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- Tel:
- Work +1 202 625 3500
- Fax:
- Fax +1 202 298 7570
- Web:
- www.kattenlaw.com
United States
Real estate
Real estate - ranked: tier 2
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's 'top-notch, commercially minded attorneys' are 'true business partners who maintain a laser focus on the needs of the company', and the firm is 'a valuable asset in terms of expertise, industry knowledge and overall value'. The practice has been active in cross-border investment and transactional matters, and is also recognized for its expertise in affordable housing transactions, CMBS issuances and finance and equity deals. The team is currently representing The Barack Obama Foundation in connection with its proposed high-value development of the Obama Presidential Centre, a library and archive containing records of the Obama presidency. Other notable highlights included acting for Callahan Capital Properties on the $650m purchase of 85 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan from a joint venture of MetLife and Capital Partners, obtaining a loan of $359m from Naxis Real Estate as part of the purchase funding, and advising AIG on approximately 30 transactions over the course of 12 months, including several construction and non-construction financing matters. National practice head Timothy Little is the key name to note, and 'great attorney' David Dlugie heads the team in Chicago and is praised for his 'extensive experience' and 'ability to get the right result for each client'. Daniel Huffenus, Bruce Kosub and Andrew Jagoda are the key contacts in Charlotte, Irving and New York, respectively.
United States: Dispute resolution
Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to corporates - ranked: tier 5
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to individuals - ranked: tier 4
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
The 'very strong' practice at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is 'particularly well-regarded among Chicago's white-collar community'. It handles a number of high-profile DOJ-appointed corporate monitorships, including for Princess Cruise Lines, led by Washington DC's Steven Solow, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, led by 'experienced investigator and litigator' Gil Soffer in Chicago. New York-based practice head Scott Resnik has significant trial experience, and recently represented William Scully in a federal criminal trial concerning the alleged importation of non-FDA approved products. Chicago's Sheldon Zenner represented an executive at Walmart Brazil who is under scrutiny as part of the DOJ's global investigation of the company into allegations of bribery. Other key figures include Daniel Polatsek, Ted Helwig and Ross Silverman, all based in Chicago. Brandon McCarthy joined the firm's new Dallas office in May 2018 from Bracewell LLP.
Financial services litigation
Financial services litigation - ranked: tier 4
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Led out of Chicago by David Bohan and Christian Kemnitz, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP handles litigation and regulatory investigations across the spectrum of financial products, from exchange-traded securities, options, futures and funds, to the most sophisticated over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives executed across both public and dark, fully electronic venues. Bohan is 'very able' at handling cases involving complex financial products and recently successfully defended a group of registered market makers at both trial and appellate levels against accusations that it conspired to cheat smaller options traders out of stock dividends. Los Angeles-based Stuart Richter excels at handling consumer class actions and continues to represent 20 credit unions and three banks in a series of class action litigations spread throughout the country alleging the improper charging of overdraft fees. Clients include UBS, Citibank, 3Red Trading and JPMorgan Chase.
Securities litigation: defense
Securities litigation: defense - ranked: tier 3
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is 'highly responsive, sharp and savvy, delving deep and fast into detailed niches to provide great advice and value for money'. Practice head Bruce Vanyo, who is based in both Los Angeles and New York, has more than 40 years' experience and clients remark that he 'knows the ropes, has a deep understanding of the law and knows how best to apply the facts'. He secured the dismissal of a 10b-5 claim against Amarin Corporation relating to the FDA's need for further testing of lipid-lowering drug Vascepa before clearing it for wider use. Vanyo leads the team with experienced trial lawyer Eric Kuwana in Washington DC, who is defending Opus Bank in a class action alleging it made false or misleading statements. Christian Kemnitz in Chicago is 'beyond a rising star, he really does a lot of the heavy lifting'.
Leading lawyers
Bruce Vanyo - Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
United States: Finance
Commercial lending
Commercial lending: advice to lenders - ranked: tier 3
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Clients will often go to Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP for 'complex commercial lending transactions when we need counsel who are meticulous, responsive and sophisticated'. The firm is especially strong on the lender side, where it acts for a mix of alternate funders and banks. The team is led out of Chicago by the highly rated Michael Jacobson, although it continues to invest in offices elsewhere, such as Los Angeles where it recruited Glen Lim from Proskauer Rose LLP. Direct lender Antares Capital is a major client, which it recently advised on a $558m loan to PPC Industries, a Kohlberg & Company portfolio company, on its acquisition of Pexco. Other highlights include advising Tennenbaum Capital Partners on a $200m loan to Marlin Equity Partners to finance its acquisition of Tangoe. Golub Capital is another major client which it advised on a $200m facility to support the merger of Downtown Locker Room with Sneaker Villa. Other key partners include the 'responsive and meticulous' Jan Cate in Los Angeles, Scott Lyons and Derek Ladgenski.
Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate - ranked: tier 5
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
The 'responsive and committed' New York-based team at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP is known for acting as 'premier conflicts counsel working side by side with the elite restructuring firms'. The group acted for the official committee of unsecured creditors in the Chapter 11 of Peabody Energy and in a contentious matter, represented Flex as the largest unsecured trade claim holder and co-chair of the official committee of unsecured creditors, in SunEdison's Chapter 11. In a multijurisdictional matter, Lynn Harrison III and Turner Smith were engaged by the insolvency administrator of the Pickenpack entities in the company's Chapter 15 filings, including obtaining a recognition order of the entities' German insolvency proceedings; the team also acted for Pickenpack entities in pursuit of claims in the Chapter 11 cases of China Fishery Group's Chapter 11 restructuring. Other key names to note are Theresa Foudy and Shaya Rochester, who has a 'strong work ethic, technical skills and attention to detail'. Former practice head Steven Reisman left the practice to join Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's New York office.
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's insolvency and restructuring practice is led by Chicago-based John Sieger and typically represents senior secured lenders and investors. A team led by Craig Barbarosh, who splits his time between Orange County and New York, acted for UMB Bank as indenture trustee for $6.4bn first-lein notes issued by Caesars Entertainment Operating Company in the company's high-profile Chapter 11 proceedings. In another highlight, the group represented Wilmington Trust, as indenture trustee for notes issued by Nortel Networks Limited (Canada), in connection with an allocation dispute involving more than $7bn of Nortel sale proceeds including joint trial proceedings in the US Bankruptcy and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada. And in the Chapter 11 proceedings of Adeptus Health, the practice advised Deerfield, and certain funds that it manages, on a $45m debtor-in-possession financing facility. In New York, the team was further strengthened with the addition of the 'world class' Steven Reisman, who previously led the restructuring practice at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP.
Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
Structured finance: derivatives and structured products - ranked: tier 2
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Whether structuring equity or commodity derivative transactions or advising on evolving regulatory requirements, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is 'simply exceptional'. The team acts for a range of market participants, from clearing houses and intermediaries to proprietary trading firms and end-users. In one of the group's standout highlights, special counsel Gary DeWaal assisted LedgerX - the first swap execution facility (SEF) and clearing house authorized by the CFTC to trade and settle derivatives contracts on digital currencies - with obtaining SEF and derivatives clearing organization (DCO) licenses. Stanford Renas and Don Macbean advised Morgan Stanley Commodities on multiple hedging and revenue put transactions in connection with renewable and conventional power projects. In the Chicago office, Christian Kemnitz defended 3Red Trading in the first spoofing case litigated by the CFTC. Also recommended are of counsel Arthur Hahn, regulatory expert Kevin Foley, and of counsel Guy Dempsey.
Structured finance: securitization
Structured finance: securitization - ranked: tier 1
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Providing 'logical and pragmatic advice', Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's sizeable securitization team is among the leading issuer-side counsel in the market and is especially active in RMBS and auto and equipment-loan securitization. John Keiserman leads a team that acts as outside counsel to GM Financial on all of its US securitization programs and helps support its international ABS platforms. The Washington DC-based Seth Messner and the 'balanced and creative' Stephen Esko act for Fannie Mae on a litany of MBS issuances, such as those associated with the Connecticut Avenue Securities program, which aims to shift retained credit risk from guaranteed MBS to capital markets investors. Howard Schickler assisted Fortress Investment Group with the establishment of marketplace lending and unsecured consumer lending platforms. Joseph Topolski, Stanford Renas, Chris DiAngelo and Washington DC's Anna-Liza Harris are additional key figures in the department. Based in Charlotte, Mitch Sprengelmeyer was promoted to partner, while Claudine Chen-Young joined the Washington DC office from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and Shan Haider joined from Perkins Coie LLP.
United States: Industry focus
Environment: litigation
Environment: litigation - ranked: tier 4
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP 'brings high levels of service and knowledge to matters'. The team represented Garrison Investment Group in relation to the largest e-waste abandonment in US history. The team heads are Mark Farley in Houston and Steven Solow. Karl Heisler in Washington DC is 'rated extremely highly and understands the nuances of extremely complicated regulations'. Other key contacts are Nadira Clarke, also in Washington DC, Lily Chinn in San Francisco, and Houston's Greg Dillard.
Environment: regulatory
Environment: regulatory - ranked: tier 3
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is experienced in environmental crimes, workplace safety, and major accident response. Recent matters included advising Dow Chemical Company on an EPA inspection of the company's Freeport, Texas operations. The recommended advisers are team heads Mark Farley in Houston and Steven Solow in Washington DC, where Nadira Clarke and Anne Carpenter also operate; Austin-based Danny Worrell; Houston's Scott Elliott; and San Francisco-based Matthew Baker. Daniella Landers and Ben Patton departed for Reed Smith LLP.
Next generation lawyers
Scott Elliott - Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Healthcare: service providers
Healthcare: service providers - ranked: tier 5
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
As 'a wonderful firm with great lawyers', Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP fields 'a highly responsive and smart team', which is 'excellent for the full range of healthcare issues'. Recent highlights for the 'extremely dependable' team include advising the City of New York on Medicare and Medicaid issues and representing Vizient in a Supreme Court case relating to the confidentiality protections given to hospitals as applied to patient adverse incident reports and peer review materials. Clients praise practice head Laura Keidan Martin, who is 'truly brilliant'; New York-based Joseph Willey, who is 'an absolute pleasure to work with'; Megan Hardiman and the 'terrific' Louis Glaser. All named attorneys, unless otherwise specified, are based in Chicago.
Sport - ranked: tier 4
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
At Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Chicago-based Adam Klein has 'incredible industry knowledge and great legal and business acumen'. Klein is known for assisting franchises with stadium redevelopment projects, and is currently advising the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks on their stadium redevelopments and related concerns including sponsorship and concession agreements. Klein also assisted Debra Cafaro, CEO of Ventas, with her acquisition of a minority interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Transport: aviation and air travel - finance
Transport: aviation and air travel - finance - ranked: tier 3
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
With a 'deep bench' and a 'history of providing consistently high-quality service', Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is regularly called on to handle complex transactions and has demonstrable expertise in emerging market transactions. 'A seasoned expert', Timothy Lynes has experience of fractional ownership agreements and recently advised Citibank on a number of aircraft and engine sales. Lynes also acted for Embraer alongside Tom Healey in the renegotiation of various leases and fleet purchase agreements in connection with Republic Airways' Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Out of New York, Stewart Herman 'works like crazy for his clients'; he acted for a US fund manager on several acquisitions of aircraft on lease in multiple emerging market jurisdictions. Jane Cavanaugh is another key contact. All lawyers are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise.
United States: Intellectual property
Copyright - ranked: tier 4
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's expertise in the entertainment industry is reflected in its stellar client roster of authors, musicians, publishers and studios, which it advises on all aspects of copyright litigation, protection and transactions. The team successfully defended Cumulus Media against a lawsuit brought by ABS Entertainment regarding copyright infringement and unpaid royalties for the broadcast of pre-1972 recordings. It is also defending 50 Cent and Starz Entertainment against two separate claims, both alleging the television series, Power, infringed the plaintiffs' copyright. Zia Modabber and David Halberstadter in Los Angeles and Floyd Mandell in Chicago are recommended.
Trademarks: litigation
Trademarks: litigation - ranked: tier 3
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Rated for its 'great nuts and bolts knowledge', Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's department acts for domestic and international clients across various industries. In Chicago, co-head Floyd Mandell has been defending Pepsi against infringement claims brought by Sportsfuel Supplements in federal court. In New York, co-head Karen Artz Ash has been acting for the estate of Marilyn Monroe in a suit brought against Fashion Central involving allegations of trademark infringement, dilution and unfair competition, among others. Clients also recommend Kristin Achterhof in Chicago and Roger Furey in Washington DC.
United States: Investment fund formation and management
Alternative/hedge funds
Alternative/hedge funds - ranked: tier 3
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP assists a range of fund managers and has particular strengths in quant funds and those pursuing unusual strategies. Lance Zinman and Allison Yacker continue to advise AQR Capital Management on various matters, including structuring bespoke funds, regulatory issues and investment. Henry Bregstein is advising broker-dealer Mercury Capital Advisors on developing a hedge fund platform aimed at high-net-worth investors and their advisers. Fred Santo and Wendy Cohen also advise leading names in the sector on the gamut of regulatory matters. In the litigation finance and manager M&A spaces, Zinman advised GKC Holdings on its $160m sale to British litigation financier Burford Capital. The firm also acts for major institutional investors. Zinman and Bregstein share leadership of the practice. Other than Zinman in Chicago, the team is based in New York.
United States: M&A/corporate and commercial
M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)
M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) - ranked: tier 2
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is 'superb in every respect'. The practice has particularly deep sector knowledge in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, sports, financial services and investment funds, and also fields lawyers with deal experience in education, manufacturing, transportation, media and technology, among other areas. Matthew Brown is 'a superstar, who anticipates and solves every problem before anyone asks, and he has a clear understanding of business and legal strategies'; Brown acted for Edwin Eisendrath and the Chicago Federation of Labor in the high-profile bid for and successful purchase of the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Reader and Straight Dope from Wrapports. Team head Mark Grossmann, who divides time between the Chicago and New York offices, assisted Victory Park Capital Advisors with the acquisition of substantially all the assets of Katy Industries, a manufacturer, importer and distributor of commercial cleaning and consumer storage products. Other key matters for the group included advising Svoboda Capital Partners on separate transactions, including the sale of DataBank Holdings, a national provider of business process automation solutions, to Kyocera Document Solutions; and acting for Meta Financial Group in numerous acquisitions, including the acquisition of substantially all of the assets and specified liabilities of Specialty Consumer Services to expand its presence in the tax services space. Other recommended attorneys include Stephen Antion in Los Angeles, Century City's Daniel Peters and Chicago-based Jeffrey Patt and Kimberly Smith. Mara Glaser McCahan is a key Washington DC contact; Russell Black is a notable Charlotte name; and New York-based Farzad Damania is also highly rated. In Dallas the team recently hired Mark Solomon, Peter Bogdanow, David Washburn and Victor Zarnetti from the legacy Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP firm.
Leading lawyers
Mark Grossmann - Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Next generation lawyers
Harris Eisenberg - Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Private equity buyouts
Private equity buyouts - ranked: tier 5
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is recognized for its middle-market credentials and its fine reputation among independent sponsors. Its tax planning expertise is a strong attraction for many private equity houses, which class it as a 'go-to' firm and a 'great value provider'. Clients include Sterling Partners, Frontenac Company, Pfingsten Partners, Victory Park Capital, Prairie Capital, Centre Lane Partners and PSP Capital Partners. LongueVue Capital Partners and NextGen Growth Partners are new clients. In recent work, it advised Prairie Capital on the sale of StatLab Medical Products. Chicago-based Kenneth Miller and Kimberly Smith head the team, which also has strength in New York and Los Angeles.
United States: Media, technology and telecoms
Advertising and marketing: transactional and regulatory
Advertising and marketing: transactional and regulatory - ranked: tier 3
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Under the joint leadership of Doron Goldstein and Kristin Achterhof in New York and Chicago respectively, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's recent highlights include advising Agave Loco on the negotiation of promotional agreements and high-profile sponsorships with sports clients such as the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, and assisting Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks and United Center with an AT&T sponsorship deal. The team also handled Calvin Klein's model contracts with the lead actors of Moonlight to star in its new underwear advertising campaign, and assisted Boar's Head with compliance issues surrounding the advertising of its meat and cheese products. Other clients include PepsiCo, Fruit of the Loom and General Dynamics. The group also handles advertising and promotional material clearance, product placement matters, sweepstakes and social media policies.
Media and entertainment
Media and entertainment - ranked: tier 4
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP is recognized for its transactional expertise, with substantial experience in entertainment content, animation, merchandising, litigation and private equity work. Michael Hobel leads the Los Angeles-based department, which also counts litigators David Halberstadter and Joel Weiner, animation and merchandising specialist Susan Grode, and Zia Modabber, who focuses on music litigation, as key names. In a recent highlight, Modabber represented the estate of Michael Jackson in claims brought by his former record producer Quincy Jones alleging that the estate allowed others to produce remixes of Jackson's music, which violated his producer agreements. Other mandates for the team included Halberstadter representing Starz Entertainment, Anchor Bay Entertainment and CBS Television Studios in two copyright infringement disputes relating to the television series Power; Hobel advising HBO on Game of Thrones-related transactions as well as licensing and production arrangements for The Leftovers, Outcast and Sharp Objects; and assisting Media Rights Capital with the development and production of films and television programs, including Counterpart, House of Cards and Ozark. The team's client roster also includes AMC Networks, Hulu, Lance Armstrong, Stevie Wonder and Paramount Pictures.
United States: Tax
US taxes: non-contentious
US taxes: non-contentious - ranked: tier 6
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP's 'excellent' tax practice regularly advises on mid-market M&A and private equity deals, and also handles reorganizations, spin-offs, financings, management compensation, tax-exempt and real estate matters. Recent highlights include advising Sterling Partners on several transactions, including its acquisition of World Fiber Technologies, and assisting Gamut Capital Management with the formation of Investment Fund I, which was worth $1bn at its first closing. Other key clients include Deerfield Management, Sheridan Capital Partners and Ford Motor Credit Company. 'Sharp, intuitive and user-friendly' practice head Saul Rudo in Chicago is recommended, as is Angelo Ciavarella in New York, who joined from Reed Smith LLP at the beginning of 2017. New York-based Jill Darrow 'is consistently the best for transactional tax work'.
Further information on Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP in other jurisdictions.
Offices in London
- Corporate and commercial : Financial services
- Corporate and commercial : M&A: lower mid-market deals, £50m-£250m
- Finance : Derivatives and structured products
- Real estate : Commercial property
- Real estate : Property finance
United States
Offices in Washington DC, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Irving, Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, Costa Mesa, Oakland, and Dallas
- Dispute resolution : Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Dispute resolution : Financial services litigation
- Dispute resolution : Securities litigation: defense
- Finance : Commercial lending
- Finance : Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Finance : Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Finance : Structured finance: securitization
- Industry focus : Environment: litigation
- Industry focus : Environment: regulatory
- Industry focus : Healthcare: service providers
- Industry focus : Sport
- Industry focus : Transport: aviation and air travel - finance
- Intellectual property : Copyright
- Intellectual property : Trademarks: litigation
- Investment fund formation and management : Alternative/hedge funds
- M&A/corporate and commercial : M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)
- M&A/corporate and commercial : Private equity buyouts
- Media, technology and telecoms : Advertising and marketing: transactional and regulatory
- Media, technology and telecoms : Media and entertainment
- Real estate
- Tax : US taxes: non-contentious


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Planning Your Landscape Design
You are going to learn different ideas for landscape design as you read this article which will allow you to convert boring and dull backyards into something beautiful and majestic. Choose ideas that best suit your preferences and start planning on how to execute it.
Yes it is true that decorating your backyard is fun and entertaining. The space that is extending behind your house is where you can be creative and incorporate your ideas. Converting this space to make it look attractive is not that simple most especially when you are doing things on your own. So, if you're among those looking for interesting small or large design ideas, you may as well want to keep on reading.
Before you start on adding any designs to the backyard, it will be wise to add the right plants and shrubs. It is without a doubt a … Read More

subset: commoncrawl


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The Encompass Pledge
Despite the fact that we are a for-profit company, 100% of our profits are donated to provide improved nutrition to orphans & vulnerable children around the world.Read More
In Acts 20:35 Jesus says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Here is a great opportunity to be blessed! 1oo% of your donation to Orphan Nutrition Sponsorship will go towards purchasing vital nutrients for children in need.
Here's how it works. Organizations that are already caring for the orphaned and vulnerable have reached (and are still reaching) out to us seeking nutrition to help improve the overall health of the kids they serve. Simply put, your donation allows us to fulfill that request! ONS is a non-profit organization so your donation is tax-deductible.
You have the freedom and flexibility of entering any amount you'd like to donate, or you can simply choose the number children you'd like to sponsor at the cost of $89 per child per year. You can also make this a one-time donation or recurring on a yearly, bi-annual, quarterly, or monthly basis.
We appreciate your generosity and thank God for your desire to make an impact! Thank you!
*a division of Village to Village Intl. 501c3 Organization*


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BSP's Momchil Nekov 'Pressured' to Renounce MEP Seat
Momchil Nekov, who surprisingly made it into EP replacing BSP leader Sergey Stanishev, is under pressure to give up his seat, reports suggest.
The 28-year-old, who was number 15 of the Bulgarian Socialist Party's election list, is set to become one its four MEPs after having received a huge portion of preference vote in the European elections.
Nekov, who has been adamant he would go to Brussels, was summoned to the BSP's headquarters, where fellow members took great effort to talk him out of becoming MEP.
He was also offered a high-profile position, either as MP in the next Parliament or the office of Deputy Minister, the Bulgarian daily Trud reports, citing well-informed sources not disclosing their identities.
BSP's media secretary Anton Kutev denied in Parliament on Thursday that any pressure was applied on Nekov to give up. Also in Parliament, socialist MEP Kiril Dobrev called on media to end comments on the topic, as Nekov had taken his decision. He was quoted by Dnevnik.bg as saying the future MEP had already "purchased a ticket to Brussels" and shown it to Dobrev on Wednesday.
Nekov has not been available for comments to most Bulgarian media.
The likelihood that he might gain a seat as MEP has however divided opinions within the BSP, with some like Deputy Chair Yanaki Stoilov insisting other "people had a better ground to be in the European Parliament" and the controversial MP Strahil Angelov (who recently visited Syria) speaking in favour of Nekov's place there.
After it was announced Nekov might enter the European Parliament following massive (and by mistake) ticking of #15, both for party number and preference vote option at the European elections on May 25, it turned out the young "number fifteen" would replace the #5, Dostena Lavergne, as MEP.
Even though the BSP has gained only four seats, she was poised to take the office, as leader Sergey Stanishev, who topped the list, had announced he would renounce his seat in her favour.
The massive preference voting for Nekov has however deprived him of that choice.
In an interview for the private channel bTV, Lavergne described the developments as a result of a technical blunder, which for its part was caused by problems in the Election Code. She said there was no other way for "an unknown [candidate] to replace the party leader".
According to the Central Electoral Commission, "double" ticking - that of the same number in "parties" and "preference" columns - have been observed among supporters of all Bulgarian political parties.
- » Phantom Voters in Bulgaria 'Surpass 1.2 M'
- » Bulgarian Electoral Commission Starts Registration for Early Elections
- » Jean-Claude Juncker Elected President of EU Commission
- » Jean-Claude Juncker To Be Approved As Head of European Commission
- » Bulgaria ex-Environment Mininster 'Might Head EP Committee'
- » Martin Schulz Re-elected as European Parliament President


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Solitaire Ocean is a Card Game, Download Solitaire Ocean For PC from the direct download link on PC Grim. We stays true to the classic Solitaire (also known as Klondike Solitaire or Patience Solitaire) gameplay. Solitaire Ocean is funny, addictive and challenging brain games. Gameplay is very simple to start …Read More »
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We may be on the verge of welcoming winter, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate the swimwear found in the 'This Is Genevieve' SS11 collection. Personally, I plan on saving up for a hot escape in the new year, so this "research" will surely pay off.
Entitled 'There is a Light That Never Goes Out,' the 'This Is Genevieve' SS11 collection is filled with bursting beachwear. From classic cuts to sheer additions, there's something for everyone in this collection.
Decadent Pin-Up Campaigns
Functional Swim Fashion
Sizzling Poolside Shoots
Technicolor Swimwear
Angelic Warrior Shoots
The 'This is Genevieve' SS11 Collection has Something for Everyone
- By: Meghan YoungNov 16, 2010
References: thisisgenevieve & lifelounge
References: thisisgenevieve & lifelounge


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KWT Winter CSA Month 4 March
winter vegetable pile
I love trying new vegetables. Scratch that, I live to try new vegetables. I love to compare them in my head, and think up new combinations. In the end I mostly eat the whole thing plain. This month's Kensington Windsor Terrace CSA includes chickweed. Our pre-distribution email explains that chickweed:
"Like most wild food it is super high in vitamins and minerals (Iron, Copper, Manganese, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium, Vitamin C and A). It is higher in iron and zinc than any domesticated green." and goes on to say, "Helps maintain healthy weight (contains saponins, which may help to bind fats and remove them from the body). Nourishing for the lungs. Helps carry off cellular debris through our lymph system and it also helps clean out and clean up cysts. Great for drawing out infections and soothing pain. Great remedy for eye problem."
Oh man that is specific. Cysts look out chickweed is coming to get you. My lungs will probably be grateful. Just a thought on this wonderful explicit passage, are other vegetables just as nourishing and or good for killing cysts? Or is chickweed oh so special. If so then why aren't we eating it already? The chickweed tastes pretty good. Crisp with a mineral flavor a lot like fresh romain lettuce, but a touch metallic. Its long and stem-y with dainty leaves, even a few edible flowers. The stems are not tough. I like it.
Included in this month's Kensington Windsor Terrace March CSA
1 bag of mixed red, blue and white potatoes, about 3lb
several yams
8 small baking potatoes
3 lb carrots
2 lb beets
1 lb purple top turnips
1 rutabaga
2lb daikon
1 bag braising greens
1 big bunch of chickweed
1 dozen eggs
I'm going to have to eat a lot of potatoes for breakfast this month. Perhaps some potato pizzas are necessary. The other root vegetables may become the worlds biggest sheet of roasted root vegetables. I don't know how to explain exactly but when roasted vegetables just disappear off my plate. A tub of soup wouldn't hurt either.


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Unrealistic Certainty derived from Faith
9 Nov 2014
Is faith the culprit that has shown to be imperfect in healing the innocent, removing the wicked, and bolstered an uncharacteristically high expectation of God (or scientific principles?)
"A reasonable person's confidence that a potential belief is true is in proportion to the strength of the evidence and arguments that support the belief compared to the strength of the evidence and arguments that count against the belief. What a reasonable person does not do is try to increase their level of certainty by talking themselves into believing something is true!"
– Greg Boyd, Benefit of the doubt
It is true that if we (as the race of men) knew all things (we don't), then we could make predictions of future events and decisions with certainty. Instead, we know many things, which has led us to making predictions of things that are probable to happen. But how much weight is placed on the synthetic, theoretical realities? Should faith be divorced from reason and critical reason in the prospect of optimism, or supposed Biblical truths? Is God going to contradict well-established laws of reality in order to remove the temporary pain of an individual or group? Does God play favorites
If faith falls through then, is God to be rejected, as though faith is the only way to interact with and perceive God? Or is God capable of presenting evidence that faith can be based on, reinforcing predictions that align with reason, our minds, and the laws of reality that God put in place? Now God's feelings are not going to be hurt is an individual rejects Him through temporary circumstances that don't really reflect God's character or actions. On the other hand, God will continue to do what He has always done, and be the solid rock who listens to us when we need to vent.
What if a self-augmented faith is actually in contrast with a relational covenant with God? While it "…impossible to please God without faith" (Hebrews 11:6), "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God…" Romans 10:17 So then, faith is not something that is entirely on us to manifest, but rather, on evidences that we see, experience, and observe. And this correctly cooperates with faith showing up in any other situation (faith that mathematics is dependable, that the nation is protected, and there words are constructed with phonetic sounds combined together etc). So faith isn't that mystical, given this model of thinking. It is indeed built on evidence! And this is confirmed with Scripture (2nd Peter 1:16)
It is important that asking God for something is not a magical (or systematic) formula, but rather, it is relational. We know God's character, first by our own personal experience with Him, and then by the evidence we have read in Scripture, history, and finally the multitude of accounts of those who have been touched by God. That is a lot of evidence, but each person has evidence that is puzzled together from different journey check points walking in relationship with God. If prayer, and intercession is reduced to an expected problem-solving solution, God is only the magic of a supposedly-tested formula. But prayer has never had 100% certainty. Relationship never does. God has free will just as we do. He may choose to say no, perhaps seeing something that doesn't line up, or because He sees a lesson that trumps a healing that restores a situation to it's previously unprogressing state.
I like knowing God can pull the rug out from under our believes about Him and His actions. I like knowing that it's not a formula, and that one tiny incorrect step stressfully produces a wrong answer. God is merciful and patient, but He is also good enough to us to let us grow through problems so we take ownership over our lives as we progress in maturity.


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Monthly Archives: March 2008
How to read 3 Victorian novels in 2.5 hours
I can't really promise that. (I mean, Miriam can probably do it, but not mere mortals.) But this is the exercise we did in my Digital Literary Studies class tonight: Find e-texts of two Victorian novels (we used Hard Times … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized 3 Comments
The thrills of Web 2.0 . . .
You can be my contact on Flickr, too — just like Barack Obama*! (Or on Twitter, or del.icio.us, or Twine.) — *Or, you know, some low-level campaign staffer . . .
Two conversations I can't imagine having with students, plus a bonus cold, hard fact
William J. Turkel dreams up lunchtime conversation with first-years: If I were chatting with freshmen, say over lunch, I'd be looking for students who had heard of Eliza and the Turing test and had a well-developed sense of anachronism. That … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized 3 Comments
Reporting speech–2 versions of a NY Times article
This is Margaret Soltan's turf, but what the hell: This morning's NY Times has a brief article by Thayer Evans about a Richard Southall's decision to move his sports-related institute from Memphis to UNC, because of the "nonacademic image" of … Continue reading
Another local thing: del.icio.us workshop
Local readers might be interested to know I'm giving a workshop on del.icio.us on campus next week: W Mar 26 at 1pm, in the Instructional Design and Technology Resource Center (Willard 15–the old FCC). It's free, but there is registration. … Continue reading
More on the New Britain schools
The Hartford Courant has an article today (thx, Tom) about a review of the New Britain school system: An independent review of the city's schools paints a grim picture of the chronic problems the school district faces as it strives … Continue reading
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For Connecticut academic readers
I just wanted to alert any interested parties–Nels?–to Donald E. Hall's upcoming visit to CCSU next Friday, March 28, where he will be leading 3 events: a discussion of a chapter from his work-in-progress, Reading Sexualities a workshop on "Surviving … Continue reading
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What to do?
So, I just dropped off A & E at the airport, so that they can fly off to an area she calls "the suburbs of Green Bay" in order to watch her niece, E's cousin, be christened. (On Easter Sunday! … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized 8 Comments
The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu
Next week we're taking on The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu in my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen class, and it is a piece of work. On the one hand, there is a lot of action, it's pretty suspenseful, and the atmospherics are … Continue reading
Meet Alex
No, not that Alex, although he's interesting, too. Alex is a new voice that ships with Leopard. (Windows/Linux users can hear him reading from Edgar Rice Burroughs here. I think that file's recorded at a slightly faster-than-normal pace.) I've been … Continue reading
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Introducing and implementing change, irrespective of its scale, habitually proves to be a daunting task for the managers and professionals involved. What typically lies at the root of the failure of most of the projects aiming at introducing and implementing change is indeed their lack of accurate planning. Albeit many individuals are nowadays genuinely aware of the importance of introducing change and of how inevitable it actually is, insofar as every so often change initiatives are proposed by the same individuals eventually affected by it, people at large tend to avert change.
One of the most significant phases of the preparation of a change project is definitely represented by the correct identification of its level, or rather, levels of intervention. The concept of "level of intervention" is actually borrowed from Organization Development, which can be in many important respects regarded as a broader and more pervasive "total system" form of change management intervention. The main difference between Change Management and OD is that whereas the former takes care of the effects the introduction of change may produce upon individuals, the latter aims at aligning the ever-changing business strategy with internal readiness to effectually pursue it in practice. It can be contended that both of them aim, albeit to a different degree, at enhancing organizational effectiveness.
The concept of "level of intervention" is essentially associated with the precise and correct identification of the target groups a planned change is aimed at, which clearly represents one of the most significant phases of change management planning, somewhat of a prerequisite before developing a concrete and realistic plan of action for the introduction of change into an organization. It is indeed hardly conceivable that change might be planned before having identified the people impacted by it and the benefits it is intended to provide to the individuals concerned.
Change can actually affect an individual, a group or a whole organization. Duly taking heed of this particular aspect and developing the plan of action accordingly is of paramount importance for the production of the desired outcome of the overall change management project. As contended by Cheung-Judge and Holbeche (2015), each initiative is intended to produce the desired results according to the different levels of the system it is directed at. Developing a plan of action accurate for a level of the system, but implementing it at a different level of the system is clearly destined to result in a dismal failure.
According to some OD founders, the different levels of the system at which change agents can actually intervene, typically known as the "focus" or "units" of change, are:
- Total organization, intergroup, single group or team, dyad or triad, role and person (Schmuck and Miles, 1976);
- Larger social system, organization, intergroup, group, individual (Blake and Mouton, 1985);
- Group, interpersonal and individual (Reddy, 1994).
Some of the descriptions of the different levels of a system provided include the prefix "inter" already. By enabling change management practitioners to derive two different sub-layers from the main ones identified, the use of the prefixes "inter" (between) and "intra" (within) can indeed help them to comprehensively detect the different layers of a system. The sub-layers produced by the system level "individual" or "person", for instance, are "interpersonal" and "intrapersonal", the former term refers to the relationship existing between two or more individuals, whereas the latter to an individual taken in isolation.
Intervening in a single level of the system would prove not to be enough so that change practitioners should seriously consider, according to the data available to them, intervening in different levels of the system at once. It is broadly acknowledged that to ensure the introduced change to be sustainable, the intervention should ideally cover no less than three levels of a system (Cheung-Judge and Holbeche, 2015).
The Group Dynamics theory developed by Lewin (1944, 1947) can effectively help change practitioners (and indeed OD practitioners) to gain a deeper understanding of how crucially important the correct identification of the right levels of a system and the overarching knowledge of the interrelationship existing between these are, for the development of a viable and successful plan of action aiming at introducing change.
The findings of the experimental studies conducted by Lewin (1944) revealed that individual decisions are sorely affected by the decision of the group to which these belong. Individuals having a personal negative attitude towards a proposed change, after a favourable group decision, took a more positive stance on the change. Group decisions thus contribute an individual the motivation to cooperate as a member of the group for the attainment of the common objective, to the detriment of his/her personal preferences and tendencies.
This type of individual behaviour clearly accounts for the group or team to gain efficiency; this result, nonetheless, is obtained dealing with each individual as a group member and not working with individuals taken in isolation. Lewin studies suggest that it is relatively more straightforward to change individual cultural habits and attitudes by working with groups rather than with individuals. Yet, so strong is the link naturally established between an individual motivation and his/her group decision as to having a positive impact on the practical implementation of the decisions made by the group and on the individual respect of the new norms eventually emerging from the group decisions. This is indeed a process very similar to that organizational culture develops. Once the shared values and beliefs are accepted by all of the individuals forming a group, these become norms and their strength reinforce with the passing of time, hence the difficulty to change organizational culture. The powerful influence exerted by a group on the individuals forming it can be consequently taken as axiomatic.
Whether change practitioners should deal with a single individual to foster and execute change, these should be well aware that the effect of their work is destined to vanish into thin air once the person in question will go back to his/her group. The influence exerted by his/her group is highly likely to prevail over any other external influence.
This groups' feature should not be necessarily regarded positively, it has in fact some considerable downsides, the most significant of which is represented by the possible emergence of the so-called groupthink syndrome. The circumstance an individual complies whit the prevailing group viewpoint may prevent innovation in that individuals may refrain from proposing new ideas for fear of these being rejected by the group.
It can be contended that all of the layers or levels of a system are linked and interrelated. The successful introduction and implementation of change is not only considerably affected by the dynamics characterizing a group, but also by the impact that the change planned for a layer may have upon the other layers of the system.
Identifying the immediate or direct target of a change project does not hence suffice in that the planned change is highly likely to impact other units or teams within the business, never mind the whole organization. Do not carefully considering and timely dealing with the consequences the change intended for a layer may potentially have on the other layers of the system would definitely represent a major blunder, which can produce irreversible catastrophic effects.
This is actually the reason why many change projects, especially restructuring projects, fail. Once the primary target layer has been identified, it is of paramount importance to determine the organizational units or functions which may be affected by the execution of the change programme. This may require processes to be reviewed, senior and middle management competencies to be complemented with additional skills or some HR practices to be adapted (Cheung-Judge and Holbeche, 2015). The list of activities to be performed can clearly be much longer so that change practitioners should act as risk managers in this case and give to each activity a different level of priority so as to perform the identified tasks in the most appropriate order, as required by the circumstances.
It is crucially important that every aspect concerning the change initiative is duly taken into consideration and that the interdependencies between units and functions are all investigated and the issues eventually emerged properly addressed.
It is highly unlikely, for instance, that a change project directly impacting the Market Management and Sales functions of an insurance company would not make a considerable impact on its Underwriting and Claims functions, and in turn on their (directly managed or outsourced) Call-centre. This is just a general example, but it is self-explanatory of how the change projects managed within any given function of an organization are likely to impact others.
Lewin's Group Dynamics theory essentially holds that whether the object of change is an individual, at least the group or team to which this belongs has to be also regarded as the direct object of change. Notwithstanding, it is hardly believable that the activities performed by a group within an organization's function do not impact the activities performed by other groups within the same function or other functions of the organization. For the successful introduction and implementation of change it is of paramount importance that these interdependencies are timely identified so as to develop the most appropriate plan of action and avert having to deal with foreseeable issues during the change implementation process. This does not clearly entails that the execution of change is immune from problems, always expect the unexpected, but duly taking heed of all the variables which may affect the implementation of change during its preparation can definitely enable every individual handling change to considerably reduce the chances of failure.
It can be finally taken as axiomatic that identifying the immediate objective of change does not suffice; since the very beginning of the change preparation phase it is hence absolutely necessary to identify the different levels of the systems which will be affected, directly or indirectly, by the change initiative so as to develop the appropriate plan of action. Also in change management, prevention is definitely better than cure.


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DETROIT (WEYI/WSMH) As expected, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit will reinvent itself starting in 2020. The planned changes are many -- most notably, the calendar move from January to June.
Since the very first Detroit Auto Show in 1907, the annual event has always been held during the winter. Moving to a summer date will allow for expanding the show beyond the indoor halls of Cobo Center in a major way. Organizers envision a major festival-type event celebrating not only cars but also live entertainment, food and major speakers on the future of the automotive industry, including autonomy and mobility.
"Our show is undergoing its most significant transformation in the last three decades," said NAIAS executive director Rod Alberts. "Detroit will continue to be a global stage for some of the world's most significant and iconic vehicle reveals and host an unparalleled international audience of media and key industry influencers."
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association runs NAIAS. The association and its board of directors held hundreds of meetings and conversations with key stakeholders as due diligence in exploring new opportunities for the show. Those stakeholders included automakers, suppliers, sponsors and government leaders.
"Our ultimate goal is to provide an experience and opportunity for participating companies and attendees that only Detroit can offer," said Doug North, DADA president. "June will allow us to better showcase the automotive leadership, development and heritage our great city and region holds."
"The North American International Auto Show is an amazing exhibition that showcases the most innovative and creative automotive companies around the world," said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. "Moving the show to the summer opens up new opportunities for companies as well as creating new experiences for attendees."
The 2019 North American International Auto Show will be the final winter event. The annual Charity Preview is Jan. 18. The public show is Jan. 19-27.


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There will an Alternative Christmas Special at The Forum - Just The Tonic's Nottingham club - on Friday, December 11.
It will feature appearances by Tim Clark and Dane Baptiste, among others.
Then Clark is on the bill with Philberto and Dave Longley on Saturday, December 12.
The Forum is based at The Cornerhouse on Burton Street in Nottingham city centre. Call 0115 9100009 for more details.
Meanwhile, Toby Hadoke and Steve Shanyaski are at Jongleurs in Nottingham on both Friday and Saturday.
Doors open at 6.30 for an 8.30pm start.
Call the ticket hotline on 08700 111 960.


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Kuttanad Farming
The vast backwater stretches of Kuttand in Allappey an important backwater destination in Kerala is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried out below sea level. Q, S, T& R Block kayals is a striking example of the indigenous agricultural engineering know-how. Here, cultivation and habitation are made possible at four to 10 feet below sea level by reclaiming land from the backwaters and building dykes around it. Farming is the main stay occupation here and large farming areas near Vembanad Lake are actually reclaimed from the lake. The history of the paddy cultivation in Kuttanad can be traced back to centuries. The pioneering reclamation activity of kayal cultivation was made by two brothers Mathai Luka Pallithanam and Ouseph Luka Pallithanam belonging to Kainady village in Kuttanad. The period between 1865 and 1890 is considered as the first phase of kayal cultivation.
Following the Land Reclamation Act which decreed that whoever reclaims land from water can own it, many enterprising farmers took up the challenge leading to massive redemption of land from the lake. Under this reclamation scheme,kayal land was notified for reclamation in blocks each named by an English alphabet. In the first period Blocks A to G measuring 6300 Acres were reclaimed. During the second period of new reclamation, blocks H to N measuring 3600 acres were reclaimed and during the third period of new reclamation R Block Kayal measuring 1,400 acres were reclaimed by the joint effort of eight families.
Life in the Backwaters
Ways of life on the backwaters have a different set of rules, since there are no roads to depend on; canals, rivers and lakes make for travel routes. The backwaters in Kerala are the source of livelihood and the lifeline of the state nurturing a flourishing agriculture and fishing industry. Most families have a boat of their own and children learn to swim as early as they learn to walk.
School buses float, so do the postal services and the shops. Boats and canoes glide around selling fish, vegetables and daily requirements from house to house, women folk happily going about their daily chores since most of the houses are largely surrounded by water. The constant sound of washing clothes and utensils is all around. Most of the canals are bordered by small embankments, with paths lined by coconut palms that are tapped for toddy, and the coconut fibre is used for coir production. Large rice paddy fields lower than sea levels also dot the horizon.
Another important sight and pleasure hobby here is fishing. Just about anybody is happy waiting for the fish to bite as they sit on the banks of the lake. Local fisherman with their catch on their way to the market, ducks being guided along the water canal and children diving and bathing in the water are everyday scenes ratifying that the waterways are the real life line of these parts.
Kayal Raja of Kuttanad
Murikkummoottil Thommen Joseph (MurickenOuthachan) known locally as Kayal Raja, was an Indian visionary and social worker, who helped to transform parts of the Vembanad Lake, in Kerala from a marshy backwater into the rice bowl of Kerala, giving much needed jobs to tens of thousands and produced scarce grain for the population ravaged by the restrictions and scarcity of the World War I and II.
He started reclamation of Kayal (Lake) land under the orders of SreeChithiraThirunal, the then Maharaja of Travancore. The Kayal paddy fields reclaimed by him were named Chitthira (716 acres), Rani (568 acres) and Marthandom(674 acres) as a token of gratitude to the Travancore Royal Family. Thus the total Kayal reclaimed by Murickan is approximately 1958 acres. He did cultivation in a very large extent of reclaimed area and achieved such a success that he was crowned as "KrishiRajan" (farmer king) by the then prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
He was also a devout Catholic who built seven churches in his home state of Kerala. Muricken was one of the few who had the rare opportunity to have an audience with the Pope in his private chambers.
The reservoir of water in Kuttand is filled with fish so naturally fishing is a means of livelihood. Besides paddy cultivation, it is one of the main sources of revenue for the people of this region. Fishing in Kerala's serene backwaters and lagoons is truly a wonderful experience and holidaymakers are encouraged to try the various traditional fishing techniques used by the locals. Hand gathering of pearls spot, spearfishing, netting, angling and trapping to catch other varieties like the mullet, prawns, crabs, lobsters etc. a few of the tastiest varieties found in this area are the essential recreational activities one can try. Join the local fisherman for some night fishing in the backwaters. There are several fish farms here that are private and government owned. The shrimp farms (Tiger prawns) that are spread around offer opportunities to visitors to watch and catch them for either lunch or dinner.
Duck Rearing
Tending to ducks in the swamp and canal is another occupation of the people of Kuttanad. Paddy fields and canals are favourable for duck rearing and they are put in groups in the paddy fields. Since duck rearing is a subsidiary occupation for many farmers; thousands of ducks wadding over the fields, lakes and rivers is a beautiful sight across the district. A ready camera will help in getting the perfect picture.
Coir Industry
The people of Kuttanad have used the Vembanadkayal for developing the coir industry. Coir and coir products have good demand in the Indian and foreign markets and is an important means of livelihood; and entire villages are seen engaged in coir manufacture along the waterside. It is very interesting to watch the coir making by the village ladies with the help of weaving wheels. Handmade coir carpets and rugs with unique Kerala motifs are simply amazing, and for those ready to try their hands at it, the weavers will readily lend a helping hand to start the process.
Toddy Tapping
Toddy the fermented sap of the palm tree, a kind of country liquor is an intoxicating and popular drink consumed by the people. Toddy tapping from the palm trees is a common sight as villages are lined with these swaying palms. Any visitor who visits Kerala is likely to be attracted by the omnipresent boards before the thatched huts along the roads proclaiming the sale of kallu or toddy. These toddy shops are not visited merely for the toddy drink but also for the local delicacies like Tapiyoca& Shell fry that are served there. The food items have a local flavour that is typical of the countryside. Apart from the food and drinks served, the kallu shops are also venues for friendly gathering of the village people. Get adventurous and try toddy tapping and sip this heady drink.


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This is my buddy Darrell.
He has been homeless for years. I met him a few years ago and we struck up a friendship. I've come to learn that this is not where he thought his life would end up. Today, as we shared a Wendy's meal sitting on a bench outside of Bass Pro in East Ridge he talked of his childhood and growing up in the Highland Park area. He talked about his mom and dad and all the fun times they had together. He talked about how he made some bad decisions and lost touch with reality. We talked about how his mother died in his arms and what that did to him. He said "I just shut off. I shut off for so long I found myself with literally nothing" Darrell is a great guy, who loves to laugh. I think our friendship went to another level today as he invited me to his "home," a patch of woods near a popular shopping center. It's a ways back there, but you know when you are at "his place" by the plastic bags hanging in the trees. His "bed," as he says, is a 6 foot long piece of plastic he puts his sleeping bag on… I tried to get him to go to a hotel for a couple nights because the temp is suppose to be in the 20's, but he wouldn't. So, got him a tent, portable propane heater and a big bag of Cheetos! As we were sitting there talking our guitar player from church Dakota and his girlfriend Bailea came walking up, they joined us in the woods to get the tent set up. As I was leaving he opened up the Cheetos and said "Wanna have my birthday meal with me today" His 50th birthday was Saturday. So we sat there on the ground and celebrated his 50th birthday together and took a birthday selfie… He said "Man I'm looking rough" ha ha!
It literally hurts my heart that I can't do more for him and the hundreds of others who were scattered throughout those woods. Maybe you are like me and you are asking "How can I help?" Here are a few things that you can do that can help our neighbors.
You can help immediately by giving to our Blanket Drive at Rock Bridge Ringgold. The months of December, January and February we are collecting new and gently used blankets to give to those who need an extra layer of warmth this winter. You can drop them off at the church any time by putting them in the specified container in between the front doors or at any one of our services (Thursday 6:30 Sunday 9:00, 10:30 or 11:59)
As the temperatures keep getting colder, North GA and the TN Valley homelessness problem becomes a more strikingly apparent situation than at any other time of the year.
Here are a few things I've learned that you can do to help out our Homeless neighbors.
1) Acknowledge them
It sounds like an obvious thing to do, but it can make a world of difference to somebody's day. It's been days, months, maybe even years since the last time one of them had a actual conversation with someone. Everytime they open their mouth we tend to think they are just going to ask for money that they will use to "buy booze or drugs".
Darrell said "A smile and a hello can make a world of difference," "That can actually set someone up for the day, especially when they've had no one to talk to for a long time."
2) Buy them something WARM. A coffee, meal, tent etc…
Stopping by Starbucks? Why not buy an extra hot drink, even if it's just a small one? Not only will this keep a homeless person hydrated but it will give them a chance to warm their hands up.
A tent or sleeping bag might actually save their life!
These are only $30 at BassPro http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Eclipse-Hiker/Biker-1Person-Tent/product/9992256648/
3) Donate.
Find a charity, church or individual that is legit and donate! Money, Blankets, Gloves, Coats etc..
4) Serve.
"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care"
Find an opportunity to serve them.
4) Buy them a gift.
Buy them a good book, or pre loaded old ipod you got laying around that you never use.
We don't think about it, but homeless people do like to read to pass the time, it gives them something to take their mind away for a bit.
5) Help them keep warm
When it's in the 30's and below, keeping warm at night is impossible if you're living without shelter.
Again…offering a homeless person a thick sleeping bag, tent or blanket might save their life!!!
*Note: Don't donate summer sleeping bags. Get a thick winter cold weather rated sleeping bag*
Winter sleeping bags are thicker and they're waterproof so they're more useful at this time of the year.
Other warm clothes can also be donated, like gloves, hats and thermal undergarment. etc.
Let me beg you here. PLEASE DO NOT give a homeless person a gospel track by itself. That is shameful and not christ like at all! I'm all for you giving them a track if that's what you want, but that track had better be with a tent, coat, meal(s).
Darrell is a stronger christian than most of the people that would hand him a track and think they are doing a good thing because he is "that way"
6) Do the Backpack Challenge
Fill up a old backpack with anything that might be useful really – blankets, thermals, snacks or a paperback…
If you see a homeless person I don't advise giving them money directly, because they may have addiction issues or other problems. If they are really in need they will NEVER turn away a warm meal, blanket, etc…
We can't solve the homeless problem overnight. We can't help every homeless person but we CAN help one at a time.
Be the good and see the need around you! It will shock you how much you can do right here in our community for people who need it the most!
If you would like to donate anything that could help keep my friends warm please email me at email@example.com or text/call me at 423-280-9101
Thanks and God bless


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The Bank Act requires banks to inform clients, in plain language, that coercive tied selling is illegal. To comply with the law, we have provided the following information explaining:
The Bank Act prohibits banks from practicing coercive tied selling. More specifically, it is against the law for a bank to pressure you to buy a product or service that you don't want, in order to obtain another bank product or service.
Here are two examples of coercive tied selling:
Both of these practices are against the law. If you qualify for a product, a banking representative is not allowed to excessively pressure you to buy another unwanted product or service as a condition of obtaining the product you want.
Most businesses, including Canadian Western Bank, look for tangible ways to show their interest in your business and appreciation for your loyalty. Sales practices, such as preferential pricing and bundling of products and services, offer potential and existing clients better prices or more favourable terms. These practices should not be confused with coercive tied selling, as defined by the Bank Act. Many of these practices will be familiar to you in your dealings with other businesses and are an acceptable way to conduct business.
What is our commitment to you?
We expect all of our employees to comply with the law by not practicing coercive tied selling. We urge you to let us know if you believe that you have experienced coercive tied selling in any dealings with us.
Preferential pricing is not coercive tied selling. It means offering clients a better price or rate on all or part of their business. For example, a printer offers a lower price for each business card if you buy a thousand cards instead of a hundred. A shoe store offers a second pair of shoes at half price.
Similarly, a bank may be able to offer you preferential pricing - a higher interest rate on investments or a lower interest rate on loans - if you use more of its products or services. Here are two examples of preferential pricing in banks:
These practices are acceptable. The approval of your mortgage and RRSP loan is not conditional on your taking another bank product or service. Rather, you are offered preferential pricing to encourage you to to do more business with the bank.
Products or services are often combined to give consumers better prices, incentives or more favourable terms. By linking or bundling their products or services, businesses are often able to offer them to you at a lower combined price than if you bought each product on its own. For example, a fast-food chain advertises a meal combination that includes a hamburger, fries and a drink. The overall price is lower than if you bought the three items separately.
Similarly, banks may offer you bundled financial services or products so that you can take advantage of package prices that are less than the sum of the individual items.
Here is an example of bundling of bank products and services:
Bundling products in this way is permitted because you have the choice of buying the items individually or in a package.
To ensure the safety of their depositors, creditors and shareholders, banks must carefully manage the risk on the loans and credit cards they approve. Therefore the law allows us to impose certain requirements on borrowers as a condition for granting a loan - but only to the extent necessary for us to manage our risk.
Here is an example of how banks manage such risk:
This practice is legal and appropriate. Having your business' operating account at the bank allows your bank to assess possible risks associated with your business' cash flow and manage the risk associated with the loan.
At CWB, our requirements for borrowers will be reasonable and consistent with our level of risk.
We encourage you to raise questions or concerns as soon as they arise. Each branch or office is supported by a vice president who has the decision-making authority to resolve most problems. Should the matter not be resolved to your satisfaction, you may wish to correspond with CWB's complaint handling officer:
Canadian Western Bank
Suite 3000, 10303 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3X6
Phone: 780.423.8888
Toll-free phone: 1.888.423.8854
Fax: 780.423.8897
Email: [email protected]


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Hi all,
Not much has been going on with the server in terms of new features so I thought that it would be a good time to explain the current situation and what the future plans are. In general the chat report system needs some major reform for an upcoming feature that will introduce another element to the server which has not yet been seen - https://creativefun.buycraft.net/category/1040129
Beta tester
This is reserved for an upcoming feature that needs a large amount of testing before being moved to the live server and will revolutionise the way you play on the server. Testing will take place on Creative4 from an undisclosed date where you will be required to buy a Beta Tester Pass in order to join the server. Allowing every player to test the new feature will most likely cause lots of crashes due to the large amount of players which is why we have chosen to make this a paid whitelist service. The likely set price for a Beta Tester Pass will be $10. Once testing is over, Creative4 will be closed and the feature will be implemented on each creative server allowing all players to use it. Each Beta Tester will be given access to a special chat room as well as an exclusive role on the CreativeFun Discord where you can openly communicate issues or just chat with other Beta Testers. You can join the official discord server with this link: discord.gg/WxyCR49
Reporting messages
The current reporting system has been effective at getting players to report messages in chat much more easily but it's not perfect for particular situations that may involve spam or context. This is why a major reform is being done with the way messages are reported and how staff deal with them. The new reporting system will make it so that when you try to report a message you will be able to view the previous 3 messages that the user typed and the future 3 messages (if the user has typed in chat after the message you are reporting). This is useful for both players and staff as the context may influence whether the player deserves to be muted or not. You will also be able to report spam using the in-game system since reporting messages will show the time of when the message was sent.
Everything explained above involves making the chat report system more effective but there are other concerns that players have had for months. The new chat report system will be much more informative for both the player being muted and the player that created the report. When a player is muted from a report they will be given a message informing them about the staff member who muted them, the reason for the mute, the time remaining until the mute expires and the exact message the user typed which resulted in them receiving the mute. The player who created the report will receive a notification in chat about the status of their report. This means that you will receive a notification in chat whenever your report is confirmed or dismissed and the staff member who dealt with your report will also be displayed.
I've gone over the effective and informative changes of the new reporting system but now I'll mention how changes are being made to prevent staff from abusing their power. You will be able to use /history which will display every single report you have ever made and the status of each report. As mentioned above, a notification is given about your report being confirmed or dismissed but your report may have been dealt with incorrectly. If you believe that a report was dismissed when the user clearly deserved to be muted then you are able to report the staff member who dealt with the report by clicking on the report in the GUI. This will forward the report to higher staff who will give a final verdict about whether the staff member deserves a warning or not and you will receive a notification about the action that was taken. If you are muted from a report and believe that you did not deserve the mute you will be able to screenshot the mute and higher staff will review the mute to see whether you deserved the mute or not. It's important to note that this process may change as I am trying to get away from using screenshots and to use in-game features instead.
Staff applications
As of right now we are looking for more staff members (particularly ChatMods). The report count has reset in preparation of the new chat report system that is being worked on. This means that everyone now has 0 confirmed and dismissed reports so utilise this to maintain a good confirmed to dismissed report ratio as this is a key factor that staff will be looking at when viewing your application. Someone with 15 confirmed reports and 4 dismissed reports is in a better position than someone who has 16 confirmed reports and 14 dismissed reports.
Now with all that said, Happy thanksgiving!


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I've heard people ask on many occasions, "What do guys like?" Or "What kind of girls do guys want?". There is no set Barbie Doll that boys want. Of course there ARE some similar desirable traits. When it comes to appearance girls should just be themselves. Do whatever it is that makes you feel beautiful for yourself. The more confident a girl is with herself, the more it shows. If you are one of the people who is asking this question then you should look at the situation differently. The best way to go about dating is to perfect yourself and then meet people you mesh with. It is never fully satisfying to mold yourself into the type a girl you think is desirable. My personal recommendations are to be nice, friendly, and true to yourself! Certain traits that are good to keep in mind is be trusting, and do not smother him. A clingy girl is just annoying! If you focus on perfecting the things in your life that are important to you, you will find that boys who care about the same things will gravitate towards you. So the moral of the story is, cliche as it may be, JUST BE YOURSELF!
Love Fully!