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Chitresh Das, a teacher and performer who widely disseminated the north Indian classical dance form kathak in the United States, died on Jan. 4 in San Rafael, Calif. He was 70.
The cause was acute aortic dissection, a tear in the inner wall of the aorta, said Rachna Nivas, the director of the Chhandam School of Kathak, which Mr. Das founded in San Rafael in 1980.
Through his schools and his Chitresh Das Dance Company, Mr. Das played an important role in popularizing kathak, one of the most prominent forms of classical Indian dance and the only one that has roots in both Muslim and Hindu traditions.
Kathak deploys powerful percussive footwork (emphasized by the ankle bells dancers usually wear), fast turns and a constant virtuosic interplay and rhythmic exchange between the dancer and musicians. It is also a storytelling form that emphasizes abhinaya, the repertoire of nuanced facial expressions and gestures that allows a performer to incarnate characters and creatures in mythological tales from Indian epics like the Mahabharata.
Mr. Das, acclaimed for his mastery of these aspects of kathak when still a child, began his career in the West just as musicians like the sitarist Ravi Shankar and the tabla player Zakir Hussain were gaining popularity. Although he continued to give traditional concerts in which he performed the long solo improvisations that are at the heart of kathak, he also tried to update the form by creating group dances and developing a style called Kathak Yoga, in which the performers sing, and sometimes play an instrument, while dancing.
"I will make sure that kathak lasts because I've already done the work of Kathak Yoga," Mr. Das said in an interview with The New York Times in 2005. "And that will last. That will last forever."
Chitresh Das was born on Nov. 9, 1944, in Calcutta, now Kolkata. His parents founded one of India's first government-funded dance schools, and he grew up surrounded by artists, dancers and musicians. He began to study kathak at age 9 with the master teacher Pandit Ram Narayan Misra and by 11 was an established performer. After graduating from Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, he obtained a master's degree in dance from Prayag Sangeet Samiti, an Indian classical music institute in Allahabad.
In 1970, Mr. Das was awarded a Whitney Fellowship through the University of Maryland to teach kathak. The next year he was invited by the sarod player Ali Akbar Khan to create a kathak dance program at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael. In 1979, he left to form his own school and dance company, which performed regularly in the Bay Area.
He later opened branches of the school in San Francisco, Berkeley and other cities in the area. His pupils started schools in Toronto in 1990, Boston in 1992 and Los Angeles in 2012.
"As a solo performer, Mr. Das proved an uncommonly entertaining exponent of kathak," the critic Allan Ullrich wrote in an obituary in The San Francisco Chronicle. "His slashing rhythmic attack, electrifying footwork, dazzling turns and verbalizations, all accompanied by the ringing of the weighty bells he wore around his ankles, won him lifelong fans. He was also an extraordinary movement storyteller, with his expressive fingers evoking animal life and traditional deities."
While teaching at his schools and at Stanford University, Mr. Das created the first university-accredited kathak course in the United States, at San Francisco State University. He returned frequently to India, and in 2002 reopened his parents' dance school in Kolkata. In 2003 he began working with New Light, a nonprofit community organization based in Kolkata's red-light district, teaching kathak to children of prostitutes. He established a dance school in Mumbai in 2010.
He is survived by his wife, Celine; his daughters, Shivaranjani and Saadhvi Das; and his brother, Ritesh.
Mr. Das was consistent in his belief that kathak could evolve while retaining its essential characteristics. In 2005 he collaborated with the virtuoso tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith on the show "India Jazz Suites," which toured the United States, Australia and India, and was captured on film in the documentary "Upaj: Improvise," shown last year on PBS. Mr. Das also collaborated with the flamenco dancer Antonio Hidalgo Paz on the show "Yatra: Journey From India to Spain," which explored the shared roots of the two dance forms. It had its premiere this past September in San Francisco.


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Dubai: iVenture Card Dubai Select Pass
Experience Dubai's best attractions while saving up to 50 % on general admission with the Dubai Pass. Choose from top sights such as the Burj…
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It should be clear that Top of the sky on-line booking is then to convert into a real ticket which is to do in advance and does not avoid the file. The meeting point "West Marina" for the Palm Cruise is confusing due to the Marina which is bigger than the Palm Marina. A more precise contact and place should be given. No problem at all with Alpha Tour for the desert safari.

subset: commoncrawl


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Institute of Engineering and Management (IEM) is a research and training center focused on knowledge creation and practice in Lean, Agile, DevOps, Digital Transformation, and Enterprise Engineering.
It specializes in using Frameworks such as Scrum, SAFe®, DEMO, and methods and tools such as Modeling and Simulation.
- Training:
- Public, individual, and corporate courses on Agile, SAFe®, DevOps, Project Management, and Enterprise Engineering.
- Research:
- Developing methodologies in enterprise engineering, agility, organizational change, enterprise modeling and simulation, business process improvement, and digital transformation.
- Participating in Ph.D. exam committees
- Supervising graduate projects
- Publishing peer-refereed papers.
- Consulting:
- World-class Subject Matter Expertise in Lean, Agile, DevOps, Digital Transformation, Process Improvement
- In various domains such as IT, software engineering, cloud, banking and financial services, healthcare, logistics and supply chain, service, and retail
Founders of IEM, Joseph Barjis, and Gervais Johnson, combine decades of industry and academic experience in top companies (IBM, USA) and universities (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands) resulting in a unique approach to coaching and training in a practically viable and scientifically sound manner.
- Joseph has 20+ years of academic experience including 10 years of tenure at Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands), one of Europe's top universities.
- Gervais has 25+ years of professional experience in managing large enterprise transformations and multimillion projects, including 18 years tenure at IBM (USA).
Joseph Barjis
Dr. Joseph Barjis is one of the co-founders of Enterprise Engineering field, sought after expert and international speaker, Agile Thought Leader, Trainer and Expert. He is a formal contributor to the popular SAFe® Framework.
Dr. Barjis trains and coaches to facilitate companies Agile transformation and enterprise transformation as a whole and leads enterprise engineering and business process improvement in particular.
He empowers companies to carry on their Agile journey successfully by developing in-house expertise and leaders.
Gervais Johnson
Gervais Johnson is the CEO and inventor of Impavid Agile®, with two decades implementing and innovating solutions using Agile. Gervais continues to train and coach to empower individuals and teams. Gervais is a Software Delivery visionary and innovator contributing to emerging and disruptive technologies.


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By Annie Poslusny
In February 2017, Horse and Buggy Press moved to their new location at 1116 Broad Street in Durham, down the street from Duke University. Horse and Buggy Press is an award-winning graphic design, letterpress printing shop and book production studio. At their new location, they now house a 500 square foot craft and art gallery, called "Horse & Buggy Press and Friends."
Twenty-five artists from North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina are currently featured, many of whom have collaborated with Dave Wofford, the gallery curator, as well as owner of Horse and Buggy Press. Exhibits rotate every three to four months, and there is a monthly open house starting in June from 5–8 pm the second Thursday of every month, which will include musicians or local street performers on the sidewalk in front of the store. Media presently on display includes: Glass, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Fibers, Sculpture (small), Jewelry, and Wood.
Artists who are interested in having their work displayed at Horse and Buggy Press & Friends should contact Dave Wofford by email or drop by one of their monthly open houses. Gallery hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11–3ish, and the open houses are the second Thursday of each month beginning on June 8th from 5–8 pm.
Annie Poslusny is an art history major and interior design/studio arts minor at Meredith College. She enjoys drawing and creating three-dimensional works of art, writing, and research.Tags: Dave Wofford, Durham art exhibition space, Durham galleries, Horse and Buggy Press, Horse and Buggy Press & Friends, triangle artworks


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It was another good night for Spanish football as Villarreal And Sevilla both reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday night. That means that La Liga has half of the teams left in the two European competitions, a testament to how strong La Liga is. That it is not of only two teams.
Villarreal had the easiest of the two Spanish teams advancing as they beat Sparta Prague 4-2 on the night and 6-3 on aggregate to reach their fourth European semi-final. Can they make history and reach their first European final?
They put the tie to bed with first-half goals from Cedric Bakambu, Samuel Castillejo and Bruno Soriano. Bakambu then netted again in the 49th minute, but Sparta kept fighting and had the consolation of goals from Borek Dockal and Ladislav Krejci.
Captain Darijo Srna toasted breaking Shakhtar Donetsk's all-time appearance record with a goal and two assists as the Ukrainians thumped Braga 4-0. Leading 2-1 from the first leg, Shakhtar took the lead in the 25th minute through a penalty from full-back Srna on his 486th appearance for the club. The unlucky Ricardo Ferreira scored two own goals, one from a Srna cross, with the Croatian also setting up Viktor Kovalenko.
It was a much more nervy night for the two-time defending champions Sevilla, who kept alive their hopes of a third successive Europa League title with a penalty shoot-out victory over Athletic Bilbao. Bilbao's 2-1 victory on the night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan sent the tie into extra-time, where there were no more goals.
The first six penalties were scored, but Benat Etxebarria sent his spot-kick into the arms of David Soria and Kevin Gameiro was able to seal the win for Sevilla. Earlier, Gameiro had cancelled out Aritz Aduriz's opener but Raul Garcia pulled Bilbao level in the tie with an 80th-minute goal.
Joining the two Spanish sides in the draw will be Liverpool, who beat Borussia Dortmund 4-3 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate after an epic comeback at Anfield and Shakhtar Donetsk who easy took care of Sporting Braga 4-0 on the night and 6-1 on aggregate.
Four Europa League Semi-Finalists
Liverpool (ENG)
Last SF: 2009/10 (2-2, lost on away goals v Atlético)
SF record: W3 L2
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: winners (1973, 1976, 2001)
This season: W6 D6 L0 F15 A9 (entry: group stage)
Top scorer: James Milner, Adam Lallana, Divock Origi, Philippe Coutinho (2)
European head-to-heads
v Sevilla N/A
v Shakhtar N/A
v Villarreal N/A
Sevilla (ESP, holders)
Last SF: 2014/15 (won 5-0 v Fiorentina)
SF record: W4 L0
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: winners (2006, 2007, 2014, 2015)
This season: W3 D1 L2 F9 A4 (entry: round of 32)
Top scorer: Kevin Gameiro (4)
European head-to-heads
v Liverpool N/A
v Shakhtar W1 D1 L0 F5 A4
v Villarreal W2 D0 L0 F5 A2
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Last SF: 2008/09 (won 3-2 v Dynamo Kyiv)
SF record: W1 L0
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: winners (2009)
This season: W5 D1 L0 F13 A2 (entry: round of 32)
Top scorer: Darijo Srna, Viktor Kovalenko, Eduardo, Facundo Ferreyra (2)
European head-to-heads
v Liverpool N/A
v Sevilla W0 D1 L1 F4 A5
v Villarreal N/A
Villarreal (ESP)
Last SF: 2010/11 (lost 7-4 v Porto)
SF record: W0 L2
UEFA Cup/Europa League best: semi-finals (2004, 2011)
This season: W8 D3 L1 F22 A10 (entry: group stage)
Top scorer: Cédric Bakambu (9)
European head-to-heads
v Liverpool N/A
v Sevilla W0 D0 L2 F2 A5
v Shakhtar N/A


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When Ali first contacted me about her Kimmel Center wedding, I knew we'd be a good fit. She preferred not to see her future husband before the ceremony. I never try to persuade my clients to do something they don't want to do.
It was my job to make sure we made some gorgeous portraits, regardless of the time I had to make them. So, we collaborated, built a good timeline, and we accomplished all that was important to her. Weddings at the Kimmel Center are catered by the Garces Catering group. Jose Garces, the famed iron chef, is the principal partner in that group. Their food is spectacular, and their service is just as great.
When choosing to have your wedding at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, you'll be choosing to have your wedding in a world-class broadway, music, and art house. Some of the finest performers in the world have graced their stage. Located on the heart of South Broad street, otherwise known as the Avenue of the Arts, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is named after it's largest benefactor, Sidney Kimmel. My former colleague, Inga Saffron, the architecture critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, called the Kimmel Center a "bold, new treasure". This is one reason many of my brides choose to have a Kimmel Center Wedding.
This image, taken after the ceremony, was taken with my D4S, and my settings were 1/80th F1.8 @ ISO 1600. We were able to use the gorgeous background in the Kimmel Center for a dramatic portrait.


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As an artist, you constantly ride the roller-coaster of "Will they / Won't they like my work?" That, plus the sometimes crippling fear that your stuff is actually crap, can create some very neurotic behavior. And, unfortunately, it's not always good enough for people to tell you they like your work.
Don't get me wrong, it helps and feels great when you hear someone say "Wow! I really like that piece," or similar compliments. But when you're an artist who's trying to make a living at your art, that kind of praise only goes so far.
Which is why it's always thrilling when someone likes your work enough to actually purchase it. It takes that "Wow! I really like that piece," comment and elevates it to a whole new level of validation, because someone thought it was good enough to fork over a wad of cash so s/he could own said piece.
I recently had such a moment of validation. Someone from the Frank Bette Center for the Arts told me that one of my pieces that's in their current exhibit, Alameda on Camera, was bought last Saturday. It's my piece titled Leaning Ladder, seen below:
Woo Hoo! This makes two of my images that have sold within the last 6 months! My first sale was from our Etsy store, called, London, Tower Bridge (BW), and that was sold to an interior decorator:
With each sale, I start to feel less like an amateur photographer, and more like a professional. I've actually sold two pieces of my work! It's very much like the moment when Sally Field won her first Oscar and cried "You like me! You really like me!" As corny as it may seem, yes, we artists feel exactly like that when someone buys one or more of our pieces.
We're still waiting for Craig to sell one of his images, but I'm sure that's not far off. And, until that happens, he's just as thrilled as I am . . . we are partners, after all. 😉 So any sale (no matter whose it is) goes into the MAS Artwork coffers. YAY!
~ ~ ~
In addition to our new website, which Craig talked about earlier this month, we've also created a Facebook page for our company. Since we're currently only posting here every other week, our FB page is where we'll post upcoming events or exhibits, as well as any new images we've taken.
Hope to see you there!


text: true[X] is imagining the future of the commercial for the interactive age, building ads that use all the promises of digital media to help elevate brands' messages to their full potential. true[X] advertising works with premium publishers across desktop, mobile, tablet and OTT platforms to match quality storytelling with effective advertising that respects the creator and the consumer alike. Originally founded in 2007 in Los Angeles and New York and acquired by 21st Century Fox in 2014, true[X] now has offices around the country that combine an innovation-driven startup mentality with 21CF large-scale resources.


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Following the international donors conference 'Solidarity with Belarus' European Commission has launched two local call for proposals to support Belarusian civil society.
First of the calls has been launched on June. Its goal is to support NGOs in the field of Human Rights. Activities financed under this call will promote the freedoms of assembly and expression, as well as the monitoring of election process, non-discrimination and the fight against corruption. The total budget available is 0.95 m. EUR. The deadline for submission of concepts is 5 September 2011.
Direct link:
The second call for proposals is to strengthen the capacity of non-state actors in implementing sustainable development strategies, including their political, economic, social and environmental aspects. In this call the strengthening of capacity of non-state actors to promote a Belarusian national and cultural identity as well as to promote changes in government policy towards non-state actors will be supported. The total budget available is 2.4 m. EUR. The deadline is 1 September 2011.
Direct link:
The European Commission plans to announce more calls for proposals concerning Belarusian civil society.


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Chemical Search International Interim & Contract
Chemical Search International's reputation for executive search across our sectors of expertise is based on consistently completing assignments intelligently, accurately and relatively quickly, yet with the superior quality and attention to detail of a global 'blue-chip' firm. We can also perform search across regions and at levels beyond most other search firms due to our intense sector focus and unrivalled network within our industry.
Specialist Search Service
This service is deigned to rapidly place experts for specialist roles worldwide, be they interim managers, temporary consultants, contractors for projects or full-time specialists. The challenge is normally in finding individuals with the highly-specific experience sought. Our service has a flexible fee arrangement with no tie-in's and can be used to hire teams or individuals.


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Moscow Plus 2014 Information Session
Learn about this summer's study program in Moscow!
Wed, February 5, 2014
Wednesday, February 5 from 5–6pm in BUR 228
Participants in the Moscow Plus program will take courses in language and contemporary culture, and receive UT credit for RUS 330 (Russian Culture) and RUS 369 (Russian Linguistics). Note that students must have taken two or more years of Russian to participate in this Second-Summer-Session study program in Moscow.
Program Faculty Director: Dr. Thomas J. Garza
For more information, visit the TLC's Moscow Plus website or contact Betsy Brown, betsybrown@ austin.utexas.edu, at the Texas Language Center, HRH 4.196.


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Achievements / movies / comp results / other proud moments
– 2008 Freeride World Tour Champion, 2009 FWT 'Female Line of the Year', nominated for 'Female Best Performance' at the 2011 Powder Video Awards. I have filmed with Salomon Freeski TV, Rage Films, the Levitation Project, Garchois Productions, and Red Bull's 'Say My Name' Project.
Favorite areas or descents
– Alyeska Resort, heli-skiing with Chugach Powder Guides out of Girdwood, Alaska, Squaw Valley, sled-skiing in BC, and Verbier.
Describe your skiing background
– I grew up in Girdwood, Alaska and started skiing by thege of three with my ski bum parents, Mark and Kathy at the helm. Alyeska Resort, situated right in the heart of the Chugach Mountains, is the best place to grow up skiing and hone your skills because it's super steep and deep. I ski raced throughout my youth and did very well. When I was a teen I garnered such awards as Junior Olympic Downhill and Overall Champion. I loved the speed events! I quit racing when I went to college and that was the best decision I could have made because I believe I would have been really burnt out on skiing if I had continued to race. Instead of racing, I re-found my passion for skiing through freeriding when I switched schools from the University of New Mexico to the University of Nevada Reno. I became infatuated with the new freeski movement when I saw the likes of Jamie Burge in the movie Butter and Ingrid Backstrom in MSP's Yearbook. Two years after I graduated college I moved back to the Tahoe area, Squaw Valley more specifically, and eventually began to pursue a professional career in big mountain skiing. Now here I am today, doing what I love for a job!
Describe a skiing experience when things got out of hand
– Like crash? I NEVER crash! Ever. Or get scared or anything like that because I'm a really good skier. Oh, once a ski popped off in the air (obvious gear malfunction, not the driver) and I thought, "oh, this is what it feels like to have something go wrong?" But then I still landed the jump so I guess that's not a good example.
What are you up to when you're not skiing?
– There are a lot of fun things to do when the ski season is over. I love to surf, mountain bike, fish, camp, hike… basically just be in the outdoors. I really love spending time at the ocean and since my husband is from Santa Cruz we luckily spend a lot of time surfing and hanging there. I also really enjoy cooking good meals (well, actually I help my talented chef of a husband cook that is) and drinking wine with our friends. Getting in some good booty shaking on the dance floor from time to time is nice as well.
Any training advice or suggestions?
– Everything is important: strength, agility, stretching, aerobic exercise, eating healthy, and sleeping well. So, it's best to do all kinds of sports and activities in the off-season and try to do as much as you can during the winter, however hard that may be. It's like fine-tuning a race horse.
Who or what inspires you?
– Right now it's Cody Townsend, Rachael Burks, Kaj Zackrisson, the all-female Nike 6.0 surf flick 'Leave a Message', and women that are pushing the boundaries in sport and business. A lot of people inspire me really, I like to take positive qualities that I see in others and try to apply them to myself.
How do you see skiing evolving in the next five years?
– Big mountain skiing and females becomes more important within the ski industry. At least that's what I believe should be paid attention to if the industry wants to prosper.
Do you have any vices that you would like to share?
– Like being too perfect for my own good? Yep, that's a vice, too dang perfect. The nice thing about doing a Q & A like this is I'm able to make a comment and no one can refute what I'm saying. Like not only am I perfect but I'm also one of the smartest and best looking and strongest
and coolest people on the planet! And I can fly.
What are your future plans or goals in skiing?
– To inspire not only little girls but also grown women to jump cliffs, ski faster, take a steeper run, or do whatever it is that would be pushing their boundaries in skiing. With a smile, of course.


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This gallery contains 4 photos.
If it doesn't seem that everything is hanging by a thread right now, if grief and bewilderment for a world losing its way is not just beneath the surface of your own world, perhaps its time to come out of your cave. … Continue reading


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Tunisia: difficult questions for Ashton?
January 17, 2011
Several questions were asked by journalists today regarding the EU's position on the Tunisian "jasmine revolution", no real answer was given by Ashton's spokesperson.
One of the questions was: can we take it, if the EU expresses support for the Tunisia revolution, that it also supports the opposition against other oppressive regimes in Morocco, Algiers, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Syria? Another one was: is the EU trying to put pressure on Saudi Arabia, when Ben Ali has found refuge, so that he would not orchestrate from there the destabilisation of his country. And is the EU going to impose sanctions against the Ben Ali family, believed to have robbed billions from the country? And is the EU going to send these days a delegation in Tunis?
Anyway. Mme Ashton will be in Strasbourg during the Parliament's session this week and she would have to answer herself those questions, and probably many others.Georgi Gotev
, Tunisia


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The Lens
Colour. Clarity. Detail.
PolarizedPlus2® technology goes beyond shielding your eyes from glare and harmful UV to reveal and enhance the world's true vivid colours in detail.
The Colours
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Best in Bright, Direct Sunlight
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This "High Contrast Lens" provides a beautiful warm tint, excellent for varied, everyday conditions.
Best for Everyday Use
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Provides a subtle rose tint with the highest available contrast that's perfect for fast moving sports.
Best for Fast Action Activities
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When most lenses would be too dark, this "High Transmission" lens offers extra contrast and colour.
Best for Low Light & Golf
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SuperThin Glass provides the absolute crispest optics available. 32% thinner and lighter than standard glass, it offers the best scratch resistance.ClarityShatter ResistanceScratch ResistanceWeight
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MauiPure LT ist leichter und 27% dünner. Und es vereint eine mit ST-Silikat vergleichbare gestochen scharfe Abbildung mit exzellenter Kratz- und Stoßfestigkeit.ClarityShatter ResistanceScratch ResistanceWeight
Subscribe to our 'ohanaKeep up with the Latest Products and News.
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Listen to Take It From Me (Prod By Boola), the latest track from Freeway, featuring Lance Drummonds. The cut dropped on Friday, November 26th, 2010. Freeway's future brightens with every new release, and Take It From Me (Prod By Boola) certainly isn't an exception. It's a fitting addition to a solid catalogue that Freeway has been developing since stepping foot in the game. We're excited to hear more.
Have you heard Freeway's Hustle Baby? Check out Freeway's profile page for the most recent info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
Who else would you like to have seen on the track? How does this compare to Freeway's previous work?


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When money lands in your lap, no matter what the amount, you want to do right by it. But figuring out how to invest is, like many things, harder with fewer dollars. Fees eat more of the pie. Investment options are fewer because of minimum requirements. Diversification is harder to achieve.
All of those things are obstacles, but they aren't insurmountable. In fact, you can often get paid to invest — free money — from our top tip: double your money with a 401(k) account. You'll need a company that offers a 401(k) plan and matches contributions. Even if you don't have that, you can still get many of the same advantages from opening an IRA.
Here are four of the best options for how to invest $1,000.
» Ready to get started? Check our picks for the best online stock brokers for beginners.
1. Invest for retirement — or, how to double your money with a 401(k)
You read that right: If your 401(k) offers matching dollars, that $1,000 could very quickly turn into $2,000.
How? Depending on your plan, when you put money into your 401(k) — which happens as a salary deferral, before taxes — your company may put money in, too. How much money depends on the matching percentage, but it's common for companies to match half or all of your contributions, up to 3% to 6% of your salary. Most 401(k) plans don't accept lump-sum contributions, so your $1,000 figures in this way: With your paycheck a bit smaller because of a 401(k) deduction, you can use the $1,000 as a cushion if you come up short on your monthly bills or you can repay yourself the difference each pay period.
If your employer doesn't offer a match or you've already maxed out your free money, then you'll want to consider opening an IRA.
An individual retirement account is like a 401(k) you open on your own. Since you're flying solo, there's no match, but you still get a host of tax benefits, including the choice of tax-deferred or tax-free investment growth. (Here's a full rundown of these accounts, including the difference between traditional and Roth IRAs.) Another perk of an IRA is that it's easier to find one of these with no — or at least a low — minimum deposit requirement. Many standard brokerage accounts require deposits too rich for your blood, but most of the brokers on our list of best IRA providers will gladly work with your $1,000.
2. Buy commission-free exchange-traded funds
Getting in the door of that IRA is only half the battle. Now you'll likely face a slew of investment choices that are, sadly, out of your reach. Many mutual funds and index funds require minimum investments of more than $1,000.
If you want to make your money grow, you need to invest it. Learn the fundamentals, how best to reach your goals, as well as plans for investing certain sums, from small to large. Read more »
But don't resign yourself to an IRA full of uninvested cash. ETFs are a kind of index fund, but they have features that make them a good choice for small-dollar investors. While all funds charge an expense ratio — a percentage of your investment that goes toward the fund's operating expenses — ETFs are on the low end of the cost spectrum. They also trade on an exchange like a stock, which means the minimum investment is a share price. That share price could be as little $5 or $10.
The benefit of that, beyond the fact that it's a minimum you can meet, is that with $1,000 you can put together a few ETFs, which are necessary for a diversified portfolio. Just note the words "commission-free": Because these funds are traded, you pay a commission to buy and sell. Buy five funds at a $10 commission, and you've already lost 5% of your investment to fees. Pick a broker with commission-free ETFs, and you'll avoid that cost.
» MORE: The best brokers for ETF investors
3. Use a robo-advisor
If the idea of picking ETFs bores you, terrifies you or both, you'll probably like these services. Robo-advisors are robot-powered — or, less fun and sci-fi-sounding but more accurate, computer-powered — investment managers. They buy fractional shares, which means you could own 10 or 12 ETFs with $1,000, and manage your portfolio as needed. Better still, many of them are geared toward small account balances, with no minimum.
In fact, a low balance works for you at Wealthfront, which manages free of charge the first $5,000 you invest. After that, the service costs 0.25%, about standard for the industry. One advisor, Axos Invest (formerly known as WiseBanyan), is free and has no account minimum. You'll also pay the fund expense ratios, but robo-advisors typically use low-cost funds.
Up to 1 year
Up to 1 year
For more, read our roundup of the best brokers for robo-advisors.
4. Trade for free with an investing app
Again, costs can make or break a small balance, so if you're keen to trade stocks, here are three tips that, admittedly, border on nags:
- Investing for retirement should come first, and low-cost index funds and ETFs are the best way to do that.
- Research into the companies behind the stocks can be the difference between trading stocks and throwing your money away.
- Because online broker trade commissions can cost $5 to $10 a pop, you might want to do your trading via a free investing app.
» Learn more: How to buy stocks
The main player here is Robinhood, which gives you access to a large selection of stocks and U.S.-listed ETFs. Robinhood allows you to trade commission-free and has no account minimum.
Want more help?
If you're tempted to open a brokerage account but need more advice on choosing the right one, see our 2019 roundup of the best brokers for beginner stock investors. It compares today's top online brokerages across all the metrics that matter most to investors just starting out: fees, minimum balances to open and investor tools and resources.


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Links relevant to whats in the news now . . .
For more details about our society in general or specific events contact one of our committee members below.
Chris Darwin [Chairman] : firstname.lastname@example.com Pollard [Secretary] : Tony Terry [Treasurer] :Bill McAllister : email@example.com Leadbeater : email@example.com Smith:
Alternatively just turn up to one of our friendly monthly meetings and introduce yourself.


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- Registered Media Will be Provided 2 Passes For The Red Carpet ( June 8th from
3pm to 6pm) & For The Enire Film Festival.
- No Cameras or recording devices are allowed inside the theatre when the
screening is on.
- To request an interview with the Cast and Crew of the films, please send us an
email 3 days in advance.


text: Going to a Halloween party at the ole' saloon this year and need the perfect outfit? Spirit Halloween has got you covered with our wide selection of Cowboys and Native American Mens costumes. Ride up to the party on your horse dressed in the Adult Gunfighter costume or twirl up your long mustache in the Adult The Gambler costume. Want to be the life of the party? Dispense all of the drinks as you stand behind the counter in the Adult Bartender costume! Lighten the spirits of the room when you're dressed in the Adult Noble Native American costume or the Adult Brave Native American costume. Although the times of the ole' wild west may be far behind us, Spirit Halloween will make sure you come to the party looking like the top gunslinger of your town!


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You've always thought about investing in real estate, you're sick of paying rent and making someone else richer by the month while building no equity in yourself. So why haven't you finally bought your own piece of real estate? If money is putting a stop to your real estate goals, let me show you the steps you can take to make your home more affordable.
Let's start with experience: unless you are an professional in the field (think seasoned investor, experienced real estate agent, etc.) you may not have much. Luckily for you, using an agent to purchase a property is completely free for you as a buyer! An agent will help you locate the perfect property that has potential to suit the scenario in which we wish to purchase it. Find a good agent that knows the local market, has done investment deals before and that you get along with because they will be guiding you through much more than the home buying process.
So now you have your agent, what's next? After you've met with a mortgage broker and been pre-qualified for a mortgage, you will need to figure out what kind of monthly payments you will be comfortable with. As this post is about making your future home more affordable we will need to figure out what your target audience is and how much they will be willing to spend; enter rental potential. For those of you that aren't keen on taking big risks, it is best to stick to buying a home that you can comfortably afford the mortgage payments without the help of rental income. This way should you run into an problems or have trouble renting out your unit, you won't be struggling to make ends meet. However, some people like to take bigger risks that pay bigger rewards. If you can save up about three months of full carrying costs, are willing to stretch yourself and have confidence in your skills as a landlord and your agents skills as a local expert, you can reap bigger rewards as I will show in a later example.
But first, your agent will need to find you a property that has rental potential; the key to making your home more affordable. Not all homes are suited to have tenants and not all homes legally can house tenants. Your agent will figure out which areas are zoned to permit for legal basement apartments. If you are renting out the main floor, any home will work however you want to keep in mind what type of tenant you would like to deal with (i.e.; young professional, family, student, etc.) and buy the right type of home in a neighbourhood suited for that type of tenant. This will increase your rentability, increase your rent amount and keep your vacancy low. For example, if your target audience are young professionals, you wouldn't want to purchase a home in the suburbs. Rather, you would want a modern home with close proximity to highways and transit, consider having it furnished and up-to-date with technology such as dimming lights, alarm system, energy efficient, etc. You can then demand a higher rent amount because you have a higher end product catered to your 'clients' needs. Think of yourself as a service provider and the tenant as your client.
Now that you have your target audience defined, figure out what the rental rates are in your chosen area for those types of homes. For example, the basement of a 1500 sq.ft home could rent out for $800-$1500 depending on the quality of the finishings, amount of natural light, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, etc. Let's say your home cost you roughly $400,000 and you had monthly mortgage payments of about $1700 (not including your property taxes). If you could turn the basement into a two bedroom rental suite, you can max out the rental at $1500 per month which leaves you with a $200 monthly mortgage payment. Not convinced? Let's say you purchased a $700,000 home that could be converted into a triplex (three rental units) – main floor, second floor and basement. This home would have a monthly mortgage payment of roughly $3000 (not including property taxes). If you could rent the second floor out for $1200-$1500 per month and the basement for $900-$1200 per month depending on the type of tenant you are attracting and finishes you use. This would leave you living on the main floor for anywhere between $300-$900. Very affordable!
So where do the rewards come in now that your home is more affordable? Well in the first example, if you could comfortably afford a $1700 mortgage, now you have $1500 that you would have spent on housing anyways. Put that away into a savings account and begin saving for your next investment. In the second example where it is a bit of a stretch for you, not only are you still saving your $1500 a month you could have afforded, but now you have a tenant paying down your larger mortgage, giving you more equity on a home which reaps bigger rewards should you choose to sell your home and take in the profits! Real estate can be a short or long term strategy, and finding a way to put as little of your own money into it for maximum results is the best way to play it.
Owning your own home does not have to be expensive. Keep in mind the renovations needed to convert a home into an income-producing investment add value to the home and increase your profit when it comes time to sell. A home that cash flows is seen as a positive investment and attracts a larger audience for resale; think first-time homebuyers looking to make their home more affordable such as yourself or first-time investors looking for a home that is turnkey to accept tenants. Always remember that making your home more affordable is a business strategy therefore you must clearly define what your goals are and what steps are needed to implement them and do your market research. Ensure your conversion fits the needs of your future 'clients' and conduct yourself professionally at all times to keep them paying top dollar.


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Privacy Policy
We respect your privacy
At Mission Research, our mission is to support your mission with easy, reliable software. As part of that effort, we respect and protect the privacy of those who visit or use our websites and products. When we collect information from you, we want you to know how it is used. To demonstrate our commitment to fair information practices, we have adopted leading industry privacy guidelines.
This Privacy Statement defines privacy guidelines specific to Mission Research GiftWorks, MissionResearch.com, GiftWorksConnect.com and affiliated Mission Research Web servers (referred to collectively as "Mission Research websites and products").
Our Philosophy and Practices
We want you to feel comfortable and confident when using Mission Research websites and products. Therefore, we would like to share with you the following principles that govern our information practices and other aspects of privacy related to our web-sites and products.
We provide you notice of our information practices:
To maximize the value of our services, we may request information from you when you visit our websites or register Mission Research products. When we collect information from you, we'll tell you what is being collected, how it is collected, by whom it is being collected, why it is being collected, and to whom it may be disclosed. We identify the information that is necessary to fulfill your request. Whenever we ask for additional or optional information, we identify those fields appropriately so that you know what is required to provide the requested service.
In detail, here is how and why we collect and use information from you:
Mission Research GiftWorks Software
When you purchase GiftWorks, we require you to register your purchase. During the registration process, we request your name, address, phone number, email address, and company name. We do not share your contact information with outside companies for their promotional use. We may, however, use this information to notify registered GiftWorks users about upcoming product upgrades and about special offers (but only from Mission Research or our partners). After registration, you can contact us regarding your privacy preferences by writing to us at Mission Research Inc., Customer Communication, P.O. Box 8075, Lancaster, PA 17604-8075.
After registering your product, we may request that you answer some general questions about yourself and your business and how you use GiftWorks. Answering these questions is optional, and you will be able to register your product without completing these sections. This information will help us continue to improve our products and services to better meet your needs. If you choose to provide Mission Research with this information, we may use it to contact you about special offers that may be of interest to you. This information may also be used to help us evaluate our products and services.
GiftWorks Internet Updates
Mission Research works year-round to make GiftWorks even better. From time to time, we offer updates. An update might include a timesaving new feature, minor repairs to keep software running smoothly, or timely information relevant to your organization.
You can get these updates in several ways. The easiest is by using the GiftWorks Internet Update feature. When an update is available, GiftWorks will notify you on the GiftWorks homepage and/or by email. Then, when you are using GiftWorks and have an Internet connection, you can click Update GiftWorks whenever you are ready. It's simple.
If you do not have an Internet connection while running GiftWorks, GiftWorks will not attempt to connect you, even if an update is available. In addition, you can always turn off the GiftWorks Update feature. Simply go to the Setup section in GiftWorks, select Internet Updates, then deselect "Automatically check for updates on startup."
You can check for updates anytime by going to the Internet Updates menu at the bottom of any GiftWorks screen and clicking on Check for Updates. You can also manually download updates by visiting http://giftworksconnect.com/downloads.
The update feature sends technical information to Mission Research about your computer's connection and the GiftWorks software being updated. An industry-standard secure connection protects all information during an update. Under no circumstances do Mission Research servers access or read any other information on your computer. During an update, GiftWorks downloads only the necessary files to your computer.
Technical Support Plan Enrollment
Telephone Support may be purchased directly from Mission Research. We collect your name, address, email, telephone number, GiftWorks software registration number, and payment information. We use this information to register you with the service plan that you select. We may use this information to contact you for renewals of service, newsletters, or other marketing purposes.
Technical Support Access
If you are a registered user of GiftWorks, we ask you to log in to technical support using your technical support identification. Within the technical support area, you can submit issues and feedback, review your case history, update your name, organization name, address, phone number, email address, fax number, and email subscription status, and review online newsletters and other tips. To submit a question, we will require you to provide certain information about your GiftWorks product, such as the version you are using and the operating system your computer uses. We will use this information to research and respond to your issue.
Contests and Surveys
From time to time, we may offer you the option to participate in contests or surveys. If you would like to participate, we may ask you for contact information, preferences, or other information. This information may be used to conduct research, improve our offerings, or award prizes. We may also ask for more specific demographic information, such as age or gender to better understand who uses Mission Research websites and products and to make our offerings more useful for you. Our contests may have separate rules and we will identify how the information that you supply will be used in each case.
We provide you the opportunity to subscribe to email newsletters and other email communications. You may unsubscribe by following the instructions provided in each email newsletter.
Submitting Suggestions
Using our website, you can ask us questions and share comments with us. Through our submission request form, we provide you a chance to send specific questions or comments and we request, at your option, a name and email address, so that we may respond to your inquiry. All submissions through this form are treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary, and may be published or used by Mission Research without your personal information for other purposes.
Data Collection from Children
Because of the nature of our business, our products and services are not designed to appeal to children under the age of 13. Therefore we don't knowingly attempt to solicit or receive any information from children.
We tell you how and why we use web technologies:
Here is how and why we use some common technologies to help manage our websites and products:
A "cookie" is a small piece of information that our webmay provide to your browser while you are using our website. The Mission Research website supplies your browser with cookies that contain a unique identifier used to better understand your website usage so that we know what areas users use most. Except in registered areas, these cookies are not linked to the personally identifiable information that you provide us elsewhere on the site. You do not have to accept cookies from our website. Only the areas that require registration require cookies. Most browsers are defaulted to accept and maintain cookies.
Third-party tracking systems in use on behalf of this website may assign different cookies to you. These cookies may be used to track your involvement with certain links on our site to help us better understand and improve our site. You may choose not to accept these cookies and will still have full access to all of the website's features. These cookies do not follow you once you leave our website, nor are they linked to personal information you provide elsewhere on our site. If you have any questions about our third-party tracking system, please contact us.
Website Usage Data
With or without cookies, our website keeps track of usage data, such as the source address that a page request is coming from, your IP address or domain name, the date and time of the page request, the referring website (if any), and other parameters in the URL. We use this data to better understand website usage so that we know what areas of our website users use most. This information is stored in log files and is used for aggregated and statistical reporting. This log information is not linked to personally identifiable information gathered elsewhere on the website.
Software Links to the Internet
Mission Research software is Internet-enabled, allowing us to deliver products, services, and information using the Internet. In providing these services, your software will sometimes link to websites after you click on a link within the software. After clicking on one of those links, you will pass through a Mission Research server before being redirected onto the Internet. This allows Mission Research to send you to the proper website even if the destination website has changed locations. We store which link you clicked on and its location within the software prior to linking you to the Internet. Mission Research servers register the website you request from within the software. Mission Research does not register your surfing behavior after that point. We use this information to determine usage levels for our online services.
More on our general information practices:
Mandatory and Optional Information
We identify the information that is necessary to fulfill your request. Whenever we ask for additional or optional information, we identify those fields appropriately so that you know what is required to provide the requested service. If you choose not to provide mandatory information, we will not be able to provide you with the service you are requesting.
Mission Research Partners and Co-Branded or Third-Party Sites
Some of the products and services we offer are provided by Mission Research's business partners. To fulfill your request for such services, we will forward your customer information to our partner, as necessary. Our co-branded sites are clearly identified by both a Mission Research and a partner logo. Mission Research websites and products may provide links to third-party websites, such as those of our business partners and online advertisers. On these sites, either Mission Research and/or its partners may collect information about you. Mission Research is not responsible for the actions of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies to learn more about what, why, and how they collect and use personally identifiable information.
Email Message Formatting
When sending you email, we may use an image called a single-pixel GIF, which allows us to format messages that best align with your computer's capabilities and determine whether you've opened an HTML email. When you click on a link within an email message, you will first pass through our server, then you are redirected onto the Internet. We use this click-through data to evaluate response rates to our email messages and to determine which links are most useful to our customers.
Mission Research and Its Subsidiaries
Mission Research and its subsidiaries may exchange customer data with each other to fulfill your request or to provide you with information about other products or services.
Service Providers
In some cases, we will employ or work with service providers such as consultants, temporary workers, third-party software developers, or outsourcers to complete a business process or provide a service on our behalf. For example, we may use service providers to deliver products, offer online software applications, or send emails. When we employ service providers, we may need to share your personally identifiable information. Service providers are strictly prohibited from using your personally identifiable information for purposes other than to act on our behalf.
Service Alerts and Critical Notices
We respect and honor the privacy preferences you have expressed, but, from time to time, we may need to contact you to inform you of specific changes that may impact your ability to use our websites or products or for other critical non-marketing purposes, such as bug alerts. We may also contact you to respond to your specific requests or to clarify the order information you provided to us.
Change of Control
Your personally identifiable information may be transferred in connection with a sale, merger, transfer, exchange, or other disposition (whether of assets, stock, or otherwise) of all or a portion of a business of Mission Research and/or its subsidiaries. You will have the opportunity to opt out of further secondary use of your information following any change of control.
Third-Party Web Beacons
We use third-party web beacons from Yahoo! to help analyze where visitors go and what they do while visiting our website. Yahoo! may also use anonymous information about your visits to this and other websites in order to improve its products and services and provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by Yahoo!, click here.
Changes to Our Privacy Policy If we plan to make significant changes to any of our privacy policies or practices with respect to how we use personally identifiable information, we'll post those changes to www.giftworksconnect.com 30 days before they take effect.
Legal Disclosures
In some cases, we may disclose certain information to comply with a legal process, such as a court order, subpoena, search warrant, or law enforcement request.
We give you choices about how the personally identifiable information that you provide to us may be used: We give you the opportunity to control the use of your personal information for purposes other than to fulfill your request. We will provide you the opportunity to opt out of secondary uses of personally identifiable information you provide us, whenever we gather it. Simply notify us during the information collection process or go to http://www.giftworksconnect.com/contact.
We let you update or correct your personally identifiable information:
We provide you the opportunity to update or correct your personally identifiable information online in the GiftWorks Settings area.
We work to protect personally identifiable information from loss, misuse, or unauthorized alteration:
We employ industry-recognized security safeguards to help protect the personally identifiable information that you have provided to us from loss, misuse, or unauthorized alteration. Whenever we prompt you to transmit sensitive information, such as a credit card number, to us through our website or products, we encrypt your data as it is transmitted to us.
We work to protect personally identifiable information stored on Mission Research servers from unauthorized access using industry-standard computer security products, such as firewalls, as well as carefully developed security procedures and practices. All employees must review and sign a written statement of these practices, which include limiting access to sensitive information to only those employees who require such information, and enforcing strict password protocols for all employees. We use both internal and external resources to review the adequacy of our security measures on a regular basis.
We provide a way to let you contact us about our information practices and other aspects of privacy:
Questions regarding this Mission Research Privacy Statement, our information practices, or other aspects of privacy related to our websites and products can be directed to us at http://www.giftworksconnect.com/contact.


text: In the last several years, Instagram has become a well-loved social media platform with over 600 million active users. If your business can build a more substantial Instagram following, it can translate to more sales for your business, more traffic to your blog, and a stronger community for your brand. Building a large Instagram following isn't hard, but it will take time. Here are five surefire ways you can grow your Instagram followers for your business. Make sure you read to the end for a special bonus!


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When you add a roof over the front door, you not only add a stylish addition to your home but also a functional one. A roof or awning provides shelter from both the sun and the rain when you are at the door and protects the door itself from the ravages of strong weather. You can add a roof over the front door using standard do-it-yourself materials.
Step 1
Measure the width of the door using a tape measure and add 12 inches. Cut three 2-by-4s to this length using a circular saw. Cut two 2-by-4s to a length of 12 inches. Hold one of the door-width pieces against the wall just above the door so there are 6 inches of wood on each side of the door. Drill holes through the wood and into the wall every 6 inches along the length, using a hammer drill.
Step 2
Fill the holes in the wall with wall plugs. Screw one of the 12-inch pieces to either end of the drilled wood using two countersunk 2-inch-long screws per piece, to form a U shape. Screw another door-width piece to the other end of the 12-inch-pieces in the same manner, to form a rectangle as long as the width of the door plus 12 inches and 16 inches wide.
Step 3
Screw the rectangle to the wall via 6-inch-long galvanized screws in the holes you drilled. Hold the remaining 2-by-4 piece horizontally across the wall 12 inches above the top of the rectangle. Drill holes through the wood and into the wall every 6 inches along the length of the wood. Fill the holes in the wall with wall plugs. Screw the wood to the wall using 6-inch-long galvanized screws.
Step 4
Measure from the wall just above the top 2-by-4 piece and diagonally down to the outer edge of the rectangle. Add 6 inches to this measurement to find the length of the joists you will need. Cut enough 2-by-4 lumber to make one joist at either side of the roof and one joist every 6 inches between.
Step 5
Stand the joists on the rectangle and top piece with the 4-inch sides of the joists vertical and the corner of one end touching the wall. Hold a plumb line to the top corner on the side by the wall on each piece. Draw a vertical line down the plumb line with a pencil. Cut along the lines using a jigsaw, to allow the joists to sit flush with the wall.
Step 6
Stand the joists on the rectangle and top piece again. Use the plumb line to draw vertical lines down the joists at each point where they connect with the rectangle and top piece. Draw a horizontal line bisecting these lines using a ruler. Cut out the notches formed by the lines using the jigsaw.
Step 7
Stand the joists back on the rectangles and top pieces, with the notches allowing the joists to sit flush against the wood. Screw the joists to the rectangle and top piece using one countersunk 6-inch galvanized screw per joint.
Step 8
Cut enough pieces of 2-by-2 lumber to sit one piece as a crossbeam every 4 inches down the length of the joists. Screw the 2-by-2 pieces across the joists with one 3-inch-long screw per joint. Leave a 2-inch gap between each crossbeam.
Step 9
Cut strips of underfelt to the width of the roof line. Nail the first strip to the bottom of the roof line using clout nails and a hammer. Nail the second strip above the first with a 1-inch overlap. Continue nailing the underfelt to the roof until the roof is covered.
Step 10
Nail the first row of slate roofing tiles to the bottom of the roof using 1-inch-long roofing nails. Lay the second row above the first with a 1-inch overlap. Alternate nailing and laying rows of tiles until you reach the final row. Nail the final row to the top of the roofline.
Step 11
Cut a sheet of 3/4-inch-thick plywood 20 inches long and 12 inches wide. Cut a diagonal line across the sheet using a jigsaw or circular saw, to form two right-angled triangles. Screw one triangle to either side of the roof using 1-inch-long screws.
Step 12
Cut a sheet of 3/4-inch-thick plywood as long as the width of the roof and 16 inches wide. Screw the sheet to the underside of the roof using 1-inch-long screws. Varnish the front, sides and underside of the roof using exterior-grade varnish and a paintbrush.
- When cutting wood, make sure to keep your hands away from the saw blade to avoid accidental cuts or severed fingers due to a slipped saw blade or wood catching on the blade while you are cutting. In addition, wear gloves and safety goggles to remove the risk of splinters and wood particles being thrown up into your eyes while you are cutting.
- If you live in an area where rain is common, consider covering over the plywood on the sides of the roof with rows of thicker wood, overlapping one another by half an inch. This will add an extra layer of waterproofing to your new roof and will also help to decorate the sides of the roof.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images


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Dear Santa: Our Fave TV Characters' Xmas List
Do you ever wonder what would be in your favourite TV character's letter to Santa?
Of course you do! That's why we've compiled a list of what we think our favourite TV heroes and villains would want to find under their Christmas tree. Some of the baddies on here would definitely be on the Naughty List. Some naughtier than others. Maybe Santa will make an exception this year for some.
Hmm… what would be good enough for the "Prince of Darkness"? Clearly he doesn't lack for much but he does have a few weaknesses. No, we are not sending him scantily clad supermodels! How about a bottle of the world's most expensive scotch. Surely that would appeal to Luci's refined tastes.
Jesse Custer (Preacher)
Ah… the good preacher. We're thinking Jesse would want something a little more practical. How about a nice pair of cowboy boots? Nah! He's got those already and if they are the real thing, then those suckers last forever. No, we're thinking of a way to keep Jesse's love of god… and booze close to his heart.
This little beauty can be found on Amazon for only $34.99!
And for Jesse's girl? Well Tulip has her own signature style and we think she would appreciate function and form. Tulip's fondness for vintage dresses doesn't leave a lot of room for her …um…"accessories."
That's why we think she would ask Santa for a "Boob Buddy Holster" from Fancy Pants Holsters. It fits snuggly under your bra and a polka dot halter dress, concealing guns of all sorts. Ha!
Well I'm not sure he's even worthy of coal in his stocking. But, if Santa should feel generous this year then this would be perfect!
Available at most music stores, Little Richard's "Lucille" (You may have to scavenge a bit for vinyl) will warm Negan's cold, black heart. He can serenade the true love of his life and while he's distracted maybe someone can kill him for us.
Liv (iZombie)
Finally! Someone worthy of a fantastic gift this Christmas. Liv's a busy girl…er… zombie. She doesn't always have time to whip up elaborate meals for herself. She has crimes to solve. Admittedly Liv is pretty creative with her main ingredients (brains) but maybe this will give her some new ideas.
"The Hot Sauce Cookbook" by Robb Walsh has a vast array of culinary delights featuring… You guessed it, hot sauce. Santa, you can find this one on Amazon as well.
Damon Salvatore
I've saved the best for last and since hubby probably wouldn't appreciate me wrapping myself up… Damon will have to ask for something else. Damon appreciates antiques, particularly vintage cars so I'm thinking he wouldn't mind adding another classic mustang to his garage. Merry Christmas Damon!
A 1969 Shelby Cobra (Classic Auto Trader) in blue of course–To match his beautiful eyes. Damon has been a very naughty boy this year Santa, but go easy on him. He tries so hard to be good.
Us gals at Booknista wish you all a wonderful holiday season and hope Santa is very good to you! Make sure you check back with Rants & Raves in 2017! All our favourites will be back and hopefully some new ones too.
Images(15)/AMC, Fox, CW, Amazon


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Congratulations to our retailers who recently became Customer Certified during the week ending June 9, 2012!
|Jen's Beds
|Love Beads
|Melrose.com, LLC
|Modern Automotive Performance
|One Kings Lane
|Tillers Direct
|Karate Joes
Use this certification to give customers confidence and to support conversion. Prominently display the Bizrate Customer Certified medal on your site.
Click here to find out more about the Customer Certified medal and how to implement it on your site!
Another way to bolster customer confidence and conversion is to publish individual customer comments. Take advantage of the free Bizrate Insights Testimonials widget for an automated, formatted and packaged presentation.
Here is a sample of Lucy's testimonials:
The packaged Testimonials are available in 5 different sizes – please click here for additional information and examples of each size. Please also see our Publishing Guidelines for guidance on other publication ideas you may have.
Congratulations on your achievement, and please contact us if you have any questions about how to get started!


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It is attached to a black, elasticated, adjustable strap, and is easy to use under a shirt collar.
This bowtie is approximately 4.7" / 12cm long by 2.6" / 6.5cm tall at the tallest point, and the strap will adjust from approximately 33.5cm up to 50.5cm (approximately 13.2" to 19.8")
If you're unsure about the fit, please feel free to message me!
•All my products are made in a smoke-free home.
•Due to the nature of handmade items and differences in monitors, your item may differ very slightly from the picture.
•You only pay postage for the first item you order - there is no additional postage cost if you order more.
•For more information, message me or check out my policies.
When will my order be dispatched?
All orders (except custom and bulk orders) are posted in 1-3 working days of your order.
Most orders dispatch within 1-2 business days, but sometimes I need to make the item(s) you've ordered, in which case it may take a little longer.
If you need your order to be dispatched sooner, please contact me and I will try to accommodate, however this may not always be possible.
How long will it take for my parcel to arrive?
Estimated shipping time are as follows:
United Kingdom: 2nd Class 2-4 business days, 1st Class 1-3 business days
Europe: 3-7 business days
North America: 6-12 business days
Everywhere Else: 6-12 business days
Business days exclude weekends and bank holidays. These shipping times do not include dispatch time, and these estimates start from the day your order is shipped. Please note these are estimates and not guarantees.For more information about shipping and returns, or for other FAQs, visit my FAQ page by clicking here.


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Insurance Panda is pleased to offer cheap auto insurance rates for all La Quinta, California residents. To find these affordable rates in La Quinta, we ask you to enter your La Quinta area zip code in the box above. On the next two pages, you will be asked some basic information about yourself and the vehicle you will be driving. Once you complete our brief form, you will be connected to some of the best car insurance rates in all of La Quinta.
La Quinta, California – Car Insurance Requirements
Before buying auto insurance in La Quinta, please be aware of the requirements issued by the state.
La Quinta, California Car Insurance Agents
If you wish to shop offline for car insurance in the La Quinta area, Insurance Panda gives you that option as well. Below is a list of the top auto insurance agents in La Quinta. Instead of getting quotes from our website, call them up directly to get their prices.
Desert Insurance Solutions
51625 Desert Club Dr Ste 202, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 5646800
La Quinta Insurance
51025 Avenida Mendoza Ste 101, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 7771307
Rancho Santa Fe Insurance
49499 Eisenhower Dr, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 3414114
3rd Generation Insurance Agency
47170 Washington St, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 5643888
Kenneth Rickerd
79255 Highway 111 Ste 4, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 5642443
John Ford
79440 Corporate Center Dr Ste 104, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 5640011
AAA Insurance
46050 Washington St, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 7711162
DirectLink Insurance Services
78401 Highway 111 Ste S, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 3475552
Robert Stowe
79710 Highway 111 Ste 100, La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 3422786
Douglas Motz
43875 Washington St Ste A, Palm Desert, CA 92211
(760) 2000270


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This article gives simple step-by-step instructions for making a bunny ears craft with preschool students. The concept behind the craft is making a simple headband or hat that has the ears of a bunny attached to it for children to use in pretend play. With three variations below, make a set of bunny ears for each child, and get your group moving and grooving to some bunny dance steps.
Bunny Face Headband
For this project, you will need:
- white poster board
- pink construction paper
- pink pom-poms or cotton balls
- plastic movable eyes or a black marker
- stapler
- tape
- safety scissors
- school glue
What to do:
- Cut a paper strip from white poster board about 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide and long enough to fit around the child's head.
- Make templates of rabbit ears, and invite the children to trace around the template and cut out two ears for their headband from white poster board.
- Cut two pink centers for the ears traced from a smaller sized template.
- Have the children glue the pink centers onto each white bunny ear.
- In the center of the main headband, have the children create a bunny face. Help young children draw eyes on the band. With older children, you have an option of using plastic movable eyes; however, supervision is advisable as small pieces may become a choking hazard.
- Glue a pink pom-pom or cotton ball nose in the center.
- Attach each ear above the eyes with heavy duty glue or a stapler. Remember to cover all stapled areas with a piece of tape to prevent cuts or hair pulling by the metal staple.
- Fit the band to the child's head and staple closed.
Cotton Ball Bunny Headband
You will need:
- white poster board
- lids from egg cartons
- pink cotton balls
- stapler
- school glue
- tape
- crayons, markers, or Easter stickers
- safety scissors
What to do:
- Cut a headband from the white poster board between 2-3 inches wide and long enough to fit the child's head.
- Cut a strip from the lid of an egg carton, and then cut this cupped strip in half. These will become the bunny ears.
- Have the children glue cotton balls inside each cupped bunny ear.
- While the ears are drying, invite the children to decorate the headband piece. These can be decorated with crayons, markers, and/or stickers.
- Fit the band to the child's head and staple closed. Cover the stapled areas with tape to avoids cuts and pulled hair.
- Attach each bunny ear to the back of the headband with the stapler.
One-Piece Bunny Ears Hat
Materials for this craft:
- lunch-sized paper plates (not the foam type)
- safety scissors
- pink construction paper
- white cotton balls
- school glue
What to do:
- Fold the paper plate in half. Cut around the inside of the rim leaving a two-inch part uncut. Older children may want to do the cutting with your help.
- Open the paper plate and bend up the uncut center portion. Cut down the center, making two rabbit ears.
- Cut two smaller center ear portions from pink construction paper and glue these onto the white bunny ears. Curl down each ear at the top.
- Allow the children to glue cotton balls along the rim of the hat (front section).
- Place the rim on the child's head as a hat with the bunny ears in front.
Do the Bunny Pokey
The children can wear their bunny ears as they sing and hop to this movement song. The "Bunny Pokey" is a variation on the traditional "Hokey-Pokey."
You put your bunny ears in,
You put your bunny ears out,
You put your bunny ears in,
And you shake them all about.
You do the Bunny-Pokey,
And you hippity-hop around,
That's what it's all about.
(Author Unknown)
A preschool bunny ears craft is a fun and easy project for children to make for Easter or the spring season. Be sure to have a camera ready so the children can model their creations!
The information offered in this article is based on the author's personal experience as an early childhood teacher.
Photos courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved
This post is part of the series: All About Bunnies for Preschool!
- A Bunnies Preschool Theme Lesson for the Classroom
- Making a Pat the Bunny Book in the Preschool Classroom
- Raise Your Bunny Ears! A Project for the Preschool Age Child
- Three Bunny Crafts for a Preschool Class


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The United States ambassador to Nepal, Alaina B Teplitz in an op-ed published in Nepali and English in Kathmandu dailies on Monday has strongly criticised a new draft law making it difficult for civil society organisations to register and operate in Nepal.
The draft Social Welfare and Development Act requires civil society organizations (CSOs) to get multiple approvals from different agencies despite the constitutional provisions for streamlined registration and operation.
'The new Social Welfare and Development Act currently being drafted … appears to run counter to the constitution's call for a single-door system requiring CSOs to obtain multiple approvals from different agencies in order to operate,' Teplitz writes. 'The draft Act also restricts CSO access to foreign funding by requiring CSOs to obtain permission from the Social Welfare Council to implement projects using foreign aid and support.'
The US government through its agencies and contractors supports NGOs in health, education and gender as well as provide grants to civil society groups working on human rights and democracy. Teplitz said the US engaged with CSOs in Nepal so they had the tools and skills to advocate on behalf of the people they serve.
She warned that the restrictions on foreign funding in the draft 'besides being an unnecessary burden on these institutions … would be a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights'.
'While civil society, including our friends in the media, can,. At times, be difficult or a challenge to the government, that is precisely why our democracy needs them, and why we work with other democratic governments to enhance civil society," she adds.
Civil society organisations include NGOs, the media, community-based groups, think tanks, academia and professional institutions. Teplitz writes: 'It is imperative that during the democratic transitioncivic space remain open to support an active civil society."
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The nightmare is over?
Toshubi on May 9, 2009
And we're back!
Picking up after the end of the Halloween caper. (That ended in March!)
Raziel_X007223 at 7:44AM, June 23, 2009
Oh no, Sadie may be in trouble!!! A sadistic 5 out of 5!
Xade at 8:02AM, May 10, 2009
welcome back! nice to see you updating again. the glasses was a nice touch, im glad you liked the idea. he might be a bad guy but hes so furry and cute :)
Rain27 at 8:00AM, May 10, 2009
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! *insert happy dance here*
ghostrunner at 10:08PM, May 9, 2009
and were back
Mutation at 10:05PM, May 9, 2009
Torch lever! I love those! Also, poor Sadie! It's been so long since we've seen of her... considering Toh's messing with her head, I wonder if Toshubi will have time to save her? And yet... I'm wondering what she'd be like as mind warped assassin.


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Kobe Bryant's Preference Is to Have No. 24 Jersey Retired Instead of No. 8April 7, 2013
Kobe Bryant sent shock waves around the Los Angeles Lakers universe when he told Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com that next season would be his last.
Whether you believe Bryant on his retirement timeline, less than a week later, we now know which of his two jersey numbers he wants raised to the rafters at Staples Center.
According to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, Kobe has decided on No. 24: "When the day comes that Kobe Bryant's jersey is retired by the Lakers, it will go on the Staples Center wall as No. 24, not No. 8. That's Bryant's preference, and so it shall be."
The sound of Kobe stating which of his jerseys he would like to be retired—the old-school No. 8 or the relatively new No. 24—is barely audible over the roar of aghast Lakers fans screaming in horror at the prospect of life without the Black Mamba.
Still, choosing which number to retire presents an interesting decision. Unlike Michael Jordan, who was associated much more closely with No. 23 than No. 45, neither of Bryant's numbers seem to carry more weight than the other, though both jerseys have deep significance in NBA lore.
Kobe ascended to greatness as No. 8. He won three titles in that uniform, and one night in January of 2006, he sliced up the Toronto Raptors for 81 points.
That offseason, he switched to his old number from high school, No. 24, which helps mark the trajectory of his career.
No. 24 did it without Shaquille O'Neal, delivering two more titles to Jerry Buss, the last one coming in a sublime seven-game series against the rival Boston Celtics.
Bryant understandably feels more ownership over No. 24, much like an adolescent who changes his or her name. He's also donned the triple-eight for many of his career milestones, such as passing the late, great Wilt Chamberlain for fourth on the all-time scoring list.
In the end, what Kobe wants, Kobe gets. His No. 24 will take its place among the franchise's other legendary jerseys, though it hopefully won't be backwards like Shaq's.
Regardless of which jersey Bryant wants hung up, no Laker is likely to wear either number ever again:
Of course, they could just hang up three No. 8 jerseys and call it even, but that seems unlikely.
Kobe wants his No. 24 retired because it's more his own, uncontaminated by the star power of O'Neal and Phil Jackson.
And so it shall be.


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Bishop's and Earl's Palaces, Kirkwall
Marvel at the only episcopal palace ever built in Norse Scotland and its stunning Renaissance neighbour.
Broch of Gurness
Get up close to an Iron Age complex said to be one of Scotland's finest examples of a later prehistoric settlement.
Edzell Castle and Garden
Get a sense of the standing of the Lindsay family from the beauty of their lordly seat and its great garden.
Elcho Castle
Imagine the comfortable life of the laird and lady of this fine house, built as their second home in the country.
Huntingtower Castle
Explore the castle where Mary Queen of Scots and new husband Lord Darnley stayed during the Chaseabout Raid.
Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement
Delve into more than 4,000 years of human settlement in the same location in Shetland.
Kisimul Castle
Hop on a boat to make the memorable journey to the 'Castle in the Sea', seat of the chief of Clan Macneil.
Lochleven Castle
Imagine being imprisoned in this island stronghold, as Mary Queen of Scots – formerly a guest here – once was.
Maeshowe Chambered Cairn
Stand in awe of one of Europe's finest chambered tombs, built 5,000 years ago, its entrance aligned with the setting of the midwinter sun.
Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum
Learn about Pictish society from a striking set of 26 carved stones, one of the most important collections of early medieval sculpture in Western Europe.
Skara Brae
Step back 5,000 years in time to explore the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in Western Europe.
Stanley Mills
Enjoy a hi-tech visitor experience at one of the Industrial Revolution's best-preserved relics.


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Director / Producer Chris Cullen has a long history of involvement with film making.
2005-09 Worked in Australia on different productions as runner, grip, etc.
2009 Wrote, Shot and Directed Short Film " Cage"
2010 Wrote/Directed/Produced Short Film "Peace Park" Screened at Cork Film Festival 2010
2010 Assistant Director on short film "Cheaters" Screened at Cork Film Festival 2010
2011 Director at "Epic Productions" Film and Video Production Company
2011 Shot, directed and edited the making of Mick Flannery's new album.
2012- Directed/Produced making of documentary of the feature film "The Vein Within"
2012 Shooting, directing "The Girls Club" a documentary on women with cancer.
2012 Directed/Produced Music Video "Weak As I Am" Inhale The Fall
2012 Directed/Produced Music Video "One is not enough" Jericho
2013 Directed/Produced Music video "Dear John" Julie Feeney.
2013 Directed/Produced Music Video " Just a few hours" Julie Feeney – Picked up by USA Today.
2013 Produced -Short film "Stolen" Has won multiple awards both in Ireland and over seas.
2014 Directed HSE – Family connections – Screened in over 16 counties.
2014 Director of the feature film "Jesus a Remake" (Post Production) Trailer screened at the Cork Film Festival.


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We've already received a sneak peak at what to expect from Portal 2, in the form of the recently unveiled achievement list, but a number of story details still remain a mystery.
While Valve has already revealed that fan-favorite killer AI GLaDOS and protagonist Chell will return for the sequel, the development team has been keeping a lot of Portal 2 story-details under wraps.
Many details are still under tight wraps, but PAX visitors got an early glimpse at the opening moments of Portal 2 - including the introduction of Wheatley, the personality sphere voiced by Stephen Merchant as well as the reveal of a new character, Cave Johnson, the founder of Aperture Science voiced by J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films).
The new footage showcases Valve's interest in improving story-telling in Portal 2. Sure the story in the original Portal was engaging and kept players chuckling as they were drawn farther and farther into the story - however, aside from the homicidal robot GLaDOS, there weren't any other characters to interact with. As a result, the first game was a somewhat isolated journey about exploring and discovering the world of Aperture Science - and subsequently short on interaction with other self-aware characters.
To help immerse the player in Portal 2 - as well as add a thick does of humor (not to mention teach gamers the basic game mechanics) Valve has created Wheatley - who is one of the GLaDOS personality cores that has learned to act independently. In the opening minutes of the game, Wheatley awakens Chell from her sleep - and helps her escape the crumbling confines of her quarters. The one-sided Wheatley banter (against Valve's traditional silent protagonist) hits the same quirky tone as GLaDOS from the first title - and helps the player get up to speed on the events between the first and second game.
Portal-fans who have been following the game's development closely will probably remember hearing about Wheatley; however, Valve's latest reveal came in the form of a disembodied introduction to Aperture Science founder and CEO, Cave Johnson. While the character was not shown on-screen, relying on PA announcements, his presence is almost larger-than-life - with a number of hilarious one-liners that hint at much larger, and infinitely more bizarre, experiments (than just portal guns) at Aperture Science. I won't spoil them here but, for the record, one topic may or may not involve praying mantis/human hybrids.
Stay tuned for a full interview with the Valve writers - regarding their approach to developing characters, story, as well as blending the worlds of Portal and Half Life.
Follow us on Twitter @benkendrick and @gamerant and let us know what excites you most about Portal 2.
Portal 2 will be opened, I mean released, for Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Mac on April 20, 2011.


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Above: Medical Marijuana
By Janine Unsoeld
Questions are being raised in a community issue involving medical marijuana, code and law enforcement, he-said-she-said neighbor disputes, and three utility line fires that involve Puget Sound Energy. Throw in a breakdown in communication and you have a messy situation.
Little Hollywood has learned that the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force did what is called a "knock and talk" at a marijuana operation in an Olympia northeast neighborhood on July 7.
The unannounced visit to the home was in response to a neighbor complaint by Melinda Spencer, who alleges that her neighbor is operating a commercial marijuana grow operation.
The unannounced visit to the home was in response to a neighbor complaint by Melinda Spencer, who alleges that her neighbor is operating a commercial marijuana grow operation.
In a telephone interview on Wednesday with narcotics task force captain Dave Johnson and the detective who actually visited the home, both said that the tenants were cooperative and invited law enforcement inside. The tenants showed the proper paperwork for a collective grow. Captain Johnson said that the residents gave the detectives a tour of the entire property and it was found to be in compliance with current medical marijuana law.
Captain Johnson said that in the last three years since the passage of state legislation, they have dealt with a lot of complaints about grow operations.
"The law is going to change next July, and it's going to get cleaned up a little bit, but until then, it's a Catch-22 law, and not easy to deal with," said Johnson.
Collective grows are not required to register with the state or local authorities, so police have no idea how many are in operation, and neighbors and concerned neighbors wonder where to turn to for information and assistance.
Utility Line Fires and Communication Timeline
The information about the narcotic task force's "knock and talk" was never provided to Melinda Spencer, who complained about her neighbor's operation at Tuesday night's Olympia city council meeting in public testimony.
City manager Steve Hall mentioned it during council comments and regretted the lack of communication with Spencer.
Spencer said that she believes that three recent utility line fires, one occurring as recently as July 30 near her home, were caused by the grow operation in her northeast neighborhood. She says that her neighbor in question has repeatedly and openly referred to his operation as a wholesale grow for sale to medical dispensaries.
Spencer began communicating her concerns with the city and other authorities in the third week of June, before the fires.
In a June 29 email, the date of the first utility line fire, Chris Grabowski, lead city code enforcement officer, told Spencer and her husband that their concern had been forwarded to the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, saying this was not a city zoning or code enforcement issue, but a law enforcement issue.
That same day, a sergeant at the Olympia Police Department said that the task force will make contact with the residents when time permits and determine if there are any law violations. Spencer responded to Grabowski, and thanked him for getting her concern pointed in the right direction.
Another utility line fire occurred in early July.
Another utility line fire occurred in early July.
Spencer continued to do research and contacted Puget Sound Energy. She also wrote the city attorney on July 8, specifically detailing her concerns and to ask if the operation has the proper permits. Spencer says she never got a response from the city attorney.
A third utility line fire occurred July 30.
Spencer and several other neighbors co-wrote a letter on August 1 to the property owner informing him that they have authorized their insurance agents to pursue damages against him if any activities occurring at his property harm persons or property in the vicinity. She sent copies to several city officials, including the fire chief, the police chief, and city attorney.
Spencer wrote an email to Olympia city council on August 13. She says she did not receive a response from any councilmembers. That same day, she contacted Puget Sound Energy to provide details about the grow operation so it could better evaluate if those activities contributed to the service line fires.
On Tuesday, August 18, Spencer felt compelled to speak publicly about the situation.
Communication from Code Enforcement
On Wednesday, the day after she spoke at city council, Chris Grabowski, the city's lead code enforcement officer, sent Spencer an email providing details about the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force visit, but did not provide her the date. That information was provided to her by Little Hollywood.
Grabowski said in the email that detectives counted 50 plants on site.
"At the time of the inspection, that was slightly above the maximum 45 allowed, but under the new laws now in effect, the amount has gone up to 60 plants. (The detective) told me that the grow was a legal one, and that (the task force) had no plans to go back and re-inspect as there was no indication of any illegal activity," wrote Grabowski.
In an interview, Spencer says she appreciated the email, but it came a little too late.
"No one ever closed the loop with us," Spencer said.
"This really is such a gray area and I feel pretty whipped and overexposed by this whole situation. I did get some staff to focus on this issue and follow up with me -- with prodding. I asked a lot of questions that were never definitively answered…but what makes me bitter is the big lapse by whoever should have let us know that the task force had done its job and made its conclusions. My emails after the inspection on July 7 should have reminded someone at city hall that crucial information had never been sent to me...." said Spencer to Little Hollywood late this week.
Spencer says she would have preferred to not have spoken publicly, nor ask for media attention, but felt she had no choice. Spencer still has concerns regarding the electrical safety of her home, and other homes on her street.
The Other Side of the Story
Little Hollywood has spoken several times with the resident at the address in question to get his side of this story.
The resident, who does not want to be named, says he is a medical marijuana user. He says he is a retired engineer on Social Security and disability. He says he has had brain surgery and uses the medicine to prevent seizures. He says he has been very up front with his neighbors about his collective garden, and gets along well with many of them. He is upset with his neighbor, Melinda Spencer, who he feels has been harassing him. He says the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force has come to his home twice and he has showed them the proper paperwork. He admits he put about 50 plants outside during a recent heatwave. The air conditioning runs fulltime because he says marijuana is a fickle plant and needs to stay at a cool temperature. He says his crop is grown organically and he does not use chemicals. He did some work on the home for the owners late last year and says they are aware of his collective garden. He says the house used to be the worst looking one on the block.
".…I've only been doing this since November. This is an expensive thing to do if you're going to do it right. I've got nothing to hide. There's no 100 plants. This hurts…it's life changing stuff…." he said.
He currently has an option to buy the home, but now feels like he needs to break his contract and leave the neighborhood. He says he has retained an attorney.
The tenant says he knows of at least seven grow operations within four blocks of his house.
Collective and Cooperative Marijuana Garden Law
A collective grow is not a business, since the intent of the marijuana grow, under current Washington State law, is for the members of the collective to pool their resources to grow medicinal plants for their own consumption.
According to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), a "collective garden" means qualifying patients share the responsibility for acquiring and supplying the resources required to produce and process cannabis for medical use such as, for example, a location for a collective garden; equipment, supplies, and labor necessary to plant, grow, and harvest cannabis; cannabis plants, seeds, and cuttings; and equipment, supplies, and labor necessary for proper construction, plumbing, wiring, and ventilation of a garden of cannabis plants.
Starting on July 1, 2016, collective gardens will be eliminated, but will allow for the creation of medical marijuana "cooperatives" that may be formed by up to four qualifying patients or designated providers.
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee signed new legislation in July that will make marijuana laws more restrictive. The new law repeals RCW 69.51A.140, which granted cities and counties the authority to adopt and enforce requirements related to medical marijuana, including zoning.
Rules regarding marijuana cooperatives state that they cannot be located within one mile of marijuana retailers; the location must be registered with the WSLCB; they must be located in a domicile of one of the participants; are limited to one cooperative per tax parcel; and may grow up to the total number of plants authorized for each patient, a maximum of 60 plants. Qualifying patients or designated providers may only participate in one cooperative, and are subject to inspection by the WSLCB and law enforcement. The WSLCB may adopt rules relating to security and traceability requirements for cooperatives.
Above: The northeast Olympia neighborhood rocked tonight at the Love our Local Fest on Bethel and San Francisco Avenue. DBST played funkadelic rock.
For more information about this case, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.


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The LifeTrak R420 is the LifeTrak Brite's more affordable cousin($159) that is nearly just as powerful. This powerhouse is feature-packed and is a powerful arsenal for both the Average Joe and the avid fitness addict.
Sporting a similar round face, the R420 is a stylish sport watch that is not just aesthetically pleasing but amazingly comfortable.
As with most fitness trackers, it tracks steps, distance, calories, sleep, and even heart rate. Here's the breakdown of the Zone R420's feature.
Patented ECG Accurate Heart Rate Monitoring
Heart Rate Analysis Via App
Sleep Tracking Capabilities
Intelligent Step and Distance Tracking
7 Day Daily and Hourly Tracking Metrics
Water Resistant
No Recharging Necessary
What's unique about the R420 is perhaps the fact that it can not only track your heart rate independently but also pair up with a continuous heart rate tracker like the Wahoo Tickr X to stream your heart rate during an intense session.
The difference between the Brite R450 and the Zone R420 is perhaps the fact that the R420 can pair with a heart rate tracker and the R450 can measure how much light you are exposed to.
In the next article, we will check out the R420 in detail and see what it is capable of.
Do let us know what you think about this latest tracker by LifeTrak and Axtro Sports.


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With Easter comes the Hot Cross Bun. The Hot Cross Bun is a spiced sweet bun traditionally made with raisins or currents that is eaten on Good Friday in South Africa and in a number of other countries.
Although the traditional Hot Cross Bun is nothing less than yummy, we decided to try a recipe that is a little less traditional and a lot more delicious – a pretty plaited, almond sprinkled, chocolate drizzled, loaf of Hot Cross Bun inspired goodness.
Celebrate the Easter holiday with this yummy pretty plaited 'tear & share' Easter bread.
Yield: 1 Plaited Bread Loaf or 16 Hot Cross Buns
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Proof Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours and 40 minutes
1 cup of full cream milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3½ cups (448 g) flour
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Butter for greasing
1 egg beaten with 2 teaspoons milk
1½ cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
- Warm milk and butter in a pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients and place in mixer with a hook attachment.
- Add milk mixture and eggs to the dry ingredients.
- Knead dough by hand – if your arms feel like they are about to drop off, call in some reinforcements.
- Cover with a cloth and let the dough proof for 2 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Once proofed, wrap the dough in cling film and set in the fridge overnight.
- Remove cling film, and divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
- Proof the pieces for 1 hour.
- Roll dough pieces into 3 long sausage shapes and braid.
- Proof the braided dough in a warm area.
- Brush the braided dough in egg wash.
- Sprinkle with almond flakes.
- Bake at 160 C for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown.
- Melt white, milk and dark chocolate and drizzle them individually over the bread.
Maybe you feel like trying something a little sweeter? Why not create this masterpiece. Watch the video that Source Food developed for Pick n Pay and follow the simple steps to create the delicious surprise filled Easter egg cake.
Click here for more information on our video production.