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People relying on glasses or contact lenses want Lasik surgery for several reasons: For example, for those who work in a very active environment, it is a huge benefit not to wear these "unnecessary" and "disturbing" tools.
First of all, before choosing to undergo the operation, your eye practitioner is deemed to have done an absolute eye exam.
He should also know all about your previous eye conditions as this information is important to determine your eligibility to the surgery.
You can Imagine a Life Without the Need to Wear Glasses and it is only possible with the help of LASIK eye surgery.
Avoid Driving After Surgery
The Lasik specialist will inform you that it is prohibited to drive your car quickly after the surgery.
The length of this period normally depends on the restorative time of your eyes. Some patients are asked to resume driving at least two days after the surgery and this is not for a long distance.
For those having night vision difficulties, they should surely reduce their nighttime driving for some days after the surgery.
For those having a high sensibility to light, they are well advised to wear sunglasses when driving during daytime.
Post Meeting With Your Eye Specialist
Another thing you should not do is to completely forget your post-operative meeting with your eye care expert. If you are looking for Laser Eye Surgery Procedure by a professional and well
If you are looking for Laser Eye Surgery Procedure by a professional and well-experienced surgeon you can search it online.
These meetings are intended to make sure that the restorative process is going well and they are supposed to take place one week, one month or up to three months after the surgery procedure.
Of course, you should book these agreements before the actual operation is supposed to take place. These meetings are important for the healing process.
Avoid Use of Makeups
Another common mistake is the usage of make-up. Any make-up is completely not recommended. These include lipstick and facial lotions.
You are also asked not to wear any make-up for at least three days before or after the day of the eye procedure.
Some Lasik doctors will even advise you not to use make-up two days after the surgery. Of course, after that period you may continue using makeup but not those that are used to your eyes.
Protect your eyes
Your surgeon will also advise you not to touch and move your eyes for any reason except eye drops.
It is surely forbidden to use anything that is to enter the eye area. Some patients will even receive eye shields to cover their eyes when they are relaxing.
These covers are designed to avoid any rubbing or poking when sleeping. You can raise the risk of disease by touching your eyes. These can slow or even damage the healing process.
Avoid Exercises
You should not exercise less than two days after the Lasik surgery. When you will resume these sporting activities you should be very careful.You can head over here to know more about the LASIK surgery.
Indoor activities are allowed one day after the surgery while outdoor but they required eye shields.
General activities such as reading, working on the computer, watching TV are generally allowed a day after the surgery but you should use eye drops.


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The second expansion of Hearthstone's Year of the Raven has been announced, and it's an… electrifying one. After a relatively short teaser period, which consisted of basically one image, today the announcement went live. Per accident, that is, as shortly after the announcement the video was taken down again.
So what's the new expansion about? The evil goblin Dr. Boom, previously tormenting players is caught in between dimensions and has created a laboratory with all kinds of crazy experiments from within The Netherstorm. The first new mechanic introduced is called 'Magnetic', and interacts with all Mech minions. Upon playing a Magnetic minion, players can choose to fuse it with a friendly Mech on board, merging all stats and effects to create one big mechanical abomination.
A second new group of cards do not feature a new keyword, but are called 'Omega' cards. From what's been said and seen those cards are reasonable when played before you reach 10 Mana. However, if you play the Omega cards at 10 Mana, they receive a massive upgrade. It seems like Blizzard missed the good old Big Druid days.
Two new groups of spells were in the reveal video too, the most exciting of which are Legendary spells. Now, you might think "Hey, but we've had Quests, those are Legendary spells right?". And yes, to some degree that's correct. However, whereas Quests were always offered in your mulligan, and served as a mini-objective in the game, the new Legendary spells work just like any other spell, and are shuffled into your deck alongside all other cards. The second group of spells are titled 'Projects', similar to how Whispers of the Old Gods had a couple of 'Forbidden' cards, and trigger the same effect for both players. Fair and square, right?
Other than new mechanics, two other cards were revealed. Well, one and a half to be more precise. First up there's a new Shaman Legendary minion, Electra Stormsurge. A 3/3 at first glance might not seem too exciting, until you remember that Shaman has some outrageously powerful spells. A 6 Mana double Lightning Storm is stronger than Mage's power tool Flamestrike, and then we're not even touching a turn 8 combination of Electra Stormsurge with Volcano, for a 30-damage board clear…
To top it all off, the evil doctor himself was teased as a Warrior Hero Card. One can only imagine the horrible things that could be written on that card…
Additional information about the next expansion could be found in the YouTube description of the video. First and foremost,the expansion is set to release on August 7, almost the exact same date last year's second expansion, Knights of the Frozen Throne, came out. Secondly, there are not one but two pre-purchase options the first one follows the classic path: 50 packs and a card back, but throws in a random Golden Legendary as well. Trumping this is the 80 card pack pre-purchase, which also rewards you with a new Warlock Hero skin: mecha Jaraxxus MECHA JARAXXUS!
While there's almost a month of card-reveals left to be had, the final reveal stream is set to happen on July 23, at 10 am PST.
It seems like initially Blizzard pulled the emergency brake and removed the announcement video, but then realized no-one was going to unsee it anyway. So, if you're not hyped yet, watch the announcement video below!
(Mirror if video doesn't work try https://streamable.com/bhhhf )
Storyteller by heart. If something is competitive, I am interested in it.
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If you have been told that you do not have enough bone for dental implants, or if you prefer to avoid surgical procedures because of health issues, full and partial dentures remain a popular choice in our Glenview, IL dental office and can give you your smile back.
Full and partial dentures look far more natural than they did in years past because of advancements in technology and materials. Denture teeth now come in a variety of natural-looking shades and shapes to match your coloring, facial structure, gender, and age. Gone are the days of bulky, generic looking teeth.
Full Dentures for a Complete Smile
If you are missing all (edentulous) or most of your teeth, complete or full dentures offer a solution to improve dietary choices and fill out your facial features. If you have had difficulty in the past with ill-fitting dentures, it might be time to replace them. Since your bone shrinks over time, dentures need replacement every 5-8 years or so.
Partial Dentures to Match Your Smile
If you still have natural teeth remaining, partial dentures restore your chewing surface and fill in the gaps caused by tooth loss. Partial dentures will also help to keep your remaining teeth from shifting and becoming misaligned, which puts your oral health at risk.
Our dentists meticulously match your partial dentures to your natural teeth for a seamless result.
Caring for Your Full and Partial Dentures
We recommend you bring your full and partial dentures to your regular dental appointments at our Glenview, IL dental office so that we can clean them for you and look for signs of damage. They may also require occasional adjustments, and complete dentures sometimes require an in-office or laboratory reline to improve fit.
To learn more about dentures and to determine if they are an option for you, contact Gallery Park Dental to arrange an appointment.


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Just 2 more days of October and "Adopt a Dog from a Shelter" month will be history for another year. For the dogs that are left here at the rescue though, every month is adopt a dog month.
I especially think of the seniors that reside at our on the farm rescue. We have quite a few at the moment. All month I have waited to feature them with an article on our blog. Finally the photo gallery in my computer is up and running again, so I can include some pictures.
One of our seniors that grabbed our attention and our hearts is Max. He is a 12 year old Bassett that believes he is 6 years old. When he came to us, he was in very poor condition, but has begun to gain weight and once again has a healthy robust appetite. He loves a bath or a Spa day, as we call it here at the rescue. The part that makes us laugh is Max's attitude. He jumps in the air and spins, he chases a ball and plays with the other doggies, and he enjoys riding in the truck or 4 WD Mule. In fact, if asked, he will jump in your car for a ride around the block. Max is one in a million for sure!
Cheeka, is her Native American name, and she is also a senior. We know that she is over 8 years, is a sturdy healthy gal, who has had many puppies. She loves people, and finds herself lonely now, since all her puppies have been adopted. Cheeka isn't fond of most other doggies, so she would need a home where she is top dog. Here is a picture of her on the dog house roof.
Boomer is a hoot! He must be at least 8-10 years old and has recovered nicely after being found at the land fill almost dead from starvation. Boomer is all black, has wiry type wavy hair and is a terrier mix of some sort. He is sweet and loving and enjoys placing his head on my knee and looking at me with those big brown eyes. It almost like he is saying, thanks for taking a chance on me. He comes in nightly to sit on Chuck's lap and snuggle. Here he is after a brush and a slight trim.
Mugsy is a 10 year old Akita male! He is so very handsome, with a beautiful coat and posture to boot. Mugsy is hard of hearing and his vision is poor from cataracts. He loves people though and enjoys walking and spending time with them. He doesn't care for other dogs, so needs to be the only one in the household. Mugsy is house trained. He also is lonely for more companionship.
Bear is a Husky/Chow Mix and is over 15 years of age. He stays in the main kennel, but I can tell he is sad because he doesn't have a family to care for him. He just needs a soft bed and a kind word, and would be content. He loves treats.
You will have to come and see Piper yourself—a 14 year old Golden Retreiver. He keeps us too busy in the kennel giving him treats to even snap a picture. Piper is a loving dog that not only eats up the treats, but also attention! His back legs are weak from age. He is there to meet everyone!
Now, these are just the senior doggies we have here at the rescue. We have all ages, from puppies to old doggies like the above. All the dogs at the rescue have come here because they were neglected, abandoned or surrendered. They need a second chance, and sometimes they need a third. They need just the right family to bond with them to give them the love and security they are searching for. We hope you check 12 Hills Dog Rescue out in the future. Yes, we are a small rescue by some standards and are located in the country on our family farm. But—we have large hearts and a large number of dogs to choose from, and the dogs change almost weekly. So, don't forget about the dogs waiting for families. No matter their age—they need loving forever homes, and will never forget you saved them.


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PYEONGCHANG, South Korea – Norway dominated the Olympic cross-country skiing events at the Alpensia resort but the resilience of the Swedish women's team, a long-awaited gold for Finland and a stunning win for the U.S. women make for an intriguing future for the sport.
With a haul of two golds, one silver and two bronzes, Norway's Marit Bjoergen was crowned the queen of the Olympics with her 15th medal, making her the most successful athlete in the history of the Games on her final visit.
Bjoergen and some of her older team mates may not be in Beijing in four years' time but after taking three gold medals in his first Games, the young prodigy that is Johannes Klaebo will undoubtedly return for more glory.
The 21-year-old World Cup leader struggled to begin with but once he found his feet he exploded into life, his powerful spurts on the toughest of hills breaking the will of many of his opponents in both individual and team events.
In an intimidating display of their power, the Norwegians won four of the six gold medals on offer for men, with only Dario Cologna of Switzerland (15km freestyle) and Finland's Iivo Niskanen (50km mass start classic) able to break their dominance.
Niskanen seemed to be on the way to a very underwhelming Olympics until he made an early break to land an individual gold medal that his country has longed for in the 50km race — it was their first medal over the classic distance for 24 years.
Another medal drought that came to an end was the United States' 42-year wait to follow up Bill Koch's silver in Innsbruck, as Jessica Diggins and stalwart Kikkan Randall won gold in a thrilling women's team sprint.
The infectious enthusiasm of Diggins and the single-minded dedication of Randall have injected new life into a programme that has suffered in silence in the shadow of the nation's successes in snowboarding and Alpine and freestyle skiing.
Sweden's women also did their best to keep the Norwegian threat under control, with Charlotte Kalla winning the first gold of the games in the skiathlon and Stina Nilsson taking the individual sprint title.
The pair then teamed up to take silver in the team sprint but in the end there was no stopping Bjoergen.
Having won over this distance by 2.7 seconds ahead of Therese Johaug in Sochi, she sprinted away from the field in the 30km mass start, blazing to victory almost two minutes ahead of Finland's Krista Parmakoski.
For the Norwegians, who missed the podium in the men's 50km race less than 24 hours earlier, it was the perfect end to the Games in which the nation set a record of 14 gold medals together with Germany.
The rest of the field will not be too disappointed, however, as individuals and teams proved that, with the right attitude and preparation, it is possible to knock the Norwegians off their perch.


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If you change the format of Contacts, all the content from the previous format should be transferred.
Only a few names from my previous lists show up in the current lists format. Now to add those thirty names, I have to type in each individually with all their emails, phone numbers and addresses. Multiply that by many different lists.
To add a contact to a list, I should just have to type in the contact's name and all the other info should automatically transfer.
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Yes, this new format is idiotic.


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Handre has been a true servant, say Bulls in confirming Montpellier move
He joined the Bulls straight out of school, having been born and bred in the Cape, and now Handre Pollard is bidding farewell to Loftus Versfeld for the big wide world.
The Bulls have now confirmed that the 25-year-old golden boy of South African rugby will be joining Montpellier in France after the World Cup.
Reports have suggested that the Bok flyhalf could earn up to R20 million per season at French billionaire Mohed Altrad's Top 14 outfit.
Pollard will certainly feel at home in the south of France, with a number of South Africans at the club – the Du Plessis brothers Jannie and Bismarck, Ruan Pienaar, Johan Goosen, Jan Serfontein, Frans Steyn, Wihan Liebenberg, Jacques du Plessis, Nico Janse van Rensburg and Henry Immelman.
The Bulls said in a statement on Tuesday that Pollard has scored 581 points so far, and earned 56 Super Rugby caps ahead of Friday's clash against the Rebels in Melbourne.
"Handre has been a true servant for us for six years. He has been an outstanding asset, not only to the teams he played for, but also our supporters, to whom he endeared himself from early on with his attitude towards the Bulls," Bulls chief executive Alfons Meyer said.
"He will be missed for sure, but we cannot fault his decision to continue his career in France. We wish him well."
The Bulls have signed veteran Morné Steyn from Stade Francais as a replacement for Pollard, although Manie Libbok is likely to wear the No 10 jersey next season.
Pollard off to Montpellier— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) May 14, 2019
The Blue Bulls Company would like to confirm that Vodacom Bulls and Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard has agreed terms with the French club, Montpellier.https://t.co/6vbc6debVJ pic.twitter.com/NFvd5Y246Z
IOL Sport


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Charles Sirois is the founder, chairman and CEO of Telesystem, a Canadian private equity company. In 1978 he launched his business career by taking over its family-owned paging company. The paging company became the leading player in Canada and 1987 he merged his companies with Bell Cellular to form BCE Mobile Communications, with him as CEO.
After BCE, he engineered a hostile takeover of Teleglobe, a provider of international long distance and broadband services. In 1994, he founded Telesystem, as building block of his telecom interests. In 1995, he founded Microcell Telecommunications, a cellular service known for Fido brand. In 2000, he sold Teleglobe to BCE for $6.5 billion, the subsequent bursting of the internet bubble and telecom bust forced Teleglobe into bankruptcy in 2002.
Charles has been described as "bold and imaginative with an earthy sense of humour and a self-deprecating wit. He can also be ruthless and calculating. He is not afraid to make the hard decisions or go against conventional thinking."
1. On building a great team: "We've created an environment of openness, where everybody can challenge everyone else, including myself. I don't own the truth. I just make judgments, and can change my mind. I prefer to hire more competent people than me, so when I go to sleep at night, I know that the store is in good hands. I don't want to look good, I just want the stock price to go up."
2. On the importance of picking the right market: "Sirois, surveying the sea change in communications and media ownership, uses a nautical image. You can have the greatest vessel in the world, he notes, but when the lake recedes, the best boat will drop with all of the others. But if you pick a good lake, ah, the crummiest little craft will float on top, along with all the others. It's the lake, not the canoe, that matters."
3. On managing investors and meeting your targets: "You always want to meet your targets. You always want to make sure that the market sees the world the same way that you're seeing it. Obviously, you're not pleased to have missed your results and essentially you increase your work to go back on track and make sure that now you deliver the results that the investors are expecting."
4. On the importance of having plans: "Charles always has a plan. He has a plan for the day, the month, the year, five years and 10 years."
5. How he sees deal making: "What Charles is able to do is project 10 years out and get a foothold before other people line up. He knows that out of 10 deals, he may only have three winners, but he's not afraid. He thinks of the winners, not the losers. Charles is a financial engineer, who can see the future value of a concept, and within the concept, where the money is. He's one of the few persons in Canada with a macroeconomic view of the industry. He understands the technology. He sees the big picture."
6. On the difference between venture capital and buy-out: "Buy-out is driven by financial engineers, venture capital is driven by humans. VC is a tough business to be in. We selected it because we like it, not because it's easy. I love entrepreneurs."
7. On the advantage of being small: "We can afford to pick and choose our niches. We can allow ourselves to cruise, like a little fish underneath the whale."
8. On expanding from the core: "Sirois likes to compare the development of Telesystem to the process of crystal formation. First a core is born. Once the core is solidly developed, other neighboring elements link to it by natural attraction. This results in a crystalline structure, the solidity of which depends on the quality of the nucleus and the strength of the links that bind it to the peripheral elements."
9. On the entrepreneurial process: "Money is not a goal, it's a tool to realize dreams. The more money you have, the more risk you can take. This is what we need in our society. Society needs rich entrepreneurs who are ready to take risks. If you're wrong, you lose your money and your reputation. If you're right, you have more money to build. Look is a three-foot wave that will become a 20-foot wave. The entrepreneur is like a surfer who can see the wave when it's small. When it's very big, you cannot get up on top of the wave."
10. How entrepreneurs develop and what makes great entrepreneurs: "I think an entrepreneur is developing like an artist. It takes techniques, but then we develop an artist by exposing him to as many artists as possible so that he is able to interact with his peers. One of the first qualities to become an entrepreneur is the rejection of the status quo. If you accept the current situation, you are not an entrepreneur. If we reject the status quo, we must have a vision. You have to be creative. If we stop there, we become a dreamer. You have to turn your vision into belief. You have to be judgmental and be able to convince others. It's all an art! It takes perseverance and a whole series of qualities to get through that."
11. On how to build and deploy a vision: "First of all, we must rely on a "system approach"; a way of doing that takes into account the external world, the market and its fluctuations, as well as the relationships you have with your employees. Second, you must also demonstrate an unyielding spirit of initiative, reconfiguring your organization, if necessary, and proposing new ways of doing things, while remaining open to unexpected opportunities. After having analyzed the market without moderation and modulating your modus operandi, we must finally put together viable solutions. It will be essential to rest all this gymnastics on knowledge, reflection, intuition (of course!) and rigorous verification of information stored throughout this process."
12. On how to approach strategy in a demand-oriented marketplace: "A demand-dominated marketplace reflects the changing tastes of consumers, the whimsical judgment of markets, and the unexpected fluctuations in stock prices. In fact, it ridicules the notion of control and seriously complicates the exercise of forecasting. Success requires not an ability to predict the future, but a capacity to respond instinctively to the present. One must adapt in the face of the inexorable evolution that is pushing us all forward. Adaptability should be both the strategy and the management approach of the future. Companies and organizations must realize they can no longer develop strategic plans by following the traditional method of analysis. By the time those plans are on paper and moving toward execution, they'll be obsolete. The process of executing strategy does not depend on accurate forecasting, but on adaptation to the multiple variables in the marketplace."
- Charles Sirois: Next master of the universe. Peter C. Newman. Maclean's. 11/25/96, Vol. 109 Issue 48, p111.
- It's the lake, not the canoe. Robert Lewis Maclean's. 09/25/2000, Vol. 113 Issue 39, p4. 2/3p.
- A year of setbacks for Charles Sirois: A year of setbacks for Charles Sirois The man at the top of Teleglobe's stumbling empire is going through his roughest year ever. Andy Riga. The Ottawa Citizen; Ottawa, Ont. [Ottawa, Ont] 24 Aug 1999: F3.
- The great communicator. M. Posner. Canadian Business. Mar 92, Vol. 65 Issue 3, p28. 6p.
- The great communicator. M. Posner. Canadian Business. Mar 92, Vol. 65 Issue 3, p28. 6p.
- Entrepreneur puts eggs in Quebec basket. Don Mills, National Post; Ont. 7 Dec 2007: FP1.
- Southam News 1990
- The networker: bit by bit, Teleglobe CEO Charles Sirois has built a formidable telecom empire. Jean-Benoit Nadeau. Financial Post Magazine; Toronto (Sep 1998): 30-36.
- A man with 'too many assets' Charles Sirois has ideas, but he says voters would be suspicious if he ran for office. National Post. 2000.
- Charles Sirois n'était pas intéressé à devenir entrepreneur. Diane Tremblay. April 30, 2015. Journal de Montreal.
- La vision, selon Charles Sirois. Les Affaires. Eric Paquette. 2017.
- Adapting to democracy of demand. Charles Sirois. World Trade. Dec97, Vol. 10 Issue 12, p84.


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How to Sell your Old Horse Float and Buy a New One
Selling your old horse float can be a tricky task. To do this easily, you can list your float on many 'horse floats for sale' sites on the internet. But before that, you have to know a few things about buying or selling horse floats.
When purchasing your new float, for your beloved horse, it's important to have the best quality for safety and comfort. You will find many models in the quality Imperial Horse Floats range, with custom orders being built to suit client needs. It is important to know what you need when ordering your new horse float.
In this article, we will discuss some tips that can help you sell your current horse float trailer.
Take pictures of the horse float
Interested buyers always like to know what they are buying in the market of Horse Float For Sale. Ensure your horse float is neat and clean prior to taking your photographs. It always helps if you give it a nice polish, and will increase the chances to sell your horse float fast. Make sure the photos are taken in good lighting, showing off your float to the best advantage.
Create the ad of the Horse Float For Sale.
Often, sellers will write short advertisements with little information about the horse float. This technique will not attract potential buyers. Now, assume yourself as a salesperson or the owner of the horse float business. Write about the good features of your float including any warranty that might be left from your original purchase, this is always an attractive element of selling you secondhand float. You have to take the time to craft a well-written description of the float to attract the buyers.
Reach out to the right buyers
Nowadays, people use the internet to buy or sell online products, including your pre-loved horse float. Facebook and other social media have the ability to help you target and find potential customers.
Pretend you are a Salesperson
You have created the ad of the Horse Float For Sale. Now, assume yourself as a salesperson to sell your horse float. Try to pretend you are the owner of the horse float business. Often, sellers will write short advertisements with little info about the horse float.
This technique will not attract potential buyers. So, you have to take the time and craft a well-written description of the float to attract the buyers.
Stay active on the phone
Email is an easy way to contact your potential buyer. But try to convince your buyer to call you rather than mail. By speaking to them on the phone, you can create a relationship and trust, giving you a much better opportunity to influence the buyer and make a sale.
Above mentioned tips can help you to sell your horse float instantly. But selling your float is one thing and finding the right horse float for sale is another. It can be a difficult task to buy a new float as there are many brands available all having different features.
Here are some tips which you have to consider when buying the top-quality horse float.
Understand what is being offered
Imperial Horse Floats are made with the absolute finest of product which has been tested over many years here in Australia. Imperial can also offer maintenance work up may require.
Some options for flooring are
- Fiberglass
- Aluminum
- Wood
- Galvanized steel
Imperials fibreglass floors are superior to any other material, and we offer differing strengths for larger horses or for those using their floats on a day by day basis.
The towing capacity of the vehicle
This is probably the most critical issue for you to consider. You need to ensure the vehicle you drive is capable and within Australian Standards to pull the float of your choice whilst being fully loaded. Check the vehicle Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) or GTM – Gross Trailer Mass. Always remember GTM will always be lower than ATM.
Interior height of your float
The height that you require inside an Imperial Horse Floats depends on the height of your horse. But usually, minimum height interior height 2.2 or 2.3 is recommended. This helps with ventilation when travelling
In Australian weather conditions, good ventilation is imperative so make sure the float your purchase had lots of air vents in the sides, the roof and the back of the float. Traveling with barn doors open is safe and can be really helpful to allow full airflow from front to back of your horse float.
When searching for any type of horse float for sale be aware that there are cheaper models that offer ill-fated warranties. Buying a horse float is a major investment. So, take your time and do your homework, remember you, your passengers and your horse have to be safe when traveling.
Owning a horse float should be a luxurious experience. What are you waiting for? Buy your Imperial horse float today!
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Sep 12, 2020
Sep 12, 2020


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Sutton Bank Bikes at Sutton Bank National Park Visitor Centre
Businesses across the Yorkshire Coast are looking forward to welcoming you back.
Please check the individual website for reopening dates, opening times and booking details.
We recommend you follow current public health advice and maintain social distancing.
Why not enjoy some fabulous biking in the North York Moors?
Nothing beats a cycle around the natural trails of Sutton Bank with its breath-taking views.
There are two great cycle centres to choose from and whether you're visiting with the family and looking for something to do outdoors, where everyone can be involved, or wanting some high adrenaline off-road riding; both centres cater for all abilities and provide recreational experiences never to be forgotten.
Sutton Bank bikes is located at Sutton Bank National Park Centre and Dalby Bike Barn is situated in the centre of Dalby Forest - both within the North York Moors National Park.
Sutton Bank bikes is the official bike centre operator for the North York Moors National Parks and provides a full range of cycling services including bike hire, fully equipped bike service facility, a huge range of quality bikes, clothing and accessories plus courses and guiding catering for all sizes and abilities.
Over 70 miles of cycle trails, two skills areas and a bike park along with a whole range of other activities available between both locations. Cafes, car parking, disabled facilities are all on our doorstep.
Opening details
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 10am - 4.30pm
Sutton Bank Bikes
Sutton Bank,
Nr Thirsk,
North Yorkshire,
By Road:
Sutton Bank National Park Centre is on the left-hand side of the A170 between Thirsk (8 miles) and Helmsley (8 miles).
By Public Transport:
From Thirsk railway station, an 8 mile taxi ride, along the A170 up Sutton Bank Road, hill climb to the centre.
with charge
: 8 miles from Thirsk station
- Baby changing facilities
- Coach parties accepted
- Credit cards accepted (no fee)
- Disabled toilets
- French signs/guides
- German signs/guides
- Gift shop
- On-site catering
- On-site light refreshments
- Picnic site
- Postbox
- Public toilets
- Regional Tourist Board Member
- Welcome Host
- Wheelchairs available
- Accepts groups
- Children welcome
Self-Assessed Accessibility Details
- Designated parking for guests with disabilities
- Within 50 metres approx. of entrance
- The surface of the car park and pathway leading to entrance:
- is solid
- Drop-off point for guests outside entrance
- The route from the parking area to the entrance:
- Is flat (i.e. without steps)
Public Areas
- Level access (no steps/thresholds) or access by ramp or lift:
- From the entrance to reception / ticket area
- To a specially adapted public toilet suitable for wheelchair users
- To the gift shop
- Good contrast between the floor and walls
- Contrast markings on clear surfaces such as glass doors
- Baby changing facilities
- Visitor information available in large print (14pt and over)
- Hearing loop installed in public areas
- Hearing loop system
- Seating available for visitors with limited mobility
- Clear signage
- Effective lighting for visually impaired visitors
- Good colour/tonal contrast for visually impaired visitors
- Wheelchairs provided
- Free
- Routes/pathways suitable for wheelchair users or visitors with limited mobility
- Displays at suitable height for wheelchair users / children
- Audible alarm system
- Entrance is well lit
- Level access (no steps/thresholds) or access by ramp or lift to cafeteria
- Good contrast between the floor and walls
- Menus available in large print (14pt and over)
- Restaurant / cafe provide meals for visitors with special dietary requirements:
- Sugar free (diabetic)
- Gluten free (coeliacs)
- Lactose free (dairy free)
- Nut free
- Organic
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Seating suitable for wheelchair users, ie moveable and good height for person sitting in a wheelchair
- High chairs for children
- Children's menu


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Get Noticed And Fly Away To All Your Favorite Events With This LED Butterfly Wing!
Want to stand out during parties? Check out this LED Butterfly Wing Cape Costume!
This butterfly wing cape is the perfect addition to any costume or festival wear. It's bright and fun. Whether you are dressing up as a beautiful butterfly or a magical fairy princess, it's sure to grab lots of attention
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- Regularly check the batteries and replace when needed
- Remove batteries when not in use
- Keep dry, do not wash


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Grabber allows you to capture the screen as a layered PSD file or single PNG image.
Great timesaver: Open and edit in Photoshop, Pixelmator or any other PSD compatible graphic editor. Hide, reorder and move any layer to customise screenshot.
Grabber lives in your status bar, you can use custom hotkey (default is Cmd+Shift+5) to quickly create screenshot.
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OS X 10.11 or later, 64-bit processor
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My Life At Home
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Friday, July 7, 2017
It's Hot Outside
It's another hot day here in southern California at 102°.I have our two dogs and two cats indoors with the a/c on.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Chocolate Dipped Team Challenge (US and Canada)
Here's another fun team challenge to help you earn SB from Swagbucks! For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, it's a website where you can earn cash back on everyday tasks you do online like shopping, answering surveys, discovering deals, and watching videos. You can even earn for searching the web! If you've never tried Swagbucks before because you didn't know where to begin, their Team Challenges are a great way to learn the ropes!They have one themed around Valentine's day - the Chocolate Dipped Team Challenge begins Monday, February 13th. Here's how you can join the challenge and the site:1. Click here to join the challenge and be assigned to a team. Pre-registration is going on right now! If you don't already have an account, you can sign up on this page as well.2. Starting February 13th at 8am PT, in addition to earning SB you'll contribute points to your teams total as you complete different activities on Swagbucks.3. Check back on the page often to see the scores and what you've contribute so far. All members who participate and contribute at least 400 points to their team's total will receive a SB bonus in the form of a SB Swag Up Rebate on their next gift card! Not only that, but if you earn 300 SB before March 1st, you'll get a 300 SB bonus (as long as you've signed up under me)!Members of the 1st place team will receive a 50 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 2nd place team will receive a 25 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 3rd place team will receive a 10 SB Swag Up Rebate. Your SB Swag Up Rebate will be made available on Friday, February 17th and will expire on Tuesday, February 28th 11:59pm PT
Friday, January 20, 2017
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Purifying Dead Sea Mud Mask - Clear Glowing Skin
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Core Third Express Power Bank Portable Charge Review
Friday, February 13, 2015
Cottonwood Canyon
I am a amateur photographer and I would like to share some of my favorite photos that I have taken through the years.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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Weather eye, March 7
Each year a small number of helicopters flying in the North Sea for the oil and gas industry are hit by lightning, but this is no ordinary lightning — it's the helicopters that trigger it. Helicopters struck by lightning can suffer damage to rotors, gearboxes or instruments, setting off emergencies and involving expensive repairs.
In the past, some helicopters have been forced to ditch, and even planes have been hit: on December 15 last year, a Loganair Saab 2000 passenger turboprop was struck as it landed at Sumburgh Airport, Shetland.
Pilots report that there is no warning of a strike. They say there is no sign of any other lightning activity in the area beforehand.
Where the lightning comes from has been a mystery, but


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Hello group,
wondering how to avoid the following warning in Gmail:
{My Domain} Mail Could not verify that it actually came from {My Domain}. Avoid clicking links, downloading attachements, or replying with personal information.
Then has two boxes for reporting as Spam or Phishing
This is what it looks like to customers (Scratched out my domain):
As you can probably guess this is not what we want our customer to see?
Any ideas on how to make this stop?
Hey @JayG50,
Thank you for reaching out to us! We would be happy to help look into this issue. What is the campaign name that this is showing the message? Or you can also give our Deliverability team a call 1-866-433-8499.
Thank you for your time!
Hi @NorCal.EDPA
Thank you for reaching out to the Community about your emails! I am sorry you are seeing this message as well. At this time these warnings are only appearing in google hosted inbox. I also did want to mention this is something our upper level of support is still looking into further. Because we are still troubleshooting this we would like to collect a few more details. For instance:
In the meantime, we have added you to our queue to be notified when this is resolved.
Having the same issue. One of our subscribers responded with a screen shot showing:
"Gmail could not verify that it actually came from firstname.lastname@example.com. Avoid clicking links, downloading attachments, or replying with personal information."
This just started with our most recent send last week.
We are also receiving messages from our email subscribers on this warning to eblasts sent using constant contact. Please advise on how to fix this on our end or would you please address it within your system? We've been using CC for many years (8?) and this is a first.
Hi @GrantW1 and @BarbaraDelgleize
Thank you both for reaching out to the Community. I apologize you are experiencing this with your emails! We would like to collect the same details from both of you to help with our troubleshooting:
Because we are still looking into these warning messages, both of your accounts have been added to this queue so you may be notified when this is resolved.
I will pile on and say that the same thing is happening for our e-mails. Since the header of the e-mails claim they are "from" us, but are being sent by Constant Contact, Gmail is warning anyone that they may be fraudulent.
Hi @GlenS11
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I have tracked this experience in your account and added you to our queue to be notified when this is resolved. In the meantime, can you please email us a screenshot of this email's full header? This email can be sent to social_support(at)constantcontact(dot)com along with the answers to the following questions:
The same thing is happening to me all of a sudden. My subscribers are getting this email warning in Gmail. How can I solve this?
The Constant Contact User Community is hosting a sweepstakes. The more you participate, the more chances you have to win! Read on to learn more...Read More


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Need something taliored in a short time? We've got a plan for you.
The LED strip connectors are used to connect strip to wire or strip to strip. The LED strip lights can be connected to any length by the connectors. Your LED Strip lighting project is made much easier and more efficient.
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Using connectors, you can control the lengths and shapes of your strip lights to fulfill different lighting tasks.
The connectors are made white, black or transparent without affecting aesthetics of the strip lights.


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The online store of Win Source best place to purchase quality Electronic components at affordable rates
October 20, 2016
Win Source - One of the leading electronic parts distributors offers hot-sales and EOL (End-of-Life) inventory where users can find accurately about what they needed.
October 20, 2016
- Online Stores the hot option for consumers to purchase quality electronic components at affordable rates without any hassles, at the same time there are certain things like knowing the needs, fixing the budget and so to be considered before engaging with any online stores. Apart from those, approaching legitimate ISO sellers like Win Source - The online superstore would make online shopping of electronics components a fruitful one in term of quality and cost factors.
Win Source the first cross-border trading platform in china and also one among the fastest growing electronics distributors across the world. Consumers can able to gain several advantages while purchasing products from Win Source online stores.
Competitive Pricing: Prices of the electronic components listed in Win Source are much cheaper when compared with many other leading online distributors without compromising the product quality
Trustworthy Inventory: Win Source online stores always stand for original and authentic products; all components which are listed in Win Source are in high quality.
Supreme Service: Win Source online store works with the Moto of satisfying customers by selling quality products and delivering those on time. All products which are listed in win source warehouses are eligible for 365 days warranty.
The CEO of Win-Source says "Win Source a Customer -focused online superstore is dedicated to creating a humanized platform to customers (from best-in-class search and e-procurement engine, ample and up-to-date product information, to 24/7 service), where buyers can get instant access to ready-to-ship safety stock and complete procurement easily with a few quick clicks, rather than frantically calling sources from around the world for parts." The words of the Win-Source CEO conveys about the services offered by Win-Source which are dedicated in such a way that consumers would get fully satisfied.
Win Source one of the divisions of J.Y.X Electronic Co., Ltd which was founded way back in 1999. Having an expertise electronic distributor as their parent, Win Source manages to rank higher year by year and wins so many awards. With such expertise background, there's no doubt regarding the product quality sold by win source.
About Win Source:
Win Source, the online global superstore selling hot-sale products along with EOL inventory in cross-border platform, established in 2007. Their sales executives understand the unique needs of the customers and satisfy the customer by selling quality hot-sales and obsolete products at affordable rates, which are not offered by the other leading worldwide distributors.
The most highlighting fact about Win-Source is all their operations are ISO certified which clearly classifies their perfection, including the customer handling services. Having more than 500k stocks protected by the ESD facility in the warehouse of win-source, they stand as the powerful supply chain when compared to other dealers.
For more about the Win-Source and their features, visit the official web page: http://www.win-source.net/
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Dr. Barbara Johnson, Ph.D.
N 7521 State Road
65 River Falls, WI
About Our Litters:
We breed only from accomplished stock dogs that are hip and eye tested clear. All of our litters are whelped in the house to insure that they develop an early bond with people. We spend 3-4 hours a day with the pups from the time their eyes open. They are exposed to cats, kids, older dogs and riding in the car.
Once old enough to keep up, the pups are taken on walks-where they learn to come when called, to be around livestock, gates and fences and are instilled with the importance of basic manners. Before leaving Kinnic Creek, all of our pups have undergone a thorough physical exam by the licensed veterinarians at New Hope Animal Hospital - Home and have been started on an age appropriate vaccination and heartworm series. The pups are also eye examined by Canine Ophthamologist at the University of Minnesota and they are micro-chip implanted with HomeAgain locator chips. Our pups are registered with the American Border Collie Association in Perkinston , MS , or the International Sheep Dog Society in Bedford , England , United Kingdom .
If you are interested in reserving a pup we suggest you call early,
as our waiting list fills up quickly.
We are eagerly awaiting the birth of three litters of puppies that are due the end of March here at Kinnic Creek Kennels.
Our First Expected Litter
Our first litter is a repeat of our popular previous breeding out of my Imported Shep and my Imported Style, those puppies have made names for themselves in their training in search and rescue, herding, obedience, therapy work and as treasured companions--this will be Miss Style's final litter, as she has earned a lovely long retirement and to enjoy watching the successes of her children and grandchildren for what we hope will be a very long time. We will be expecting rough coated, both black and whites and tri colored babies out of this mating.
Imported Style, is a very bidable dog off stock, but she is a strong no nonsense dog on stock, a very strong cow dog, she can also do ducks, or literally anything that moves--the house cats being a favorite hobby of hers when there is nothing else about. She is also very energetic and responsive, very affectionate with people, an extremely outgoing little gal, even with strangers, which is not typical for Border Collie females. Style and all her babies really like to snuggle. She is a rare curly coated Border Collie, black and white, and an excellent Mama.
Our Imported Style and Imported Shep litter are expected to be born in early March.
Our Second Expected Litter
Our second currently bred litter is also be a repeat of a very popular litter out of my Imported Shep and my Breeze. This breeding will be all rough coated pups both black and whites and tri colored babies.
Breeze, the Mama to our second planned litter is a darling, she was born and bred here, and has one of the very best pedigrees possible either here or in the UK, she is out of my William's Imported Fly who was a multiple time qualifier for the US National Championships, 1998 and 1999 Texas State Champion and 1999 Texas Dog of the year. Breeze's Mama, William's Fly was sired by Aled Owen's Welsh National Champion Ben and brother to Aled's International Supreme Champion Roy. Breeze's sire was Rodney Cotton's Imported Cap a National Team competitor in the International Supreme Championships before he emigrated and a multiple time qualifying contender for the US National Championship. Breeze is a good solid sheep herder, she is too strong for ducks and doesn't particularly care for goats but will do them if it doesn't seem to be a chance to get anything better, a sweet and gentle dog with a great deal of power on the livestock and a winning way off stock as well, she is typically female Border Collie being slightly shy with strangers at first but totally dedicated to family. This is a repeat of our spring 2007 and spring 2008 breeding that is proving to be very successful.
Breeze's litter will also be sired by my Imported Shep. These puppies are also due to be born in early March.
Our Third Expected Litter
Kinnic Meg will be the Mama of our late March litter. There are not enough words to convey what a wonderful dog Meg is--she is sweet, talented and just simply the most fantastic little lady--I can't count the number of folks who are charter members of her fan club! Meg is my 'training dog', when we have folks come out for herding lessons Meg is the teacher--since she will literally work with anyone and is a natural born teacher, she has taught more people the basics of herding, balance, sides, flanks and the elements of style than I care to count.
Meg is the Daughter of my late Imported Coed Bill and our Watkin's Imported Fly. Imported Coed Bill, Meg's sire, was multiple time qualifier for the US Nationals, he was sired by Aled Owen's Welsh National Champion Ben. Bill was a brother to Aled's International Supreme Champion Roy, a half brother to Ceri Jones Rundle's great Bwlch Hemp and a half brother to our own two time Texas State Champion and Texas Dog of the Year our William's Imported Fly.
Meg's Mama is our Watkin's Imported Fly. Fly came to us from the Welsh National Champion Nigel Watkins after having a very successful trial career in Wales . Her niece, Nigel's Peg, was a 4th place competitor at the International Supreme Championships and a Welsh National Champion.
The sire of Meg's litter is my smooth coated Welsh imported male Imported Roy, Roy is a big boned black and white charmer who is unbelievably talented. I purchased him from Aled Owen who by the time Roy was 9 months old already had him doing a complete International style herding course. He is a big lap dog, affectionate, sometimes silly, playful and responsive guy who loves to hug the ginger cat every time he bounds through the living room--most times it is okay by the cat unless he has been sound asleep! Roy gets along with almost everybody he has ever met, and is a strong and dedicated worker. From all reports of folks who have gotten Roy pups, they are universally wonderful and the pups that have come back to visit are charming, dedicated to their owners with their Dad's sense of humor.
Looking Ahead to late Summer 2009
Our fall potential Mama is our Fleece, who is a very talented three year old daughter of our Shep and Breeze, who we are planning to breed to our Imported Roy for her very first litter come fall 2009.
We are also contemplating litters for our Qwist, who is the Granddaughter of my all time greatest dog, my Jerry, and she indeed lives up to his winning ways and stylish working abilities; her sire is my Imported Shep. We are currently looking for an appropriate mate for her.
All of our breeding dogs eyes are certified (CERF) free of PRA/CEA both progressive inherited blindness maladies of Border Collies, and the puppies will be examined and individually certified at the age of 7 weeks as well (just because the parents have clear certifications doesn't guarantee that the pups will as well, so you want to make certain that you get a pup that has had its own eyes certified). All parents in our breeding program have also had their hips certified as 'Good' or 'Excellent' by the OFFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals, Dysplasia Control Registry).
If you are interested in any of these matings we will be happy to provide you with complete pedigrees and photos upon request.
Started and Trained Dogs
We have successfully placed started and trained dogs in livestock herding and goose control situations nationwide. Please contact us to inquire on current trained dogs available. If we do not have what you are looking for we may be able to put you in contact with someone who has the type of dog you need, so contact us for more information.


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How the big box store goes after the prepper demographic
Cape Town is out of water. Beetles are destroying Brazil's coffee crops. Georgia doesn't have peaches. Our poor planet is basically screaming, "You're killing me!" and its sickness is manifesting in unexpected ways. But hey, we can still drive to the store and buy food and go to work and clickity-clack on the keyboard all day, so we're not really in full-on disaster mode yet. At least, most of us aren't. There's always the preppers, who looked pretty silly years ago, but now... well, they still seem kinda weird with all their canned goods and jugs of water in their bunkers, but you can't say they're completely misguided given the state of things.
In a move inspired by prepper paranoia, Costco is now selling a line of gigantic doomsday meal kits, for when things get very shitty. The largest kit of the bunch costs $6,000 and has 36,000 servings of food, which can reportedly feed a family of four for a year.
The apocalypse chow, which Costco claims can last 25 years, includes freeze-dried corn and green beans, dehydrated apples, instant beans and lentils, and protein and dairy products. As Business Insider reports, a customer review on Costco's site says the massive packages weigh about 1,800 pounds.
If you're a prepper on the downlow and don't want the fact that you have 36,000 servings of food in a bunker to become a thing in the neighborhood, Costco has you covered. They deliver the kits in discreet unmarked packaging. This way, when the undead/Michigan Militia/hurricane has your town surrounded, your neighbors won't know about your stash of lentils in the basement. You'll be free to gorge on your bland bounty in peace and quiet. Happy prepping, weirdos!


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Bank of Baroda SO Recruitment 2018: Check Notification and Apply Online
Bank of Baroda has released the notification for the recruitment of Specialist Officers. The Total Number of Posts is 913. The selection process will comprise of the online test, for the posts the posts in Scale I, Scale II, and Scale III in disciplines of Legal, Wealth Management Services - Sales & Wealth Management Services - Operations followed by Interview of shortlisted candidates. However, if the number of eligible applications received is large/less, then Bank reserves the right to change the shortlisting criteria/interview process. The bank may, at its discretion, consider conducting of Descriptive/Psychometric Test/Group Discussion for different scales.
Important Events:
Online Registration of Application starts from: 05th of December 2018
Last date for Online Registration of Application: 26th of December 2018
Payment of Fee Online: 05th December to 26th of December 2018
The tentative structure of the online examination will be as follows:


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Wearable Solution - Cipherlab RS31/RS50
Author: Peacocks Sales team
CipherLab RS31 / RS50 Wearable Kit
includes Wrist Strap
Turn your Cipherlab RS31 / RS50 into a Lightweight and affordable wearable computer without buying an additional finger barcode reader.
- Finger trigger to opearte the barcode reader intergrated in the terminal
- Quadlock adjustable wrist support
- App for Android
The finger trigger with 3.5mm audio jack is light and thin. It allows you to have your hands alwasy freee without the clutter caused a barcode reader worn on the finger.
The Quadlock wrist support is ergonomic and lightweight. The band consists of a comfortable Lyca Nylon that adapts to differenct wrist sizes. To detach or change the orientation of the terminal, simply press the button next to the locking system.
The Android App allows you to operate the barcode reader when the trigger is pressed. The app works in the background thus allowing the correct operation of the solution even while you are using other applicatoins.
Hands Free : The power of wearable
- Package Handling
- Small Boxes Picking
- End of sorting lines
- Truck Loading
Click HERE to visit the product page
In our own tests at Peacocks. The Wearable kits performed well, please click HERE for test video with bottles.


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ICC withdrawal: ANC says SA govt has to consult the party first before it reconsiders
Citing notes from his closing remarks, it reported he said the ANC needed to consider a strategic retreat from its position in view of the fact the rest of the continent had abandoned this position, leaving South Africa isolated.
The paper also quoted party secretary-general Ace Magashule who said there was no such decision to backtrack on the resolution.
Mabe said the matter was likely to be discussed further when reports speaking to global dynamics were adopted.
He told News24 the ICC was discussed following comments attributed to Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng supporting Israel during a webinar hosted by The Jerusalem Post in June.
At the time, Mabe said the chief justice had entered the arena of political commentary, which could make him vulnerable in the future.


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Another Santastic Fun Run/Walk!Continue Reading
Tag: Santas
The sun shone on our fundraising efforts as over 120 Santas took part in the 2018 FOPL Santa Fun Run/Walk.Continue Reading
All you need to know ready for the Santa Fun Run, Jog, Walk
Following last year's successful event you are warmly invited to put on your Santa suits, hats, jumper (anything Christmasy!) for our fundraising run, jog, walk round the Hill. HOW? To take part you need to register by completing an entry form: · At the Library · Via the FOPL website…Continue Reading
Santa Fun Run 2017
The Santa Fun Run, Walk, Stroll …. is taking place at the Library on Sunday 3 December 2017 at 10.00am when Santa and his sleigh will be present. Download and complete your entry form and please get as many sponsors that you can. Sponsorship-Form 2017Continue Reading
December Report
Santas visit the library Eventually, following a prolonged search, the promoters found Janet Gittins, the winner of the first prize in our Grand Draw, she lives in Minsterley and was thrilled with her prize. The Friends were then able to spend some further time preparing the library garden in preparation…Continue Reading


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🌲 free shipping on all UK orders over £25 🌲
Regular price
Hand printed three metre long paper garland, featuring ten screen printed paper shapes of different garden birds - Blue tits, Thrushes, Chaffinches, Robins and Goldfinches! The garland is printed on both sides on thick, hand made cotton paper. The shapes are sewn in a random order along strong cotton thread, with hanging loops either end, meaning you can hang your garland straight away!


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Senate to launch Inquiry into mental health of returned service personnel
Greens spokesperson for Veterans' Affairs, Senator Whish-Wilson, said, "The entire nation was shocked by the revelations of the recent Four Corners episode regarding the prevalence of mental illness and PTSD amongst our defence force personnel returning from deployments and other service.
"Last Remembrance Day, I backed the call by 'Soldier On' for Australians to observe an extra minute's silence to honour those veterans and active members of the defence force who have been severely affected by their service, and those who have been lost to suicide.
"This Inquiry will help shine additional light onto the unique issues some of our defence personnel suffer in their daily lives.
"It will specifically look into matters such as the extent of mental ill health and PTSD among veterans and serving personnel, the adequacy of resourcing for support services available and what is required to tackle veterans' homelessness and suicide.
"I expect the Committee will take a thorough and diligent approach to this most serious of matters.
"If ever an Inquiry was set up to be about scrutiny and results, not politics, it is this one.
"I am calling on stakeholders, including those in the defence and veterans community, to make submissions. We need to hear from everyone and make sure the Government acts on evidence immediately," he concluded.
Terms of Reference
The mental health of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel who have returned from combat, peacekeeping or other deployment, with particular reference to:
a) The extent and significance of mental ill-health and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among returned service personnel;
b) Identification and disclosure policies of the ADF in relation to mental ill-health and PTSD;
c) Record keeping for mental ill-health and PTSD, including hospitalisations and deaths;
d) Mental health evaluation and counselling services available to returned service personnel;
e) The adequacy of mental health support services, including housing support services, provided by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA);
f) The support available for partners, carers and families of returned service personnel who experience mental ill-health and PTSD;
g) The growing number of returned service personnel experiencing homelessness due to mental ill-health, PTSD and other issues related to their service;
h) The effectiveness of the Memorandum of Understanding between the ADF and DVA for the Cooperative Delivery of Care;
i) The effectiveness of training and education offerings to returned service personnel upon their discharge from the ADF; and
j) Other related matters.


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Hey GrimmKids, it's been awhile! I swear I'm usually much better about updating this site pretty regularly (at least once a week). However last week I had food poisoning and it has taken me a bit to get back into the swing of things. Trust me I would've much rather been writing here.
As an apology I hope to have three new posts up by Sunday starting with this one!
Introducing Tenjo Tenge!
Awhile back I picked up volume 1 of Tenjo Tenge, by Oh! Great and I finally got around to reading it. I have to say I was not disappointed. In fact I'm really looking forward to picking up the rest of the series to see what happens. I'm a pretty big fan of fighting themed manga/anime so the summary really caught my attention.
"Soichiro Nagi and Bob Makihara were always the meanest street brawlers around. When they enter Todo High they plan on carving out a reputation as the strongest fighters in their new school- easier said then done in a place that's dedicated to training its students in the art of combat! After realizing they're the new fish swimming in a tank full of sharks, Soichiro and Bob enter the Junken fight club as rookie members. However, the Executive Council- the archrival of the Junken Club- soon launches a surprise attack. Soichiro and Bob have a chance to show their stuff, as long as they don't get curb-kicked in the process!"
The storyline itself actually ends up being even more intriguing than the summary lets on, which was a big bonus. Before I go any further I should point out (as the title of this post implies) Tenjo Tenge along with being a sweet fighting manga is totally ecchi.
* For those new to the scene ecchi means, "Softcore hentai. Often includes panty-shots, nudity, or perverted situations. Almost always used for humor. Ecchi does not describe actual sex acts." *
Tenjo Tenge includes all the above so if that's not your style you might want to reconsider reading this. That being said even if it isn't your style you should read this anyway and just, I don't know, skip all the nudey pages J because I think this really is a great read plotline wise.
I mean okay, so is Soichiro crashing into Aya's shower and landing on her, the naked hot bath scene between Chiaki and Aya, or any of the panty/boob shots necessary to the plotline of the story? No. BUT they don't detract from the storyline (in my opinion) either. Which is what makes this a good read.
Volume 1 introduces us to a lot of interesting characters and ropes you in by giving you teasers on bigger developments.
We're introduced to Maya Natsume who is the leader of the Juken club and the top fighter. She saves energy by appearing as a little girl most of the time, but changes into her true form when serious.
Aya Natsume (Maya's little sister) her seems to posses the ability to see into the future, but it hasn't fully developed and has completely fallen for Soichiro Nagi.
Taka Yanagi who is basically Maya's second in command and a very talented fighter. He likes Aya, but probably doesn't stand a chance. He's also very astute and recognizes that both Soichiro and Bob will soon surpass all of them in strength.
Finally, Soichiro Nagi and Bob Makihara who are both skilled fighters, but quickly recognize they are out of their league when it comes to the above fighters. They decided to join the Juken club after Bob's girlfriend Chiaki is attacked by the Executive Council.
Be the end of volume 1 you're left wonder what exactly the Executive Council is and how they were able to gain so much power over the school. You also find out that Maya and Aya had a brother who has died and you're kind of lead to believe the Executive Council had something to do with it. I also really dig the drawing and fight scenes in this book.
To sum it all up I give this book my stamp of approval and I can't wait to buy the next volume. Any thoughts out there on Tenjo Tenge? Have you read it? Comment below on how you felt!


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Today the place that In am going to talk about is the life- line of one of the most pepped- up cities in the world, Hong Kong. Why so? This is because there is no other place in Hong Kong where one would feel so energetic and lively. Coming to this place makes you feel how precious life is. I am talking about the Victoria Harbour. It is both strategically and naturally considered to be the heart of Hong Kong.
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbor and the largest harbor in China and the third largest in the world. It lies between the Hong Kong islands and the Kowloon Peninsula. If historically analysed, the fact that the Victoria Harbour lies in the South China Sea, made it a British Colony and later on it was due to this harbor only that China was able to establish proper trade relationships. Thus, it became the trading centre of China. As we must have read about the excellent form of economy that China switched to, it would not have been possible without this harbour.
Cruising in a harbor like this is a 'feels like heaven' experience. Going to the Victoria Harbour and not having cruised is something incredulous and foolish at the same time. One cannot simply afford to miss any fun in a place like this which is so concentrated with energy and life. There is not just one but many ways in which cruising options are available in the Victoria Harbour. Here we have the, Morning Harbour Cruise Afternoon Harbour cruise, Evening Harbour cruise, Sunset Harbour cruise and last but noth the least, the Symphony Harbour cruise.
Beginning with the Morning Harbour Cruise, which is undoubtedly the best way to kick start a morning. The tourists get to board a Chinese style tour boat. The sun will be seen rising through this island city, and meanwhile the tourists will be taking tour of all the famous place sof the city which mostly includes the tallest building of Hong Kong, the IFC two. Then there will be the award winning Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre Wan Chai and also the former Brirtish Navy Base. Then the cruise will start heading eastwards where Shau Kei Typhoon Shelter is found and fishermen are found mooring their fishing boats. Then one would also get to see the famous Noon Day Gun at the Causeway Bay.
Not leading to a great difference, the afternoon cruise is almost the same as the morning one, in terms of the place it will take the tourists to. Located between the Hong Kong islands and the Kowloon region, as the cruise proceeds, one gets to see the beautiful and splendid sky scrapers of Hong Kong. Further besides the Naval Base one also gets to see the HSBC Main building, the Peak and many others. Then the cruise proceeds towards Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong's oldest typhoon shelter and then towards the Stone- cutters bridge. The speciality about the Stone- cutters bridge is that it is the world's second longest cable- stayed bridge in the world.
The Evening Harbour Cruise can mainly be divided into two segments. The first one is the Pre- Dinner Sunset Cruise in which the cruise mainly takes the tourists towards eastern tip of the Kowloon Penisula. All this while, because it is a pre dinner cruise, the cruisers will be given various complimentary and exotic drinks. After this comes the Pearl of Orient Dinner Cruise in which the cruise takes the tourists to have a glimpse of the greatest of the Hong Kong's landmarks and side by side the tourists also enjoy the pleasure of a royal buffet dinner.
The Evening Cruise, as said by many is the best option to choose because the beautiful panorama of lights which is found during the night- time in the Victoria Harbour is simply astounding. The Harbour Night Cruise takes you around all those spots as mentioned in the sections of morning, afternoon and evening harbor cruise on a typical Chinese style boat. The additional site over here is the beautifully neon light lit entertainment district of Wan Chai. The Star Ferry's Harbour Tour is even a step ahead. It is a double- decker ferry called the ' Shining Star'. It is based on the model of the 1920s ferries which existed in Hong- kong, those typical British styled ones.
Everything said before about the Victoria Harbour can all be outbeaten by the next wonder of this wonderland. It is the Symphony Light Show. In this the tourists are not taken anywhere but the cruise stands amidst the waters, almost stagnant. Right in front of the cruise is the the entire island city, shining with specially fixed neon lights on it's buildings. This show is a permanent dancing light and sound show and has been recorded to be the largest of it's kind in the Guiness Book of World Records.
A trip to Victoria Harbour is a must to all the water site lovers and the cruise lovers as well. The Victoria Harbour is a combination of serenity and magnificence to the tourists. It not only shows what Hong Kong is but also the essence of the British Colonialism which is found here. It is also well connected to all other places through all the possible modes of transportation. The Victoria Harbour is one of it's kind.


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Digital identity ecosystem
The Australian Government is delivering digital identity, a program that will allow more government services to be available to people and businesses online at any time.
Digital identity includes everything from the policy and processes to the technology and systems.
We are leading the system and delivering it in partnership with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Services Australia, Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Creating and using a digital identity is voluntary, it is a personal choice. People can still access government services through other means, such as over the phone or in person at a government shopfront.Back to top
How it works
In Australia, we have taken the best bits of what others have done and learned from their experience to create an Australian digital identity ecosystem which is:
- optional
- federated
- has a central government identity provider
- uses a Facial Verification Service
- represents a whole-of-economy solution
Australia's digital identity ecosystem is made up of agencies, private sector businesses and systems working together to deliver a secure way to prove someone's identity online to access services — a federation.
The digital identity ecosystem has 6 key parts:
- The Australian Government accredited identity service provider, myGovID, run by the ATO.
- Multiple Identity Service Providers (IDPs) to give users a choice of who they use to verify their identity. There will be opportunities for other commercial identity service providers to become part of the federation in the future. Australia Post's accredited identity service provider, Digital iD is available to a small number of users through a pilot in 2019 to 2020.
- The Australian Government accredited identity exchange, run by Services Australia. The identity exchange ensures the identity service provider can't see what service the user is accessing, and digital services can't see someone's personal information.
- Attribute verification services such as document and biometric verification services.
- Government digital services that will use the system to confirm a person's identity.
- Attribute Service Providers that allow people to act on behalf of others, such as the ATO's Relationship Authorisation Manager.
The Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF) sits across all accredited elements of the program and ensures all providers meet standards for usability, accessibility, privacy protection, security, risk management, fraud control and more.
This ecosystem is based on the core principles:
- Privacy — the identity system was designed with consent at every step, with Privacy Impact Assessments conducted throughout the development of the ecosystem.
- Security — embedded in the system design, participants are TDIF accredited and require ongoing assessment. To date there has been 3 iterations of Trusted Digital Identity Framework in consultation with stakeholders.
- Integrity — it is governed by an Oversight Authority responsible for operational system assurance to ensure the system is being used as intended.
Digital identity service providers
The first accredited identity service providers are the government provider myGovID, operated by the ATO, and Digital iD, operated by Australia Post. There will be others as the system matures.
myGovID is a simple and safe digital identity solution that will make it possible to prove who you are online. This means more services can be accessed without needing to visit a government shopfront.
It should not be confused with myGov which is the Australian Government's secure online portal managed by Services Australia.
Digital identity will replace the multiple logins people have for different government agencies and services. Having a secure digital identity will make getting things done with government easier and faster.Back to top
Personal information
Digital identity is designed so that individuals control their personal information. It is like a 100-point ID check but instead of having to go into a government shopfront with identity documents, the whole process can be completed online.
A digital identity protects a person's privacy by only sharing as much as necessary during transactions. Users will also be required to provide consent on what information is shared.
myGovID will store a person's name, date of birth, mobile number, personal identity document identifiers and email address. It will not store a photograph once a person's identity is confirmed. myGovID does not know what services a person is accessing, and services do not see personal identity documentation.Back to top


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Justice League
Justice League star Ray Fisher has revealed how Victor Stone(Cyborg's) friendship with Ezra Miller's Barry Allen (The Flash) strengthens throughout the entire new Justice League film. He also mentioned some aspects of their bond he looks forward to explore in future films:
"Barry has undergone a traumatic accident and that turned him into the Flash, which is something that bonds the two of these guys. I hope we get to touch on that. In the future, the fact that the accident that took Victor's body is basically the precursor to him getting his powers. And the accident that turned Barry into the Flash are two separate, but very similar events that happened to these guys.
And both of them deal with their accidents in different ways. Victor's is very much on the outside, and Barry's is on the level of the Speed Force. He doesn't completely understand that either. So somebody having an external struggle and somebody struggling with the internal struggle of it, 'Any moment, this mysterious force could rip my body into a million pieces'… that's interesting."
Source: Geek Magazine


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It's been a while.
That's all I can say. As I look at how time flies, I realize how fleeting life is. During the past week I attended a conference in Mpumalanga (a province in South Africa). It was incredible to see how many people had cameras. Compare that to 10 years ago --- when film and development were expensive and few pictures were taken.
The scary part is that more pictures often lead to more clutter - and what do we do with our record shots? I remember as a child we used to watch slideshows with an old-fashioned projector that often screeched to a halt when a slide jammed the mechanism because it was slightly skew. Treasured moments.
Treasured because slides were precious and rare.
These day it's so easy to capture a moment - making it much more difficult to treasure.
When I look at how quickly time flies, I realize the importance of taking time to treasure. But it's not easy...so often I feel like a tourist in my own life - pausing at the "designated moments," and then hurrying on to the next destination -and when I think about it, I realize that I have to get off the beaten track sometimes.
In order to live, rather than merely passing by -
Before passing on.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
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After today's announcement by Linn State College that it will drug test every student on campus, officials at the school were adamant about the statute, citing drug tests that will inevitably occur post-college in the workplace.
Several other universities decided to follow the precedent established by Linn State, leading to a mass exodus of students at schools like Ohio State University, SUNY Albany, and University of Florida.
Many students were confused when their respective presidents announced the coming changes, which include urine tests for marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and, worst of all for most students, Adderall.
"What do they mean "drug test?'" asked Dominique Watson, who was clearly stoned out of his mind. "Weed isn't a drug is it? Cause, like, my friend, uh, Frominique, he smokes weed and I'm worried that I""I mean he""might get kicked out or something."
One campus in particular, which opted not to be mentioned in this article, was in a completely different situation altogether. On this particular campus, 94% of the student population is regular Adderall users. After the announcement, the entire campus was forced to discontinue use of the drug, leading to a makeshift assembly in the quad where hundreds of students wept until they fell asleep.
According to expert estimation, 73% of the student population at schools enacting these mandatory drug tests will drop out, leaving them without a college degree, which will inevitably lead to homelessness, joblessness and rampant drug use.
Kinda ironic when you think about it.
Anyone can learn how to tell if someone is on drugs by studying the different signs and symptoms of drug addiction, as detailed in numerous online resources.


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Rod Liddle says that Blair's great U-turn on immigration has placed the Labour party to the right of Ray Honeyford — the man once vilified as a racist
Do you have a core of Britishness within you? Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, is anxious for us all to have one, even if we are not quite sure what it is. Trevor reckons he has one, at any rate. Perhaps it was implanted along with his OBE back in 1999.
His attachment to this notional thing, a core of Britishness, is nonetheless excellent news — and also a little surprising. Because Trevor's enormous quango, the Commission for Racial Equality, has spent the last 30 years arguing that there is no such thing at all. The CRE was never hugely keen on the idea that we might all of us, white and black and brown, share a common set of values and beliefs; it smacked of — what was the phrase? — cultural imperialism. The ruthless imposition by the colonial white hegemony of alien norms and values upon a subject people powerless to resist. Core of Britishness? Sounds a bit racist to me, a bit Lord Tebbit.
So it's a U-turn which beats, hands down, any so far executed even by Trevor's friend and mentor Tony Blair. It is a quite astonishing volte-face, when you think about it. Trevor, chairman of the CRE, is effectively telling us that multiculturalism is finished, dead and buried. A discredited idea from two discredited decades. The rest of us might have suspected that multiculturalism was officially dead on 12 September 2001; but to hear multiculturalism disavowed, in public, by an organisation hitherto dedicated to its propagation is something else entirely.
Perhaps, before the CRE cheerfully moves on, a few apologies are in order to those people who, ahead of their time, stuck their heads above the parapet to complain about the iniquities of multiculturalism and, frankly, copped it as a result. There has been no greater insult these last 20 or so years than the barked deprecation 'racist', even though, when thus barked, it rarely meant 'racist', as one would correctly define the term, at all.
It was barked a few thousand times, for example, at the Bradford comprehensive school headmaster Ray Honeyford back in the middle of the 1980s. Honeyford ran a school which in 1980 had a 50 per cent complement of ethnic minority (mainly Bangladeshi) pupils; by 1986 this had risen to 94 per cent. But Honeyford pursued a policy which might be described as inculcating a 'core of Britishness'.
'These children knew they were Asian,' he says now, 'and they knew they were Muslim. But they didn't know that they were British.' So he taught them stuff, low-level stuff, about Britain and Britain's history. And he did other things, like insist that Asian girls should learn to swim — despite the objections, on religious grounds, of their Muslim parents. The local education authority hated him for it and tried to have him removed from his school, and matters came to a head when he wrote about his problems in the right-wing Salisbury Review. After that, he got a good kicking in the press and had a mob of lefties howling 'Racist!' outside the school gates every day. The local education authority sent a psychiatrist to see him, implying that he was deranged — and, even worse, the Department for Education dispatched Helena Kennedy QC to grill him about his appalling, untenable views. Inspectors and consultants hounded him; in the end he left, retiring at the age of 52. He is now 70 years old, afflicted with Parkinson's disease, and he hasn't been employed for 18 years. And yet what Honeyford suggested back then was far less radical than the kind of views you hear today from Trevor Phillips or Ann Cryer or David Blunkett. 'All I wanted was for Asian kids to have the same education as their white counterparts, and the overwhelming majority of Asian parents agreed,' he says. But such a view put him beyond the pale, back then — way, way out on the 'racist' Right.
And that's how far the argument has travelled: a man who was once a fellow traveller of the Salisbury Review and the Monday Club now finds himself outflanked on the Right by the Commission for Racial Equality and a Labour government. All too bizarre. Asked how he feels about it today, Honeyford — a mild-mannered man and as far from being racist as it's possible to get — suddenly finds his venom. 'It makes me feel sick,' he told me. I bet it does. I think, Ray, it's what we call a paradigm shift.
The rest of us, though, can be a little happier. Honeyford's simple, liberal outlook is now de rigueur. And it is no longer assumed as a matter of fact that our ethnic minorities constitute an angry, homogenous lump, bonded together under the political heading 'Black' and possessed of identical political views, life experiences and aspirations, most of which are hostile to the prevailing status quo. It is now recognised, for example, that in terms of educational aspiration and achievement in our inner-city comprehensive schools, African-Caribbean boys and white boys mingle happily together at the bottom of the class while Asian girls and white girls mingle happily at the top. It ain't no race thing any more. Not sure it ever was.
But what was the motor for this extraordinary transformation? Partly it is simply — as Betjeman put it — the painful seeming accident of time. Partly too the resilience of our ethnic minorities, first in combating indigenous racism and then in rejecting attempts by white liberals to portray them all as an undifferentiated morass. These two factors alone might have brought us, in time, to our current position. But not quite so quickly, nor against a backdrop of such blind panic.
The leader of France's Front Nationale has recently graced these shores with his presence, accompanied — as one would expect — by a cacophony of protest. Writing in the Guardian, the journalist Joseph Harker asked why it was that Le Pen was allowed into the country but the American boss of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, was still barred. Harker argued his corner well — and, indeed, it is difficult to argue that, on past records alone, Le Pen is less divisive or disruptive to national cohesion than Farrakhan. But Harker came to the conclusion that it was because Farrakhan was black and Le Pen was white — and this, I think, is missing the point.
Farrakhan is a radical Muslim, and it is for that reason, and not the colour of his skin, that David Blunkett fought long and hard to keep him out. As far as the government is concerned, Farrakhan is an enemy of the state and Le Pen is not. And it is this bald reclassification of what constitutes an enemy of the state that has led to the moderate Left shedding, once and for all, its adherence to the concept of multiculturalism. You cannot be a multiculturalist if you are waging war against an entire culture; nor if you believe that the said culture is determined to wage war against you.
Indeed, buoyed by the presence since 9/11 of a new and tenacious 'enemy' without and within, the government has become increasingly authoritarian in prosecuting those it deems to be antithetical to the notions of Western, liberal, Judaeo-Christian democracy. Witness, for example, Mr Blunkett's strenuous and embarrassing attempts to have the hook-handed Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri, chucked out of the country, despite a profound lack of evidence that the man has actually broken the law. It is enough for the government (and, of course, for the tabloid newspapers) that Abu Hamza is an incendiary preacher and wishes to see the green flag of Islam flying over St Stephen's Tower.
And Blair and Blunkett are supported in their persecution of Abu Hamza and the like by what are known as 'mainstream' ; Muslim leaders, who, understandably enough, are worried that the climate has turned distinctly chilly of late. One chap, a Muslim community leader from Luton speaking on Jeremy Vine's radio show, argued that Hamza should be deported immediately because he had offended 'proper' Muslims. Well, perhaps he has, but we don't deport people for stuff like that, otherwise we'd all be queuing up at Heathrow. And at the root of the problem is what actually constitutes a 'proper' Muslim?
This week the Prime Minister used a speech to the CBI to address a problem which Labour strategists believe might lose them the next election: race and immigration. There is no panic, he told his audience, but he accepted that there were abuses of the immigration system — and, of course, it was radical Muslims who did most of the abusing. 'There are high-profile examples of the absurd — not many in number but very damaging in terms of impact — like radical clerics coming here to preach religious hate; people staying here to peddle support for terrorism,' he said.
There would, as a result, he added, be tighter rules — a 'top-to-bottom' review of the immigration system. I don't know how those tighter rules are going to work, though. Is the Prime Minister suggesting that potential immigrants should be quizzed about their political beliefs and affiliations before being let through the door at Dover? If so, this is the final, 180-degree retreat from multiculturalism — a retreat several degrees too far even for me. Journalists listening to the speech understood it as a wish on the part of the government to 'whiten-up' the influx of immigrants: more Poles, fewer Bangladeshis, please. And no mad mullahs at all, thank you, hook-handed or otherwise. It's certainly what it sounds like.
And soon we will all succumb to the government's plans for a national identity card, much as it may stick in the craw. Be in no doubt that the speed with which the government has pressed ahead with the proposed ID card is a direct consequence of 9/11 and the perception of a new enemy. It will be an imposition upon all of us and — please forgive the liberal whining for a second — an infringement of our rights.
Having argued for decades that immigrant communities be allowed to retain every aspect of their indigenous culture, the Left now believes that this was a mistake and that there are many aspects of those indigenous cultures which are simply not on. It is not just the shadow of 9/11; the soft Left knows that Islam is a socially conservative (if economically leftish) belief system opposed to almost everything it stands for in terms of education, the family, sexual promiscuity and so on. Islam, even 'proper' Islam, demands a distinctly illiberal social regimen — the very thing, in fact, that so exercised Ray Honeyford 18 years ago when he insisted that Muslim girls learn to swim — and for which he was denounced as a racist by, er, the Left.
But now the Left has recognised, belatedly, that race and culture are two entirely separate entities — and the haste with which it has embraced this new philosophy has led it to a state of mind which is as undemocratic in principle as the old multiculturalism which it now disavows.


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A nonprofit that raises money and provides support to city schools said Tuesday that students, educators, parents and school system partners are unified in calling for better guidance to help students prepare for college.
In a report based on focus groups and feedback from 225 people, the Fund for Educational Excellence said the city should increase the number of guidance counselors in high schools, give students more access to rigorous course work and tell families — earlier than senior year — about how to apply and pay for college.
Roger Schulman, president and CEO of Fund for Educational Excellence, said findings indicate families see college as a lucrative goal, but are often ill-equipped and uninformed on how to achieve it.
"We heard that academics are critically important, but it is not the whole story," said Schulman.
The report comes on the heels of poor showings by city school students on state assessments and other academic measures reflecting college readiness and success.
Last month the district posted single-digit pass rates on new state assessments aligned to college and career readiness. Other recent data shows the percentage of city students passing advanced placement exams is 29 percent, compared to the statewide average of 56 percent. And in SAT scores. the district saw an increased this year to 1143 out of a possible 2400 — but that's well below the state average score of 1490.
Another study by the Baltimore Education Research Consortium found 72 percent of city students coming out of high school must complete remedial courses to attend college — and only 10 percent receive a degree after six years.
The Fund's report says many students feel academically, socially and emotionally unprepared for college.
Schulman said barriers to college come as early as middle school, when students aren't offered Algebra, or when they desire to go to one of the city's college-preparatory high schools, but don't know how composite scores used for entrance criteria are calculated.
By the end of their high school careers, he said, students often encounter overwhelmed guidance counselors who can't give proper attention to each students' college-application process. That results in some students feeling they are steered in the direction of lower expectations.
"If we think kids aren't noticing that even within schools there are the haves and the have-nots, then we are blind," Schulman said.
Kendall Brewton, a junior at Morgan State University's School of Engineering, said he had to go outside his college-preparatory high school, Polytechnic Institute, to be counseled on financing his education.
Brewton also participated in focus groups where he said other graduates felt academically unprepared.
"A lot of Baltimore City schools don't prepare you for the workload," Brewton said. "Kids continue thinking that they can get through the same way, and that's not the case."
Mike Rennard, an eighth-grade humanities teacher at Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School, said his conversations with recent city graduates indicate they need better help to understand the college experience — including such issues as managing meal plans, free time and personal budgets.
"Even the best prepared, they don't have any concrete sense of what it entails, what it involves," Rennard said. "There's a real need for city schools to develop more community partnerships to prepare students for all of these things that are going to be happening to them."
Yolanda Abel, the parent of a Western High School graduate, took her daughter on her first college tour when she was just in eighth grade. Otherwise, Abel said, the girl might not have learned about colleges until her senior year.
"Baltimore city schools waits too long, and it comes too late," Abel said.
Abel said a key recommendation in the Fund for Educational Excellence report calls for the district to provide resources to help parents chart their child's college track, as well as progress reports to mark milestones in their K-12 career.
"I've yet to meet a parent who doesn't want the best for their child," Abel said. "But that gets complicated by the parents' own educational journey and other stresses."
Latest Education


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Dear Exchange Student,
We warmly welcome you to join the Bachelor's Program in International Business (BScBA Program) of the Aalto University School of Business in Mikkeli. From these Into-pages, you can find information to help you to enjoy your stay in Finland and Mikkeli as much as possible.
The Aalto University School of Business, Mikkeli Campus offers students an excellent opportunity to explore the world. An important feature of the academic program is that students are expected to study in a foreign university for one semester. Mikkeli Campus has wide network of partner universities all over the world and as an active exchange partner with our partners, Mikkeli Campus receives about 60-70 exchange students from abroad each year to study in the BScBA program. These international students make valuable contributions to the dynamic international program in Mikkeli.
We look forward to meeting you soon...
Watch what exchange studies in the Mikkeli Campus has to offer for you
Video produced by Nestori Majoinen/Prologue Events Oy
Aerial Cinematography filmed by Valtteri Heinilä
Fact sheets:
Aalto Mikkeli Fact sheet 2017-2018
Aalto Mikkeli Fact sheet 2018-2019
Other materials:
Aalto Mikkeli, Summer 2018
Aalto Mikkeli Flyer


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Colin Snedden, a former New Zealand cricketer and sports broadcaster, has died in his sleep at the age of 93. Auckland-born Snedden hailed from a family of cricketers - his father Nessie, uncle Cyril and brother Warwick were first-class players, while his nephew Martin played Test and ODI cricket. He was an offspinner and represented New Zealand in one Test in March 1947 against England in Christchurch.
Snedden's first-class career was interrupted by World War II, restricting it to nine matches played between 1938 and 1949. He took 31 wickets at 25.41 apiece in those nine games. After retirement, Snedden took up cricket and rugby radio commentary, and was subsequently named a life member of the New Zealand Sports Journalists Awards in 2007.


text: One major benefit of working for an airline is that you can sometimes travel on luxury flights and only need to pay for the taxes. A perk of being friends with people that work for an airline is that you get to jump onboard with this novelty. Consequently, I am now sat in a spacious,... Continue Reading →