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How do you define a beautiful beach?
For some, it's the fine white sand, crystal-clear blue waters come second. Some people
Some like their beach, ideally, a splendid haven of sunset that they can easily watch just before night sets in. And some want all of these in a single place where they can taste and experience the beauty of life itself.
The beach is not just considered an all-time go-to travel/vacation spot. Many events and occasions are being widely held at some beaches around the world, especially weddings.
Watching the powerful waves crashing on rocks as you walk on the long stretches of the white, sandy shore under the moonlight invokes tranquility, peace, and romance. No wonder why many couples exchange their vows on the beach. The more exotic the beach is, the more beautiful it will be.
So, many plans and considerations aside, if you, a friend, or family member have been planning on making the beach as its venue for an unforgettable occasion, check our most exotic beaches in the world.
1. Blue Lagoon, Ölüdeniz, Turkey
Turkey's Blue Lagoon is one of the most beautiful, exotic beaches in the world. Known for as a place for paragliding, the Blue Lagoon offers magnificence and splendor that makes you feel like you're walking on a live postcard. The turquoise-blue sea water is so clear is perfect for a day's swim under the sun and the place overall is what you'll need for a dream wedding.
2. Imsouane Plage, Morocco
Fondly called as the "Magic Bay" by the locals, Morocco's Imsouane Plage boasts of the longest waves a surfer has ever experienced. Not to mention the dramatic, gorgeous setting of the mountains reaching down to the beach. Imsouane Plage is one of the highest recommended exotic vacation spots for travelers and nature lovers. It is a paradise that makes a lovely wedding venue as well.
3. Deadman's Beach, Peter Island, British Virgin Islands
Deadman's Beach is one of the private luxury beaches on Peter Island in the British Virgin Island. The cool tropical breeze, white sand, and deep blue waters are a luxury in themselves, with the friendly locals and exotic culture are there to take part in your wedding plans.
4. Curtain Bluff, Antigua
The Curtain Bluff in the West Indies gives a strong vibe that everything on the beach is untouched. It is the very best of nature, one of Antigua's hidden gems. So beautiful and it is the perfect exotic beach that you will want for your wedding.
5. Tulum, Mexico
Mexico is one of the most visited countries in the world because of its food, laidback culture, and enjoyable tourist attractions. That said, Tulum is worth checking out. Stepping back from reality for a short while and spending some time in this beach can be invigorating. Ranging from events destination, long-due vacations to yoga retreats, Tulum's beautiful, clear blue water and white sand beaches offer the ideal combination of adventure, luxury, and romance of a lifetime.


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About Us
Who Are We?
The Tax Appeals Commission is an independent statutory body whose main task is hearing, determining and disposing of appeals against assessments and decisions of the Revenue Commissioners concerning taxes and duties in accordance with relevant legislation.
The legislation concerned is the Finance (Tax Appeals) Act, 2015, the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997, as amended, and related legislation.
The Tax Appeals Commission replaces the former Office of the Appeal Commissioners.
It currently comprises of two Appeal Commissioners appointed by the Minister for Finance and a number of administrative staff who support the Commissioners in their work.
Further information is provided in response to questions 12 – 16 below.
What is behind the reform of the tax appeals system?
Various aspects of the arrangements surrounding the operation of the tax appeals system, have been the subject of consideration by various bodies over the last 15 years or so. These include the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts, the DIRT Inquiry, the Revenue Powers Group, the Law Reform Commission Report on a Fiscal Prosecutor and a Revenue Court and the Commission on Taxation. In addition, there have been proposals for changes to the appeals system from representative bodies, and a number of reports have made recommendations on this area in that time.
This reform is being introduced to ensure an enhanced and cost-effective appeal mechanism for tax cases, providing transparency and increased certainty for taxpayers, and to ensure that the appeals forum meets the independence and impartiality requirements contained in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights; in this regard, while there is no suggestion of actual partiality under the former system, it is important that the Appeal Commissioners be seen as fully independent and there must be no actual or perceived bias in the operation of the Appeals system.
The relevant reform legislation was signed into law by the President on 25 December 2015. The Minister for Finance signed the relevant commencement orders to give effect to the new legislative provisions on 26 February 2016.The Tax Appeals Commission and the new regime for the processing of tax appeals enters into force on 21 March 2016.
What are the main reforms being introduced by the new legislation ?
The main reforms which are being introduced are –
- Statutory underpinning of the independence of the Tax Appeals Commission (Section 10 of the Act refers).
- Change of name from the Appeal Commissioners to the Tax Appeals Commission.
- Efficiencies in process – a new focus on flexible and active case management.
- Discretion to make determinations based on written submissions in the case of straightforward matters, subject to the agreement of the parties to the proceedings.
- Hearings in public – while public hearings will be the default position, an appellant may request that a hearing or part of a hearing be held in private.
- Publication – of determinations and more information
- Dismissal of appeals- The Appeal Commissioners will be able to dismiss an appeal where, for example, a taxpayer does not comply with directions given by Appeal Commissioners in relation to the conduct of the proceedings.
- A renewable fixed term of office of Appeal Commissioners of 7 years
- Annual reports and introduction of a more robust reporting regime- requirement to submit annual reports.
- Decisions of the Appeal Commissioners will now be final and conclusive. An appeal route which previously lay to the Circuit Court (for a full rehearing) is being discontinued. Appeal to the High Court will only be possible in situations where the party considers that the Appeal Commissioners erred in their determinations in relation to a point of law, only, and not in relation to the facts.
- Enhanced case management procedures, including the power to determine a broad range of interlocutory applications, to facilitate a more efficient and structured flow of appeals.
Will it be possible to make a tax appeal online?
On the ICT side, new computerised infrastructure to support the reformed appeals system is being introduced on a phased basis. From 22 December 2016, it is possible to make a tax appeal online. Those wishing to make an appeal may also do so by email or post using the notice of appeal form which is available on our website (www.taxappeals.ie).
How many cases do the Commissioners expect to get following commencement?
It is hard to estimate how many cases we are likely to receive on an annual basis under the new arrangements. Under the old regime, and following the submission of appeals, many cases were resolved directly between Revenue and the taxpayers and were never transmitted to the Appeal Commissioners. From 21 March, all applications for appeals will be made directly to the Tax Appeals Commission.
How many cases do the Commissioners expect to process in the first year?
It is assumed that what is meant here is the number of cases that are determined or decided on or are otherwise brought to finality.
However, in view of the number of new innovations in the legislation, including increased case management powers that are being given to the Commissioners, it is difficult to estimate at this point how many cases will be finalised each year. While the Commissioners are provided with new management powers, it is also the case that they are subject to new time constraints as regards various steps in the appeals process. In addition, some aspects of the process are likely to give rise to additional work by the Commission e.g. parties seeking directions or seeking to have directions amended, and cases stated to the High Court.
What about cases already in the system? How will these be handled?
The Finance (Tax Appeals) contains specific transitional provisions for dealing with cases that are already in the system. These provisions are contained in sections 22 to 32 of the Act. And they provide clarity for taxpayers as to how appeals that have already been made will be handled. Further details on the transition arrangements are available in our Rules of Procedure.
Why has the Circuit Court part of the process been removed?
This is a policy matter for Government. The removal of the Circuit Court was proposed by Government and approved by the Oireachtas with the enactment of the Finance (Tax Appeals) Act 2015. The mandate of the Tax Appeal Commission is to implement the new appeals process as set down in that Act.
In what circumstances, can a case be referred to the High Court?
A party to an appeal process who is dissatisfied with a determination of the Appeal Commissioners as being erroneous on a point of law may by notice in writing require the Commissioners to state and sign a Case Stated for the Opinion of the High Court.
Such written notice must be given to the Commissioners, and copied to any other party to the appeal, no later than 21 days from the date on which the determination has been notified to the parties, and must specify the particular respect in which the determination is alleged to be erroneous in law.
What is the budget of the Tax Appeals Commission for 2016?
The budget for the Commission as contained in the Revised Estimates Volume for 2016 is €1.44 million. This amount was approved by Dáil Éireann for 2016 as part of the Annual Estimates process.
What is the term of office of the Appeal Commissioners?
There are currently two Appeal Commissioners in the Commission. Their term of office (7 years) will run until 2023. The Minister for Finance may appoint Commissioners to serve for a second seven year term.
How many staff are serving in the Tax Appeals Commission?
There are currently four administrative staff serving in support of the Commissioners. Further additions will take place shortly.
To whom do the Commissioners report?
Section 21 of the Act establishing the Commission provides that the Commissioners shall report to the Minister for Finance.
What are the reporting obligations contained in the new legislation?
The reporting obligations relate to the preparation and submission of an annual report. In addition, the Minister may require the commissioners to prepare and submit to him or her a report in relation to any matter relating to their activities as the Minister considers appropriate. Also, the Commissioners may from time to time submit a report to the Minister on their activities as they consider appropriate.
Where is the Commission based?
The Commission is based in Fitzwilliam Court, Leeson Close, Dublin 2, D02 YW24.
How do the new arrangements underpin the independence of the Tax Appeals Commission?
Section 10 of the Finance (Tax Appeals) Act 2015 specifically provides that the Commission and its members shall be independent in the performance of their functions. In addition, various provisions in the new Act give the Commissioners powers to manage cases more actively than in the past, thereby reinforcing the independent operation of the appeals process.
The Finance (Tax appeals) Act 2015 provides that the Appeal Commissioners may adopt Rules of Procedure in respect of their functions. Has this been done?
Yes, the Commissioner have adopted Rules of Procedure and these are available on the Commission website (www.taxappeals.ie).
Is the Tax Appeals Commission subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 2014?
Yes, the Freedom of Information Act applies to records held by the Commission. However, this is subject to statutory exemptions in relation to sensitive or personal information as set out in the FOI legislation.
Is there any provision for a review of the legislation?
This is policy matter for the Minister for Finance and the Government. To the extent that the Commissioners have discretion with regard to the procedures that they use, it is intended that these will be kept under review in the light of experience of their operation and they may be adjusted in due course in the light of this.
What is behind the reform of the tax appeals system?
This is policy matter for the Minister for Finance and the Government.
Has the Commission a Governance Framework?
Yes, a copy of the Governance Framework is available to view here. This document is a living document and will be modified to reflect further developments in the Commission over the coming months.
Has the Commission a Statement of Strategy Document?
Yes, a copy of the Statement of Strategy document is available to view here. This document is a living document and will be modified to reflect further developments in the Commission over the coming months.
Last updated August 2017.

subset: commoncrawl


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Care experienced
Pupil voice: why it's important to listen to care-experienced young people
Hear from Lynzy about why it's important care experienced voices are heard.
Domestic abuse
Domestic abuse – why talking helps
Domestic abuse is when a person hurts, bullies or takes away the choices of someone they have a close relationship with.
Scottish Women's Aid can help.
Remember: 'Domestic abuse is not your fault. The person who abuses is responsible – not you or anyone else.
Mental health
Looking for a counsellor?
Counselling is a safe space to talk about issues at school. Find out how to look for a counsellor near you.
Domestic abuse
Film by young people about domestic abuse
One Voice at a Time – Tackling domestic abuse through the voice of the young.
Money and housing issues
Things tough at home?
8 home life issues that might mean you need extra support at school.


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The St. Louis Center Development Office strives to gain and grow relationships between the agency and private and corporate foundations. Whether you are looking to engage with St. Louis Center or are a member of the community with questions about potential foundation partnerships, we look forward to helping you.
Naming opportunities are available for up-and-coming construction projects at St. Louis Center including in the St. Louis Guanella Village.


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Faucet Installation & Faucet Repair
Your faucets are one of the most used plumbing fixtures in your house. Faucets contain moving parts so they can break and wear out over time. When you have any type of leaky sink or faucet in your home, it is important to know that a plumbing service expert has the knowledge and experience to fix it. B & B Johnson Plumbing has been serving Huntington, Ashland, Ironton, and the surrounding Tristate areas by providing residential faucet & sink installation & repair services. Our team is well-versed in a variety of faucet problems that can affect your home, and we have the tools and skills to get your faucets fixed in no time. Best of all, when you hire us, you won't pay a fortune for faucet repairs.
When you have a problem with a faucet, you need a plumber who knows how to fix it without complicating matters or making a mess. When your faucet isn't working properly, and it is constantly dripping, you pay the price in both wasted water and money. A dripping faucet can leak over one thousand gallons of water in a year's time. Fortunately, the team at B & B Johnson Plumbing is comprised of skilled plumbers who know how to diagnose faucet problems and recommend cost-effective solutions. Sometimes, this means replacing a leaky or non-working faucet instead of spending the money to attempt a repair. Our team of highly skilled plumbing experts delivers superior customer service and have set the bar for excellence in plumbing services. The plumbing professionals at B & B Johnson Plumbing are able to install a variety of faucets, including kitchen sink faucets, bathroom sinks faucets, and other bathroom fixtures. So whether you've got a problem on your hands or are simply looking to upgrade, we're the team to call for all of your faucet installation needs.
B & B Johnson Plumbing's residential faucet and sink installation and repair services can offer you solutions for:
- Sink Leaks
- Tub Leaks
- Broken Faucets
- Low Water Pressure
- Faucets Leaks
- No Hot Water
- Clogged Drains
If a broken faucet has left you feeling frustrated every time you go to clean your dishes or wash your hands, don't worry the plumbers at B & B Johnson Plumbing has you covered. Whether you're looking for residential plumbing fixture installation or repair, B & B Johnson Plumbing has the expertise in installing and servicing faucets and sinks. Call us today to schedule an appointment for faucet repair work. Contact B & B Johnson Plumbing by calling 304-525-7588 or Requesting A FREE Quote today.


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Winkler II Standard Duty 2 (SD2) w/Sculpted Maple handle and caswell finish
$ 310.00
The SD2 Standard Duty (drop point) boasts a 3.5" blade with an overall length of 7". This makes it easily concealable and legal to carry in most areas where blades are not banned (check your local laws). This knife was born from a request by many LE/MIL professionals that need simplicity, reliability in an everyday carry package and offers plenty of utility.
Blade - 3.5" 80crv2, caswell finish
Overall Length - 7"
Sheath - black felt lined kydex with spring clip, adjustable
Handle - 3.5", sculpted maple


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Fruit from a single old block on the estate was harvested and berries crushed (just split) and sent to a fermentor. A regime of cool fermentation on skins for 14 days with multiple, yet gentle daily pump overs was employed n order to extract every morsel of luxury tannin and flavour from each berry. When peak concentration was achieved the wine was separated from the skins directly to a special selection of the finest French Oak barriques, 50% of which were new. The wine was matured in oak for 18 months, before being lightly fined, filtered and bottled. Only 130 cases were produced.
Brooding aromas of graphite, blueberries, anise and red currant are flecked with hints of bay leaf, boysenberry and dried herbs. An effortless entry and primal blue and black fruit flavours introduce a coating palate of cocoa-nib, gravel and liquorice, guided by a tensile core of super-fine-grained tannin and poised fruit textures. A tactile ascent to the finish leaves the palate firm, engaged and vital, drenched in fruit and saturated in bristling cherry skin texture. This wine will continue to mature gracefully and can be cellared for 10+ years.
96 Points – James Halliday Wine Companion 2019
GOLD MEDAL – Langton's 2017 Margaret River Wine Show
GOLD MEDAL – Halliday Wine Companion Australian Cabernet Challenge 2017
93 Points – Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate, January 2019
Sorry, it looks like we do not support the browser you are using.
We recommend Firefox or Google Chrome.


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Time: June 29, 2017 from 12pm to 1pm
Location: Online
Event Type: webinar
Organized By: LSG
Latest Activity: Jun 28, 2017
Export to Outlook or iCal (.ics)
Serious gamification for serious threats
James Tyas, Senior Instructional Designer, Saffron Interactive
With the digital revolution comes a new catalogue of security risks. External threats such as cyber-attacks and natural disasters add to threats from within caused by employee disengagement and the yawning skills gap. For businesses to survive, learning must evolve at a pace to match these threats. The job of truly transformative learning is to equip employees with the requisite techniques and behaviours so that they become instinctive and automatic. That responsibility starts with you! This session will uncover how to keep your learning at the cutting edge, outmanoeuvring shifting threats by:
James Tyas
James is a talented creative writer with a deep interest in behavioural science. He combines the two disciplines to create truly magnetic learning experiences that transform behaviours. He has extensive experience of managing client projects large and small and is known for his drive to constantly innovate instructional design techniques. An avid gamer, James understands the controlling motivations that allow us to become truly immersed in a situation, be it a boss battle or a learning intervention.


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Albert Road, Beckenham, 1985
The Alexandra Cottages, of which Albert Road forms a part, were built between 1866 and 1868 by the Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrial Classes, the first such organisation to build semi-detached houses with gardens, rather than traditional terraces or tenement blocks.
They were intended as low cost housing for London workers, being close to Penge station, although local workers were soon accommodated too.
Now primarily in private ownership, they remain popular small houses.


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NES Global Talent's Orlando office serves as our Power hub for the entire Americas region. We have almost 20 years of experience supporting some of the biggest power projects in the country.
Our specialty is providing engineering expertise for organizations involved in a diverse range of plant technologies for the engineering, construction, commissioning & start up, and operations & maintenance of power generation and hydrocarbon facilities spaces, ranging from OEM vendors and EPC contractors to third party service organizations.
We support operations across the entire Power Generation & Distribution mix from traditional Fossil Fuel plants and Nuclear facilities to the growing Renewables Market.
In particular, our recruiters are well-placed to support clients with their facility turnarounds and can find qualified staff at short notice to maintain your business output.
We have plenty of exciting job opportunities for candidates in this arena - search our latest vacancies below.


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Rainy TGIF
Last night they started out with the 1975 film Rollerball starring James Caan as Jonathan G, captain of the Houston team. I've seen this film several times and still get caught up into some of it. Perhaps I'm attracted by the action sequences, which are filmed amazingly well. One other aspect which made an impression on me is, even though we don't know the actually rules of the game, you can follow along pretty easily. It seems that Rollerball is a mixture of football, hockey, and roller derby. The teams play for different areas of the globe and is entertainment for the masses, but also a substitute for warfare. At the same time it's also a way to take away one's individuality. Jonathan G wants to hang onto his individuality, and rebels against the system, therein lies part of the conflict. Even though it's somewhat dated, and at times I think James Caan speaks too softly throughout the film, the universal theme of retaining one's own individuality and the action within the film make it a pretty watchable film.
TCM ended the night with Total Recall, which I started watching until it got too late, The Satan Bug, and First Men in the Moon, which I may watch later. These Friday night Future Shock blocks of SF films have been a lot of fun.
Chaz Ebert's blog. She's the wife of Roger Ebert, the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times also noted for his At The Movies syndicated movie review show, who passed away not long back. She asked him to take a break from his movie reviews and create something fun like he might have written when he wrote for fanzines back in his youth. He composed this short story, The Thinking Molecules of Titan, but never got around to finishing it. Chaz put it up on her site and asked readers to help finish it. She got back many replies, and has already posted many ending from various authors on the rogerebert.com site. You can go there if you care to read them.
It would be a lot of fun to be able to read some of those early Roger Ebert fanzine articles.
A Taste of Hell From On High with him and Jerry Seinfeld cutting up together in the Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. If you like that sort of thing there are other episodes with different comedians as well.
I also ran across a two-part interview he did recently with TCM. He talks about movies that influenced him and that he grew up watching in his youth. You can find part one, here, and part two, here.


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Hong Kong Bistro
Submit A Review
Your opinions are important to us. We would like to hear from you.
When you submit a review, it may be posted on our website.
Thanks for your comments! (You can also contact us through this email for questions or concerns.)
15065 Canada Ave W,
Rosemount, MN 55068
Open Everyday:
Mon. - Fri. : 11:00am - 10:00pm
Sat. - Sun. : 12:00am - 10:00pm
Telephone: 651-423-1225
Fax: 651-423-1219


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REVENGE premieres Wednesday, September 21 10|9c!
Official Website: http://abc.go.com/shows/revenge
Madeleine Stowe as Victoria Grayson
Emily Van Camp as Emily Thorne
Gabriel Mann as Nolan Ross
Henry Czerny as Conrad Grayson
Ashley Madekwe as Ashley Davenport
Nick Wechsler as Jack Porter
Josh Bowman as Daniel Grayson
Christa B. Allen as Charlotte Grayson
Connor Paolo as Declan Porter
Executive Producer / Writer: Mike Kelley
Executive Producer: Marty Bowen
Executive Producer: Wyck Godfrey
Executive Producer / Director: Phillip Noyce
Studio: ABC Studios
Wealth, beauty and status define the people in this town, but one woman is willing to destroy everyone for the sake of revenge.
Emily Thorne (Emily Van Camp) is new to the Hamptons. She's met some of her wealthy neighbors, has made a few new friends and seemingly blends into the town. But something is a little odd about a young girl living in a wealthy town all on her own, and the truth is that Emily isn't exactly new to the neighborhood. In fact, this was once her old neighborhood, until something bad happened that ruined her family and their reputation. Now Emily is back, and she's returned to right some of those wrongs in the best way she knows how – with a vengeance.


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The Palestinian government sees zero possibility for resumption of talks with Israel as long as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has told reporters in New York.
"For the last years, while Netanyahu was a prime minister, he was successful in destroying all prospects for the renewing of negotiations between Israel and Palestine. He killed all prospects for that," the minister said.
"So, as long as Netanyahu is in power, as long as Netanyahu is the prime minister, we don't expect to see any resumption of negotiations between Israel and Palestine."
"If elections [in Israel] produce the same results and will bring Netanyahu back to power, then of course, the idea of resumption of negotiations with Israel is almost zero," he added.
Source: TASS


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Yale study: Many opioid prescriptions allowed without restrictions
NEW HAVEN — While insurance plans have increased restrictions on the prescribing of opioids, the highly addictive drugs are still easily obtainable without limits such as requiring prior authorization, according to a Yale University study.
The researchers compared formularies for Medicare plans from 2006, 2011 and 2015 and found that two-thirds of these drugs were subject to restrictions. One-third, however, did not have such limits.
"I think we all know that we're in a national opioid crisis right now and we need to know what may be contributing and we need to have all possible strategies at our disposal to help curb this crisis," said Dr. Sanket Dhruva, a cardiologist at the Yale School of Medicine and member of the research team, on Monday.
The study was published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The researchers compared Medicare Advantage and Part D formularies for 2006, 2011 and 2015 because Medicare is often a standard other insurers use for their formularies. "Essentially, formularies determine the availability of these medications," Dhruva said. If a drug is not on the formulary, the patient and doctor must go through an appeals process.
"If the drugs are available, the insurance companies can use one of three strategies," he said. They may require prior authorization from the insurance company before the prescription will be approved. They can implement so-called step therapy, in which "a patient must try drug X before he can receive drug Y," Dhruva said. Or they can limit the quantity of drugs that may be dispensed at one time.
Connecticut passed a law in 2016 limiting most opioid prescriptions to seven days, with some exceptions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines in 2016 for opioid prescriptions, but the Yale researchers found that these were not always followed. "Still, a large number of opioids don't have restrictions imposed on them," Dhruva said. "We want to make sure that opioids are going to patients that are going to benefit and are not going out in high doses."
Comparing formularies from 2006 with 2015, "It's an improvement, but I still think we have a ways to go," he said.
The CDC guidelines use a measure called morphine milligram equivalents to compare different opioid medications and call for a limit of 90 per day on that scale.
"They say nothing more than 90 and what we found was, even if there was a quantity limit, 31 percent of the time a patient could receive more than 90 morphine milligram equivalents per day," and 33 percent of the time there were no restrictions placed on the drugs, Dhruva said.
"I think that insurance plans … should use these tools that are at their disposal to bring their formularies more in line with the CDC's recommendations and we believe this would likely lead to safer opioid prescribing," Dhruva said.
"I think there's an important opportunity here and we hope that the formularies can be part of the solution to addressing this crisis."
More than 900 people died in Connecticut in 2016 of drug overdoses, according to the state's chief medical examiner's office.
Dr. Dan Knecht, head of clinical strategy and policy for Aetna Inc., said the company has instituted restrictions on all opioid prescriptions. As of Jan. 1, "For an initial prescription written, there will be a seven-day limit," he said.
"A research study showed that after a patient receives a prescription of more than seven days of opioids, the likelihood of abuse doubles," he said.
He said the insurer sent letters to the top 1 percent of opioid prescribers warning them that they are "outliers." "We do intervene on these physicians who are excessive prescribers," he said.
Knecht also said Aetna encourages other medications for pain-relief, such as Tylenol and ibuprofen before opioids are prescribed. The company also covers treatments such as physical and occupational therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic, "which are proven treatment modalities that do manage pain," he said.
"Our formulary has safety guardrails to keep our members safe," Knecht said. "But there is a therapeutic relationship between the patient and the physician that we also respect."
According to the CDC, opioid prescriptions peaked in 2010 and declined through 2015, but the dosages increased dramatically. Patients were prescribed an average 180 morphine milligram equivalents per day in 1999 and 640 in 2015.
It is important to prevent patients from becoming addicted to opioids, because many users then move on to illegal street drugs such as heroin or fentanyl. "Once you start, it just opens up the door," Dhruva said. "Of course, [in] the vast majority it doesn't, but we've got young people dying, we've got people addicted. We've got a real problem on our hands."


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Implants For Missing Teeth
We can lose teeth for a number of reasons. Whether it's through severe gum disease, dental decay or injury, it's always best to replace the missing tooth or teeth. Having a gap in your smile not only can affect self-confidence, but can impact your overall oral health. A full smile is always better than an incomplete one.
Dental implants offer the next best thing to natural teeth. If you have a single missing tooth, we can use an implant in place of the tooth and then have a custom-made crown crafted to fix on top. It will look exactly like your other natural teeth and will last a life-time if looked after well.
If you have more than one missing tooth, we can create a bridge to fit on one or more implants. A bridge consists of more than one false tooth.
What is involved in the treatment?
As with all implant treatment, we first start with a consultation where you can have the chance to talk through the treatment with one of our dentists. Our implant consultations are completely free.
We will need to assess your suitability for the implant treatment as you will need to have sufficient jaw bone for the implant to fuse properly. If you don't, we can offer bone grafting to replenish the lost bone volume.
Having an implant takes a few appointments. The first stage is the fitting which is where we place the implant into your jaw bone using local anaesthetic. We provide a temporary bridge to protect the area. It will take a few months for the implant to fuse to the bone properly. Once this has happened, we'll invite you back so we can expose the top of the implant. We allow time for this to heal before taking scans for the restoration. These scans are sent to the lab where your crown or bridge is made. Again, we provide a temporary restoration.
When your crown or bridge is complete, we will invite you back for the fitting. We'll talk through how best to look after your new tooth or teeth.


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Town Creek Greenway is a 3.5 mile out and back trail located near Gallatin, Tennessee that features a river. The trail is good for all skill levels and primarily used for road biking, trail running & walking. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Use LocalRaces for simple, beautifully designed online event hosting and registration.


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Australian Country Radio Top 10
Here is this week's Top 10 on Australian Country Radio.
And remember all the songs in the Top 10 are heard here every day on Australian Country Radio or onTunein using your favourite app.
1) If I Get To The Rainbow - Billy Bridge
2) Leather and Les Paul - Jade Holland
3) Purple Cockies - Sara Storer
4) When The Moneys All Gone - Shane Nicholson
5) Available - Victoria Avenue
6) The Tears - Doug Bruce (New this week)
7) The Future - Mustered Courage (with Audra Mae)
8) Levi's - Hurricane Fall (New this week)
9) Old Camp Oven - Dale Duncan (New this week)
10) This Cannot be Love - Jeannie (New this week)
and this week's Hot Tracks……
Run - Jason Owen
Busy Doing nothing - Melanie Dyer
When I Miss You Most - Kirsty lee Akers
Let's Get out Of Here - Roo Arcus
Superman Lunch Box - Glenn Moffatt


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This recipe for Apricot Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp combines 3 seasonal fruits for a sweet tart dessert that is incredibly easy to make and tastes like late spring / early summer in a dish. Oh how I love this time in June. It's not quite summer yet, but it doesn't really feel like spring either. The…
Apricot Pistachio Tart
This Apricot Pistachio Tart has a buttery shortbread crust and is topped with with a creamy pistachio frangipane and juicy fresh apricots. It makes a beautiful summer dessert and is surprisingly easy to make! Ohhhhh man. This apricot pistachio tart might just be the tastiest thing I've made all summer. It's a tough call, though….


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Hide Forgot
Description of problem:
I used the FC6 CD to upgrade my FC5 install (FC5 install is a RAID 0 on SATA
drives). The upgrade was successful, after reboot GRUB fails (hangs while
continue to dump the word GRUB GRUB GRUB......forever )I used the rescue CD and
did a reinstall of GRUB but problem remains
Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
How reproducible:
boot after FC6 upgrade from FC5 (RAID 0 config using SATA drives)
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Upgrade from FC5 to FC5
2. reboot
3. GRUB hangs (keep dumping GRUB GRUB .......forever)
Actual results:
Expected results:
FC6 running
Additional info:
Fedora apologizes that these issues have not been resolved yet. We're
sorry it's taken so long for your bug to be properly triaged and acted
on. We appreciate the time you took to report this issue and want to
make sure no important bugs slip through the cracks.
If you're currently running a version of Fedora Core between 1 and 6,
please note that Fedora no longer maintains these releases. We strongly
encourage you to upgrade to a current Fedora release. In order to
refocus our efforts as a project we are flagging all of the open bugs
for releases which are no longer maintained and closing them.
If this bug is still open against Fedora Core 1 through 6, thirty days
from now, it will be closed 'WONTFIX'. If you can reporduce this bug in
the latest Fedora version, please change to the respective version. If
you are unable to do this, please add a comment to this bug requesting
the change.
Thanks for your help, and we apologize again that we haven't handled
these issues to this point.
The process we are following is outlined here:
We will be following the process here:
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers/HouseKeeping to ensure this
doesn't happen again.
And if you'd like to join the bug triage team to help make things
better, check out http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/BugZappers
This bug is open for a Fedora version that is no longer maintained and
will not be fixed by Fedora. Therefore we are closing this bug.
If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of
Fedora please feel free to reopen thus bug against that version.
Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.


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Other Colours / Items
M's Nano Puff Jacket - Mango
The Patagonia Men's Nano Puff Jacket in Black. Windproof and water-resistant, the Nano Puff® Jacket is made with warm, incredibly lightweight, highly compressible 60-g PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation; ideal as outerwear, or as an insulating layer in colder climates.
The wind-blocking, 100% recycled polyester shell sheds moisture and glides effortlessly in your layering system. Low-bulk, hydrophobic, highly compressible PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco - now with 55% post-consumer recycled content traps heat with remarkable efficiency, even when wet.
The jacket has a shaped fit and the soft, wicking interior storm flap and zipper garage adds chin comfort when zipped up fully. Its internal zippered chest pocket doubles as a self-stuff sack with a carabiner clip-in loop. It also has two zippered hand-warmer pockets, elasticised cuffs and a dual-adjust drawcord hem to seal out wind and seal in warmth.
- Shell Material: 1.4-oz 20-denier 100% recycled polyester with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish.
- Lining Material: 1.3-oz 22-denier 100% recycled polyester with a DWR finish.
- Insulation: 60-g PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco 100% polyester (55% postconsumer recycled content).
- Brick quilting pattern with horizontal quilt lines on side panels stabilises insulation and uses durable thread for abrasion resistance
- Centre-front zipper has wicking interior storm flap and zipper garage at chin for next-to-skin comfort
- Two zippered handwarmer pockets have cleanly finished zipper garages; zippered internal chest pocket doubles as a stuff sack with a reinforced carabiner clip-in loop
- Drawcord-adjustable drop-tail hem seals in warmth
- Weight: 337 g (11.9 oz)
Patagonia was founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, the company's roots are in clothing for rock and alpine climbing, but they now produce a diverse mix of apparel targeted towards skiers, snowboarders, surfers and climbers. Patagonia are a world leader in creating ethical, sustainable clothing.
Recycled Polyester - In 1993, Patagonia adopted fleece into their product line made from post consumer recycled (PCR) plastic soda bottles making them the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to do so. PCR® clothing was a positive step towards a more sustainable system – one that uses fewer resources, discards less and better protects people's health. Using recycled polyester lessens dependence on petroleum as a raw material source, curbs discards and reduces toxic emissions from incinerators.
Fair Trade Certified - Patagonia pay a premium for every Fair Trade Certified item that carries their label. That extra money goes directly to the workers at the factory, and they decide how to spend it, along with programs that promote worker health and safety and social and environmental compliance, and encourages dialogue between workers and management.


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Kayak Tours
Scheduled every Saturday and Sunday (July and August)
Call or email for more information
Fort Worden tour
A perfect way to explore the waters around Fort Worden. Enjoy views of Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, the Cascades and Whidbey Island. We'll look for river otters, harbor seals, porpoise and the rare orcas and puffins. 2016 saw the return of the nesting Bald Eagles and we were happy to see them return again in 2018 and 2019. Will they return again?
This is a shorter tour that is great for 1st timers and families or for those with limited time. Meet at 9:30 am. Minimum 3 paddlers.
2 hours $ 50 adults
$ 39 child (8 - 12 yrs)
Minimum 3 people
downtown tour
A longer tour that will allow you to explore the Victorian Seaport of Port Townsend from the water. This tour takes you past the Eagles' nest around Point Hudson and into town. Before we head back, we'll rest up at Velocity Coffee where you can treat yourself to a hot drink and maybe even a pastry! Beginners are welcome on this longer tour.
3 hours $65 adults
$45 child (8 - 12 yrs)
Minimum 3 people
glass beach tour
Why walk when you can paddle to Port Townsend's famous Glass Beach? This favorite destination for beachcombers is only accessible via a 2 hour walk along a rocky beach. Instead, why don't you join us for a fun paddle and picnic with plenty of time to hunt for some keepsake treasures of your own.
This is a 1/2 day tour with a picnic lunch on Glass Beach. Prior kayaking experience is not required. Please call us for more details.
Reservations are required.
5 hours $ 99 adults
$ 69 child (8 - 12 yrs)
Minimum 3 people.
private tours
Have something else in mind or a specific day in mind? Pick and day and time that best suits your plans. How about a romantic trip for two, a unique wedding party, bridal shower or a fun family reunion outing. Maybe you want to treat your employees to a fun team building day, or you just want to get your family outside.
Let us help you plan your perfect day.
Two and three hour private tours are available daily during the months of July and August.
Phone reservations are required.
Social Paddle
It's Free!
Weather permitting, we have Social Paddles twice a month during the summer evenings. Come join us for a free and fun paddle. Bring your own kayak and meet other people in the area that kayak too. Everyone is welcome!
Want to bring a friend who doesn't own a kayak? Rentals are available only for those joining the social paddle.
Make an evening out of it with a stop at Taps at the Guardhouse restaurant and bar in Fort Worden after the paddle.
This paddle is FREE! (plus the cost of a rental if needed)
2+hours during July and August
Reservations are required
About Us
All equipment is For Sale!
We're located across from the beach in
Fort Worden State Park
© 2020 Port Townsend Paddlesports.


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Bank of America sent its customers an information note in which reported. what is the probability that we all live in the matrix is from 20% to 50% chance, and reality is just a simulation. Many scientists, philosophers, and businessmen believe that there is a 20-50% chance that people are already living in a reality that is simulated by the computer and virtual world. In April 2016, scientists gathered at the American Museum of natural history to discuss this theory.
They came to the conclusion that one of the proofs of the unreality of our world is that humanity is already close to photorealistic 3D modeling of reality which will be able to participate at the same time millions of people.
It is possible that with advances in artificial intelligence, virtual reality and computing power, the representatives of future civilizations decided to perform simulations of their ancestors – you and me.


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— The state will save more than $120 million in borrowing costs thanks to the recently announced surplus from the budget year that ended June 30, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Friday.
The surplus will be used to ease the budget crunch in fiscal 2011, which started July 1. The total was nearly $450 million, which means the state will have to borrow $646 million rather than an original projection of $1.3 billion to balance this year's budget. The move allows the state to cut its borrowing costs from an expected $245 million to $121 million.
Rell hailed the development as "tremendous news" at a time when the state is still facing a budget deficit in the 2012 fiscal year, which will be tackled after the next governor takes office in January. Rell is not seeking re-election.
"The budget required that the first $140 million of any surplus go back to the general fund and beyond that I have insisted all along that the rest be used to reduce the amount of borrowing needed to balance the budget," Rell said in a statement.
In the past, surpluses have been used to fund various programs or even to provide rebates to taxpayers during the 1990s under then-Gov. John G. Rowland.
Money will be saved not only in the short term, but over the life of the bonds.
"The savings mean smaller payments for years to come," Rell said. "The hard-pressed taxpayers of Connecticut more than deserve this relief. They have struggled through this recession to make ends meet and now, with some positive signs of recovery, I am extremely pleased that we can help ease their burden."
We tell you what's happening, when it happens, for FREE: Sign-up for Breaking News Mobile Text Alerts Subscribe to our Breaking News E-mails Try the News@3 Newsletter


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This is the product, the DCIT Mk2 Hinge Trigger Version (Hinge trigger version on the left, original Mk2 on the right). The hinge trigger is made from the smallest hinge I could find at the hardware store. The hinge is attached to an L bracket which uses a nail to catch the plunger head and act as the trigger. To accommodate this CPT-esque catch, the delrin plunger rod used on the original Mk2 has been replaced with CPVC and uses a superlative plungerhead. It should be noted that this hinge trigger also has a lower profile than a CPT, allowing the blaster to be more ergonomic. These changes allow to the blaster to be made with parts all available from a big box hardware store and with only a power drill and a dremel for power tools. Despite this the blaster is still very ergonomic, maintains the small form factor, and performs very well.
Powerdrill with drilling and tapping bits appropriate for your screws.
Dremel with cutting and grinding bits.
Hot glue gun
9" of 1.25" sched 40 PVC
9" of 0.5" CPVC
Some 0.5" PVC
Some 0.75" PVC
Small Hinge (Picture of the one I got from Home Depot)
Large L brackets
Machine screws (I like number 8s and 6s, you can get any for which you have drill bits for.)
2x 1.25" PVC endcap
1x 0.5" CPVC T
6.5" of [k26] Spring from McMaster
A catch spring
Epoxy Putty
Plumber's goop
Small zip ties
Electrical or duct tape
Materials to make superlative plunger head.
Silicon grease
Hot glue
The first part is making the hinge trigger and the main body.
Bend the L bracket into the shape in the picture and glue it to the hinge. The gluing and drying process is easier if you zip tie the parts together . To the unbent side of the L bracket, add a 0.5 inch nail and epoxy putty it on as you would for a clothespin trigger. Drill a hole for the nail on the 1.25" sched 40 PVC at the appropriate position as indicated in the picture, then epoxy putty on the hinge. Make sure the hinge doesn't become glued stuck etc. Add the spring and secure it (I used hotglue.) Use one of the end caps to make the RSCB receiver.
Additional picture of the trigger/catch.
To make the RSCB drill a hole from one side of the end cap to the other. Consider what angle you'd like to hold your blaster at when you are firing it when drilling these holes. You may need to use a grinding bit with a dremel to widen these holes. Use 0.5" pvc and drill holes in it before you goop it in. These holes provide the pathway from which air will flow into the RSCB from the plunger tube. Cut up the 1.25" PVC to accommodate the 0.5" pvc and goop the cap in place.
*NOTE I use 0.5" PVC because mine nests CPVC which I use as a barrel. Use whatever you need to nest your barrel. I'm certain this can also be made with a coupler.
Next, assemble the plunger rod assembly. Make a superlative plunger head, (I made a slightly altered version with what I had available.) add the spring, and add the 1.25" PVC end cap after drilling an hole in it. Avoid making the hole large, as it is also your spring rest and you don't want the spring to go through. Add the CPVC T and secure it using screws. Add half an inch of either duct tape or electrical tape just above the CPVC T. This will make your blaster safe to dry fire and prevent the plunger head from hitting the RSCB. Grease up your plunger head and insert it into the body of the blaster. Secure the end cap/spring rest on with screws.
Cut up some 0.75" PVC and add use it to cover up the bottom portion of the catch and secure it on with hotglue. Attach a barrel and RSCB reservoir and you are done!
I hope this write up is helpful and please feel free to ask any questions and provide feedback.
Edited by koree, 01 February 2013 - 01:02 AM.


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Welcome to the Official Redemption® Message Board!
@Cnakeeyes - Theyll be around $20 to $25.A suggestion was made to me that instead of making it specific to the 25th national tournament, to make it broader to celebrate the 25th year of Redemption so folks who cant attend Nats can still purchase a playmat to celebrate Redemptions 25th Anniversary. I very much like this idea and will tweak the wording to reflect such. I just want to make sure that Redemption is in its 25th year of existence and not just the 25th national tournament thats been held. Is this correct?
According to Covenant Games, the very first official Redemption tournament was held at the Origins Game Fair, which took place July 13th-16th, 1995.If you consider that as the very first "National tournament," then both Redemption, which was first distributed in July 1995, and the Redemption National Tournament are now in their 25th year of existence. https://www.covenantgames.com/nationals/1995nationals.htmhttps://www.cactusgamedesign.com/history/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origins_Game_Fair
Please let us know when it is available for sale. Thanks and God bless you
If I buy cards with it, will they be available before deck checks on Thursday?


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The Honeymooner 1 Bedroom Budget Cabin – 1 Bedroom – 1.5 Baths – (Sleeps 4)
An awesome little cabin in the Smokies!! It is located in Sky Harbor right in between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg so you will be close to everything!!! This is a honeymooners dream with all you will need for a great vacation. There is a private hot tub on the deck behind the cabin for the ultimate in privacy and comfort. Or you can sit on the front deck and listen to the creek just below. If you're looking for a great place to celebrate your vows or just find that "newlywed spirit", look no further. Come to "The Honeymooner" for your next romantic getaway.
Located in Pigeon Forge, East, Tennessee, USA (Just 10 Minutes from Pigeon Forge Parkway!!!!)
Enjoy hassle-free check in with directions and key codes available directly on your mobile device when you reserve with us and download our free mobile app!
Cabin Amenities:
• Location: Sky Harbor, • Area: Gatlinburg, • Wood Burning Fireplace, • Air Conditioning, • Central Heat, • CD Player, • DVD Player (1), • Local Channels, • Satellite TV, • Television, • Free Local Telephone Service, • Loft, • Iron/Ironing Board, • Log Cabin, • WIFI Internet, • Outdoor Furniture, • Outdoor Hot Tub, • Gas Grill, • Secluded, • Wooded View, • Bedding, • Queen Bed (1), • Sleeper Sofa (1), • Linens Provided, • Full Kitchen, • Coffee Maker, • Microwave, • Refrigerator, • Dishwasher, • Stove, • Oven, • Bath, • Indoor Jetted Tub (1), • Towels Provided


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This is Brian and Deane. They are the primary carpenters who built our beautiful room. They are first rate craftsmen and over the months that they have been working here, we have become friends. Shortly after they started work, Kathy would bake cookies each day for them, and I would announce "The Cookie of the Day" when they arrived for work in the morning. They have not been working here for several months, but they came back to finish up some of the last details. It is always such a rich experience for me to watch people who are the very best at what they do. Since we now have a nice gray wall, I decided to do a studio set up and do their portrait.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
The Guys
Posted by Ken Spencer at 10:01 PM
2 comments:
This warms my heart :-) bsk
- January 21, 2016 at 7:42 AM
Nice to put a face with the men who you praised throughout the construction of this beautiful new room.
- January 21, 2016 at 8:14 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Wendy Askew has been approved to fill the casual Senate vacancy left by her brother David Bushby.
She will be the first Liberal woman to represent Tasmania in more than 20 years.
"The appointment takes effect immediately. Senator Askew will take the oath or affirmation of office when the Senate next meets on April 2," Senate president Scott Ryan said on Wednesday.


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Animal Services Newsletter
We apologize for missing the last few months of newsletters! Take a look at our October Newsletter to see what we have been up to!
In this month's Newsletter:
- The Perry Fire
- River Sweep in Sparks
- Park Patrols
- Getting to know Us: Officer Clinton Nelms


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So, as you all know, TLPD (Time Lost Proto Drake) was a very rare, infact SUPER rare mob in Storm Peaks, that drops the illusive mount, of his skin.
Now to get this mount while Lich King was the current expansion, was a huge bragging feat.
Even today, to see someone with the mount, is pretty "Wow".
Now in the next paragraph or 2 I explain my Method on attaining him. Though I did get pretttty f'n lucky.
Since the server population is a little low, I only had to compete with 1 or 2 people also looking for the mount at a time. Though it can be a bit frustrating, camping in a spot only to have the mob spawn at the location your competitor is sitting at.
The approach I took, was make sure you have something else to fucking do while you wait!
I played a solid 10 hours of NHL 12 waiting for my _NPCScan to go off.
Speaking of which, make sure you download _NPCScan and _NPCScan Overlay. As these will be tremendously helpful.
I also made a macro that was for both of the Spawns
/target time
/tart vyra
/stopmacro [noexists]
/tell Dillzy > %t <
Very simple, I just clicked this as I'd go, kind of a backup, in case that add on bugs out.
I did a lot of research on the spawn timer, and most common spawn locations.
From what I read, and what I experienced it is between 6-8 hours between spawns of either the 2 mobs.
Now, unless I forgot something this is what I experienced camping for him.
I picked my mage to camp, easiest to get there, slowfall, and had mining, so Killed some time mining.
Me and my friend killed Vyragosa at about 1130 pm "Friday" I wasnt going to get up at 6 am to find a stupid pixel creature, lol.
But I did log on around 12pm "Saturday" nothing, nothing nothing.
Constantly flying back and forth between camp points, I would sit at either of the red circles for no more than 10 minutes at a time. I read that the most common spawn point of Time Lost him/her self was the one above the village, where all the blue dragons fly around.
So that was my main focus for camp/check points.
The location in which I found Vyragosa was in the valley next to the Fairie bitches, she was flying east.
Yadda Yadda Yadddddda.
Around 4 ish "Saturday" while I was making dinner I went downstairs to check to see if the NPC went off.
And ultra surpisingly it did! Quickly targeted him, did a quick /who saw there was 1 other 85 in here.
He was right where I was camping, where the blue proto drakes are, just north of the village. He was flying North along that "path".
Went to the fucker, dismounted, ice lance, slow fall. Landed Frostbolted the guy! WIN! WIN! WIN!
By this time I was shakin like a mo'fucka, but I couldn't believe it only took me no less than 24 hours to get the beast!
Anyways that's all.
Just fly back and forth between the 4 circles, and camp at the furthest east one.


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January, 2018
now browsing by month
B.Ed admission in MDU | crsu | 2018 – 2019 – 2020
B.ed Admission 2018 CRSU, B.ed Admission, B.Ed Admissions Details 2018-2019, Direct admissions in B.Ed- MDU-Rohtak, About B.Ed B.Ed stands for an undergraduate academic a course known as Bachelor of Education. It is a course offered by various universities for those who are interested in pursuing career in teaching. Its durationRead More
Scope of B.Ed admission in MDU | crsu | 2018 – 2019 – 2020
B.ed Admission 2018 CRSU azadpu gtb nagar adrash nagar delhi ncr bihar up The scenario of the teaching profession is changing day by day. Even in the small towns, lots of private schools are opening. With the increase in the number of schools, comes the demand for qualified teachers. TodayRead More
B.ed admission in delhi 2018
MDU, Rohtak University B.Ed 2018 Maharshi Dayanand University was earlier known as Rohtak University. It came into existence in 1976 by Haryana State Legislative Act. Later, it was re-named Maharshi Dayanand University in the year 1977. There are 106 recognized colleges of Bachelor of Education working under flagship of MDURead More


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ocanoj started the topic Immediate Methods For car Described in the forum ideas.in-cubator.org 1 year, 9 months ago
Of course, online shopping is a smart shopping too and consumers are cautiouswhile shopping online. Ribbon laces may also be used instead of straps to give a more feminine attitude. Amanda took in some protein powder and it was confiscated. The watches are found in distribution to countries around the world, including countries on six continents.…[Read more]
ocanoj joined the group ideas.in-cubator.org 1 year, 9 months ago
ocanoj became a registered member 1 year, 9 months ago


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Holy Surprises in the Holy Land
For those that follow me on social media, you may be aware that I have just returned from a 7-day trip to Israel, accompanying my husband for work and enjoying as many sites of the Holy Land that I could muster. What a country! I fully expected to take my Spiritual life to the next level with the trek back to our Faith roots, but I was certainly surprised by what I experienced instead.
I have had so many of my friends and family write and ask if I felt so much "closer to God" or if I am experiencing "greater amounts of peace" having witnessed these areas that are so rich in the Jewish history of the Old Testament and the sites of Jesus miracles in the Gospels?
Surprisingly, my honest answer throughout last week was "No."
I know this might severely surprise you, heck, it obviously surprised me. But upon further reflection, I think I understand why I didn't have greater peace or feel such a surge in Faith even though I was in God's "Promised Land."
I have 3 reasons to share, along with some pictures of course, and what I'm most thankful for in this experience! (see below)
#1. Obvious Travel Repercussions And My Daniel Fast Distractions:
One reason I felt off was because this trip was the second part of a two-week journey for us and time change is always a hard adjustment. You feel off, your body hurts from such a long plane ride, and for me, my senses were heightened while visiting a historically war-torn area. This is all very distracting.
On top of that, I decided during this trip that I wanted to do a Daniel Fast. I am going to do a separate email about this because I have been studying the Daniel Fast and have decided to incorporate it into a 6-week small-group nutrition course for the New Year (which I'll be inviting you to join!). The Daniel Fast has you cut out caffeine, sugar, all non-water drinks, animal products, fried foods etc. So, needless to say, after a week in New York city on a coffee, wine and chocolate bender, my body was in a major detox when I cut these things away. The results of this Daniel Fast were TRULY INCREDIBLE, and I can't wait to share more, but yes, all of these affects can definitely distracted me from emotionally connecting more.
#2. Jesus Got Real and It Spurred Some Questions
Here is where I had to sit and process so much that I witnessed. For example, on a 1-day bus tour while my husband had meetings all day, I was able to tour the town of Nazareth (where Jesus was raised and Mary and Joseph were from), visit the small fisherman town of Capernaum (where the Apostle Peter lived), and the lake right next to it called the "Sea of Galilee" (where Jesus and Peter both walked on water and many of Jesus miracles were done)! We also visited the town where Jesus turned the water into wine and the site, Tabgha where they believed He delivered the Sermon on the Mount, and the Jordan River (where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist...and so was I!).
While these old sites are true treasures to behold, you can't help but question —did this REALLY happen? I mean, I went down to the Sea of Galilee and touched the water that Jesus walked on and sure enough, it was just water (you can see it above).
It's hard to explain fully, but you know the feeling you have when you read a book and you love it so much, but then you go and see the movie about it and they completely changed the mental image you had in your mind?
Well, it's kind of like that.
We can all agree that the miracles of the Bible can almost read like a fairytale. And seeing some rundown desert towns is just truly hard to believe that Jesus did these amazing miracles. I had a hard time taking it all in.
#3. Religious Pomp and Circumstance is Overwhelming
The city of Jerusalem is fascinating. Simply MESMERIZING. I was confronted with my own ignorance of the significance of this Holy City and how meaningful it is to such widely varying belief systems of 3 major religions. For those that may also be unaware, allow me to share just a few facts.
The "Old City" of Jerusalem is an ancient walled city that is only about 1 Cubic KM that houses about 40,000 people. There are 4 quarters of these walls: the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter (also Christian), the Muslim Quarter, and of course, the Jewish Quarter.
I hadn't fully realized, but thanks to an amazing tour guide Itay, this site is the physical location for the most important acts of these most popular faiths in the world.
For the Jews, the town of Jerusalem represents the areas where the first temple was built for God. It was built by King Solomon (about 800 years BCE), who was the son of the beloved King David. In ancient Hebrew times you could only access God in the Temple. There are many purification and sacrificial rituals you had to participate in for entry, but the "ark of the covenant" (which is believed to be the tablets of the 10 commandments) is the physical place that God dwelled. So while the temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians and rebuilt and re-destroyed in many wars since then, the Jewish faith still prays to the area that the old temple was located, which is on the other side of this "Western Wall." (See my pics of the Western prayer Wall below).
Coincidentally, the Muslim faith revolves around that exact same location. It is believed that Muhammad was transported from Mecca to the Dome of the Rock (which the Jewish/Christian faith also believe is the place where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac) where he then composed the 5 Pillars of Islam before ascending into heaven. All this happened around 632 AD (so about 700 years after Christ). The Muslim faith therefore has a lockdown on this territory as well and it is the main reason there are so many wars between Israel and Palestine/Muslim countries. In fact, whenever the Muslim faith prays (5x a day) they pray toward Jerusalem and this location. It's highly significant.
Then, for us Christians, this whole city is significant because it is where Jesus came during Passover, was persecuted, crucified, buried and then rose from the grave 3 days later. I went through about half of the 14 "Stations of the Cross" and was able to see the area where they believe the cross was hung (now a Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox shared church), the stone they washed Jesus crucified body, and even the area they believe the tomb was.
So all this to say, while it is breathtaking, and SO amazing to see all of these locations, the religiosity of it all really overwhelmed me.
Even in the Christian quarters, I was not raised Catholic or Greek Orthodox, so the religious traditions of these two denominations is quite a lot to take in.
I did have the privilege of fighting the crowds to touch some of these (let's face it "alleged") spots where such significant acts took place, but I couldn't help but wonder if all of those crowds around me were worshipping God, or worshipping these artifacts?
These thoughts were distracting to my intention of focusing on the presence of God. Chaos has a way of doing that, of course, which is why we saw in the Bible that Jesus often had to get away alone and in solitude to stay in the Spirit.
Overall, I believe that was my biggest lesson and takeaway.
I learned a SO MUCH in these 7-days that I will never, ever forget. And God willing, I will get to go back again with even greater knowledge of the history and diversity involved. This trip has truly made the Bible come alive in my mind and that is powerful!
As I have come home, I have come home truly changed by this experience. It is impossible to put into words how grateful I am that I can feel God just as much in my living temple (a.k.a. my body) than I do when I'm in His Holy Land.
He is there, there is absolutely no doubt about that. But He is in ME TOO. He is in ALL of us who have received Him.
The thing I am most grateful for is having seen the desperate, legalistic, and oppressive behavior that the Legalistic version of religion can be for thousands and thousands of people, I know now more than ever, that God, who from a place of perfect love, sent us His Son for a BIG PURPOSE and that purpose is to save us from our own tyranny of trying to save ourselves by religious rigmarole.
While I fully participated in every act of prayer and religious tradition I saw, I know that my life glorifies God the MOST when I am FREE to live a life of servanthood, love-based actions, quiet times of prayer, and in sowing Goodness in everything and everyone around me.
I thank God that He loved me enough to send His Son to offer me a way to focus on THAT RELATIONSHIP that empowers me for Good, more than I have to focus on RULES that keep me enslaved to a system.


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Circumcision or circumcision is considered a simple and relatively safe operation. However, the operation remains an operation. Complications are possible, and without proper care during the rehabilitation period, the risk of adverse effects increases several times.
What needs to be done so that the rehabilitation process is as quick and painless as possible?
Although circumcision is considered simple, complications can occur.
Recovery process
In children
Parents should especially closely monitor their child in the first 2-3 weeks from the time of surgery. The following simple recommendations are observed:
- It is necessary to regularly (1-2 times a day) change the bandage in order to prevent the development of pathological infectious and inflammatory processes.
Children do not have an erection, so care after surgery is simple
- Two to three times a day, you need to wash the postoperative wound and suture with running water.
- It is necessary to abandon the use of tight diapers. A moist and warm environment is ideal for the propagation of pathogenic microorganisms. The result may be suppuration of the wound and require another operation.
- Once every 1-2 days, it is necessary that the child takes light baths with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Proportion – a small pinch of three liters of water. It must be remembered that potassium permanganate must be bred in two vessels: first, a strong solution is created, which, in turn, is added to the bath. This is necessary so that insoluble small crystals do not get on the skin, causing a chemical burn.
Since in most cases an erection is not observed in children, recovery is limited to this.
In adult patients
The rehabilitation process in older patients is somewhat more complicated. Regenerative processes do not flow so fast, the development of severe complications is possible. It is important to adhere to such rules:
- In the first day, the bandage can not be removed at all.
- Take a shower twice a day, but in no case take a steam bath in saunas, bathrooms, saunas – seams may diverge.
In the postoperative period, all the recommendations of the doctor are followed
Treat the wound and change dressings regularly. This can be done both independently and with the help of a surgeon from the clinic at the place of residence.
- It is important to refuse to wear tight and dense underwear. Firstly, the head of the penis after circumcision becomes hypersensitive, which can lead to considerable discomfort. Secondly, wearing dense synthetic underwear, a man risks getting problems of infectious origin (the mechanism here is about the same as when wearing tight diapers in children).
- It is necessary to take antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. As a rule, the administration is carried out orally, in strictly prescribed dosages. Antibacterial ointments can also be used.
- It is necessary to refrain from sexual intercourse for a month. After a month, sexual practices are permissible. Otherwise, there is a high probability of seams divergence.
- It is necessary to restrain potency. This is not so simple, given that morning and night erections are almost always found.
- It is important to touch the penis as little as possible, especially with dirty hands.
- After each visit to the toilet, it is recommended to wash the wound and treat it with an antiseptic solution, for example, Miramistin.
How long is the recovery period?
The duration of the recovery period is individual: the rehabilitation period varies from 2 weeks to 2 months. The average period is 1 month. In young patients, this period is even shorter due to active regenerative processes: the younger the patient, the faster the wound heals. On day 10, the wound partially heals and dressings can be changed 1 time per day.
What to do to alleviate the condition?
For pain in the postoperative period, painkillers are taken
Pain after surgery can be quite intense – this is normal. To stop the discomfort, you can take 1 or more painkillers. Fit:
- Ketorolac;
- Nise
- Ibuprofen.
In order to alleviate itching and burning, you can treat the wound with a decoction of oak bark, chamomile. However, this can only be done in the late rehabilitation period (from 2 weeks or more). It is imperative to follow all the doctor's recommendations and take the prescribed drugs. So the effect will be maximum, and the rehabilitation period will be minimal.
Complications of the operation
Numerous. Many of them are dangerous for the reproductive system, and some for health in general. Among the characteristic complications:
- Varicose veins of the genital organ. It is considered normal in the first 2 weeks. Then, a similar state usually goes away. Otherwise, you need to go to the doctor for the selection of specific therapy.
- Retraction of the penis into the body. Usually observed in boys. Requires urgent surgical correction.
- The appearance of adhesions. Changes the nature of the skin of the penis, can provoke a secondary curvature of the penis. In all cases, you can not do without consulting a doctor.
For complications after surgery, you should immediately consult a doctor
Loss of head sensitivity. This is a normal phenomenon that does not require specialized medical manipulations. Over time, sensitivity will recover.
- Bleeding. Intense and low intensity. With intense bleeding, consult a specialist.
- The appearance of a fistula in the penis. It develops extremely rarely. It requires urgent surgical correction, so you can not do without visiting a doctor.
- Thrombosis of the main veins and arteries of the penis. It is rare. It requires urgent surgical correction and taking specialized medicines (venotonics, thrombolytics and others).
- Penile deformity. A special case of secondary curvature of the genital organ.
- Cyanosis, swelling of the penis. Also considered normal. Passes 2-3 days after surgery.
It is also likely that the part of the glans penis will die if the operation is not performed correctly.
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Though not the first of the major summer festivals, Sasquatch! sure felt like early summer. The Gorge Amphitheatre is nestled in the eastern foothills of the Cascades just outside George, Washington (really), the mountains to the west managed to keep the coastal rains at bay, but the altitude and dry air made for some sunburnt days and brisk nights. We were woefully unprepared for these climatic factors, not to mention the sheer scope of this year's lineup. Festivals like this one lure you in with a laundry list of bands you would love to see, and then dash those dreams when the schedule is announced and you realize you will only be able to see approximately a third of them – given you're still standing at the end of the day.
Some tough choices were made to give you the best coverage we could, that is we made game-time decisions and saw whatever we felt like. It would have been lovely to have seen more up and comers but schedule conflicts and the occasional sleep-in (see Day Three) conspired against that notion. Sasquatch!, despite its laid-back west coast feel, is still a commercial festival. If you want cutting edge, beg one of our Toronto writers to cover NXNE, you probably won't have to beg too hard. What follows is our take on the best of Sasquatch! Music Festival 2010, day by day.
Day One
The first day of Sasquatch! 2010 came on strong. It was a long pilgrimage to the Gorge, after a near-miss t-bone collision in Seattle, our journey ended at four in the morning with a two-hour long lineup of cars into a campground designed by anarchists. Far too early the next morning the sun drove us out of a sweltering tent and into the arms of $9 cans of PBR. We present to you five highlights of the day, first our "Top Three" followed by honourable mentions.
The National
Most bands new to relative celebrity would probably find it difficult to follow up longtime festival favourites Broken Social Scene. I imagine The National have wondered about the indie upheaval that has dug them up from campus radio obscurity to NYT Magazine reviewed, NPR favourite. But their performance, third to last on the main stage, proved that this rise to fame was anything but hype. The set was almost entirely from their previous two albums, Boxer and recently released High Violet, with an almost equal showing of each, which is appropriate since the former seemed to mark such a turning point in their trajectory. The material was readily adapted to the expanse of The Gorge amphitheatre, adding bombast without significantly altering the monochrome sombreness of singer Matt Beringer's lyrics. The highlight of the set for me came when I realized that the middle-aged women camped out beside me didn't just know more of the words than I did, she knew all of them.
Laura Marling
When Laura Marling and co. took the stage and began 'Devil's Spoke' – the first single from the March release I Speak Because I Can – we feared she was blowing her load too soon. Fortunately, her short showcase of parable-like songs shushed the intoxicated noon-time crowd. For a songbird born in the nineties, Marling writes strangely convincing elegiac folk. It is difficult to imagine what someone so young harkens for; lyrically, Marling is wistful, lusty and wise. Onstage, she is delicate and politely British, making for a lovely afternoon listen on the Bigfoot stage.
Laura Marling – Devil's Spoke
Laura Marling – Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)
Patrick Watson
I only caught part of Patrick's set, since the stage he was performing on seemed to be in a different time zone. However, he still makes the top three based on the material I did hear. Most impressive was their ability to convey the delicacy and varied texture of their percussion on the outdoor PA. The quiets were still quiet without being inaudible. The crowd seemed at ease with this Canadian act's, admittedly concise, two album catalogue. Off the Polaris Prize winning Wooden Arms, 'Beijing' was much applauded.
Patrick Watson – Beijing
Patrick Watson – Big Bird in a Small Cage
Vampire Weekend
It was hard to keep this act out of the top three since the New Kids on the Block of indie rock had the boys 'Hey Hey Hey'ing and the girls swooning, and let's be honest, in the age of bromance the reverse was probably equally true. This was the crowd at its most jubilant, which should put them an easy first, except that is exactly what you would expect Vampire Weekend's music to do. More significant was an almost religious convergence on our parts from a state of trying to hypocritically rationalize our dislike of the band to the realization that we actually love the band in spite of all that. The band inaugurating the "first weekend of summer" with a rendition of 'Horchata' as the sun set over The Gorge is exactly the kind of cliché I'm talking about. We loved it.
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes
Either something awful happened to Alex Ebert's mic or we had no reason to hype up this show to everyone around us. His voice seemed to periodically drop out from the set. Standing forty rows back is also not what we envisioned for our first Edward Sharpe experience, but then, no one was wearing a dirty potato sack either. Also disappointing were the ladies around us screaming "Play the song! Play the song!", which I haven't heard since Bedouin Soundclash graced the stage at a frosh concert in 2005. 'Home' is great, but that and frequent revelations of "He looks like Jesus!" made us wonder – is this the Sasquatch of new?
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes – Home
Day Two
Another day wiser, we show up an hour early at the gates with beers not-so-cleverly hidden in a rolled up hippie blanket. If you make your being subject to a search seem like a minor inconvenience the Gorge's security screeners will relent. This is not the TSA and we are not cabinet ministers. I manage to sneak in a cellphone interview with Kathryn Calder of the New Pornographers (which you can look forward to soon) before the day's festivities begin. The overcast sky is a relief for our slightly pink and crispy skin.
LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy is larger than life, and it has nothing to do with being projected on two giant stage-side jumbotrons. The man's music has something transcendent about it. Genre constraints were never really an issue for LCD; post-electroclash, post-punk, post-dance. Whatever you call it, Murphy invented it. But watching this performance made me realize Murphy makes more than music, he makes art. If you're skeptical of this assertion think art as in Warhol not as in Rembrandt. Appreciating his work doesn't require any gallery chin-stroking. The proof that the crowd got it came during the rambling spoken word 'Pow Pow'.
If you're not familiar with the topography of the Gorge, it offers seating on dramatically steep terraced strips of grass. This means that everyone can see the stage no matter how tall the person in front, it also means performers see a wall rather than a sea of fans. There is also a pit which offers a closer view of the band, and if one turns around, a similar view of the rest of the crowd. It is from this point that I was tapped on the shoulder and indicated to look behind me. The crowd had begun some sort of synchronized arm-waving routine, and not just a few eager fans, the whole crowd. It did not take long for the rest of us in the pit to join in. Murphy may be massive, but he's also modest, this is a guy who spends his first thirty seconds on stage adjusting his band mates drum kit, needless to say he seemed genuinely grateful for the crowd's response.
Who is tUnE-yArDs? What is a tUnE-yArD? Is it tUnE-yArDs or TuNe-YaRdS? Let me answer some of these questions. For the latter, the correct spelling is the former. For the former, the answer is a force of a woman named Merrill Garbus supported live by Nate Brenner and others. As to what, imagine if Owen Pallett traded in his violin for a ukelele and a two-piece drum kit to loop instead. Further imagine that Owen's boyish good-looks and charm are replaced with a face-painted warrior woman whose voice sometimes sounds like St. Vincent and sometimes like a dancehall MC. Now imagine, which will not be very hard, that she makes music like nothing else heard at the festival or on the planet.
tUnE-yArDs – Sunlight
tUnE-yArDs – Little Tiger
The bands filling the lineups of the various summer festivals can be broken into roughly two categories: bands with large followings and a proven track record of drawing festival crowds such as Ween and My Morning Jacket who seem to be billed at virtually every festival every summer, and bands of any size with a new album to promote, e.g. Caribou.
I was familiar with Daniel Snaith's newest effort Swim after having a few good solid listens to it in preparation for an interview with him (which you can also look forward too soon). The artist formerly known as Manitoba was on my must-see list as a long-time fan, but despite Snaith's Skyped assurances I remained skeptical of Swim's ability to readily transpose itself to the summer stage. Snaith says he wants to make music that could be from anywhere, but I was not sure that meant that it should be played anywhere. I was wrong. Caribou, which live is a four-person act, took to the main stage first thing at noon, the ambience was the exact opposite of the darkened discotheque conjured by the new release. Yet, the crowd, myself included, ate it up. It was not too early to dance, and dance we did, the only skepticism remaining on the face of one security guard who seemed amused by the one-word 'Sun'.
Caribou – Odessa
Caribou – Sun
Kid Cudi
If you are the kind of person who does not know what to do or how to move at a concert, you must see Kid Cudi. The mainstage act drew a massive and eclectic crowd, one that swiftly became one under the straightforward directives of the quirky rapper. When he said "Kid", we said "Cudi." When he said "good", we said "music." When he yelled "make noise", we erratically screamed and punched the air. When he occasionally changed up the lyrics to include secret crowd directions, such as crooning "make a peace sign to me now" during 'Soundtrack 2 My Life', we ate it up. It was this organizing factor, Kid's unrelenting confidence, and a setlist full of soulful (and surprisingly ubiquitous to this reviewer) songs, that so captivated a gleeful crowd of thousands.
The Tallest Man on Earth
We enjoyed The Tallest Man on Earth's set from the comforts of a picnic blanket, far and away from the maddening crowds. His pared-down man with guitar act worked well as background music to the Sasquatch lunching hour, and while we couldn't even see him on the jumbotron from our vantage point, powerful renditions of 'King of Spain' and 'You're Going Back' managed to reach us. The Tallest Man deserves honourable mention for covering a great – arguably the greatest – Paul Simon song ever recorded. If you missed it at Sasquatch, The Tallest Man's rendition of 'Graceland' can apparently be found on the King of Spain CD single. Yes, it's as if Dylan covered Simon. But more mustachioed.
The Tallest Man on Earth – King of Spain
Day Three
Never let your guard down. Not even when you're at a music festival just trying to get your drunk on without interference from the man. Sasquatch! has hired highly trained Beverage Enforcement officers who can spot the difference between a tall can of PBR (which is available for sale) and a regular can (which is not) at a distance of no less than three yards. They're not even using binoculars for that shit. Giddy and slightly nervous about our contraband we carefully placed our regular cans into our free promotional Gorge cozies leaving some space at the bottom so that even a professional Bev-Off like the two shown above would not know the difference. As we soaked-in Passion Pit from our wee knoll vantage we threw caution to the wind and drank our regular cans in the open. Like Icarus we were quickly burned. We were forced to shamefully poor out the champagne of Milwaukee right there on the ground while the bad-cop of the duo menacingly uncapped an oversized permanent marker. Little did they know we simply took it as an opportunity to remember our fallen homies. It was a dark hour that even the ecstatic melodies of Passion Pit scarcely could mend. Thankfully this event was no harbinger and the rest of the day was full of good music and legitimately acquired refreshments.
The New Pornographers
The Vancouver supergroup, like Broken Social Scene, are mainstays of Canadian indie rock and form the hub of a web of related artists and acts each with their own touring schedule which sometimes makes it difficult for all members to attend every show. However, unlike BSS, it doesn't feel like something's missing when the live-act is pared down from the studio version. So when Neko Case graced the stage it was admittedly exciting, but it was simply an added bonus not a requirement for a good show. Bejar, not exactly the siren that Case is, still sealed the deal for the best Pornographers performance I've seen when he arrived on stage. The group is every bit as good as their Toronto-based counter part but never seem to be taken as seriously. Perhaps that's because they don't take themselves as seriously, and that's a good thing. Kevin Drew embarrassed himself with his proselytizing, ego-tripping rockstar shtick, it just doesn't look good on Canadians. Newman, on the other hand, was all smiles and laughs and the audience was actually enjoying themselves. Go figure.
The New Pornographers – Crash Years
The New Pornographers – Silver Jenny Dollar
The Mountain Goats
Kudos to The Mountain Goats' brainchild John Darnielle for delivering a relatively comprehensive set in under one-hour, given the 17 studio albums worth of material he had to slough through. Prefacing each song with a pithy anecdote and grinning like a preacher, Darnielle navigated through some of his most emotionally-trying songs with an affability that was borderline manic. Best of all was the unexpected rendition of 'Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton' off 2001's All Hail West Texas, but it wasn't until 'This Year' that the devoted crowd found themselves forever inducted into the church of Darnielle. Hail Satan!
The Mountain Goats – This Year
The Mountain Goats – The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton
The last day of the festival kind of blurs together for me. I would attribute it to some sort of musical palette fatigue, or over-stimulation, but I would be lying. As the festival wore on alcohol costs became prohibitively expensive, this was a serious concern lest we become dehydrated. Drink water you say? No time. When you've paid money to attend a festival you're accustomed to a lot of waiting; waiting for port-a-potties mostly, but when you get to attend for free on a media pass you become accustomed to a certain lifestyle like complimentary mini-bags of Cheetos, you don't wait to fill up your water bottle, the line-up for beer is shorter. What I am trying to say is I don't really remember if Japandroids were good, I only heard them as I walked the extra ten minutes past the stage they were on to use the queue-less media port-a-pottie. They were singing about french kissing french girls and it sounded like a great idea. I like these guys and feel bad about spending more time drinking and peeing than listening to them.
The band's two albums are so different that we didn't know what to expect from this show. What ensued was a bizarre experience. While songs off Congratulations were relatively well received, the huge success of MGMT's first album was evident from the crowd's insanely hyperactive reaction to songs off Oracular Spectacular. The dance parties during 'Time to Pretend' and 'Electric Feel' just felt different from anything encouraged by Congratulations, and at times the band seemed frustrated by the nostalgia. They ended the show by abandoning their instruments and playing a karaoke-style version of 'Kids', which may have seemed strange if anyone was paying attention. Alas, there were just too many giant balloons to punch, too much fist-pumping to do.
I have to be honest about something: we didn't see Phantogram. That is we didn't see them play. We have seen them play before, opening for The Antlers at the Biltmore, and they were great, you should check them out. Sometimes on the last day of a festival, when the lack of internet is preventing you from doing any real coverage anyways, you just want to wake up and have a late, liquid lunch. Phantogram's set was a bit too early to fit into this plan. We did spot Phantogram everywhere though, and I have got to say I respect a band that takes time out of their schedule to just soak-in a festival and be amongst the common folk.
Phantogram – When I'm Small
Phantogram – You Are the Ocean and I'm Good at Drowning
The End
The Gorge's geography couldn't help but lend a sense of gravity to the weekend's proceedings. Lollapalooza has the backdrop of the Chicago skyline straight out of Adventures in Babysitting. But the Gorge's baby Grand Canyon topography abutted by rolling, parched sagebrush hills to the west and Washington's agricultural heartland to the east makes it seem more special, more like the romanticized folk-festivals of my parents. It makes it seem plausible that more than just an economic transaction occurred here. Sure bands were paid and beers were purchased, but there was also a communion of man, music and nature.
Tags: Caribou, Edward Sharpe, Japandroids, Laura Marling, LCD Soundsystem, Local Natives, MGMT, Patrick Watson, Phantogram, Sasquatch Music Festival, The Mountain Goats, The National, The New Pornographers, The Tallest Man on Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Vampire Weekend
Every word of this is so good. I have regret.— Sal Patel, June 9, 2010
I love the way Laura Marling says the word "daughter" during "Hope in the Air." I Speak Because I Can is a good album.
But once again, I hate HATEHATE MGMT's karaoke Kids. I can't believe they're still pulling that cheap stunt.— Kevin Kania, June 9, 2010
I strive to become a professional Bev-Off.— Jan Kucic-Riker, June 18, 2010


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Accountability Courts
Continue reading to learn more about Georgia Accountability Courts. Information regarding DUI treatment programs, help choosing a court, and more are all described in detail.
Continue reading to learn more about Georgia Accountability Courts. Information regarding DUI treatment programs, help choosing a court, and more are all described in detail.
"DUI Court" refers to a treatment program offered in many jurisdictions throughout the State of Georgia. It is typically for repeat DUI offenders who the prosecutors and judges deem have issues with substance abuse. This program is difficult and should never be entered into without first looking at every option in your case. Your case needs to be first investigated before even considering this program.
DUI Court is an intensive, zero tolerance program that is overseen by a State or Superior Court Judge. There are many rules and intricacies involved with the DUI Court, so you will want to discuss with your attorney at length whether or not it is a good option for you. The program has monthly fees, weekly treatment and bi-weekly court appearances before the judge. YOU CANNOT MISS ANYTHING OR MAKE ANY MISTAKES. That is the reality of DUI Court in Georgia.
DUI Court is designed to get the ultimate amount of accountability from you by forcing every square peg into a very round hole. Life is a series of misunderstandings and accommodations. People are late. People make mistakes. People need to have expectations reset and changed. Unfortunately, in DUI Court, such mistakes are "understood" with sanctions ranging from more classes, more community service, and of course more time in jail. NEVER GO INTO A DUI COURT PROGRAM UNLESS 100% COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING EVERY RULE AND TAKING EVERYTHING COMPLETELY SERIOUSLY. Otherwise, you will likely spend more time in jail than had you simply been punished up front.
In the plea bargaining process, DUI Court may be discussed as a possibility for you if you have multiple offenses regarding drugs and/or alcohol and you are a resident in the county where the charges stem from. The Court system cannot force you into a DUI Court Program, rather it is something that you agree to and it is a treatment plan that you are in following your conviction as a term of your probation.
Most DUI Courts are arranged into a series of phases, with the first phase being the most intensive and then participants begin moving up over time until a graduation date approximately one year after being in the program. Be aware, the DUI Court Program in Georgia is very intensive and is not for everyone. If you fail to do everything you ae told to do, you will face sanctions. Those sanctions can range from additional community service to time in jail.
DUI Court Programs typically involve in the first phase weekly court appearances, drug/alcohol testing and intensive counseling on both a group and individual level. Usually participants are made to sign a 4th Amendment waiver allowing DUI Court personnel total access to their homes and vehicles. If any drugs or alcohol are found, that is a violation and immediate lock up typically follows.
The good news about these programs are that they offer a treatment option for repeat offenders that can be used in lieu of straight jail time. The bad news is that these programs are not easy and have little flexibility. If you travel for work or live with roommates, it is nearly impossible to successfully comply with the rigid terms of the program. When you are in the program your home and place of work can be searched 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You should never join a DUI Court Program in Georgia unless your attorney has looked at all possible defenses and all possible alternatives. To evaluate whether this option is a good choice for you in your case call to discuss DUI Court and everything involved therein.
Drug Court is an accountability court that typically lasts two (2) years and requires you to successfully complete various phases prior to graduation. While in the program, individuals pay monthly fees, perform community service, attend drug and alcohol counseling classes, attend AA/NA meetings, be subject to random drug and alcohol screens, have full-time employment, etc. Upon successful completion of the program, the charges against the client are dismissed.
However, if you get caught up in the program and have violations or sanctions, the program can become a never ending cycle of doom. When being taken into the program, clients enter a plea to the charges for which they have been arrested. This is known as a blind plea. The client is not sentenced, and the case is held pending your efforts in the program. In essence, the court holds a prison sentence over your head. Additionally, the client enters into a drug court contract where he or she waives many of their constitutional rights. In the event you are terminated from the program, the judge can sentence you to anything within the parameters of the law for the offenses in which you entered the plea, which in most instances will involve being sent to prison. Further, depending upon individual performances, the (2) two year program can be extended or prolonged. For example, if you have failures or issues while in the program, you can be sent to inpatient rehabilitation, serve county jail time, be required to restart a phase, perform extra community service hours, etc. While the beauty of the program is a dismissal of the charges, the requirements are very intensive, time consuming, and overbearing in a lot of instances. It is suggested that you speak with your own private attorney prior to making the decision to enter into this program. A copy of the Drug Court contracts along with supporting documents are included here for your review.
Attorney Jeffery C. Talley, Criminal Defense Attorney serving clients throughout North Georgia.
Hours: Monday-Sunday 8am-7pm


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About the Membership Directory
ASP members can search the entire membership directory and find the contact information for all your ASP colleagues. This functionality is only open to members and only requires you to login.
Just select the type of search (simple, advanced) in the Directory menu and enter the search term, e.g., the name of the person you want to search.


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Leather Balm
Tapir´s Leather Balm is a powerful shine giving shoe polish for smooth leather shoes, it repels water and restores natural oils of the leather.Apply the balm with a cotton cloth, e.g. the Tapir´s Polishing Cloth or Tapir´s Application Brush and massage it intensely into your shoes.
Our tip here: A little goes a long way!
As the balm is quite effective initially just apply a thin coating. After waiting a minute or so you can start the polishing with vigorous strokes using the Tapir´s Polishing Brush. The surface will now have a wonderful fresh shine. Shoes treated this way can be repolished with the polishing brush various times afterwards. It is only necessary to apply a new coat of Tapir' s Leather Balm when the shine doesn' t come back after brushing. With the help of our really fine Tapir´s Goat Hair Brush, a little vinegar or spit (which is the traditional way of a shoe cleaner) and lots of patience and you can bring out the glossiest side of your shoes.
More information on Glossy Polish is available on our web-site at Leather Care Tips and Tricks.
Beeswax, shellac wax, sugar cane wax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, castor oil, natural solvents, earth colour pigments. Please close the can tightly after use.