text:
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Use your bow and arrow to save the people being hanged! Shoot the ropes to set them free, but be careful not to accidentally shoot the people instead!
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My Top Games.Net is your #1 source for top flash and unity games. If you are looking for strategy games, puzzle games, shooting games or just funny games then you have found the right place. Our target is to have only the best quality free online games. All our games are handpicked and free to play. You don't need to pay or even download anything. Just click and play you favorite flash and unity games for free. Enjoy!
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Rivers Edge Camp &
Retreat Centre
Group Rentals
Equine Centre
Riding Lessons
Trail Rides
Horse Care
Girl Guides
Homeschool Program
Clinics & Events
Equestrian FAQs
Equestrian FAQs
Are waiver forms required?
Waiver forms are required for all riders. Waivers are available for download ahead of time or at the camp office at check in. Minors must have theirs signed by a parent or legal gaurdian. Download waiver:
What do I wear?
Attire for all ages and experience levels include:
Properly fitted ASTM/SEI certified helmet (we have some you may borrow)
Boots with a smooth tread, slight heel and no laces
(some boots are available at the barn)
Long pants
Suitably warm clothes for cold weather rides
Nothing that flaps, has long strings, or can't get dirty
Attire includes:
Layered clothing, for our rapidly changing weather
Waterproof jacket, in case of rain
Gloves, not mittens, to more safely handle the reins on cold days
Long hair tied back
Thermals under jeans rather than snowpants (which slide too much in the saddle)
Hand warmers and toe warmers tucked in boots and gloves
Minimal jewellery
Are reservations required?
Yes. Reservations with a credit card are required. You card will not be charged unless you do not show or do not cancel with adequate time (see "How do I cancel my ride?" below).
How may I pay?
You may pay cash, debit, credit, or cheque in the office upon arrival. GST is included in the cost.
When are reservations available?
Please call our office for current availability as we schedule horseback activities around Summer Camps and visiting Guest Groups. Please note that very few reservations are available during Summer Camps (July & August) in order to give our horses adequate rest.
How do I get there?
You can find directions to Rivers Edge on our
ontact & directions
page. GPS is often unreliable in our area. Please follow our posted directions and the signs directing you to Rivers Edge Camp. Upon arrival, please proceed to the office for payment before walking to the barn.
How early should I arrive?
Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled ride to allow time for payment and waiver forms at the camp office, walking down to the barn, helmet fitting, boot choosing (if borrowing ours), and introductions with our staff.
When does the Equestrian Centre cancel a ride?
We will ride rain or shine (or snow), but will cancel, delay, or suspend a ride due to unsafe trail conditions, extreme weather, or lightening. When weather or trail conditions dictate, we will call at least two hours prior to your ride to cancel. Due to the nature of Alberta's rapidly changing weather (particularly for thunderstorms), we may need to delay or suspend (dismount) your ride. There is no charge to if we cancel a ride. We will not issue refunds for delayed or suspended rides.
How can I cancel a ride?
If you need to cancel or reschedule for any reason, please call at least 24 hours prior to your ride.
If you need to cancel due to weather (we understand that not everyone enjoys riding in the rain, snow, and cold like we do!) or dangerous road conditions (we also understand that just because it's safe to ride in our area doesn't mean it's not a blizzard in yours), please call at least 4 hours in advance.
Cancellations without adequate notice or no-shows will be charged the full amount.
Phone: 403-637-2766 Email:
[email protected]
Activity Waiver

subset: commoncrawl


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It's been reported yesterday, that the Israeli computer stores chain – "BUG", will start selling iPads, as early as next week. This is even before the official Apple distributors – "iDigital" are able to do so. BUG will only sell wifi iPads for now, at the following reported prices:
iPad wifi 16gb – 3,799nis & iPad wifi 64gb – 4,899nis. BUG will offer service & repairs by their labs and market the iPads with a one year guarantee, as opposed to the official iDigital Apple labs. That means that if the device is repaired by BUG, that would probably void the original Apple warranty.
iDigital responded to these publications harshly, stating that selling these iPads, without official Apple repair services and support is irresponsible, and even misleading, because the iPads don't have hebrew support yet. They commented that customers should be patient for a few more weeks, until iDigital start marketing them with the original warranty and at better prices.
I must say, that there is an element of truth to what iDigital is saying, but the picture is not as bleak as they paint it. For example, hebrew support is not officially implemented in the current iPad iOS, but the moment it is updated to support Hebrew, it will work the same for iPads bought from BUG as it would for iPads bought from iDigital. Not to mention, if you decide on jailbreaking your iPad, you can pay 8$ (~30nis) for unofficial Hebrew support by Tom Zickel, which is satisfactory for most users.
Regarding pricing – although prices might, as iDigital say, be cheaper with them – they would still be not as cheap as buying them abroad. So, unless you can get them that way, I would listen to iDigital and wait a bit longer. Having said that, I love my iPad dearly, and i'm really glad I didn't need to wait for Apple to stock it's official distributors here.


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Latest News Back To Latest News
Jan 21
Go Behind The Scenes With OzTV!
Tune in to OzTV and get a behind the scenes look at what goes on at each stop of Ozzy's tour! For a peek behind the curtain of the band's shows in St. Louis and Minneapolis. check out the videos below:


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Product Description
Ex-Showroom model. Like new condition, clearing to make room for new products. Limited Time Only.
The Origin Urethane Dumbbells are sold in pairs. These solid end dumbbells are a great addition to any workout area. The consistent design throughout the range is a bonus for any commercial or home gym, a the step up from the 'Origin Pro Rubber Dumbbells', they are built to last. Manufactured with solid steel heads, and surrounded by a thick, shock absorbent and impact resistant layer of Urethane. Easy to maintain and extremely durable.
Due to the layer of Urethane, the Dumbbells are extremely durable as well as odourless.
Manufactured with a medium-grade knurling ( Hex ) handle - which improves grip as well as comfort during your workout, even when your hands are sweaty.
Available in weight sizes 1-10kg ( increasing by increments of 1 ), then 10-70kg ( increasing by increments of 2 )
Additional Information
|Origin Fitness
|Ex Demo
|Warranty Type
|Home Warranty
Finance Your Purchase
Instant Online Decision - No Paperwork Involved
Finance options are available on all orders over £280. You can select your finance option by adding your item(s) to your shopping basket and then choose the DEKO finance option in the payment section at checkout.
Note: Finance is only available to UK residents over the age of 18. Subject to terms and conditions. Signature on delivery will be required. Goods will only be delivered to your billing address, and not to an alternative delivery address. Find out more about financing your purchase.
Delivery and Returns
We offer a range of delivery options, depending on the product you're buying and where you would like your order delivered. Find out more about our delivery options and returns policy below.
Standard Delivery
Please allow 3-5 business days for delivery. Standard delivery from £9.95 inc-VAT.
Free Delivery
Free UK mainland delivery is available on selected products only. Please allow at least 5-7 business days for delivery.
Note: For large or heavy items we currently offer a kerbside pallet drop only. For more details please call 0333 2000 750.
UK postcode exceptions: Free delivery is currently not available to the following postcodes beginning with: BT, KA27, KA28, FK18-FK21, HS1-HS9, IV1-IV63, PA20-PA88, PH17-PH50, KW1-KW17, PO30-PO41, ZE1, ZE2, ZE3, IM, IOM, JE and GY. Postcode exception areas include Scottish Highlands & Islands, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Northern Ireland.
Returns Policy: You have fourteen (14) days, from receipt of cancellable goods, to notify us if you wish to cancel your order or exchange an item. For more information on our returns policy please click here.


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Los Angeles, aka: the "City of Angels," is home to the nation's entertainment industry. From your cheap flight to Los Angeles, you can attend movie premieres, watch film stars walk down the Red Carpet, sit in on the taping of a TV show, or visit the stars in the sidewalk on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Los Angeles is a city with imagination. It is also a multicultural city with a wealth of experiences offered.
A cheap flight to Los Angeles may include stops in Hollywood, the historic center of the major movie studios, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the landmark Hollywood Sign and the Academy Awards. Near the heart of the city is Beverly Hills, where many celebrities can be seen eating or shopping at the extravagant Rodeo Drive boutiques. Downtown Los Angeles boasts elegant skyscrapers and top entertainment venues like Disney Hall, the Mark Taper Forum, the Los Angeles Music Center, and the Staples Center.
For those who enjoy sports events, a highlight of your cheap flight to L.A. might include trips to Dodgers Stadium, the Staples Center (which functions as a sports arena as well as a performing arts center), or the Coliseum. If you are here on New Years day, be sure to check out the Rose Parade in Pasadena, just outside the city limits, or catch the traditional rivalry between UCLA and USC to kick off your year. Just like in the movies, Los Angeles captures the spirit of imagination.
Not looking for cheap flight to Los Angeles?
Call our specialists today!


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Subway Tile Bathroom to Make Your Bathroom Cozier
Subway tile bathroom is a kind of tiles for bathroom that has some types. This kind of bathroom tiles is very interesting for some people and makes them want to install this in their bathroom. Bathroom tile is very important for any kinds of bathroom since beside it functions to beautify the bathroom interior design, it also functions to control the temperature of bathroom. When people feel bored with the old design of their bathroom tiles, they will absolutely look for the new design that can bring some benefits that it can be in the aspect of beauty or aspect of another function.
installing bathroom tiles is needed for those who have bathroom at their house. It means there should be a new style of bathroom tiles design that comes annually. Subway tile bathroom is a brand new product of bathroom tiles that people can install it in their bathroom. There are some kinds of subway tile bathroom, they are subway brick stainless steel backsplash home improvement hallway metal kitchen backsplash dining room bathroom shower tiles, ceramic mosaic subway backsplash tiles white porcelain mosaic wall tile PCMT042 bathroom tiles, striped metal glass mosaic tile backsplash stainless steel wall stickers bathroom mirror glass tile subway metal backsplash tile, natural wood mosaic tile rustic wood wall tiles subway brick pattern kitchen backsplash tiles bathroom shower and etc.
Those kinds of subway tile bathroom above are the choice where people can choose. People can choose their preferred types of subway tile bathroom and install it in their own bathroom. Subway tile bathroom is simple to be installed; the installation of it is just the same with any other kinds of bathroom tiles. People do not need to feel worry to install this since it will not be complicated at all. For those who want to have nice bathroom tiles it is recommended to install subway tile bathroom in your home.
Pictures of subway tile bathroom vanity with subway tile bathrooms black and white with subway tile bathroom vanity backsplash is created to be the inspiration of for you. This image was published on October 31, 2017 and published by admin this is fall into the category Bathroom Ideas, the size of image is 736 x 1105 and this post has 22 related images. If you have any questions please Contact page. Hope it could inspire you, our beloved reader in https:myvinespace.com, back to article please click Subway Tile Bathroom to Make Your Bathroom Cozier.


text: This is the second album of the band, following their debut which was released back in 2007. The music of the band is a pleasant surprise, since they are based on Death Metal, but they incorporate enough elements to make their sound unique and interesting. Basically the band is playing Melodic Death Metal, borrowing enough elements from Amon Amarth, Hypocrisy and the likes, but along with that, there are enough keyboard, and background vocals, something that gives their sound a more eerie feeling. The music is well performed, with killer melodies, a solid rhythm section, and brutal singing, and is catchy enough to make you move your head along with the rhythm. Ideas are plenty and well explored, and sometimes the combination of all those ingredients is creating songs that stand high above the average Death Metal stuff. The use of atmospheric keyboards, background vocals, and melodic parts here and there gives an extra depth to their music, and makes it sound even more intriguing. There's enough talent in the band, both in the composing and the performing area, and is obvious through the whole album, with no fillers or less good moments. The production is excellent, heavy and distorted enough, and preserves the details of the music. Heavy guitars and groovy riffs co-exist with melodic keyboards and haunting vocals blend with growls, to create a result that sometimes is amazing. If you like the genre, and you won't mind the experiment, check them out.


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It's no secret the opioid epidemic has put a strain on children services departments throughout Ohio.
Lake County voters should be well aware of the problem. In November they approved an increase in funding for the county's department. The need for the additional money was largely attributed the increased costs associated with the growing number of children in their care due to the epidemic.
Lake County wasn't alone. It was one of 13 counties with children service levies in the ballot in November. Twelve of those 13 passed. Five of those counties passed either new levies or existing levies with increases.
The Public Children Services Association of Ohio said a "tsunami of opioid-affected children is flooding Ohio's children services agencies, exploding county budgets and overwhelming available foster care resources."
"(T)he Great Recession followed by the opioid crisis led to more children being drawn into the system, and these kids are complex, their trauma more challenging, and their placement costs dramatically higher than Ohio's child protection agencies have ever witnessed," PCSAO Executive Director Angela Sausser said.
On July 1, 2013, there were 12,654 Ohio children in foster care, according to data from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. On July 1, 2017, there were 15,510 children in foster care.
A new report from PCSAO title "The Opioid Epidemic's Impact on Children Services in Ohio" projects further increases in children in foster care, an estimated 20,154 by 2020. That's nearly a 60 percent increase from 2013.
>> Interactive: The number of Ohioans projected to be in foster care by 2020
The rate of children needing care is rising much faster than the availability of foster homes. There are about 7,200 foster homes in Ohio currently and that rate is increasing at about 2.5 percent a year according to PCSAO.
The straining of the state's children service system is causing an increased turnover rate for caseworkers.
"Caseworkers are first responder in these opioid-related cases, leading to secondary trauma in our workforce," PCSAO's report stated.
According to the report, one out of every seven public children services caseworkers left their job in 2016. It cost $54,000 to replace a single worker; $24.3 million statewide over that period. PCSAO stated this caused children to linger in foster care longer.
A point of frustration for county officials is the fact that despite being the seventh largest state, Ohio ranks last in per-capita state funding for children services.
"Even if the state's share for children services spending doubled, Ohio would still be 50th in the nation," PCSAO's report stated.
State lawmakers did provide some increases to children services departments for fiscal years 2018-19. Lawmakers added $15 million a year for the state child protection allocation. Another $15 million a year from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant to establish a kinship child care program. An Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services Foster Care Advisory Board was also set up to make recommendations on recruiting and supporting foster parents.
Still, foster care costs have risen $45 million in the past year alone and that doesn't count staffing or other agency services, PCSAO stated.
More than half of funding (52 percent) for children services comes at the local level, federal funds cover 38 percent of the expenditures and the state covers 10 percent. There are now 48 counties with voter-approved levies dedicated to help cover the cost of children services.
Another state entity, the Ohio Attorney General's Office, has started pilot programs to address some of needs created by the epidemic.
The office in April began the Sobriety, Treatment and Reducing Trauma (Ohio START) pilot program in 14 southern counties. The intervention program provides specialized victim services like intensive trauma counseling to children who have suffered victimization due to parental drug abuse according to the Attorney General's office. It also provides drug treatment for parents of children referred to the program.
Child welfare workers will work with a certified peer mentor to meet with each family once a week to "ensure the safety of the child and provide support to parents" according to the office. If a child can safely stay in the home during this process, the child can do so with the oversight of caseworkers. Otherwise, kids will have regular visitation with their parents as they undergo drug treatment, which will be paid for by either Medicaid or private insurance. Family reunification will occur after parents have a minimum of six months of documented sobriety.
The timeline of the pilot program is April 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2019.
Ross and Vinton counties are among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. Both are included in the pilot program. Statewide 50 percent of children taken into custody in 2015 had parental drug use. For both Vinton and Ross counties it was 88 percent. Those rates are among the highest in the state. Lake County's rate was 20 percent, Geauga's was 33 percent and Cuyahoga's was 75 percent.
On Dec. 20 the Attorney General's Office announced a pilot program for foster parent recruitment and family finding. Eight counties are part of the program, including Cuyahoga.
The program provides for the cost of a full-time staff member in each participating county who will be responsible for family search and engagement and foster family recruitment. The program is being administered by the Waiting Child Fund, a non-profit with expertise in foster care, according to the Attorney General's Office.
PCSAO said in its report that recruiting additional foster and adoptive families is needed now and in the future. Other needs include providing additional support to kinship and foster families. Pay rising foster care placement costs (foster homes, group homes, residential care) and recruit and retain a vital workforce.
"Ohio needs a long-term solution to this crisis — and leadership to get us there before agency budgets collapse and our workforce jumps ship," Sausser said. "We already have a lack of available foster homes in Ohio. With the projected increases, we will have children sleeping in county agency lobbies with no available foster family to take them in."
Don't miss
>> Opioid epidemic: Crisis is straining foster care, Ohio child advocates say
>> Coroner tracks even more overdose deaths for Columbus area
>> Opioid epidemic: Congress members seek federal funds to combat crisis
>> Opioid crisis strains foster system as kids pried from homes


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Cirque de la Symphonie, the sixth concert of the 15-16 PNC Pops Season, is bringing stunning visual displays to the classical concert experience at Heinz Hall on April 29-May 1.
The program is a unique form of three-dimensional entertainment, combining classical masterpieces with unbelievable human body performances. Aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers and strongmen will all be part of the show, on and above the stage.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Jack Everly, will join the cirque performers in a beautiful entertainment spectacle. The program will feature a variety of musical styles including orchestral, cinematic, ballet, waltz and tango from an abundance of classic and contemporary composers such as Shostakovich, Williams, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Respighi and Strauss, among others. Opening with the lively "Festive Overture," the program will dazzle with selections from Carmen, Carousel and Swan Lake, while cirque artists bring the stage to life.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. A Pops Talk will occur on stage following the Friday evening performance only. Tickets, ranging in price from $24 to $99, can be purchased by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412-392-4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org/cirque.
The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2015-2016 title sponsorship of PNC Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Radio station WQED-FM 89.3 and WQEJ-FM89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
About the Artists
JACK EVERLY is the principal pops conductor of the Indianapolis and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa). He has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and appears regularly with the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center. Everly will conduct more than 90 performances in more than 20 North American cities this season.
As music director of the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth on PBS, Everly proudly leads the National Symphony Orchestra in these patriotic celebrations on the National Mall. These concerts attract hundreds of thousands attendees on the lawn and the broadcasts reach millions of viewers and are some of the very highest rated programming on PBS television.
Everly is the also music director of Duke Energy Yuletide Celebration, now a 30-year tradition. He led the ISO in its first Pops recording, Yuletide Celebration, Volume One, that included three of his own orchestrations. Some of his other recordings include In The Presence featuring the Czech Philharmonic and Daniel Rodriguez, Sandi Patty's Broadway Stories, the soundtrack to Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Everything's Coming Up Roses: The Complete Overtures Of Jule Styne.
Originally appointed by Mikhail Baryshnikov, Everly was conductor of the American Ballet Theatre for 14 years, where he served as music director. In addition to his ABT tenure, he teamed with Marvin Hamlisch on Broadway shows that Hamlisch scored. He conducted Carol Channing hundreds of times in Hello, Dolly! in two separate Broadway productions.
In 1998, Everly created the Symphonic Pops Consortium, serving as music director. The Consortium, based in Indianapolis, produces new theatrical pops programs, including the most recent Classic FM: Decades of Radio Hits. In the past 17 years, more than 275 performances of SPC programs have taken place across the United States and Canada.
Everly, a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, is a recipient of the 2015 Indiana Historical Society Living Legends Award and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Franklin College in his home state of Indiana. He is a proud resident of the Indianapolis community for more than 14 years and when not on the podium you can find Everly at home with his family, which includes Max the wonder dog.
CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE is an exciting production designed to bring the magic of cirque to the music hall. It is an elegant adaptation of some of the most amazing cirque acts performed on a stage, shared with the full symphony orchestra and showcasing many of the best artists in the world. The audience is thrilled and bedazzled by aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers and strongmen. These accomplished veterans include world record holders, gold-medal winners of international competitions, Olympians and some of the most original talent ever seen. Each performance is perfectly choreographed to classical masterpieces, raising cirque artistry to a fine arts level.
Adding a stunning visual element to the concert experience, these aerialists and acrobats provide a three-dimensional entertainment extravaganza. Orchestras play with enhanced enthusiasm, while patrons marvel at the jaw-dropping spectacle of aerialists flying overhead and astonishing acrobatic feats. Fusing the power and majesty of the live orchestra with the best of cirque artistry, Cirque de la Symphonie is the only cirque company in the world that performs exclusively with symphony orchestras. Over one hundred orchestras worldwide have featured Cirque de la Symphonie in sold-out venues, adding energy and excitement to the concert experience.
The PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, celebrating 120 years of music in the 2015-2016 season, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" in 1944 and John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900—including international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America—the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world's greatest orchestras.
HEINZ HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Heinz Hall also hosts many other events that do not feature its world-renowned orchestra, including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.
Editors please note:
Friday, April 29 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 30 at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 1 at 2:30 p.m.
Heinz Hall
PNC POPS: Cirque de la Symphonie
JACK EVERLY, conductor
Dmitri Shostakovich:
Festive Overture, Opus 96
Aram Khachaturian:
Suite No. 1 from Gayane
III. Ayesha's Awakening and Dance
Le Pero, Alfredo & Gardel, Carlos (Robert Wendel):
Por Una Cabeza
John Williams:
"Devil's Dance" from The Witches of Eastwick
Georges Bizet:
"Les Toréadors" from Suite No. 1 from Carmen
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:
Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty, Opus 66a
Emmanuel Chabrier:
Camille Saint-Saëns:
"Bacchanale" from Samson and Delilah
Zequinha de Abreu (Carmen Dragon):
Tico-Tico No Fubá
Richard Rodgers:
"The Carousel Waltz" from Carousel
John Williams:
"Flight to Neverland" from Hook
Ottorino Respighi:
Can-Can from La Boutique fantasque
Stephen Sondheim:
"Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:
Waltz from Swan Lake
Richard Strauss:
Also sprach Zarathustra, Opus 30
Ottorino Respighi:
I pini di Roma [The Pines of Rome]
Pines near a Catacomb
The Pines of the Appian Way
Dmitri Kabalevsky:
"Galop" from The Comedians, Opus 26


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How Do You Use Scrap Thread or Yarn?
How do you like to use up your scrap yarn and thread? You can share ideas and links in the comment section.
I use my leftover thread to make flowers. The images show a pansy and tulip doily out of scrap thread. Some of the flowers are smaller or larger sizes because the threads are not the same size. It really gives it a unique character with different sizes, especially since flowers in real life are never the same identical size.
The most common way I use up scrap yarn is granny squares. It is also great for embellishing faces on stuffed animals or dolls.


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You can use the name search above or view the categories to find the companies that do accept American Express, as well as those that don't.
Here are a few that do to get you started:
The companies listed above may only accept Amex in-store or online, via PayPal only. Please contact them directly for clarification.
About Us
You're here because you've probably asked yourself, "Where can I use my American Express credit card (or gift card)?".
We understand that Amex isn't the most popular credit card among UK retailers and merchants and it can often be frustrating finding shops that do accept it. That's why we've created this comprehensive list of UK high street shops, online stores and other companies which do accept American Express.
You may have an American Express Gift Card instead of a credit card. In which case you probably still aren't sure where you can use it. Don't worry though here's the word directly from American Express themselves:
"The American Express Gift Card is accepted in the UK where American Express Cards are welcome. Please note that exclusions apply: the Gift Card cannot be used at ATMs, gambling establishments, cruise lines, payment and money transfer providers, customer activated terminals e.g., unattended ticket machines or for purposes of guaranteeing payment of future purchases."
For more information about Amex Gift Cards visit: https://www.americanexpress.com/uk/prepaid/gift-cards/gift-cards.html


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A skilled defenseman with offensive capabilities, Reitz played three seasons in Barrie registering 78 points (20-58-78) before making his professional debut with the Wild's AHL affiliate in Houston in 2002-03. Over the course of the next three seasons, Reitz continued to hone his skills in the AHL before making his NHL debut in the latter stages of the 2005-06 season.
On the international stage, Reitz represented his homeland at the 2002 World Junior Championships.
A Topic
Site Map
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Education Program
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Exhibits Tour
Face-Off Interplay
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Promos & Events
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Stanley Cup Journal
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Time Capsule
Venue Rentals
Visitor Information
Women's Hockey Tribute
World of Hockey Calendar


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We welcomed a new bundle of joy to our KVH product family early this morning with the launch of the new TracPhone V3 , the world's smallest and most affordable maritime VSAT solution. The compact antenna (just 14.5" in diameter!) works flawlessly with KVH's proven mini-VSAT Broadband network, making reliable, affordable satellite communications a reality for vessels as small as 30′. Get all the details here.
We'd also love to hear what you think about this new tech breakthrough, the state of marine SATCOM, or what new technology or features you'd like to see on your boat. So let us know by leaving a comment below or on our Facebook page (where we've also posted some photos of the new gizmo). Or, if you're lucky enough to be at the Miami International Boat Show this weekend, you can meet the TracPhone V3 (and the rest of the family) in booth #1616!
Please log in or create an account to receive access to complete information about KVH's award-winning products and services, including quick and easy downloads of KVH support documentation. It's free and easy and gives you access to the latest info on all of KVH's products.


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Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa
Hontanosas Rd., Panglao, Bohol
- 6 Reviews
- 5 Recommend
- 6 Reviewers
Primary Details
- Category:
- Hotel
- Phone
- +63 (038) 502–9516
More Info
Price Range
₱50,000 - ₱850,000
More Business Info
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Parking:
- Valet
- Hotel Star Rating:
- 5
- Airport Transfer:
- Yes
- Restaurant:
- Yes
- Bar:
- Yes
- Tours:
- Yes
- Massage:
- Yes
- Room Service:
- Yes
- Safety Deposit Boxes:
- Yes
- Laundry Service:
- Yes
Hotel Policies
- Extra Beds for Infant 0-2 years:
- Stay for free if using existing bedding. Note, if you need a cot there may be an extra charge.
- Extra Beds for Children 3-5 years:
- Must use an extra bed. Extra beds are dependent on the room you choose, please check the individual room policy for more details.
Useful Information
- Check-Out:
- 12:00p
- Distance from City Center:
- 18.0km
- Distance from Airport:
- 20.0km
- Earliest Check-In:
- 2:00p
- Number of Rooms:
- 15
- Room Voltage:
- 220
- Time to Airport:
- 25m
- Year Hotel Built:
- 2007
Most Recent Reviews
Browsing at Eskaya's website, the descriptions and pictures do not do justice to the resort in reality.
the moment we stepped out of the airport , we were promptly welcomed by a waiting staff to bring us to the resort..
Kuya Martin carried our luggages and showed us to the resort's van , upon seating he gave us ice cold bottled water and we were on our way to Eskaya.
Upon reaching Eskaya , we were welcomed with leis of flower and was requested to register, few signatures here and there and we were whisked to our garden villas accompanied by house staff.
We were awed by the design of the Balai Villas, as it exhudes rustic architecture yet with modern amenities.
Additionally, to add to its exclusive ambiance , each villa has its own wading pool and Jacuzzi.
The surrounding of our Balai was adorned by bamboos and various vegetation ,a constant chirp of crickets made us feel lost in paradise.
Considering the resort was built a few years back ,Eskaya was able to maintain the Balai rooms and its whole resort in excellent condition.
We decided to go around the resort and was speechless on the view of the beach and powdery sand by the shore.
We trek to the restaurant and had a sumptuous lunch ,(loved the grilled squid and sinigang na maya maya)...the pork and others were so-so and may need some improvement.
The eternity pool beside the restaurant overlooks the ocean and gives you that feeling of complete relaxation and peace....
Wait a minute.....there's silence ????
Yes, the beauty of Eskaya is its exclusivity ....no crowds , no noise and no overbearing people trying to take a dip in the pool.
We were practically alone in the resort and only saw a few guests during our entire stay.
The wifey had a massage at the Handuraw Spa and she gave nothing but praises to the service and hospitality.
Overall, the Eskaya experience is uncomparable to other resorts we've been to.
For me it's an underrated resort that shouldn't be missed on your bucket list.
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- No. of Likes: 7 Likes
Went here for the 2nd time for my birthday. We celebrated it at Lantawan Restaurant which means viewing restaurant (if "lantaw" is their word basis which means "to watch") simply because you can marvel at their infinity pool and the beautiful beach front while satiating your delicious meal. See that photo up there? That's my #tablejungle photo where the animals are a lot, lot fiercer! The plates came out squeaky clean!
Their so-called "Balai" which means "house" is beckoning for stay-in guests. It's a luxurious take on a classic nipa hut. The sheets were soo comfortable I drowned myself in their ultra-softness and the sheer white, overhead drapes reminiscent of a mosquito net, cone your entire bed while asleep. When I went for their toilet and bath, it was an interestingly unusual open garden space (but still true to its nipa hut theme) to which at first I was a little hesitant that outside guests or employees might peep into but a series of tall bamboo trunks seal the perimeter. The sink was so dainty with their own blend of lotion, shower gel and soap and also a jacuzzi to keep you warm and bubbly. You also have your own pool to dive into just outside the Balai. A golf cart drops by to fetch you for breakfast at the restaurant in the following morning. And I'm just talking about their very basic accommodation. If only I had a chance to take a peek at their presidential suites. It was a well thought out architecture for me. I love it!
Moving on, it was a pretty awesome resort; luxurious in fact. I would definitely wanna go back given the fortunate means.
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- No. of Likes: 3 Likes
I only have good things to say about Eskaya. Quick and easy reservation process. I emailed and got a response in minutes. Beautiful rooms. We stayed in a villa with its own infinity pool facing the ocean. Bliss. The restaurant serves great food. We ate all our meals there. With a place this beautiful, why would we leave? Steak is cooked perfectly the way I wanted (medium). Grilled squid is the best we tasted so we ordered it twice. It was grilled perfectly so the squid is tender. The squid itself is well-seasoned, and so is the stuffing of onions, tomatoes and herbs. The deconstructed pinakbet with lechon kawali - winner! Breakfast is always great. Perfectly poached eggs for me, sunny side up for my hubby. Service is top notch. I swear, the waiters can read our minds. The room is always spotless. It feels like they are hiding somewhere waiting for us to go out and they will quickly come in to clean. Definitely worth every peso we paid.
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ill start of with their great and amazing and accommodating staff. they simply are awesome. they are worth every cent we payed for. they kept in touch with me before we even got there. they also accommodated my request for a surprise to my aunt who was celebrating her birthday the day of our arrival all free of charge. as soon as we got off our transpo we felt their warm hearted welcome. the manager was even there to welcome us. they didnt let us wait in the lobby. our butler drove us too our suite immediately and there was the surprise. a greeting on our entrance made of flowers!!! took photos with our butlers and went inside cause we were so excited to see the suite. as soon as we open the oder the view of our infinity pool awed us. nothing can compare what we felt that time. it was amazing. Philippines is truly beautiful.
the presidential suite was spacious enough for us 5 adults. our tour guide even stayed with us! hahaha. the toiletries were bvlgaris and theres a lot of towels. 2 super spacious bathrooms. ours has a jacuzzi while the masters has a tub. there is a must see in the restroom at the masters and i recommend that you should check it out. our own infinity pool was huge too with a whirlpool at the side. beside the pool area was a stairs to our fireplace down the hill above the ocean. theres a fire pit and 2 daybeds for sun bathing. sadly there was no shore. you have to go to there public pool just to feel the finest sands of panglao. oh bohol!!! btw the photo is taken at their public pool. beautiful right? there was also a hanging bridge there.
overall? its the best experience in bohol. ide love to go back and back and back.
P.S. theres someone else in the masters bedroom.
- No. of Comments: 6
- No. of Likes: 4 Likes
Choose Balai Type 3! I'll be back for sure!
- No. of Comments: 1
- No. of Likes: 0 Likes
For my first meal here at Eskaya Beach Resort in Bohol, I went to Lantawan Restaurant and ordered what sounded so temptingly good- and true enough, the Lechon Kawali did not disappoint. It was crispy, the flavor of the pork was not overpowering to give balance to the flavors of bagoong, okra, papaya, and the beans. Even the bagoong was very mild, you could eat a spoonful without wanting to chug a pool. The price was reasonable given that Eskaya is considered to be the most luxurious resort here in Bohol. I can't wait to try the other specialties in Lantawan- and wait for it, I have four days to review more dishes.
- No. of Comments: 2
- No. of Likes: 3 Likes


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|Screencap from 'the Paradise' (on my to-see list)
~Don't write complaintative (is that a word?) posts. They encourage your readers to complain as well, and then the atmosphere becomes very drowsy. Not nice.
~No-one is perfect, remember that. Not everything in every blog is good.
~Blogs with quotes in their sidebars attract me.
~When you have a good idea for a blog post, write down some notes immediately, before you forget.
~We bloggers should always welcome new bloggers into the blogging world. Are you getting tired of the word 'blog'?
~There are more than 170000000 blogs in the Internet, so obviously it is impossible to keep track of loads. So you should only follow blogs which interest you. Don't just follow for the sake of following. (Am I making sense?)
~When readers comment long comments, I think it is very polite to answer back.
~Don't mention the same word too many times in a post. It's hard sometimes. When I wrote my P&P95 review, I yearned to write the word 'love' ten times in succession.
~If you feel that your blog is unpopular, don't despair. Keep on writing, and people will come. There are always people who enjoy what you write.


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In The Therapeutic Yoga Kit, Cheri Clampett and Biff Mithoefer combine the gentle healing of Therapeutic Yoga and the quiet awareness of a yin practice to present 16 gentle postures that relieve stress and fatigue and promote recovery from injury and illness. Therapeutic Yoga is a blend of Restorative Yoga, gentle yoga, breathwork, and meditation that releases the body from the fight-or-flight response caused by traumatic events and life's everyday stresses. A yin practice encourages the attitude of acceptance and helps us leave behind our yang need for constant striving and action.
Each pose represents a gentle, adapted posture that is held for 10 minutes or more in a fully supported state. The authors also include transitional yoga movements and stretches to perform during the routine to release stiffness, rejuvenate the muscles, and lubricate the joints. The 16 posture cards and 75-minute audio CD of guided routines and meditations that accompany the text facilitate the creation of a personalized practice. The authors emphasize achieving total relaxation in the specific postures to activate the body's self-healing abilities. It is in this place of comfort and stillness where true healing begins.
About the Author(s) of The Therapeutic Yoga Kit
Cheri Clampett is the founder and director of the Therapeutic Yoga Training Program. She teaches Therapeutic Yoga at hospitals, wellness centers, and yoga centers worldwide, including the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara, and lives in California. Biff Mithoefer teaches Yin Yoga at Omega Institute, throughout the U.S., and internationally. He is the author of The Yin Yoga Kit and a founder and director of the Jamtse Sponsorship Program for the support of Tibetan refuge children. He lives in Vermont.
Watch as Marie talks about using the Kit:
Praise for The Therapeutic Yoga Kit
"Cheri is a leading light in different kinds of yoga, which she teaches all over the world. Because of her vast experience and her constant openness to learning more, her book can certainly benefit yoga students as well as anyone interested in the healing arts in general."
Laura Huxley, author The Child of Your Dreams
"As one who has experienced the gentle, healing power of Cheri Clampett's work, I highly recommend The Therapeutic Yoga Kit to all those who wish to enjoy greater peace, harmony, and vibrant energy in their lives."
Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., author of Five Wishes and coauthor ofConscious Loving
"The Therapeutic Yoga Kit is an asset to any yoga practice and a valuable tool for any yoga teacher."
Ganga White, author of Yoga Beyond Belief, and Tracey Rich, director of White Lotus Yoga Foundation
"Cheri and Biff have humbly and honestly tested the techniques they present in The Therapeutic Yoga Kit. If readers practice the ideas presented in this book they will find many seeds of health and healing."
Paul Grilley, author of Yin Yoga
"Simple yoga practices are a blessing in their ability to bringing about profound and lasting healing. Through Cheri Clampett's intuitive heart and teaching experience, The Therapeutic Yoga Kitoffers us a perfect prescription for abundant well being."
Nischala Joy Devi, author of The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras
"The Therapeutic Yoga Kit offers practical information applicable to anyone and everyone interested in the art and science of yoga. Cheri Clampett and Biff Mithoefer's creative inspiration is a healing tool for us all to embrace."
LeRoy R. Perry Jr., D.C., C-Ped., five-time official Olympic Team doctor and president of the International Sportscience Institute
" . . . the best collection of materials I've seen for practicing yin yoga, yoga therapy, and restorative poses. . . . As a yin yoga teacher who works with seniors and fibromyalgia patients, I can't say enough good things about the therapeutic yoga kit. The kit is accessible for beginners and inspiring for experienced students and teachers."
Jessica Teel, reviewer, Feb 2009
"The Therapeutic Yoga Kit conveys the tried and tested techniques of internationally practiced yoga teachers in a personally-adaptable and easy-to-use form."
SirReadaLot.org, Feb 2009
"The synergy of the two authors and their intertwining expertise and suggestions, drawn from putting these techniques into practice, offers a treasure trove of wisdom. . . . Clampett and Mithoeffer sketch out a comprehensive map of how to utilize props and blankets to support a variety of body types, ability levels, and circumstances."
Felicia M. Tomasko, RN, LaYoga, March 2009
" . . . makes a fine gift choice, or pick, for any individual interested in furthering yoga techniques and applying them to healing."
The Midwest Book Review, April 2009
"I found the set easy to comprehend, and the poses are gentle and relaxing. Each pose is held for about 10 minutes, and with the accompanying CD to help walk you through and to provide a lovely musical background, it truly is a stress-relieving set!"
dkMommy Spot, May 2009


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|« Round Two of the Arbutus Library Project
|Exploring Youth Activism through Digital Storytelling: Seminar in American Political History »
During the spring 2011 semester, students in MLL 495/695 Intercultural Video productions completed two community-base digital story projects. The first brought the class to the Arbutus branch of the Baltimore County Public Library to help tell the stories of the librarians and others in the community. This was the second year for the project.
Next the class went to the Charlestown retirement community for aa new round of Charlestown stories. This was a continuation of an award-winning project that began in 2006.
The semester culminated in a showing of all stories hosted by the Arbutus Library.
|Charlestown Stories
|My Life as a Boy Scout
|Barbara Walker and Thomas Conner
|Caterpillar Corral
|Marie Brinsfield and Abigail Farrara
|The Old Farm House
|Jeri Mullinix and Josh Cochran
|In My Heart I Will Always be a Dancer
|Ebbe Saleski and Madeline Smith
|An Unexpected Slap
|Lloyd Stewart and Keith Blomberg
|Girls of the Limberlost
|Miriam Tongier and Brandon Callahan
|The Little Girl Who Grew Up at Charlestown
|Charlotte Valentine and Amanda Winters
Arbutus Library Stories
|Getting from Here to There
|Gloria Ries, Tom Conner & James Peak
|Arbutus Library
|Gail Ross, Abby Fanara and Lei Lou
|The Fair of the Iron Horse
|John Roth, Josh Cochran & Keith Blomberg
|Library Rat
|Aldemore Turgeon,Cara Marie & Muhammed Ashraf
|Arbutus Library
|James Klein, Brandon Callahan & Christine Sadowski
|Arbutus Branch Library: Then and Now
|Jennie Gill, Madeline Smith & Amanda Winters


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This project consisted of a group of words that we had to illustrate throughout the semester. Of course, I could have done actual drawings, but I was very pleased with the final results.
Before I forget, let me mention that these images are built from photos that are not mine. Unfortunately, I cannot acknowledge the photographers since I use photos from everywhere. Hopefully, they will not be too upset that I re-purposed their beautiful images.


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Whether we hate it or love it, studying is an inevitability that students must face during their college careers.
ETSU offers some interesting and sometimes unorthodox places for students to sharpen their intellectual tools.
Some students flock to the library, while others flock to the more obscure nooks and crannies of this historic campus.
"I'm usually in the library's group study rooms at least once a day," said graduate student Tyler Schrichte. "Though the term group is a bit of an overstatement, the rooms are usually only big enough for one or two people if you're lucky."
Music students tend to stay within the confines of Mathes Hall to do their studying. The top floor has several practice rooms that are equipped with computers and electric pianos that afford students an opportunity to quickly finish homework or practice for an upcoming recital.
Another issue students found in Mathes Hall and the library was occupancy; students either have to wait for a room or go elsewhere.
"If I can't find an open group room in the library, I will just take my laptop to a free area," Schrichte continued. "The new chairs on the first floor of the library really provided more space for people to gather and study."
Additionally, some students found the D.P. Culp University Center to be helpful in offering a space to study. There are multiple couches and chairs on the first level adjacent to the auditorium, and students can casually meet to discuss upcoming assignments.
"Studying in the Cave is pretty much a no-go, unless you have big, noise-blocking headphones," Schrichte said. "It's a fun place to go for social meetings and gatherings – especially now that people are having Super Smash Brothers Tournaments on the televisions, but it's not exactly ideal for studying."
Quietness seemed to be an obvious factor in where students chose to study, but others expressed that they like to study outside when it's nice.
"When there is a nice breeze, a bearable amount of sunlight and the sound of beautiful birds chirping, the outdoors can be the perfect place to sit down and study," Schrichte said. "Sometimes I will go to the Amphitheater outside of the Culp Center or I will sit at the clock tower. The university has built in seating and comfortable canopies of trees, which can be a great atmosphere to study and do homework. I just hope they don't cut down any more trees on campus because it really helps to enhance the learning environment."
All in all, students felt the study spots the university currently offers are great and accommodating. However, some wish there were more spaces to study, especially with the increase in student enrollment.


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By Frank Rosengarten
The project of the Research Group on Socialism and Democracy (RGSD), as originally conceived by its co-founders, Mike Brown and myself, had a three-fold purpose: historical, theoretical, and methodological. We approached the project with only two presuppositions, which, as stated in our introduction to the first issue of Socialism and Democracy (Fall 1985), were: 1) "that modernization, if it is to be a process involving the development of society as a whole, requires some measure of socialist organization and planning"; and 2) "that socialism and democracy are two aspects of the same general problematic." Beyond these two basic presuppositions or "premises," we left the door wide open for reflections coming from a wide spectrum of intellectual and political sources. It was in this spirit that the RGSD invited speakers of different ideological persuasions to share their thoughts in public, organized seminars on a variety of topics, and sponsored one major conference in 1989 that featured a large number of speakers on the history, theory, and future prospects of the Communist Party USA. The conference was suggested to us by Gil Green, long a kind of maverick of the Party who, despite his advanced years, was engaged in the polemics that accompanied the crisis of "really existing socialism" in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
The historical part of the project was motivated by a desire to explore the moments of the last several hundred years where intersections and interactions could be detected between socialist and democratic movements of various kinds: political, of course, but social and cultural as well. We were interested in testing the hypothesis that socialism and democracy were, indeed, "two aspects of the same general problematic," not only in theory but in historical and documented fact.
I brought a specific set of experiences to this historical part of the RGSD's activities, inasmuch as I had devoted many years of my professional life as a teacher and writer to the study of Italian fascism and anti-fascism, which generated in turn a series of questions about what 19th- and 20th-century Italian history could reveal about the historical relationship between socialism and democracy. This relationship lay at the heart of many of the writings of distinguished figures in the Italian anti-fascist resistance, a resistance which began at the outset of the fascist era in the early 1920s and continued right through the 1930s, the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the organized Resistance movement, resulting in a resurgence of democratic and socialist idealism that can be seen in several of the fundamental clauses of Italy's republican Constitution of 1946. This idealism generated a considerable quantity of treatises, books, essays and other interventions by men and women whose task was to lay the groundwork for a new order that would not repeat the errors of liberal Italy after the first World War, but instead move decisively forward to guarantee to the people as a whole, collectively, irrespective of class and professional status, the basic rights of both liberal and socialist movements as articulated by their major theorists. This aspiration was not fulfilled, but a framework for ongoing struggle was established.
What I found in my research was the strong tendency of Italian anti-fascist thought to expand the conception of both socialism and democracy in order to allow these two sometimes mutually antagonistic terms to coalesce in meaningful and practical ways. In other words, the problem for the new Italy that arose on the ashes of a disastrous period of right-wing dictatorship was to incorporate the democratic components of socialist thought and the socialist components of democratic thought into a single political philosophy that would transcend the antagonisms of the past.
Was the Italian case in any way typical of the historical relationship between socialism and democracy? Were there moments in European and US history of the past several hundred years when socialists had stood up for the ideals of pluralism and political democracy, and when democrats had expressed a vision of democracy that could win the support of the masses of people? US history provided noteworthy examples of both tendencies, but Europe was also a seedbed for converging traditions that gave the lie to categorical claims that socialism and democracy had nothing to do with each other. Furthermore, we were aware, as co-founders of the RGSD, that the historical experience enfolded by these two tendencies was not exemplified only by left-wing political parties. Movements such as English Chartism, American abolitionism, Italian federalism, French anarchism, German social democracy, women's struggles east and west, and a host of other national and international movements were testimony to the persistent struggles waged by ordinary as well as exceptional individuals for a social order in which the rights of labor, the rights of black people, the rights of women, in short, the rights of all people would be advanced and safeguarded by appropriate institutions.
We were aware that the historical dimension of the RGSD's project was enormously complicated by two 20th-century developments of epochal importance: the Russian Revolution, and the national liberation movements initiated after World War II by peoples long subjugated by western imperialism. These two developments challenged comfortable assumptions about the relationship between socialism and democracy because the new forces that they unleashed did not automatically accept the terms socialism and democracy as defined by Western political thought. The RGSD welcomed the chance to come to grips with the tensions generated by this crucial difference of perspective. At the same time, the divisive controversies that had long circulated around the regimes that established themselves in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the fact that national liberation movements were in many instances led by people who identified themselves with a brand of Marxism-Leninism which many in the western countries saw as inimical to their conception of "democracy," made the project a difficult one.
Theoretically, the RGSD operated on the assumption that the existing socialist countries, whatever their democratic shortcomings, had to be included in our purview simply because they had repudiated the political economy of capitalism. Within these countries, it was not difficult to find areas of socialist organization and planning that, one could argue, met at least some of the criteria of modern social development and democracy. The crux of the problem, from a strictly political point of view, lay in the overwhelming predominance in these countries of the Communist Party, which arrogated to itself a leadership role in society that seemed to brook no opposition to its authority and decision-making. But was this so-called absolute power really as unilateral and monolithic as described in the popular western media? Were there no avenues in these countries through which to express dissenting opinions, or at the very least to provide ordinary people with ways and means of expressing their political will? Coming up with tentative answers to these questions constituted one of the Research Group's main foci of theoretical interest. We paid somewhat less attention to the dynamics of socialism and democracy in the previously colonized countries of the third world. However, several members of the Group's Editorial and Advisory Boards had specialized knowledge of African, Latin American and Asian political cultures and institutions, which facilitated access to sources of information not otherwise easily available.
Given the premises of the RGSD, the onset of the Gorbachev era in the Soviet Union arrived almost providentially, inasmuch as the reforms effected by the new Soviet power structure gave evidence of a long transformative process not only in Russian society, but also within the Communist Party itself. In other words, from within the very core of an institution that many ideologues of western liberalism had dismissed once and for all as uncongenial to any form of democracy whatsoever, here was a political leader who apparently spoke for a significant percentage of Party faithful in voicing a call for more openness, for radical restructuring, for a greater measure of popular involvement in day-to-day decision-making on all levels of Soviet society. This development was a direct challenge to the mindset of the dominant sectors of the American ruling class, which had long claimed that all resources for a renewal of Soviet "communism" had dried up forever.
Yet the Gorbachev reforms were not the first time currents of renewal had flowed in the Soviet Union, even if against powerful resistance. The name of Nikita Khrushchev comes readily to mind, because Khrushchev did not limit his revelations to the crimes of Stalin, but had spoken instead of a pervasive disregard for law and individual rights under Stalin's rule that had threatened the foundational principles of socialist democracy. So, all was not lost after all. There were, as Mike Brown had often insisted, what could be called "critical and active publics" in the Soviet Union, and "areas of tension in the relationship between the Soviet state and society." What this added up to for the RGSD was an unprecedented opportunity to explore socialism and democracy as interactive and interdependent even in societies conventionally regarded, by anti-communist circles, as alien presences in the global political universe.
Certain methodological problems came to the fore as the RGSD began to carry out its work in the mid-1980s. Many of the Group's members favored analyses based on Marxist theory, but it was felt that Marxism did not provide, by itself, all of the tools needed to confront the problems the Group was interested in. There was a consensus among the RGSD membership that our approach to the problematic of socialism and democracy had to be interdisciplinary. The reason for this was not only the obvious one, that concepts as complex as socialism and democracy demanded many different approaches and angles of vision. A deeper reason was to be found in the fact that both concepts were deeply embedded in virtually all of known human history. The founders of scientific socialism, especially Frederick Engels, as well as major thinkers in the liberal-democratic tradition, recognized that no single aspect of life could somehow be detached from the congeries of human behaviors and given exclusive responsibility for why and how human civilizations evolved into their present forms. How could it be acceptable to remove education, art and literature, the study of geography, science and technology, and many other domains of creative human activity from one's concerns about socialism and democracy? Humankind does not live by politics alone, or by economics alone. It was necessary to draw upon as many of the established disciplines as possible to deal adequately with forms of human coexistence that stretch back thousands of years.
Along with its interdisciplinary and comprehensive approach to the socialism/democracy dynamic, the RGSD felt the need to restate the validity of an often-articulated but rarely practiced principle, namely that the variety of social and political types of human coexistence demand a comparative methodology and an international perspective. How does one, for example, deal with the communal experiments launched in Tanzania in the 1960s? Or the collective farms in Israel? Or the burgeoning institutions of People's Power in Cuba? Or the huge cooperatives in Spain and Italy? Or the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa? Or Danish social democracy? One could go on and on to complete this list of attempts to organize the everyday life of communes and towns, of regions and states, of entire nations that, in one fashion or another, were established in accordance with the broadly accepted values of socialism and democracy. There is a danger, of course, in lowering the bar of what constitutes socialist and democratic institutions, but the danger of raising it too high is equally if not more dangerous. Furthermore, Brown argued that "existing socialisms cannot be evaluated directly by ideal standards any more than can other types of society." The impulse to regularize and normalize the study of socialism, to remove it from a context of preconceived and bias-ridden judgments, was what motivated Brown to draw this point to the attention of our readers.
In order to give expression to this comprehensive, comparative, and international approach to the study of socialism and democracy, the RGSD began to collect materials being produced by socialist research groups worldwide. It did this on the assumption that the specific experiences of people in diverse parts of the world could and would enlarge our understanding of the issues involved in creating the bases for a type of democracy that includes prevalently socialist institutions, and for a type of socialism that is respectful of democracy. The question of how viable these various attempts would turn out to be, especially if carried out in poorly developed parts of the world, arose fairly frequently. But this was a positive thing as well, in that the conventional wisdom thinks of socialism mainly in terms of countries with almost unlimited resources, when in fact most of the world is poor, ill-equipped, minimally educated, and subject to the self-interest of richer nations. This was one of the many issues that presented themselves to the RGSD from its inception.
Viability became a life and death matter when the crisis of 1989 shook the foundations of existing socialist countries. In this respect, what concerned all of the RGSD founding members was the popular nature of resistance to communist party rule in Eastern Europe, and subsequently the apparent inability or unwillingness of ordinary Soviet citizens to defend the achievements of their socialist system. Could it be that a system dedicated to the welfare and freedom of workers would not be defended by its beneficiaries? If there was such a lack of popular mobilization, then one had to ask, as David Laibman has recently done2, what went wrong? What were the causes of the crisis-ridden turn that events took despite the reformist zeal of Gorbachev and his partners? Was the dissolution of the Soviet Union caused by the lack of democracy in Soviet institutions? Or by the overly bureaucratized instruments of economic and social planning? Was the collapse of the Soviet economy a sign of a more fundamental political collapse, characterized by an unbridgeable gap between the ruling party and the people? Several of the authors whose writings on these topics appeared in the pages of Socialism and Democracy had, if not predicted, warned their readers that there were distortions and imbalances in the way the Soviet economy was managed that threatened its survival.
These and other questions form part of our present-day reality, which the RGSD intends to take under consideration with all of the resources at its disposal. These include an expanded group of scholars and writers who bring new knowledge and diverse backgrounds to the task at hand. Our hope is that, in this way, some of the commitments of the past will remain on the agenda, while at the same time new directions will emerge.
1. All the quoted passages in this essay are taken from the Introduction to the first issue of S&D (Fall 1985), 1-4.
2. See David Laibman, "The Soviet Demise: Revisionist Betrayal, Structural Defect, or Authoritarian Distortion?" Science and Society, Vol. 69, No. 4 (October 2005), 594-606.


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Meeting C++ 2017 voting results
published at 03.07.2017 15:09 by Jens Weller
Time for a short overview on this years voting for the program of Meeting C++ 2017! Its been awesome to see 206 ppl vote on the 97 submitted talks, a great program is taking shape. This is the voting average graph for 2017:
The graph goes from 1.85 to -0.64, the average is reached by weighing the votes of 0-5 as {-3,-2,-1,1,3,4}. This gives well rated/popular talks a bit of an edge, as I'd like to have these at the top to form the popular track. With having 11 slots per track, the Top 11 talks are usually accepted, with most of these talks going to the popular track. Top 11 Talks this year are:
- Concepts driven design
- Practical constexpr
- Fun with (user-defined) attributes
- How C++ Debuggers Work
- Moving to C++17
- The hidden rules of world-class C++ code
- Functional Data Structures
- The most valuable values
- Free Your Functions!
- Beyond the Compiler: Advanced Tools for Better Productivity
- Threads and Locks must Go
And there is a selection of 22 more talks which also get accepted. I hope to give an update on this next week.
Reaching out
Part of this years call for talks was an effort to reach out to other communities and motivate folks in general to try to submit a talk to Meeting C++. This was a success, there is a dedicated track for new speakers, and a few even are in the other tracks. Also this improved speaker and topic diversity. As for the voting, most can only see title, outline and description of the talk, only the staff and past speakers see the names and bios of presenters. Yet the diversity in submitted topics has given this years conference a much better range of topics to choose from, which will be reflected in the program.
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This and other posts on Meeting C++ are enabled by my supporters on patreon!


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Following a period of consultation regarding the expansion of secondary school places at Roundhay School, a formal proposal has now been published. This is known as a statutory notice and is a 4 week period during which representations can be made to the local authority. The statutory notice period runs from 1st July 2015 to 4pm on 29th July 2015
The proposal is to permanently increase the year 7 intake at Roundhay School, from 250 places to 300 places, increasing the school's capacity from 1250 to 1500 pupils in years 7 – 11 with effect from September 2017.
The full statutory notice is available to view via this link; http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/Statutory-notices.aspx
Please do not submit responses to the statutory notice using this site. Any responses should be made in writing to The Capacity Planning and Sufficiency Team, PO Box 837, Leeds City Council, LS1 9PZ, or by email to: email@example.com


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The Neighborhood: Bel Air
For generations, Bel Air has ranked among the most prestigious residential communities in the city of Los Angeles.Learn More
Luxury developer Bruce Makowsky,'s greatest masterpiece.
Located in the confines of ultra-exclusive Bel Air Enclave. The pinnacle of splendor & luxury. 38k sq ft new construction home +17k sq ft of entertainment decks, 2 master suites, 10 over-sized VIP guest suites, 21 luxurious bathrooms, 3 gourmet kitchens, 5 bars, massage studio/wellness spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, 85-foot glass tile infinity swimming pool, 40-seat 4K Dolby Atmos Theater, 4 lane bowling alley/lounge, auto gallery w/cars worth more than $30mm, 7-person full time staff, over 100 curated art installations, outdoor pop-up theater, 2 fully-stocked champagne/wine cellars, massive candy wall, the most advanced home tech system in the world. Astonishing array of amenities & bespoke items from around the world, 4 meticulously curated levels, indoor/outdoor nirvana enhanced by 270-degree unobstructed views spanning from the mountains all the way to the ocean & the incredible Los Angeles skyline in-between.
- Branden Williams and Rayni Williams
For generations, Bel Air has ranked among the most prestigious residential communities in the city of Los Angeles.Learn More
Hilton & Hyland makes no representation, warranty or guaranty as to accuracy of any data contained herein, and advises interested parties to confirm all information before relying on it for a purchase decision. All information provided has been obtained from sources believed reliable, but may be subject to errors, omissions, change of price, prior sale, or withdrawal without notice. Measurements and square footages are approximate and may be verified by consulting an appraiser or architect. The content set forth on this website is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use, solely to identify potential properties for potential purchase; unlawful use, distribution or duplication is strictly prohibited and may violate relevant federal and state law. © 2019 Hilton & Hyland.


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DENVER Former Jazz guard Howard Eisley will remain with the Nuggets for the rest of the season after playing under two 10-day contracts for Denver, his eighth NBA team.
The 12-year veteran averaged 2 points and 1.8 assists in 7.8 minutes in six games. He signed the first 10-day contract March 3.
SIXERS RE-SIGN GREEN: At Philadelphia, Willie Green re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, nearly seven months after the guard agreed to terms before injuring his knee. Green, who averaged 7.7 points playing sporadically under former coach Jim O'Brien last season, is expected to get additional playing time under Maurice Cheeks. He'll add backcourt depth for the 76ers, who had been starting journeyman Kevin Ollie alongside Allen Iverson. Green thrived as a sub whenever Iverson was injured last season, including 32 points against Washington.
Green originally agreed to a six-year deal last summer, then was hurt in a pickup game before he signed the contract. Green had knee surgery in August and has been rehabilitating since, occasionally working out with the 76ers.
RAPTORS WAIVE DAVIS: The Toronto Raptors waived Antonio Davis on Thursday, effectively ending a season in which the center was suspended for five games for climbing into the stands after his wife got into a confrontation with a fan in Chicago. Davis missed the past 12 games after injuring his back in the third quarter of a game against Miami on Feb. 27. He was acquired in a trade with New York on Feb. 3, shortly after serving his suspension. He appeared in eight games with Toronto averaging 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds in 23.9 minutes.
"After receiving a second opinion on Antonio's lingering back problems, it is very unlikely that he would return to competitive action this season with the Raptors," said Bryan Colangelo, the team's president and general manager. "After lengthy discussions with Antonio regarding his physical condition and his general sense of disappointment over his personally difficult year, we have concluded that it's in the best interest of both the organization and Antonio Davis to simply release him at this late point of the season."
When Toronto acquired him he took a few extra days to report, but said he would honor his contract.
The trade came a day after Davis' wife, Kendra, was charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly throwing a cup of coffee at a woman during a traffic dispute last fall.
Davis, who had previously played with the Raptors from 1999-2004, is the franchise's all-time leading rebounder with 2,839. The 38-year-old said he was contemplating retirement after a trade from Chicago to New York before the season.
MOURNING OUT 2-4 WEEKS: At Miami, Heat backup center Alonzo Mourning has a partial tear in his left calf and will be out two to four weeks. Mourning was hurt Wednesday night in Miami's loss at Detroit. An MRI exam performed Thursday showed the tear, meaning Miami could be without him for anywhere from six to 14 games or possibly until the first round of the playoffs open in late April. Former Ute Michael Doleac is expected to move into the primary role spelling O'Neal for the Heat, who host Charlotte tonight.


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3 Ways to Update Furniture Without Reupholstering
If you desire change often rearranging your furniture can do wonders but if that's not enough you can update it without going so far as to upholstering it all. There are a few DIY methods you may find easy enough to employ for a quick kind of makeover.
Maison Decor velvet chair painting makeover
It's quite straightforward with the wooden furniture. You get paint, you roll it on, voila, enjoy the new look. But what about a chair or even a sofa? Well, turns out you can paint reupholstery too and it won't even look like it was painted. Use Chalk Paint for this and make sure to try it out in some inconspicuous location to see the feel and texture of the painted fabric.
Furniture Transformation Ideas
A dressy cover may not only save the original look of your furniture but also completely transform its look. Besides you can remove it any minute and wash it easily.
Throws & Pillows
Details and accessories matter so if you don't want to deal with the paint or sew nes covers you can always find some interesting throws and pillows to change and update the look of your bed, sofa, and armchairs. Other soft furniture may not be as easy to update but you'll definitely be able to change the look of all the main pieces.
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A "WSQ" [wisk] is what we call
"homework" in my Flipped Class.
*The purpose of this page is to have a place to continually update new strategies and ideas regarding using the WSQ in class.*
My previous posts on WSQs (read these if you don't know what a WSQ is!)
My Favorite WSQ (Jan 23, 2012)
Student's thoughts on the "WSQ" for homework (Part 1 of 2 - Algebra 1 9th & 10th graders) (Jan 26, 2012)
Student's thoughts on the "WSQ" for homework (Part 2 of 2 - Math Analysis 11th and 12th graders) (Jan 28, 2012)
Using the WSQ to deepen student understanding and academic conversations in my Flipped Classroom (Feb 21, 2012)
I don't believe a "flipped classroom" should become something where students receive direct instruction at home and then work on worksheets in class. Class time must be made meaningful and purposeful, where students have the opportunity to (1) make meaning of the material and make connections to other content in an environment with the support of the teacher and other classmates, (2) understand the concepts at a deeper level through practice, answering and posing questions, or explaining problems/solutions to others, and (3) receive one-on-one support and explanation from the teacher or other student "experts" when needed. Using the WSQ has enabled me to provide this type of environment for my students in my Flipped Class in a way that is somewhat structured and holds students accountable for their work and learning.
*It is important to me that the following things happen in my Flipped Classroom every day:
- Students come prepared with the video watched and WSQ completed. If not, they must use a classroom computer to do it at the beginning of class.
- Students are given opportunities to discuss their summaries and the key points of the lesson, practicing expressing math content in their own words and using math vocabulary in context.
- Students are given opportunities to ask questions about the lesson and get them answered in detail during class.
- Students are given opportunities to think critically about the lesson and pose questions to their classmates that will require deep thinking and making connections to other material.
- Students are given opportunities to practice working out problems with the support of their classmates and myself to guide them when questions or problems arise.
- Students are given opportunities to prove their mastery of concepts via concept quizzes that are taken when they feel they are ready.
1. Whole Class
- Pick a WSQ to put on the screen. Read it as a class, discuss it as a class. Ask questions about it and have students turn to their groups to answer, and then share out as a class. "Score" it as a class. Have students look at their own WSQs and give it a score as well. Answer the question on the WSQ as a whole class (again, have small groups discuss it and then share out)
- Have all students get out their WSQs and SSS packets. Together as a class, construct a summary of key points from the lesson, with each student giving one sentence or key point at a time. Have a student up front writing the sentences either on the document camera or on the laptop for everyone to follow along. At the end, students add anything to their WSQ that is important and left out. Students can ask their question to the whole class if they want to volunteer; otherwise students turn and ask their questions to their groups.
- Choose one, two, three, or all four students to read their summaries out loud with group members looking on. Group members stop the reader, question the reader, and add to what the reader is saying as they read through their summary. Then, reader goes over their question and the group discusses it before an answer is written down.
- Choose one student from each group to use as the base for a "perfect" summary. The group members all look on to the one summary and break it down and tear it apart. They cross things off, add sentences, clarify sentences, etc to make it a truly "perfect" summary of the lesson. They are encouraged to look for places to include specific math vocabulary words in context. Once the summary is perfect, group members look at all four questions and do the same thing - make the questions better by phrasing them more clearly, having math vocabulary in the question, and then making sure the answers are complete, detailed, and include proper explanations and vocabulary. After groups are given time to discuss, I come around and have an interview/interrogation with each group about the lesson, prompted and guided by the math vocabulary words they have written in their summaries. See my post on the first time I did "Perfect Summary" in Math Analysis here.
- Instead of working in their groups of 4, have students switch summaries with their partners. Partners will individually read the summary and decide "if I didn't watch the video lesson last night, would this summary help me in starting the practice problems today?" If the answer is no, the partner writes down anything that needs to be added or clarified to make the answer be "yes" and then explains to their partner what was missing.
- Students work in their small groups and go straight to their questions. They answer the questions together with the help of their summaries, and then choose which question is "Their Best Question" to pose to the class. This may be the question they feel is the "HOTtest", the toughest to answer, or one that they couldn't even answer themselves. Questions are put on the board (put on sticky notes on the whiteboard, written down to project from the DocCam or Laptop, etc). At some point in the period we discuss the questions - either as a whole class, or I assign each group to a different question to answer from the one they put on the board.
- Students read thru their summary individually and critique it. They look for ways to revise it and make it better. This would best be done near the end of a period after they have had a chance to discuss the concept and probably would have more to add to their original summary.
- Students read through their WSQ with me. I provide the guidance, questioning, probing, and follow-up explanations that are needed to improve their summary and answer their question.
Guidelines for questions:
1. Answers must be written down.
2. Questions cannot have just a yes or no answer. If so, the student must come up with a follow up question or an explanation beyond the yes/no.
3. Students are encouraged to make connections when answering their question and be detailed and descriptive.
4. Students should be able to discuss all questions posed in the group in detail, using correct math vocabulary and explaining the material clearly and concisely.


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Recently I read an article by a liberal Lutheran pastor entitled "11 Reasons I Am Proud to Pastor in the ELCA". Permit me to do the opposite. Here are 11 reasons everyone should leave the ELCA.
1. The ELCA pays for abortion for any reason in its health care plan – which is funded by offering dollars.
2. The ELCA's health care plan has recently decided to pay for sex change operations.
3. The ELCA has a hard time referring to God as "He" and references to God the Father are rare. The ELCA's hymnal has removed all masculine references to God in the Psalms. The ELCA's "The Lutheran" magazine also avoids masculine pronouns for God.
4. The ELCA allows for the worship of "the goddess" and pagan deities like Asherah at an ELCA congregation called Herchurch (check out the false teaching for yourself at herchurch.org). When people have shared concern about this congregation, the ELCA has defended Herchurch instead of disciplining it.
5. The heresy of universalism, which teaches that all people will be saved regardless of faith in Christ, is being taught at ELCA seminaries. The ELCA's "The Lutheran" magazine also has articles promoting universalism. This is done even though the ELCA's founding documents teach that we are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.
6. The number of ELCA missionaries has been reduced dramatically since the ELCA's founding in 1988. If universalism is true, why send out missionaries?
7. Some ELCA pastors, like the popular ELCA speaker Nadia Bolz–Weber, deny the substitutionary atonement of Christ, which teaches that Jesus died on the cross in our place to pay for our sins. This central Christian teaching is rejected as "divine child abuse" by some in the ELCA.
8. The ELCA ordains practicing homosexuals as pastors. The ELCA now has a male bishop with a "husband" who rode in a gay pride parade in California.
9. The ELCA recently has ordained transgender pastors.
10. Basic Christian teachings like the Virgin Birth of Christ are denied by many seminary professors in the ELCA.
11. The ELCA regularly advocates for liberal political causes, but does little to nothing to advocate for the unborn. This is understandable since the ELCA pays for abortions with offering dollars.
Need a good alternative to the ELCA? The Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, Lutheran Churches in Mission for Christ (LCMC), the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, the Wisconsin Synod Lutheran church, and the Association of America Lutheran Churches are all options which provide good Biblical teaching for those seeking to live out their Christian faith.
In Jesus our Savior,
Pastor Tom Brock


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Its my hope to post something to this blog every week. I know I'm not on an externally enforced schedule of any kind, but the fact that anyone has displayed interest in what's being done here is enough to make me want to keep at it. Besides, posting here will keep me thinking about where I am and pushing me to finish things in a reasonably timely manner.
For the last few days I've been really buried in the basics of character creation. This sort of thing is actually fairly hard for me to write; I usually start with bare bones stuff and build on it as people request various character types and options. While that works in a home game where you're playing with friends and family, its not always helpful when you're trying to write something for other people to use. On the other hand, throwing in a lot can bog down the process, and is especially bad in a game where it's fairly possible for your character to die in any given adventure.
What I'm trying to do with Break!! is make a system that allows you to have a fun and unique character in a couple minutes or so. This means several "Roll or Choose" tables, and bits that come from them that add some simple but interesting touches to your PC. Your character's Class and Rank will be the main arbiter of their abilities and potency, but hopefully the above stuff will make it feel like your fighter is different from the fighters before them.
I'm nearly done this part, and while it will likely need some tweaking afterwards - I have full confidence I'll hit the ground running and get the meat of the rules to paper in no time.


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Jason McLeod expressed his appreciation at Cubs Convention when a fan praised the Cubs for landing six of the top 30 international prospects.
But McLeod, the Cubs' senior vice president of player development and amateur scouting, tempered some of the enthusiasm because of the youth of the players signed.
"The fact remains, they're 16 years old," McLeod said Sunday. "And two years from now, we're going to know a lot more about them, and we still won't know that much about them until they're 20 years old."
McLeod described Cuban outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez, 20, who was signed last October, as a line drive hitter with a strong throwing arm who is built like an NFL...