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Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo
A shark at the Dubai Aquarium © Joi Ito
Located in the enormous Dubai Mall, the recently-opened Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo is fast becoming one of the Emirates' most popular attractions. Featuring the largest viewing panel and one of the biggest tanks in the world, visitors have the opportunity to experience the incredible underwater domain of thousands of creatures of the deep. Highlights include feeding time for the enormous Sand Tiger Sharks and the majestic Stingrays. The aquarium and zoo is home to over thirty-thousand types of sea life and provides an exciting, educational day out for adults and children alike.
Address: Dubai Mall, Financial Centre Road (Interchange 1), Dubai
Website: www.thedubaiaquarium.com
Telephone: (0)4 448 5200
Admission: Aquarium Tunnel: Child AED 20, Adult AED 25. Aquarium Tunnel & Underwater Zoo: AED 50


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We are pretty lucky to live in San Luis Obispo. We have so many fine restaurants that have such scrumptious meals to offer. Recently, we went out to dinner with great friends of ours.
We had a couple of glasses of water before our friends arrived, and even the water was tasty. Once our friends arrived we wasted no time to order our food. The setting is very intimate, and there was a line to get into the place. There are no reservations at this time, just first come first served. I had a huge salad, I ate almost all of it. Everyone else shared a pizza as the appetizer. They really enjoyed it. I had the chicken, and it was really good, juicy chicken and very delectable.
The wines are pretty moderately priced, and we were pleased all the way around. The Range is located in Santa Margarita, California.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thousands to march against Trump state visit as MPs debate 1.85mn-strong petition
The protests are being held in solidarity with migrants and refugees who have recently seen their rights threatened by Trump's travel ban, which attempted to temporarily bar immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.
The protests come as Parliament is due to debate a petition signed by 1.85 million people calling for Trump to be banned from coming to the UK on an official state visit, as it would be an "embarrassment to the Her Majesty the Queen."
The government has already rejected the petition, however, saying it will "extend the full courtesy of a state visit".
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, himself a Muslim, is among those supporting the protests against Trump's "cruel" and "shameful" travel ban.
"I think this ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries, ending the refugee programme is cruel and it's shameful," Khan told ITV's 'Peston on Sunday' show.
"In those circumstances we shouldn't be rolling out the red carpet."
Protests will be held in London, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham by campaign groups Stop Trump Coalition and Stand Up To Racism.
Up to 14,000 people are expected to rally in London.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who will speak in Parliament Square on Monday evening, said: "The planned state visit should clearly be cancelled – and the invitation binned.
"It's no wonder that almost 2 million people have signed a petition against the visit, and I'm proud that so many of my constituents have joined that call.
"On Monday evening I will be joining thousands of others in calling out Trump's Islamophobia and racism – and making it clear that we expect our government to stand up to bigotry, not meekly back away from confronting it."
While opposing Trump, One Day Without Us activist Fizza Qureshi has also taken the opportunity to criticize the UK government for failing to do enough in support of migrants.
"Donald Trump's animosity towards migrants and Muslims has shocked the world. But it should also shock the world how migrants and refugees in the UK have been scapegoated," Qureshi said.
"They have just scrapped the Dubs Agreement, and are refusing to give any guarantees to the 3 million EU nationals living in the UK, whilst creating a hostile environment for undocumented migrants.
"Migrants are not a drain on our society, and are not bargaining chips in negotiations – they are people with lives, who make a huge contribution to Britain."
Prime Minister Theresa May has faced criticism for being too quick in extending an invitation to Trump just seven days after he was sworn in as president.
By comparison, his predecessor Barack Obama was invited to the UK 758 days after his inauguration, while George Bush waited just over two and a half years before being invited.


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Thank you so much for giving credit to Nonna, her recipe was a bit different, using rice to extend it even more. I know she would be solo proud of you, just as we all are.
An Accidental Homage to Nonna
My family has lots of favorite foods and beloved dishes, but there are only a few on this earth that will cause some of my family members (well…basically all of them) to get a little crazy and start hoarding them. Grammie's meatballs? Probably # 1 or #2 on the list of "eat as many as you can and then hoard the rest!" We have beach vacations where my grandmother (Grammie) will make about 75 meatballs or so that last about 1/2 a week…maybe.
But seeing as I can't have Grammie's meatballs on a regular basis and that they are actually made out of meat, I wanted to come up with a nice meat-free substitute. Something quick, easy and that's not going to taste like a "fake meatball." I began thinking about the many routes to making these veggie meatballs – lentils, grains, beans, soy crumbles – all good options. But none of those really interested me. They just didn't sound very Italian and I wanted something slightly more authentic.
Instead of beans or lentils, I came up with a recipe (see below) using eggplant as the main ingredient. It required a little tinkering, but in the end I came up with a wonderful recipe and it was definitely blog worthy! Of course I had to call my mom and tell her all about my recipe success. I always have to share my little wins with her as she is really the "master" that taught me all that I know (and she's probably smiling after reading that). But when I explained to her what was in my "meatballs" she told me that her grandmother used to make the SAME meatballs but called them "polpetti." Nonna (my great-grandmother) made them out of eggplant, onions, garlic and bread crumbs when money was a little tight and meat was too expensive. Polpetti…who knew?
Somehow knowing that my great-grandmother made these same meatballs, albeit most likely better than mine, made me feel incredibly happy. I also now knew there was no way I could call these eggplant meatballs. I just felt like some of the credit should go to Nonna, so eggplant polpetti it is! I really hope you try these deliciously little eggplant balls. They're super easy and taste great served with a little tomato sauce and pasta. Buon appetito!
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant, finely diced
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 chopped fresh parsley
- lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1 cup almond flour
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a large saute pan, heat olive over medium heat. Add eggplant, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if using and saute until beginning to break down, about 7 minutes. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook another 5-7 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add in oregano, rosemary, parsley and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl beat eggs and parmesan cheese together.
- In a food processor add 1/2 of the eggplant mixture and pulse until is finely chopped – almost into a paste.
- Add the processed eggplant into the egg and cheese mixture. Finally add in the rest of the un-processed eggplant mixture stirring to combine completely.
- Add in the bread crumbs slowly – you may not need all of them. Add the almond flour and stir to combine well. The mixture should be moist but not super wet.
- Form into golf-ball sized portions and roll into meatballs. Place on a greased baking sheet about 1″ apart. This makes about 18-20 meatballs.
- Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Serve warm with tomato sauce and a side of whole wheat pasta!
3 Comments
Will have to try it. It sounds yummy.


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keripaintsyourface has not received any gifts yet
I have started, in a sense. I shot video of Dale McGowan in 2009 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyBVJ5bR2g8) among others but did not like the static feel of the sit-down interview. Too boring, despite the information and personalities involved. So I decided to do what I'm doing now, with better equipment, too. I have a family lined up (she's an actress, he's a cop, they have a four-year old), and others.
In your case, while it would be great to get you at work teaching, we don't have to. Interacting with kids, shopping for supplies for your classes, talking to your friends who know you and think you're great at what you do, or something related would be great. We can be creative. If you wouldn't mind, put some thought into just how you would want to address those who think you're somehow less desirable as an educator just because of your non-belief. Where are you located (I don't need an address, just approx.)? Thanks again for your interest. I'm really excited about this project and think it will work out well.
© 2019 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


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Showers and Parties
Luncheons, baby showers, and fun tea parties.
Enjoy the elegance of the tea room with classical music, three-tiered gold trays laden with delicate finger sandwiches, scones, and dessert. Sip our fine loose-leaf teas or refreshing iced teas.
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Choose from select flavors to make a Custom Blend Tea to reflect the special occasion and personalize it with a fun and memorable name. Be original and creative in naming your tea or use the following to inspire you!
"Steeped in Love" – a romantic name for a bridal shower tea
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"Friendship Tea" – a sentimental name for a tea party with friends


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As we were wrapping up our research on the unique health issues and recidivism issues of the justice-involved population (see A New Opportunity To Serve Justice-Involved Consumers and The ROI Of Recidivism Prevention), I received a notice about a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IoM), Applying a Health Lens to Decision Making in Non-Health Sectors. After reading the report, I was struck by the implications for (and affirmation of) the need for behaviorally-focused medical homes for some consumer groups – whether individuals with cognitive disorders, with multiple chronic conditions, or unique social needs.
The report's theme was reflected in one quote from David Williams, Harvard's Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health, on September 19, 2013, at the IoM Roundtable on Population Health Improvement. He said:
Health is largely determined by factors situated outside of the health care delivery System. The health care system generally functions to provide care to those who have become sick. Yet, it is where people live, learn, work, play, and worship that most influences their opportunities and chances for being healthy. Social policies can make it easier or harder for people to make healthy choices.
The report discusses the many factors that are determinants of health – housing, family structure, violence, education, and income. But what struck me about those factors was the importance of "place" in determining an individual's health status. Place determines level of pollution and environmental risk, water quality, access to transportation, accessibility to healthy food, the ability to get exercise safely, and much more.
The way to address these determinants? The report recommendations – with its emphasis on "health in all policies" – focused on five long-term policy approaches:
- Building the perspective of health into all policy making.
- Including an explicit focus on health equity in policy making.
- Convening, enabling, and supporting cross-sectoral collaborations.
- Developing consensus-based standard data and methods for surveillance systems linking health, health equity, and the determinants of health.
- Investing in strengthening community capacity and potential for community advocacy.
But, while we're waiting for the slow wheels of policy change to turn, I was struck by the implications for emerging medical home models – particularly the medical homes serving the 5% of the population using 50% of the health care resources (see 5% of U.S. Residents Use 50% of Medical Resources and Five Percent of Americans Responsible for Half of U.S. Health Spending). The report called for cross-sector collaboration at the community level – and gave some great examples, including Every Body Walk!, Convergence Partnership, and Valley Hi HEAL (Healthy, Eating, Active Living) Zone.
By design or by default, cross-sector collaboration at the individual level is becoming the role of the medical home – helping individuals address the issue of variability in their own social framework for health. This is even more evidence that medical homes for a select group of individuals need equal parts of expertise in health care, behavioral health, and community services.


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Anyone else seen this?
Anyone else seen this?
I binged watched it and i have to say that on the whole I enjoyed it. I thought it was a good remake.
It's on my list but I haven't started yet. I'm finishing off "into the badlands" first.
I like who I am when Im with him. I like who we are together.
Haven't watched it but I heard about it, strangely enough, on a Buffy podcast
I just heard about this Netflix series the other day ....
From the other Nineties' one: "Why did the robot cross the road? He was carbon-bonded to the chicken!"
Silver1 (21-04-18)
Ebdim9th (27-04-18)
Definitely, I'd be up for that sometime
HowiMetdaSlayer (28-04-18)
I binged watched it a week or so ago.
Can you get it on Rabbit? (still think they should change the damn name ) What time UK?
Rabbit? What on earth is that then?
It's a website that allows two or more people to watch a tv show or film and invite others to watch with them and chat along with the show. Here's the address
HowiMetdaSlayer and I watch shows on it, it worked really well
Silver1 (28-04-18)
My Tumblr: Dog is My Copilot
Oh she's a very good actress, (and I have to say all is not what It seems with this character) but they seemed to have taken her characterisation from how Smith was portrayed in the first episode of the 1960's TV lost in Space, in that Smith is a real threat and not a joke. A real nasty piece of work.
betta (28-04-18)
Priceless (28-04-18)
I liked it until the last episode. That was a bit of a letdown.
I've just watched the first two episodes and quite enjoyed them. There were one or two moments that I don't think worked, or were a little to manipulative. I thought the landscape was beautiful, but it seemed very similar to parts of our own planet, and I like my planets in sci-fi to be very obviously different to our own, so I was a bit disappointed by that. But overall, so far, very good.
I pretty much binge-watched the first 6 episodes. It's a solid show, I like it. The kid actor who plays Will is overacting a tiny bit too much, but he's a kid. Is it already known if this show will be renewed for second season?
I've watched the first four eps and I'm shipping Jude and the Robot. Anyone else?
HowiMetdaSlayer (17-05-18)
No, but now im going to see it. It has a nice title, i love all spacey stuff ( total nerd for it)
Do you have any other out of this world movie recommedations?
Hi ppl, love vampires, cool astrology signs, dark world, and basically all goth stuff


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We should take up golf. If not for the sport itself, then definitely for the views! Carol Haberle shared her images of Barnbougle Lost Farm in north east Tasmania, and they were truly stunning. These photos of Forcett Lakes are no-where near as special (photographically speaking), but we thought the rural outlook was pretty enough to warrant sharing.
Country Life: Forcett Lakes
We were cruising around the countryside after taking photos of planes from Seven Mile Beach a while back. We decided to visit Park Beach and check out the surfing action. En route, we stopped at Forcett Lakes Golf Course near Lewisham to admire the scenery.
Growing up on a farm in rural Victoria, it was easy enough to take country life for granted. As an adult though, an appreciation of small towns and the much-lauded "wide open spaces" has been gradually developing.
Last weekend, we made our way towards Tasmania's far south. We agreed there was just something about small communities; they're tranquil and intangibly good.
Birds of a Feather
Besides the Forcett Lakes Golf Course, a stop on Lewisham Scenic Drive provided views of swans, ducks and a variety of other birds. We were also quite taken by a majestic-looking horse. He pretty-much ignored us completely, notwithstanding a cursory glance.
The adjacent hillside was planted in very neat rows. We would've liked to hurdle the fence and traipse through the farmer's paddock for a closer look at the crop… but we're not quite that bold. We draw the line at trespassing for the sake of a photo!
Despite the brilliant, clear-blue skies over Seven Mile Beach, by the time we reached Forcett Lakes, the clouds had rolled in and darkened the horizon. Not very considerate of Mother Nature really, to spoil our fun with the camera.
Forcett Lakes Golf Course
There's no ulterior motive for sharing these photos; we just hope Think Tasmania readers enjoy them. If you have a personal opinion about golf or country-life, feel free to leave a comment for everyone to see. If you're a keen golfer and you'd like to play a round at Forcett Lakes, you'll find the course at 20 Lewisham Scenic Drive, Lewisham (about 30 minutes drive from Hobart, via Sorell).
Apparently there's a restaurant on site at Forcett Lakes. We were totally unaware of that fact before our visit, and didn't even notice any sign of a restaurant from the car park. Pity. We may not be golfers, but we can certainly eat and drink with the best of them!
If you like this article about Tasmania, and you'd like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram. If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the "share" options below. We'd love that!
Comments relevant to this article are always most welcome, just leave a reply below. But first… please confirm the date of this article. Have you found something current, or is this ancient information? Either way, thanks for your company and come back again soon.


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WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) is pushing for more attention to be paid to missing and murdered native women. She says these women are facing murder rates well above the national average and not enough is being done to address the issue. She's pushing legislation that would call on the federal government to implement better practices. A member of a South Dakota tribe says something needs to be done immediately.
Carmen O'Leary says Native women need to see the same justice as people around the country.
"Native women deserve justice too," said Carmen O'Leary, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.
O'Leary says she wants an end to the negligence. She says native women are being murdered and going missing at extremely high rates. O'Leary says not enough is being done to change that.
"I want to take the target off Native women and that there's consequences for the violence against native women," said O'Leary.
A federally funded study shows that on some reservations, women are murdered at 10 times the national average, and 84 percent of native women have experienced violence in their lives. O'Leary says the first step is making people aware of the issue.
"If we won't even acknowledge a problem, it's very hard to come up with solutions," said O'Leary.
Heitkamp is trying to get those solutions. She introduced "Savanna's Act," named after Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year old native woman murdered in August.
The legislation calls for better response protocols for missing and murdered cases, improved access to data and reporting statistics on missing and murdered Native women.
"It's critically important that this issue be elevated to a national issue," said Heitkamp.
Heitkamp says it is up to federal law enforcement to act quickly in these situations and get justice for victims' families.
"Send the message that you can't do this with impunity. We are going to catch you, and we are going to prosecute you," said Heitkamp.
The legislation currently awaits a vote in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.


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Big data deal with large volume of data that includes both structured and unstructured information used for data storage, data analysis, search, sharing, transfer, visualization, querying, capturing data, updating, information privacy, and lot more processes. Moreover, big data is commonly used by the business executives, scientists, medicinal practitioners, and governments who meet difficulties in areas including Internet search, Fintechs, urban informatics, and other business informatics. Since data sets grown rapidly from the internet of things devices like mobile devices, aerial (remote sensing), software logs, cameras, microphones, radio-frequency identification readers and some wireless sensor networks that holds a large amount of data.
Big data has some unique characteristics that include volume, variety, and velocity. The size of data denotes the quantity of generated and stored data that determines the volume of the data. People can analyze the type and nature of data that determines the variety. Velocity denotes how to speed the data is generated or processed to meet the demands and challenges. Apart from these 3 characters, big data holds two more characters namely variability and veracity. Variability denotes the inconsistency of data set and veracity denoted the quality of the captured data.
The main objective of big data is to make customers understand their behavior and preferences in a better way. It can be analyzed by the firms and organizations for insights that lead to taking better decisions and strategic business moves. Using it became a usual process for many leading companies to overcome the auctions. Synergy research group is firm that provides big data to the emerging companies and also to the leading companies to make an effective business growth.
There are a lot of benefits from gaining and implementing this technique in your firms. Our company used to do a diagnostic analysis every day by analyzing all sorts of alternative measures before starting any events. For better understanding, consider a sandstorm in the desert. We keep all the instruments like temperature, pressure, camels, cars, and all possible parameters in the desert. If we relate the parameters and by knowing all possible relationship between each other, then we can easily avoid the sandstorm. This is what we do with the help of big data in your firms.
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Bruce Banner


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Pick up the phone and give us a call or fill out our contact form. We will get back to you quickly. We like to talk to entrepreneurs to find ways to help them succeed in the growth of their business.


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Many times, playing Clash of Clans Hack is very hard and it just doesn't manage to bring you the results you want. This is mainly because most of the buildings tend to get very expensive, and so do the troops and upgrades. That's when the experience gets a little bad, because you need to farm a lot of resources in order to win. You can either do that, or you can use the Clash of Clans Hack right now and the experience will be more than impressive in this regard.
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Sales & Marketing
Today, businesses aggregate data at the speed of light. Information on customers, employees, vendors, and dozens of other sources come pouring into internal systems. However, in order to continuously derive value from data, it must be proactively maintained.
Customer Service
While continuously signing up new customers drives a business forwards, retaining existing ones is what creates a solid financial foundation. Exceptional customer support is the key to customer retention. Ensuring your existing customers are happy with your products, are assisted in case of any problems with it, feel appreciated, and continue to purchase from you should be the goal of a customer support center.
Virtual Assistant
A good assistant provides more than administrative support. An assistant eliminates much of hassle from your work, alleviating stress and making you more productive.
Medical Billing
Worrying about claims and patient statements is not what medical professionals should spend their time on. Their priority must always be their patients. The Launchpad Team works with clients in the healthcare industry to ensure their time and focus are 100% on their patients.
Between managing payroll, keeping track of payables and receivables, doing basic data entry, producing monthly financial reports, and a dozen other tasks, bookkeeping can be a nightmare for many businesses. However, there is no way around it. This function must be done and done well.
Debt collection requires a systemic approach, which can prioritize collections, provide resources for research and data management, handle incoming inquiries, and monitor unpaid debt. Creating a robust system comes with significant costs in terms of recruitment and infrastructure.
Why Choose Us?
Hybrid Approach
We e-mail and call your target companies and speak with the decision-makers that meet your pre-defined criteria.
We normally use 3 marketing campaigns at once to maximize our reach to your target audience.
Satisfied Clients
Winfield Medical
I've worked with other lead gen companies before and no one has been as thorough as Launchpad during the set up and no one else generated as many leads. They are very easy to work with. What I really appreciate was the time they spent with us up front developing the right scripts and coaching our sales team on how best to handle sales calls.Scott Wadman, CEO
Working with The Launchpad has really helped us to kick start our customer outreach. They have been receptive to feedback and have worked with us to improve the campaign over time. Our account managers are a pleasure to work with.Robert Swisher
Star Service Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC
We have been working with Launchpad for just over a month now ant things are really starting to take off! Alex has been very successful at setting up great face-to-face meetings.Tim Edwards
Racca Solutions Group
In follow up to our conversation, I wanted to let you know how impressed I have been with Rachel's ability to get qualified leads for Racca Solutions Group. All of the phone or face-to-face meetings that she has set up for me have all been extremely well qualified leads and viable prospects. Even the leads that requested information could be potential clients and are worth pursuing further. She also does a great job at documenting her conversations and I can tell that she does a great job of asking fact finding questions. I hope that she can remain on our campaign as she truly is beginning to master the script to ensure that we are getting well qualified leads.Judy Anderson
AWS Solutions Architect – Associate
We engaged Launchpad to conduct a lead generation campaign among senior leadership within target customer segments for our home state. Even during times that have historically been slower periods in our lead generation efforts, Launchpad has continued to exceed our expectations and even their own contractual obligations. It would be difficult to match the value we have received from our marketing dollar elsewhere. We anticipate our relationship with Launchpad to extend well into the future and expect nothing less than continued success and for them to continue being a highly important part of our outbound sales efforts.Brandon Mullins


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FANAMBY in malagasy means CHALLENGE
OUR CHALLENGE is to find an equilibrium between Humans, their needs and the environment by bringing tourism development in sites that remain isolated.
NGO FANAMANBY is born from the volunty of its fondator to do more than « classical » conservation. Surrounded by a young team, dynamic and multidisciplinary, serge Rajaobelina indentified natural parks as a plateform for a sustainable development through the creation of touristic projects to benefit the communities and the activities of biodiversity conservation.
The approach of Fanamby is articulated around sharing and exchanging, with respect to local communities and the valorisation of their own and unique weath.
Our projects are development precursors, we build a link between the communities, the private sector and the realities concerning biodiversity conservation. These three (3) elements are the fundamental basis of the durability of touristic activities.
The Natural Parks that we manage are classified « Category V Protected Areas » by the IUCN, where you will see communities which cultures and traditions will give you an overview of the diversity and wealth of this continent-island that is Madagascar.
The biodiversity conservation activities are carried out with the adhesion and participation of men and women living in. The fauna and flora are not the only priority.
The improvement of the standard of living and the well being of the communities are predominant factors that lead to an intelligent and sustainable way to exploit the and and its products. From Anjozorobe to Daraina, you will appreciate the savoir-faire of the communities in term of rice production and vanilla treatment, the « green gold » of Madagascar.
The implentation of touristic activities in Natural Parks allowed the creation of income genereting activities in alternative to recurrent problems of natural ressources exploitation.
These touristic structures are managed with and for the communities through job creations, purchase of input locations (market garden products) and reversing percentage in the sales figures and the rough result of exploitation.
The community also benefit from the knowledge and the professionalism of the private sector in term of hotel businesses and marketing thanks to a management delegation system. Finally, the community keeps entirely the ownership of the land, the developped site and the developped site, the NGO Fanamby remains the project promoter.
Our projects are development precursors, we build a link between the communities, the private sector and the realities concerning biodiversity conservation.
These three (3) elements are the fundamental basis of the durability of touristic activities.


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When the last remaining 40 acres of the Shannon Farm went up for sale in 1999 - 2000, concerns arose that developers would purchase the farm, but not preserve the endangered historic farm buildings.
At the request of the farm's longtime owners, the Boulder County Commissioners approved a subdivision exemption plat, for the purpose of creating a small parcel to facilitate the historic preservation of the existing farm structures, prior to the sale of the remainder of the farmThe farmstead parcel includes the farmhouse, the privy, the pump house, the clay tile dairy milking barn and silo, a studs-out granary and a grout chicken house/milkhouse. The farm buildings are listed as Boulder County Landmarks. Shannon farm is also listed on the National and State Register of Historic Places.


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We may earn commission from companies mentioned on this blog, however our praise cannot be bought!
Just a quick post today, but one that I've really agonised about writing.
Last time I posted, I was discussing our mixed feelings about being back in the UK, and alluded to a certain sense of homesickness for Portugal.
I'm pleased to say that (for now at least) the homesickness has abated. Right now I don't think I could possibly be more certain that we've done the right thing.
Of course, the fact the weather in the UK is glorious today (and significantly warmer than the Algarve!) has a part to play.
However, it's actually more been related to a succession of recent reminders as to why we decided to leave.
I've yet to go into that much detail about all the reasons and motivations behind our decision, but one of them was definitely that the slow pace of life we'd moved to Portugal specifically for came to be one of our major bugbears. We just weren't ready to slow down that much, and the fact we came from London, rather than a small town, made the difference even more pronounced.
Examples of this have come through thick and fast this week: Our Portuguese accountant said we'd have our tax estimate "in the first week of April." It was therefore annoying to politely ask when to expect it at the end of the second week, only to receive a curt response saying it wasn't done yet – with no commitment whatsoever to another date when we could reasonably expect it.
Then, following on from having our Portuguese car cleaned and valeted, we relisted it for sale, with the price clearly marked. This hasn't stopped at least three people asking for the price. One wonders how they are ever going to complete a vehicle transaction if they can't read three paragraphs of text.
Then there are the expat chancers who think a "sensible" offer for a car is nearly half your asking price.
My wife's fun and games have involved our Portuguese bank, where getting them to answer the phone, let alone send a simple, promised email, seems completely beyond their capabilities.
Then there's the clear contrast between doing business in the two countries. I've just increased my hourly consultancy rate by the equivalent of €14, with the full approval of every UK client I've asked. In Portugal I've had people object to paying that for a morning's work.
Let's get something clear. I love Portugal. I adore it, and miss it every day. But I don't miss any of this nonsense. There's just too much short-termism, too much vagueness, and too many people who think that working for cash instead of doing things properly is subversive and clever, rather than something that just goes to ensure they will never have a stable economy they can truly thrive in.
Shortly after I moved to Portugal, someone told me something. They said that if a Portuguese business has a target of taking €100 per day, but somehow takes €200 on the Monday, they won't see it as smashing their target; Instead they'll close on the Tuesday and take it easy.
There's nothing wrong with this. Nothing at all. But it's not us. It's never been us, and I can't imagine that it ever will be.
I'm prepared for flack for writing this, having seen how defensive people were when I dared to suggest there was more choice in UK supermarkets than those in Portugal! However, I've always set out to give an honest account of my experiences.
There are loads of comebacks to what I've said here. I should be more patient, perhaps, or try harder to understand the culture of the country I moved to? Both are fair comments, to a point, but I'm trying to paint an honest picture for people thinking about moving to Portugal.
If you're prepared to slow right down, put up with people continually missing deadlines without getting irritated by it, and are content to quibble about sums of money that wouldn't buy you a weekly London TravelCard, then you'll be perfectly happy. We weren't as prepared for this as we thought we were, and life got frustrating. I hope at least some readers appreciate me pointing this out.
One final point: You obviously cannot write a post like this without some generalisation. There are clearly thousands of highly dynamic Portuguese people who meet their deadlines and reply to emails when promised. There are probably even some expats who do everything by the book, rather than cherry-pick the rules that suit them. I'm only sharing our experiences, not seeking to tar everyone with the same brush. So please bear that in mind before attacking me in the comments 🙂


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Paul Ryan's nonprofit pipe dream
Rep. Paul Ryan believes that charitable organizations should be a guiding light for the federal government — the anti-thesis of a Washington bureaucracy that he says is bloated and ineffective.
"It is their intimate knowledge of the people they serve — as well as their ability to take the long view — that makes these groups so successful. They are more effective than distant federal bureaucracies for a simple reason: They don't just relieve the pain of poverty; they give people the means to get out of poverty," the Wisconsin Republican said in his new plan, which highlights the work of nonprofits like Catholic Charities USA.
But the kind of intensive case management that he's proposed for every recipient of major federal benefits — ranging from food stamps and heating aid to housing vouchers and child-care assistance — isn't cheap. Ryan hasn't accounted for the costs and suggested Wednesday that charitable organizations, state, and local governments should help foot the bill.
"The wrong way to look at this is, take just the federal money and then assume some cost for casework management," Ryan said. "The point is to do this in conjunction with the private sector, the public sector, and the charitable sector. Leverage other dollars that are already out there, that are working at odds with the federal government."
He added: "You can combine dollars from the charitable sector, from other local governments, with federal funding streams to achieve the goals we're trying to achieve here. "
In other words, in addition to streamlining 11 separate federal programs into a single grant to states, Ryan's plan would also streamline revenue sources by combining federal, state, local, and nonprofit dollars to fund the new system.
The problem is that the dollars outside of Washington are already being stretched thin, in both the public and nonprofit sector. In addition, the federal government has a long history of underestimating the cost of services rendered by nonprofits — and overestimating the amount that state and local governments will contribute to federal initiatives.
While charitable organizations across the country are already strapped for resources as demand for social services has increased, the government has increasingly relied on the nonprofit sector to fill in the gap.
"Governments are offloading their responsibilities, expecting nonprofits to fill the void," said Tim Delaney, president and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, the country's largest network of nonprofit groups. And it's a mistake to think that any charity can just rely on volunteerism and good will to support its activities.
"Churches and faith-based groups — it's not through magic they perform miracles either. They have to have the wherewithal to get things done. The notion that any organization or any individual can do it on a sustainable basis without required basic resources, it just doesn't fly in the face of reality," said Delaney.
In fact, nonprofits rely heavily on government grants and contracts to keep afloat in the first place. About 33% of all U.S. nonprofit revenue comes from the government, according to 2011 data from the Urban Institute. By comparison, private charitable giving made up only 13% of all revenue. (Most of the remainder comes from fees for private goods and services like tuition, ticket sales, hospital fees, etc.)
Even Catholic Charities USA, which Ryan celebrates as an alternative to the federal bureaucracy, relies heavily on federal dollars: More than half of Catholic Charities USA's annual funding comes from the federal government, Manhattan Institute senior fellow James Piereson writes in The Wall Street Journal,. That totaled $554 million in 2010. (Catholic Charities USA did not respond a request for comment.)
Oftentimes, those dollars don't cover the full cost of administering social services, furthering exhausting nonprofit resources. More than 50% of nonprofits said that government payments don't cover the full cost of contracted services, particularly in terms of administrative and overhead costs, according to a 2013 national survey conducted by the Urban Institute. "They still don't pay the full cost and expect us to deliver miracles," says Delaney.
State and local governments have also been strapped for resources, which could make it challenging for them to pony up additional funds for a large-scale poverty case management plan like Ryan's. Though their fiscal health has slowly been improving, they suffered from massive revenue losses during the recession, prompting many to make draconian budget cuts. State and local governments cut more than 500,000 jobs during the recession, and it's during economic downturns that anti-poverty measures are often needed the most.
What's more, Ryan's plan could prompt state and local governments to use federal dollars to supplant their own spending, rather than redirect or increase it, argues Bob Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
"When you combine various federal funding streams into a block grant that states can use for a broad array of services, the practice on the part of many states is to use portion as a substitute for state and local dollars," Greenstein said.
Ryan's plan would forbid states from using federal funds for other purposes. But there are other tactics that states could use: CBPP points to welfare reform as one instance where states have used funds "to substitute for (or 'supplant') existing state spending and thereby help plug holes in state budgets or free up funds for purposes unrelated to low-income families or children."
Ryan stressed that his plan doesn't force states to adopt a case management system. But the concept is central to Ryan's proposal — and falls in line with other conservative exhortations to let charitable groups and the states to take up the slack, taking the emphasis off the role of the federal government. And the money for services — no matter whether they're coming from the public or nonprofit sector—still has to come from somewhere.


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Well, today was hot. I mean it was very hot! The heat index registered at 107* F and it would be the day that the loader at work was down and I had three deliveries to make before lunch and all had to be unloaded by hand.
I became very overheated and for the remainder of the day, I have been feeling very weak and dizzy. I got to the point that I stopped sweating and that is never a good situation to get yourself into.
The deliveries were made and I pushed myself through the workday and got it done in good manner!
Lynden also came over this evening and as the sun set, he and I had a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream. It was only for an hour but it was a nice break to watch him wrestle with Ethan's cat, Smokey. When Lynden went home, I showered and sat down to work on another small piece of The Boondock Kids!
As Mario, Louis, Sindy and Cristena stared at the Lower Valley Stairwell, they were a bit skeptical. The stairwell is made of steep, cobble stone steps that had seen some time. Mario and Louis could not believe that the stairs had come out of the canyon wall.
Kelmare made his way through the black and white pillars and took a few steps down the stairwell before turning around. Mario and Louis were eager to follow but in front of them were Sindy and Cristena, who remained unsure of themselves. Kelmare assured the four friends that a slow an steady pace would find the in the Lower Valley in know time.
The Boondock Kids are now on their way down the stairwell!!!
With tomorrow being Friday, I hope for most of you, it is payday and becomes everything you want! Make it happen and take your moments!


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A selective and opinionated weblog of different aspects of our nation's smallest state. Brought to you courtesy of the author of Rhode Island A to Z
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Zsolnay Tile Museum
The Drawing Room, an antique store in Newport, offers an online Museum of Zsolnay Tiles. These are very special tiles from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, starting in the late 1800's and right up to World War I. The tiles in the collection are beautiful examples of craftsmanship and functional art.
The Drawing Room is located at 152-154 Spring Street in Newport, and has a wide variety of other kinds of antiques and historical objects. To find out more, visit their website or give them a call at 1-401-841-5060.
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
The Woonsocket Sentinels of the New England Football League are a Semi-Pro Football team that hails from Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The team includes top quality players from the surrounding communities and consist of high school and college stand-outs. The players are not paid, and the sentinels are a non-profit organization. All the players have a passion for the game and are coached by a professional coaching staff. This level of football enables the players to continue their playing years and also enables them an opportunity to participate in Football Scouting Camps. Many players have the ability to be scouted by the NFL,CFL, Colleges, Arena I&II, and the European Football League. Steve Grogan, former Patriot QB, is the team president.
Anyone who wishes to be part of the 2003 Roster is required to attend the final preseason meeting on Thursday May 22 at 7:00 at the IWC (Italian Workmen's Club) You would be expected to pay dues. If you want, check out the Website for more info or give them a call at 401-578-6099.
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
That's right folks! Buddy may be toiling at menial labor for a dollar a day in the Ohio pen, but his glory days have not been forgotten.
Brown University alums Jonathan Van Gieson and Mike Tarantino have penned a musical about Hizzoner the Mayor, six times elected, and twice convicted. The show will appear at the New York International Fringe Festival from August 8-24, and will feature rollicking neo-swing tunes such as "The Armpit of New England," "Operation: Plunderdome," and "The Ass You Have to Kiss Today."
I know that there were at least two other possibilities to make art out of Buddy's life-- "Plunderdome- the Musical" which was done by Charlie Hall, and Michael Corrente was planning on doing a movie.
Who knows what other good natured evil lurks in the hearts of men?
Monday, May 19, 2003
Rhode Island Treasures
At the Convention Center from May 10-June 15 there is an exhibit of Rhode Island treasures. Art and music, architecture, literature, and even Rhode Island history are all on display. It's being presented with the help of the Smithsonian, among other institutions. There's quite a bit of great stuff going on.
The exhibit is open Mondays-Fridays 9-5pm, Saturdays 10-8pm, and Sundays 11-5pm.
Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $5 for kids. Visit the website or call 800-562-9895 or email for tickets.
Get lots of extra documents and information for teachers.
Friday, May 16, 2003
Wood Turners Day-May 17
At the local Woodcraft store, there are all kinds of classes that one can take to learn and enhance your woodworking skills. This Saturday is Wood Turners day, where as many as 10 lathes will be set up for everyone and anyone to learn how to turn some wood. There will also be demonstrations by master woodturners. It's being put on by The Rhode Island Wood Turners Club, which is part of the American Association of Woodturners
During the same day, there will also be a class on an Intro to Cabinetmaking with local cabinet maker Bob Colgan. It's a 2 day class (9-5 pm) , limited to 4 students, all materials are included, and it costs $250 . To sign up or find out more, call Woodcraft at 401-886-1175 or visit their website
Thursday, May 15, 2003
The Birth of L.Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum, the true Wizard of Oz, was born today (May 15, 1856).
See a Timeline of Baum's life
Read an article from the Literary Traveller
Online Texts of Baum's work
Elephant Day!
On Saturday, May 17, 2003 Chepachet will celebrate, remember, and honor a fallen victim of ignorance, fear, and xenophobia. I refer of course to Little Bet, The Learned Elephant, who was just the second elephant to stride across America. She was slain by a fearful farmer on May 25, 1826 on the Chepachet River Bridge.
On Saturday there will be music and outdoor party, featuring the Providence Brigade Band dressed in uniforms of early 19th Century playing music of that period, and displaying musical artifacts and related period pieces.
Exhibit: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Food Sale: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Concert: 2:00 PM
at the Job Armstrong Store, 1181 Main St in Chepachet.
Call 401-568-1866 or visit the website for more info.
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Fool's Ball #9
On Saturday May 17, 2003, AS220 will host its 9th Annual Fools Ball. The party will be at their space (115 Empire Street) but, thanks to Trinity's generosity, there will also be a party in Trinity's upcoming space at the Citizens Bank building just up the street.
The theme this year is Babylon
There's an elegant cocktail party at 7 pm (at the Citizen's Bank Building ($75 ticket) At 9 pm the debauchery begins, with carnival games, music, drinking, dancing, etc. There will be 2 full bars, 2 dance floors, 4 goofy games and they guarantee a good time will be had by all.
Tickets cost $20, and can be purchased by calling AS220 at 831.9327. You can also find out more about the events leading up to Fool's Ball by clicking here.
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Friday, May 09, 2003
The East Bay Bike Path!
Now that spring is nearly here, its time to dust off the bike, oil the gears, re-inflate the tires, and get on the roads! And if you'd like to bike a little safer, check out the East Bay Bike Path!
The East Bay Bike path is a 14.5 mile, 10 foot wide, ribbon of asphalt that provides a safe place for unobstructed cycling. Users can enjoy the sights, sounds and smells as the path takes them by coves and marshes, over bridges, and through State Parks. This Bike Path's southern tip will eventually link-up to the Blackstone Bikeway presently under construction.
To find out more about the East Bay Bike Path, check out a pretty amazing website with photos, maps pictures and a lot of other cool stuff!
Thursday, May 08, 2003
50 Years of Everest
50 years ago TODAY, Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay attained the unattainable-- they climbed the highest mountain ever. (Well, actually, Everest :o) )
They braved countless privations, they endured unbelievable hardship, and they managed to succeed where no one else had ever succeeded before. And, according to legend, they did it "Because it was there."
See a great teacher's site about Hilary's climb
See what's going on at Everest today!
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
What will they think of next? (Kids, this next link is NOT for you. Here's a buck, go get yourself a soda)
Today, May 7 is National Masturbation Day. I'm not sure exactly who declared it thus (I somehow doubt that it was our fair government, but you do never know, y'know?)
Anyway if you follow this link, you'll find some reasons to love yourself (like you need a reason?) as well as the motto for National Masturbation Month--"If You want something done right, do it yourself!"
Have fun!
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
"Tell City Hall-- Hey wait a minute-- we ARE City Hall!"
In a kind of weird and daring idea, the city of Providence is asking the citizens of Providence to march on the State House. It's today at 5:30 on the South lawn of the State House.
Providence faces a 58 million dollar deficit. The Mayor cut 14% of all non-union management jobs in the city-- he's asking for concessions from unions and universities, and additional money from the State legislature.
It's pretty interesting when the establishment is turning to grass-roots tactics.
Download the flyer (in English and Spanish)
See the Website that calls for action
Monday, May 05, 2003
Israel turns 55
Wed, May 7th, 6pm
Yom Ha'Atzmaut, also known as Israeli Independence Day, is on Wednesday
Come celebrate Israel's 55th birthday with your local community!
The evening will feature an Israeli dinner, dancing, kids activities, and entertainment!
The party is located at the JCC of RI, 401 Elmgrove Ave, Providence.
$8 at the door. Call (401) 861-8800 for more information.
Friday, May 02, 2003
At the Providence Civic Center from April 30-May 4, (now the
" Dunkin' Donuts Center) You can see lions, tigers, clowns, acrobats, elephants, and just about more amazing acts than you can shake a stick at. Belo Nock, a top notch clown headlines, as does "Bailey's Comet", a Human Cannonball on fire, and Mark Oliver Gebel-- the heir apparent to his dad Gunther-Gebel Williams.
It's still the Greatest Show on Earth, even if the animal protesters don't seem to think so.
Tickets range from $10 to $30. And it's a good deal. Just eat before hand, because the $5 cotton candy will kill ya!
Show Date
Show Time
|Wed, April 30
|Thu, May 1
|Fri, May 2
|Sat, May 3
|Sun, May 4
Thursday, May 01, 2003
| Carriage House Theatre,
7 Duncan Street, Providence.
Call 401-831-9479 for reservations.
Marvin Novogrodski, actor, comedian and magician, and his hypnosis-therapist Doug Vogel put on the full-length version of Marvin's Out of My Mind, an autobiographical solo show. Providence Phoenix critic Johnette Rodriguez writes, "Novogrodski's manner is so understated and deadpan that he's absolutely hilarious."
I saw a preview of this show, and it's really great. Definitely see it if you have the chance!
with hypnosis-therapist Doug Vogel
Providence Postcard Collection
A new feature to Providence's website is the Providence Postcard collection. It features old postcards of Providence as it was. And when you click on the postcard you can see the backside and see what the person wrote (or didn't write) about our fair city.
A fascinating look at our past. You are also encouraged to submit your own postcards of Providence to add to the collection.
The collection was put online by Alexandra Chilikina, a recent RISD grad in illustration and an intern at City Hall.
See some of Alexandra's illustrations
Go to the Providence Home Page


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Photo: Ian Muir via Flickr
You're relatively new to the workforce and you're eager to make a positive impression on your boss. That's a great attitude to have, but it isn't enough.
The truth is that when you enter the professional world, you bring some personal habits that may or may not please the boss. And it's likely that you lack the proper perspective to know the difference.
The office environment functions according to well-established and preordained routines. It relies on patterns, systems, cycles, and procedures for it to run efficiently. Such an atmosphere engenders various habits in everyone—a fact that's as easy to forget as it is imperative to remember. As you meander about the office, trying to get a footing, it would be wise to remember that good habits generally require an effort to develop, whereas bad habits germinate in their absence.
Before it all becomes too familiar to you, learn the kinds of habits bosses hate so you can avoid developing them in the first place.Bosses hate it when…
1. You don't show initiative.
No boss wants the burden of having to chronically tell you what to do. It's time-consuming, exhausting and he'll lose confidence in your abilities. It's a manner that is lazy and it's one of those habits bosses hate.
Don't wait to be told what to do, particularly during downtime. Your boss would rather see that you've taken the initiative to alphabetize a filing cabinet than surf the web when things are slow.
When you give the impression that you're unmotivated, you send a clear message of disinterest to your boss. Your boss probably has a lot invested in his job, so one of the last things he wants to see or hear from you is a lack of regard toward, or affection for, your job.
2. You show too much initiative.
On the other hand, you should also be concerned with showing too much initiative. It doesn't matter if it stems from excessive ambition, motivation, energy, or even a basic desire to please, it's one of many habits bosses hate.
Be careful not to overdo tasks and assignments; it's generally unnecessary. Instead of giving the impression that you're hard-working and creative, it has the potential for seeming inefficient: Why bother adding colours and graphs to a research assignment when that time would have been better spent getting on with other work?
An additional danger of showing too much initiative is in showing disrespect toward the office hierarchy. When you go above and beyond the call of duty, there's a chance that you'll step on some toes.
3. You make excuses.
This is one of the most annoying habits bosses hate. If you give him an excuse, it means that you overlooked some responsibility and are now offering a defence on your own behalf for that oversight.
"I didn't get the research done because I had a flat tire and by the time I got home it was really late."
Whether or not that statement is true, what your boss hears is: "It's not my fault; a flat tire absolved me of responsibility." Your boss will be less focused on what you actually said and more on what you imply.
Ultimately, you should know the difference between an excuse and an explanation. By definition, the former seeks exemption from blame, while the latter seeks clarity from confusion. The unnecessary details that typically subsidise an excuse only create more confusion; they do not address the fundamental point, which is your mistake. And when you address your mistake—by acknowledging it and by taking steps to correct it —it's the only thing your boss cares about and it's the only thing you should expect him to care about.
Finally, resist the urge to embellish on an excuse or to flat out fabricate one. It may seem like the solution for getting you out of a jam, but you will have created another issue for which to be accountable.
4. You complain.
Moaning, b*tching and whining are all reasonable synonyms for complaining. And no one, especially your boss, has any interest in hearing them; it's just one of those habits bosses hate.
Just because your boss has worked there a while and earns more money, doesn't mean that he's any happier about some aspects of the job, such as staying late. He has a life too, and he knows which office situations are unpleasant without getting a reminder from you. It is in your best interest to avoid such phrases as: "God this sucks" or "I was supposed to meet someone an hour ago."
Before you open your mouth, know the difference between a complaint and a critique. Complaints are personal and anyone can complain. Critiques require an effort because they tend to be constructive, meaning they aim to correct something. If the comment about to leave your mouth does not feature a proposed solution, if it's so banal it could not even support a solution ("It's only three o'clock? This is the longest day ever!"), save it for happy hour, your girlfriend or your blog.
5. You ask too many questions.
Naturally, it's not a bad thing to ask questions, especially when you're trying to clarify tasks before taking them on. In fact, asking questions should be encouraged. Asking too many questions, especially too many stupid questions, is among the habits bosses hate and can quickly become aggravating.
To begin, they are a fundamental waste of the boss' time and an emblem of inefficiency. They also reflect very poorly on you, your intelligence and on the perceptions others will develop about you. A manager will think twice before assigning you an important job, remembering how the last time you practically needed someone to hold your hand all the way through.
The bottom line is that bosses value employees who are resourceful enough to figure some things out on their own.
6. Don't be a habitual hassle.
Without exception, there's a motif running through these habits bosses hate: These habits tend to devour space and time in the life of your boss that aren't yours to occupy. By squandering his time you have delayed him elsewhere—and he'll likely remember the reason why.
You'll find that some people, even longtime veterans of the workforce, continue to exhibit the kinds of habits bosses hate. Don't be surprised if those are the same people who also complain about the company's glass ceilings, how they fail to encourage their employees and how rarely they give raises.
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$5.00 for a package of 25 leaflets.
Snapshots of Jesus is a bit like a family photo album. It captures the essence - quick views of Christ's birth, childhood, adulthood, death resurrection, ascension, and return. And it invites connection and reflection - gently asking how our stories intersect with His story.


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- American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has a comprehensive list of resources to assist practices to become a patient centered medical home.
- American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for children with Special Needs- has Program for Building Your Medical home- it's a whole series of assessments that you go through and can track progress It's free but need to log on to site.
AAP web site for medical homes
Buiding Your Medical Home tool kit Web site
- American College of Physicians (ACP) has a e collection of information and resources. For a fee practices can obtain access to ACP's Medical Home Builder (MHB) which provides on-line guidance for practices on patient centered medical home development and demonstration projects to assist planning for Patient-Centered Medical Home.
ACP Web site
ACP medical home Web site
- Center for Medical Home Improvement Web site – has listing of Medical Home Index Surveys for Adults and Pediatrics both long and short versions.
- Emmi Solutions, TransforMED and the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) partnered to create a Web-based patient education tool designed to help patients understand the Patient-Centered Medical Home concept.
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)- The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. The current medical-home product is PCMH 2011. Practices seeking recognition as a patient-centered medical home complete a Web-based data collection tool and provide documentation that validates responses. There is a fee for the survey and for the application.
NCQA Home Web site
Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition Program
NCQA's PCMH survey and application
NCQA'a Companion Guide to PCC-PCMH Standards
NCQA's recognition training programs
- Patient – Centered Primary Care Collaborative is a coalition of major employers, consumer groups, patient quality organizations, health plans, labor unions, hospitals, clinicians and many others who have joined together to develop and advance the patient centered medical home. The Collaborative has well over 500 members.
- "Obtaining Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition: A How-To Manual"
Primary Care Development Corporation's (PCDC) guide to help safety net providers through the NCQA recognition process.
- The Agency for Heathcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Medical Home resource center.
- Safety Net Medical Home Initiative is a combined effort of The Commonwealth Fund, MacColl Institute at Group Health Cooperative and Qualis Health to help selected primary care clinics become medical homes in Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Oregon and Pennsylvania. This Web site has a number of tools, reports and videos.
- Community Care of North Carolina CCNC is a public-private partnership dedicated to provide cooperative, coordinated care through the medical home model. CCNC has updated their Web resources for the NCQA PCMH 2011 Standards.


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Publicaciones científicas
Endovascular treatment of carotid stenosis associated with incidental intracranial aneurysm
Espinosa G, Dzieciuchowicz L, Grochowicz L.
Angiology and Vascular Surgery, University Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain.
Revista: Annal of Vascular Surgery
Fecha: 01-sep-2009Cirugía Vascular
The coexistence of internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis and intracranial aneurysm, although uncommon, can be a therapeutic dilemma.
We present a case of a 73-year-old woman with a history of arterial hypertension and diabetes who had a severe symptomatic ICA stenosis (>90%) and an incidental ipsilateral cerebral aneurysm. The carotid stenosis was treated with angioplasty and stenting using a distal cerebral protection system. The patient was anticoagulated and maintained on antiplatelet therapy according to a standard protocol. Microcoil embolization of the aneurysm was performed 5 months after an intracranial stent was implanted. No growth has been observed in the aneurysm of the arterial lumen since the carotid intervention. There were no complications after the procedures during the postoperative period.
This case shows that the incidental presence of an ipsilateral intracranial aneurysm does not appear to be a contraindication for the endovascular treatment of a carotid artery stenosis.
CITA DEL ARTÍCULO Ann Vasc Surg. 2009 Sep-Oct;23(5):688.e1-5
tal vezLE INTERESE
La Clínica es el hospital privado con mayor dotación tecnológica de España, todo en un único centro.
Los profesionales de la Clínica realizan una labor continuada de investigación y formación, siempre en beneficio del paciente.
Conozca por qué somos diferentes a otros centros sanitarios. Calidad, rapidez, comodidad y resultados.


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The Warriors (1979) dir: Walter Hill, starring Michael Beck
This controversial classic, based on a 1965 novel by Sol Yurick, is a wonderfully tight and economical action movie. It also stars Deborah Van Valkenburgh, James Remar, plus David Patrick Kelly as Luther - the whiny, seething, coiled, psychotic little alley cat of a villain.
Click here to read review
The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971) directed by Duccio Tessari
This Italian giallo murder mystery deviates from the usual tropes to provide a classy and surprisingly cinematic legal procedural.
Click here to read review
Aguirre, Wrath Of God (1972) directed by Werner Herzog
Herzog's historical account of the hopeless delusion of the 16th-century Spanish conquistador expedition to the fabled land of El Dorado is a chaotic but masterful stream of cinematic bolts out of the blue. A genuinely deranged Klaus Kinski stands at the film's centre.
Click here to read review
Black Christmas (1974) starring Olivia Hussey and Keir Dullea
Director Bob Clark's tense and atmospheric prototype slasher wasn't a major hit in its day but has gone on to be regarded as a horror classic over time.
Click here to read review
Duel (1971) - Steven Spielberg's first major hit
This made-for-TV killer trucker movie was such an eye-opener that it got extended and put in cinemas. It's a film loaded with cat-and-mouse tension and terror ably bolstered by Dennis Weaver's fine performance.
Click here to read review
1941 (1979) directed by Steven Spielberg and starring John Belushi
Spielberg's chaotic misfire of a big-budget WWII comedy was a critical and (to a lesser extent) commercial blip from which he thankfully recovered.
Click here to read review
Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979) directed by Lucio Fulci
This video nasty was conceived as a cash-in on George Romero's Day of the Dead but has become something of a cult classic in its own right thanks to its excellent practical gore effects.
Click here to read review
The Parallax View (1974) directed by Alan J. Pakula
This imaginative and disturbing conspiracy thriller starring Warren Beatty was given some extra charge at the time because of the Watergate Scandal and still holds up well today.
Click here to read review
The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) starring David Bowie
The late art rocker is perfectly cast in this tale of an idealistic alien overcome by alcoholism, directed by Nicolas Roeg and also starring Candy Clark.
Click here to read review
The Conversation (1974) directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Gene Hackman plays a surveillance expert in this neglected masterpiece. A superbly-constructed thriller cum character study focussing on perception.
Click here to read review


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In the summer months we celebrate several anniversaries.
July 20th, is our Anna's baptism anniversary. A sweet and simple day that always brings back wonderful chrism smell memories. The reminder that our daughter is sealed in Christ. Read More →
In the summer months we celebrate several anniversaries.
July 20th, is our Anna's baptism anniversary. A sweet and simple day that always brings back wonderful chrism smell memories. The reminder that our daughter is sealed in Christ. Read More →
Dear sweet preschool teachers,
It is hard to leave my child with you. Well not you in particular, but with anyone. It is hard to allow someone else to care for my precious child for the majority of the day and to be a part of our crazy experience of raising a human. I also know it is hard to spend 10 hours a day with 20 toddlers. I know you go home extremely tired and physically and mentally spent. Read More →
Y'all. I am going to say it. I am a Gilmore Girls expert. No humility, no shame. I watched the show as it came out and have been constantly cycling through each season for the last 7 years, with a steady 2-4 episodes a week. Needless to say, I can quote every episode and have lots of opinions, but I don't watch because its perfect, or because I agree with all the decisions all the characters make. I watch because I feel like a citizen in the whimsical world that is Stars Hollow.
You may have seen posts trumpeting titles like "how she does it all" or "how to have it all". Articles that, despite their good intentions, seem to celebrate packed schedules and women who successfully juggle 30 balls in the air at once. This is not one of those posts.
I'd be lying if I told you I hadn't read these articles before or been tempted by the click bait. These articles are often trying to provide their readers with a tool or insight about how to handle a busy life. What I am finding is that I don't need more tools, I need better discernment. I am the type of person who is energized and consistently motivated to do every great idea I hear or think up, but I am learning to love that I can't do everything.
This 'yes-girl' wants to embrace and relish opportunities to confidently say no and live life more fully, but a little less full. I recognize that as life continues more commitments will fill our days, and my perspective may change, but here is a plan for today.
So here I am before you, work outside the home mom, thriving young adult, amateur blogger, and loved wife, and this is how I do NOT do it all.
We've had a wonderful summer in this neck of the woods. Busy and hot, but absolutely sweet.
We also have an exciting announcement…
We're truly so excited that we can't stop dancing. There have been challenging moments and natural fears, but we are enjoying the time we have with this new family member and looking forward to those hazy moments when we hold this baby for the first time. Not to mention all the new memories and milestones to come.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the love and support you continue to show our family! We are grateful to share this journey with you.
For similar content click over to these posts about the emotions of our first pregnancy, the announcement, and the birth story.
This post is part of a series on the life of saints. If you are interested in more information about what a saint is, check out this introductory post. Basically, saints are holy men and women whose lives demonstrate the glory of God and are now in heaven in his presence.
Today's new friend is St. Gianna Molla. A 20th century saint known for her life as a wife, mother of four, and doctor. Read More →
I am one of those people who tries to carry all the grocery bags in one trip, who wants to ride every ride at the theme park, and who can't sit still and relax when on vacation.
I thought everyone was this way, until I met my husband. He likes to do a few things thoroughly, rather than a million things half way. If you are more like my husband, then this post is not for you, maybe he can guest post about something on the opposite end of the spectrum. But if you have caught your self tipping over from the weight of a gallon of milk, then read on.
Read More →
Happy Easter! I hope you are having an Easter filled with family, joy, and Jesus. We have been gifted with truly beautiful time around these parts.
Our wiggly two-year old was able to attend Holy Thursday and Easter mass, and I am always amazed by how much of these celebrations she is able to absorb. After Holy Thursday, every time she heard the word Jesus she would bend to touch our feet and say in the perfect toddler voice, "wash." On Good Friday we talked about how Jesus died because he loves us so much. Drawing on past experiences of death like The Lion King and a great-grandfather passing.
Then came Easter, how was I going to explain the Resurrection to my daughter? I didn't know if I could totally explain it to myself. We started to use the language "rise from he dead", but it didn't seem to ring any bells. Then all of the sudden out of the mouth of babes, Anna said "up". She found a word in our explanation that made sense.
We would ask her what happened to Jesus and she would gesture with her hand and say joyfully with her mouth "up!" How simple, how perfect, how truly wise.
I love me some Lane Kim-Van Gerbig. She is zany, passionate, and true through and through. Lane and Zach's wedding and the twin's baby shower are two of my favorite Gilmore Girls episodes. As I was writing this post about the fear of becoming a parent, I couldn't help think about Lane's conversation with Rory the day she found out she was pregnant.


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Reels, jackpots, payouts, scatter symbols… It is easy to get lost in the lingo of online slots games when navigating the online casino world. If you are a gaming enthusiast who enjoys games of chance, you have probably tried your luck on the numerous versions of online slots that are offered by casinos on the web – a convenient way to play from the comfort of your home, although, it somehow lacks the socializing aspect and the atmosphere that draws some people to land-based casinos.
The Classics: 3 Reel Slots and Fruit Machines
Let's start with the classics: 3-reel slots are as classic as it gets. These are the games that are also widely known as fruit machines and their layout is pretty simple and straightforward. This makes them perfect for beginners and players who do not want to spend too much time understanding the basics of the slot game they choose or like to change slot games often – but, for other players, their simplicity is a disadvantage, as they prefer the excitement of more complicated and visually compelling slots with interesting themes.
3-reel slots were the first type of slots ever created and you can find classic symbols like cherries, lemons, and other types of fruits, or gold bars and playing cards on them, which brings with it that allure of nostalgia. You can easily get them on an android app and they normally have just one payline – which is the arrangement of three identical symbols in the middle line – but there are also more complicated versions with 3 paylines or even 5.
5 Reels: High Entertainment Factor
This type of more elaborate slot game is probably the most widely enjoyed. It is still easy enough to grasp the basics but it provides the added bonus of themes (usually inspired from movies or entertaining tropes like Ancient Egypt, the jungle, etc.) as well as opening videos, mini-games and amazing animated features that attract players by adding a glamor factor to the game. As the name suggests, they have 5 reels instead of just the basic 3, which makes for more combinations and a wider range of paylines.
They usually have a wild symbol of increased significance that allows you to land a winning combination and get a payout more often. If you take a look at a full article on Avalon slots, which is themed around King Arthur and his famous Knights of the Roundtable, you will see that the wild symbol is a chest of gold, while the scatter symbol that activates free spin bonus rounds is the Lady of the Lake, a character of much importance in the King Arthur myth.
Progressive Jackpot Slots: Big Payouts
This type of slot game deserves an honorable mention, as they offer a unique opportunity to players. Normally, the players on a slot bet on an already set jackpot that does not vary. With progressive jackpot slots, the concept is turned on its head: players across different games bet on a shared jackpot that increases every time any of them takes another spin. This means that players have the chance to win huge payouts, although, when a player lands a payline, the jackpot resets. Microgaming, a leading slots software company that has developed more than 700 games and around 1,200 variations of them since 1994, has estimated that its progressive jackpot games have paid out more than €438 million over time.
These are the basics for beginners in online casinos. According to the amount of time, effort and money you would like to spend, you can choose from these basic types of slot games and take it from there.