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Outstanding Student Award
Lee Woo Sing College Outstanding Student Award 2019/20
The Lee Woo Sing College Outstanding Student Award is a prestigious award for its students, commending their outstanding achievements. It aims to encourage promising students who not only exhibit academic excellence, but also outstanding all-round development, leadership skills, engagements in societal services, efforts in promoting and supporting environmental protection initiatives, significant contribution to the College, and sports achievement. The awardees are expected to represent the College as role models for fellow students.
Nominations are now accepted for 2019/20 Award. There are up to 30 quotas for Award in this year. The nominated candidates will be required to attend a panel interview (either in-person or via ZOOM app).
13th March 2020 Nomination Commencement
30th March 2020 Deadline for Nomination
15th April 2020 Announcement of Awardees
For inquiries, please
contact College Office via email at email@example.com.
List of Awardees
No. Name Chi Name Programme & Year of Study Category of Award 1 Harsh Jhunjhunwala --- BEng Sys Erg & Erg Mgt
Year 5
All- round Development 2 LAM Yui Hei Isaac 林睿睎 BSSc Gov and Public Admin
Year 2
All- round Development 3 TSUI Nga Yin 徐雅言 BSc Computer Science
Year 3
All- round Development 4 CHENG Yin Shan 鄭燕珊 Bachelor of Nursing
Year 3
Leadership Skills 5 HO Chak Lam Willard 何澤琳 BSSc Gov and Public Admin
Year 2
Leadership Skills 6 LEE Hin Tseuk Kendrick 李顯爵 M.B., Ch.B.
Year 3
Leadership Skills 7 LEUNG Ka Chun 梁家駿 BEng Sys Erg & Erg Mgt
Year 3
Leadership Skills 8 TAI Wen Ying --- BBA Integrated BBA Programme
Year 2
Leadership Skills 9 MO Pui Ki 毛珮淇 BBA Hospitality & Real Estate
Year 1
Engagements in Societal Services 10 SIEW Ruixian 蕭睿賢 BSc Physics
Year 3
Excellence in Arts and Culture 11 Jennifer Christopher 張佩佩 BEng Sys Erg & Erg Mgt
Year 2
Commitments in Green Education 12 Jordan Randall Sudradjat --- BSc Food & Nutritional Sci
Year 2
Commitments in Green Education 13 Philip Tarrantino Limas 林俊成 BEng Electronic Engineering
Year 2
Commitments in Green Education 14 WONG Hoi Ki 王凱琪 BEd Phy Edu, Ex Sci and Health
Year 3
Achievements in Sports 15 Chung Ho Lam Colin 鍾灝林 M.B., Ch.B.
Year 2
College Services 16 LAU King Hei 劉敬晞 BSSc Geo & Resource Mgt
Year 2
College Services 17 ZHAO Hanqing 趙汉青 BEng Sys Erg & Erg Mgt
Year 2
College Services 18 LAW Sean Ling Jocelyn 羅善寧 BA English
Year 2
Promotion of Caring and Positive Living 19 YUEN Hoi Man 袁海文 BEng Sys Erg & Erg Mgt
Year 4
Promotion of Caring and Positive Living


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Active tourism, such as cycling and trail running in Italy, continues to take up an increasingly large portion of the travel industry. Nowadays, many travelers seek exercise, activities and hands-on experiences on their trips. Luckily, there's no lack of these things in Italy. From canyoning on Lake Como and kayaking in the Ligurian Riviera to trail running, Italy is swiftly gaining recognition as a fantastic destination for outdoor tourism.
Active Tourism Trends in Italy in 2019
Let's take a look at the active tourism trends in Italy in 2019. They will clearly show why it's a smart idea for any travel-related business to focus on active tourism in Italy now and in the future.
Trail Running in Italy and Adventure Travel Are Still on the Rise
Businesses in the adventure travel sphere continue to report growth and a huge reasons for that is the higher number of people looking for more adventure during their trips. Adventure travel is a wide-ranging term, including all kinds of outdoor activities, from hiking, cycling tours and bird watching to whitewater rafting, scuba diving and trail running in Italy with companies like FindYourItaly.
This growth is mainly due to the younger half of travelers, between 25 and 45 years old, who demand unique and authentic experiences.
Off-the-Beaten Track Destinations As a Reaction to Overtourism
Although more tourism brings in more money for destinations, it can also get out of control up to the point that tourists start ruining things. This is known as overtourism, when destinations fill up beyond capacity.
As nature conservation becomes a more and more mainstream topic, due in no small portion to climate change, active travelers get more conscious about how and where they travel to. A lot of people turn to so-called off-the-beaten track destinations.
Slow Travel Grows More Popular
Just like "slow food" gains traction once again among foodies, "slow travel" is a concept that's making a big comeback as well. A lot of modern-day travel is about experiences and you can only really experience a place if you take the time to do so.
"Travel less, see more" is a popular motto nowadays. Slow travel comes in many shapes and forms, from spending time in one single destination for a week or two to exploring a place powered by one's own body.
"Being Local"
The desire to feel like a local is in line with the active tourism trends mentioned above, especially with slow travel. There's a large number of travelers who want to really experience what it's like to live somewhere else for a while. That doesn't need to be for months on end, though. Sometimes, two weeks is enough.
This is also why services like Airbnb have gotten so incredibly popular. They offer people the opportunity to stay in an actual house or apartment, literally someone else's home. You can't get much closer to "being local" on your travels than that. Additionally, providers like FindYourItaly can also offer an authentic experience by working closely with local industry professionals, such as local tour guides, stays at locally owned guesthouses, and so on.
Wellness and Health in Modern-Day Tourism
One of the latest tourism trends is the yearning for experiences that allow travelers to find inner peace, unplug and explore themselves physically and mentally. There's been a huge increase in trips that focus on things like mental recovery, digital detoxes, mindfulness and spiritual wellbeing that lay against the active tourism trend.
In Italy, too, this trend is getting more and more visible, and you'll find a variety of meditation retreats in Italy nowadays.
If you're interested in learning how FindYourItaly can help you focus on these active tourism trends with your business, check out our trail running page.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you are reading this it is because you want to improve your level of Spanish while you enjoy watching series. Great! In addition to attending your Spanish classes, watching series in the original version is a great idea to practice a language. Likewise, watching Spanish films, reading books in Spanish or talking with local people will also help you to learn the language more quickly.
You will wonder: "What series can I watch to learn Spanish?" Today, in this post we offer to you some current and highly successful television series in Spain with which you can improve the language. Also, you can know a lot of vocabulary and colloquial expressions as well as to learn a little more about the Culture and History of the country.
Grab paper and pen and take notes:
– Cuéntame: It is one of the most mythical series of Spanish television. It is premiered in 2001 and it still continues showing it, so there are 19 seasons! The protagonists are the Alcántara family and, with them, you can take a trip through the History of Spain since 1968 (last years of the Franco regime) until 1987. The experiences of the family are part of the historical events that took place each year. In this way, you will know all the events of the History of Spain more recent in a pleasant way while practicing the language. Surely you will love the Alcantara family!
– El Ministerio del Tiempo: It is another perfect series to learn about the History of Spain and meet the most important figures of Literature or Spanish Painting such as Cervantes, Lope de Vega or Velázquez. The plot of this series of fiction is very original. There is a Ministry in Spain where officials who travel through time through magical doors work to protect the History of the country. In the trips to past Centuries you will be able to listen to a very different Spanish that contrasts with the current expressions. If you are passionate about history do not hesitate, this is your series!
– Allí abajo: For lovers of Comedy this is a very funny series and it is ideal if you want to know the richness of Spanish accents. Iñaki is a boy from the Basque Country who now lives in Seville. Which accent do you like the most? In a comical way, stereotypes and different Spanish topics are reflected between the North and the South of the country; customs, gastronomy, traditions, landscapes,… It is a way to travel through Spain and to know the words of each region. After watching this series, if you travel to Seville, you will not be surprised to hear expressions like "mi arma ".
– Vis a Vis: A "vis a vis" is a private meeting in prison between a prisoner and a relative or friend. Under this title you will find a series of drama and suspense with a plot and characters that will hook you. The story takes place in a prison of women. The protagonist is deceived and sentenced to prison and, inside the prison, she will have to fight to survive surrounded by unscrupulous inmates. Between alliances, betrayals and revenge of the characters you will improve your understanding of the language and listen to colloquial Spanish in the dialogues.
Go ahead and watch TV in Spanish and do not worry if you don't understand all the words. Think positive. With each chapter you will see how you can follow the thread of the story, improve your comprehension and pronunciation and expand your vocabulary.
We hope you enjoy our series recommendations to learn Spanish. If you have seen a Spanish series and would like to share it with the other readers, we are waiting for your comments!
These and many more things our students in Hispania, escuela de español, the most awarded Spanish Language School in the world, are learning.
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The Worldwideretailexchange.com picked IBM, i2 Technologies and Ariba over Andersen Consulting, Microsoft and Commerce One. General Electric and Oracle also vied for the contract but did not make the final round.
The multiyear, multimillion-dollar deal will help the fledgling exchange grab a foothold in the burgeoning e-commerce marketplace. Market researcher International Data Corp. estimates $1.6 trillion will be spent on Internet commerce by 2003. By the end of this year, 29 percent of Internet users will purchase some goods or services online, increasing to 38 percent by 2003.
"The Ariba-i2-IBM alliance won this multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract on the basis of the breadth, scope and depth of the capabilities it has shown it can bring to bear on our requirements, its proven ability to implement solutions quickly, and by acting as a unified entity in responding to our issues and needs during the selection process," Patrick Steele, head of the technology and operations for the exchange, said in a statement.
Announced on March 31, the exchange is a Web-based business-to-business operation seeking to simplify trading between retailers and more than 100,000 suppliers and distributors. The 22 members--including Best Buy, Gap, Kmart and Safeway--operate 50,000 stores worldwide with combined sales of $450 billion.
The exchange, which is member owned, has put aside about $100 million for start-up costs, much of it to be spent on technology.
But the exchange is viewed as a latecomer to retail business-to-business e-commerce and must rely on the IBM-led technology alliance to quickly build its infrastructure. The retail group plans to commence operations later this summer, starting with online auctions.
Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM will provide system integration services and host the exchange, using Ariba's business-to-business commerce software and i2's TradMatrix product line. Ariba's contribution will facilitate cost calculations, electronic payments and similar services, while i2 will handle supply chain logistics and catalog management services.
"The technology platform that the alliance will build and manage for us will enable current member retailers, others who choose to join us, and our vendors and suppliers to increase efficiencies and reduce costs through improved communication and streamlined processes," Gerald Storch, head of marketing for the exchange, said in a statement.
Storch said the organization hopes to cut costs "throughout the supply chain that will ultimately translate into lower prices for consumers."


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Embroidery designs saved in PHB format (Brother ULT) can be converted to other vendor specific formats or another Brother format (for example PES). Such phb to pes conversion can be done with many of the available embroidery design programs, including some of the choices listed below.
Updated: December 13, 2019


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Code of Silence [Blu-ray] [1985]
Cardmember Offers
- Andrew Davis
- Dennis Shryack
- Mike Gray
- Patrick Sheane Duncan
- Chuck NorrisEddie Cusak
- Henry SilvaLuis Comacho
- Bert RemsenCommander Kates
- Molly HaganDiana Luna
- Joe GuzaldoNick Kopalas
- Dennis FarinaDorato
- Nathan DavisFelix Scalese
- Ralph FoodyCragie
- Allen HamiltonPirelli
- Ron HenriquesVictor Comacho
- Ron DeanBrennan
- Wilbert BradleySpider
- Catalina CaceresGrandmother at Hearing
- Joseph KosalaKobas
- Gene BargeMusic
- Mario NievesPompas
- Miguel NinoEfren
- Ronnie BarronDoc
- Lou DamianiGamiani
- Nydia Rodriguez TerracinaPartida
- Andre MarquisSanchez
- John Mahoney"Prowler" Rep.
- Dennis CockrumHood in Tavern
- Zaid FaridHood in Tavern
- Howard JacksonOfficer Jackson
- Alex StevensAngel
- Don PikeHood on Yacht
- Les PodewellCoroner
- Trish SchaeferMolly Luna
- Martha OtonTony Luna's Mother
- Jack KandelEenie
- James FierroVito
- Tom LetuliSamo
- Jeff HokeGallery Artist
- Frank StrocchiaPolice Gym Attendant
- Jack DeckerDispatcher No. 1
- Sue KellyDispatcher No. 2
- Michael E. BradleyDispatcher No. 3
- Sally Anne WaranchChildren's Counselor
- Jerry TullosReview Board Clerk
- Shirley KellyArtist's Benefactor
- Angela ZimmGallery Person
- Gary PikeScales's Driver
- Raymond WagnerProducer
- Dennis ShryackScreen Story
- Frank TidyCinematographer
- David Michael FrankComposer (Music Score)
- Christopher HolmesEditor
- Peter ParashelesEditor
- Maher AhmadProduction Designer
- Karen O'HaraSet Designer
- Jay HurleyCostume Designer
- Mickey AntonettiCostume Designer
- Aaron NorrisStunts
- Robert WallStunts
- Lillian TothMakeup
- Scott D. SmithSound Recordist
- GenreAction and Adventure
- SubgenreAction Thriller,Police Detective Film,Martial Arts
- TitleCode of Silence
- Countries ProducedUnited States
- Duration101 minutes
- Year of Release1985
- Product TagsBlu-ray
- FormatBlu-ray
- Program TypeMovie
- Aspect Ratio1.85:1
- LanguageEnglish, French
- SubtitlesEnglish, French, Spanish
- StudioMGM
- Product NameCode of Silence [Blu-ray] [1985]
Customer rating
Rating 4.3 out of 5 stars with 4 reviews(4 Reviews)
Rating 4 out of 5 stars with 1 review
Not to Bad for Blu Ray|Posted .I would recommend this to a friend
This is Chuck Norris' finest hour. This isn't Norris wrapped in the Flag, going gonzo and wiping out everyone in sight with an M-60 and a thousand deadly spin kicks. Instead, CODE OF SILENCE is a gritty, realistic (for the most part) crime story about honor, sacrifice, truth & personal integrity, and the sometimes high cost of doing what's right, instead of what's easy or convenient. Norris turns in a solid, low-key, believable performance here. The rest of the ensemble cast is also quite good, with the exception of the Colombian goons, a bunch of one-note gorillas who are there purely for Chuck to beat the living snot out of. One such encounter results in Chuck giving one of the best tough guy lines in screen history "If I want your opinion, I'll beat it out of you." OHHH YES! LOL The great Henry Silva played villainous parts throughout his long career, and he's just as cold and brutally lethal this time around as the Colombian cartel's mercilessly sadistic crime boss. Dennis Farina has a small but amusing role playing Cusack's sidelined partner, who's always coming up with odd but well-intentioned schemes that he & Eddie can retire on, once they leave the force. This Blu-ray release for CODE OF SILENCE is another minimalist MGM effort. Nothing in the way of bonus extras except the theatrical trailer. The good news is that the picture & sound are quite strong; not much in the way of artifacting or pixelation. Soundmix is level & solid. Norris fans will regret the lack of extras, but we can at least be thankful that this, one of the better entries in Chuck's career, is finally on Blu-ray. It's a pretty good little movie, with just enough traditional Norris kick-punchery to satisfy his hardcore fans, while also offering crime drama enthusiasts an intelligent, engrossing story. 4 solid STARS for the gritty urban police saga CODE OF SILENCE.
Rating 5 out of 5 stars with 1 review
Norris at his finest!!!!|Posted .I would recommend this to a friend
Code of Silence offers an excellent synergy and balance often missing in action films--especially other Chuck Norris action films. I would say that this film showcases Norris' at his finest in acting. Yet he is very well cast as the lone, honest, resolute and uncompromising "good cop," Cusack, who confronts Columbian drug lords, the Mob and a dirty cop in his unit, all with equal aplomb--and comes out the winner in the end, even in the face of mounting, and nearly overwhelming, odds. The fight scenes are well choreographed, too, with Norris delivering compact, effective and believable punches and kicks. He even takes a few himself, portraying a character capable of taking it as well as dishing it out. For all the no-nonsense heroics, Norris manages to keep his tacit characterization very human and believable. In brief, Chuck Norris plays the quintessential Hero: committed to doing the right thing, and transcending himself in the process. I found the absence of token, gratuitous s3xual content, or even s3xual innuendo, refreshing indeed, and serving well to further signify and solidify the true heroicism of Cusack. In addition to the excellent on-location filming, there are also well-placed touches of humor and tenderness that make this gem of an action-drama shine with exceptional luster. Even if you are not an avid Chuck Norris fan, Code of Silence may make you sit up and take appreciative notice of him. File under "Top Shelf Police Action" on your DVD/BLU-RAY rack. This film is one of the best in the genre.
Rating 4 out of 5 stars with 1 review
Ground Chuck!!!|Posted .I would recommend this to a friend
This movie is good, not fantastic but a decent movie. Chuck does a decent job and the supporting cast of characters are solid. Not a typical round house kick movie of Chuck's but a good detective show.
Rating 4 out of 5 stars with 1 review
One of the best actioners of the eighties ! !|Posted .I would recommend this to a friend
Guns, Fists,Cases and a robot. Classic 80's Chuck.


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For the Garmin Fenix 6 review we have a Fenix 6 Pro sapphire. The Fenix 6 continues the Fenix series, whereby the most expensive variant brings a novelty among fitness and sports watches. It is equipped with a so-called power glass, through which the watch is charged during use and thus the already very good battery life is extended. Little by little, this Fenix 6 review and experience report reveals more and more qualities and weaknesses.
Already the Garmin Fenix 5 shines with numerous features for everyday life, outdoor, and multi-sport, but also had to take some criticism, for example, the GPS accuracy. The extensive model range also creates confusion that has to be unravelled first. Unfortunately, we didn't spare this with the Fenix 6 either and so we also want to use this Fenix 6 Review to create a little more clarity about the available models. For you this means that you will hopefully very quickly arrive at your personal best model variant.
Garmin Fenix 6: The Highlights
At the core of the Garmin Fenix 6 is an extremely powerful and everyday outdoor watch that is also suitable for triathletes. It offers numerous and customizable sports functions including heart rate monitoring, GPS/GLONASS/Galileo tracking, multi-sport modes as well as Bluetooth and ANT+ to connect almost all imaginable sports sensors. Including HR chest straps and running and wheel sensors.
The Fenix 6 also comes with Smartwatch functions, including the possibility to make contactless payments via Garmin Pay or to play your own or streamed music via Bluetooth headphones using the music model. The transflective MIP display (memory in pixels) is not as high-resolution and the colors are not as rich as with an Apple Watch, but it is permanently switched on (Always-On Display) and outdoors and even in direct sunlight very reliable and easy to read. Here is an example:
The water resistance remains up to 10ATM, making it suitable for swimming, snorkeling or high-speed water sports, but not for recreational diving.
These features are also found in its predecessors from the Fenix 5 and 5X series. So, what's really new?
- Is it worth switching from Fenix 5 to Fenix 6? Or is the very well-equipped Fenix 5 sufficient?
- What are the differences between the Fenix 6 models?
The model variants
The easiest way to distinguish between the 19 models available at the beginning is to use the two new model lines. There is a base line and a pro line with some striking differences that one should be aware of. Below are more detailed descriptions of the features:
- Base
- 2 housing sizes
- 42 mm (Fenix 6S)
- 47 mm (Fenix 6)
- No WLAN, no music options and no cards
- Only available with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, no sapphire, no solar model
- 2 housing sizes
- Pro
- 3 Housing sizes
- 42 mm (Fenix 6S Pro)
- 47 mm (Fenix 6 Pro)
- 51 mm (Fenix 6X Pro und Fenix 6X Pro Solar)
- Pace Pro
- WLAN, Garmin Music Streaming, internal memory for music files
- Pre-installed Europe map as well as worldwide golf and ski maps and turn-by-turn navigation
- Sapphire Editions available in all Pro case sizes
- Solar Edition available in 51 mm case size: This model allows an approximately 10% longer battery life.
- Models with a housing size of 51 mm (6X Pro/6X Pro Solar) offer a resolution of 280 x 280 pixels. This allows the simultaneous display of max. 8 instead of max. 6 data fields.
- 3 Housing sizes
Further down in this article, we compare the main features of the different models and help you choose the one that suits you best if you are still unsure.
New Features
After we've brought the model variants a little closer, we take a look at the most important new features that we'll be discussing bit by bit in the Fenix 6 review. Some of them are already visible above and also known from Garmin's noble MARQ models as well as the Forerunner 945 running watch. At first glance, the Fenix 6 should be in no way inferior to the previously mentioned models from a feature point of view:
- Larger display for the Base and Pro models Fenix 6 (1,3″, +18%) and Fenix 6X (1,4″, +36%).
- Power manager: with battery life of up to 60 hours in standard GPS mode, the Fenix 6 models clearly surpass their predecessors. The new Power Manager also allows power consumption to be adjusted using predefined power modes. The remaining estimated battery life is shown on the display in real time.
- Pulse Ox Sensor: The Pulse Ox 2 measurement is used to determine the oxygen content in the blood in order to check the acclimatisation at altitude or to detect possible breathing difficulties during sleep.
- RoundTrip routing for runners and cyclists: the watch suggests suitable routes based on the Trendline Popularity data and provides turn-by-turn instructions.
- ClimbPro: Automatically obtain data on gradient, distance and altitude before steep climbs.
- Multi-GNSS: Multi-satellite compatibility (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo) for optimal positioning in demanding environments.
- Wrist heart rate measurement during swimming
- Battery mode that allows the watch to operate for 80 days without recharging with a minimum of functionality
The Fenix 6 Pro has additional:
- Garmin Music: save songs to internal 32GB memory or stream from streaming services Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music
- Pre-installed TopoActive Europe map for perfect orientation and navigation as well as over 41,000 international golf courses. New are an additional 2,000 ski resort maps worldwide with slope information and difficulties.
- Pace Pro: A dynamic pace specification that takes into account the route profile and whether you want to tackle the climbs moderately or ambitiously.
The Fenix 6X Pro Solar has additional:
- Power glass: transparent solar charge lens through which the watch absorbs sunlight and charges the battery while the watch is in use. This extends the battery life. As the first Garmin Fenix 6 reviews have shown, the Power Glass can provide approximately 10% longer battery life. And that across all battery operating modes. A prerequisite for improved battery life, however, is that the display is exposed to bright light sources. Ideally sunlight, because the solar charge lens is optimized for the solar spectrum and in this case charges the battery faster.
Garmin Fenix 6 Review: Accuracy
During our Fenix 6 review, we were the first to be curious about GPS accuracy. The predecessor didn't always convince us. With the Fenix 6 it looks completely different now. With a total of two workouts over several kilometers on a bicycle through the city of Cologne, the Fenix 6 hardly makes a fuss. Along the way we drive along narrow roads between buildings, under trees, in parks, over bridges and so on…everything a big city has to offer. GPS+GLONASS have been set as satellite systems.
Especially between buildings GPS sports watches stumble because of signal reflections at the buildings and often do not map distances well. Below a screenshot of a part of the total distance from a distance (left) and as an example a zoom into an area between buildings (right). You can clearly see how clean the Fenix 6 Pro is even under difficult conditions:
We like that all in all. From time to time, inaccuracies can be seen, but they remain within reasonable limits. For example you can see in the following screenshot. The actual distance driven is more like the red dotted line:
By the way: unplanned routes can be saved in Garmin Connect as a route and sent to a compatible device. This means that they can be easily re-scheduled in the future.
In a test of over 7 km of running, the Fenix 6 Pro shows what it can do. It allows itself only very few inaccuracies (for example at the very beginning of the training in the first meters) and convinces for the most part. A large part of the total distance looks like this:
For comparison, we laid over the measurements of a Garmin Vivoactive 4 that was set identically (GPS/GLONASS). The Fenix 6 Pro was carried on the right arm, while the Vivoactive 4 was carried parallel on the left arm. This alone can make a GPS recording look different, but the Vivoactive 4 was often placed next to the track. As an example, the following screenshot shows how the Fenix 6 Pro (orange) reproduces the actual distance covered very well:
Heart rate Accuracy Jogging
During the Fenix 6 Pro test, our Polar H10 HR chest strap was also used. This allows us to check whether the Fenix accurately measures the heart rate. The two curves over time look like the following (Garmin Fenix 6 Pro: purple, Polar H10: blue):
All in all, the Fenix 6 Pro does not have any major flaws here either. However, the occasional HR peak on the part of the Fenix 6 is seen, which does not belong there. The measurement curve reminds us a bit of that of the Vivoactive 4, which also records many peaks. These certainly influence the slightly different average values in the end result. In optical heart rate measurement, many factors can falsify the measurement. This means that HR measurements do not have to look like this for everyone. The average values look good in total:
|Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
|Polar H10
|HR Average (S/min)
|HR Max. (bpm)HR Max. (bpm)
Heart rate accuracy interval training
Next we do a little interval training and want to see how the Fenix 6 reacts to the rapid changes in heart rate. Especially with interval training, optical heart rate sensors have their problems and often do not come along, which means that the HR values are only recorded very delayed. Overall, however, it looks very good at first glance, except for a few places. The Fenix 6 is particularly effective during increases in intensity and only shows delayed readings during breaks when the heart rate is slowing down.
The averages look very good. The Fenix 6 shows its best side during interval training and proves that proper training is possible without a chest strap:
|Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
|Polar H10
|HR Average (S/min)
|HR Max. (S/min)
Heart rate accuracy constant running (with step frequency target)
One run we did with a step frequency alarm to work on a higher step frequency (Run Cadence). The Fenix 6 is set to give an alarm if the step rate falls below 164 spm (steps per minute). At the same time we take care to train with low intensity and to move between HR zones 3 and 4. The Fenix 6 is also very suitable for such scenarios.
The following screenshot shows how it is constantly corrected after the Fenix 6 issues an alarm because the step frequency has fallen below 164.
The HR measurement for a constant running unit also looks good after a short start:
|Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
|Polar H10
|HR Average (S/min)
|HR Max. (S/min)
Garmin Fenix 6 Comparison: Choosing the right model
From our point of view, the wide range of models and the innumerable options cause a great deal of confusion. So here is a comparison chart that compares important features of the main Garmin Fenix 6s, Fenix 6s, Fenix 6s Pro, Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6X Pro models:
|Weight (gram)
|Housing size (mm)
|Display diagonal
|1,2″ | 30,4 mm
|1,3″ | 33,02 mm
|1,2″ | 30,4 mm
|1,3″ | 33,02 mm
|1,4″ | 35,56 mm
|Display resolution (pixels)
|240 x 240
|260 x 260
|240 x 240
|260 x 260
|280 x 280
|Display glass version
|Gorilla Glass 3
|Gorilla Glass 3
|Gorilla Glass 3 | Sapphire
|Gorilla Glass 3 | Sapphire
|Gorilla Glass 3 | Sapphire
|Internal storage capacity
|Battery life
|Power Manager
|Integrated heart rate monitor
|Heart rate monitor under water
|Pulse Ox
|Pace Pro
|About Garmin
|About Garmin
|Max. Number of data fields
|Musik Apps (Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music)
|Pre-installed TopoActive Europe map
|Turn-by-turn Navigation
|Golf cards
|Ski tickets
Fenix 6S vs Fenix 6 vs Fenix 6X: Base? Pro? Which Fenix 6 is right for me?
Which Fenix 6 model to choose? Well, that's actually quite simple: people with narrower wrists or with the desire for a flatter sports watch choose the Fenix 6S Base (42 mm) models. For all others we recommend the Fenix 6 Base (47 mm). If one of the Pro features is important to you, choose one of the Pro variants: Fenix 6S Pro or Fenix 6 Pro.
If extremely long battery life is an important criterion, one should actually keep an eye on the Fenix 6X Pro or even the 6X Pro Solar (both 51 mm), as the battery life is considerably better with these. But then the watch is bigger and heavier. All 19 Fenix models feature the new Powermanager, which allows the battery life to be adjusted. But only the 6X Pro and the solar version (approx. +10%) offer a little more. Under certain circumstances the 6X Pro Solar offers several days more runtime compared to the 6X Pro.
Sapphire glass or Gorilla Glass 3
Among the Pro models you can choose between sapphire glass or Corning Gorilla Glass 3. If you can't decide, here are some important distinguishing features:
- Sapphire glass is considered to be particularly scratch-resistant. Scratches on the display are therefore less likely compared to Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
- Owners of both model variants report that the color contrast is similarly good when the display is well viewed, but that the sapphire glass may reflect a little more light depending on the viewing angle. In some cases, this could impair readability. In the Fenix 6 review, we have the sapphire version on site and don't feel disturbed by reflections. The readability was practically always given so far.
Garmin Fenix 6: Buy, Prices, Availabilities
Many Fenix 6 models are already available. We have a purchase option, item and EAN numbers, and item descriptions summarized:
|Fenix 6S White/Silver (42 mm)
|Product page
|Fenix 6S Black/Silver (42 mm)
|Product page
|Fenix 6 Black/Silver (47 mm)
|Product page
Garmin Fenix 6 Review: Preview
These were now many facts and tables. But with this number of models it is difficult. In order to add more practical content and measurement results, we will extend this article bit by bit to a Garmin Fenix 6 practice review. The test device, a Fenix 6 Pro sapphire, has already arrived. You can see that the workmanship is still very good. Furthermore, at first glance there seems to be an improvement in GPS accuracy. The help with the first use of certain functions is also great, for example the maps: At the beginning a kind of wizzard runs on the display with the map, which informs and shows exactly which key you have to press in order to display or activate further options.
Somewhat disturbing is the buckle of our Fenix 6 Pro. This seems to be a bit sharp-edged in some places, so that sometimes there is an unpleasant feeling on the underside of the wrist. But this does not have to be the case for everyone.


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Watch This Amazing Pony Recover After Being Neglected For 10 Years
On March 17, 2017, a Shetland pony was found in a deplorable state in Antoing, Belgium, by the Animals at Risk rescue association.
The shelter employees found the pony in a pitiful state, his hooves wrapped around his legs, almost preventing him from walking at all.
The staff at the Belgian animal sanctuary was surprised to see that he could even get out of the trailer. When he arrived at the Belgian refuge, his hooves were so long that they wrapped around themselves. It seems that this pony was saved in extremis.
The hooves of a horse, or a pony, in good health, are cut regularly. Sadly, this poor pony was forgotten, malnourished and neglected, and lived in a makeshift shelter.
The pony, who has since been baptized "Poly", was collected with another horse, called Everest. The two animals lived in a small makeshift shelter, deliberately located far from the road, so that nobody could realize their terrible living conditions. Arriving, the rescuers were shocked by the lamentable state in which were the stables.
The owner finally handed the pony and horse to the authorities, and they were taken to the sanctuary Animauxen Péril(Animals in Peril), located in Belgium. The rescuers could not believe that a pony could survive under these conditions!
For starters, the blacksmith trimmed Poly's hooves, hoping to help him walk again one day. Nevertheless, the lack of treatment for so many years has probably caused irreversible damage to its joints, and healing will certainly take many years.
Both animals were in an advanced state of malnutrition. They each weighed just over a third of their normal weight and were close to death.
Not only were Poly's hooves in a very bad condition, but he was also too thin by 90 kilos! A healthy Shetland pony must weigh 200 pounds, while Poly was only 70.
Poly and his companion, today named Everest, has the right to an intense grooming. They were both shampooed and shaved to eliminate lice and dirt, their hooves were trimmed, before being wrapped in blankets to keep their bodies warm.
Luckily, the condition of both equids has since improved. Poly's hooves are gradually recovering, and both receive all the love and attention they have been deprived of for too many years. They both still have a long way to go, but as they spend each day in the company of people who love and care for them, their futures look much better!
Watch the Full Story in the Video below:


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Watch: Kendall Jenner Is The Only Person In Fergie's Trippy New Music Video
Never in a million years did we think that we'd see Kendall Jenner and Fergie coming together for a collaboration of sorts, but hey, anything is possible.
Starring in Fergie's new music video for her song 'Enchante (Carine)', Kendall did what she does best in front of the camera and rocked a bunch of different ~high farshun~ looks whilst lip-synching and dancing to the song. Beware, the song is full of fast-paced editing featuring multiple Kendall klones, and you may or may not get a little dizzy after watching it.
Although we're not sure how Kenny was recruited by Fergie Ferg, it seems that The Duchess is a fan of the Kardashian-Jenner family, with Kendall's older sister Kim Kardashian starring in Fergie's 'M.I.L.F. $ video last year.
Watch Kenny do her thang in Fergie's trippy 'Enchante (Carine)' video below.
- Jess Lim


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Tigo Tanzania's pioneer 4G LTE launch offers robust data connectivity, enhances enterprise mobility
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, December 4, 2015 — Tigo subscribers in Tanzania can now enjoy the fastest internet connection following the unveiling of the company's 4G LTE service in the country. The 4G LTE technology is about five times faster than the 3G technology currently available in the Tanzanian market. The 4G LTE network offers faster and higher speeds of data transfer, faster response times from the network and increased overall network capacity. It significantly enhances the customer experience for video streaming or conferencing and can accommodate more applications such as high definition content, video blogs, interactive games and video downloads on social networking sites. Commenting on the launch in […]Read more ›


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For every day of the year, I will be watching a movie I have never seen before. Follow me on my journey each week as I recap the films I see and give my thoughts on them. Hopefully you are exposed to new titles that you thought would never interest you or are given a new perspective on a film you have already seen.
#1. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018) 8/10
To kick off the challenge, I watched the new interactive film on Netflix, "Bandersnatch", which is part of the Black Mirror series created by Charlie Booker. The film uses "choose your adventure" format, which was a first as far as movie watching experiences go for me. I had a lot of fun making the decisions that took the main character, a video game developer living the in 1980's named Stefan, through many different variations of multiple scenes throughout the film.
#2. Rampage (2018) 6/10
Based on the popular arcade game, Rampage is exactly what you would expect it to be. A modern–day monster flick that has nods to the game that inspired it, Rampage hits all the beats that it needs to as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson leads this generic but fun action movie. Jeffrey Dean Morgan channels his inner Negan in a role as a government agent…..so that's fun to watch. Streaming on HBO, watch as a giant albino gorilla, crocodile, and wolf tear through the cities with a bag of popcorn.
#3. Eighth Grade (2018) 9.5/10
One of the best movies of 2018 that flew under the radar, Eight Grade is the feature film directorial debut by stand up comedian Bo Burnham. The film follows an eighth grade girl named Kayla, played, by Elsie Fisher, as she gets ready to begin her transition to life as a high school student. Fisher's performance is incredibly relatable and at times can show how frightening life can be for young girls at a crucial age in their life. The film currently holds an astounding 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and can be found on Blu-ray and all digital platforms.
#4. Burnt (2015) 7/10
Bradley Cooper stars in this 2015 drama about a renowned chef trying to revive his career after his reckless lifestyle destroyed his reputation. I love movies set in a culinary world, and this movie did not disappoint. Cooper masterfully plays his character who strives for perfection with life or death stakes at hand. The movie also features solid performances from Emma Thompson, Sienna Miller and Daniel Bruhl, and features a somewhat useless cameo from Uma Thurman.
#5. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) 4/10
A sequel to Guillermo Del Toro's imaginative monster flick from 2013, Pacific Rim: Uprising takes place 10 years after the events of the first film where we follow John Boyega as the son of Idris Elba's deceased character as he must reluctantly follow his father's footsteps as humanity must stop another Kaiju invasion from destroying the world. Directed by Steven S. DeKnight, Pacific Rim: Uprising takes all the imagination that Guillermo Del Toro brought to the original movie and brings us a CGI action-fest that brings little substance with it. While Pacific Rim was made with passion, Uprising is made simply to capitalize on the following gained by it's predecessor, leading to a boring and disappointing follow up to such a promising franchise.
Written by: Jon Rico


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Mimi Holliday By Damaris Knickerbocker Glory Luxury Padded Demi Cup Balcony Bra Black RRP £59
The ideal piece to go under your little black dress. Mimi Holliday's lightly padded balcony bra delivers the wow factor every time and the knickerbocker glory is no exception. Showcasing cups in intricate fine mesh with lace trim and with natural cotton padding for added comfort.
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This is a question that needs to be asked and answered. Like most things in life there are pros and cons. Here we briefly explore the question and the possible answer. Many have written that the professional travel agents days are numbered because of the proliferation of online travel booking options and the increasing ability and capability for online research baguio hotels.
Interestingly the successful travel agents have evolved from being simply booking people to travel consultants. They can now provide valuable advice. Online bookings are relatively simple to use but generally do not provide significant after-sales service should any aspect of the travel not follow the plan. This means that if you are visiting unfamiliar places along unfamiliar routes doing unfamiliar things, it makes a lot of sense to link with someone who you can talk with.
Here are some facts to consider:
Contrary to popular belief, travel agents will save you money some of the time, if the entire holiday cost is considered. They have access to exclusive deals from time to time and ta times have access to bulk buying. Generally, experts say that consumers get better value for money when buying through a travel agent. However, people with lots of free time and who are high flexibility in travel dates may get better deals online where there are "last-minute" needs to either fill a tour, a cruise or a holiday package.
Travel consultants will save you time. There is so much information available online and searching it takes time. They will have access to tools that help selecting and processing requests. Experts estimate that it takes 30 to 40 hours to fully research, plan and book a family trip online.
Travel agents often have special relationships with providers and vendors and can offer extras, like on-board credit on cruises or free breakfasts or free upgrade at hotels. In these cases the cost is the same as self-booking but the value is higher to most people.
Many travel agents enjoy preparing a complicated itinerary. However, some may charge a fee for the services – Check first.
Some will provide "inside information" on many aspects of your travel plans, like selecting accommodation, airlines with cheap stopovers, and tours with a special difference. The "inside information" is often quite valuable to the traveler.
They can assist with information on visa, vaccinations, travel insurance and other risk mitigation strategies.
In conclusion, the good travel consultant continues to thrive, even with the growth of online booking portals. If you are planning travel soon, consult a travel agent and see the difference.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9025648


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If you're looking for a way to celebrate your partner, forget the jewelry. Instead, create an experience that's full of adventure, relaxation, and/or romance. Experiences can shine far brighter than diamonds.
There are plenty of reasons you might spend a large chunk of salary on a glistening diamond ring, pendant, or bracelet. It could be for an anniversary or a birthday. It could just be a token of the love and gratitude you have. And while expensive jewelry can be quite the gesture, it can't bring the quality of life that a vacation provides.
The next time you decide to take a trip to the jeweler and hand over a wad of cash, consider doing something a little different. Give the love of your life a piece of true happiness with an unforgettable experience. It's a near guarantee that she'll appreciate stepping away from ordinary life for a bit. After all, diamonds have many limitations. Consider these:
Diamonds can't relieve the stressors of everyday life and work.
Diamonds can't show you the world.
Diamonds can't immerse you in different cultures.
Diamonds can't take you snorkeling or on safari.
Diamonds can't give you the sensations that toes in the sand, cool ocean breezes, or exciting festivals provide.
Fortunately, well-planned vacations can do these things. And the memories they help you and your loved one make will always remain priceless. So, skip traditional, expected, material jewelry and plan a perfect getaway for any occasion.
For more information about any of our packages or destinations, please contact us. Travel is our business. Helping people create unforgettable experiences is our passion.


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Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI)
Make a Positive Impact on Pennsylvania School Improvement
In Pennsylvania, educators at every level of the education system embrace a shared vision that Pennsylvania learners will be responsible, involved citizens and be prepared for meaningful engagement in postsecondary education, workforce training and career pathways. In making this vision a reality, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and its partners work collaboratively with Local Education Agencies (LEAs), schools and their communities to improve opportunities throughout the Commonwealth by ensuring that technical support, resources, and optimal learning environments are available for all administrators, teachers and support personnel.
The future of education begins with a strong collaboration amongst educators committed to a shared vision. Pennsylvania schools are working with experienced, passionate educators to identify and support their local work - educators like you!
To learn more about the Comprehensive School Improvement and how you can apply your skills to this crucial program, download our CSI brochure.
Regional Improvement Teams
As CSI schools, LEAs and districts begin building the foundation for a tailored, continuous school improvement process that supports school and student achievement, regional support teams consisting of improvement facilitators and core team members will offer professional guidance and ensure that school leaders receive the support needed to inform and implement improvement efforts.
As partners in this collaborative Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)-led initiative, the CCIU and Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 are responsible for the hiring of multiple School Improvement Facilitators and Core Team Members that will assist and empower CSI schools and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) as they move forward in the school improvement process.
Have a Hand in School Success!
"The essential practices and school improvement process was meaningful and helped guide our efforts tremendously. The final plan that we developed as a team is something that we are very proud of." - PA principal from CSI School
"We garnered participation from our community, parents, student stakeholders and our staff that our school team and outside support relied on as we focused on identifying our priorities for the coming year, which was a big step for us." - PA principal from CSI School
"Our Core Team Members were integral to the entire process. They reviewed and added useful perspective and feedback to our plans of action and guided us in finding solutions that worked for our needs." - PA principal from CSI School
Interested in learning more about the grant and CSI positions?
School Improvement Facilitators
Are you an experienced educational leader who likes collaborating with other leaders? Consider becoming a school improvement facilitator! School Improvement Facilitators offer on-site support in the design and implementation of an evidence-based continuous improvement process.
For more detailed information, download the School Improvement Facilitator information sheet.
Core Team Members
Are you a skilled professional with experience in specific curriculum areas and instruction? Apply your knowledge as a core team member! Core team members assist in the creation and implementation of evidence-based improvement plans, offering experience in: school climate, English language arts, mathematics, human capital strategies, data analysis, MTSS and family/community engagement.
For more detailed information, download the Core Team Member information sheet.
Hear from a current School Improvement Facilitator and Core Team Member.
Through a collaborative, peer-to-peer approach, you will facilitate an initiative that empowers CSI schools, LEAs and local educational leaders to determine their own priorities and be at the forefront of devising a clear plan for moving forward toward achieving success. Don't wait, get started today by applying below!


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When you're on a shoestring budget, marketing your online business can be a bloody mess.
The fact is, you can't hope to compete against big corporations if you're going to play by their rules.
For you to even have a fighting chance against your competitors, you need to employ guerrilla marketing tactics. It's through these that you'd be able to infiltrate hidden audiences — the ones that your competitors haven't targeted yet — that are willing to open their wallets for you.
(Oh! You need patience, too. You need A LOT of that, actually.)
Allow me to share with you five effective digital marketing strategies you can use even if you're on a shoestring budget.
1. Get tons of qualified traffic by targeting long-tail keywords
If you're a bootstrapping your business, you can't hope to compete against large corporations. They run authoritative sites that publish truckloads of content.
You, on the other hand, cannot.
If you want to drive qualified traffic to your website from the search engines, you need to go a different route. You need to target long-tail keywords instead.
To come up with a long list of long-tail keywords to use for your campaign, you can do some brainstorming. However, why rack your brains for keyword ideas when you can use a free keyword research tool instead?
One such keyword research tool is Ubersuggest. Not only is it reliable and free, but using it is a breeze.
To start your keyword research, head over to the site. Enter your seed keyword (let's use "ergonomic chairs" in this example) on the search box, specify the location, and then click "Look up."
Ubersuggest will then present you hundreds of keyword ideas in an instant. In our example, we got a total of 836. (Not bad.)
As you can see from the screenshot above, Ubersuggest not only generates hundreds of long-term keyword variations, it also provides key traffic data such as Search Volume, CPC (cost per click), and Competition (level of competition).
Ideally, you should target keywords with high search volume and low competition. This can get tricky. For one, big companies are always targeting high-volume keywords, increasing the level of competition for those phrases in the process.
But if you look hard enough, you may be able to find relatively low competition keywords with a search volume that's just high enough to provide you better conversions.
There are numerous ways to refine your list, but the most important thing to keep in mind here is intent. In our example, you're looking for prospective buyers, so you'd do well to target keywords with high commercial intent.
To generate high commercial keywords, you can enter transactional terms such as "buy" and "cheap" in the Filter Results field located on the left side of the page.
As you can see from the screenshot above, the competitiveness rating of our keyword results is not as low as we'd like. "Best buy office chairs," "buy office chair," and "where to buy office chairs," however, have high enough search volumes that it's still a good idea to add them in our long-tail keyword list.
If you find yourself stumped for long-tail keywords, just enter your seed keyword ("ergonomic chairs" in the field box again, pick long-tail keywords that are relevant to your campaign, and then refine your list further by applying keywords with high commercial intent.
2. Use email marketing to your advantage
Despite the popularity of social media over the years, email is a platform we still use every single day.
As such, it's in the best interests of every business owner to leverage the power of email marketing to grow his brand's audience and boost ROI.
So how effective is email marketing? For starters, it can help you grow your business in more ways than one. It can be used for lead generation, lead nurturing, selling premium products and services, and cross-selling.
By collecting email addresses from qualified leads using a lead magnet, you are provided the opportunity to engage, educate, and inspire your target audience on a regular basis.
Email marketing can be a wieldy task, but thankfully, you can rely on automation tools to optimize the entire process for you.
Even with a shoestring budget, investing in a good email marketing tool shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. Email marketing tool providers generally offer a 30-day free trial and then charge between $10 to $40 after the trial subscription expires.
3. Use Social Listening to Increase Awareness for your Brand
Your target audience is out there, and the only way you can reach and engage them is to use every online resource available to you.
Here's one thing you can count on about your target audience: they will always talk about things that directly or indirectly relate to your brand.
If you want more opportunities to engage them, you have to keep your ear on the ground (so to speak).
It's not as difficult as it sounds. In fact, there are a plethora of social listening tools that can optimize your social listening strategies.
Tools like HootSuite, for example, can provide you real-time updates for each instance that your brand is mentioned on social media.
At the same time, these tools also come with features that help you engage with those who are mentioning your brand, allowing you to respond to every customer complaint as they arise.
The best part? There is no shortage of affordable social media listening tools on the web.
Thanks to social media listening tools, you can correct misconceptions about your brand and build your business's reputation even with a limited budget.
4. Create Data-driven Infographics
Data is everywhere, so much so that we're drowning in it.
But data or statistics are only useful if you know how to interpret them and derive actionable insights from them. As a business owner, you'd want to consolidate all that information into a comprehensive report or presentation.
Enter Infographics, an effective tool that does just that. If you want to present complex information and figures in a simplified and visually appealing manner, Infographics is a cost-effective marketing tool that you can count on.
You don't even have to be trained in graphic design or media arts to use it effectively. With the help of a free tool like Canva, you can create a slick infographic in minutes.
After signing up for a free account, go to the "Create a design" page and then click on "Infographic."
You'll be taken to an empty dashboard where you can build your infographic using the tool's extensive list of layouts, visual and text elements, and backgrounds. By using the tool's full set of customizable features, you can present all relevant data in an appealing and more impactful way.
Once you're satisfied with your infographic, you can use the tool's social media buttons to share it online, whether it's for a guest post, a blog post, or on Facebook.
By presenting your ideas through a visually-appealing medium, you can boost brand awareness and grow your audience with little effort. It's also one of the best ways to show that you are an expert on a particular subject.
Additionally, infographics have a viral nature that entices people to link to your site. As a result, your site will rank higher in Google searches. And that is always a good thing.
5. Optimize Your Website's Performance
Always remember that your website is the official, digital extension of your business.
You want it to reflect your brand's standards in terms of service, dependability, and customer friendliness — not annoy users by being sluggish or with constant crashes.
Fortunately, most website platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Wix have been consistently stable and secure. What you need to focus on, however, is your website's loading speed, which can make or break the user experience on your website.
A great first step is to run a quick analysis of your website's performance with a tool like Google PageSpeed Insights. After entering your URL, simply click "Analyze" to have the tool scan your site for anomalies:
Doing so will allow you to zero in on the performance-related issues you may have overlooked on your website. More importantly, PageSpeed Insights will also generate a list of suggestions that will help you address these issues and improve your website's performance.
For website owners who have no prior web design or development knowledge, most of these optimization suggestions may be unfamiliar to you. But regardless of experience, they are more than doable as long as you can acquire the right tools and resources.
Image optimization, for example, is a great way to give any site a significant boost in speed without having to write a single line of code.
With tools like TinyPNG, Kraken.io, and Compressor.io, you can easily apply lossless compression to your images, which will reduce their file size without any noticeable differences in quality.
If you use WordPress, you can also automate the process of image optimization with a plugin like WP Smush. Other optimization processes, like code minification, browser caching, and GZIP compression, can be expedited with the use of plugins as well.
Lastly, another strategy you can use to speed up your website is to use a Content Delivery Network or CDN to optimize the transfer of web data to multiple locations around the world.
A CDN is a network of proxy servers, which are tasked with storing and transferring cached website data to nearby users — reducing latency and adding an extra layer of protection against DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks.
6. Position yourself as an industry expert
If you want to stand out from the rest of the competition, you have to establish yourself as an expert in the industry.
The reason couldn't be more simple: People who are in need of something are naturally inclined to follow and listen to those who know what they are talking about.
So learn as much as you can about your niche. Use every available educational resource out there (podcasts, online courses, articles, etc.) to gain more knowledge and skills about your chosen industry. Additionally, you have to keep an eye on every new information and technology that will help you gain the competitive advantage.
By writing insightful blog posts and recording informative vlogs and podcasts, not only are you providing real value to your target audience, but you're also positioning yourself as a thought leader in your niche, thus creating a big buzz around your brand.
There you have it — these digital marketing strategies can help you grow your business even with a minimal budget.
If you're willing to put in some elbow grease in your marketing efforts every step of the way, there will come a time when you'll be surprised when your budget has ballooned. By then, you'll have more investment opportunities that can catapult your business to new heights.


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We are back from Holidays and ready for orders!
January is garnet gemstones, we offer natural grade AAA garnets in a semi-precious gemstone, or you can order a beautiful sparkling Fire Czech crystal bracelet in the crystal garnets. Garnet is a deep red color with a semi-translucent shade to the stone, some garnets can almost look black in low light, with bright light they are beautiful dark red shade.
The true birthstone for January, simply type in January Garnet in the search bar on our home page and you can shop and see some of sample pictures of garnet types. Most of our bracelets are designed to be ordered in any of the birthstones by selecting from the drop down menu.
Happy January!


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In Utah, and in various other states Early Intervention is the program that steps in to help children with disabilities. From birth to age three, Early Intervention provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, classes and other things a child might need on a case by case basis.
Even before my daughter was diagnosed, these kind people stepped in to give us a hand. They've helped my little one in so many ways and they've been a huge support to my wife and I during these first years of adjusting to our little girl's disabilities. Their in-home visits and the classes they've offered have helped my daughter learn to be mobile, to eat, to interact with other children and so many other essential things. Basically, the folks at Early Intervention have been a life line for our family.
So this next month is going to be a difficult one. My daughter is reaching the age of three and it's time to transition over to the public school system. A nearby elementary school offers a preschool class for disabled children starting at age three and that's where my daughter is headed next. During January there will be some placement testing that will involve the EI people and the new school and then before my daughter begins classes we'll have the chance to meet her new teachers and get a feel for the program.
Change is never easy and I know my wife and I are nervous about this one. My wife and daughter have already visited classes at her new school and were pleased with what they saw, but my little one is at the very bottom of the list when it comes to the abilities of the students in her class. So I guess her testing and placement will be concern number one. I'll report back in a couple weeks on the results.
In the mean time, a sincere thank you from my family to all those in the Early Intervention program who have made such a tremendous contribution to my little daughter's life. Her abilities and quality of life are a direct result of your time and caring.


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Information Technology Service Management Systems ITSMS – ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011
Information Technology Service Management Systems – ITSMS certification scheme is based on the ISO 20000:2011 standard. The scheme is aimed at improving IT service management and describes an integrated set of management processes for the effective delivery of services to the business and its customers.
IT is a business enabler, defined service levels, quality of IT services, customer focus are some of the key differentiators in IT.
For a Chief Information Officer, there are senior management directives to reduce IT costs while users keep demanding new services and continual improvement in existing IT services.
Information Technology Service Management Systems – ISO 20000 provides a pathway toward achieving these goals.
- ITIL is defined as: Information Technology Infrastructure Library
- ITSM is defined as: IT Service Management, a subset of ITIL
- ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 focuses on IT Service Management and is based in ITIL v2
There are 5 processes for Service Delivery, 5 for Service Operations and Qualify Improvement processes similar to ISO 9001:2008
IT is a business enabler. Defined service levels, quality of IT services, customer focus are some of the key differentiators in IT. ISO 20000 provides a pathway toward achieving these goals. For a Chief Information Officer, there are senior management directives to reduce IT costs while users keep demanding new services and continual improvement in existing IT services.
- ISO 20000 is a set of 173 controls broadly from three main areas – Five (5) IT Service Delivery processes and Five (5) IT Service Support processes from ITIL v2 and Continual Improvement processes from ISO 9001. Therefore, in a way ISO 20000 is customisation of ISO 9001 to IT Service Management.
- Although ITIL v2 has been revised to ITIL v3, the 2005 version of ISO 20000 has not yet been revised. ITIL and ISO 20000 are complementary to each other.
- ISO 20000 certification helps to improve the image of IT Department and IT Service Provider organisations. It is a good way to kick-start the adoption of ITIL Best Practices. For small third party IT service providers, a few of their clients even demand ISO 20000 certification as a precondition to awarding contracts.
- Governence of Key Processes
- Design of news services
- Service Continuity / Availability
- Release and Deployment
- Capability Management
- Management of Business Relationships
- Configuration Management
- Increase your sales and improve your financial perforance
- REduce your risk and Product Liability
- Market/Export your certified product to any part of the globe
- Use of ISC's prestigious Product Mark
- Provide assurance that service requirements will be fullfilled
- Promote consistent approach to service delivery
- Demonstrate capability to stakeholders
ISC is accredited by JAZ-ANZ. All certification awarded by ISC is recognised internationally by signatories of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multi-Lateral Agreement.
APMG is the only true independent and internationally recognised forum for IT Service Management professionals worldwide and ISC are recognised as an APMG Registered Certification Body for ITSM ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011.
Under a joint-scheme with JAS-ANZ, completing your audit provides you with dual certification from two of the worlds peak certification bodies, APMG and JAS-ANZ.
- Greater quality delivery to your IT services
- Clients and consumers that the agreed service levels are maintained
- Independent verification of your organisation's ITSMS by our qualified and experienced auditors, will ensure greater compliance with your service level agreements
- 20+ years of operations & 10,000+ global certifcations
- Access to the best global auditors – ISC invests in recruiting and developing the best auditors including incentivising, training and satisfaction scoring to enhance our processes, approach and focus
- JAS-ANZ Accredited and Recognised Certification Audits
- Experience and Expertise
- Process Driven and Outcome Based
- Customer Focused
- Feedback To Auditors and Staff Implemented
- Approachable and flexible team –'you call, we answer'
- National /International Reach
- Performance Minded
- Gap Assessment


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The incoming Cybercrimes Bill is set to change the way in which online piracy is policed in South Africa.
The new legislation comprises various laws which refer directly to issues such as copyright infringement.
One of the provisions in the bill is that ISPs in South Africa could be obligated to report offences within 72 hours or face a hefty fine.
The basics of the Cybercrimes Bill are detailed below, along with information regarding the collection and release of customer information by ISPs.
Cybercrimes Bill
Following the excision of the cybersecurity section, the Cybercrimes Bill now deals purely with offences relating to cybercrimes, seizure and access, evidence gathering, and reporting obligations and penalties.
When it comes to the policing of online piracy, the following clauses are applicable:
- New offences – Includes the distribution of a data message of an intimate image, the infringement of copyright by peer-to-peer sharing, and sending hate speech messages.
- Jurisdiction – South African courts will have extraterritorial jurisdiction, even when certain offences are committed outside of South Africa.
- Prison time – Provisions which provide for a maximum penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment.
- Obligations – Electronic communications service providers and financial institutions must report offences they become aware of within 72 hours.
Fatima Ameer-Mia, a director at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, stated that once ISPs become aware of an instance of piracy they have a duty to report it to the SAPS and to preserve any information which may be of assistance to law enforcement agencies.
"It is unlikely that these companies would proactively hand over information, but if a cybercrime or one of these offences become public then I think for reputational reasons they will have to comply," Ameer-Mia said.
"This reporting must be done without undue delay and, where feasible, not later than 72 hours after they become aware of the offence."
MyBroadband asked multiple local ISPs about the potential effect of the Cybercrimes Bill on the way they approach customer privacy.
Most service providers did not provide comment or pointed us towards their privacy policies, but Cybersmart CTO Laurie Fialkov outlined the service provider's general approach to the disclosure of customer information.
"We currently only release customer information on court order or subpoena," Fialkov said.
"There is also limited information that we can disclose in terms of the PROATIA Act, which requires a particular form to be completed at the police station."
This is standard practice for many local ISPs and Fialkov said that the new Bill's requirement for ISPs to report instances of copyright infringement is relatively vague – and should not alter this procedure.
"It doesn't appear that we are actively required to police copyright infringement, only that we need to report it," Fialkov said.
Using MWEB's privacy policy as an example, the document states that "MWEB will protect the confidentiality of its subscribers' information, and use its subscribers' information only for the purpose permitted or required".
This means that the ISP will only provide subscriber information to third parties under certain conditions, including:
- When directed by the written instruction of the subscriber.
- When directed by an order of court.
- Where it is necessary to properly deal with and comply with any legislative enactment or regulation.
MWEB's privacy policy policy adds that while it does collect information such as domains visited, it does not inspect identifying information.
"You can browse sites without telling us who you are, or revealing any of your personal information," the ISP's policy states.
"We do track the Internet address of the domains of visitors and analyse such for trends and statistics. The individual user remains anonymous."
Many other ISPs in South Africa adopt similar policies when it comes to user privacy.
Protecting user privacy at all costs
Fialkov told MyBroadband that ISPs should protect user privacy at all costs, as well as assist the authorities in prosecuting criminals.
"I do believe that ISPs have certain responsibilities, and that responsibility is not only to protect user privacy at all costs," Fialkov said.
"I believe that it is important to have a legal framework where if criminal activity of any form is happening on an ISP's network, a process exists to assist the authorities in bringing the perpetrator to justice."
"I think this Bill to a large extent addresses this. Of course, there are people who are going to say that there are issues with it, but with any new Bill there are things that are not right. That is why we have amendments, so that over time these issues get fixed."


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Third Graders
Today, we continued to review all notes on the D and A strings, then played through page 13. By now, students should have each of those notes memorized - not only the fingerings, but also what they look like on the staff. If your child is having trouble with this, remind them that they can go back to the earlier pages in the book to review. If it is still difficult, please let me know so I can give them extra help in school! Thanks.
- Pg. 14. This one is a little tricky!! Please focus on "Jingle Bells" so we can play it in our lesson next week :)
- Please continue to work on holding the bow, and switching between strings.
Fourth Graders
4A: Today we had (a belated) Performance Day!!
- Now that the concert is over, we can get back to the book! Please review pages 13 and 14.
4B: Today we had (a belated) Performance Day!
- Review G String notes (G, A, B, C)
- Pg. 31
(note: not all students choose to be videotaped)


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You are hereImage Galleries / Customer Service Awards / Montgomery nurses go the extra mile
Montgomery nurses go the extra mile
Constance Billingsley (a Selma native), Barbara and Angela received an Outstanding Patient Care Award from V.I.P. CEO William H. Bowman. They are professionals and try to make everyone get well as soon as they can. They provide a special touch to all and treat people with kindness. Than you for all you do at your facility. Constance is an LPN and Barbara is a wound nurse. They work together to treat patients. They encourage patients to work hard to heal and recover from their illness. They try to make you feel as if you were with a friend.


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HUDDERSFIELD MP Barry Sheerman is seeking meetings with Government ministers after the announcement of 75 job loses at engineering firm David Brown.
The Lockwood-based gear manufacturer said the redundancies – about a sixth of its 450-strong workforce – followed a full review of operations and were necessary to make it a more competitive, customer-focused business.
Mr Sheerman said: "I am shocked by this news and I will be talking to the company's management as soon as possible.
"I will be seeking a meeting with Business Minister Michael Fallon next week and following up by talking to Business Secretary Vince Cable."
The Labour MP said he would also be talking to the Ministry of Defence as David Brown was a key supplier of defence equipment.
He said the company was trying to reduce its reliance on the defence sector by developing technology for products such as wind turbines.
Mr Sheerman said he would talk to UK Trade & Investment, the Government's export support arm, about the possibility of finding new markets.
But he stressed: "We shouldn't dwell on the negatives. Let's see if we can find more orders for the company and give them a boost.
"This is an interim phase as the company restructures its business. If they get through this phase, it will grow and expand into new areas such as green technology."
David Brown managing director Steve Watson said the job losses were being made "with great regret" but said the company remained committed to retaining and developing the skills it needed to succeed in markets such as wind and tidal energy.


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Baltimore natives explain a day-in-the-life working on the USS Truman
Natives of Baltimore work for the Navy onboard the USS Harry Truman.
Assistant navigator Lt. Christian Suszan is a graduate of the Naval Academy. His wife is from the Annapolis area.
"It's an awesome ship to drive; it's a challenge. This ship handles different then your standard recreational boat," Suszan said.
Suszan mapped a chart to take the boat into the Chesapeake Bay.
There can be up to 70 aircraft on the Truman at any given time. Support of the Truman comes from ship to shore.
"Around 18 years old, I started working at PF Changs and the Cheesecake Factory in the White Marsh area and Towson," aviation electrician Walter Argueta said
By the age of 27, Argueta decided he wanted more in life, so he enlisted in the Navy and trained as an aviation electrician. Now, he works on the MH-53.
"Kind of like Godzilla, monstrous compared to all the other helicopters," Argueta said as he explained the size of the MH-53.
Because of its size, it's often called to help on humanitarian missions.


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Get helpful information for navigating the crowded field of performance-horse medications
Got a headache? You probably pop a pain reliever. That achy knee bothering you today? Perhaps you reach for a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). While you might not give your own remedies much thought, you'd better do your due diligence when it comes to your horse's aches and pains, particularly if you plan to compete.
Our national governing body (NGB) for equestrian sport, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), is responsible for ensuring a level playing field is maintained at its recognized competitions. That means running a tight ship and enforcing rules pertaining to what substances owners, trainers, or veterinarians may and may not administer to horses.
Generally speaking, two rules of thumb apply to the worlds of equine medications and competition. The first is that, just as in human medicine, new drugs and other purportedly beneficial substances ("nutraceuticals" and the like) continue to be developed. All this innovation keeps the USEF drugs-and-meds folks busy trying to figure out what the new stuff does; how it might interact with other substances; and whether it should be permitted, restricted, or banned in licensed competition.
The second is that, unfortunately, there always seem to be competitors bent on skirting the rules in order to gain an unfair advantage or, perhaps, show a horse that's not sound.
The racing industry has gotten plenty of bad press for the drugging of racehorses. In December 2012, the sport-horse world got a taste of the same medicine when The New York Times ran a story about a hunter pony that collapsed and died at the 2012 Devon Horse Show, in Pennsylvania, after having received 15 separate injections of various substances in the three days preceding his death.
You might not be giving several meds simultaneously. Or you might not dream of giving a horse cocaine or LSD; but somebody's undoubtedly tried it, for both are on the tiny-type list of USEF forbidden substances, along with about 200 others—and they're just listed as "examples." So one of our NGB's main roles is conducting drug tests at horse shows and imposing penalties on offenders.
With the guidance of Stephen Schumacher, DVM, head of the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Program, we'll introduce you to the major categories of performance-horse meds and other substances—what they are and what they do. Then we'll offer tips for navigating the minefield of substances that could get your horse eliminated from competition.
To Reduce Pain
A dizzying array of substances serve to make horses feel better by helping eliminate pain, inflammation, or both.
Painkillers such as tramadol, a USEF forbidden substance, might have therapeutic value, but they shouldn't be used in competition because they hide a horse's pain or unsoundness.
Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatories and immunosuppressants. Dexamethasone (Azium) is a common equine veterinary corticosteroid administered to reduce pain and inflammation and to quell allergic reactions, among others. It's on the USEF list of medications whose administration and dosage are restricted.
Corticosteroids are not the same as anabolic steroids, the performance-enhancing "doping" steroids typically associated with bodybuilders and other athletes. Anabolic steroids, which include the male hormone testosterone, are forbidden in USEF competition.
The NSAIDs, as their name suggests, reduce inflammation (thereby offering pain relief) without the use of steroids, which is appealing because long-term steroid use can be harmful. But NSAIDs can have their own drawbacks; one of the best-known NSAIDs, phenylbutazone ("Bute"), can cause ulcers or other gastrointestinal problems, especially if administered regularly. Newer NSAIDs designed to avoid this side effect include firocoxib (Equioxx) and diclofenac (Surpass, a topical cream). And some NSAIDs, such as flunixin meglumine (Banamine), are commonly administered in a single application, such as to relieve colic pain.
Other drugs use different modes of action to provide pain relief. Methocarbamol (Robaxin), for instance, is a muscle relaxant. Veterinarians sometimes administer this drug to relieve muscle spasms and tightening in horses with sore backs.
To Calm
This wide category encompasses tranquilizers (acepromazine, reserpine, etc.) and the many "calming" supplements.
Particularly when having a quiet horse is a competitive advantage, some exhibitors are tempted to resort to artificial means of calming their charges. Most know that sedatives and tranquilizers are forbidden, but some fall into the trap of thinking that a nutraceutical advertised as "natural" or "herbal" is therefore competition-legal. Surprise, surprise: Some herbs that have distinct calming or anti-anxiety properties are the very substances that make up some of the prohibited sedatives and tranquilizers on the market. Most of these herbs—even independent of compounds—are not permitted in USEF competition.
An inhibitory neurotransmitter called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA, the active ingredient in the supplement Carolina Gold) joined the USEF banned-substances list in 2012. Thought to have calming properties, GABA is worrisome because its injection can cause such side effects as severe shaking and near-collapse, explains Schumacher.
A substance that's even scarier than GABA, he says, is injectable magnesium sulfate. (Yes, the same active ingredient as in drugstore Epsom salts.) Given intravenously, "vitamin M," as some users slyly call it, has a calming effect—but it can also kill the horse if administered too quickly.
Other Effects
We don't hear about competitors' wanting to pep up their horses for the arena as much as calm them, but some must want to; otherwise, such substances as methamphetamine and caffeine wouldn't need to be on the USEF's forbidden list.
And the rest? Name a drug—legal or illegal—or an herb that we haven't already covered, and chances are it has some sort of physiological effect that's disallowed in competition. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana? Banned. Guafenisin, the active ingredient in Mucinex and some cough remedies? Banned. Strychnine, aka rat poison? (Ew!) Banned. And the list goes on and on.
A curious subset of the "performance-enhancing" category comprises substances that increase skin sensitivity. Many of the related offenses have occurred in jumpers, which are penalized for knocking down rails. Heighten the sensitivity of the horse's legs, the thinking goes, and it will hurt more to hit a rail. A number of jumpers at the 2008 Olympic Games were eliminated when they tested positive for capsaicin, an irritant as well as the ingredient that makes hot peppers hot.
Finally—although we've by no means listed every possible substance or its effect—bronchodilators and other similar drugs used to relieve the signs of asthma and other respiratory ailments are also on the banned list because they enhance horses' aerobic capacity.
Supplements: Use with Caution
Equine nutraceuticals are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As a result, manufacturers are not required to disclose all ingredients and ingredient levels, and amounts might vary from batch to batch.
What this means for horse show exhibitors is that they might not know for sure whether supplements will cause their horses to test positive for substances forbidden or controlled by the USEF, the latter being drugs that are permitted but only in limited amounts. Veterinarians warn horse owners not to trust product labels that promise otherwise.
If you must feed your horse a nutraceutical and you wish to show in USEF-licensed competition, you're best off choosing a product whose manufacturer is a member of the National Animal Supplement Council (nasc.cc), says Schumacher. Members of NASC agree to follow quality manufacturing standards, submit to product and ingredient audits, and follow established labeling protocols. In other words, what's on the label is in the product, with a lesser chance of "surprise" ingredients (but keep in mind that even some of the labeled ingredients might be banned or controlled). For more information on supplement regulation, as well as the role of the NASC, see the August issue.
For the AQHA or FEI Competitor
The American Quarter Horse Association follows most United States Equestrian Federation rules regarding forbidden substances in competition. However, the AQHA's dosage and time-frame rules for what it terms "conditionally permitted therapeutic medications" (rule VIO405 in the AQHA Official Handbook) differ somewhat from the USEF's.
The AQHA permits the administration of 13 substances within 24 hours of showing. Among them are several NSAIDs and dexamethasone, as in the USEF rules. But the AQHA permits three substances that are banned in USEF competition: acetazolamide, a drug given to horses testing positive for the disease hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP); furosemide (Lasix), a blood thinner; and the anesthetics lidocaine/mepivicaine (permitted only when used under specific circumstances). Consult the AQHA (aqha.com) for more details.
Those elite equestrians who show in FEI-recognized competitions must follow the organization's stringent anti-doping rules, for both equine and human athletes. See the FEI's list of banned substances and learn more at FEICleanSport.org.
Jennifer O. Bryant
How to Pass a Drug Test
When you enter a horse in a USEF-licensed competition, your signature on the entry form constitutes agreement to abide by the drugs-and-meds rules, which includes consent to equine drug testing. The check you write incorporates a fee (currently $8) that funds the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Program.
If a horse's blood or urine sample is found to contain a forbidden substance, penalties vary but usually include forfeiture of any ribbons, trophies, points, standings, and prize money earned at the show; a monetary fine; and public shaming in the form of a penalty notice in the USEF's member magazine, Equestrian. The horse cannot compete in future USEF shows until all assessed fines are paid.
You don't want this to happen to you, of course, and you might assume you're okay as long as you steer clear of those forbidden substances. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Even well-meaning competitors get snagged in the drug-testing net because they don't understand that there are controlled substances and how the USEF approaches these.
Recognizing that some medications have genuine therapeutic value—such as many NSAIDs, dexamethasone, and methocarbamol—the USEF permits their administration but recommends they not be given within certain time frames prior to competition, so as to help ensure that detectable amounts will be below allowed limits. Further, no more than one permitted NSAID can be administered at a time.
Here's where you need to get out your reading glasses, for there's a lot of fine print as to the specifics of the allowed dosage amounts and time frames. The USEF publishes a booklet, Guidelines for Drugs and Medications, which contains the text of USEF General Rule (GR) 410. In its 33 pages you'll find a quick reference guide to the quantitatively restricted meds, followed by several pages of detailed specifics. It's dense reading, but if you give your horse anything other than hay and feed, you'd better bone up before you show.
You can download the USEF 2013 Guidelines for Drugs and Medications at www.usef.org (click on Rules & Regulation, Drugs & Medications, then select 2013 Guidelines from the menu bar at right). Save the PDF to your smartphone or tablet, or print it out and keep it with you at the barn and when traveling to shows.
The Drugs & Medications section of the USEF website also contains other helpful links, such as an NSAIDs FAQ and a link to the Fédération Equestre International (FEI) drug rules and the current list of FEI banned substances.
It's always a good idea to consult your veterinarian well in advance of a show regarding any medications or supplements you give your horse. Be aware, however, that the person who signs the "trainer" blank on the USEF entry form is the "person responsible" for the horse, according to USEF rules. In other words, "My vet gave me incorrect advice" isn't defensible. If you have questions about the USEF D&M rules, call the USEF D&M Department at 800/633-2472.
Read about managing editor Alexandra Beckstett's own horse show drug test tips and experiences in "What's in Your Horse's Urine Sample?" at TheHorse.com
These Substances Are Okay
You might have noticed that we haven't mentioned some commonly used substances, such as injectable polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG, Adequan), in our lists of banned or controlled substances in USEF-licensed competition.
Forbidden substances generally have a certain amount of "masking" action or affect horses' brain chemistry. In contrast, the GAGs and hyaluronate sodium (Legend) act—and this is a gross oversimplification—by helping arthritic joints heal themselves. Therefore, they are permissible in USEF competition.
Another substance that is USEF competition-legal is altrenogest (Regu-Mate, or the generic Altresyn), which suppresses mares' estrous (heat) cycles. Some mares become erratic and difficult to manage when they are cycling as a result of pain and hormone swings. (Note, however, that there are many "moody mare" nutraceuticals whose ingredients might or might not "test," so use these with caution.)
The Goal: Fair, Humane Competition
Veterinarians will be the first to tell you that no substance can substitute for correct training. Likewise, seasoned competitors are quick to point out that horses are not automatons, and that judges who reward "dead," robotic performances are unwittingly propping up competitors' use of methods to render horses unusually quiet.
In light of recent negative publicity, it is likely that drugs-and-medications rules will only become more stringent. New medications might hold promise for enhancing horses' health and welfare, but with their availability comes the responsibility to use them correctly and never to compromise one's horsemanship or sportsmanship standards for the sake of a ribbon.


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I would not venture to guess
where she ends
and I begin.
Of one flesh we have become
both losing ourselves and finding ourselves
in that oneness.
Still a mystery
how we cannot tell where each ends and each begins.
Of oneness we are.
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
in the song and in this life.
Burning passions fired for Creator
a rain not quenching but flooding
a distant longing and its approaching rumble
has engulfed me
A burning man quenched.
We all like flowers bloom and unfold.
From bud to blossom, new to full,
from young to old.
The summit of a life cycle no one knows
the height, the apex of life's arc
from fullness to withered petal.
But life is,
from beginning to end,
from tender shoot to brittle leaf,
all part of the bloom.