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Email marketing isn't glamorous or cutting edge, but it is still one of the best ways to reach out to clients. It is also inexpensive. Any insurance agent with an electronic address book can start email marketing today and can continue throughout the year for practically nothing. Furthermore, the demographics of email marketing make this one of the sweet spots for insurance agents. Here is a look at why most big brand name companies haven't abandoned email — and why you shouldn't either.
Why email?
"Hasn't email been replaced by social media networks and fancy widget apps?" you might ask. Actually, according to a recent 2012 survey, 77% of consumers stated that email was their preferred way to receive promotional messages. For adults over the age of 35, email was preferred by roughly 80% over direct mail, text messages, Facebook, Twitter, mobile apps, LinkedIn or telephone solicitations.
Email is preferable because it is perceived to be a safe medium that is minimally intrusive, easy to save and painless to access. The study looked at content, immediacy, accessibility, privacy, formality and initiation of message delivery, and found that email scored the best out of any form of communication medium as rated by consumers.
Another recent study revealed that email is a much better driver for online purchases than social media. This is partly because almost everyone has an email account, while the number of different social media platforms segment and divide viewers. In addition, many large companies block social media sites from their employees, but they do not block email access. Then there is what I call the star successful email factor: The most successful people I know don't belong to any social media networks, but they do use email. How about you?
Email demographics and tools
Email also has the advantage of age. Email has been around for a long time and it has been studied at length. Users have been divided into large demographic groups according to location, socioeconomic data and what kinds of email accounts they hold. For example:
- Gmail users are more likely to be young, affluent males without children.
- AOL users tend to be women between the ages of 35-64 with children. They tend to be overweight.
- Yahoo users tend to be women between the ages of 18-49 with children. They tend to be overweight.
- Hotmail users tend to be younger unmarried women 18-34, without children.
Studies have even looked at which types of email account holders have higher response rates and when during the day a message is most likely to be read by a given group. Two large online marketing websites, Market Research and eMarketer, specialize in online marketing tools and reports. Here is a quick look at the type of information each provides:
Market research.com provides extensive paid reports including a variety of demographic reports. An extensive search engine makes it easy to search for reports by age, location, date, socioeconomic status and buying habits. There is an advanced keyword search section to further refine search criterion.
eMarketer provides a free daily newsletter, which includes articles and a blog about online marketing. In addition, eMarketer covers a variety of the social media marketing developments.
Using demographic research in email campaigns
Demographic research makes it possible to further tailor email campaigns to your client list. Timing and content should provide email that is most relevant to your area and clients. For example, older AOL users can be targeted all day, while Google users are best reached in the evening or during their lunch hour.
Email demographics combined with client data make it possible to send out even more directed emails. The opportunities are almost endless. Targeted emails are essential because they are more likely to be read rather than deleted.
Here are a few tips for composing email:
- Offer industry information that is important to each group of clients. For example, "Congress Weighs Changes to Medicare Funding," should be sent to older clients, while "5 Ways to Save Money on Your Insurance Premiums," could be sent to anyone nearing policy renewal.
- Send out amusing information. Nothing is more appreciated than a good laugh. Insurance does not always need to be serious!
- Send out promotional offers that are relevant to your client list.
- Send out short PR announcements; for example, "ABC Insurance has recently added Dr. Doyle to our staff to help answer all of your health insurance questions."
- Do not send out useless, long or directly promotional emails.
- Always include a signature with additional contact information.
- Send email regularly, but not too often.
Convinced yet? As a businessperson, email is one of your most useful marketing tools, and it's how your clients want to be contacted. Implement these tips and see what a difference they make in your practice.
For more from Lisa Pluth, see:
Google+ for Agents: Sowing Seeds for Tomorrow's Business
Social Media: Researching the Competition


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Browse: Home / product
Haul Vloggers
Boing Boing: "Haul vloggers: young women videoblogging clothes and makeup they buy". Above screen capture from ChanelBlueSatin The Boing Boing post links back to Susannah Breslin's personal blog which is not very informative. More information can be found about this phenomenon under the term "haul video", "haul videos", "mall haul" or "makeup haul": "Haul videos […]
• By Philippe Theophanidis on March 14, 2010 ― Published in Communication, Philosophie, Technology | Tagged: Baudrillard, Blippy, blog, consumer, Consumption, haul, haul vloggers, Heidegger, junk, Lost, makeup haul, mall haul, network, object, product, social, Technology, trash, Veblen

subset: commoncrawl


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Brisbane Heat prove it's not too hot in the kitchen
WHAT a week for the Heat, with the boys firstly knocking off the Hobart Hurricanes to advance to the semi-final, before going on to win a nail biter of a fixture against the top-of-the-table Melbourne Renegades.
The semi-final win for the boys was another one to chalk up for the underdog title, not only gaining us a place in the Big Bash League Final tomorrow night, but also sending us to the lucrative cash cow that is the Twenty20 Champions League at the end of the year.
It's fair to say the Heat contingent was over the moon at the prospect, and what a changeroom it was post semi-final win.
There are not too many better feelings in cricket then a victorious changeroom, celebrated with close mates over a beer and laugh.
There were certainly plenty of laughs on Tuesday night, kicked off by our traditional winning song.
With plenty of beer thrown around by players and support staff, as is the winning culture, we returned to the main changeroom area to the see a familiar face strolling into the room.
It was former England fast bowler Darren Gough, who apparently had been following us closely (and backed us at good odds in the semi-final).
Without any of our boys having met him previously, it was great to see our squad of players circled around him, beer in hand listening to stories of his playing days.
Story time was cut short by raucous laughter as coach Darren Lehmann strolled into the room wearing our mascot suit.
Featuring rippling muscles courtesy of a padded suit top to bottom, it was a sight to behold, and wasn't long before the odd photo or two were circling the twitter-sphere and the Brisbane Heat Facebook page.
The dressing room in any sport is traditionally the 'inner-sanctum' of a team environment, it's where cultures are made, legends are born, and nicknames are conjured.
Such is the nature of cricket, it's not often that final wins, or premiership flags are won, so when they are it's a special place.
Throughout my time in domestic cricket so far, I've played in two finals (Sheffield Shield) and lost both of them, so Saturday night will be another chance to kick off the mantlelpiece.
I stated a few weeks ago that we were a dangerous team to play when our backs are against the wall and that will be no different in the final.
Whatever the result, it is certain we will once again be playing 'balls-out' cricket, no different to what you've witnessed in the past week.


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ROCHESTER HILLS -- Oakland Co. Sheriff Deputies responded to two separate reports of home invasions in Rochester Hills late Saturday night.
The home invasions occurred at residences on the 2100 block of East Shore Drive and the 700 block of Bliss Drive. Both homes were found to be entered from the rear with a pry tool.
Jewelry was taken from both homes.
Deputies arrived at 11:30 p.m. and dispatched a K-9 unit which tracked the suspect from the scene on Bliss Drive to the 600 block of Windsong Drive where it lost the trail.
An investigation is still under way.
House damaged in fire
Oakland County Sheriff Deputies responded to a house fire on the 2700 block of Simpson Drive early Sunday morning.
Deputies arrived to the house at 2:15 a.m. to find the interior of the front bedroom on fire and secured the area, making sure all occupants were out of the building.
Firefighters from the Rochester Hills Fire Department arrived and extinguished the fire. The house sustained heavy smoke and fire damage throughout.
No injuries were reported.
-- Staff writer Andrew Kidd


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What you need to know before you go
Montenegro is a Balkan country that's renowned for its fantastic beach resorts and quaint, ancient towns. But head away from the Adriatic coast and you'll be spoiled by the natural beauty of the country's rugged peaks and deep river valleys. Even its name translates to "black mountain".
A young country, Montenegro only came into existence in 2006 following the breakup of Yugoslavia, but you can still find charming medieval towns that offer cultural encounters and a rich heritage to explore. Extraordinary sights within cities like Budva include elegant palazzos and stone monasteries built into rock walls.
Top destinations in MontenegroWhere will you go next?
Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro but is often missed by travelers who head straight for the country's beautiful beaches or rugged mountains. Exploring the city, you'll find a blend of nature and modernity – the landmark Millenium Bridge over the Morača River is a fine example. Though many of the buildings in Podgorica were built quite recently, the old town offers a lot of history bearing silent witness to the troubles experienced during WWII.
Besides a buzzing café culture, Podgorica has some cultural highlights where you can learn about Montenegran heritage. These include a number of different theatres, a host of museums and even an archeological research center. If you're feeling adventurous, you can explore slightly out of town to Lake Skadar National Park, which medieval monasteries and native Dalmatian wildlife call home.Read more


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LONDON - British Academy Film and Television Awards says 23 year-old British actress Juno Temple is one of five young stars shortlisted for the BAFTA Rising Star award.
Other actors in the running include Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, British-born Andrea Riseborough, Elizabeth Olsen of the United States and India's Suraj Sharma. The list was announced on Monday.
Temple says she is giddy about the nomination, especially as the winner will be chosen by the public.
Recently seen in William Friedkin's "Killer Joe," she appears in three movies at Sundance Film Festival and will also star with Angelina Jolie in Robert Stromberg's "Maleficent."
The BAFTA Film awards take place on Feb. 10 in London.


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Veteran NBA player Lamar Odom was arrested Friday morning on suspicion of driving under the influence after he was spotted driving erratically on the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, the California Highway Patrol said.
Odom, a free agent who has played for the Lakers and most recently the Clippers, was arrested at 3:54 a.m. and booked into jail in Van Nuys at 5:01 a.m., according to jail records.
CHP officials said they spotted Odom driving a white Mercedes sports utility vehicle eastbound on the 101 Freeway near Sepulveda Boulevard. The driver was driving in a "serpentine manner" at speeds of about 50 mph.
Authorities tried to pull over Odom, but he continued driving eastbound, passing Van Nuys Boulevard and Woodman Avenue. He exited at Coldwater Canyon Boulevard and came to a stop, CHP officials said.
Odom showed "objective signs of intoxication and was unable to perform field sobriety tests as explained and demonstrated," according to a CHP report.
DOCUMENT: Lamar Odom's arrest report
Odom was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs.
At the Van Nuys jail, Odom refused all chemical tests and was booked without incident, CHP officials said.
Odom has made headlines in recent weeks for alleged drug use, including reports last weekend that he was missing after a fight with his wife, Khloe KardashianOdom.
His agent told ESPN that the basketball player was "not missing," and a source told the outlet that Odom was at a Los Angeles hotel as friends tried to help him with a drug problem.
Kardashian Odom tweeted about the reports, saying it was "really hard to sit here and listen to people talk … about my family."
In a separate case, Los Angeles prosecutors said last week that they would not file charges against Odom in connection with a reported battery and grand theft arrest last month involving a paparazzo in Hollywood.
Instead, Odom would be required to attend a city attorney's hearing that can include a warning to avoid future run-ins or an order to attend counseling.
The incident, captured on video, took place on El Cerrito Place near Franklin Avenue. It showed Odom confiscating a rolling bag believed to contain camera equipment from a photographer who asked him questions about whether he was having an extramarital affair.
Odom, who is married to Khloe Kardashian, is then shown placing the bag in the trunk of his white Mercedes coupe and driving off.
In the same video he appears again on HollywoodBoulevard removing the items from his trunk and leaving them on the street.
The Los Angeles County district attorney declined to file charges against Odom, citing insufficient evidence that a felony had been committed.
In 2001, Odom was suspended twice for drug violations while playing for the Clippers. The NBA declined to confirm the nature of the violations.
Drug rumors and some doubts about his character bumped him from the top spot in the 1999 draft down to the fourth pick, which is where the Clippers found him. He played for the Miami Heat, the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks before returning to the Clippers last year.
Courtesy of Orlando Sentinel


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Saree is one of the most preferred attire by women. But do you know you can't wear a saree with its important elements - Yes! Blouse and petticoat. Out of all, one element that will make your saree look perfect is a blouse. The blouse is the traditional Indian wear that is worn with the saree. It is classified as a piece of cloth that comes with hooks or chain and has to be fitted. It is meant to complete your look and there are many blouse designs available in the market. Even you can try readymade blouses, which are already designed and you can enjoy its entire look. You can define from modern and traditional blouses and get whatever looks perfect with your saree. Both contrasting and matching pattern will go well with the saree. However, stepping the market and finding the right blouse is quite difficult. You may spend a lot of time and money on it. That's why buying matching or readymade blouses online is the best. And Mirraw, being the prominent E-commerce store will offer you with latest designs on saree blouses at the best price.
Whether you are going for the plain or fashionable saree blouse, some major rules will always help you to choose the best. So here are some rules that you should always keep in mind:
At Mirraw, you can find an amazing collection of blouses. From blouse material to readymade blouse, you can choose whatever suits well with your saree. We have all the blouses available in different colors, work, fabric, design, trend and price, which help you to make a better selection. We guarantee the quality at the best prices. And by following some easy steps, you can get your favorite blouse at your doorstep. So don't think too much, order your blouse from us and add style and class to your saree.
Copyright © 2020, Mirraw Online Services Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.


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Drowned in Manchester Discover Download #1
Cyril Snear – 'Confabulation'
In what will hopefully become a regular installment within the non-too hallowed or indeed real towers of Drowned In Manchester, I have here an exclusive free download for you all to get thine ears around. Cyril Snear have been a lurking presence in and around Manchester for almost four years now since a move from their native North Wales. Debut album Fluent In Seven Types Of Monotone, released in 2009 picked up criminally few listeners, but those who did heard a work crafted on a fine line of tense disquiet, erupting sporadically into moments of twisted psych, math and space rock, moving with apt fluidity in its morphing structures. Two years on and the group are preparing to return with new album The Riot Of Colour – it is with excitement that I can present to you the first track to be heard from what's promising to be a tremendous follow up.
Cyril Snear play the following dates this summer, with more to be announced:
Thursday June 16th Soundcontrol, Manchester (supporting Amplifier) Friday June 17th M.Lounge, Wrexham (supporting Gallops!) Saturday July 9th Water Rats, London Saturday July 16th Ruby Lounge, Manchester (supporting Trojan Horse)
May Festival Round-Up
May has been stupid. Fun, but really stupid. A huge deal of respect to those who managed to go to all of: Sounds From The Other City, Future Everything, Friends Of Mine Festival, Eurocultured and Dot To Dot Festival, not to mention the sheer volume of touring international and national artists, smaller all dayers and DIY gigs being put on by all and sundry.
For the best of the festivals – and indeed a showcase in the very best that the city has to offer in terms of promoters, acts and atmosphere – one needs to go back to the beginning of the month where Sounds From The Other City once again rose imperious on Chapel Street's long stretch of pubs and venues. Now Wave were there with a lower than usual key line-up of D/R/U/G/S, Anchorsong and Sampha – amongst others – and this actually made for a more exciting showcase at the underrated Islington Mill, their stage harking back to their early days of finding and breaking cutting edge electronica and leftfield into the city. MIE Music meanwhile, now sadly packing up their bags and returning to London, brought a stellar array of talent to the gorgeous Sacred Trinity Church, Barn Owl and Richard Youngs playing alongside the locally-based talents of Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides. While wotgodforgot and Postcards From Manchester took an expectedly large slice of the crowd – the latter in particular featuring a generous scattering of the city's current indie-pop flavours of the year so far – it was also pleasing to see the likes of Comfortable On A Tightrope, Bad Uncle and Fat Out Till You Pass Out put on line-ups that both intrigued and indeed lured respectable audiences. With a good day's weather and a crowd eager to satiate their more experimental desires, Sounds From The Other City once again provided indisputable evidence that Manchester as a creative hub is still unrivalled by almost any other city in the country; its various captains just need to keep a steadier hand on the wheel to ensure that the interest in it remains.
New Releases
In which two column favourites return, to be joined by a new upstart… Gnod – INGNODWETRUST (Rocket Recordings)
I read a recent Stool Pigeon interview with London's Trogons recently where they ummed and arred for some time deliberating whether they were a psychedelic band or not. They could learn a thing or two from Gnod. INGNODWETRUST – the official follow up to last year's DiS Manchester Album Of The Year Gnod Drop Out With The While Hills II – doesn't ponder or query about the focus of its third eye; no, like much of Gnod's output it simply appears, giving the effect that this is just one of many snapshots of a never ending jam, just a part of these tightly-woven souls eternal sonic journey. There's just two tracks and certainly a stripping back of ideas compared to last years collaborative effort, with the group content to let the most basic, primal percussive roots drive each side to its conclusion. Yet in the titles, and more importantly in the sound, INGNODWETRUST feels a wholly more reverential, grandiose affair – there's the chorale calls that permeate the beginning of 'Tony's First Communion,' the sun-blinking squeals of guitar noise that arc out of the dark pit of its foundations. 'Vatican' is more industrial, harsh abrasion zigzagging across its ruthless climbs, but amidst the cold fury and kraut-dissonance again seeks something transcendental before the whole thing comes crashing down and we leave them behind. Until dropping in again the next time that is.
Riverrun – La Mer (Saint Cecilia) It's strange to think that as Engineers were sound tracking sometime successful HBO drama series Big Love, their bassist Daniel Land was seeking remote seclusion, hidden away in rural Devon concocting this enveloping wash of sound. An initial patchwork of recorded coastal and countryside sounds - as well as some taken from his Cheshire residence - these have then been lithely worked in amongst more conventional drones and sustains. The bigger picture is perhaps clearer than predecessor Pentimento, with guitars chiming in sporadically, their sounds as though isolated figures, humbled in the margins of a vast landscape, but that doesn't detract from the considered understatement that underpins the beauty of this album.
Swansong – A Beautiful Coincidence EP (self-released) Though still clearly raw, there's nevertheless much promise on the latest EP by Ben Pearson a.k.a Swansong - one of a number of local bedroom artists who would sit happily either on a more electro-orientated Now Wave bill or on one of the more bass heavy club nights that continue to take the city by storm. What Pearson has in his arsenal beyond his peers though, aside from a restless attitude towards his dissonant bass lines and abrasively cutting synthesized glimmers, is a vocal that teems with a real urgency, giving the four tracks here a darker and deeper hue beyond simple floor filler. 'Ebb And Flow' and 'Pieces' in particular positively gurn with an almost Numan-esque 80s paranoia ; expect much more to come.
Upcoming Gigs
Fuzzy Lights @ Sacred Trinity Church, Salford; Thursday June 16th
Five-piece Fuzzy Lights stepped up another level with last year's second album Twin Feathers; a swirling soundscape of harrowing strings and guitar dissonance, it's darkness submerged a group once known more for their more traditional folk leanings.
Boris + Russian Circles @ Islington Mill, Salford; Monday June 20th
Fat Out Till You Pass Out present this awesome double header that sees Japanese experimentalists go toe to toe with Chicago post-rockers Russian Circles in what promises to be a thunderous battle of noise.
Crystal Stilts @ Soundcontrol, Manchester; Friday June 24th
Blog and press darlings back in 2009, second album In Love With Oblivion hasn't quite been met with the same fervour as Crystal Stilts' predecessor Alight Of Night; live they remain a beguiling proposition though, the shackles coming off their psychedelic sprawls of sound.
Manchester International Festival @ Various, Manchester; June 30th-July 17th
A festival that has to be included given its sheer size and scope; away from the likes of Bjork, Damon Albarn and Snoop Dogg though lies a veritable array of local talent including producer XXXY on July 5th, a relatively rare performance from Warp's Lonelady, with Air Cav supporting, on July 6th and the fluid club electronica of D/R/U/G/S on July 12th. Those intrigued by the smoke and mirrors allure of Wu Lyf meanwhile can see the cloak fall away, the group playing their biggest show to date on July 16th.
S.C.U.M @ The Ruby Lounge, Manchester; Monday July 4th
The post-punk-cum-industrial squall of S.C.U.M is a most formidable one indeed, and the London five-piece should feel right at home in Manchester, their righteously gothic brew not too dissimilar from those great signposting aids of music journalists everywhere, Joy Division.
That's it from me anything I've missed, been wrong about or generally fucked up please don't hesitate to DiScuss it below; if you want to shout at me on Twitter for being a grumpy bugger, I'm @essjaycats. I'll cheer up in time for August. Promise.


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Previous Lecture
Complete and continue
Manifesting Magic And The Law Of Attraction Adventure
Welcome (3:15)
Connect With Dale
Your journal
How to get the most from any course
The Law Of Attraction
The twelve universal laws (12:51)
What is manifestation? (14:41)
What is the law of attraction? (10:47)
Creating the life you desire (3:58)
Daily Rituals
Your Morning Ritual
Your Evening Ritual
Getting started
Let's get started
What do you want? (3:21)
Your journal and setting Intentions (3:37)
Declutter and dump (7:50)
Practicing Gratitude (7:24)
Am I Happy To Be Me? (8:40)
Managing your energy (10:04)
Getting started check-in
Your Manifesting Magic Adventure Part 1
Where am I? (4:17)
Goals. Desires. Intentions (14:01)
Your vision (12:03)
Vision board mandala
Get clear and specific (7:34)
Your Manifesting Magic Adventure Part 2
What are you resisting?
I am worthy (6:58)
Stop, breath, check your energy and journal
Your Manifesting Magic Adventure Part 3
Saying yes (7:00)
Ask for a sign (12:30)
Your Manifesting Magic Adventure Part 4
A day for you and kindness (0:59)
Celebrate (5:22)
Your Manifesting Magic Adventure Part 5
Your action plan for success (13:18)
Bonus - Eat that frog
Your Manifesting Magic Adventure Part 6
Checking in with your thoughts (13:19)
Your many brains and staying calm (10:42)
Stay with it (4:46)
What's Next?
What's next? (2:46)
Your vision
Lecture content locked
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you'll need to login
Enroll in Course to Unlock


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That's simply not true. Not because you're being dishonest, but because the end-user rarely sees what happens behind the scenes. Anyone who's ever done a straight reinstall on a Windows machine will know what I mean when I say that I'd prefer dependency hell any day over searching for Windows drivers by hand. When you do a straight Windows install, there're all kinds of crap you'll have to download from various vendors' websites to get things working. This is not (nearly as) true of Linux.davemc wrote: 5. Linux still has a long long looooooooooong ways to go to get to the point where it can truthfully claim that everything "just works". To say otherwise right now is a bold faced lie and should never be stated until, in fact, EVERYTHING "just works" with no tweaking required by the user.
XP has all of the above plus more. This is due mostly to unfair business practices by M$ (IMO), yet it is true for the average user. I have never...ever..experienced a BSOD in any windows ive had running, and ive ran them all. I have never ~not~ been able to get any application working in windows with more than a simple click of a button, nor have I ever met anyone who could ~honestly~ claim that they couldnt.
The problem is that Joe user never realizes this, because hardware vendors, trying to support the "standard," install these drivers onto one of their machines, get everything working, take an image of it and spit it out on all of the rest, so that as far as you know, it does "just work."
One opportunity, I think, for the Joe user to realize this is with the release of Vista: many people, especially on 64-bit systems will have problems with driver availability that they won't with Linux. Since Vista is so new at this point, anyone buying a copy of it to upgrade will realize this.
On the subject of usability, Linux and Windows are pretty much equal. The average Linux application, in my opinion, is often easier to configure and more organized than that of a comparable application in Windows. Configuring the system itself, however, tends to seem more abrasive to a new user. In Windows, it's often worse, but the user never has to deal with it. For example, in Linux, a new user may have to do some messing around with configuration files and iptables to open up a port on a software firewall, where in Windows, where the firewall doesn't actually stop anything from connecting, they don't have to deal with it.


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All pictures shown are for illustration purpose only. Actual product may vary due to product enhancement.
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Hydrajaws Replacement Turning Handle with Integrated Nut
For testers with the fixed black handles.
This replacement turning handle allows the arms to be removed and the tester operated by the integrated nut for better access in confined spaces.
Only registered users can write reviews. Please, log in or register
Below is a range of manuals, instruction leaflets and data sheets to help you. For further assistance or advice on any Hydrajaws tester range or accessories please contact Heightech.
Hydrajaws 2000 Oil Filling Instructions
Hydrajaws 2050 Oil Filling Instructions
Hydrajaws 0095 Oil Filling Instructions
Hydrajaws 0097 Oil Filling Instructions
Model 2000 Tester
Model 2000 Wall Tie Tester MK2
Model 2050 Tester
Safety Lifeline Tester
Model 2008 Tester
Digital Bluetooth System (issue 1- pre March 2015)
Digital Bluetooth System (issue 2)
Digital Bluetooth System (issue 3 - red casing)
DIgital Gauge Instructions (issue 2)
DIgital Gauge Instructions (issue 3 red casing)
Clevis Range and Sizes
150 Bridge (Model 2000) Footprint
Model 2050 Bridge Footprint
Model 2008 Bridge Footprint
270 Bridge Footprint
600 Bridge Footprint
Pyramid Bridge Footprint
125kN Heavy Duty Bridge Footprint
Model 0095 Bridge Footprint
Hex Extension Leg Instructions
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Harris Garrard Academy
Harris Garrard Academy is a new school with drive and ambition.
We are an all-through school, so pupils can join us in reception and stay until they have completed their sixth form education. There are also places available for pupils to join us in Years 7 and 12.
In September 2017, we joined the Harris Federation. This is one of England's most successful groups of academies. The vast majority of their academies have been rated 'outstanding' or 'good' by Ofsted within three years of opening.
Assistant DirectorChristopher EverittHarris Garrard Academy
Academy Contact
Yarnton Way
Thamesmead Erith Kent DA18 4DW


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Many of the forms for admission to UM-Flint graduate programs as well as forms used after admission are available on this page. The forms are in pdf format and will open in a new window. You must have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer to download these forms.
Forms Used for Regular Admission
Recommendation Forms
Standard Recommendation for Admission
Anesthesia (Entry-Level) Recommendation Request
Graduate Business Recommendation Form - MBA, MSA, Business Certificate, and Post-Master's Certificates
Education Specialist Educational Leader Evaluation Form - in addition to the 3 Standard Recommendation forms
English Language and Literature (MA) Recommendation
Graduate Nursing Recommendation Form - DNP, MSN, and Post-Graduate Certificates
Note: Those using the online Application for Graduate Admission can use the online recommendation system and have recommendation requests go out automatically.
Forms Used for Readmission
Application for Readmission (Note: We recommend you apply online.)
Rackham Petition for Waiver of Regulations


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They may seems like another ordinary part of an everyday landscape. But these trees are special. Because they're not trees at all. They're cell towers in disguise.
The concept of hiding cell towers as local flora isn't especially new (we've covered less sophisticated models here before). But these particular images come from the lens of German photographer Robert Voit, who's made it his business to catalogue the impostors since 2003. As he told PopPhoto:
"I was working on a project about the Christmas season, and I was searching the Internet for production facilities for [fake]Christmas trees," Voit recalls. "I had in my mind an overview of a plastic forest in one of those plants. But when I came across a picture of a mobile-phone tree online, I immediately left everything behind! I refocused and it turned into another story."
Head over here for the full gallery, and keep an eye out for suspicious trunks.


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The DA has urged the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) and the SABC to reveal the terms of their settlement over the blacklisting of political commentators.
"It is unacceptable that a case that is clearly in the public interest … should be settled behind closed doors without the terms of this settlement being made public," Democratic Alliance MP Marian Shinn said on Monday.
"South Africans concerned with the suppression of diverse views … are anxious to learn what, if any, compromises or sanctions have been decided."
Earlier, the FXI withdrew its complaint against the SABC, but declined to give reasons for it.
"Parties were engaged in a settlement agreement … and the FXI hereby withdraws its complaints," said Nasreen Rajab-Budlender, acting for the FXI.
The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and the institute declined to give reasons for the withdrawal.
No complaint remaining
Hamilton Maenetje, senior counsel for the SABC, said the dispute had been resolved.
"There is no complaint remaining … We ask for a termination of proceedings."
A public hearing by the Complaints Compliance Committee (CCC) of the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) was to be heard on Monday.
The FXI lodged the complaint in 2007 after allegations surfaced of a "blacklist" implemented by then-group executive of news for the SABC, Snuki Zikalala.
It was believed Zikalala instructed his staff not to use certain political commentators because of their political views on the Thabo Mbeki presidency. These commentators held particular views on the African National Congress's succession debate.
Long road, short ending
An independent commission of inquiry set up by the SABC found Zikalala had given the instruction. Based on this finding, the FXI laid a complaint with Icasa.
It contended the SABC violated the Broadcasting Act, the Icasa Act, the Constitution and its licence conditions by excluding commentators from expressing their views on the succession debate at the time.
The SABC made an application to Icasa to dismiss the complaint on the grounds that the CCC had no jurisdiction to investigate, hear, or make findings on the complaint. The CCC ruled in favour of the SABC.
The FXI then took the matter to the High Court in Johannesburg, which set aside the ruling and found Icasa did in fact have the authority to monitor the SABC's compliance.
The matter was referred back to the CCC to investigate and come to a decision on the matter. – Sapa


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Editors' note: This is not a review of a particular router but the firmware-based platform that Cisco is using for its latest home-networking routers. We will review the routers themselves separately.
Cisco Connect Cloud, which went live earlier this week, is Cisco's new home-networking platform. It includes open-API firmware that can be managed via a few different user interfaces, including an advanced Web interface and mobile apps. Most importantly, it allows supported routers to be controlled via the Internet, through Cisco's new Cisco Connect Cloud portal. This means users can access and manage their home network no matter where they are, either through a Web browser or a mobile app.
Furthermore, the new firmware also allows third parties to develop applications for the router, as well as offering a Wi-Fi interfacing standard so that supported home appliances can connect to and be managed and monitored via the home network. This means in the near future you'll find mobile apps that enable you to manage your home appliances when you're away (so that, for example, by the time you get home, the chicken has been thawed). In fact, there are currently some half a dozen mobile apps already available or submitted to app stores, made by third parties that help you do more with your home network. This review, however, is only about the Cisco Connect Cloud app, available now free for both Android and iOS devices, and the Cisco Connect Cloud Web interface.
Note that Cisco Connect Cloud works only with Cisco's latest Linksys EA series routers, currently comprising the Linksys EA2700, EA3500, and EA4500, and Cisco's future home routers. As an exception, the
Getting connected via the cloud
If you buy a new EA series router now, chances are it already has the Cisco Connect Cloud firmware enabled. In this case, the setup is easy. First you'll need to create yourself an account at ciscoconnectcloud.com. The process took just a minute in my case, though I did have to provide a valid e-mail and use it to verify the account. After that, from a computer connected to the new router, point the browser to the router's default IP address, which is 192.168.1.1, and you will be ask to sign in. Do that with the account you have created. The next step is to associate the new router with the account by typing its admin password, which by default is "admin." You can change this password later. In fact, in my experience, the only way to disassociate a router from a Cisco Connect Cloud account is to reset it to factory default settings.
If for some reason the above steps seem complicated, you can follow the included instructions or run the Cisco Connect desktop software included with the router. Either way, you'll be able to use Cisco Connect Cloud in just about 5 or 10 minutes at most.
If you already have an EA series router or the Linksys E4200v2, you will need to update the router's firmware to use Cisco Connect Cloud. If you didn't opt out of automatic updates during the initial setup, the firmware will have been pushed to the router automatically via the Internet. If you did opt out, which means you're likely an advanced user, just go to the router's existing Web interface by pointing a browser from a connected computer to its IP address (again, it's 192.168.1.1, if you haven't changed that) and update the firmware manually.
Now that the firmware has been updated, from a computer, you can either log in to the Cisco Connect Cloud Web site or via the router's IP (if you're at home and connected to your local home network), and you will be greeted with a completely new Web interface. Alternatively, you can download and run the Cisco Connect Cloud mobile app from your iPad, iPhone, or Android device.
In any case, your home network is now nothing like how you have known it before. Note that you can use one Cisco Connect Cloud account to manage multiple supported routers. This is great if you want to manage the home network of a friend or non-tech-savvy relative. In this case, from within the new Web interface or mobile app, you can quickly switch from one network to another without have to sign out.
Design and features
Cisco Connect Cloud's interface is generally very well-organized and intuitive. It has two parts: Apps and Router Settings, laid out in one column at the left side of the Web interface.
Apps, which are not to be confused with mobile apps, basically are main features -- or according to Cisco, the embedded apps -- of the router, consisting of Device List, Guest Access, Parental Control, Media Prioritization, Speed Test, and USB Storage. Depending on the router, some of these features will not be available. For example, the Linksys EA4500 has all these features, while a lower-end router such as the EA2700 will not have USB Storage, since it has no USB port. On the other hand, future more powerful routers might have more features, or Cisco might add more features to existing routers in the future.
Each the apps has a small widget that can be displayed in the center of the Web interface, with a quick function available, such as to turn it on or off. To further customize the feature, you'll need to click on it from the left column. For example, using the widget I could turn the Parental Control feature on or off, but to add which computer to what block list, I needed to use the link on the main volume. The Parental Control feature worked very well and was easy to customize this way, by the way.


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NEW YORK (AP) – The NHL is calling off all games through Dec. 14, plus the 2013 NHL All-Star Weekend scheduled for Jan. 26-27 in Columbus, Ohio.
The league made the announcement Friday, the 69th day of the NHL's lockout of its players.
The new cancelations come as little surprise. The two sides had an unproductive negotiating session on Wednesday that produced no movement to break an impasse over splitting more than $3 billion in revenue and also player contracts.
A total of 422 regular-season games, more than 34 percent of the season, have now been lost.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly says losing the 2013 NHL All-Star Weekend in Columbus is "extremely disappointing."
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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text:
Story highlights
- An official calls the attack "very uncharacteristic" of the rural town where it happened
- He says gender violence is "systemic" nationwide, saying this may be a "tipping point"
- A 17-year-old girl is found raped and mutilated; she later dies, but not before identifying an attacker
- 3 are under arrest in the case, while the funeral for the victim will be held Saturday
A dog would have been treated better than Anene Booyson, her neighbors said.
The 17-year-old South African girl was gang raped then mutilated to death in Bredasdorp, a tiny, rural town about two hours southeast of Cape Town, authorities said.
It's the kind of story that happens too often in South Africa, where a provincial official said violence against females is "systemic." Some 71% of women report having been victims of sexual abuse, the government notes.
But for whatever reason -- perhaps the sheer brutality, perhaps a new awareness to the matter -- the rape and killing of Booyson has been different. It has stirred outrage in Bredasdorp and, in fact, throughout South Africa, from people shocked that a young woman like Booyson could suffer so much.
"I don't know what we must do, but we must do something," said Sophia Europa, from Bredasdorp, fighting off tears. "Otherwise, there is no use giving birth to a baby boy if men treat women lower than animals."
A security guard found Booyson's body February 2 at a construction site not far from where she lived, police Capt. F.C. Van Wyk said.
Booyson's injuries were so severe that her family asked authorities not to give details, said Faiza Steyn, a Western Cape Health Department spokeswoman.
Booyson's aunt, Wilma Brooks, said Booyson lived long enough to identify one of her attackers. Brooks and Albert Fritz, Western Cape provincial minister of social development, said the accused man had been a family friend.
"He was a lovely child to have in the house," Brooks said. "He was her friend, and it's just incomprehensible."
That individual and two others have been arrested, said Fritz, who added that more arrests could be coming. Two of those arrested have been charged with murder and rape, the same charges the third will face, Fritz said.
Chanting "No violence! No violence," scores in Bredasdorp marched in the streets toward the crime scene. While statistics show that rape is common in South Africa, residents say such violence typically doesn't come to this rural community. Fritz called the attack "very uncharacteristic of the town."
Fritz noted a few factors that may have played a part in the attack. One is the trend of urban gangs infiltrating the countryside, sometimes doing initiation acts like "drawing blood," Fritz said. Another is the relationship between alcohol and violence, with special attention paid to shebeens, bars where drinks flow freely and illegally. Lastly, Fritz said that many perpetrators of such crimes don't have fathers -- and, in some cases, any adult male role model -- in their lives.
There's no denying that sexual violence is not new to South Africa. But Fritz said that may change with Booyson's death.
"This ... murder of this incredibly young beautiful woman has become a tipping point," he said.
Every four minutes a local radio station broadcasts a ping -- a reminder that a person is raped in South Africa, on average, every four minutes.
Terry Volkwyn, the CEO of Primedia Broadcasting, said this initiative quickly stirred an "absolutely overwhelming ... outpouring of rage and emotion."
"We all know the statistics, and we read them," Volkwyn said. "But when you're sitting listening to the radio ... when that little beep sound drops all the time, eventually after about an hour, you can't believe ... there goes another one."
President Jacob Zuma has weighed in amid the outcry.
"The whole nation is outraged at this extreme violation and destruction of a young human life," he said. "This act is shocking, cruel and most inhumane. It has no place in our country. We must never allow ourselves to get used to these acts of base criminality to our women and children."
Zuma called on the courts to "impose the harshest sentences on such crimes, as part of a concerted campaign to end this scourge in our society."
This week, a group of women -- some of whom did not even know Booyson -- buried a cross in the dusty sand of a construction site in Bredasdorp where police say the girl was raped.
The funeral for the teenager will be Saturday. But people in her hometown, and elsewhere in South Africa, are vowing that she will be remembered for a long time to come.


text: Midwest Automotive Media Association Names Chevrolet Impala as Family Vehicle of the Year February 6, 2014 09:00 AM MEDIA INFORMATION Contact: Mark Bilek Director of Communications and Technology Chicago Automobile Trade Association Office: (630) 424-6082 Cell: (847) 652-0632 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Contact: Jennifer Morand Senior Public Relations and Social Media Manager Chicago Automobile Trade Association Office: (630) 424-6084 Cell: (630) 391-1986 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHICAGO (February 6, 2014) – The 2014 Chicago Auto Show Media Preview kicked off with the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) breakfast, where the Chevrolet Impala was announced as the 2014 MAMA Family Vehicle of the Year. MAMA President Kirk Bell introduced the MAMA Board of Directors and presented Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer of Chevrolet, with the 2014 Family Vehicle of the Year award. "I'm glad to see the Impala get a little love because it's my daily driver," said Mahoney. For its fourth annual Family Vehicle of the Year award, MAMA selected three finalists – the 2014 Cadillac CTS and the Mazda 6 were the runners-up. To watch complete coverage of the 2014 Chicago Auto Show Media Preview press conferences, please visit http://www.ustream.tv/channel/chicago-auto-show-2011. The manufacturer press conferences are also available at www.youtube.com/chicagoautoshow. For more information about the Chicago Auto Show, please visit www.chicagoautoshow.com. ### About the Chicago Auto Show The Chicago Auto Show is the largest on the continent, spanning more than 1 million square feet of production, concept, and exotic vehicle exhibit space. In addition to hosting multiple world and North American vehicle debuts, the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity raises more than $2 million annually for 18 worthy Chicago organizations in a single night. The 2014 public show will be February 8-17. For more information, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com or Facebook.com/ChicagoAutoShow. Media can register for the Chicago Auto Show Media Preview at chicagoautoshow.com/media/. About The Chicago Automobile Trade Association Founded in 1904, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is the nation's oldest and largest metropolitan dealer organization. It is comprised of more than 400 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ nearly 20,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information, visit CATA.info. Back to News


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text: Commentary on Psalm 51:1-17 James Limburg | 0 CommentsFacebook-twitter-g+-LinkedIN-EmailPrint Our brothers and sisters in the faith before us have provided two important keys for unlocking this psalm.First, there is the heading that says, "A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba." Supplied by the editors of the Book of Psalms, these headings often point the way to interpreting and applying the psalm. In this case, the heading is saying, "Imagine this as the sort of prayer that David prayed after being convicted of his sins by the prophet Nathan" (2 Samuel 11 and 12). We begin by recalling that story. The story begins innocently enough: "In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle..." (2 Samuel 11:1). But this time the king is staying home. The one time slingshotting, swashbuckling, songwriting soldier is sitting this one out. And then late one afternoon it happens. The old warrior is bored with the soaps and talk shows and takes a stroll out onto the veranda. But wait a minute! He notices a woman, a "very beautiful woman" says the Hebrew text, taking a dip in the pool next door. Then the former man of action goes into action. A couple of calls gives him the woman's name and reveals that her husband is away with the army. The king sends for Bathsheba and she comes to the palace. They have a few gin and tonics. They make love. Then she goes home, and that's that. A few months later, there's a message for the king. David opens the envelope and reads it. Two words in Hebrew: harah anoki. "I'm pregnant. Bathsheba" Again, the king acts. To account for the pregnancy he brings her husband back from the front. "Go home and sleep with your lovely wife," he says to him, slipping the soldier a bottle from the royal wine cellar. But Uriah refuses the offer and instead sleeps with the servants out on the lovely lawn. The plot thickens and the story sickens. The king orders General Joab to put Uriah where the fighting is heaviest. Word comes that Uriah has been killed in action. The king does a magnanimous thing. He marries this broken-hearted war widow. End of the story? Not quite. One day the prophet Nathan shows up at the palace. He tells the king about a rich man who has stolen a poor man's only lamb and slaughtered it for dinner. The king is enraged. "What? Who is this guy? Tell me, and we'll royally nail him!" "You're the guy!" says Nathan. David is devastated. And this psalm, says our heading, is the sort of prayer that fits such a situation. When there's big time trouble, you call in Psalm 51. In verses 1 -- 5, the psalm begins with a cry for forgiveness, emphasizing the urgency of the situation with a series of imperative verbs: have mercy, blot out, wash, and cleanse. The picture behind the Hebrew word translated "transgressions" in verses 1, 3, and 13, is one of rebellion, as when children rebel against parents (see also Isaiah 1:2). The literal sense of the Hebrew translated "iniquity" (verses 2, 9) is "to be bent out of shape." For example, in Psalm 38:6, the Jewish Publication Society Bible gives the translation "I am all bent." The word translated "sin" (Hebrew hata' in verses 2, 3, 4, 9) or "sinner" (5 and 13) in non-theological contexts means "to miss the target." Judges 20:16 tells of 700 left-handed sling-shotters who could "sling a stone at a hair and not miss (hata')." Balancing these words for sin are three Hebrew picture-words for forgiveness. The Hebrew translated "blot out" in verse 1 is also used to "wipe" a dirty dish (2 Kings 21:13). To "wash" in verses 2 and 7 could better be translated "scrub," as one scrubs dirty clothes (Exodus 19:10, 14). "Cleanse" in verse 2 and "be clean" in verse 7 is the same word used for washing clothes in a river (Leviticus 13:6, 34, 58). Verses 6 -- 12 offer another request for forgiveness. The verb "create" (verse 10) in the Hebrew Bible always has God as its subject, and the result of the activity is always something entirely new (see Genesis 1, for example). The psalmist is praying for a brand new beginning, a fresh start, a new, clean spirit. In verses 13 -- 17, the one praying looks forward to being happy and right with God once again (verses 8, 11-12). Once he/she experiences the joy of being forgiven, he/she vows to witness and teach others about it and sing and praise God (verses 13-15). In verses 16 and 17 the psalmist says, "The sort of sacrifice the Lord desires is not something I bring as an offering. Rather, the Lord wants me, broken spirit, broken heart and all" (see also Micah 6:6-8). Toward Counseling and Preaching: What Can You Do With a Broken Heart? Every pastor knows that this is one of those psalms that can reach into the depths of a difficult situation. I recall a college student telling me about the sad breakup with his girlfriend. I suggested that he read through some of the psalms. The next week he showed up, bringing his Bible, with passages from the psalms marked in red. "These words were speaking right to me!" he said. Among the texts marked was Psalm 51: 17 about the broken heart. I also remember listening as a man related an incredible story of his unfaithfulness and adultery. When we prayed together, it was Psalm 51 that I reached for. Lastly, the second interpretive key from church tradition is the fact that this prayer, "Create in me a clean heart" from Psalm 51, has long been a part of the church's weekly worship. For example, in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, four hymn settings of verses 10-12 are available as options for each of ten worship settings (see ELW pages 106, 128 and hymns 185-188). Thus Psalm 51 is a prayer for individuals in distress, but it is also a prayer for the community on Ash Wednesday and for the worship of God's People each week.James Limburg | 0 CommentsFacebook-twitter-g+-LinkedIN-EmailPrint


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Scores and updates can be found here: Scores and Updates
This is a Tournament Players Association Year 3 (TPA3) event, and is governed by its rules, guidelines, and judgments which are detailed at http://www.conquerclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=175675.
All are welcome to join and participate in the association. You need do nothing more than join one or more of the TPA3 events that will be announced each Monday. Check back on the scoreboard to see how you're doing:
*credit goes to barterer2002 for the design of this tournament (minus a few minor tweaks). You can find the original 7 up tournament here.
Get your teams get your teams get your teams!
You're going to need 7 players. Here's how it'll work.
You will break up into a quad team and a triples team with each of those teams playing 1 game. Next you will break the quads team into 2 doubles team and the triples team into a doubles teams and a singles player. Each of the three doubles teams will play one doubles match while the singles player will engage in a best of 5 match.
Teams will get 5 points for each win (singles match counts as one game for all scoring). Teams will get 4 points for winning in less than 10 rounds (for singles-look at the three fastest games-all three must be faster than 10).
Teams will get 1 point for each opponent eliminated. No points awarded for eliminating one's own teammate.
This will be a round robin affair with each team playing every other team. In the event that we have an odd number of teams, there will be one team on bye each week.
You may not switch positions during the tournament so if you start off with Player X being your singles player in Round 1 that player will be the singles player throughout.
Replacements are allowed in the event that a teammate needs to drop from the tournament or out of CC. The replacement must be slotted into the slot vacated by the dropping player, so if your singles player drops out the replacement will find him/herself playing 1 triples and 5 singles each week.
We can take as many teams as wish to join. Sign ups will be open for 3 weeks or I will give a deadline with at least 2 days notice if sign-ups are quick. Games will be sent out approximately every 7-14 days, depending on number of teams to limit the overall tournament length.
Your team sign up should look like this :
Player 1 (quads, doubles 1) :
Player 2 (quads, doubles 1) :
Player 3 (quads, doubles 2) :
Player 4 (quads, doubles 2) :
Player 5 (triples, doubles 3) :
Player 6 (triples, doubles 3) :
Player 7 (triples, singles) :
Indicate the team captain with an asterisk (*). I will communicate directly with the captains for anything related to this tournament.
Settings are :
- Automatic
- Sequential
- No Cards
- Chained
- Sunny
- 30 round limit
- No trench
Here are all 17 weeks of maps.
After the regular season ends, the top 4 teams will participate in the finals, scores will be re-set and we'll play another round robin. Top 3 teams will each pick a week to replay those maps. 3 weeks for the win.
Good luck and happy playing!


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Hiring a skip in Garnett Bridge doesn't need to be a chore. YourLocalSkipHire.co.uk will take the hassle out of skip hire, with our reliable, professional service. Just tell us what you need, and we'll make sure that you get the skip you need, when you need it.
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To book your skip using YourLocalSkipHire.co.uk, let us know your postcode using the box above. We'll get back to you with a no-obligation quote. No messing around required – giving you more time to plan your project. If you'd rather book your skip over the phone, just drop us a line now on 0330 1130 700, and we'll handle the rest.


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Food Artisans: Checking in on P&H Soda
A different New York artisan every week.
Since the last time this column looked at Anton Nocito and P&H Soda, almost exactly two years ago, the company has experienced what Nocito calls "a nice, steady increase."
One area of the greatest growth has been P&H's restaurant business, which Nocito believes reflects well on his products. "Retail is such a weird animal. Sometimes people will stock the syrups because they love the labels, and they never taste them," he says, "Restaurant people don't care what it looks like, just what it tastes like." There's a full list on their site, but Nocito confesses to a favorite: "The Modern is just killing it with a hibiscus cocktail they have."
The company has been working with a distributor for its northeast retail business, which requires producing large volumes of product and adjusting to a tighter margin, since they're now selling to someone who has to make their own profit on the product. And if the distributor goes out of business, you can lose a lot. When this happened to P&H, they lost some product; friends who used the same distributor lost more than $40,000.
Nocito is still doing all of the production himself, despite the increased volume. "Once you go to a co-packer, the quality really goes down," he explains. Plus, soda syrup is pretty easy to scale up as recipes go. "If you were using three pounds of hibiscus, you'll be using 30 pounds," he says, "And a bigger kettle."
The product line itself has remained pretty much the same since 2011—sarsparilla, cream, hibiscus, lime, ginger, and, the one new kid, Cel-Ray-esque lovage—though Nocito is looking to shake things up a little. Once his recipe for grapefruit syrup is approved by the Cornell Food Safety Lab, he'll swap lime out for that one.
Anyone who'd like more flavors, though, would do well to get their hands on Nocito's first book, Make Your Own Soda (Clarkson Potter, May). With recipes for his regular line, plus syrups Nocito wouldn't bottle for one reason or another—sour cherry would be too expensive—and recipes to use them, the book is, he says, "a short version of what I'd carry if I had a soda fountain."
Those who'd just like to taste the sodas can find Nocito slinging this regular flavors and limited edition seasonal ones like Concord Grape or Chocolate Maple at New Amsterdam Market.
Nocito is looking to open a brick and mortar restaurant this year (investors welcome!), but mostly, he says, the plan is to just keep going. "I want to make something my new little son can be proud of," he says, "We're still small, but we're still taking over the world."
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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|Institution Type:
|Private not-for-profit
|Campus Setting:
|Great Lakes Town, distant from an urban area
|Highest Degree Offered:
|Master's degree
|Level of Institution:
|Four or more years
|School Mascot:
|School Colors:
|Green and Gold
tiffin is a medium sized school in an average sized town. the teachers are all really nice and are always willing to help. i am getting a great education and…
Tiffin University is a small private University in Ohio where surprisingly big things are happening. At first glance, it may appear to be indistinguishable from any other small college, but…
I rate Tiffin University on a scale of 1-10 a 10. I am a single mother, and I am employed full time, and Tiffin has made my dreams of attending…
Safe school with close knit groups and diverse population of students including students from hundreds of miles away to countries away. Small classrooms are a plus among students that are…
The mission of Tiffin University is to:
offer quality, professionally-focused, student-centered undergraduate and graduate degree programs and life-long learning opportunities to prepare traditional college-age students and adult students for successful careers and for productive and satisfying lives of excellence, leadership and service.
work with employers and specific professions to anticipate, design, and deliver effective academic programs that reflect evolving professional needs and intellectual requirements of the future.
There is always something going on at Tiffin. It's a small place, so the environment is ideal for someone who loves a family atmosphere. You meet so many different people here. It's great! I also have learned alot from older students. The atmomsphere at Tiffin allows everyone to be friendly and make connections that prove to be very valuable both in your stay at Tiffin and when you leave.Read More
I have enjoyed meeting people from across the states. However, when the school says that they are their for the students and help them every way possible, they are just saying that to get you here. Once you're here, you're pretty much on your own. There was a student who got punched and SHE was punished for disruptive behavior! Yet she hadn't done anything!Read More
The online forums are mandatory; the quality of discussion with fellow students is very low. Many do not have critical thinking skills and have poor spelling and grammar. The online teacher tolerated multiple incidents of a student plagerizing another students work in the forum posting. This led me to conclude that the instructor is not really reading the posts. If this kind of thing does not bother you, the online program certainly gets the job done, but it is more suitable for the independent-minded person.Read More
Its a small school, so you see the same people a lot. The events that Tiffin University have are very fun and interactive. Every week they have a movie night where you can go enjoy a movie with all of your friends. Everybody is friendly and makes you feel at home. The clubs at Tiffin University help you enjoy this school a lot more. I stay busy so I don't get bored and that's all you gotta do. Just get involved. The club scene isn't the best out here but it wont hurt driving twenty minutes to Findlay to go dancing. College night on Thursday is my weekly scene in Findlay.Read More
Very much so! I come from a school town/school atmosphere already and this school will be just the right size for me. Not too large, and not too small. a good variety and amount of students.Read More


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Hands on Review of the iPhone 5c
The "new" iPhone 5c comes in different colors and has an attractive price point with wireless contract plans, but is it really that different from the iPhone 5? Lauren Goode reviews.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I learned that Evercore interview call Mr. AllThingsD and this is my review of the I phone five C in and this phone that is rumored to be the midrange work will include a cheaper version of the I phone ... ahead and crises announcement last week ... but what is really is is the I phone five with a sort of make over has most of the same hardware specs with some improvements ... suffered sample let's run Apple's new mobile software Iowa's seven in ... the course Thursday candy colors a first let's talk about how much this costs a good sense of this Friday September twenty s through most carriers the sixteen gigabyte version of the five C will cost ninety nine dollars with a two-year contract although some carrier partners likes France ... are offering a deal or promotion and tax free for limited times offering it for free if you hop on over from another carrier and for Brandywine on its relatively inexpensive but that's if you have it under contract on Mach is a different story ... I see has seen a four inch retina display is the I phone five ... it has received a six processor is the I phone five and has seen rear facing camera it's running on Apple's new iOS seven mobile software now the five C is different because it sticks with this software ... and the I phone five ships with an older version ... of I alas ... by older versions of the I phone starting with the I phone four and moving up the chain ... can upgrade I O s that and so this really isn't differentiator for the five C ... that tagged you like IRS that and that includes a new you read redesigned interface ... muni about five times better camera app supposedly smarter Siri ... better writes using the half to three pm which is like Pandora ... and that's the whole bunch of other features ... here's where the I phone five C is different for him for the ... first and probably most obviously aren't the colors so let's call it the I pod fixation on the I find if you well a comes in Weight blue green yellow and pink in fact I have the green one ... with me for a heater ... it's made of plastic not when I'm not last I actually like this certain to my surprise it fell ... durable and silent and not tacky ... Apple says it has a larger battery and found that it hasn't said how much bigger battery as my experience they did a little bit more battery life from this on a day from my I phone five if anyone has more LTE band so what is this all mean ... well basically means in markets outside the U S on customers and yes I happen to double to pull down faster cellular data speeds because the I phone didn't support the networks LTE dance ... now Apple claims that two thirteen alley TV ends up from five in the previous model ... and then there's the camera to rear camera is the same eight megapixel camera is in the I phone five ... the front facing camera is in for this is of course for a better picture Wall face it I mean the sky the imports ... he can solve these you need to at ... most of the new camera software and ice that has a more professional field today ... and nucleus filters on offering me their Apple is really just estimates other premium smartphone makers ... like the Samsung Galaxy S four and a Nokia Lumia ten twenty Hassett retreat cameras for smartphones ... so that the I phone five C and and that's how ... it's not ... she really different from the I phone five see you get one well I think that people that like to have the lead is angry a smartphone will likely be looking to the five pass which my boss Lompoc for her beautiful ... and it is a much more powerful processor and better camera ... fingerprint ID and a massive and staff ... that's the top of the line smartphone ... for consumers to repeat ... something is the I phone line but were held back by praise for ... I think I see is going to have a lot of appeal for those people I think it's can get other in a nine dollars smartphones are run for their money ... from the C I learned a thing for watching on C next week ...


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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – It was December 1979 when Emery Lucier learned the concert he was eagerly awaiting in Rhode Island by British rock band The Who had been canceled over safety concerns. The 17-year-old was so angry he knocked over a chair in his high school classroom.
"I just remember being so upset about the whole thing," he said.
Lucier, now 50, of Milford, Mass., held onto the ticket, for which he paid $25 ($12.50 for the ticket and $12.50 more for the scalper). On Tuesday, he and nine other people traded in tickets from that canceled show and got new ones for The Who's final appearance on its Quadrophenia tour in February at the Dunkin Donuts Center, the same venue it was supposed to play 33 years ago.
The venue's general manager, Lawrence Lepore, said earlier this month he would honor tickets for the 1979 show, which then-Mayor Buddy Cianci canceled after a stampede before a Who concert in Ohio killed 11 people. Any 1979 tickets the venue receives will be donated to the Special Olympics of Rhode Island, which plans an August eBay auction of the 14 tickets turned in on Tuesday.
Ed McConnell, now 50, was a high school student in Pawtucket and planned to attend the concert with about 15 friends. He said he remembers the disappointment when he heard the concert was canceled, and even now can list reasons why it was a bad decision, among them that the concert had assigned seats and not festival seating — which is what was blamed for the stampede in Cincinnati.
Sandy Ball exchanged two tickets that her brother, Stephen, now of Colonial Heights, Va., had waited in line for overnight when he was a college freshman. The tickets have moved 16 times since then with Stephen, who was in the military. Ball said her family remembers the day when he learned the show was canceled.
"We had to talk him off the cliff," she said.
Barry Belotti, now 53, of Fitchburg, Mass., estimates he's seen The Who 100 times but still remembers the canceled show in Providence. He had second-row tickets and had bought several other tickets for friends to come along.
"We were pretty upset about it," he said.
He got a refund on most of the tickets after the show was canceled but kept one as a memento in a binder filled with newspaper clippings about the band and photos of singer Pete Townshend. Belotti said he is planning to see the band play on four or five stops on this tour, one he's especially looking forward to because it's playing the 1973 album "Quadrophenia," which is especially meaningful for him.
"It was very instrumental in my adolescence," Belotti said. "Townshend's writing, he was talking about me."
As for Lucier, he never got a chance to see The Who perform after that canceled 1979 show, until now. He's held onto the ticket for decades.
After he heard he could exchange his old ticket for a new one, he started digging and found it in a box with about 65 other stubs.
The one for The Who was the only one that wasn't ripped.
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text: Wade (Wilson Bethel) somehow convinces Lemon (Jaime King) to dress up as Joelle (guest star Courtney Parks) as part of a scheme to convince Joelle's ex-boyfriend (guest star Ted Welch) that he didn't actually see Wade and Joelle together. Lavon (Cress Williams) asks Zoe (Rachel Bilson) to help him figure out why Didi (guest star Nadine Velazquez) has been avoiding him, but once Zoe uncovers the shocking reason she isn't quite sure what to do with the information. George (Scott Porter) comes to Zoe for advice in determining whether there is a medical explanation for the behavior of one of his clients.


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Kevin Slack grew up in a farm of Ontario, Canada. As a student of Visual Arts and English, Kevin soon found out that he could be happier next to a good companion: his camera. As a child, he drew his future with images jealously guarded in his retina. However, life always leads us through byways before we reach our main road. After working in a bank and travelling across Corea and Ecuador, Kevin decided to escape from routine and let himself be led by his heart. Latin sweat enveloped him, heating up his Anglo-Saxon roots and never again forgot to dream about his real paradise: Cuba.
How would Kevin Slack introduce himself as a photographer? How were your beginnings?
I had two notable mis-starts as a photographer. I took a photography course in grade 5 when I was about 10 or 11. With a girlfriend, we developed a concept that was outrageously scandalous, or it would have been had we known any shame which we didn't. Luckily those photos are long-since lost. Later, I was a painting student in University and I took one course in photographer. This was still about ten years before digital photography. It was useful to develop film and work in a dark room but I produced nothing of any value. Mostly because, as I remember, I had the sort of art teacher who liked to talk about the meaning of a thing more than the beauty of a thing and so I remember I took photos with my brain rather than my eyes or my heart or my soul. Otherwise, my career as a photographer in Cuba was mostly an accident. There was a particular trip where I shot a few pictures – mostly candid street life and some sports boys as well as some boxers – and it wasn't until I got home that I got really excited about the photographs and was overwhelmed with the desire to take more as soon as I could.
How did Kevin Slack find out that photography would make him happy?
You know, I've been building my portfolio of photography, and mainly of Cuba, and mainly of Cuban men, for nearly 10 years. And most of that was all selfish, most of that was all for me. And it made me happy. That is, a beautiful photograph made me happy. It's only been in the last two years that I've gotten any real attention for the work that I've been doing. And it's so unusual and so flattering still when anybody pays any attention, whether it's a fan, or a blog, or an art student, or even a buyer. Flattery is nice. Attention is nice. But what still makes me happy is the photograph. And the story behind the photograph. What makes me happy, too, is the process: the process of finding models, of earning their trust, of putting together a space and models and a story. It requires, often in no small part, ingenuity, patience, collaboration, and, frankly, cajones. But when it works it is deeply thrilling and satisfying.
Your first visit to Cuba…
Was in 2000. I thought I would be happy at a resort and we went to Varadero. I loved the sugar-textured sand. But after two or three days of this, of bland resort food, of swimming pool bars, of European and Canadian tourists, I got on a bus to Havana, about a three hour bus ride. At the end of it, the bus goes down a slope, through a tunnel, and you rise up, you rise up into this sudden and beautiful and romantic city: Havana. It was love at first sight. When I pass through that tunnel – and I did just a couple of weeks ago – I still remember the first time. With one exception, I have never gone back to a resort in Varadero.
There is a loneliness, a melancholy, a special light in Kevin Slack's photography. The sad youth he shoots in ruinous rooms, is it the norm of Cuban beauty?
Hmm? You're the first to say so. I don't consciously look for sad or melancholic. However, Cuba is crumbling. Cuba is a beautiful disaster. Cuba is a ruins. And I have conflicted and complicated feelings about Cuba, about the beautiful disaster. There is so much joy and resilience and strength there. And, yes, there is so much tragedy and desperation too. And, well, at a party, I have always preferred the quiet lonely introvert to the joyful extrovert. So I might have an affinity there.
Do you have to fall in love with a model's body in order to bring out the best of that body in a photo?
Short answer: no. Although I am always a little in love when I am in Cuba. It's a chemical reaction. It could be the heat. It could be the salt water smell in the air. It could be the music. It could be the theater. And my favourite place to be is falling in love. And I don't want to be accused of not being shallow enough: I love Cuban men. They have a ferocity that marks me. So many have strength and courage and so many, too, have these beautiful lithe sun-burnished bodies. Let me take the question backwards: In order to bring the best out of a model, I look for commitment and trust and a willingness to collaborate together and push each other's limits.
Hot Latin blood makes for good pictures?
Surely, yes. What's not to love? But there's more than that too. There' s an openness and a vulnerability and strength too. It's a characteristic, it's a number of characteristics, that seduces me. There's a very male strength and confidence, swagger even. But there's also a complete openness and vulnerability. And sexuality is so fluid and so, so vivid and unashamed. And all of that without the off-putting sense of entitlement or vanity that I have seen in professional models.
What does Kevin Slack ask a model at the time of posing?
Before I set up a shoot, it's important that I understand the model's limits. With nudity, with working with other models. Because I often set up a shoot with something fairly specific in mind. Although my intentions can often change during a photo shoot. By the time models are on a shoot, they usually already know what I expect of them.
How would Kevin Slack define the eroticism of his photography?
In this case, better to leave this to the talkers and the thinkers. I'd rather do. And I suppose that's a kind of answer. Defining the erotic, even my own personal erotic, is treacherous and probably harmful too. Seduction is wanting. And wanting is not knowing. If my images can still manage to seduce me – even though I was there, even though I know exactly what happened a moment before or a moment after, then that is good enough for me.
How and what ideas come for a photo shoot?
Concepts are always organic and changing. Sometimes I change my ideas based on the light. Sometimes I change my ideas based on the space I can find. Sometimes I change my ideas based on the chemistry of the models. Sometimes I am stubborn with a concept and will search out the right waterfall or the right beach. I like it when models offer ideas so that the experience becomes a dialogue, a collaboration. I always leave Cuba, I always pack up and head back to Canada, with more plans than when I got there. It's the biggest reason I keep going back.
What images of your many trips to Cuba always come back to your retina?
It's funny the images that stick with me. The handball boys stay with me because they were the beautiful accident that started all of this. Really, the images that I respond to most are almost always the accidents. An accident of light or of time. It's not the organized well-planned shoots that stick with me. It's the stranger in the street playing soccer. The boy I never met on the beach. It's the fleeting and the unknown that sticks with me.
What's beauty for Kevin Slack…
Beauty like pornography might be hard to define; but I know it when I see it. Beauty might be that moment of joy, but it is more likely – at least for me – the moment of anticipating joy, or the moment of remembering joy, or the moment of remembering anticipating joy. We might live only to discover beauty but in the end it should have many names rather than just one. An appreciation of beauty might be the best justification for living that I can think of.
Your favourite picture?
No matter how I try to resolve an answer here, I can't. Ask the zoo keeper to pick his favorite animal. Ask the kaleidoscope-maker to pick his favorite fragment. I am always searching out the perfect photograph. I haven't found it yet which is why I still work.
What feelings do your sojourns in Cuba provoke?
Let me talk about my last trip. Since it is fresh. Many of the things I love about Cuba are injuring Cuba, are devastating my Cuban friends. For the most part, and in a very tangible and evident way, Cuba has been crippled for more than fifty years. The star-spangled dream, the red-white-and-blue monolith of consumerism and democracy lives right next door. And for more than fifty years Cuba has been steadfastly defiant. At the very least, you have to admire the force of that conviction, the constitution of that resistance. Havana in particular is other-worldly: the architecture, the ruins, the feeling of far-stretching time, the presence of ghosts and history everywhere – it really ought to be impossible, but there it is. Like a castle in the clouds. And there is little to mar the illusion, there is no McDonald's, no modern skyscrapers, no neon billboards to interrupt and disturb that beautiful illusion that you are someplace else, some time else. But if it looks like Cezanne's apple on the outside, it's still rotten and hollow and eaten-through on the inside. Or to go back to the castle in the clouds, there is nothing to support the precarious beauty. I love the joy of life I see everywhere. I try to tell my Cuban friends that in Canada, it's cold and grey and we hide in our houses and we don't know our neighbors and we work and we work and we talk about celebrities and mortgages. But in Cuba, there is theater everywhere. There are people everywhere. There is joy and beauty everywhere. And at least as far as I can see, they know how to live, they know how to love, they dance and drink and smoke and fuck and celebrate life.
But this past trip, friends I have had for years were more desperate than I have seen. It was a common and distressing theme. If they wanted a future, they had to get out of Cuba. Because there was no future in Cuba. And so the motivated and those with the means will leave if they can. And who will stay behind? And even still, they love their country. In the same breath, they will say they have to leave and that they love their country. And so it turns out that so much of what I love about Cuba, so much of what I used to love, so much of what I want to love, is damaging very seriously my Cuban friends. This is not news, exactly. It was just a lot more immediate this last time. And so, it's like loving a beautiful tragedy that hasn't quite come to its end yet. It's like the fourth act of Romeo and Juliet. You already know it will end badly. But the bad ending hasn't come yet. And so there is expectation and fear too.
Broken down rooms, two young people embraced, hot bodies burning with desire, scorching nights, young people having fun while they dream of escaping, noisy streets, voices, a sticky sun, the vitality of a youth who play and love, the light of Havana's pier, the dances, the muggy siestas, the sweaty dawn, broken buildings, dreams in a child's eyes, a sweltering sun. Lovers sleeping a siesta, the passion of those in love… What image would be your favourite?
That sounds like a catalogue of my work, Jesus. Or a catalogue of the work I would like to have. If I could get it real and honest and genuine, the lovers sleeping a siesta – but after expectation, after that burning of love and anticipation, after that season of mad waiting, and after the passion too, that moment, just after, of waiting now satisfied, that moment, just after, of total vivid joyous honesty between two lovers spent. But I would want it real. And to get it real, I would have to follow two patient long-waiting lovers. It might be the perfect photograph for Cuba. Waiting, not baseball, is Cuba's national past-time.
Is Cuba Kevin Slack's dreamed paradise?
It might have been. And if I were purely selfish, it could still be. But I'm borrowing someone else's tragedy. I see the beauty in it only because I'm outside of it: like the insect in the amber, or the butterfly in the sealed jar.
Can an Anglo-Saxon like you understand Cuba's soul?
I can try. And I try. I can want to. And I do. But I will inevitably fail. I can learn the language. I can study salsa. I can read Cuban writers. I can make Cuban friends. But in the end, I will fail, because I am outside of it. And even if I had the means to live there now – and believe me I would if I could – I could try harder; and I would still fail. Because my perspective is already and incontrovertibly the perspective of an outsider, an extranero. It doesn't mean that the effort is wasted. Let's say I can go stare at Picasso's Guernica for a year. I can study the pieces. I can study the whole. But I am not Picasso. And this is not 1937. By the end of it, I might know the painting, I might guess the intent, but how can I know Picasso's soul, or Spain's soul? But it doesn't mean that I don't want to; and it doesn't mean that I won't stop trying.
What does Cuba smell like?
The smell hits me when I get off the plane. It's like a cologne of an old lover. It infuses my soul and wakes me up. It's a tropical humidity, first. And tones of saltwater on the trade winds. And, in Havana, in the mad rush of Havana, diesel and hot metal.
How is homosexuality lived in Cuba's present reality?
Technically, homosexuality has not been illegal since 1979 in Cuba. But it's still difficult to be openly gay in Cuba. There is only one gay establishment that I know of in Havana, on Calle 23: it looks like an over-lit cafeteria and nothing has so far persuaded me to go in it. Among the more macho, there is still very much the notion in Cuba of maricon and bugarron; you are not really gay unless you are a bottom, unless you are passive. But there is also a delightful fluidity of sexuality. I have been at parties with guys who were mostly straight, guys who were mostly gay, and guys who were firmly in the middle. And, at least as far as I could tell, nobody really cared. And I find that fascinating and so refreshing. We name things to tell them apart and keep them distinct: gay, straight, bi. At least according to my experiences, Cuba is much less concerned with those sort of social distinctions.
Salsa, Danzón, Mambo… I think Kevin Slack is an expert dancer of Latin rhythms…
I love to dance. I love to be overwhelmed with the rhythm but I'm a white travesty when it comes to dancing. I dance from the waist up. I keep intending to take classes but I continue to worry that I will be unteachable which is worse than just being bad.
The most beautiful thing that Kevin Slack has seen in Cuba?
I cannot pick. Jorge Luis who is no doubt beautiful but his soul and his ambition and his motivation and his humility too light up a room. Orly who is interminably optimistic and equally electric. Monica with her sad almond eyes and her happy transparent poetic soul. It's funny that I translated thing to person so quickly. Or the generosity of so many who have so little. Or just the bloody resilience of it all.
Will you leave your Canadian life some day for Cuba's light?
I am all alive in Cuba. There's no question. But I have to imagine that I love Cuba more than it would love me. Still, if I could manage a way I should sincerely like to figure out how.
It's inevitable to ask about Cuba's actual political situation. What options does Kevin Slack see for Castro's regime in the near future?
Every time I go to Cuba, I think it can't get any worse. And every time I get there, I realize that it is, that it is measurably worse. I respect Fidel Castro. Or at least I think that I do. I'm reasonably sure he loves his country. Some of it, later on, might be stubbornness. What they have really is a Revolution of Defiance. But defiance is really only reaction. There is no action. No action that makes any sense or does any good. Meanwhile Cuba is afraid of change. Anybody that can make any real change is afraid of change. It's hard to understand a country that can stop your friend and take him aside and interview him and put him in handcuffs and take him to prison right in front of you for the crime of walking with you. That kind of state control is, well, terrifying. But it's more than that, it's more than control, it's also censorship and it's also unimaginable poverty. There's just no money. The winter of the Patriarch will come. But I'm not as convinced as I was before that it will make much difference.
In the end, Cuba will require intervention. It seems inevitable to me. And it seems imminent too. Because Cuba is on the edge of crises. Cuba is past the edge of crises as far as I can tell. It's standing out on the edge of the plank of crises. But I continue to think this and it continues to worsen. They figure out ways to extend that plank of crises. And I'm not as convinced as I used to be that changing the current regime will have any spontaneous effect. Cuba is politically atrophied.
A real image that Kevin Slack has seen and which would portray homosexual love in Cuba…
On weekend nights, when the young people have nowhere else to go, they hang out by the bell shaped trees at Calle 23 and Avenida de los Presidentes. Even though they likely haven't got enough money to take a taxi or go to a club, they wear fashionable clothes. Reliably, the space fills with young lovers. There is music and singing and drinking. A young boy plays his guitar, a bolero. Girls talk and laugh. And two boys of about seventeen stand nearby, the taller one stands behind the shorter one holding him tightly, affectionately. It is not the hug of brothers or even drunken best friends. And the most charming and remarkable thing about this is that it appears entirely unremarkable. Nobody cares. It is brilliant exactly because it is ordinary.
Finally, your next projects?
So many of my friends and fans want me to try another country. But for me, as I said, I always leave Cuba with more ideas than when I got there. And for me, because Cuba needs to change, I always have this sense of urgency that I have to get, I have to get all the juice out of the fruit, before it falls to the ground. The photographs that preoccupy my mind the most are always the ones that I didn't take, the ones that I missed.
Thanks, Kevin.
Kevin Slack website: http://www.snappedshots.com/
Copyright: Kevin Slack-Burbujas De Deseo.


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THE SQL Server Blog Spot on the Web
One more week until we get to SQL Saturday 122 in Louisville KY. I have a couple of sessions on the calendar this time. First, the one on Sequences:
SQL Server 2012 adds a new object to our arsenal called a sequence that can will give us the capability to implement automatically incrementing values. However, it cannot replace a lot of functionality that we have used a numbers table and windowing functions for (though they can be complimentary to one another). In this session I will demonstrate the uses and performance characteristics of sequences, including how they compliment the use of number tables and windowing functions to create surrogate key and sorting values, and more.
The second session is my professional development session that goes along with my What Counts for a DBA blog series on SimpleTalk. Come with your ideas about what makes a great DBA so we can all get into the conversation (and not just so I won't have to create too many slides). I will have my topic spinning wheel with me, so who knows exactly what we will discuss, not even I know.
The world of a DBA can be daunting for a person, either as a new or old, because not only do they need to keep up with new and emerging technologies, but also with the code and designs of their coworkers. In this highly participation driven session, we will employ a random topic chooser to pick several of these traits for discussion as a group. Possible topics include past blog topics such as Logic, Curiosity, Failure, Humility, Skill and Passion, as well as any other topics that might be added for that day. So come prepared to participate and voice your opinion about what counts for a DBA.
Hope to see you there! (and if you can't make it to Louisville, I will be in Cleveland OH for SQL Saturday #164 on August 16, and then in Chattanooga for Devlink the last week of August. Chattanooga, TN.
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AT three o'clock next Thursday afternoon Dubliners will be treated to an extraordinary spectacle. The Viking ship Sea Stallion, which has been on display at the National Museum in Collins Barracks, will be lifted 50 metres into the air by a giant crane. Then the huge vessel will be swung out over the three-storey museum building and deposited in the nearby Croppy's Acre. In the middle of the night it will be moved to the River Liffey, prior to its long sea journey back to Denmark.
The Sea Stallion was built at Roskilde, the ancient capital of Denmark, and now a quiet town at the head of a long narrow fjord. About 900 years ago ships were scuttled in the fjord to protect the harbour from pirates. In 1962 five of the wrecks were discovered, one of which turned out to have Irish timbers; it had been built in Dublin about the year 1042. A replica was constructed. It required 7,000 iron rivets and 340 trees had to be felled. On September 4, 2004, the 'Havhingsten fra Glendalough' was christened by Queen Margrethe.
Thirty metres long, 3.8 metres wide and weighing 20 tonnes, the Sea Stallion of Glendalough can carry up to 100 people at an average speed of 6 knots. She can reach 15 to 20 knots in a sprint. With a draught of only one metre, such warships could enter shallow bays and travel up rivers, raiding monasteries and farms. 'Deliver us, oh Lord, from the wrath of the Viking!'
Sea Stallion arrived in Dublin, to a tumultuous reception, on August 14 last. The seven-week voyage from Denmark was one of the most ambitious archaeological experiments ever conducted. Dr Pat Wallace, director of the National Museum, told RTE's Mooney Show that a wealth of new discoveries had been made. The ship's square sail, for example, had proved to be far more effective than expected; the sail rather than oars provided most of the power. The manner in which Viking ships were rowed has also been clarified. The ship's rudder attachment proved to be seriously flawed, but this was not altogether a surprise; the rudder of the original vessel was not found, leaving researchers somewhat in the dark. The Stallion capsized more than once, but Dr Wallace thinks that Viking crews were so highly skilled than such events were rare long ago. In those days ships tended to hug the coast and food was probably cooked on shore. The 10th century equivalent of today's giant aircraft carriers, these greyhounds of the sea were the product of highly organised and sophisticated communities.
Anyone with an interest in a maritime technology which changed the course of European history, should visit the ship museums at Roskilde and Oslo. Just 25km from Copenhagen, Roskilde is easily reached. Oslo, with its two fine nautical museums, used to be less accessible from Ireland, but now SAS, who sponsored a series of lectures by international experts during the Sea Stallion's visit, offer direct flights to the Norwegian capital from Dublin.
The plush train, which takes you from Oslo Airport to the city centre in 19 minutes, even has 'quiet areas' where the use of mobile phones and noisy earphones is forbidden. In an inspired piece of urban planning, the maritime museums are located on a peninsula which is accessed by ferry; the boat trip through the harbour puts visitors in a nautical mood. A tourist card covers entry to the museums, as well as travel on the city's trams metro and the ferry.
Oslo's three Viking ships had been used for burials. The Vikings believed the gods led similar lives to us mortals. Important individuals were buried with all of the things required for the next life; there might be invitations to dine with the gods and one needed to look one's best on such occasions!
The excavation of the Oseberg ship in 1904, a Nordic forerunner to that of Tutankamun's tomb in the 1920s, unearthed a wealth of magnificent artefacts, including a decorated cart, sleighs and the remains of horses and an ox. The ship contained the bodies of two aristocratic women.
There is still time for a farewell visit to the Sea Stallion.