novels, was channeled into television drama. His plays for television include Shadowlands and Life Story , both of which won the BAFTA Best Television Drama award in their year; other award-winners were Sweet As You Are and The March . In 1988 he received the Royal Television Society's Writer's Award. His first play, an adaptation of Shadowlands for the stage, was Evening Standard Best Play of 1990, and went on to a Tony Award winning run on Broadway. He was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay of the film version, which was directed by Richard Attenborough and starred Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.
Since then he has written more films – Sarafina, Nell, First Knight, Grey Owl , Gladiator (as co-writer), for which he received a second Oscar nomination, and Elizabeth: the Golden Age. He has written and directed his own film, Firelight; and four further stage plays, Map of the Heart, Katherine Howard, The Retreat from Moscow , which ran for five months on Broadway and received three Tony Award nominations, and Crash.
His novel for older children, The Wind Singer, won the Smarties Prize Gold Award on publication in 2000, and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award in 2001. Its sequel, Slaves of the Mastery , was published in 2001, and the final volume in the trilogy, Firesong , in 2002. The trilogy has been sold in every major foreign market, from the US to China.
His second sequence of fantasy novels is called The Noble Warriors. The first book is Seeker (2005), the second book, Jango (2006) and the third book Noman (2007).
His novels for adults are The Society of Others (2004), The Trial of True Love (2005), The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life (2009), All the Hopeful Lovers (2010) and The Golden Hour (2011).
His love-and-sex novel for teens, Rich and Mad, was published in 2010.
He lives in Sussex, England with his wife Virginia and their three children.


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See Ya Later, Alligator!
>> Monday, May 29, 2017
I have a niece named Allie, whose nickname is "Allie"gator. When I saw this new background image I knew I had to make a birthday card for Allie with it. There are so many different sayings on this image, the possibilities are endless!
I stamped the green panel with the new image (158H) using SU Old Olive ink and then die cut the oval window out, attached it to the cream card base and stamped the Happy Birthday greeting inside the oval with the same ink. The frame was made using stitched oval dies. The gator was created using the Animal Kingdom cartridge and my Cricut machine. I rarely use my Cricut and it took me a few tries to get the gator sized correctly. I added some shading to him with the old olive ink and popped him up with some foam squares. A couple of tiny black half pearls were added for his eyes. I think my niece will like this.
Just a reminder there's only a couple more days to get in on the chance to win big here at DRS Designs. Be sure to check out the details here.
Thanks for stopping by today!


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OSLO: Norwegian banks expect household loan demand to be unchanged in the fourth quarter, a quarterly survey from the country's central bank showed on Thursday.
"Banks reported somewhat tighter credit standards for households in Q3...The economic outlook in particular has contributed to the tightening," the central bank said.
"Tighter credit standards, both for enterprises as a whole and for commercial property enterprises in particular, are expected in Q4," it said.
Household credit demand fell sligthly in the third quarter, while unchanged demand had been expected. Corporate credit demand was unchanged, the central bank said. In the fourth quarter, banks expect slightly lower corporate credit demand.
Norway's top banks include DNB, Nordea, Danske Bank and Handelsbanken.


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How do you create effective objectives? Effective objectives are not straightjackets. Instead, effective objectives are more like flight plans. They set directions and guide the resources and energies. In The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management, Peter F. Drucker writes about creating and setting effective objectives.
Objectives Must Be Transformed into Work
Drucker writes that objectives don't help unless they're turned into actions:
If objectives are only good intentions, they are worthless. They must be transformed into work. And work is always specific, always has – or should have – clear, unambiguous, measurable results, a deadline, and a specific assignment of accountability.
Don't Treat Objectives Like Straightjackets
Drucker writes that objectives must be flexible:
But objectives that become a straightjacket do harm. Objectives are always based on expectations. And expectations are, at best, informed guesses. Objectives express an appraisal of factors that are largely outside of the business and not under its control. The world does not stand still.
Objectives are Like Flight Plans
Drucker writes that the most effective objectives are like flight plans:
The proper way to use objectives is the way an airline uses schedules and flight plans. The schedule provides for the 9:00 A.M. flight from Los Angeles to get to Boston by 5:00 P.M. But if there is a blizzard in Boston that day, the plane will land in Pittsburgh instead and wait out the storm. The flight plan provides for flying at thirty thousand feet and for flying over Denver and Chicago. But if the pilot encounters turbulence or strong headwinds, he will ask flight control for permission to go up another five thousand feet and to produce a new schedule and flight plan. Unless 97 percent or so of its flights proceed on the original schedule and flight plan – or within a very limited range of deviation from either – a well-run airline gets another operations manager who knows his job.
Objectives are Directions Not Fate
Drucker writes that the objectives do not determine the future:
Objectives are not fate; they are directions. They are not commands; they are commitments. They do not determine the future; they are means to mobilize the resources and energies of the business for the making of the future.
Key Take Aways
Here's my key take aways:
- Turn objectives into specific work.
- Effective objectives are like flight plans.
- Don't treat objectives like straightjackets.
My Related Posts


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Kering SA, the owner of popular sportswear maker Puma, was looking to sell the brand that has been undergoing a revamp to better compete with larger rivals such as Nike and Adidas.
Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter reported that Kering contacted potential buyers, including sovereign-wealth funds from the Middle East and Asian investors, earlier this year to find out their interest in the brand.
However, discussions did not lead to any takeover proposals, the sources said, adding it remains unclear if the company is still mulling a sale of the brand.
Kering acquired the control of Puma in 2007, and currently owns about 86% stake in the German firm. The brand has a market valuation of €2.5bn ($3.1bn, £1.9bn).
Puma is revamping athletic shoes and stepping up marketing as it seeks to reposition itself as a sports-performance brand rather than the casual wear brand.
The firm had earlier started a new ad campaign called Forever Faster, using athletes such as sprinter Usain Bolt, golfer Lexi Thompson and soccer star Mario Balotelli. The campaign helped boost the company's footwear sales for the first time in seven quarters.
Puma says the stars of Forever Faster will help it challenge sporting goods giants like Adidas and Nike.
Puma held a 2.1% share of the $255bn global sportswear market in 2013, compared to 15% for Nike and 11% for Adidas, according to market researcher Euromonitor International.
However, bigger market shares of Adidas and Nike, and lower margins of sporting goods as compared to luxury goods are making analysts sceptical about Puma's plans to focus more on sportswear.


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In the News
Original journalism from the Center's OpenSecrets News
Capital Eye Opener, July 20: 'Dark Knight' Donations, Romney Nourished by Supplements, and Lunch Gets Political at CRP
July 20, 2012 | Actors and others tied to new blockbuster love Obama (well, mostly). Dietary supplement makers, not so much -- they bundle for Romney. But the Republican candidate would rather eat Jimmy John's.
Senate Democrats Appoint New Leaders on Agriculture and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees
September 10, 2009 | Leadership of two committees in the U.S. Senate has gotten a shake-up with the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) will take the reigns of the HELP Committee, which Kennedy had chaired. Then, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) will be the new head of the Agriculture Committee.
Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: firstname.lastname@example.com