text:
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Regular Price:
10.043,04 $
Special Price
4.304,16 $
In stock
Be the first to review this product
Groumette chain bracelet 18Kt rose gold and silver with round black diamonds.
Size guide
Doralia's code 2018-1010-0009
Made in Italy Product made in Italy, synonymous with quality and design creativity.
Product code:AND1494AU-AG
SHIPPING Standard shipping date 6 workdays for items in stock. Any additional time required by the goldsmith for particular request or changes in the item will be always immediately communicated.
RETURNSYou can return your jewel for any reason within 14 business days from receipt. You will be fully refunded. Please check the condition on the bottom of the home page.
SECURITY All transactions are secure and confidential. Every package is insured and protected for delivery.
AUTHENTICITY All items are delivered with their own Authenticity Certificate. Each item is checked and warranted by our jewel experts before shipping.
Only registered users can write reviews. Please, log in or register
Use spaces to separate tags. Use single quotes (') for phrases.
Regular Price:
3.586,80 $
Special Price
1.537,20 $
Regular Price:
1.291,25 $
Special Price
553,39 $
Regular Price:
4.782,40 $
Special Price
2.049,60 $
Regular Price:
2.152,08 $
Special Price
922,32 $
Regular Price:
3.538,98 $
Special Price
1.516,70 $
Regular Price:
5.260,64 $
Special Price
2.254,56 $


text:
Our Web Hosting plans are ideal for anyone just getting started. Can't find or don't know what hosting product to choose? Contact us or schedule an hour with a representative to get the attention you deserve. We can help find the best hosting solution to achieve your goals.
Web Hosting with extra features, to give you much more control, high availability, flexibility, and security.
unlimited bandwidth
Do you want to have the freedom and resources of a dedicated server at reduced prices? VPS SSD is your choice.
unlimited control
We offer reliable hosting products for every need - from a basic blog to a high-powered site or even more complex systems. We've got you covered. Designer? Developer? Welcome aboard.
We are not going to tell you what everyone else already advertises. You have to try our products to know why we have the best customer service.
Web Hosting and VPS products can be upgraded or downgraded instantly with a few clicks even when you have paid for a year to gain a discount.
Intrusion and Malware Detection included on any Web Hosting products to help get you started. Available as an option for other products.
Feel free to try our web hosting or virtual server (VPS) services for 14 days without any risk. Either you are completely satisfied, or we will refund your money.
I've to say that they're service is impressive, I've no single downtime, and the support service is responsive, courteous, and most of all... helpful.
Support was very good, and patient at my every dumb question, I spent more then 1 hour talking on msn with Ricardo, before decided to buy.
Dunno if it means much but I personally vouch for them. ATM they're really one of the best VPS providers out there, with superb staff.
Press the following button to schedule a chat with one of our sales representatives.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
2018-08-14 | Peer Reviewed
Do Safety Net Transfers Improve Diets and Reduce Undernutrition? Evidence from Rural Ethiopia
Gebreheiwot, Tagel and Carolina Castilla. 2018. "Do Safety Net Transfers Improve Diets and Reduce Undernutrition? Evidence from Rural Ethiopia." The Journal of Development Studies : .
Download reference
This paper we examine the impact of the Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on
household dietary diversity and child nutrition using both waves of the Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey. It uses various methodologies. Results indicate consistently that PSNP has not had the desired effect on household dietary diversity or child nutrition regardless of model specification or methodology, suggesting that
perhaps the transfers need to be paired with additional interventions such as information about nutrition.
- Agriculture


text:
Everything you need to know about Canada's new ETA, for your next trip to Canada.Read more
Tag: protips
Chicago to New York Road Trip
Looking to go on a road trip in the U.S. on your next trip? We have a sample itinerary for you, that we think that you are going to love! Trip overview Travel time: 12-14 hours Number of days on road: 1-2 Driver skill[…]Read more
Power Tip- Google's Flight Tools
You Did it the Old-fashioned Way… Have you ever been to the airport to pick someone up, and you park your car, only to find out that your friend or family member's flight is delayed? Or perhaps you are a little bit more tech savy,[…]Read more
Travel Insurance- Avoid This Common Mistake
Avoid this common mistake! Most travellers these days know that travel insurance is a necessity, due to the unknowns that are faced, whilst travelling overseas. Different insurance companies offer varying degrees of benefits in regards to covering delayed or lost luggage, emergency overseas hospital and[…]Read more


text:
Chicago police arrest 21 in multi-million dollar car theft ring
Posted: Jul 30, 2012 9:33 PM EST | Updated: Nov 6, 2014 4:34 AM EST
CHICAGO -- It was a scene made for the movies. High-end vehicles were stolen in large numbers. We're talking $4 million worth of more than 200 cars.
Police said it really happened inside Chicago. On Monday, investigators announced that they cracked the ring.
They said it targeted leased BMWs, Land Rovers, and Cadillacs.
Investigators said the ring changed vehicle identification numbers to get titles before selling the cars.
Some vehicles worth $50,000 were sold for just $10,000.
Police arrested 21 people for their roles in the ring.
Save with
0 Comments
Post a comment
Be the first to leave a comment!


text:
Hello Everyone!
Rene and Cindy here to challenge you!
Rene and Cindy here to challenge you!
We are doing a double challenge - 2 themes, 2 weeks to enter, 2 hostesses.
Challenge 1 - Wrap-it-up
Hostess - Rene
Bugaboo is sponsoring our challenge and the winner will receive 7 fun images!
One week to go before Christmas is here!
There are always little last minute things to do, gifts to wrap.
It's also a time of finishing off the year, of wrapping up, ready for the next step.
There are always little last minute things to do, gifts to wrap.
It's also a time of finishing off the year, of wrapping up, ready for the next step.
That is what we want to see: your interpretation of 'wrap-it-up'. It can be your gifts all beautifully wrapped, a gift tag, a lovely layout that you wanted to finish before Christmas. Remember to mention that you are joining this challenge for a chance to win the price/get in the spotlight.
Our fabulous Design Team has been busy creating fabulous projects using images from the sponsor:
Maureen Using Bugaboo Present Bear
Doris using Rudolph Tag
Julia using Knobby Knees Christmas Wagon
And now for Challenge 2 - It's All New
Hostess and Sponsor- Cindy Leek
In Challenge 1 we're wrapping up the old year, so in Challenge 2,
we're celebrating what's new!
Show us a project that celebrates something new...the New Year,
a new baby, a new house, a new job or even a new stamp set!
The winner of Challenge 2 will receive a
CTMH Sarita Paper Packet and Current Stamp Set
Here are a few "NEW" projects
Doris - for a new house
Julia - using a new stamp
Cindy using a new stamp set
To wrap up our last big challenge of the year, we are thrilled
to have two fantastic Guest Designers join us for our Double Challenge.
Please say hello to Maria and Helen and be sure to check out their blogs!
Maria Georgiva
Hello! My name is Maria. I am from Bulgaria. For almost 2 years now I've been scrapbooking and mainly cardmaking. I express my emotions and feeling with paper, embellishments and paints. Inpirations is around us! Thank you so much to the girls for asking me be a
Guest Designer in this lovely blog today!
Helen Nile
I've been a card maker for many years and love stamping - my style is mostly clean and simple. As well as designing for several companies, I also teach regular card making workshops. I work as an activities coordinator for Abbeyfield, a charity that provides residential and sheltered care for the elderly. This means that I spend my working week playing dominoes, doing chair exercises and crosswords and of course crafting!
Ok, your turn! You can enter Challenge 1, Challenge 2 or both if you like!
This double challenge will remain open until December 31, so you've got two weeks to add your projects. The Crafting by Designs team will take a week off to spend the holiday with their families, but we're getting ready for some great new challenges in 2014. Hope you'll join us!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all from Crafting by Designs!


text:
Image: Hassan Hajjaj Afrikan Boy, 2012 © Hassan Hajjaj Courtesy of the artist
One afternoon some years ago my dad and I were sitting parked outside the Express Dairy not far from our house chatting in the front seats of our car. We'd been there for about ten minutes when there was a knock on the window. It was a policeman. Someone in the dairy had called his station to report the presence of two suspicious men in a vehicle. The policeman was very polite. He just wanted to know who we were and what we were up to. As we drove off, my dad chuckled at the idea that anyone could think of us, a middle aged man and his son in a Volvo estate, as any kind of threat.
I laughed too although I wouldn't have, if I'd realised such incidents were soon to become commonplace. I had just turned 16 and with no prompting on my part, the idea of me as a threat seemed abruptly widespread. When I sat beside them on the tube, women clutched their handbags a little closer. Shopkeepers trailed me through their stores. If I happened to be walking down the street behind someone at night, they crossed the street before I got too close.
Each of these events was minor enough to shrug off, but taken together they formed a pattern. And looking back now, I see that what they marked was an unbidden coming of age. Here was an end to boyhood and the start of my journey into adulthood; into becoming a black man.
What this meant in practice was that my body was no longer my own. Being a black man means being subject to the white gaze, which is to say the accreted history of fear and fantasy that frames how white society regards black people. It means becoming an object of prejudice and fascination and psychological projection. The tropes are familiar ones: black men as preternaturally gifted at sports and entertainment; as creatures of overdeveloped musculature and ungovernable sexuality, liable to lapse into violence and lawlessness.
Well worn as these caricatures are, they still carry the power to sting. In a pivotal passage in Black Skin, White Masks, his masterful exploration of race and identity from 1952, Frantz Fanon describes a white boy's startled reaction to him on the streets of France. Pointing at Fanon's approaching figure, the boy cries, " Look, a Negro!… Mama, see the Negro! I'm frightened." [1]
For Fanon the moment is one of psychic assault. He is forced to see himself through the eyes of the child, as brute and threatening, and then dumped back into his own skin, objectified and humiliated. " My body," he writes, " was given back to me sprawled out, distorted, recoloured, clad in mourning in that white winter day." [2]
A similar sense of trauma runs through Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. As the novel's hero recounts, blackness has rendered him beneath sight to most white people, even as it lends him a heightened visibility across society as a stereotypical object of fear and loathing and fascination. " I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allen Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fibre and liquids – and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me… When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves or figments of their imagination – indeed, everything and anything except me." [3]
Fanon's response, and that of Ellison's hero, are a vivid example of what W.E.B. Du Bois, the great African-American philosopher of race, termed 'double consciousness' a century ago. Du Bois spoke of the " peculiar sensation" experienced by black people of " always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity." [4]
His words still ring true, yet a hundred years later, they no longer articulate the full range of black responses to the white gaze.
The Russian-Ghanaian photographer Liz Johnson Artur often captures black men poised between private contemplation and public display. Her subjects seem acutely aware of their uncomfortable position as Ellison-like figures, simultaneously hypervisible and invisible to wider society.
Yet where double consciousness, in DuBois's original conception, was only ever a burden, Johnson Artur's subjects carry racialised awareness with defiant confidence. None more so than the young man that she shoots seated on an upturned crate, wearing glorious red trousers and an expression of fierce insouciance, carrying himself like a king despite the humbleness of his surroundings.
Johnson Artur's photographs, along with the other works in Made You Look, explore how black men shape their self-image in front of the camera and how they sit between the twin poles of visibility and vulnerability.
On one hand, this is a period of unprecedented prominence for black people, from Obama in the White House to the striking success of artists and performers like Beyoncé, Steve McQueen, Marlon James, Kanye West, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Kendrick Lamar. On the other, blacks remain victim to the consequences of entrenched racism. Over five hundred black and minority ethnic people in Britain have died in suspicious circumstances while in state detention over the past 25 years, without a single official being successfully prosecuted. In America, one in three black men can expect to go to jail in their lifetime. And the list of African American men killed in recent years solely because of their skin colour only continues to grow.
Against this fragile backdrop, Made You Look focuses on the figure of the black dandy. Dandyism – and with it issues of style and deportment – might seem like trivial concerns in the era of Black Lives Matter. But as the killing of Trayvon Martin, shot by George Zimmerman for looking " suspicious" in a hoodie attests, how you dress can sometimes be the difference between life and death.
The dictionary definition of a dandy is a man " unduly concerned with looking stylish and fashionable." But dandyism, as practised by the likes of Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde and Charles Baudelaire, is also about using dress to deliberately flout conventional notions of class, taste, gender and sexuality.
This is certainly the case with the majestically louche Soweto youths decked out in flared sleeveless suits and pearls, shot by Kristin-Lee Moolman. And the strikingly beautiful young man photographed in New York by Jeffrey Henson Scales. Titled Young Man in Plaid, NYC, Scales' portrait epitomises the scholar Monica Miller's definition of a black dandy as a figure who is " masculine and feminine, aggressively heterosexual yet not quite a real man, a vision of an upstanding citizen and an outsider broadcasting his alien status by clothing his dark body in a good suit." [5]
Such images point to the subversive power of dandyism to reveal maleness itself as a performance, as something provisional and open to reinterpretation, rather than a set of inherited characteristics fixed in the skin.
And they also highlight how, for black people, the donning of stylish clothes acts as a form of radical personal politics; a deliberate transgression of a social order that would otherwise render blacks unseen, invisible, beneath regard. This tactic of style as rebellion has deep historical roots, as can be witnessed by looking back to America's antebellum South.
When enslaved Africans disembarked in America in the 18th century, they were fitted with drab, crudely stitched clothes made from the coarsest cottons. Along with the chains round their ankles, the stripping away of their names and banning of their native languages, this was another attempt to deny them choice over their own destiny.
South Carolina's Negro Act of 1735 even went so far as to stipulate the kinds of materials allowable for 'Negro dress', typically only the cheapest " course callicoes, checked cottons or scotch plaids." [6]
Yet in resistance to such rulings, slaves repeatedly fashioned their own distinctive clothes. They scrounged and pilfered scraps of material to make jackets and dresses in vivid patchworks of clashing colours, decorated with ribbons and gold and silver buttons.
One way to appreciate the subversive value of style for black people in bondage is to examine newspaper adverts for runaway slaves posted during the 18th century. A striking number of these placed an emphasis on the variety and distinctiveness with which slaves styled themselves, describing them as " addicted to dress", " remarkably fond of dress", " generally dressy" and " very fond of showy dress". [7]
A particular notice, posted in Augusta, Virginia in 1774, attracts the eye. A plantation owner seeks the return of a runaway named Bacchus, described as " cunning, artful, sensible" and " very capable of forging a Tale to impose on the Unwary." [8] As well as noting his intelligence and resourcefulness, the advert also identifies Bacchus as a protean dandy, one who has made his escape with a considerable wardrobe, including " two white Russia Drill Coats… blue Plush Breeches, a fine Cloth Pompadour waistcoat, two or three thin or Summer jackets… five or six white Shirts… neat Shoes, a fine Hat cut and cocked in the Macaroni Figure, a double-milled Drab Great Coat and sundry other Wearing Apparel." [9]
For a runaway like Bacchus, adopting fine dress was a means to metaphorically and literally upend the order of things. Dressed in his finery, he would have been performing a parody of the white men who'd put him in chains. And, in doing so, he was also remaking himself, in very real terms, into a free man, by attempting to walk out of the South with all the confidence and panache of a man apparently born into liberty.
Even after the end of slavery the assertion of an individual style by African Americans remained a charged issue. There are legion accounts of black men being beaten, sometimes to death, for dressing or acting above their station. Edward Clay's Life in Philadelphia, a popular series of prints produced in 1828, pictured the city's emergent black middle class with cruelly exaggerated facial features and preposterously flamboyant clothes.
In 1841, a notorious gang of black men stood trial in Mississippi for bank robbery and murder. The charges against them ran long; the gang was also accused of burglary, smuggling and the passing of counterfeit bills. But they attended their trial dressed with conspicuous extravagance. In the dock, the gang's leader, who donned a range of expensive hats throughout the proceedings, described their actions as " fashionable rascality". As Thomas Buchanan has noted, they employed flamboyant style to " transform subservient identities" into a defiant sense of " resilience and independence".[10] Despite – or more likely because of – that attitude, the gang was found guilty of murder and all its members were hanged and beheaded.
In men like Bacchus and the Mississippi gang, we glimpse the origins of style as a mode of resistance. The lineage that stretches from them is a long one, populated by men who've dressed with knowing flamboyance and a very clear delight at the consternation that their appearance triggers in white society. It's a line that includes the poet Langston Hughes and the boxer Jack Johnson, idiosyncratic performers such as Sun Ra and George Clinton and stars like Prince and Andre 3000.
In each case, what comes to mind are Fanon's words on the transgressive potential of style: " I grasp my narcissism with both hands and I turn my back on the degradation of those who would make me a mere mechanism."[11]
As a teenager having to grapple for the first time with the force of the white gaze, I'd ask myself this question: how do you live without fear or debilitating anger in a world where you're reminded always that your body doesn't belong to you?
The answer, as proposed by the works in Made You Look, is to demand to be seen on your own terms, via the style and attitude that announces your ambitions and desires, your sense of pride and inner belief.
For the most part the men featured in the show aren't wearing the finest of clothes. They seem less concerned with what they wear than with how they wear it. Their style is by turns flamboyant, provocative, arresting, camp, playful and gloriously assertive. And they share a fierce self-possession that makes it clear that black dandyism is about more than dress alone. It is about confounding expectations about how black men should look or carry themselves in order to establish a place of personal freedom; a place beyond the white gaze, where the black body is a site of liberation not oppression.
—Ekow Eshun
Ekow Eshun is a writer and broadcaster and curator of Made You Look: Dandysim and Black Masculinity, which runs at The Photographers' Gallery through 25 September.
This essay features in volume 2, issue 3 of Loose Associations, a new quarterly publication on photography and image culture, available from our online bookstore for £5.
1. Fanon, F (2008) Black Skin, White Masks. London: Pluto Press
2. Ibid
3. Ellison, R (1965) Invisible Man. London: Penguin Books
4. DuBois, W.E.B. (1996) The Souls of Black Folk. London: Penguin Books
5. Miller, M (2009) Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity. North Carolina: Duke University Press
6. White, S and White, G (1998) Stylin': African American Expressive Culture from its Beginnings to the Zoot Suit. New York: Cornell University
7. Ibid
8. Ibid
9. Ibid
10. Buchanan, T (2001) " Rascals on the Antebellum Mississippi: African American Steamboat Workers and The St. Louis Hanging of 1841". In: Journal of Social History, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 797–816
11. Fanon, F (2008) Black Skin, White Masks. London: Pluto Press


text:
Also found in: Dictionary, Wikipedia.
Pereira(pārā`rä), city (1993 pop. 348,023), capital of Risaralda dept., W central Colombia, in the upper Cauca valley. It is a major distribution center for coffee and cattle and has a small textile industry.
a city in western Colombia, in the Cauca Valley. Capital of the Risaralda Department. Population, 212,000 (1972). A railroad and highway junction, Pereira is the market center of a region that produces coffee and livestock products. It has textile, food-processing, and leather-goods enterprises.
a town in W central Colombia: cattle trading and coffee processing. Pop.: 656 000 (2005 est.)


text:
- Consumer testers liked the scent and texture
- Consumer testers thought it was very easy to apply
- Tamed frizz immediately, and anti-frizz effects lasted throughout the day
- Consumer testers thought this formula made hair shiny, soft, and smooth
- Hair expanded considerably in humid conditions
Consumer testers loved how easy Dove Nourishing Oil Care Anti-Frizz Serum was to apply. Even more, they loved its ability to tame frizz immediately without weighing hair, while improving hair's softness and smoothness. However, in lab tests, Dove-treated tresses expanded considerably over time in humid conditions.
Reviewed: August 2013
Price When Reviewed: $5.50


text:
Looking for a short, relatively easy hike with a unique experience? Look no further than Fryingpan Mountain! Located at Mile Post 409.6 along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and just a stone's throw from Mt. Pisgah, Fryingpan Mountain offers panoramic views from atop a 70-foot tall lookout tower. Let's climb on up and see exactly what it has to offer!
Fryingpan Mountain is probably one of the most overlooked attractions the Blue Ridge Parkway has to offer…especially for the great payoff the short hike rewards you with. The 1.5 mile out and back trail is easy to moderate in difficulty, and follows an old service road (FS450) the entire way, so it's easy to spot and follow. Parking is directly beside the road on the dirt or grass…just be sure to not block the gate.
Once across the gate, the path will turn left and begin to ascend to the summit. There's a small trail that bears right, and that goes to the Mt. Pisgah Campground…so stay left. The trail itself isn't anything to write home about, and unless you go during spring or summer, it'll look pretty bland. If you time your visit right, though, you'll pass through swaths of wildflowers, as well as some blooming rhododendrons and wild blueberries. You will get a few glimpses of Mt. Pisgah and some of the surrounding mountains on the way up if you visit during the winter and early spring, but the real views come once at the top.
Once you've almost reached the top, you'll see the steel tower rising up in the distance. From here, it levels off before making a final, short climb to the summit.
Before heading to the tower, check out the view of Mt. Pisgah, as most of the view of Pisgah will be obstructed when on the tower. Also check out the cool weather sensor to the left, and the view looking directly behind it to the east. Also, be sure to follow all warning signs and to stay away from all restricted areas.
The views from the base are nice, but are nothing compared to the ones you'll be presented with when climbing the tower. Built in 1941, the lookout tower was used to locate fires across the region. It's the only remaining fire tower left in the Pisgah Ranger District, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the very top is blocked off from access, but everything just below is open to exploration. Those brave enough to climb the stairs will be greeted with sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains…including Mt. Pisgah, Looking Glass Rock, and Cold Mountain, along with many others. Sunsets and sunrises are especially beautiful from up here. Some people claim the views are nicer from the tower than they are from the top of Mt. Pisgah. With way less crowds and a much shorter, less rigorous hike, I'm inclined to agree with them. Completely exposed, winds do get pretty strong near the top, so be cautious when climbing, and be sure to use the handrails.
Fryingpan Mountain is truly a unique experience. It certainly doesn't get enough credit for everything it offers…which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Crowds are most likely going to be generally low, so you won't be fighting for spots to view the gorgeous mountains and cool lookout tower. (Plus, I'm not sure you want a whole lot of people on the tower at the same time anyway….)
Once over the vertigo-inducing climb, the payoff is easily one of the best in the Southern Appalachians. And it's definitely worth a visit for those traveling along the Mt. Pisgah and Graveyard Fields sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Comment below about some of your favorite, not as well known hikes and attractions!


text:
Clashing commissioners
Relations between FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani and her colleagues were a little tense last week, after she requested several late-hour changes to proposals and rules the commissioners planned to approve at its Thursday meeting. Most annoying was a last-minute request to postpone a high-profile cable open-access inquiry. Tristani had wanted a month delay so it could be released with the agency's decision on the America Online-Time Warner merger. Reluctantly, Chairman Kennard agreed to a two-week postponement. Tristani's colleagues were also angered by her other last-minute changes to proposals, which caused a half-hour delay in the meeting's opening and led to two recesses. Said Commissioner Susan Ness: "I would ask that ... Commissioner Tristani do her best to circulate any edits well in advance of the two-week period."


text:
AGM Finance specialises in small to medium businesses including those in the entertainment & hospitality industry and the retail sector. So whether you need equipment finance for a new POS system, audio and visual equipment, our team can help.
Features and Benefits
Competitive Interest Rates
Claim back the GST (Chattel Mortgage)
Private Sales OK
Tax Benefits (Asset Depreciation)
Fixed Interest Rate for the life of the loan
Select a balloon option to reduce repayment amount
No Deposit OK
Tailored repayments to suit cash flow trends
Our finance experts will tend to your personal needs in a professional manner to ensure you obtain the best hospitality and retail finance deal available.
Hospitality Financing
We have been financing Coffee Club Franchises for over 17 years being The Coffee Clubs preferred finance broker. We understand hospitality therefore you benefit.
Whether you want a new espresso machine, POS System or an entire interior fit out, AGM finance can assist. We've been servicing the needs of small to medium businesses since 1997. Finance options available for hospitality and retail include Chattel Mortgage, Hire Purchase, Lease and Rent to Buy.
Low Doc Hospitality Finance
We offer competitively priced Low Doc Finance solutions for businesses that don't have their current financials available. If you have been in business for 2 years, have good credit, and own or have a mortgaged property you can expect to access funds up to $55,000 with no financials required


text:
Hello, and welcome to my website. This site is dual purpose for me, firstly as a place I can keep a record of my health and sporting journey, and secondly as a place where I hope I can inspire others to take their own journey to live a healthy life.
So, a little about me…
As a child I was always very active. If I was not playing football or cricket, you would find me down the park playing some other sport with friends or family members. As I got a little older, the football continued to the point I was playing 3-4 competitive matches a week, and also training most days (not always football training). At the age of 20 my sporting career was well and truly interrupted when I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament in my left knee, and in that moment my football career was over. As much as I tried in my rehab, I just could not get the knee back to a position that I could play contact sport again without having another operation to replace the missing ligament which would have meant a massive interruption to my life, with time off work required. It just was not something I was prepared to do, so decided then it was time to move on.
A couple of years later my sporting career continued on the cricket field – I found that my knee was strong enough to withstand the rigours of village cricket, so the is what I did for the next 3 years, taking me up to age 25. At this stage I started to have a family with my wife, who I married the year before, and the cricket was given up for spending time with my family at weekends.
A couple of years later I decided that I needed to get involved in some sort of sport again, and stumbled back into running, which I did on and off for the next 6 years, never really sticking with it long enough to really find my fitness properly. During this time I entered the ballot for the London Marathon, but each time I did I got the rejection magazine through my door.
During a holiday in 2014 I took a look at myself, and noticed that I had put on a lot of weight, and did not like the way I looked. This prompted me to again start running when I got back from that holiday. Just after I started running again I had a chance meeting with on of my clients from work, a charity called KidsOut and we got talking about fund raising and them becoming our nominated charity for the year. As the conversation progressed, it became apparent that they had a charity place available for the London Marathon in 2015. Having wanted to take part in the Marathon for many years, I jumped at the chance – finally I had my place in the London Marathon, all I had to do was get fit (at the time I could barely run 2 miles), and raise enough money to cover the sponsored entry.
I went about my training by joining the local triathlon club, who gave me so much support and encouragement, and pounding the streets of my town several nights a week. After 2 months of training I was getting a little frustrated that I was not making the progress I had hoped. Around the same time I saw someone on Facebook posting about a product I had never heard of. We got talking and she said it could help my training, and we went through the advantages it could give me. I decided to give the product a try, and I have not looked back since. The product was Juice Plus, and that coupled with my training enabled me to get down to a decent weight, and also gave me other benefits directly related to my training, such as quicker recovery times and increased energy.
In April 2015 I completed my goal of finishing the London Marathon, and since have moved on to compete in several Triathlon races. I now have set myself a new goal of completing the hardest Ironman race on the planet in 2017 – Ironman Lanzarote.
I hope you will follow and support me on my journey, and I hope my journey will inspire you to take your own journey into leading a healthy life…


text:
Name that airport ... (Sacramento)
Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY
UPDATE: The photo shown in this week's "name that airport" post is of California's Sacramento International Airport.
Congratulations to reader John Van Buiten of North Haledon, N.J., for being the first to correctly identify the photo.
The photo is courtesy of The Associated Press.
Check back on Friday at 12:10 p.m. ET for the next photo.
ORIGINAL POST: Here is this week's "name that airport" photo.
Submit your guess for this week's out-of-season photo by clicking on the comment link and typing your answer there.
Check back Wednesday to see the answer.
LAST WEEK : Istanbul


text:
During the holiday season, business has been brisk at Le Fournil de Mouffetard, a bakery located on rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. Customers have been lining up to purchase a seasonal dessert called bûche de Noël, a cake dressed up to look like a Yule log. The foot-long logs are sold in their entirety or by the slice.
We stopped by Tuesday and purchased a slice of a log called Le Spéculoos, and another called La Nuance.
Le Spéculoos is made out of Spéculoos, a crunchy shortcrust cookie. This log consists of three elements: a mousse chocolat au lait frosting that envelops a dense crème de Spéculoos center, all resting on a crunchy base of crushed Spéculoos cookies. Just as Spéculoos cookies are a delight to eat, so was this Yule log. It was sweet with a spicy flavor of nutmeg. I was disappointed, though, that the mousse chocolat au lait frosting did not express a distinctive milk-chocolate flavor.
La Nuance is a log consisting of four elements: a layer of crémeux chocolat on top of two layers of biscuit chocolat; a layer of parfait au chocolat; and a bottom crust of pâte sablée. The crémeux chocolat was rich, dense, smooth, and sweet. The two layers of biscuit chocolat were, in reality, soft, moist chocolate cake, not crunchy cookie as the name biscuit would imply. The parfait au chocolat had the rich, sweet consistency of chocolate mousse.
Bûches de Noël are generally sold through the beginning of the New Year. We look forward to tasting galette des Rois on Epiphany, which falls on January 8 this year, and ending the Christmas season with crêpes on Candlemas, which falls on February 2.
Le Fournil de Mouffetard
123, rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris
Telephone: 01.47.07.35.96
We participate in Wanderfood Wednesdays. Head over there to explore food from around the world!
Like our blog? Join us on Facebook!
Tags: bûche de Noël, Yule log


text:
I should be working on writing articles this afternoon, but I've had a very bad case of the procrastinaties today. I spent too much time surfing, finding funny photos and enjoying a number of belly laughs. The photos are so good, I just HAVE to share them with you so that you can procrastinate, too, and I wont feel so bad about it! Haha!
Seriously, these are just hilarious. Enjoy your weekend!
Karate School! I'd say everyone passed with flying colors!
They call him "Killer."
I really wonder if this photo is photoshopped. I mean, how can this be??? … :blink: ????


text:
2012 State Championships
June 9, 10 and 11
Hosted by Penrith District Netball Association – Jamison Park, Cnr York Road and Batt Street, Penrith NSW 2750
Open Championship Winner – Manly Warringah
Open Championship Runners-Up – PenrithOpen Division Two Winner – Orange
Open Division Two Runners-Up – Grafton19U Championship Winner – Newcastle
19U Championship Runners-Up – Manly Warringah
17U Championship Winner – Liverpool City
17U Championship Runners-Up – Manly Warringah
17U Division Two Winner – Lakeside
17U Division Two Runners-Up – Hastings Valley
17U Division Three Winner – Cessnock
17U Division Three Runners-Up – Brunswick Byron
Over 35 Championship Winner – Manly Warringah
Over 35 Championship Runners-Up – Gosford
Over 40 Championship Winner – Manly Warringah
Over 40 Championship Runners-Up – Newcastle
Over 45 Championship Winner – Hills District
Over 45 Championship Runners-Up – Bankstown City
Pat Weston OAM Country Championship Cup Winner – Hastings Valley
2012 State Championships – Timings
Matches will consist of 2 x 13 minute halves, 1 minute half time and 2 minutes between rounds.
Saturday 9 June: Round 1, 9.15am
Sunday 10 June: Round 16, 8.30am
Monday 11 June: Round 31, 8.30am
Teams will be called to assemble for the Parade of Districts at 7.30am, with the Parade commencing at 7.45am. The Opening Ceremony will follow the Parade of Districts, and all teams are requested to remain assembled until the Opening Ceremony has concluded.
2012 State Championships – Fixture/Results
State Championships > Open Championship | draws/results| ladder
State Championships > Open Division Two | draws/results| ladder
State Championships > 19U Championship | draws/results| ladder
State Championships > 17U Championship | draws/results| ladder
State Championships > 17U Division Two | draws/results| ladder
State Championships > 17U Division Three | draws/results| ladder
State Championships > Over 35 Championship | draws/results| ladder
State Championships > Over 40/Over 45 Championship | draws/results| ladder
2012 State Championship Hotlinks & Downloads
> Official program– Click here to download as a pdf
> Official Result Recording Sheet
> Official Welcome, History and Information
> Mobile Phone App
> Court layout
> Jamison Park venue map
> Athlete Village Map
> Directions to venue and traffic flow advice (including directions to bus and car parking facilities)
> Medical Information
> Official Merchandise– to order online go to www.c2csport.com. Merchandise will be available for purchase at event via the merchandise tent.
> Ice Order Form (orders close 30 May 2012)
> Anti-Doping Information
> Risk Management Prompter
> Items Permitted Courtside– Flyer
2012 State Championships – Players
|Open Championship
|19U Championship
|17U Division 2
|Over 35 Championship
|Open Division 2
|17U Championship
|17U Division 3
|Over 40/Over 45 Championship
2012 State Championships – Age Categories & Entry Fees
The2012 State Championships will be contested across the following age divisions:
19 Years and Under
17 Years and Under
Over 35
Over 40
Over 45
The entry fee is $165 (inc. GST) per team entered. Associations will be invoiced for team entry fees following the close of entries. Entry fees are not refunded should a team withdraw prior to the event.
2012 State Championships – Confirmed Grading
Please click here to view confirmed grading for the 2012 State Championships.
2012 State Championships Forms
- State Championship Entry Form
- State Championship Team Registration Form
- Championship Tenting Information
- State Championship Tent Booking Form
- MEMO re Masters Venue
- Netball NSW Grading Policy and Procedures and Rules for Championships and Competitions(5/11/2011)
2012 State Championships – IMPORTANT DATES
4 June 2012– State Championships fixture released
27 April 2012– State Championships appeals close
19 April 2012– State Championships provisional grading released
17 April 2012– Late entries close (late entry fee of $500 applies)
13 April 2012– State Championships entries close


text: Potomac Tech Wire understands that our readers have entrusted their names and email addresses to us. We have taken steps to respect their privacy. We do not share our subscriber list with third parties. Occasionally, we may send an email to our readers announcing a new service from Potomac Tech Wire or its parent company, CapWire Inc. We anticipate sending no more than two additional emails every six months. We reserve the right to change this policy in the future. If you have questions, please e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Swanky living room computing courtesy of Evesham.
Now we've seen a lot of lifestyle PCs over the last 18 months but there is still room for improvement and Evesham may just have managed that with its latest attempt.
Housed in a black case with brushed aluminium front, the 'e-box3' is billed as "the PC that lives under the TV". Now pushing to one side the surreal Borrowers image this conjures for some reason in my mind, this is a tag Evesham's new PC looks worthy of living up to. For a start it measures just 430 x 288 x 98mm so it is barely any larger than a standard DVD player and what's more its attractive form factor doesn't come at a cost to the specifications.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors are the other of the day here and Evesham will happily provide one up to the 4800+, likewise hard drives are available to a maximum of 400GB which will be handy considering it is equipped with a Hybrid digital/analogue TV tuner. Windows Media Center is the obvious choice of OS here and the supplied remote is eerily similar to the one that comes with Sky+.
A three year warranty is provided as standard and with a basic specification (Athlon 64 3000+, 160GB HDD, Radeon Xpress 200 graphics, DVD writer, Works 8, Roxio Easy Media Creator 7, Windows Media Center) totalling only £699 including VAT it has the scope to scale from budget buyers all the way up to multimedia fan boys.
The e-box3 goes on sale immediately, just try and keep Pod, Arriety and Homily's thieving mitts away. "Borrowers" like hell, they never gave anything back!


text:
Build web applications for Apple iOS and Google Android touchscreen devices with this first HTML5 mobile framework book.
In Detail
Since its initial launch, Sencha Touch has quickly become the gold standard for developing rich mobile web applications with HTML5. Sencha Touch is the first HTML5 mobile JavaScript framework that allows you to develop mobile web apps that look and feel like native apps on both iPhone and Android touchscreen devices. Sencha Touch is the world's first application framework built specifically to leverage HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript for the highest level of power, flexibility and optimization. It makes specific use of HTML5 to deliver components like audio and video, as well as a localStorage proxy for saving data offline. Sencha Touch also makes extensive use of CSS3 in its components and themes to provide an incredibly robust styling layer, giving you total control over the look of your application.
Sencha Touch 1.0 Mobile JavaScript Framework teaches you all you need to get started with Sencha Touch and build awesome mobile web applications. Beginning with an overview of Sencha Touch, this book will guide you through creating a complete simple application followed by styling the user interface and the list of Sencha Touch components explained through comprehensive examples. Next, you will learn about the essential touch and component events, which will help you create rich dynamic animations. The book follows this up with information about core data packages and dealing with data and wraps it up with building another simple but powerful Sencha Touch application.
In short, this book has the step by step approach and extensive content to make a beginner to Sencha Touch into an ace quickly and easily.
Exploit Sencha Touch – a cross-platform library aimed at next generation, touch-enabled devices


text: SAN JOSE, Calif., July 8 -- Photon Dynamics Inc., a provider of integrated yield management solutions for the display, electronics and glass markets, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Infrared Screening and Inspection Solutions (ISIS) Div. of Advanced Research Technologies Inc. (ART) for $5.5 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close this month. Based in Montreal, ART is a developer of optical and infrared imaging technologies for the detection of anomalies in the medical sector and the electronics industry, including the ISIS infrared verification system, a screening and off-line inspection and failure analysis tool for electronics printed wiring assembly manufacturers.


text:
Free classes for families on Mondays at Putney Moves, 133 Main Street, Putney!
Toddler Town meets on Mondays from 11:15-12:15. Tots are invited to join in creative movement, singing, yoga poses, and merriment! Ages 0-3 with parent or caregiver.
The Yoga Nest meets on Mondays from 12:30-2:00. Come relax, connect with community, and enjoy a gentle postnatal yoga flow– bring your baby, ages newborn through crawlers!
These classes are offered as a collaboration between Putney Moves and It Takes A Village, at no cost to local families. Thanks, Putney Moves!! 🙂
Putney Moves is located at 133 Main Street, Putney, upstairs from the Gleanery. For directions and more info:


text:
Find Out What We Can Achieve For YouAnswer the 3 questions below to receive a consultation, price quote and marketing plan for your website project!
- CUSTOM Design Tailored To Your Business
- ABILITY To Update Your Site Yourself
- MOBILE Friendly (Responsive) Design
- SEO Ready Platform
- ON PAGE Optimization
- PAGE SPEED Optimization
- You control the clock! You provide us with the words and photos (if you have them), when you have provided everything we start the clock. Our web design team goes to work, building your site quickly and efficiently.
- You're always in the loop. Using our online project manager, you can see where we are in the process, view your site as its being built, leave comments, and upload files – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Your site can grow as you do! All of our website design options include the ability for our clients to make changes to their sites themselves!
- No funny business. We don't play games by having hidden fees. You pay a one-time fee to build your site, a small monthly hosting fee and, if you choose to have us update your site after it's launched, an hourly design fee. Our Online Marketing services do have an additional monthly fee as well.
- Via an interview, tell us about your business and the goals of your website.
- Provide us with your colors and examples of site designs you like.
- Use our Project Manager to provide the images and words for your site, as well as to provide feedback to our designer.
- Questions? Just drop our designer a message via the Project Manager.
- After providing us with your details and the content for your website, our website designers go to work creating your website based on your interview and instructions.
- We add your content to the website design. Don't have all the photos you need? No worries. We insert professional photos to make your site look sweet.
- Your site will be ready for you to review in as few as 7 business days after we receive your content.
- Once you've reviewed and approved your site, we send it through our quality control process and it goes live for the world to see!
As your business grows and changes, so should your website. All of our website design packages feature the ability for the client to make changes to their own websites. You can add pages, change text, add images, videos, etc.
Don't have the time to do it yourself? No problem! Just contact us via our support ticket system, let us know what you need and we can make the changes to your site for you.
We provide website updates at a reasonable hourly rate and you can rest assured that we turn around most simple change requests within 1 business day.
With a website from our the Media Giant Design Website Design team, you simply provide us with the your text, images, videos, and other content; we handle everything else.
If you don't have any images, no problem. We can insert professional images that will fit your site perfectly.
We build a website that fits your style, as well as your needs. And the best part is that it'll be online in fast.
Of course! You can log in to our Project Manager 24×7 and review the site as it stands currently.
Then during 2 intervals of our development process you can leave feedback and changes for your designer to help them build a website that you'll be proud to share with the world.
First, you can make changes to the site yourself by using our website management tools. These tools are available to you 24x7x365 via your online account.
Second, you can have us make changes by requesting us to make changes to your website via our customer service system. For an affordable hourly rate, our website design team will take your changes and make them for you. Most simple website changes are completed within 1 business day.
Getting started on your new website is easy. Start by collection all the logos, pictures, video and text that you want to appear on your site. Next, login to our customer portal and click on your project to enter our Project Management system. Upload your items to our system and then mark your project ready to start.
Typically, within 1 to 2 business days a member of our website design team will contact you to conduct your pre-build interview. During this interview you can tell your designer about what you'd like to see, provide them with examples of sites you like the look of, and of course, you can ask any questions you may have.
After the completion of the interview – your designer will start building your site and working through our simple to follow process.


text:
Strawberry Pudding
From: justcallmetoni
What an unusual use for this glorious summer fruit! A Danish recipe that I thoroughly enjoyed. Though the original recipe called for vanilla, I found that the lemon zest did more to perk up the flavor of the berries.
Clean and rinse berries. If they are large cut in halves or quarters.
Bring water to a boil over medium heat. Add sugar and strawberries and simmer until berries are tender, about 8 minutes. You will still have lumps of berries. If you want a smooth consitency, break the fruit up by pushing the berries with the back of a spoon on the side of the pan.
Dissolve cornstach in a little water and add to fruit, stirring constantly. Add vanilla or zest if desired (one or the other not both).
Bring to rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and allow pudding to boil a few minutes. The pudding should no longer be cloudy and regain its shine and gloss.
Transfer to a bowl and place in the refrigerator until thouroughly cool. Depending on the bowl size and shape, this could take several hours.
If you are planning to substitute part of the sugar (would not suggest all) with baking Splenda, add the splenda to the bowl just before cooling.
Optional serving ideas: Top with whipped cream, Cool Whip or vanilla yogurt. Chocolate shavings or a dusting of cocoa are also nice.
Print Recipe (without
the ads)


text:
On the dining table, next to a vase of white roses, there's a Chinese lantern, a handful of poems, a candle and a small teddy. On the wall in the kitchen there's a calendar open at the month of July 2014. On the calendar, there's a date that jumps out of me every time I walk into the kitchen. It doesn't jump out at me because it's ringed or underlined or marked- in fact- it's one of the only boxes on the calendar for July that doesn't have anything written on it.
It doesn't have anything written on it because it doesn't need to be marked for me to remember that date; that date is branded on my memory forever more without the need of a reminder, plus what word would I write to mark the occasion anyway? Birthday, anniversary, death? None sound right when they come out of mouth, probably because all of them apply.
The date on the calendar is the 16th July and that day is Harry's day; the day my first baby- my son- was born, lived and died. This year- 2014- is the first anniversary of "Harry's day"... And all I have to offer him is that small collection of stuff on my dining table.
Today is the 8th July and it has been 50 weeks, 6 days, 15 hours and 32 minutes since I had my first baby Harry. That means it has been 50 weeks, 6 days, 13 hours and 27 minutes since my son died.
A lot has happened in that time. I have gone through post-mortems, organising a funeral I couldn't bring myself to attend, my birthday, finding out I was pregnant again, Harry's due date, Christmas, my first wedding anniversary and giving birth to my perfect little rainbow.
I have mourned, bargained, cried, smiled, been angry- very angry, cried, laughed, panicked, smiled and cried some more. But more than any of those, I have spent most of my first year as "the girl who had a baby that died" in the most horrific state swaying between gut wrenching guilt and vomit inducing panic.
Guilt because I couldn't keep him safe. Guilt because I was pregnant again. Guilt because I wasn't there for him. Because, you see, once my little man was born and doctors tried and failed to help him, he was placed in my arms for a cuddle and I reacted in a strange way. I barely looked at him, I didn't cry and after all of 2 minutes I passed him back to husband. And that was the first, last and only time I saw and held the baby I adored from the moment the test turned positive.
Why? I couldn't really tell you. I'd like to say it was because I felt the bond so strongly once I held him that I knew the longer I held him the worse it would be when he was gone because his going was inevitable, we knew at that point. I loved him so much. He looked just like my husband, he already had hair, he was beautiful... but I let him die alone, motherless, without a cuddle. I couldn't even bring myself to attend his funeral to say goodbye- what sort of mother am I?
I punish myself with the choices I made every day. If I had that time again, if I knew how much my arms would ache for him and how I would spend weeks screaming and crying into my pillow I would have held him and never let him go. I would have attended his funeral and held my husbands hand and said a proper goodbye to my little baby. But that's not possible and I have to carry the ramifications of that with me forever.
Which leads me to the vomit inducing panic. Panic because I was pregnant again, panic because I failed my first child, panic because I didn't want him forgotten. I've lost count of the times I've been hunched over the toilet in a cold sweat, hyperventilating and vomiting. I have no idea how many times I've laid awake at night, angry at some flimsy brush offish comment someone has made about Harry now I was pregnant again. The panic hasn't really stopped since my rainbow arrived, neither has the guilt which I imagine will be with me forever, etched into my heart.
I don't think I will ever be the person I was before. It feels like my heart has been ripped apart and sewed back up clumsily, the scars are big and thick and ache every now and then. Not a day goes by where I don't think of my son. My daughter has the same shaped eyes he had. I've learnt that time does not heal you but it gives you context. You can get up again, you can still live, but rather like a broken bone that never truly heals it aches in cold weather, a constant reminder.
My daughter smiled her first proper smile the other day. Me and my husband were talking away to her and she looked me right in the eye and smiled the most beautiful, glorious smile. Every morning since, when I look into her Moses basket and she catches sight of me, she smiles the same wonderful smile. It fills me with the most amount of joy, happiness and sadness it's unbelievable. Joy and happiness because I have never felt a love so strong, sadness because Harry never had his first smile.
So, at this moment, this is right where I am; I'm sat on my sofa in my freshly decorated flat typing away. My newborn daughter is lying on my chest, supported with my left hand while I awkwardly type with my right hand because I can't bear to put her down for longer than 5 minutes. The cats are now both fighting over their food bowl and my husband is having a nap.
On the dining table, next to a vase of white roses, there's a Chinese lantern, a handful of poems, a candle and a small teddy. In 8 days time, my husband and I will go up to the place we scattered my sons ashes, let off the Chinese lantern, light the candle, read the poems and think of him. I will cry and a part of my heart will break again.
My daughter is 4 weeks, 3 days, 18 hours and 57 minutes old. As I look down at her perfect face with eyes like her brother, I cry tears of happiness and sadness. The small teddy on the table is for my daughter from her big brother; so she will grow up knowing that she has a big brother who is now an angel in the sky and he sent her the teddy as a present from up in heaven, where he is loving and protecting her forever.
Right where I am now is here, trapped in this bubble of mixed sadness and happiness.


text:
The issue of social justice involves dilemmas in which individuals struggle to find a sense of place in the modern world. When people suffer at the hands of racial discrimination, one of the few hopes remaining for them lies in finding a sense of community, a place where they no longer face prejudice. In Toni Morrison's latest novel, Home, the narrator, Frank, tells of his struggle to leave the burdensome roots of his past in Georgia while trying to find solace in the outside world. The memory of his homeland infuriates him, with its ties to racism. Yet, on the other hand, Frank's sister, Cee, still lingers in Georgia, for she is ill and in danger of dying. But she also remains in the south because she feels as if it is her mission to help those in need there. Frank, out of a sense of love and obligation towards Cee, returns to his roots, determined to save her. This will set the stage for a kind of racial realization for Frank, in that he discovers that he need not totally abandon his past. Therefore, the novel presents the idea of home as a paradox; while it represents refuge, it also stands as a reminder of things we would rather avoid.
At the novel's opening, Frank tells the writer that the home in which he and Cee were raised in was a strict familial setting. Frank says, "When we got home we expected to be whipped or at least scolded for staying out so late, but the grown-ups did not notice us. Some disturbance had their attention" (Morrison 5). Absolute control appears to be one of the tenets of Lotus, Georgia, with its insistence that children should obey their elders without question. The kids do not have total liberty as to what they can do. They must still submit, for now, to authority. As they grow older, however, they will come to realize that disobedience to customs results in much worse than simply being punished for something as trivial as being out late; authority, in the Georgia of the past, means obeying the social norms and cues that often put blacks at the bottom of the social ladder. If blacks refuse to remain "in their place," attempting to make a name for themselves, then they will suffer chastisement at the hands of society. This is the primary reason Frank desires to leave Lotus for good. No longer does he wish to enslave himself to racists and abusers. Home, for him, lies in being subjugated to pain and misery.
For Frank, home also represents a potential place of perpetual shame, where others criticize him for surviving the perils of war. The narrator says "He didn't want to go home without his 'homeboys.' He was far too alive to stand Mike's folks or Stuff's. His easy breath and unscathed self would be an insult to them" (Morrison 15). Frank cannot bring himself back home without the close friends he fought alongside with during the war. Since he grew up in a place where he found at least a few people to get along with (besides Cee), he feels guilty in letting down their loved ones. There lies a bond linking him with his neighbors, creating a moral obligation (on his part) to look after them. Ironically, in this way, home is not a place void of heart, though it may, many times, be a place of persecution. Instead, home can be where you link with those who share similar traits with you, thus engendering a sense of security.
On his way back to Georgia, Frank engages in conversation with a waiter, asking him where he can get something to eat. After mentioning a diner, the waiter says, "These hotels and what you call tourist homes can cost you a pretty penny and they might not let you in with those raggedy galoshes on your feet" (Morrison 25). Though in this instance the concept of home is viewed as a place of luxuriance, the price tag for such an existence limits itself to the rich. And not only does the upper class possess entitlements concerning these places, they usually refuse to open their arms to poor citizens needing their help. They establish a kind of elitism, where only the rich receive the benefits and necessities of life. Even if you're lucky enough to be admitted in the upper class's circle, you must present yourself in a certain way, void of any trace of impoverishment. Otherwise, you will be refused admittance. In the case of social justice, this points to the sobering truth that certain individuals in a society, who are not as fortunate as others, must painfully watch as others enjoy the delights of life. Clearly not everyone in America receives equal benefits to the American Dream. For Frank, the idea that he must be a certain way to inherit a place in the world is despicable. He needs to find a home more easily accessible.
There seem to be those willing to lend a hand to Frank on his travels, demonstrating that home can be a place where people assist you and not reject you based on your own shortcomings. While on his journey, Frank receives assistance from a man named Billy: "'Come on home with me. Stay over. Meet my family" (Morrison 29). In this example, home need not be confined to your roots or where you're from; it may even be a place outside your territory, where anyone desires to offer help in a world often plagued by chaos and stressful societal systems. In the hectic life he lives from his turbulent past, both at home and in war, Frank gains assistance from others' hospitality, the same kind of care his sister Cee shows to her own townsfolk. If individuals break away from the bondage of their roots and into the world, they may very well find a solace in unlikely places. Frank's new friend, Billy, serves as a temporary safety until he arrives at his "true" home, the place where he was born and raised.
Without a sense of home, neither Frank nor Cee can function in the world. On reading a letter explaining that Cee is dying, Frank reflects on the situation: "If the letter writer, Sarah, couldn't help nor her boss either, well, she must be withering away far from home" (Morrison 34). The word "home" in this phrase signals Cee herself, her own personal being. To wither away from home is to lose yourself to death. Cee, in a desperate situation, struggles to remain alive, to live purposefully. Unlike Frank, she desires to live in Lotus, Georgia still, so that she may help those who struggle. But to do so, she must rely on her own inner strength and resolve. Her own compassion and love are her "home," the source where she derives all her moral fiber. Her spirit, being the seat of her affections, creates the kind of peace others need. From the inward being spring all human emotions, whether they are meant for ill or prosperity. One of the pursuits of the modern human is identity: what does it entail, exactly? Is it a matter of race, creed, or social class? Or is it something that cannot be seen with the naked eye? For Cee, her identity is found in her home: her heart.
Frank and Cee grow up in harsh conditions, a home void of care and affection. Their guardian, Lenore, abuses Frank and Cee on a daily basis. She could care less for their welfare. Frank remembers: "Lenore was the wicked witch. Frank and Cee, like some forgotten Hansel and Gretel, locked hands as they navigated the silence and tried to imagine a future" (Morrison 53). The classic story of Hansel and Gretel involves a witch wanting to kill two wandering children. If Lenore had her way completely, she would be no less kind than the witch. Her duties and obligations put a strain of Frank and Cee. So burdened are the two kids that they imagine a future in which they can find a more stable sense of community. The "silence" refers to the failure of others to respond to Lenore's cruelty. No one gives the children any voice. In regards to social justice, individuals use the power of imagination and fairy tales to reveal to readers just how blight their current conditions are. Fiction functions as a means for Frank to show the reader just how desperate his and Cee's situation is. His narrative brings awareness that justice is wanting in a community that seems to have everything together.
Even when Frank leaves Lotus, Georgia and escapes from the clutches of Lenore, he ends up in a domestic situation that is hardly better. Home stands for the adult Frank as a place of shattered relationships. Lily, Frank's wife, loses her connection with her husband since he wants to go back to Georgia to save Cee. The narrator says, "The multiple times she came home to find him idle again, just sitting on the sofa staring at the rug, were unnerving" (Morrison 80). Lost in his own fears, Frank fails to effectively communicate with Lily. As a result, a gap grows in their affection towards one another. As much as home can be a place of harmony, it can also serve as a stage of discord. Despite Lily's attempts to restore the relationship, Frank fails to respond. One reason for the difficulty in establishing social justice lies in the family's failure to function. When communities no longer provide a place where relationships can be built, humans become isolated from each other, harboring distaste and dissatisfaction with one another. And without a stable bond linking people together, the more difficult achieving justice becomes.
The freedom Frank and Cee ultimately need consists in them having the liberty to define who they are without heeding the advice of others. Only then can they gain a sense of identity in a changing world. Ethel, a lady who helps Frank take care of Cee, talks to her about the importance of following one's dreams and desires: "I seen how you tagged along with your brother. When he left you ran off with that waste of the Lord's air and time. Now you back home. Mended finally, but you might just run off again. Don't tell me you're gonna let Lenore decide who you are?" (Morrison 125). Cee has arrived back "home" in that she is now in a position to change her life for the better. But until she let's go of the past and realize that Lenore did nothing for her will she truly become a woman. Until she develops a sense of self-esteem will she truly embrace her individual talents and liberties. Home is the place where she can be at one not only with Frank but with herself. And likewise for Frank, he can move from the past and realize that it only served to bring him where he is today. When they look back at the racism and abuse they suffered, all the cruelty and malignance, they need not be weighed down by its scars; they move forwards towards their real home: their future.
As I personally gain a sense of awareness of social justice and how the issues surrounding it affect me, I realize that I, too, have a major role to play. Understanding my own white race's history with blacks humbles me to acknowledge that we all carry prejudice of one sort or another. Blacks would admit the same. Yet we can all move on from the past and seek to establish loving relations towards one another. When we work together and realize that we are each a mystery to be solved, we'll come to understand the ultimate meaning of home: a place where you belong, without any unnecessary judgment of any kind.
Morrison, Toni. Home. New York: Vintage Books A Division of Random House, Inc. 2012. Print.


text:
Taylor Swift at Grammy Nominations Concert 2012 | Video
Taylor Swift Wears Winter White — and Snags 3 Grammy Nods!
It's been quite the year for Taylor Swift. Her newest album, Red, sold more albums in the first week than any other album in the past 10 years — so naturally, we weren't surprised to hear that Taylor scored three Grammy nominations for next year, including record of the year. To celebrate, Taylor took the stage last night at the Grammy nominations concert in Tennessee, showing off a Winter white getup in a lace fit-and-flare dress and gold heels. Watch today's Fab Flash to hear all the details! On Allison McNamara: H&M dress, Baublebar earrings.


text:
What a difference a year makes! UK smallcap 2017 review
When I sat down to write my review of 2016 I had to admit that it had been a tough year for smaller company fund managers as the sector's median fund had underperformed the Numis Smaller Companies Index (NSCI) by 2.7%.
With a month to go in 2017, the median… Read the article
In this month's update Siobhan Pandya, Head of Equity Markets Content reviews recent trends in UK small… Read the article
The active-versus-passive debate is once again back in the limelight with the news this week of low-cost passive provider Vanguard's launch of new website for personal investors. This simply adds fuel to the flames: figures from EPFR suggest that in the past 12 months, passive equity funds have… Read the article
The UK stockmarket as a whole has performed very well over the last twelve months, despite the obvious disruption from the Brexit vote last June. A glance at the various indices shows that investors have paid particular attention to smaller companies – indeed it seems that the mantra has been… Read the article
Whether it's Brexit, Trump, OPEC or the celebrity death-toll, it feels like we have lurched from one drama to the next in 2016. Stock markets have taken all this excitement and chosen to run with it – the FTSE 100, for example, looks set to end the year close to… Read the article
Small-cap 'haves' and 'have nots'
Most investors are aware that the post-referendum UK equity market rally has not treated all stocks or sectors equally. Since 23 June, for example, the mining sector is up (+38.6%) to date, while retail stocks are down (-8.4%).
In the small-cap space, much of the recent focus post-Brexit has been… Read the article
Please note the content on this website is for Investment Professionals only and should be shared responsibly. No other persons should rely on the information contained within this website.OK
Welcome to the M&G Multi Asset Team's Allocation blog, previously known as the Episode blog. We have changed the name of our blog to resonate better with our readers in Europe, however, the content and purpose of the blog has not changed. The Allocation blog continues to aim to provide unique market perspectives from our dedicated team of experienced asset allocators.OK


text:
Are you still putting off doing the one thing you've been putting off for so long? Or did you rise to yesterday's challenge and finally tick that thing off of your list? I finally took steps towards consolidating my blog site with my official author website. It's something that I've wanted to do for a couple of years now, but finally decided to establish my brand under zaidismail.com.
This blog was started over ten years ago as an anonymous ventlet for my very colourful life experiences but has grown to be so much more. At some point I stopped hiding behind anonymity and embraced the reality of who I am on this platform. I found it increasingly difficult to reconcile my expectations of authenticity from others as long as I vented anonymously online. So for me, doing that one thing I've been putting off is a celebration of accepting the whole of me, while also positioning myself for the many projects and books that I plan to share in the coming months and years.
Day 20: Don't overthink. Practice being present.
What a way to bring this 20-day challenge to a close. The toughest one of them all threatens to distract you with thoughts of mindfulness while expecting you to be mindful. It's a twisted personification of an oxymoron, but so rewarding when you nail it.
The trick is not to focus on being mindful, but rather to focus on what you are doing. Mindfulness is one of those things that cannot be pursued directly, but instead is an outcome of other efforts, similar to humility and happiness.
Mindful Distractions
As you go about your day today, just immerse yourself in the detail of your immediate experience. Don't wonder about what-ifs or if-onlys and simply take in the sights, sounds, and sensations of the present moment.
Being mindful in nature is substantially more achievable than being mindful around humans. Nature has a balance and harmony to it that is difficult to experience around humans. I think the reason for this is because plants and animals are not trying to be someone or something that they are not. They simply flow according to their innate nature and do not demand other creatures to be more than they are.
Start there. Start with nature. And again, if you live in a concrete jungle, cozy up to a pot plant, or your local park, or browse through a florist's store and take it all in. And if you have any allergies to beautiful plants, pop over to the pet store instead. The point being, surround yourself with unpretentious creatures and you'll quickly discover the value of mindfulness.
Now stop distracting yourself reading about mindfulness and go do it!


text:
It is one of the states with the most expensive car insurance rates in the country. This would mean that efforts to find lower prices would likely to pay off. The same percentage discount has a different cash value when you live in an expensive premium state in comparison with a cheaper state. When your premium is expensive to start with, the dollar savings are like to be large enough for you to spend time and find those discounts. On the other hand, if your premium was affordable already you wouldn't expect to save large sums of money.
Uninsured Drivers (11%) are not as big a problem here as many other states. Still you should look into buying uninsured drivers coverage. It would be painful to discover that one of those drivers hit your car and neither the driver nor you have coverage to pay for your losses. The Treasure State keeps in the middle in terms of living costs.
Car Insurance Requirements in Montana
Here are the minimum liability requirements in MT.
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death per person.
- $50,000 total for bodily injury or death per accident.
- $10,000 for property damage.
Check state website for further updates and information any time you like. These official websites are good source of information and confirmation. They can tell you what would happen in a particular situation and you can find out about penalties and fines.
Further coverage well above minimum requirements is highly advised. You should also include Collision, Comprehensive and Uninsured Driver Coverage in your policy. There are a few great packages sold in your state that can cover your car properly at affordable prices. These policies are offered by insurers you would recognize easily and be happy to work with. You should start with getting some prices through several companies.
A comparison website like this one would make this process a lot easier. You would find the companies and their offers here and start getting quotes directly from the insurers. This may take a bit longer than filling one quote form and getting several quotes. However, you know which companies you are applying this way. If you don't like some of the companies in the list you don't have to approach them. There are plenty others.
Some people may be choosy about the companies they are willing to work with. This could be for many reasons including political ones. Some like the 10 largest automobile insurance companies in the US while others may prefer smaller firms. What we would advise is to be open-minded about the whole process. Having assumptions about premiums, insurers or coverage will limit your mind and choices. Why would you want to narrow your options?
First get several vehicle insurance quotes and see where you are exactly. If there is a quote that is popping out of the page it is great. Otherwise, you need to look deeper into their details. You can compare the coverage with each other and learn about the companies behind them. Then you may end up going with a totally different provider than you thought you would. If you can save money and be insured adequately you would be pleased that you took the time to explore your options.
How Much Does Automobile Insurance Cost in Montana?
Premium figures are contrasting in the Big Sky Country. According to the latest reports from NAIC, average premium expenditure is $679 in MT, which is $162 cheaper than the US average. Looking at this figure you would think that car insurance rates are low in Montana. However, another study that is based on full coverage quotes contrasts this view and finds it to be the second most expensive state to buy full coverage auto insurance. The average estimated premium of $2,297 is nearly $1,000 more than the US average of $1,325.
Seeing how low average premium expenditure is in comparison to full coverage costs it is a fair assumption that most Montanan drivers buy basic liability only car insurance. This may be due to peaceful nature of the state where vehicle owners feel comfortable with the risks not to buy full coverage.
Clearly there are several factors in MT that push up the premiums. The main one appears to the accident rates. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Montana has the highest vehicle accident fatality rate in the country with 22.6 deaths per 100,000 people – twice the national average. This is a well known phenomenon that wide countryside roads with fewer cars can lead to accidents with fatalities because of the speed. Motorists gets too comfortable with quite roads and step on the gas, especially if they are familiar with their surroundings. There may be much more accidents in the cities but they are usually nothing more than a fender bender.
Probably one of the other reason is the lack of fierce competition. MT is one of the least populated states in the US with just over 1 million residents spread out in the wast countryside. it isn't a densely populated state with few small cities and only one of them with population of over $100,000. This makes it harder for companies to run aggressive campaigns in the state or establish a wide-spread agency base. Competition in the market is one of the main reasons for affordable prices and lack of it removes the key reason for insurers to cut their rates.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Companies in Montana
Here are the most competitive insurers in MT and these companies remain to be the cheapest in most cities and towns. One interesting finding is that costs in the largest cities of Billings, Missoula and Great Falls are lower than the state average. This seems to support lack of competition as a reason for high premiums.
- State Farm, $741
- QBE Farmers Union, $930
The price difference between the least expensive insurer (State Farm) and third cheapest (QBE Farmers Union) is already 20%. And this gap can open up to nearly twice premium difference between the cheapest and most expensive insurer in the state. That is why you should make sure you find one of the cheapest insurers in your zip code if you want to save.