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Stay on target
Black Panther crashed onto the comics scene back in 1966, before the Black Panther movement. Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, Black Panther premiered in Fantastic Four #52 where he single-handedly defeats every team member as a test before they work together.
From there, Black Panther has been part of the Avengers, as well as having long-running solo titles, and of course being king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. He's enjoyed multiple classic comic runs by creators including Don McGregor, Rich Buckler, Gil Kane, Christopher Priest, Mark Texeira, and more recently by T-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze.
After being a runaway fan favorite in the movie Captain America: Civil War, nothing has been the same since the release of ground-breaking, Afro-futuristic, Academy Award-nominated Black Panther solo film. Now with there being more Black Panther fans than ever before, we here at Geek put together a gift guide for you, your friends, and loved ones to get something nice for the Black Panther fan in your life. Wakanda Forever
Marvel Black Panther Figure
Figure collector? You'll want this Marvel Black Panther Figure for your Avengers: Infinity War lineup on your shelf or desk. Plus, you can swing its arm for slashing arm effects.
Black Panther Vintage T-Shirt
Celebrate Black Panther with this vintage design T-shirt! It features a great action pose for Black Panther and reminds every one of his over 50-year legacy!
Black Panther Socks
Who doesn't love socks? Okay, when you're a kid maybe they aren't the coolest gift, but as you get older you really appreciate a nice pair of socks. These socks filled with classic Black Panther comic cover images are the perfect gift for a Black Panther fan who likes to keep their feet warm!
Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection Vol 1
Arguably the best and most celebrated run in the comics of the character, the complete collection series of trailblazing writer Christopher Priests' work is a must-have for any Black Panther fan and a great gift to get someone hooked on this beloved character.
Black Panther Movie Funko Figure
Here's a great Funko figure to celebrate the Black Panther movie! It comes in different variations with T'Challa's mask on or off. Perfect for a shelf, as part of your already gigantic Funko POP! collection, or to decorate your desk like one of the geeky people at the office.
Who Is The Black Panther? Prose Novel
Not much of a comics fan, or just really like prose novels and want to know more about Black Panther? This novelization from Jesse J. Holland of the graphic novel collection by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr. is the perfect gift for them! Order this new edition on Amazon right now.
Black Panther Handbag
This roomy handbag is an excellent accessory for any Black Panther fan in need of one! However, the metallic material used to decorate the bag is unfortunately not Vibranium.
Claw Pendant Necklace
This claw pendant necklace is a classy accessory for any Black Panther fan! These two stainless steel claws with black PVD coating come on a 30-inch lariat-style chain and will make you look like royalty!
Downloadable Black Panther Print
This gorgeous Black Panther print from Etsy will brighten up any wall. It's available as a high-res download to print on the paper of your choice to satisfy your decorating needs.
Black Panther T-Shirt
Let the world know you're a friend of Wakanda too. Grab this soft cotton tee from our pals at Film Jackets to wear to brunch, the gym, and your weekly trivia night and show off your superhero pride.
Black Panther Mug
Drink like a king, with a king with this Black Panther Mug! Nicely decorated all around and inside, this is a great gift for someone's home or to make everyone jealous at the office.
Black Panther Lego Set
This 358-piece Lego set lets you relive this scene from the Black Panther movie whenever you want! It comes with a Royal Talon Fighter and Black Panther, Nakia, Killmonger, and Ulysses Klaue Lego characters.


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The Magento files and coding are quite complex and a single simple mistake can have a major impact on the performance of the store as well as on the business. In this section, we will see some most common pitfalls for developers when they work with Magento and how it can be solved.
Modifying Magento Core Files
To save their time, the developers modify the core files of the Magento. This may complete their work fast but then they interfere with the Magento Upgrades, later. However, for future upgrades, you need to keep the core files protected.
The best to modify the core files is to either create your own customized module or copy the same folder structure in your local module.
To modify:
Copy the structure to local folder:
Improper Memory usage
A heavy demand on the system and on network resources is caused due to large results sets from the fetchAll() database adapter method:
$rowSet = $this->_getReadAdapter()->fetchAll($select);
foreach ($rowSet as $row) {
//process row
Better, keep an approach to fetch each database row separately using the fetch() method to reduce resource consumption:
$query = $this->_getReadAdapter()->query($select);
while ($row = $query->fetch()) {
//process row
Disorganized Data Set Utilization
This is a common mistake done by the developers where they only need to retrieve a limited number of data but they do so for complete data set:
public function getSelectedItem() {
$collection = Mage::getResourceModel('mymodule/custom_collection');
return $collection->getFirstItem();
Ask your developers to put a limitation on every collection query. Example:
public function getSelectedItem() {
$collection = Mage::getResourceModel('mymodule/custom_collection')->setPageSize(1);
return $collection->getFirstItem();
SQL Queries in a Loop
The process of running a SQL query is quite expensive and when it is done in the loop, it makes the process even worse. Below is the example of running a SQL query inside a loop:
foreach ($this->getProductIds() as $productId){
$product = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->load($productId);
The benefit of data collection in Magento is that it offers control over the data fields. Multiple tables are requested and all the entities are selected while loading the EAV model:
$collection = Mage:getResourceModel('catalog/product_collection')
->addFieldsToFilter('entity_id', array($this->getProductIds()))
foreach ($collection as $product){
Loading the same model Multiple times
The model load operation is not cached internally. And when the developers do not take care of this, the same model is loaded multiple times. This can lead to scalability issues:
$name = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->load($productId)->getName();
$sku = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->load($productId)->getSku();
$price = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->load($productId)->getPrice();
For an optimum performance, every model should load only once:
$product = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->load($productId);
$name = $product->getName();
$sku = $product->getSku();
$price = $product->getPrice();
It may happen that you don't need to work with the models in some cases. In that case, perform the work with loading only the required attributes:
Mage::getResourceModel('catalog/product')->getAttributeRawValue($productId, 'attribute_code', $storeId);
$productId = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->getIdBySku($sku);
Neglecting Security Patches
Security patches serve as a base for making your store strong and secure from any hacking event. And when there are any chances of such events, Magento announces the security patches for that.
However, you need to make sure that you have installed the latest security patches from the Magento official website, for your store.
If you are planning to build your Magento eStore or looking for website maintenance, then you can talk with us. We will happy to help you
- Top 2018 PR and Branding Trends - December 6, 2017
- Best Savings on Hire Magento Developers, Extensions and Support Services by M-Connect Media - November 17, 2017
- 8 Best Magento 2 SEO Extensions for your eCommerce Website - August 28, 2017
- SUPEE-9767 – New Magento Security Update and Patch - June 2, 2017
- MageMarketing.us – The Marketplace to Flourish your E-commerce Business - May 31, 2017
- Magento 2 Migration & Ecommerce Trend – Magento Meetup London 2017 - February 20, 2017
- Pitfalls for developers while working with Magento - February 13, 2017
- Magento 2 Product Labels Extension Comparison (Amasty vs Swissuplabs) - December 8, 2016
- Magento 2 Promo Banners/Custom Blocks Quick Comparison [Amasty vs Swissuplabs] - December 6, 2016
- Magento 2 Extra Fees Extension Quick Review between Mageworx and Amasty - December 2, 2016

subset: commoncrawl


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Support Seniors Citizens - 'A SHRI Initiative' Campaign Dedicated to Support those Seniors Citizens who working whole life, raising families, and supporting their neighbors but now unable to do anything's. Support from others can be important in reducing stress, increasing physical health and defeating psychological problems such as depression and anxiety Seniors Citizens. The Team of SHRI is always ready to support the Seniors Citizens, Will you ready?
Save the Tree - 'A SHRI Initiative' Campaign Dedicated to Trees that create a peaceful, aesthetically pleasing environment for us. Without Trees we can't get pure oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife. So it's our first priority to save the tree and plants new Trees to save our next generations.


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Maxine M. Denniston, MSPH; Ruth B. Jiles, PhD, MS, MPH; Jan Drobeniuc, MD, PhD; R. Monina Klevens, DDS, MPH; John W. Ward, MD; Geraldine M. McQuillan, PhD; Scott D. Holmberg, MD, MPH
Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Potential Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M13-1133.
Reproducible Research Statement: Study protocol: Available at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/about_nhanes.htm. Statistical code: Available from Ms. Denniston (e-mail, email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com). Data set: Available at www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes_questionnaires.htm.
Requests for Single Reprints: Scott D. Holmberg, MD, MPH, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mail Stop G37, Atlanta, GA 30333; e-mail, email@example.com.
Current Author Addresses: Ms. Denniston and Drs. Jiles, Klevens, Ward, and Holmberg: 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mail Stop G37, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Dr. Drobeniuc: 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mail Stop A33, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Dr. McQuillan: 3311 Toledo Road, Room 4204, Hyattsville, MD 20782.
Maxine M. Denniston, MSPH; Ruth B. Jiles, PhD, MS, MPH; Jan Drobeniuc, MD, PhD; R. Monina Klevens, DDS, MPH; John W. Ward, MD; Geraldine M. McQuillan, PhD; and Scott D. Holmberg, MD, MPH
Author Contributions: Conception and design: M.M. Denniston, R.B. Jiles, J. Drobeniuc, M. Klevens, S.D. Holmberg.
Analysis and interpretation of the data: M.M. Denniston, R.B. Jiles, J. Drobeniuc, R.M. Klevens, G.M. McQuillan, S.D. Holmberg.
Drafting of the article: M.M. Denniston, J. Drobeniuc, S.D. Holmberg.
Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: M.M. Denniston, R.B. Jiles, J. Drobeniuc, J.W. Ward, G.M. McQuillan, S.D. Holmberg.
Final approval of the article: M.M. Denniston, J. Drobeniuc, R.M. Klevens, J.W. Ward, G.M. McQuillan.
Provision of study materials or patients: G.M. McQuillan.
Statistical expertise: M.M. Denniston.
Obtaining of funding: J.W. Ward, S.D. Holmberg.
Administrative, technical, or logistic support: R.B. Jiles, J. Drobeniuc, R.M. Klevens, G.M. McQuillan, S.D. Holmberg.
Collection and assembly of data: J. Drobeniuc, G.M. McQuillan.
Knowledge of the number of persons with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the United States is critical for public health and policy planning.
To estimate the prevalence of chronic HCV infection between 2003 and 2010 and to identify factors associated with this condition.
Nationally representative household survey.
U.S. noninstitutionalized civilian population.
30 074 NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) participants between 2003 and 2010.
Interviews to ascertain demographic characteristics and possible risks and exposures for HCV infection. Serum samples from participants aged 6 years or older were tested for antibody to HCV; if results were positive or indeterminate, the samples were tested for HCV RNA, which indicates current chronic infection.
Based on 273 participants who tested positive for HCV RNA, the estimated prevalence of HCV infection was 1.0% (95% CI, 0.8% to 1.2%), corresponding to 2.7 million chronically infected persons (CI, 2.2 to 3.2 million persons) in the U.S. noninstitutionalized civilian population. Infected persons were more likely to be aged 40 to 59 years, male, and non-Hispanic black and to have less education and lower family income. Factors significantly associated with chronic HCV infection were illicit drug use (including injection drugs) and receipt of a blood transfusion before 1992; 49% of persons with HCV infection did not report either risk factor.
Incarcerated and homeless persons were not surveyed.
This analysis estimated that approximately 2.7 million U.S. residents in the population sampled by NHANES have chronic HCV infection, about 500 000 fewer than estimated in a similar analysis between 1999 and 2002. These data underscore the urgency of identifying the millions of persons who remain infected and linking them to appropriate care and treatment.
Denniston MM, Jiles RB, Drobeniuc J, et al. Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2010. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160:293–300. doi: https://doi.org/10.7326/M13-1133
Download citation file:
© 2020
Published: Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(5):293-300.
Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Infectious Disease, Liver Disease, Viral Hepatitis.
Results provided by:
Copyright © 2020 American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.
Print ISSN: 0003-4819 | Online ISSN: 1539-3704
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Side dishes
Homemade Baked Greek Fries recipe with feta cheese
Bored of your usual fries? Then this extra crispy, extra golden and super delicious Greek homemade Greek fries recipe will surely become your newest favorite! A super simple recipe that will elevate your usual chips to a whole new level!
Crispy Greek Lamb Meatballs recipe (Keftedes Arni)
A traditional Greek lamb meatballs recipe (Keftedes arni). If you love lamb, this traditional Greek lamb meatballs recipe is made just for you! This delicious recipe is a famous Greek appetizer, commonly served as part of a meze platter. Discover how to make it to perfection with this traditional recipe.
Spanakopita recipe (Authentic Greek spinach pie)
The very best traditional Greek spanakopita recipe! Spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) is one of the most popular Greek dishes, that is known and loved around the world. A very versatile and delicious […]
Mini Spanakopita Triangles Recipe (Spanakopitakia / Greek spinach triangles)
A super versatile, traditional Greek spanakopita triangles recipe (spanakopitakia)! These little treats are perfect for every time of the day as delicious starter, mid-day snack or light dinner! Discover how to make them to perfection with this traditional Greek recipe here…
The easiest homemade Pita Bread recipe!
Our very best homemade pita bread recipe! And the best part, ready to bake in only 10 minutes. Discover all the secrets to bake them to perfection!
Greek Style 15 Minute Pita Pizza Recipe!
A unique Greek inspired pita pizza recipe made with pita bread base! Made in only 15 minutes this is the perfect mid week snack or supper! So go ahead, put that delivery menu down and amaze your friends and family with this super easy pita pizza recipe.
Crispy Greek Fried Eggplant recipe (Melitzanes tiganites)
Discover how to make the perfect Greek Fried Eggplant (Melitzanes Tiganites) with this traditional recipe! Silky, sweet eggplant coated with batter and deep fried to form an amazing, golden brown, extra crispy crust! A delicious Greek fried eggplant recipe that you just can't miss out!
3 Easy, Delicious Homemade Hummus Recipes
Discover how to make your own hummus dip with these three delicious, 10 minute recipes! Commercial hummus dip is available almost everywhere, however as we all know, nothing compares to homemade! That's why I've put together a collection of my top three, super easy hummus recipes for you to prepare this delicious dip to perfection!


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your own, or one you found.
Some of my own
- Sister-in-law in town for a visit - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP2W9ay5caA
- My son - early outing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36an3hUI3AA
- My son - helm, mainsheet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyxUgqWfuwY
- Sunset - after work - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5noFYT453k
- Today, with a friend - 15 minutes of pure joy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqdiXwl57hI
Cool beachcat sailing videos -
It looks like you've got the main sheet cleated more than its not. Is that correct? I've been keeping in uncleated in the event of an unexpected puff so I can quickly depower. The downside is I am likely never sheeted in as far as I should be ...
Dana, Holly, Emma & Hannah
LJ/Stu's Dart 18
you are correct:
that was pretty med air, and as long as no one is "above you" (like when zack was just above me in the video), if you get hit with a gust you can usually steer upwind for a second and negate the power of the gust/ reduce heeling (opposite when going downwind - you need to steer downwind to reduce power)
the real issue is when you are on a reach and don't know which way to steer off the power in a gust
when i am in real wind, i don't cleat nearly as often
but cleating is a good way to preserve strength if sailing for all day
you can adjust (well, i can ...) the sheeting angle of the main blocks so it's just right ... easy to cleat easy to uncleat - problem with that is ... sheeting angles can be very different on and off the wire
Edited by MN3 on Aug 06, 2018 - 02:37 PM.
I can adjust mine as well, but I think they are set at the highest angle for use while on the trapeze. I've left them there because that angle requires me to lift up to cleat, avoiding the main sheet getting cleated unexpectedly.
Dana, Holly, Emma & Hannah
LJ/Stu's Dart 18
typically being on the wire results in a lower sheeting angle (as you should be sitting about deck level vs sitting on it, and your hand/arm 1' above the deck | give or take)
If you are comfortable un-cleatted, and since you don't have an enormous sail to hold... it's not a big deal at all
I think it is certainly much better to err in the side of safety (harder to cleat, easier to uncleat)
Nacra 5.5SL
Nacra 5.2 (sold)
San Diego, CA
Are you referring to the tiller arrangement on the ARC? I like the system a lot, don't have to pass the hiking stick behind the mainsheet when tacking/jibing. And the pull is from 2' ahead of the rear beam. This allows the skipper to be located fwd of the crew, who is running the traveler to control the power of the main, and positioning him just ahead of the rear beam maximizes his pulling power(it's a brutal job when fully powered up). This maintains sail shape when depowering, and quite precise adjustments can be made quickly. Carefully controlling power with the traveler allows the skipper to maintain a straight course, keeping the windward hull just clear of the surface.
For those who didn't notice it in the video, an arm pivoting off the underside of the rear beam, controls the rudders via pushrods to the rudder heads, which allows the hiking stick to work from a position about 2' forward of the rear beam, better leverage, and easier to flip the stick to the opposite side of the boat when tacking.
Edited by davefarmer on Aug 08, 2018 - 03:49 PM.
yes i was talking about the tiller arrangement
would it be possible on a 18' or 20' cat? (i couldn't clearly see the whole system)
does it gain or lose or change any control on the rudders?
change - i.e. need more or less exaggerated movement to achieve the same turning radius, or other
I see that you're not limited to liquid water ...
This is pretty cool sailing too!
Can't let this thread fall off the homepage listing -- so took to water yesterday, with my trusted 8yo helm...


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Listen, we know the whole slick-backed roots thing is trendy right now, but it's not an easy look to sport on a daily basis. Luckily for all us no-nonsense types, there's a new hair ~movement~ that is taking over: the half top knot. From long, messy waves to short, blunt strands, we've seen this look work on every hair type, and TBH, we think this mayyy just be the new Lauren Conrad bang pouf. Don't believe us? We've got buttload of proof.
We're gonna go ahead and peg Ariana Grande as the person that first popularized this look in January of 2014.
Then, this week Rihanna sported her half bun with some soft waves at a premiere.
Even Kylie Jenner was spotted in a top knot while out with some friends.
Before Whitney Port chopped off all her locks, she once donned the half top knot.
Margot Robbie rocked a super cute version at Sundance a couple months ago.
Gwen Stefani gaves hers an edgy spin.
I mean, Ashley Tisdale is so confident about her half top knot, she even showed us how to do it.
Dang, now that's a red carpet-ready half bun, Kate Mara.
Hilary Duff sported a super high knot with her long waves.
C'mon, isn't Sienna Miller the ultimate cool girl? She knows what's up.
And, in case you weren't convinced yet, even the models at Nasty Gal are wearin' this look so you know it's real.
After all is said and done, though, never forget the OG half-up bun queen: Princess Belle. *bows down*


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A business is subject to multiple environmental risks including market, legal, operational and strategic risk as well as risk from factors like governance and hazards like terrorism, civil unrest and more. An effective Project Portfolio Management (PPM) strategy can help a business be prepared for multiple contingencies, allowing the management team to make more informed decisions. Project Portfolio Risk management can help identify some of these risks in advance to determine what the likely impediments to successful project completion are likely to be.
The benefits
Managing business environment risks with the project portfolio empowers companies to be able to negotiate fair contracts, make better decisions, and even improve collaboration between teams. Well managed portfolios with robust risk assessment plans are less likely to face project delays or budget overruns.
Knowing the possible financial impact of a certain risk factor, as well as estimating the likelihood of this event can help with more accurate estimates of project ROI (return on investment). PPM software estimates can also help in cost benefit analysis vis a vis environmental risks. What-if scenarios can help with more accurate estimates. For instance, an unstable economic environment, and a prolonged recession can result in overcapacity in the market. This increased competition drives prices down.
A robust PPM strategy can enable a business to react to market pressures quickly and price products competitively in the face of competition. It can also give a business better control over price fluctuations across the supply chain. Internal transfer of production to low cost locations becomes possible if this contingency plan has been worked out in advance.
A change in the business environment, from an increase in input costs that can negatively impact profit margins, to an environmental calamity that can hamper projects, are contingencies that need to be planned for. Managing this environmental risk well improves the ability of a business to be agile and of the management to take quick decisions so that projects may be successfully completed or alternative measures taken.
Implementation of a sound risk management strategy for the project portfolio
A stepwise approach to assessing and controlling project risks must be followed:
- Identifying possible risks: This step may require brainstorming to visualize all possible risks in the business environment from market risks to legal and environmental risks. Background research on recent events and regulatory changes must also be taken into account.
- Analyzing the risks: Each risk factor must be explored in detail to see the likelihood of its occurrence and the outcomes if it does happen.
- Managing the risk: This step requires the team to look at how the company would handle a particular event.
Periodic reviews
Identifying portfolio risk at a project as well as portfolio level are core to a successful PPM strategy. Periodic risk assessments/reviews are needed to factor in new developments and take corrective action quickly.


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2015 Western Australia's Australian of the Year Award Recipients Announced
2015 Western Australia's Australian of the Year - Professor Lyn Beazley AO (Mount Claremont)
2015 Western Australia's Senior Australian of the Year - Graham Mabury OAM (Riverton) - unable to attend
2015 Western Australia's Young Australian of the Year - Drisana Levitzke-Gray (Balga)
2015 Western Australia's Local Hero - Stacy Dunbar - (Merriwa)
The Governor of Western Australia, Her Excellency The Honourable Kerry Sanderson AO, has announced the 2015 Western Australia's Australian of the Year Award recipients at a ceremony at the Government House Ballroom in Perth this afternoon.
Her Excellency said she was inspired by the stories of courage, advocacy and leadership from all of the finalists and was very proud that the four recipients would represent Western Australia as National finalists in January.
Professor Lyn Beazley AO has been named 2015 Western Australia's Australian of the Year for her work as a scientist.
For Lyn, science has been a lifelong passion. After graduating from Oxford and Edinburgh Universities, Lyn has dedicated more than 30 years to the field of neuroscience, researching recovery from brain damage and changing clinical practice in the treatment of infants at risk from pre-term delivery.
As Chief Scientist of Western Australia from 2006 to 2013, Lyn advised the state government on science, innovation and technology as well as fulfilling the role of science ambassador in Australia and internationally. Lyn has been determined to demonstrate that science is not just a theoretical exercise, but a practical one too. She helped set up a nationwide 'hotline' for laboratory technicians in schools, worked for healthier waterways across the state by establishing Dolphin Watch and was involved in the negotiations for the Square Kilometre Array, the radio telescope project that is arguably the world's largest science endeavour. Lyn's goal is for every Australian child to learn and love science.
Radio presenter and social justice leader Graham Mabury OAM has been awarded 2015 Western Australia's Senior Australian of the Year.
For 33 years, Graham was a light in the darkness for hundreds of thousands of radio listeners in Perth. As the host of Radio 6PR's popular Nightline program, 67 year old Graham was more than a voice across the airwaves, going above and beyond the call of duty to provide companionship and compassion, entertainment and encouragement for people from all walks of life.
In 1986, Graham established Lifeline WA in response to community need for counselling services. From humble beginnings with just a couple of off-air counsellors in the 6PR building, Lifeline has since evolved into a 24-hour counselling and support service which reaches out to thousands of people in need.
A pastor with the Mt Pleasant Baptist Church and patron of many charities, Graham is an advocate for social justice, helping the homeless, mentally ill and the lonely. Graham has worked with homeless young people, designed and implemented youth rehabilitation programs, directed major musical productions and charity fundraisers and has received many awards for his outstanding public service.
The 2015 Western Australia's Young Australian of the Year is 21 year old Drisana Levitzke-Gray.
The fifth generation in her family to be born deaf, Drisana, is dedicated to helping other deaf people and advocating their human rights. Born with moderate hearing loss into a family with deaf parents, a deaf brother and a deaf extended family, Drisana cherishes her first language, Auslan. She promotes the deaf community as one without borders and one of rich language, culture, history and traditions.
As the only Australian selected to attend the Frontrunners international deaf leadership course in 2012 and 2013, Drisana worked with communities in Europe and Samoa to expand leadership capacity and human rights understanding of deaf youth. In 2014, Drisana became the first deaf Auslan user to fulfil her civic duty as a juror. Drisana is the embodiment of the concept of 'deaf gain', not 'hearing loss', inspiring the deaf community, encouraging others to accept diversity and promoting a positive image of deafness which says loudly and proudly: "it is OK to be deaf".
Stacy Dunbar has been awarded 2015 Western Australia's Local Hero for her work as a road safety campaigner.
In January 2013, Stacy's precious eight-month-old son, Nate, was killed after a drunk driver crashed through his bedroom while he was asleep in his cot. In the awful aftermath of the accident, Stacy launched a major campaign in conjunction with The West Australian and Channel 7 to stop people from getting behind the wheel when they've had too much to drink. The Pledge for Nate campaign attracted the support of sportspeople and celebrities and more than 8,000 people promised not to drink and drive over the 2013 Christmas period, contributing to the state recording its lowest rate of drink driving offences in more than 60 years.
Stacy has become a strong advocate for improving road safety and is working with politicians and local councils to erect crash barriers at dangerous intersections. In the face of great loss, Stacy showed tremendous courage and dignity and responded to a terrible tragedy with an unswerving commitment to make her community a safer place to live.
The Western Australia Award recipients will join recipients from the other States and Territories as finalists for the national Awards to be announced on 25 January 2015 in Canberra.
National Australia Day Council CEO, Jeremy Lasek, said the Western Australia Award recipients are four amazing Australians who should be thanked for their hard work and commitment.
"The Western Australia Award recipients are inspirational and we are truly proud to recognise them as great Australians making a difference to the society we live in," said Mr Lasek.
The Commonwealth Bank is a major sponsor of the Australian of the Year Awards.
"For more than 35 years, we have been pleased to support the Australian of the Year Awards - a national program that recognises outstanding individuals. Each year we are inspired by the calibre of recipients from each State and Territory. We congratulate this year's recipients from Western Australia and wish them all the best for the national Awards," said Commonwealth Bank CEO, Ian Narev.
For more information on the Australian of the Year Awards visit australianoftheyear.org.au.


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Milwaukee-area commuters were forced to dodge highway lamp poles late last week after an out-of-control pickup truck mounted the median barrier on I-43 and proceeded to travel a couple hundred feet on top of it, like a monorail. A municipal traffic camera captured the carnage, as light poles were knocked over like bowling pins. The accident happened early on a Friday near the Hampton Avenue exit in Milwaukee, between the neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and Whitefish Bay.
Amazingly, no other vehicles were seriously damaged, though it looks like a couple of cars in the oncoming lanes got hit with some pieces of debris and may have bumped each other. In the same traffic camera footage, police were seen giving the driver a field sobriety test and later taking him into custody, but it wasn't immediately clear if he failed the test or was taken in on a variety of other charges (such as, but not limited to, Using a Passenger Vehicle as a Monorail).
The physics of this situation were just unique enough to permit the truck to travel in this position for this long and take down so many lamp poles. The main contributing element here, we figure, is the height of the concrete barrier: If it had been higher, the truck would have flipped over or been bounced back into its lane.
Overall, not a bad outcome: The barrier kept the truck centered and did not let it contact cars in its own lanes or oncoming traffic. In that respect, it kept the truck isolated from other traffic and from doing more damage.


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The Growth in Social Casino Games and Free Play Slots Sites
With the advent of social media and the massive growth in social networking platforms such as Facebook, a new dynamic, and innovative niche sector has emerged. Social casinos and other play for free slots and casino games sites have become increasingly popular. Most of these games are free. No money is wagered, and no money can be won. Despite this, software developers have managed to create entertaining games that keep players playing, continuously for extended periods of time.
The growth in social casino and play for fun slots sites has lead many industry analysts keen to investigate and understand what impact, if any the popularity of social gaming has had on actual gaming habits, in particular, what the effect is on a players wagering habits.
For gambling operators, this is an important question. Many casinos and slot operators have initially eyed the growth in social casino and free play slot sites with some suspicion. While many would be quick to point out the importance of free play games in showcasing an online casinos functionality, and in attempting to get customers through their virtual doors, the fact that the majority of social gaming sites were effectively free to play made it difficult to determine what if any financial value could be attained by attempting to acquire these players as customers.
Indeed, many traditional online casino operators understood the technical and financial challenges in developing casino and slot software, and the thought of having to create further free to play casino games on a third party social networking platform presented a number of obstacles, both strategic and practical.
A core fear must undoubtedly have been one of control. Social casinos and other free slots sites require a significant amount of investment, not only in terms of actually creating the games in the first place but also in maintaining them and providing adequate customer support. At the time the first free to play sites were established, the actual lifetime player value was difficult to ascertain. With significant financial investments required, it's now easy to see why many leading gambling operators simply deferred decisions to a future date. With hindsight, this would prove to be an expensive mistake.
By not immediately moving into the social casino and free play slot sectors, many operators lost the initiative to smaller, more dynamic game developers. They say that the 'fortune favors the brave' and that certainly appears to be the case here. A number of innovative developers went ahead and developed free to play games to satisfy the demand for them on the major social networking platforms. In doing so, a number of these businesses attained near instant success, both commercially and financially.
However, recent developments in the social casino and free slots arena have created a considerable amount of confusion, if not downright concern. In early 2018, a court ruling in the United States labeled these free social games as illegal in Washington. Where this leaves other social casino sites, particularly in the United States is uncertain at this time. And no one likes uncertainty – not developers, shareholders, legislators or indeed players.
Clearly, given that these social casino sites are attracting the attention of the legal sectors, one can only assume that these sites have some impact on gambling behavior. A recent study on the 'Migration of social casino games to gambling' recognised that the gambling sectors and social casino industry were converging and that a minority of social casino game players gambled as a result of these games.
The future of the social casino and free to play slots sector is one that looks set to continue to attract a considerable amount of attention. The real question is that given the apparent decline in the growth of popular social networking platforms, is the social casino sector also past its peak?


text: Williams' execution was planned for 6pm local time, August 22 [Marcellus Williams/Al Jazeera] The US state of Missouri has halted the execution of a man who was scheduled to be put to death on Tuesday for the 1998 murder of a woman after new DNA evidence surfaced supporting his claim to innocence. Missouri Governor Eric Greitens issued a stay of execution on Tuesday for Marcellus Williams, who was sentenced to death in 2001 for killing Lisha Gayle, a former reporter, during a burglary. The decision came a few hours before Williams was due to be lethally injected in a state prison. The execution of Williams, who has always maintained his innocence, was originally planned for January 28, 2015, but a court decided that DNA from the case should be investigated using techniques that were not available when the trial took place. This test showed that the DNA on the murder weapon was not Williams'. A bloody footprint and hair fibres found at the scene of the crime also did not belong to Williams. With no forensic or witness testimony linking Williams directly to the murder, the prosecution based its case on the testimonies of two people who later received a financial reward from the victim's family during a trial where 11 of the 12 jurors were white. However, the court refused to take this new evidence into consideration, planning to go ahead with the execution nonetheless. READ MORE: Marcellus Williams faces execution despite new evidence "A sentence of death is the ultimate, permanent punishment," Greitens said in a press release on Tuesday. "To carry out the death penalty, the people of Missouri must have confidence in the judgment of guilt." "In light of new information, I am appointing a Board of Inquiry in this case." Kent Gipson, the lawyer of Williams, said he was "very happy" with the governor's decision. "We think it's the right decision based on the new DNA evidence," Gipson told Al Jazeera. "We're ready to present all our evidence to the board of inquiry, and we are fairly confident that this is going to end well for Marcellus." READ MORE: Marcellus Williams and the US' 'broken justice system' The Board of Inquiry appointed by the governor will consist of five former Missouri judges who will report back to Greitens with a recommendation as to whether or not Williams should be executed or his sentence of death commuted. Staci Pratt, executive director of human rights organisation Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, who has been campaigning against the execution, also welcomed Greitens' decision. US death row inmates decry 'broken system' "We have much to celebrate right now but also much to acknowledge how we got to this day that we need to hold these rallies. Our capital punishment is broken, and our judicial system still has major flaws," Pratt told Al Jazeera. "This is a wakeup call and a siren, this is about more than just Marcellus' case. Naturally, we are happy with today's result, but we must make sure that cases like Marcellus' don't arise again." Before Greitens' statement, more than 200,000 people had signed a petition asking for the governor's intervention. "The voices of the people definitely mattered," Pratt said. "Naturally, we're still vigilant, we're still here to see this process and that he gets a fair inquiry by this board." For Williams' supporters, the case was an example of the racial bias of a broken justice system. "It has a history of getting African Americans off the jury, especially when there is a white victim," Gipson said earlier to Al Jazeera, explaining that six of the seven potential black jurors were struck off the jury by the prosecution. Rod Chapel, the head of the Missouri chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said this case is about more than the life of one man; it is about a flawed and racist justice system. "We should be concerned about the quality of our judicial system as a whole. There are still many cases that are percolating through the system where there is a feeling of injustice. There should be justice and equality for all." SOURCE: Al Jazeera News US & Canada United States Death penalty


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Posted on June 30, 2014
Ashley Wren
It is with great sadness and deep regret that we deliver the message that our former fellow colleague, teacher and dear friend, Ashley Wren, passed away last week. Ashley was such a vibrant member of the Junior School staff whose huge smile and positivity touched us all.
Ashley's passing is beyond all comprehension, especially when only a few weeks ago we were celebrating the joyous birth of his precious baby girl, Maddison, and supported Ashley and Jay's (Jayne's) plight to bring Maddi safely back home from Fiji.
Our thoughts are now with Jayne, Maddison and Ashley's families at this tragic time.
Funeral details are not yet finalised. We will advise as soon as we are aware.


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Attractions | Arts and Culture
Kudzu Art Zone116 Carlyle St NW, Norcross, GA 30071 View Map
Kudzu Art Zone is run by volunteer artists and promotes the importance of art. Attend an exhibition in the gallery or learn more by taking a class. Classes may be a one time offer, or multiple weeks in a row. Every now and then Kudzu hosts a Crazy Canvas evening where you can enjoy snacks and drinks while you paint your own masterpiece!
Kudzu Art Zone exhibitions and receptions are always free and accessible to the general public.


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Hi guys, have you seen our Facebook Live on our Facebook page?
This show includes the activities inside the classroom and outside the classroom, you can see how our students learn English and enjoy the courses at Speak Up London.
You can find more videos on Facebook by using hashtag #SpeakUpLiveatfirstsight, come and have fun with us.
Can you guys feel the summer breeze in London? Linda's upper intermediate class had a lovely picnic in Soho square. Linda's student shared their feelings about Speak Up London, they enjoyed the sunshine, food in and the chilled out vibes.
Check our Live video and enjoy the time with us.
Linda and students chatted and played games and had lots of fun together in Soho square, the weather was perfect for a picnic.
Hey, guys do you see the picture, the cute girl with big eyes in the middle; she is our student- Saya. Saya is from Japan and she was with us for almost a year, when she finished her course and she shared her feeling of Speak Up London with us.
Saya 'It's my last day but I still can't believe it, I spent my time almost a year for this school. At first, I planned only 3 months to study but I've extended 2 or 3 times because I love Speak Up London "too much", everyone is friendly, thoughtful, helpful and so sweet.'
Saya you are so sweet, it was a pleasure to have you as our student at Speak Up London, we hope to see you soon, thanks for your gifts and we wish you all the best.
If you are interested in our English courses and want to join the Speak Up Family, please check our website and feel free to contact us.


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The first official trailer for "Avengers: Infinity War" is here, and you may have a lot of questions.
What's going on with Vision? Why does Black Widow have blonde hair? Who are these bad guys working with Thanos? And will we get a proper "Sherlock" reunion?
If you haven't watched the trailer, you can catch it here first. All good? Keep reading to see what you may have missed in the trailer.
1. The Hulk crash landed in New York, and is separated from Thor.
At the end of "Thor: Ragnarok," Thor, Loki, the Hulk, and most of Asgard were on their way to Earth. Their trip was halted by the appearance of a massive ship.
If we're right to believe that's Thanos — the main villain of "Avengers: Infinity War" — then it looks like he may have separated the Revengers. Did Thanos throw the Hulk so far that he crash landed in New York City? Or was Hulk already on Earth and did he land at Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum some other way?
2. Black Widow has blonde hair — and there's an important reason why.
Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow isn't swapping out her red locks for fashion. It's most likely because she's on the run from the law.
At the end of "Captain America: Civil War" Tony Stark told Romanoff that the US Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross is coming for her. Romanoff went behind Stark's back to help out Captain America make an escape while he was a fugitive.
We wouldn't be surprised if Black Widow's going by an alias in addition to rocking a new look.
3. Tony might be on the run, too.
It seems a little weird for the billionaire to appear to have a burner phone. Is he laying low or is he using that phone to keep in contact with fugitives like Black Widow and Steve Rogers?
4. Vision has taken on a human form and is starting a relationship with the Scarlet Witch. It's a cool nod for comic fans.
This is obvious in the trailer, but cooler when you know that the two were a real couple in the comics. They eventually married and had kids.
5. Loki took the Tesseract before fleeing Asgard in "Thor: Ragnarok."
Near the end of "Thor: Ragnarok," we see Loki walk slowly by the Infinity-Stone-wielding object while he's about to flee Asgard. It's not clear whether or not he takes the Tesseract, but the trailer cleared up he definitely has it in his possession.
That's not great news for Loki.
This is probably why Thanos (presuming we're correct) approached their ship in the end-credits of "Ragnarok." He's on a mission to collect all six Infinity gem stones. They'll allow him to wield a gauntlet which will make Thanos virtually unstoppable.
In the trailer, it looks like Loki is handing it over to Thanos or one of his group.
6. Spider-Man's wearing the suit we saw at the end of "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
Peter Parker originally turned down the suit and an offer to become an Avenger. Has he changed his mind or does he just need an upgrade to help his fellow superheroes take on the bad guys?
7. This may be the end for the Vision.
It looks like he's getting that stone ripped out of his head and that's not a good thing. The yellow mind stone is what keeps the android alive. It was previously held in Loki's Chitauri scepter from "The Avengers."
Thanos needs it to complete his gem stone collection, and you know he's probably going to wind up with every single Infinity Stone. Otherwise, where's the fun?
8. Thanos has two Infinity stones so far.
Thanos' gauntlet is far from complete when we see it in the trailer. He has at least two gem stones.
The blue one is from the Tesseract and allows interdimensional travel. The purple power stone was seen in "Guardians of the Galaxy." It grants its wielder a great deal of strength and can be used to create explosions. The Nova Corps on Xandar were last in its possession.
9. The "Black Panther" movie may be a lot more important to "Infinity War" than we thought.
It looks like the movie may wind up having a direct tie-in to the May movie. While watching the trailer, it looks like Thanos and his children have taken their fight to Wakanda. You can see a member of Wakanda fighting alongside a bearded Steve Rogers.
Maybe they're looking to utilize the nation's vibranium supply. It's the same stuff used to make Captain America's shield. Otherwise, they could be searching for one of the Infinity Stones.
10. We're starting to see glimpses of the movie's other villains.
Thanos isn't the only big villain. He'll also be joined by a few others known as the Children of Thanos. They're not actually his kids — unless the Marvel movie makes it so. The group of characters are his lieutenants and soldiers.
Thanos and four other characters were unveiled at Disney's D23 Expo (seen above) as the villains in "Infinity War." The one seen in the trailer is Proxima Midnight.
11. A bunch of heroes are seen gathering together in Wakanda, including Falcon and War Machine.
Look closely and you'll notice Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and War Machine (Don Cheadle) are flying in the background behind Captain America, Black Widow, and Black Panther.
It's a big surprise seeing War Machine. The last time we saw him he was gravely injured in "Captain America: Civil War."
12. Groot is a teenager.
You may have missed the rest of his body lurking behind Peter Quill, but Groot is back on his way to being fully sized.
Confused by how Groot grew so fast?
Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige told CinemaBlend that "Infinity War" takes place four years after "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," giving Groot plenty of time to grow.


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African player of the year 2017: Victor Moses, 10 others shortlisted
Super Eagles star Victor Moses remains in the running for Confederation of African Football African Player of the Year after the controlling body for African Association Football revealed the 11 players that made the latest shortlist.
Moses, Bursaspor defender William Troost-Ekong and twenty eight other candidates were initially shortlisted for the award on November 1 before CAF pruned down the list to eleven names.
The Chelsea star's biggest rivals as he bids to win the award made the cut : Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Naby Keita (RB Leipzig), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund) and Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool) .
For the first time since the inception of the award, captains of the senior men's national teams of the affiliated National Associations will also take part in decision making process of the African Player of the Year and Player of the Year (Based in Africa).
Nigeria U23 international Junior Ajayi and nine other players are still in contention for Player of the Year (Based in Africa).The winners of the awards will be announced at on Thursday, 4 January 2018 in Accra, Ghana.
African Player of the Year (alphabetical order)
1. Bertrand Traore (Burkina Faso & Olympique Lyon)
2. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
3. Karim El Ahmadi (Morocco & Feyenoord)
4. Keita Balde (Senegal & Monaco)
5. Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
6. Naby Keita (Guinea & RB Leipzig)
7. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon & B. Dortmund)
8. Sadio Mane (Senegal & Liverpool)
9. Victor Moses (Nigeria & Chelsea)
10. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon & Porto)
11. Yacine Brahimi (Algeria & Porto)
Player of the Year (Based in Africa)
1. Achraf Bencharki (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
2. Ahmed Fathi (Egypt & Al Ahly)
3. Ali Maaloul (Tunisia & Al Ahly)
4. Aristide Bance (Burkina Faso & El Masry)
5. Ben Malango (DR Congo & TP Mazembe)
6. Denis Onyango (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
7. Jeremy Brockie (New Zealand & Supersport)
8. Junior Ajayi (Nigeria & Al Ahly)
9. Mohamed Ounnajem (Morooco & Wydad Athletic Club)
10. Taha Yassine Khenisssi (Tunisia & Esperance)
Also, Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala tops the five-man shortlist for the Women's Player of the Year, with Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr leading the nominees for the Coach of the Year award.
The Eagles, who will be appearing at the World Cup for the sixth time in Russia next year, could leisurely climb onto the podium to receive the National Team of the Year crown after they were shortlisted for the award alongside African champions Cameroon, Egypt, Zambia's U-20 team and Mali's U17 side.CAF last month named Moses and Troost-Ekong in its 30-man list for the elite award (dominated by players plying their trade outside Africa) while their compatriot Junior Ajayi, who plies in Egypt with Al Ahly, was named in the second -tier category of the African Player of the Year- based in Africa.


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If you include mopeds, motor scooters, motorized bicycles, and other powered two and three-wheelers, there are around 200 million motorcycles in the world. The popularity of these vehicles can be attributed to anything from saving money on gas, long-distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, or racing for sport. But, why do bikers wear clothing like leather jackets, chaps, or heavy boots?
For many bikers out there, they're not looking to make a fashion statement or prove how tough they are. Just riding a bike is making a statement on its own. Instead, they're wearing gear that protects their bodies and clothes from the elements and sometimes hazardous conditions that come with riding a motorcycle. That's not to say, however, that their style hasn't created a biker chic movement. After all, don't we all want to rock a leather jacket and hit the open road sometimes?
Motorcycle fashion has come a long way since the Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede, a steam-powered velocipede made in France sometime from 1867 to 1871, claimed to be the first motorcycle to hit the streets. Which is why Bennetts, the No.1 Bike Insurance Specialist in the UK, created the following infographic that explores the evolution of motorcycle fashion since those first motorbikes of the 19th Century began to grow in popularity.
via Pinfographics.org
Infographic by Bennetts


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By Mimi An
Research Analyst | HubSpot Research
HubSpot Research analyzed the performance of over 26,000 websites to benchmark how websites are doing today. The results are ugly -- the average score websites receive is just 60 out of 100 points.
In Does Your Website Make The Grade? Chances Are, It's Barely Passing, you'll find deep analysis on the four most critical elements of website performance and design. Specifically, this report will walk through:
You can download the free report by filling out the form on this page.


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About Us
At Retirement Choices of California, we believe it is important that clients understand not only what we do, but how we do it. We offer wealth management and financial services with a focus on pursuing today's and tomorrow's goals. Largely working with Educators, Employees of Public Agencies and Small Business Owners, our services include:
- Tax Efficiency
- Risk Management
- Retirement Planning
- Financial Planning
- Estate and Charitable Planning
- Creating Wealth Plans for a Family Legacy
Our focus is on protecting the wealth one has acquired throughout their lifetime.
In offering these services, we strive to simplify the process and make it easy for clients to understand their financial strategies and investment opportunities. We use a three-step process to create a comprehensive


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Alberta's Accessibility Source!
Alberta's go-to supplier of home elevators, stairlifts and wheelchair lifts. Savaria Lifts proudly serves Calgary, Edmonton and the surrounding areas with professional insallation, service and maintenance of our accessibility and elevating products. From public installations of accessible of lifts, to stair chairs in private homes, to the ultimate luxury of a home elevator, Savaria stands behind all our work with quality product and installation.
Savaria provides both straight and curved stairlifts that eliminate the barrier of stairs providing easy access to another floor. Our Stairfriend stairlift is designed to be installed on stairs that feature a curve, an intermediate landing, or when out-of-the-way parking is desired. Our SL-1000 stairlift works on straight stairs in residential or commercial applications to glide over a single flight of stairs.
We offer four different types of home elevators, three of these require a traditional hoistway for the elevator to travel up and down. Our Telecab model does not require a hoistway, but travels through a cut-out in the floor. The commercial product, Orion can also be installed in a private residence.
Wheelchair Lifts
We offer a variety of vertical and inclined platform lifts for indoor and outdoor use. The Multilift, V-1504, Prolift, Delta and Omega are all designed with specific needs in mind to provide access over a range of barriers.
Home Elevators
Whether it's to add convenience, to make life easier or due to health reasons, a home elevator gives your home, design for a lifetime. The barrier of stairs is eliminated, so lugging laundry and carting luggage are no longer difficult. From basic to the ultimate in luxury, let us help you build the perfect solution.
Home Accessibility
Savaria makes stairlifts, wheelchair lifts and elevators specially designed for home use. Whether you need a lift outside to access your home by wheelchair, or you want to ease the burden of stairs with a gliding stairlift, Savaria has a range of options that give your home easy accessibility.
Commercial Products
For anything other than home use, please see our line of products engineered for use in public spaces and commercial settings. From places of worship, to schools and office buildings, Savaria offers specialized commercial elevators (LU/LA), vertical platform lifts, inclined platform lifts and stairlifts.
The Right Fit for You
All of our products are made with the goal of helping people move, whether it's to improve mobility issues or to simply make life easier. By listening to each customer's unique mobility needs, we're able to provide individualized solutions – whether it is for health reasons or just personal preferences.


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Strategy Development
Creating innovative and actionable strategies is the cornerstone of Bionest's business. We work closely with clients to build compelling strategies for competitive advantage, growth and sustainability in all areas of medicine and life science. Our clients have entrusted us with crafting strategies at the corporate, therapeutic area, portfolio and franchise levels.


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Let's talk trash!
"An interactive documentary about bridging the digital divide and changing the e-waste cycle."
That's a mouthful for something very positive. In co-operation with Griet Hendrickx (photographer) and Worldloop (awesome NGO), we structured, designed and developed this detailed story about the waste of the future.
As a user, you can inform yourself, see what Worldloop is doing about this problem and even make a donation yourself.
Save the planet, one remote control
at a time.
client: Worldloop
date: Nov 2014
visit: www.worldloop.org/letstalktrash


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MPA685 Microphone Preamplifier
Dual Channel Variable Input Impedance Transformer Coupled Discrete Mic Pre, Direct Box & Re-Amplifier
All samples may be streamed or downloaded
MPA685 Reviews
"Recently we had the opportunity to audition the Ingram MPA 685 microphone preamplifier in our lab. We were impressed with the build quality and features of the MPA 685 and were further impressed with its performance. The preamplifier has ample gain required for passive ribbon microphones and a proper phantom supply for active ribbon microphones such as the R-122. A switchable impedance switch allows for correct matching for passive ribbon models and we found the MPA 685 to be quiet and transparent. Owners of Royer or any other ribbon microphones should find the MPA 685 to be a very good marriage."
Rick Perrotta
- User Selectable Input Impedance Available to Shape Audio Tones
- Transformer Coupled Input / Output Using Custom Sowter and Jensen
- 100% Discrete JFET Input/Class A Output 2-Stage Amp Design
- Low Noise and High Headroom for Wide Dynamic Range
- Extended Frequency Response with Ultra-Linear Phase Response
- Excellent Pulse Response for Smooth Tones
- Direct Input with Loop-Through
- Full Direct Box Capability
- Re-Amping Capability
- Excellent Gain Matching Between Channels
- Combined Input Attenuator / Gain Adjustment via Goldpoint 24-Position Stepped Switch for Optimal Noise Performance and Dynamic Range (No Input 20dB Pad)
- Buffered Output for Optimum Load Isolation and Current Drive Capability
- Variable Output Level Control Using Long Life Noiseless Level Control Pot
- 2nd Order High Pass Filter, Switchable Between 70 Hz and 140 Hz
- Overload Indicator Accurately Detects Distortion to Ultrasonic Frequencies
- Internal Power Supply with Regulated +48V phantom power
- Long Life Panasonic HE Series and Nichicon Fine Gold Electrolytic Capacitors
- Polypropylene and Metallized Polyester Non-Electrolytic Capacitors
- Low Noise 1% Vishay/Dale RN55/RN60 Resistors
The Ingram Engineering MPA685 provides two channels of 100% discrete semiconductor based amplification of microphone and instrument signals. Input impedance is selectable via a front panel three-position switch. Each pre-amp is configured at the factory for one of two input impedance range options, specified when ordering: Range 1 is best suited for passive mics and active mics that operate into low to low-medium load impedances; range 2 is best suited for condenser or ribbon mics whose circuits require a high impedance load for best operation.
The pre-amp uses input and output transformer coupling for high CMRR, best noise performance and tonal character. Input/output Transformer coupling is accomplished via combinations including Jensen and custom Sowter transformers, among others. The MPA685 is designed to provide the input transformer with constant impedance load, independent of pre-amp gain and / or attenuation settings, therefore guaranteeing excellent transient response and optimum noise matching.
Amplification is provided by a 2-stage all-discrete JFET input / Class-A Output circuit. Rather than using a 20dB input pad, a combined variable-attenuator / gain stepped switch control by Goldpoint provides the ability, unique among most pre-amp designs, of optimizing signal to noise and dynamic range for any audio signal level and any pre-amp setting. A balanced, buffered output stage isolates the gain stages from cable effects.
Full Direct Box capability is provided via an unbalanced JFET buffered instrument direct input. A front panel DI loopthrough is provided for simultaneously recording and routing the signal to a speaker cabinet or processing equipment. The MPA685 can also be used for re-amping recorded tracks.
Extremely tight gain matching between channels, along with the transformer usage and discrete circuit design, also makes the MPA685 an excellent choice for stereo make-up gain applications.
High voltage rails enable excellent headroom and provide high output level. A regulated +48V power supply provides reliable power for phantom power mics. Clip detector circuit LED indicates positive or negative audio peaks over the full audio spectrum.
Top quality electronic components include long life Panasonic HE Series and Nichicon Fine Gold Electrolytic Capacitors, polypropylene and metallized polyester non-electrolytic capacitors, low noise 1% Vishay/Dale RN55/RN60 Resistors, stepped switch by Goldpoint for recalling exact pre-amp settings, and continuously variable output level control using long life ETI noiseless level control pots with high rotational life expectancy.
Key Specifications
- Input transformer options provide the following mic impedance loads:
- Lo: 60 Ohm
- Med: 200 Ohm
- Hi: 600 Ohm
- Lo: 600 Ohm
- Med: 1.5k Ohm
- Hi: 2.5k Ohm
- Max Gain, Mic Input:
- Lo: 79 dB
- Med: 73.5 dB
- Hi: 67.5 dB
- Lo: 70 dB
- Med: 75 dB
- Hi: 76 dB
- Max Gain, Direct Input: 69 dB
- Frequency Response, Mic Input, ±3 dB, Gain Setting = 0:
- Lo: 10 Hz to >100 kHz
- Med: 10 Hz to >100 kHz
- Hi: 10 Hz to >100 kHz
- Lo: 10 Hz to >90 kHz
- Med: 10 Hz to >98 kHz
- Hi: 10 Hz to >98 kHz
- Frequency Response, Direct Input, ±3 dB, Gain Setting = 0: <10 Hz to >500 kHz
- High Pass Filter -3 dB Cutoff Frequencies:
- 70 Hz
- 140 Hz
|Range Option 1
|Range Option 2
|Range Option 1
|Range Option 2
|Range Option 1
|Range Option 2
- THDMIN = 0.003% at +14dBu, 1kHz, 1.5k Ohm pre-amp impedance
- Dynamic Range = 133dB
- Max Input Level = +20dBu
- Max Output Level = >+30 dBu with <1.0% THD, 1kHz, 100k Ohms Load Impedance
Ordering Information
Input impedance range must be specified when ordering. This can be selected from the drop down menu below. Low impedance option includes 60, 200, 600 Ohms. High impedance option includes 600, 1.5k, 2.5k Ohms.
Contact Ingram Engineering for current pricing.


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I had a dream last night that got me thinking and a little nostalgic this morning. Not in some "the old days were so great" kind of way, but there are things I used to have that I do miss.
In the dream I was staying at a very isolated, backwoods motel in the middle of the woods. It was an old place that looked like it hadn't been updated in forever with an attached restaurant. At first I was investigating some weirdness in the area but "fell" for one of the young women working at the place (it was family run, she was probably in her early 20's), she was one of those people who you're just instantly comfortable with and the dream shifted to focus on her. She was sexy but the dream wasn't sexual, if that makes sense. We spent a lot of time in the restaurant and in the dining area, talking, walking together, touching.
I could go into more detail, the rest of the dream was pretty strange and might make a good story someday, but when I woke up it was the comfort level with the woman that I really stuck with me. Continue reading


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Mobile applications
Extend the sharing of information to improve competitive advantage, increase revenues and lower costs. TDWS improves access to enterprise business processes and applications to improve workforce and end-customer productivity.
- Provide mobile users a reliable single point of contact for all mobility needs
- Improve win rates by giving salespeople real-time, mobile access to key information
- Increase productivity and service levels by giving more employees access to customer service processes and tools
- Gain and retain more customers
- Reduce infrastructure costs


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Intestacy occurs where the deceased leaves no will. Dying without a will (intestate) can add a lot more grief for family (and/or friends) left behind.
In such circumstance, someone, (generally the next of kin) is required to lodge an application to the Supreme Court for appointment of letters of administration so that any property left by the deceased can then be distributed in accordance with the law of the State or Territory where the person died.
Being Intestate in N.S.W.
In New South Wales, appointment of letters of administration is carried out by an application to the Supreme Court and in accordance with the Practice Directions.
The law of intestacy is dealt with under Part 4 of the Succession Act 2006 and largely deals with the entitlements of spouses and distribution among relatives such as parents, brothers and sisters, children, aunts, uncles and grandparents.
If you have a question regarding proceedings in respect of the property of a deceased relative that has not left a will, don't hesitate to contact us and let Proctor & Associates look after the matter for you.


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By 3Jake
Hello Smart People!
I have a multi-column .CSV that I would like to draw information from, in order to populate (send) that info to some fields in an Oracle form. This would be for account-creation in Oracle.
I have the basic script to navigate (tab) through the fields in the Oracle form, but I am SUPER-new to AutoIT and don't quite see how to get the script to import and use variables from a .CSV
For example:
My script just waits for the page to be active, then enters data and tabs between fields like this:
; Wait for the window to be active WinWaitActive("Oracle is Cool - E-Business is the Best") ; User Name Send("jsmith") Send("{TAB}") ; Password Send("Password1") Send("{TAB}") Send("Password1") Send("{TAB}") ; Description Send("John Smith") Send("{TAB}") (etc. etc. etc.…)
The winning solution would take one row at a time, feed it into fields on the Oracle form, save, and then start in on the next row
It looks like I'd need a combination of "FileReadToArray" ( or"FileReadLine"?) and "StringSplit" to loop through the values and set them to variables, which would then replace my current "hard-coded" values to be typed them into the form?
I found the following example in the "Help" snippets for stringsplit()… this seems like it's in the ballpark but I'm having some trouble wrapping this around what I've put together, since each entry in the array would have multiple elements per line instead of just "Day":
Func Example() Local $aDays = StringSplit("Mon,Tues,Wed,Thur,Fri,Sat,Sun", ",") ;Split the string of days using the delimiter "," and the default flag value. #cs The array returned will contain the following values: $aDays[1] = "Mon" $aDays[2] = "Tues" $aDays[3] = "Wed" ... $aDays[7] = "Sun" #ce For $i = 1 To $aDays[0] ; Loop through the array returned by StringSplit to display the individual values. MsgBox($MB_SYSTEMMODAL, "", "$aDays[" & $i & "] - " & $aDays[$i]) Next EndFunc ;==>Example
This post also seems like a similar example, but I don't need it to be so selective RE: one specific column:
Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks for taking a minute to look!
By Burgs
I would like to be able to write a script to send commands to the console for creation of Gstreamer pipelines. I was thinking of something similar to this:
Local $iPID = Run("C:\Windows\System32\cmd", "", @SW_MAXIMIZE) ;THIS OPENS THE CONSOLE...!!! if $iPID == 0 Then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF & "I DID NOT OPEN CMD...error: " & @error & @CRLF) if $iPID <> 0 Then ConsoleWrite(@CRLF & "I OPENED CMD...!!!" & @CRLF) $hCmd = WinGetHandle("C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe") if $hCmd <> 0 Then WinActivate($hCmd) ;ensure command console is active... $sOutput = Send("cd C:\gstreamer\1.0\x86_64\bin" & @CRLF, $SEND_RAW) $sOutput = Send("gst-launch-1.0 videotestsrc ! autovideosink" & @CRLF, $SEND_RAW) Sleep(3000) ControlSend($hCmd, "", "", "exit" & @CR) EndIf ;$hCmd NOT "0"... I don't really know if this is the best way to open the console and send commands into it. I'm also not sure about how to best catch any errors that may occur...likely this needs to be accomplished with the STDOUTREAD command however I've not had experience using it before and therefore would appreciate some advice that anybody may offer.
Basically I'm seeking guidance on how to best automate the opening of the console, sending lines of commands to be executed, and handling any potential errors in the execution of those commands...I thank you in advance. Regards.
By MrCheese
hi all,
reviewing the forum, this thread is applicable:
I wanted to know if there is now a better way to do this?
In essence, I load a tab delimited txt file into an array (works well). I used tab, as some fields in the original csv contains commas.
However, I needed autoit to manipulate this array, and output it as a csv.
IF my array contains items with a comma, without double quotes around the field, then how best do I get a csv out of this?
My current workaround is to filewritefromarray tab delimited, then open it in excel and save as a csv. I will need to check this to see how the address fields behave that contain a comma.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
By SOF-TECH
Dear all,
Can someone show me how to en hance the below function to write in CSV into column and rows the input values ?
I am getting this result:
I would like the result to be as this
From A1:C1 is for headers
From A2:C2 is for input Data
Global Const $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE = -3 $sDataFilePath = @ScriptDir & "\Records.csv" #region ### START Koda GUI section ### Form= $Form1 = GUICreate("Demo1: New Record", 580, 115) $Input1 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 10, 30, 270, 21) $Input2 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 300, 30, 270, 21) $Input3 = GUICtrlCreateInput("", 10, 80, 270, 21) $Label1 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Name:", 10, 10, 35, 17) $Label2 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("ID:", 300, 10, 18, 17) $Label3 = GUICtrlCreateLabel("Phone No:", 10, 60, 55, 17) $Button1 = GUICtrlCreateButton("Save to CSV", 450, 70, 120, 30) GUISetState(@SW_SHOW) #endregion ### END Koda GUI section ### While 1 $nMsg = GUIGetMsg() Switch $nMsg Case $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE Exit Case $Button1 _ExportData() MsgBox(64, @ScriptName, "Record Saved.") EndSwitch WEnd Func _ExportData() If Not FileExists($sDataFilePath) Then FileWriteLine($sDataFilePath, "Name;ID;Phone No.;") EndIf For $i = $Input1 To $Input3 FileWrite($sDataFilePath, GUICtrlRead($i) & ";") Next FileWriteLine($sDataFilePath, "") EndFunc ;==>_ExportData May be Excel UDF has be to be added but I can manage that my self
Thank you in advance
By nacerbaaziz
Hi dear
With this script you can print Unicode text in the CMD screen
the script is easy to use
just you write the text that contains Unicode in the first input
and the script automatically reflect the code in the second input
you can copy the text to the clipboard
or you can try printing the text in the CMD window
I apologize to everyone for colors and shape if not appropriate
I'm a blind man and I do not see
Thank you for your understanding
Greetings to all of youCmdUtM.au3


text:
I was 18 when my mother died. I had just returned back to college after Christmas break. We had had a falling out, but had made up by phone a few days before. She was planning to visit me soon. I remember her being upset about me wanting to go out for New Year's Eve to a club with my friends. She told me that it may be her last and I accused her of being overly dramatic.
I went.
She died on January 12, 1995. I wasn't there. I was notified in the middle of the night and driven home shortly thereafter. I have not been the same since then, obviously.
I read a book recently, about how the author dealt with the death of her parents. I found myself feeling so much empathy. I thought about how hard that must have been, and still be, for her, even though our situations were so very different.
The reason I even bring it up today is because I came across a book yesterday. The Stranger by Albert Camus. The memories came flooding back. I remember having to read this before the start of my senior year in high school. I remember sitting at our glass dining room table at the large desktop computer, typing out the report that was due very soon. I remember tapping into the most creative part of myself as I developed a diary for the main character, based on his actions in the book. I remember being very proud of what I did and I remember being extremely excited that my teacher recognized it, too. It's sparked something in me, getting that "A". I felt like I was finally good at something. It made me want to become an English professor.
The thing about losing my mother is that I have in my possession so many things, both sentimental and random. There is no family home to return to. We lived in an apartment in 1995 and before I returned to school, everything had to be removed. My address became my mailbox number. Many things were thrown away, somethings were stolen, the rest went to storage.
I have all of the old family pictures. I have pieces of furniture. I have books from high school. I have my mother's notes from college and her greeting card collection. I have school pictures of people I haven't seen in almost 30 years. I even have that report on The Stranger in a box somewhere, I'm sure of it.
We move these things from place to place every two to three years.
I never became an English professor, as is probably obvious by my grammar and sentence structure.
My mother convinced me to pursue engineering.
I wonder if she would be proud of who I am today. I no longer consider myself an engineer (I've long since forgotten so much of what I learned), but it was a great experience. I saw the world like she wanted me to. I finished what I started.
I know that mother-daughter relationships aren't always perfect. I don't tell myself that if she were here everything would be great. But I do miss the opportunity to call her, to have a lap in which to rest my head when the days get so, so hard and I just need to cry and have my head stroked. I want more than anything for my children to have a grandmother in their lives. I think that my mother would have been a grandmother much like her mother was to me and that would be a wonderful thing to have.
It's amazing what finding an old paperback in a box can bring to mind.
No wonder I can't declutter. All! These! Emotions!


text:
Fall Clean Ups
By:Whitney Gronseth
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO
Fall Clean-Ups
With the onset of autumn comes football, baseball playoffs, Halloween and fall garden and yard clean ups. In order to keep your garden and yard healthy and safe throughout the winter months and beautiful and ready to go in the spring time, your yard needs a full fall clean up. This includes cleaning up all the leaves in the yard, pulling dead or dying plants, wrapping up fruit trees and young trees, pruning up trees and trimming hedges and bushes. Doing so protects your yard and garden from disease and the harsh and ever changing winter weather.
As we all know, raking and gardening can be back breaking and time consuming work. At A Better Garden we take this off your hands and professionally and efficiently get the job done. This gives you the time to enjoy your time, spending your time on what you actually should and want to be doing. Call us at 303-433-3750 to schedule your fall clean today. You can also contact us through our website at www.abtrgarden.com.


text:
Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a strong voice for reformed theology, is always a good read. Passionate and never one to hold back his punches, he does not disappoint in this tome that "emerged out of an intense concern for the state of preaching in the church" (9).
Mohler bemoans the state of preaching today, characterized by preachers' "embarrassment before the biblical text": "… preachers simply disregard and ignore vast sections of Scripture, focusing instead on texts that are more comfortable, palatable, and nonconfrontational to the modern mind. This is a form of pastoral neglect and malpractice" (18). Strong words, these. I wouldn't go so far, but I would agree with the basic premise, not because pastors are negligent or because they are embarrassed, but because they find it easier to understand and apply those less obscure texts. It is a problem of inadequate hermeneutics, not necessarily theological treason.
I appreciated Mohler's criticism of preachers emptying sermons of biblical content: "Every text does have a point, of course, and the preacher's main concern should be to communicate that central truth. In fact, he should design the sermon to serve that overarching purpose. Furthermore, the content of the passage is to be applied to life—but application must be determined by exposition, not vice versa" (19). Thank you!
Mohler is also against the trendy focus on felt needs: "Urged on by devotees of 'needs-based preaching,' many evangelicals have abandoned the text without recognizing that they have done so" (20). Alright, but that should not mean the negligence of audience needs. The good preacher will show how the thrust of the text applies to needs (felt or otherwise) of the audience, for all of Scripture is capable of meeting human needs of one sort or another. Mohler's diagnosis is that there is really only one need that the sinner has: "He is blind to his need for redemption and reconciliation with God, and focuses on potentially real but temporal needs such as personal fulfillment, financial security, family peace, and career advancement. Too many sermons settle for answering these expressed needs and concerns and fail to proclaim the Word of Truth" (20). Again, I'd agree, but Mohler seems to be suggesting that a salvific message of reconciliation with God is all that preaching should be about. The Bible addresses far more issues about sanctification (including fulfillment, security, peace, etc.) than it does justification.
Not surprisingly, the main thrust of Mohler's critique of contemporary preaching is the absence of the gospel. He claims: "The preaching of the apostles always presented the kerygma—the heart of the gospel. The clear presentation of the gospel must be a part of the sermon, no matter the text" (20–21; emphases his). I'm not sure about the apostles' preaching—all we have are a few sermons, and all of them are evangelistic in purpose. Of course, they would be presenting the gospel. Neither do I have any objection to presenting the gospel in every sermon—in fact, I do so myself. My only concern is that that burden be acknowledged not as a hermeneutical constraint but a pragmatic one—there are, after all, unbelievers in every audience.
In asserting that preaching ought to be Trinitarian, Mohler, nevertheless, seems to (over)emphasize its Christological nature. "All Christian preaching is unabashedly christological. … That message of divine salvation, the unmerited act of God in Christ, is the criterion by which all preaching is to be judged "(43). Does it mean I should preach the cross in every sermon? It appears so. "If preaching takes its ground and derives its power from God's revelation in the Son, then the cross is the paramount symbol and event of Christian proclamation. … When Paul preached, his message was centered on the cross as the definitive criterion of preaching." Mohler uses 2 Cor 4:5 to substantiate his assessment of Paul's practice, but wasn't that addressing Paul's evangelistic practice? He applauds Spurgeon: "As Charles Spurgeon expressed this so eloquently, preach the Word, place it in its canonical context, and 'make a bee-line to the cross'" (21).
Mohler's Christological tendencies are apparent: "Every single text of Scripture points to Christ. He is the Lord of all, and therefore He is the Lord of the Scriptures too. From Moses to the prophets, He is the focus of every single word of the Bible. Every verse of Scripture finds its fulfillment in Him, and every story in the Bible ends with Him" (96). I hope that part about "every single word" and "every verse" and "every story" is hyperbole, for I am at a loss to understand how Christ can be in every word, verse, and story, without some serious hermeneutical acrobatics.
Mohler continues: "The message of the gospel does not end with the cross, however. It continues to the empty tomb" (43). Actually, it continues even further. Mark 16:1–8 depicts the restarting of the journey, after the empty tomb—it is back to Galilee for disciples to begin the next round of the journey of discipleship with Jesus. In other words, Christian life (and preaching) does not begin and end with the cross, if "cross" simply means, as Mohler appears to hold, merely the message of salvation and the atoning work of Christ.
Nonetheless, I find some balance in Mohler's assertion that "[o]ne of our aims in preaching, for example is evangelism. … Another motive for our preaching is the edification of our people and their encouragement in the faith" (67). But far too often, the school of thought to which Mohler belongs implies that only the former—gospel-related, cross-demonstrating, evangelistic preaching—is valid preaching, the making of "a bee-line to the cross" no matter what the text exposited (21).
On expository preaching, Mohler is adamant: "… I believe that the only form of authentic Christian preaching is expository preaching" (49; emphasis original), and such a sermon is "one that takes its message and its structure from the biblical text" (50), for "the text of Scripture has the right to establish both the substance and the structure of the sermon" (65). Why the stress that sermon structure be derived from the biblical text? The latter is a written document addressed to one particular group of people in one particular way; mine is a spoken word addressed to another particular group of people in another particular way. Should the structure of both text and sermon be identical? I think not. No doubt the shape of the text is inspired, too, not just its words (67). But preachers need only attend to how the shape contributes to meaning; that meaning may be exposited in a variety of sermonic structures. Otherwise, one is left with the argument that says that since God inspired the Bible in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, we must preach in those arcane languages, as well as in poetry, narrative, and song.
Overall, an interesting read. Nothing particularly new for preachers to glean, especially regarding preaching in a postmodern culture. And the price, I thought, was a bit too high for a book that is less than 200 pages long.
Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society 10 (2010): 127–128


text:
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SUMMER HOUSESSummer houses/ Chalets, Gazebos and Corner Houses are attractive and great for outdoor activities and relaxation.
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CABINS & HOME OFFICEEnjoy summer in style and bring interest and beauty to your garden with a fine Chalet or Home office.
Workshops / Garages
At MB Garden Buildings Ltd, we can build all types of garages and workshops to your exact requirements.


text:
Join Our Team
We hire, train and deploy the world's most innovative, productive and engaged IT consultants to the world's largest OEMs, VARs and Fortune 500 companies to tackle the most challenging enterprise IT projects.
Our consultants are in the top 10% of the industry and we make sure they have customer service in their DNA. They are guaranteed to excel on every project and at every level of their career through the training we provide on EntelligenceU and the support they receive from our committed and accessible leadership team.
"We believe in helping people see their own brilliance so they can be the best version of themselves."
— Steve Satterwhite


text:
Welcome to the tiger_and_bunny community on LiveJournal. Dedicated (obviously) to the Spring 2011 Sunrise series, Tiger & Bunny. Please feel free to join and discuss this exciting superhero team title, but keep ill manners to a minimum and play nice.
Sternbild City is home to people called "Next," who use their special abilities to protect the people as superheroes. These heroes solve cases and save lives so they can wear sponsor logos or acquire "hero points." Their activities are documented on the popular program "Hero TV," which picks the "King of Heroes" in a yearly ranking. The veteran hero Wild Tiger has always preferred to work alone, but now he's been assigned the rookie Barnaby Brooks Jr., who has a different perspective on being a superhero. -- ANN
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layout | profile


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Why Oktoberfest?
Put on your lederhosen, friends, because Oktoberfest is the one place you can wear them outside the house without getting all those funny looks.
The world's biggest and best beer festival occurs annually in Munich, Germany, and involves 16 days of hops-induced madness. Known for their "Vorsprung durch Technik", Germans are so efficient that, Oktoberfest actually starts in September, and more than 6 million people from around the world flock to it each year.
What Will You Do At Oktoberfest?
What do you do there exactly? Park yourself in a giant tent and join a chorus of rowdy singing while a busty Bavarian babe serves you drinks out of a beer stein bigger than your head.
There are other things too. Like sausages. And sauerkraut. And carnival rides. Because whoever thought those were a good mix with gallons of beer was really a genius (*cough*).
Don't take our word for it though. Oktoberfest is the kind of experience you have to have for yourself, at least once in a lifetime.
So raise your glass, say "Prost", and don't worry about what all that beer is doing to your diet. In fact, the more you drink the better — you'll have lost a few days before you know it!
In Short:
- Beer.
- More beer.
- Beer being served by blonde Bavarian babes.
- Sausages, sauerkraut, singing and carnival rides. And beer.
Your Adventure Awaits!
Learn more about this unique experience today.


text:
=Gerasa, identified with the modern Khersa, "over against Galilee," close to the lake. This was probably the scene of the miracle, Mark 5:1-20 , etc. "From the base of the great plateau of Bashan, 2,000 feet or more overhead, the ground slopes down steeply, in places precipitously, to the shore. And at the foot of the declivity a bold spur runs out to the water's edge. By it the frantic swine would rush on headlong into the lake and perish." Porter's Through Samaria. (See GADARA .)
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.
Bibliography InformationEaston, Matthew George. "Entry for Gergesa". "Easton's Bible Dictionary".


text:
Once or twice a week I shop for them at Wegmans. They're in the 2-for-1 bin, right next to the skyhooks, blinker fluid, and waterline.
Seriously, I really have no real idea where they come from. For example, as I was composing the previous sentence it occurred to me that I was ending it with a preposition, an error which would have my high school English teachers spinning in their graves.
But then I remembered how no less a writer than Winston Churchill once described that "rule" as "[A]rrant nonsense, up with which I will not put." So I left it as it is.
And THERE, mon lecteur, is one source of ideas: other people.
I hate mornings, and yet that's when I am most productive. Sometimes I'll just lay in bed, watching a cloud of ideas swarming like gnats around my room. Suddenly one comes into focus and I grab it and write it down.
That's why I keep a notepad on my nightstand…well, a virtual notepad, anyway: both my iPhone and iPad are always to hand for just such moments.
The gray, hazy few seconds between wake and sleep are fraught with clarity for me. Again, to the notebooks.
I subscribe to Medium, and read it every day. Sometimes something there will give me an idea, and so I'll
steal borrow it for inspiration.
Finally, there are times when I just sit down and force myself to write simply to be writing. Take this entry, for example: I had no idea what I was going to write until I wrote it.
Ultimately, THAT turns out to be where I get most of my ideas: by the very act of writing itself.
And, of course, there is always the ultimate inspiration: sitting down with a cup of strong tea and letting my mind wander.


text:
Zinfra's maintenance methodology draws from our Whole of Life (WoL) Asset Management methodology, one of the key areas where our heritage as an asset owner shines through.
Zinfra defines Asset Management as 'the systematic planning, control and management of a physical resource throughout its life. This may include the specification, design and construction of the asset, its operation, maintenance and modification while in use, and its disposal when no longer required.'
Asset Management is a complex undertaking and requires effective systems to gather, manage and analyse performance data. Outputs of the data include:
In delivering that analysis and consequent programs of work, we drive significant benefits for our clients. We will:
Our maintenance programs and asset management systems lie at the heart of our expertise and underpin our methodology. This combines with our ownership heritage to provide a compelling proposition for asset owners.
We provide maintenance services in long-term performance based contracts driven by stringent key performance indicators. We are involved in various forms of relationship contracting such as alliances, joint ventures and as head contractor's providing maintenance services. Our maintenance capability and experience is supported by our back-end ability to providing additional resourcing during critical path or at peak times. Our flexibility includes a pool of resources such as specialist services and resources, 24/7 maintenance/response and support, control centre, engineering and design services, capital works drawing resources from our major groups unit through to commercial and legal, financial and accounting, systems and reporting. We fulfil our role as a maintainer by working in partnership to support our clients and realise their outcomes.


text:
Thanks to Keith Norrington for forwarding a copy of a delicious Dorthy Frye painting of Bruce "Brucie" Edgington, long-time Watchman and favorite on the DELTA QUEEN until after the Greene family sold the boat; or as long as Captain Wagner could keep the little fellow safely hidden from the "Powers-That-Be", after the company went from a friendly family operation to BIG BIZZ.
Any Brucie stories, out there, that anyone cares to share? A prize for the best one.


text:
Ain't too proud to beg: The Palast investigative team is aiming to film and report four stories that will make the ruling regime deeply unhappy…
1. The untold story of the New Orleans flood.
2. Shoplifting your vote: November 2006 fix.
3. The next oil war.
4. [Confidential.]
Our problem is straightforward. We're out of funds. Dead out. All gone. In the red. Maybe we can sell our several journalism awards or return the beer bottles in the back office. Still not enough.
If you think this type of under-the-headlines investigation is important, donate at least $125 (tax deductible) to our not-for-profit foundation, the Palast Investigative Fund, and I'll send you, in appreciation, a signed copy of the audio version of Armed Madhouse, the New York Times bestseller.
We do old-fashioned investigative reporting: on the scene, under cover and research research research. While my reports have unique access to the world's most prestigious media outlets — BBC Television, Harper's, The Guardian — those good outlets and book royalties do not come close to covering our bills. Plus, we proudly present all our reports on Democracy Now! — and wouldn't dream of asking Amy to pay.
Get the signed 5-CD audio version of my new book Armed Madhouse for $125
… or get a signed copy of the hardbound book of Armed Madhouse for $100
… or, become a Mini-Mogul:
Donate at least $250 to our foundation and get the Audio OR Book PLUS a gift pack — and earn a credit at the end of our next broadcast as a co-producer!
You don't have to own a studio to see your name on the big screen. Be a miniature Murdoch who brings us the news instead of censoring it.
Hear a sample of Ed Asner, Jim Hightower, and Janeane Garofalo reading the audio book.
They are joined by Randi Rhodes, Amy Goodman, Mark Crispin Miller, Greg Proops, Jerry Quickley, Brod Bagert, Medea Benjamin of Code Pink, Randy Credico, Kevin Danaher, Larry David, Brad Friedman, Shiva Rose — and Jello Biafra as the voice of Osama bin Laden.
Whether it's the audio book, the hardbound book or gift pack, you'll get 'ARMED MADHOUSE: Who's Afraid of Osama Wolf?, China Floats Bush Sinks, the Scheme to Steal '08, No Child's Behind Left and other Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Class War.'
"The story is like a spy thriller." (Robert Kennedy Jr., Air America.)
"A cross between Seymour Hersh and Jack Kerouac." (Buzzflash)
"Broke." (Our accountant.)
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support.
Greg Palast
New York