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Ulster flanker Chris Henry still pinches himself when he casts his mind back to his own personal Paris in Spring.
Only 13 days have passed since Ireland sealed the Six Nations, inset, with a dramatic 22-20 victory at the Stade de France.
And Henry, an ever present in Joe Schmidt's championship winning side, is still processing the "magical memories".
A try against Wales and a deft pass to send Johnny Sexton scampering over the line in France are just two of the highlights.
"It's been hard to get my head around," said Henry at Ulster's weekly media briefing yesterday.
"At times I do ask myself 'did that really happen?' There was a lot of pressure, but I had the time of my life.
"To finish it off with a win in Paris to clinch the Six Nations is something I'll always remember."
Henry, who returns to club action against Cardiff in the Pro12 tomorrow, is confident he repaid Schmidt's faith.
The 28-year-old also shrugs off suggestions he is keeping Ireland's No7 shirt warm for Leinster's Sean O'Brien who sat out the Six Nations with a shoulder injury.
"When Sean got injured I knew it was a race between me and Tommy O'Donnell," he said.
"I knew there'd be a lot of talk about Sean missing out, but I got my head around that quite quickly.
"Any team would miss Sean, but my goal was to bring certain things to the table. I felt I put in some good performances."
Does Henry agree with the general view that he appears to have grown in stature thanks to a regular run in the international team?
"Obviously, more people saw me play in the Six Nations and maybe that's why they're saying I've grown in stature," he said.
"When you're playing regularly for Ireland and winning things, your confidence grows, but I like to think anyone who has seen me play for Ulster in recent years will know what I'm about.
"I do feel there's more to come and I want to use my Irish experience as a springboard for the future. I want to keep growing as a player."
Henry hopes Six Nations glory isn't the only highlight of his season with Ulster fighting on two fronts in the Heineken Cup and Pro12.
The province lies third in the league table heading into tomorrow's Cardiff clash, while Saracens travel to Belfast for an eagerly-awaited European quarter-final next Saturday.
"We have so much to play for," said Henry. "Winning the Six Nations was a real highlight, but I want more highlights this season.
"The likes of myself, Rory (Best) and Andrew (Trimble) saw regular game time for Ireland, but others like Darren Cave, Dan Tuohy, Ian Henderson, Paddy Jackson and Luke Marshall also featured.
"We've also got players back from injury, so the squad is in a good place heading into a crucial stage of the campaign."


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Christmas on the Royal Yacht
A Royal Scandals Novella
Book 2.5 in the Royal Scandals Series
Five years ago, brokenhearted April Dietrich left more than a successful career when she fled Manhattan to work for the Barrali royal family, renovating Sarcaccia's centuries-old palace. She also left her lover. Now Ryan "Rock" Fournier has come to Sarcaccia, hired by Queen Fabrizia as head chef on the royal yacht. When Rock decides to pursue April using every weapon in his arsenal, will it cook up trouble for both their careers? Or will a Christmas miracle bring them together at last?
Buy Now
Behind the Scenes
Life on a Mediterranean island means sunshine, tradition, good food, and time on the water. For the Sarcaccian royal family to own a yacht (or three) would be expected. The Libertà provides a natural venue for King Carlo and Queen Fabrizia to host intimate events or offer guests secure accommodations away from the palace. It also offers privacy for the royal family's own getaways.
For a sense of the yachts you might see in the Mediterranean, check out this photo Nicole took of Monaco's marina during a research trip.
Read an Excerpt
Rock angled his head and shot a look at his now-curious assistant, Andreas, urging the young German to continue on to the working galley with the tray of pastry. Once Andreas disappeared, Rock set the case of champagne on the marble countertop and plastered a nonchalant smile on his face. His heart thudded against the wall of his chest as he gave April a casual once-over, and it wasn't due to the effort of carrying the heavy load. "I had a feeling you'd show up someday to fix my creaky parts."
"I'm not here to fix your creaky parts. I'm here for routine maintenance."
Subscribe to Nicole's Mailing List
Nicole's newsletter is the place to learn about special deals, giveaways, and upcoming releases, events, and appearances.
As a thank you for joining, you'll receive a FREE copy of A Royal Scandals Wedding, a novella that goes behind the scenes of Sarcaccia's first royal wedding in a generation. More giveaways and special opportunities will be available in the future, so stay tuned.
Once you subscribe, you'll receive an email with the link to your FREE novella.
Thanks so much for joining the newsletter list.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Breakdown & Showreels LOGAN: X-24 by Image Engine Vincent Frei 15/03/2018 Check out this making of by Image Engine about the creation of X-24 for LOGAN: WANT TO KNOW MORE? Image Engine: Dedicated page about LOGAN on Image Engine website. © Vincent Frei – The Art ... 14881 0 Read more


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Paint Tool Sai Free Download 2017
autodesk inventor professional 2016
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D 2017
How To Download Paint Tool Sai 2 It is an illustration program that has simple interface and easy to use tools. Its functionalities are not that complicated compared with Photoshop, but the basic and important functionalities in Photoshop are found in this software. This means that artists can use the program from their tablets or… Read More »


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It's a warm early summer night in Brooklyn, and the walls of VII Agency are covered with Peter DiCampo's Life without Lights exhibit -- dark faces illuminated by the glow of candles, flashlights and fires. DiCampo has worked to portray energy poverty for the last five years, highlighting both the darkness, DIY creativity and survivalism that characterize the lives of the 1.6 billion people who live without lights.
Speaking about DiCampo's exhibit recently, where she was also a speaker on an energy poverty panel hosted by VII, Katherine Lucey wrote, "Dark is not opposite of light. It is just the absence of light. Similarly, a problem is the absence of an idea. Not absence of a solution."
Katherine Lucey is the founder of Solar Sister, a social enterprise devoted to equipping women in Africa to solve the epidemic of energy poverty through a community based model of entrepreneurship. Beginning with a seed investment in an individual entrepreneur, the women are given training, marketing materials and a solar lamp inventory. As they sell solar lamps, they earn a commission to increase their inventory and their sales capacity, while better able to support their family's nutrition, educational and housing needs.
With a background in investment banking and project finance in the energy sector, Lucey decided that she wanted to create a market based social enterprise venture to ensure Solar Sister's market viability and sustainability.
The business model is comprised of tiers of coordinators and leaders -- a program coordinator with a strong ICT background to track data, logistics and inventory, a regional coordinator with local knowledge of villages served, and team leaders who work with ten entrepreneurs to facilitate delivery of inventory and marketing. The interdisciplinary mix of expertise and a constant connection at the grassroots level is integral to Solar Sister's philosophy. "Management often gets so disconnected from customers because they apply solutions without integrating a feedback loop of local consumer knowledge -- building in listening to the business model is really important."
Following a distribution, rather than a product-centric business model, has granted the flexibility necessary to serve a diverse and highly localized solar lamp market. It has also given the women entrepreneurs the room and responsiveness to become trusted providers of solar lights to their sisters, friends and communities through the compelling strength of word of mouth marketing. The women earn commission on each sale, which provides much-needed income opportunity, but as Lucey explains, "Money does not motivate in isolation," noting how it is the intricate social ties that are the foundation of the successful model.
Solar lamps contribute to a 30 percent reduction in household expenses when used in place of expensive kerosene, also eliminating the health effects of dirty sources of energy that disproportionately affect women and children. Additionally, lamps afford three hours more study time for children every day when their families replace kerosene with solar light -- most of the benefit flowing to girls who work to finish family chores before nightfall.
The ingenuity of the women -- entrepreneurs and consumers alike -- is particularly remarkable. Lucey explains how women are often excluded from aid projects like solar installations -- as these projects occur during day hours when women are completing their household work. Without the time to talk to NGOs and technicians, women are disenfranchised from the necessary infrastructure maintenance -- which notoriously falls into disrepair and neglect once new installations have "lost their cool."
"Women must be comfortable with technology. When technology is given away, and women -- who naturally maintain their homes and communities -- are not a part of the process, then there is a gap" Lucey said.
Lucey shares the story of one entrepreneur, Rebecca, who bought three lights for her four-room house. She put one outside the front door, one in the main room where she does the cooking, and one in the chicken room. Knowing that chickens only eat when they can see (she moved the light that her husband had originally installed in the family room), Rebecca extended the light of the day, the chickens ate more, and eventually laid more eggs that she could sell for extra income. "She took one light and invested it into chickens, then a goat, then a cow and vegetables. Now she has a school, where she teaches an evening literacy course for rural women, and the chicken room is a dorm room -- lit by the same solar light."
With 107 entrepreneurs and growing, Solar Sister highlights the avant-garde of economic development as a model based on intricate social ties and local knowledge. As the homemakers, and the natural connectors, women are in a unique position to gather insights into the health of their families, the schooling of their children and the prosperity of their communities. The problem of energy poverty does not equate to the absence of a solution, but rather has begun to showcase the ingenuity and creativity of a network of women equipped with solar lanterns, an entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to quickly adapt to the changing needs of their consumers and communities.
Describing the problems and the opportunities that women face, Solar Sister entrepreneur Eva recently explained:
"I used to think that it was a Uganda problem, or an African problem. But now I know that it is a problem for women all over the world. We need to have opportunity and hope. This is why I am a Solar Sister, to help the women in my village, and to give them hope."
How to vote
Register by: Varies by state
Your vote is your voice! It is your right and your responsibility. For your voice to be heard, in most states you must register before you can vote. Visit the state elections siteRegister to Vote
Vote-by-mail ballot request deadline: Varies by state
For the Nov 3 election: States are making it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year due to the coronavirus. Each state has its own rules for mail-in absentee voting. Visit your state election office website to find out if you can vote by mail.Get more informationTrack ballot status
In-person early voting dates: Varies by state
Sometimes circumstances make it hard or impossible for you to vote on Election Day. But your state may let you vote during a designated early voting period. You don't need an excuse to vote early. Visit your state election office website to find out whether they offer early voting.My Election Office
General Election: Nov 3, 2020
Polling hours on Election Day: Varies by state/localityMy Polling Place


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Clothing, Good Works, Cartoon Characters, Spiritual Forces are the most common media in which Gangs express themselves. In fact, there is often an competition among Gangs, to be the most Avant Garde Gang in San Miguel. This desire to shock or push the envelop led to the creation of one of the most shocking and dangerous Gang in San Miguel – the Troll Gang.
The usual concept of a Troll came from European mythology – of a dim witted and dangerous creature with an aversion to light and noise, who could be killed from learning his/her name. They were rumored to steal babies and seduce wives/husbands.
Then they became this cute little creature. You could collect or stick on the end of your pencil.
But the Internet Age created a new meaning of troll. A troll, in this usage, is a person who makes a rather provocative posting to a newsgroup intended to produce a large volume of frivolous responses.
Yes this is the Gang who makes all those posts on the Civil List. Because they have an aversion to light and noise, they are rarely seen in the Jardin during the day. They are usually at home making comments on the Civil List, so the sighting of a member of the Troll Gang, in the Jardin was a rare event
This is the only known sighting of a Troll in the Jardin during the day.
No one knew how to react to a Troll among us. Some, with childhood memories of fearful bridge crossings, clung to their children or their purchases.
Some simply stared.
She moved among those gathered in the Jardin making provocative statements. One lady was told to hide her ugly baby. A middle aged woman was reduced to tears when her hat was ridiculed. Fat people fled. Old people were poked with a stick to see if there were alive. She tried to grab dogs on long leashes. Several women had their scarves pulled off. Her greatest joy was pulling men's pony tails and yelling Ride Em Cowboy. The worst fate befell those manning Tables for Good Works. She told them no one cares. Within ten minutes pandemonium rained in the Jardin and many carefully constructed lives fell apart.
Then, she left as quickly as she appeared but few will ever forget the day the Troll came to Town.


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I've never really celebrated Halloween properly. (Not that there's anything to "celebrate" per se)
I've always wanted to dress up in a cool (and by cool I mean a non-slutty, legitimate) Halloween costume and go trick or treating with my friends. Having said that, I don't live in America, so if I wound up knocking on peoples doors in a scary costume asking for candy, Singaporeans would probably call the police on my ass. So the next best way to have fun during Halloween… is scaring the pants off myself at Universal Studios Singapore's Halloween Horror Nights 2!!! Or if you're a girl in crisis you can go to Zouk / *insert other random nightclub here* baring your midriff and cleavage taking pictures with random horny men.
Thank you Universal Studios Singapore (USS) and Resorts World Sentosa for the invites! I've never experienced anything like that night before. I don't think I have screamed that much in a single evening. It was like doing extreme cardio for 15 minutes straight every time I enter a haunted house!!!
Halloween Horrors at USS runs from 8pm-1am on select weekends during Halloween month and turns the normal day theme park into a freaky haunted house maze and spooky characters galore at night. We went on the very first night the event opened and boy was it crowded like crazy!!! Thousands of people squeezing like sardines just to get into USS. We managed to skip all lines however, thank goodness.
Upon entering the theme park, you'll realize how much effort has gone into making this event a special one.
They hired hundreds of dedicated scare actors running around the park waiting to creep up on you to give you a fright, there's loud creepy music playing constantly + convincing props and set ups everywhere… the mood was VERY spooky indeed.
Mother of god.
I mean come on. Make up alone must've taken all day!!! I love the attention to detail Universal Studios always delivers.
The highlight of Halloween Horrors is three themed 1) Haunted Houses – Insanitarium (mental hospital)
2) Death Alley (Chinese themed, think creepy old grandmother during 7th month) and 3) Dungeon of Damnation (my favorite! I think this is just a random mix of weird stuff. My personal favorite! Not for the claustrophobic)
No photography is allowed inside the haunted houses so I couldn't take pictures to show you guys but the special effects were crazily impressive and realistic. I especially liked the room full of fake maggots that we all had to step on hahaha. The most freaky part for me was being alone with Sam in a room that had strobe lights constantly flashing off. Have you ever seen a horror movie whereby the lights flickered on and off in a pitch black room, and every time the light came on, the ghost was nearer to you?
Yep. That happened to me. Except this was in real life and really CONVINCING actors reaching out to grab me and I think I actually almost cried LOLOL. I held onto Sam, closed my eyes shut and wouldn't budge… he literally had to drag me along. I wouldn't move unless I had Nicholas on my left, and Sam on my right. I was clutching onto them EVERY step of the way. Imma girl!!! I can be one!!!!!1111
If you think you might suffer from a heart attack from the frights, don't worry, there's USS staff stationed every few meters to make sure everything happens in the name of good natured fun, no violence or injury will be involved. If you also think that you won't be scared, YOU WILL BE. People jumping out at you from every damn corner!!!
Apart from the haunted houses and scare actors, some of the rides are open as well! Most of the roller coasters, mainly.
Everyone had spooky make up on! Every. Single. Person.
Ok maybe except the security guards. See those "blood packs"? They're packets of passionfruit juice apparently! Cute idea.
I can't figure out if this is a mask or not!!!! It looks so real! And their eyes… they even went out of their way to buy and put on funky colored contacts. Kudos to the production team.
No idea what this thing is but it tried to scare me hence the stupid expression on my face…..
I can't imagine the life of people who have to wear the ultra heavy mascot costumes like this one, all night until 1am… In Singapore's humid, warm weather + maddening crowds. I sincerely hope they're paid a lot.
Sam & his dream wife. LOL
Me and my dream husband.
Just kidding…. Hahah. *coughs*
Little girls and old women are the scariest ghost characters.
Holy Shiz O______O
Tomorrow (28th October 2012) is the last day of Halloween Horrors at Universal Studios!!! Grab some friends and go and have some fun. Scream and live a little. Don't commit the grave error of NOT purchasing the Express tickets, because trust me, waiting 2.5 hours in line like 90% of the other people in the park for a single attraction is not fun at all…
I enjoyed myself heapsss and I hope USS will have Christmas themed events in December!!! PLEASE!!!
Happy Halloween everyone! No matter if you're slutting or spooking it up, have a spooktacular time. (Omg I'm so corny). Signing off with the only relatively cute mascot of the day – an oversized voodoo doll.


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A residential community from master developer, Nakheel Jumeirah Park Villas, come in three basic designs; Heritage, Regional and Legacy. The uniqueness of Jumeirah Parkis its close proximity to Sheikh Zayed Road, Jumeirah Islands, Ibn Battuta Mall and is now the most sought after addition within the Emirates Living communities.
Spreading across an area of 370 hectares, the community comprises more than 2,000 three, four and five-bedroom villas combined with parks, eco-friendly outdoor spaces and other amenities. Jumeirah Parkis centered between Jumeirah Islands, Jumeirah Village, and Jumeirah Golf Estates. The self-contained area has a community centre, department store, bank, post office, pharmacy and cafes, as well as a shopping centre including restaurants. The estimated population of the community will be 10,000 when fully occupied.
No similar properties found.


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Throwing Stones Only Breaks Glass
Activism, when taking a contrarian approach, will not work when trying to encourage societal change.
Activism, when taking a contrarian approach, will not work when trying to encourage societal change.
It should be obvious what the nature of any "special" session is. It is not routine. It is extraordinary and necessary.
Laws are meant to act as a curb on bad behavior and expand freedom for the many, not the few.
If Virginia's 2011 House of Delegates' district lines are considered to be racial gerrymandering,don't forget Mark Herring and Ralph Northam voted for them.
Some might believe the killer was driven to act or blame the incident on firearms, but evil caused the deaths of so many innocent in Virginia Beach. Yet, there was light.
It doesn't happen often, but occasionally the publisher assigns a topic.
Given that this past weekend was Armed Services Weekend and we're leading up to Memorial Day, John asked those of us with a military background what we "took from our service for the rest of our days."
That, in and of itself, is a fairly straightforward question.
The correct answer, if there is such a thing, is what you expect: I learned planning, discipline, respect, punctuality, hard work, teamwork, sacrifice, courage, honor, integrity and so much more.
However, I do not think John was really looking for the transformative qualities that were instilled into me over the course of ten weeks in the hot Orlando sun in 1992, which eventually gave way to the same sun beating down on me in the Persian Gulf during at-sea replenishments a decade later, or the white-hot light of a video camera glaring at me throughout my career as a public affairs officer.
No, if I know the publisher, he wants me to dig a bit deeper.
The reality is that what will always stay with me from my military service is loyalty.
Whether it's the camaraderie I still have with shipmates who I served with long ago or my commitment to writing this column for John and you, being known as loyal is incredibly important to me. This is not a blind loyalty or loyalty that ignores problems and concerns. If anything, it's that sense of loyalty and desire to improve organizations, groups, states, nations, cities, etc. that makes what I learned from the military so special.
Truly high-performing units in the military understand this cohesion and the productivity that comes not from mutiny or disobedience, but from skilled and sometimes courageous advice from everyone who is part of the team. It is a loyalty to ensuring that your team achieves the mission efficiently, utilizing the unique skills of all involved. Working on solving the problem together.
Loyalty is also the embodiment of the golden rule. It is the concept of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Loyalty, as a form of love, is mutual to all involved. In other words, loyalty is not a one-way street.
Loyal organizations and people are found everywhere throughout the military. There are, of course, exceptions, but I have been blessed to serve and work with exceptional people who put others ahead of themselves. They were tremendous human beings. They had your back, stood up for others, supported the team, did what was necessary to get the job done and were present through thick and thin.
The opposite of loyalty, of course, is betrayal. There's a reason this act hurts so much and is met with such a strong response. When someone breaks trust and confidence, it is the worst sort of pain. We instinctively understand betrayal, which should help us understand loyalty.
I like to think of myself as loyal, and I attempt to practice it in everything I do. I also think most of us are instinctively loyal, but it was the military that made me aware of the behavior.
Knowing what loyalty is and conscientiously applying it to my everyday actions has truly added more value and meaning to my life.
The political argument and what is reported in the news regarding abortion is, in a word, heartbreaking.
This topic tends to polarize instead of looking for long-term solutions. People go to their respective corners – quickly – and shout at each other.
Worse yet, they shut each other out.
Why? Because this really isn't a debate about changing an opinion or attitude. This goes much deeper into challenging a person's beliefs and changing our culture.
For those who truly believe in life, what really is at stake in this conversation requires much more than words. As I type these words on a keyboard, I realize the irony: that pro-life advocates simply can't defend the innocent by typing on a keyboard.
No, recent arguments on the left have moved beyond "safe, legal, and rare" into the realm of a governor saying: "The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired."
A spokesperson for Gov. Ralph Northam later tried to clarify that the remark wasn't about infanticide, but some pro-choice advocates have pretty much jumped the shark into openly supporting infanticide.
The time for words is really over. The pro-life movement must act.
Proponents need to truly support life through volunteering and fundraising for organizations like the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tidewater or Virginia's Kids Belong.
And there are plenty of opportunities that present themselves for action now.
Crisis Pregnancy Center is a non-profit that exists to support women who are unprepared for pregnancy, including offering counseling – on all options, including abortion recovery, parenting classes, call centers, ultrasounds and more. In 2017, the organization reported it was able to save more than 686 babies from being aborted.
The center has a 33-year record of success in Hampton Roads, existing because there was an obvious need to offer women an alternative to and information about abortion. They have proven time and again that if women are provided support, love and encouragement, a life will be saved.
Over the next few weeks, it is holding its annual Walk for Life at City Park in Chesapeake, on the Boardwalk in Virginia Beach and at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. This is an opportunity to visibly show your support for life and help them with their mission. You can find out more about the walk by visiting cpcfriends.org/walk.
In this regard, I will be walking the walk vice just talking the talk. I have walked for CPC on the Boardwalk in the past. This year, I am walking at the Virginia Zoo.
Another option is to foster a child. Despite recent news, foster care is an outstanding way to help a child who has been neglected, is among our most vulnerable, and simply a victim of circumstance.
Recent legislation passed in the General Assembly to reform the foster care system should make fostering a child focused on where it should be – care and compassion.
According to Virginia's Kids Belong (vakidsbelong.org), a non-profit that advocates for fostering and adoption, there are thousands of kids in the foster care system in Virginia. Hundreds are never adopted and "age out." Of these kids, the financial costs per child alone exceed $300,000 in social welfare and 60 percent of social workers leave foster care within the first year due to burnout, according to the group.
My friend Eve Marie Gleason and her husband, Ryan, of Loudoun have fostered four kids.
"I choose to foster kids because kids matter," she told me. "It's that simple. Being a foster parent isn't easy. It changes your life, changes you. It's hard and inconvenient. It means choosing loss and heartache, dealing with difficult adults, and parenting kids who have been through things nobody should have to face ever.
"It also means being the voice of hope in their life, the stable constant who teaches them how to make healthy choices and provides the unconditional love they need to have a chance to flourish. We don't always feel like it, but foster parents make a tremendous difference."
One thing Gleason also mentioned is that, even if a person or couple is not able to foster or adopt, they still can immeasurably support the foster parents through gift cards or just being available to help out with babysitting, moral support or preparing a meal. At virginiakidsbelong.org, there are opportunities listed to "lean in" where everyone can get involved from supporting foster families, birth families, teens, workers and more.
"Not everyone can foster or adopt, but everyone can care and be part of the solution to Virginia's foster care crisis," Janet Kelly, president of Virginia Kids Belong and an adoptive mom, wrote in an email. "This crisis is solvable if servant leaders from communities across the commonwealth step up to help vulnerable children and families."
While conservatives can't keep the left from outrageous statements and inconceivable policy positions, we can continue to promote a culture of life.
It's as simple as making a commitment and taking constructive action. By making a commitment, the culture will change. In time, words and legislation may, too.
This column appears in The Princess Anne Independent News
From setting your kids up for success, ownership, to random socialism – Monopoly has it all.
We have our disagreements as Virginians, we don't need folks from out-of-state breaking our laws and making it worse.


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New Tutorial below Please SUBSCRIBE!
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Good Morning my loves!
When I posted this makeup look, it was one of my top saved videos/pics SO I thought I would share this tutorial with you guys in case you don't follow me on INSTAGRAM. ummm take a moment to fix that and lets be friends… I'll wait here. Okay, done??? YAY!! So anyways, dewy, bronzed, minimal makeup seems to be the thing this Summer. I am okay with that for everyday life but for my Instagram YouTube life, not my favorite. I like to challenge my creativity with heavy makeup. But I am here to help and inspire you so I get it, you aren't going to want to wear a bright yellow makeup look very often LOL so no worries girl I got your back. That is why I created this tutorial, so you all can have that glorious Summer glowing skin. I tried a technique to really capture the glow, it's life changing so be sure to check out the video above. Love you lots!! I hope you enjoyed and thanks so much for stopping by!! See you tomorrow to talk about my FAVORITE EYE SHADOW PALETTES.
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FLSA and Ohio Unpaid Overtime Wages Attorneys
Are you wondering whether you are not getting paid properly by your employer under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)? If so, below are a number of responses to frequently asked questions and/or myths that might help address your situation as it relates to your wages. If your situation is similar to any of the topics below, you should consider speaking with one of the Columbus, Ohio or Toledo, Ohio FLSA unpaid overtime wages attorneys at Bryant Legal, LLC to discuss your specific situation in more detail. We will determine whether you are owed unpaid wages and evaluate the best course of action. Contact us today for a free initial phone consultation.
Are employees entitled to mandatory work breaks or meal periods?
- No. With the exception of truck drivers and minors, employees do not have a legal entitlement to any breaks during the work day, including lunch and other meal breaks. However, if you are working through lunch and still receive deductions for meal periods, then you should still be paid for that time.
Employees who perform work during their unpaid lunch do not have to be paid.
- False. In order for a lunch/meal break to be unpaid, the break must be 20 minutes or more and the employee must be "completely relieved" of all work during the break. Any work performed by the employee during an "unpaid" lunch break transforms the break into a paid break. This is true even if the employee performs the work "voluntarily" or "without authorization."
- Do you suspect that you are performing other off-the-clock work? If so, please review common off-the-clock work that you should be paid for here.
My employer requires its employees to "clock out" for all breaks and all breaks are unpaid.
- False. This myth results in off-the-clock work, which you should be paid for. According to FLSA regulations, only breaks of 20 minutes or more can be unpaid. Consequently, any breaks of less than 20 minutes must be paid. It does not matter if the employer has required the employee to "clock out" for the duration of the break. If the break was for less than 20 minutes, the employee must be paid for the time (even though his or her time card indicates no work during that time period).
- Do you suspect that you are performing other off-the-clock work? If so, please review common off-the-clock work that you should be paid for here.
An employee who works unauthorized overtime is not entitled to overtime pay.
- False. You should still be paid overtime even if it was not authorized!
- To provide context, consider this scenario: Bob asks his boss if he can work on Saturday to get caught up in his work. Bob's boss says no because he does not want to pay him overtime wages. Bob instead disregards his boss's decision and works 12 hours of overtime on Saturday. When Bob's boss finds out, he is upset and accuses Bob of insubordination. Due to the insubordination, the boss refuses to pay Bob for the overtime work because it was "not authorized." In this scenario, should Bob still be paid? YES. Bob's boss has violated the FLSA. The employee must be paid for all hours worked, even unauthorized hours. Although the employer could still discipline or possibly terminate the employee, it cannot simply withhold pay.
All salaried employees are exempt.
- False. If you work more than 40 hours in a workweek, you should be paid overtime unless you are specifically exempt under the FLSA. Paying an employee on a salaried basis is only one requirement of the FLSA's white collar exemptions. If the employee's job fails to satisfy all of the duties requirements of the exemption, the employee will not be exempt and will be entitled to overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a work week. For example, paying a clerical employee a salary does not make the employee exempt from the FLSA's overtime requirements because a clerical employee's job duties do not fall under any exemption under the FLSA.
- For a more in-depth discussion on whether or not you have been misclassified, click here.
My employer told me that my job title dictates exempt status.
- False. If you work more than 40 hours in a workweek, you should be paid overtime unless you are specifically exempt under the FLSA. Simply inserting the word "supervisor," "executive," or "manager" into an employee's job title does not make the employee "exempt" from the overtime provisions of the FLSA (e.g. Assistant Manager, Shift Supervisor, Executive Assistant, Custodial Manager, Environmental Specialist).
- For example, in order to qualify for the FLSA's executive exemption, the employee must meet all of the requirement for the exemption: (1) guaranteed salary of at least $455 per week; (2) primary duty is managing the employer or a customarily recognized department or subdivision of the employer; (3) the employee regularly supervises two or more full-time employees or their equivalent; and (4) the employee has the authority to hire/fire, or the employee's recommendations in this regard are given particular weight by management.
- For more information on whether you have been misclassified, click here.
Employees who prefer time off instead of overtime can be given compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay.
- False. There is no such thing as compensatory time off in the private sector. Thus, the FLSA requires an employee to be paid for the overtime hours. For example, an employee who works 8 hours of overtime this week cannot be given time off with pay for 8 or 12 hours next week. The employee must be paid for the overtime hours. Overtime earned in week one cannot be erased in week two by providing compensatory time off.
- caveat: Flexible work schedules. Work schedules can be manipulated in the same work week in order to avoid overtime pay (i.e., Monday through Thursday, the employee works 38 hours; the employer can instruct the employee to work only two hours on Friday to avoid overtime).
- What about public employees?
- While public sector employers are able to substitute compensatory time off for overtime pay, private sector employers cannot.
Subsequent to exhausting paid leave, the salary of an exempt employee can be docked when the employee comes in late or leaves early due to sickness or personal reasons.
- False. An employer can never dock an alleged exempt employee's salary for partial day absences (unless the absence is FMLA-qualifying). If you are paid on a salaried basis and your pay is docked, then your employer has likely misclassified you.
- The only permissible deductions from an exempt employee's salary are for: (1) full day absences after the employee has exhausted all available paid leave; (2) infractions of safety rules of major significance; (3) disciplinary suspensions of one or more full days for violation of workplace conduct rules; (4) pro rata adjustments for the first and last week of employment; and (5) unpaid leave pursuant to the FMLA. Consequently, if an exempt employee has exhausted all available paid leave, arrives to work at 8 am, and leaves work at 8:30 am because of sickness (that is not FMLA-qualifying), the employer cannot deduct any amount from the employee's weekly salary because this was not a full day absence.
Employees are entitled to be paid for accrued but unused vacation, sick time, or PTO upon the termination of employment.
- False. The FLSA does not require employers to pay out accrued but unused vacation, sick time, or PTO upon termination of employment. In Ohio, this issue is dictated by policy and/or practice. Whether or not an employee will be paid for unused vacation, sick time, or PTO will only be determined by the applicable employer policies. To that end, employers can insert various provisions that govern payment of unused vacation, sick time, or PTO. For example, "upon the termination of employment, employees will not be paid for any accrued, but unused leave (vacation, sick, PTO). Additionally, employers can condition the payment of such accrued but unused leave upon the employee satisfying certain conditions (e.g. appropriate notice of termination, no-fault termination, etc.).
If your situation is similar to any of the myths above, contact an Ohio and FLSA attorney at Bryant Legal, LLC. We are happy to determine whether you may be entitled to unpaid wages and overtime wages at no cost to you. If you wait too long, you may be unable to recover the past wages you were wrongfully denied.


text: Technology 17 October 2013 If everything's being automated, let's hope we'll like our robots The robots may be taking our jobs - even making our coffee - but that doesn't mean we'll be fond of them. Sign UpGet the New Statesman's Morning Call email. Sign-up How do you make the inevitable robot uprising easier to stomach? Those thinking we were guaranteed a future of flipping burgers and making coffee for each other will be disheartened to hear that coffee company Briggo has managed to solve the latter of those issues with an autonomous kiosk. Christopher Mims at Quarts explains: Inside, protected by stainless steel walls and a thicket of patents, there is a secret, proprietary viscera of pipes, storage vessels, heating instruments, robot arms and 250 or so sensors that together do everything a human barista would do if only she had something like perfect self-knowledge. "How is my milk steamer performing? Am I a half-degree off in my brewing temperature? Is my water pressure consistent? Is there any residue buildup on my brewing chamber that might require me to switch to a backup system?" The Briggo coffee kiosk knows how to make a perfect coffee because it was "trained" by an award-winning barista, Patrick Pierce. He's since left the company, but no matter: as in the techno-utopian Singularity, whose adherents believe that some day we will all upload our brains to computers, once a barista's essence has been captured by Briggo, his human form is just a legacy system. That last bit will sound familiar to Star Wars fans - Patrick Pierce is Starbucks' Jango Fett, and his wood-panelled Yves Behar-designed clones are the stormtrooper clones of high street coffee. It's not just able to match us, it's able to match the absolute best of us. It's worth reading Mims' piece in full, as he goes on to explain that Nespresso - that little coffee capsule system - has replaced the coffee machines in many of Europe's Michelin-starred restaurants. Anyone, with minimal training, can make a consistently top-class coffee using those capsule. Why bother training a barista? And, as the Brisso kiosk shows, why even bother hiring a human to put the capsule into the machine? For those who actually enjoy human interaction at places like coffee shops, this is a sad thing. Robots aren't friends. A designer's basic job is to make things that humans can and want to use, and that's going to start meaning "making robots that we want to interact with". To whit, here's a video some researchers at MIT have made demonstrating their idea for a helpful, flying drone that people can call with their smartphones. It's a bit like a tour guide: Drones, of course, have a terrible reputation, because for every one that is put to good use delivering burritos, there are ones being used to bomb people without warning in places like Pakistan and Yemen. As Dezeen tells it: Yaniv Jacob Turgeman, research and development lead at Senseable City Lab, said SkyCall was designed to counter the sinister reputation of drones, and show they can be useful. "Our imaginations of flying sentient vehicles are filled with dystopian notions of surveillance and control, but this technology should be tasked with optimism," he told Dezeen. That optimism comes in the form of a friendly, female - but still distinctly robotic - voice. It's like something from a computer game. Is it particularly reassuring? Not massively. It doesn't give off that trustworthy vibe you'd get from another human, or even a paper map. Trustworthiness is a theme that's been explored in science fiction for years and years, of course, from Fritz Lang's Metropolis to Will Smith's I, Robot, so it's not surprising to see designers begin to tackle it. You also get the idea of the "uncanny valley" thrown around - if you plot a graph of "human likeness" on the x-axis of a graph and "how real it looks to people" on the y-axis, you get a steady correlation that collapses (into a "valley" shape") just before it reaches actual human likeness. That is, the objects that creep us out the most are the things that look closest to human as possible while just falling short. It's all a way of saying that creating things that look like humans, for situations where we expect humans, is tricky. Studies that have looked at what kind of human-likeness we want in our robots have given rise to some surprising results. Akanksha Prakash from Georgia Tech carried out one such study, and its results (published earlier this month) show that, often, participants don't actually want to be helped by human-like robots. The more delicate the task - like having help in the bath - the more divisive the opinions on whether something human-like is better. There's also a generational divide, with younger people not minding things that look like human-robot hybrids around the house, whereas older people prefer the straightforwardly human. There are clearly a lot of psychological factors at work that are going to prove a challenge to designers hoping that their product - whatever it is - becomes a hit. Perhaps when the robots arrive they'll still have some human-like features, in the same way that some smartphones still use yellow, lined paper to give people a clue that the app they've opened is for making notes - or like wood-panelling on the side of an autonomous coffee kiosk. › The worst thing about the coalition? The wasted opportunities You'd rather play with the one on the right, wouldn't you? (Photo: Getty) Ian Steadman is a staff science and technology writer at the New Statesman. He is on Twitter as @iansteadman. Subscribe For more great writing from our award-winning journalists subscribe for just £1 per month!


text:
Bro Far . . . a Bro Fest 2012 announcement: OFF!
You don't know how happy I am to have OFF! at BRO FEST 2012 this March!!!
What else do I need to say about them? This supergroup features Keith Morris of Circle Jerks/Black Flag, Dimitri Coats of Burning Brides, Steven McDonald of Redd Cross and Mario Rubalcaba of Hot Snakes/Rocket From the Crypt. They completely killed it at Sons of Hermann Hall this past October and have continued to impress audiences all over the globe, just having toured Australia and Europe this past Fall.
Tickets are STILL ONLY $17 at Frontgate Tickets Day of show will be more.
Current line-up for BRO FEST 2012:
ALL PIGS MUST DIE (massachusetts),
AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR (belfast),
CEREBRAL BALLZY (nyc) ,
The COATHANGERS (atlanta),
COLISEUM (louisville),
CRYSTAL ANTLERS (long beach),
CROCODILES (san diego),
The ENTRANCE BAND (los angeles),
The GROWLERS (long beach),
The MEN (brooklyn),
NARROWS (seattle/london/san diego),
OFF! (Los Angeles),
PRINCE RAMA (brooklyn),
SLEEPY SUN (San Francisco),
TITUS ANDRONICUS (Glen Rock, NJ),
WHITE MYSTERY (chicago)
and a few more tba soon
BRO FEST 2012 featuring TWENTY? bands, a few will be announced in the coming weeks.
When: Sunday, March 18th, 2012 from Noon till Midnight
Where: Club Dada – 2720 Elm St. – Dallas
Cost: $17 advance, $25 day of show at Frontgate Tickets
Ages: All Ages
Food: We will have a selection of various food trucks to feed you.
More: more tba in the coming weeks.
Facebook Event Page if you're into that sort of thing. (INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!)
* – lineup subject to change b/c life happens.
This entry was posted on January 24, 2012 at 9:00 am, filed under News and tagged apmd, asiwyfa, bro fest 2012, cerebral ballzy, club dada, coathangers, coliseum, crocodiles, crystal antlers, entrance band, growlers, narrows, off!, prince rama, sleepy sun, the men, titus andronicus, white mystery.
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text: Who we are Meet the team Chair of the Board of Trustees - Steve Gowler Married with three children, I live in Summertown, North Oxford. My working career was spent mainly in financial services where I was Managing Director of Nissan's and Renault's UK captive Motor Finance companies.In 2015 I established RCI Bank, a UK based savings deposit business. I retired from Renault/Nissan at the end of 2016 and since then have set up a small independent management consulting business as well as joining the Citizens Advice as Chair in April 2018. I'm married to Caroline who is a schoolteacher and we have three children.We live in Summertown, North Oxford.. I enjoy watching sport particularly football and cricket. I also enjoy walking in the countryside and reading.


text:
Frequent Links
AirTran Airways
{#REDIRECTmw:Help:Magic words#Other
This page is a soft redirect.}
1992ValuJet Airlines as
Georgia, USA[1]
|Commenced operations
October 26, 1993 as ValuJet Airlines[1]
November 17, 1997 as AirTran Airways
|Ceased operations
|December 28, 2014 (integrated into Southwest Airlines)
|Frequent-flyer program
|A+ Rewards
|Fleet size
|Company slogan
|Go. There's nothing stopping you.
|Parent company
|Southwest Airlines Co. NYSE: LUV
|Dallas, Texas, U.S.
|Key people
AirTran Airways was an American low-cost airline headquartered in Dallas, Texas and was a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines, with which it integrated. AirTran operated nearly 700 daily flights, primarily in the eastern and midwestern United States, with its principal hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport where it operated nearly 200 daily departures. AirTran's fleet consisted of Boeing 717 aircraft, of which it was the largest operator, and Boeing 737-700 aircraft. It was fully integrated into Southwest Airlines on December 28, 2014.
Foundation & early years
See also: ValuJet Airlines
The original AirTran Airways, a Boeing 737 operator with service to/from Orlando, was founded by AirTran Corporation, the holding company of Mesaba Airlines of Minneapolis, Minnesota, operating as a Northwest Airlink carrier with hubs in Minneapolis and Detroit. In 1994, AirTran Holdings purchased a start up 737 operator named Conquest Sun and renamed the airline AirTran Airways. Conquest Sun, similar to ValuJet, was an airline started by former Eastern Air Lines employees. The original AirTran Airways moved its headquarters to Orlando, Florida, and grew to 11 Boeing 737 aircraft serving 24 cities in the East and Midwest providing low-fare leisure travel to Orlando. In 1995, AirTran Airways was spun off by Mesaba and formed its own independent holding company named Airways Corporation.
On July 10, 1997, ValuJet, Inc., the holding company for ValuJet Airlines, Inc., announced plans to acquire Airways Corporation, Inc., the holding company for AirTran Airways, Inc. of Orlando, Florida. The deal was closed on November 17, 1997.
Following two serious accidents (flight 597 and flight 592), both blamed on a lax corporate culture on safety at ValuJet,[2] on September 24, 1997, ValuJet Airlines changed its name to AirTran Airlines, by, on November 17, 1997, acquiring Airways, Inc. and renaming the holding company AirTran Holdings, Inc. In the summer of 1998, the two airlines merged onto the same FAA certificate and the AirTran Airways name survived. While the hub remained in Atlanta, the headquarters of the new entity was combined in Orlando, Florida, on January 28, 1998.
In January 1999, a new management team led by Joe Leonard, a veteran of Eastern Air Lines and Robert L. Fornaro, of US Airways, took the reins at the airline.
On August 15, 2001, the company's stock began trading under the ticker symbol AAI on the New York Stock Exchange.
In 2002, AirTran created a regional brand, AirTran JetConnect, operated by Air Wisconsin.
In 2003, following an order for 100 Boeing 737 aircraft, AirTran began service to Washington, D.C.'s Reagan National Airport and to San Francisco.
On January 5, 2004, AirTran's last Douglas DC-9 was retired, leaving it with a fleet of more than 70 Boeing 717s. Shortly after, the first Boeing 737 entered AirTran's fleet in June 2004.
In August 2004, AirTran JetConnect (operated by Air Wisconsin) ceased all operations.
On May 23, 2006, AirTran accepted one of the last two Boeing 717s delivered in a ceremony with Midwest Airlines, who accepted the other 717.[3] Boeing closed the 717 line due to an overlap with the 737.
In November 2007, Robert L. Fornaro took over as CEO, as well as President.[4] Joe Leonard remained Chairman of the Board of Directors until June 2008. Upon his retirement, Fornaro then became Chairman making him Chairman, President and CEO.[5]
In 2009, AirTran was the first major airline to have 100% of its fleet outfitted with Gogo Inflight Internet, although other airlines had begun adding Internet before AirTran.
By 2009 AirTran underwent major expansion in smaller cities such as Yeager Airport (Charleston, WV); Asheville Regional Airport, NC; and Harrisburg International Airport, PA.[6]
Failed acquisitions
In 2004, AirTran sought a major expansion at Chicago-Midway Airport by buying the leases of ATA Airlines' 14 gates. Southwest Airlines made a higher bid for the gates, and AirTran lost the deal.
In December 2006, Air Tran Holdings announced that it had been trying to acquire Midwest Air Group. On August 12, 2007, AirTran announced its attempt to purchase Midwest Airlines had expired, while TPG Capital, in partnership with Northwest Airlines, had entered into an agreement to purchase Midwest Airlines for an amount larger than the AirTran Airways' proposal. However, on August 14, 2007, AirTran increased its offer to the equivalent of $16.25 a share, slightly more than the $16 a share from TPG Capital investors group.[7] However, Midwest announced TPG would increase its offer to $17 per share and a definitive agreement had been reached late on August 16, 2007.[8]
On September 21, 2007, AirTran pilots, represented by the National Pilots Association, rejected the carrier's contract proposal. Two weeks earlier, the pilots voted to dump the union president and vice president. On April 10, 2009, 87% of the pilots at AirTran voted to merge the National Pilots Association with the world's largest pilot union, Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).[9]
On April 6, 2010 AirTran Airways opened their second crew base, at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, the same day they officially announced Milwaukee as their second hub.
On July 27, 2010, AirTran Airways hosted the grand opening of their new System Operations Control (SOC) Center at Orlando International Airport. This Script error: No such module "convert"., $6.9 million state-of-the-art command center serves as the 24-hour nerve center for the entire airline with over 700 flights per day. The company employs more than 1,000 crew members in central Florida at several facilities, including their corporate headquarters, the SOC and a maintenance facility in addition to passengers operations at the airport. After considering putting the SOC Center in Atlanta where AirTran has their largest hub, the decision was made to expand the facility in Orlando adjacent to AirTran's headquarters.
In October 2010, a new crew base opened at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida.[10] The base initially employed 100 pilots, including a chief pilot.
Prior to the winding down of the airline, AirTran grew to serve more than 70 cities coast-to-coast as well as in the Caribbean and Mexico with more than 700 flights per day and over 8,500 crew members serving nearly 25 million passengers per year.[5]
Buyout and wind-down
On September 27, 2010, Southwest Airlines announced they would acquire AirTran Airways for a total cost of $1.4 billion. The acquisition would give Southwest a significant presence at many of AirTran's hubs such as Atlanta (then the largest U.S. city without Southwest service), Milwaukee, and expanded service in Baltimore and Orlando. With the merger, Southwest adds international service to several leisure destinations such as Cancún, Montego Bay and Aruba. Southwest will integrate AirTran's fleet of Boeing 737-700 series aircraft into Southwest Airlines brand and livery, and the Boeing 717 fleet will be leased out to Delta Air Lines starting mid-2013.[11] The airlines plan to have the acquisition completed and finalized within the next two years; until then, the carriers will operate as separate airlines.[12][13][14] The deal closed on May 2, 2011 and a single operating certificate for the combined carrier was achieved March 1, 2012.[15] Total integration of all employee groups between the two carriers is expected to be completed by 2015.
On February 14, 2013, Southwest Airlines announced that they had begun codesharing with AirTran. They took the first step on January 26, 2013, by launching shared itineraries in five markets. Southwest continued launching shared itineraries with 39 more markets beginning February 25, 2013. By April 2013, shared itineraries were scheduled to be available in all Southwest and AirTran cities (domestic and international).[16]
AirTran's final 737 operated flight was on November 30, 2014.
Southwest announced that the integration would be completed on December 28, 2014 with AirTran Airways Flight 1 as the final scheduled departure for the airline flying from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Tampa International Airport (TPA). The flight used the callsign "Critter" as a nod to ValuJet. This route was ValuJet's first flight.[17]
Corporate affairs
Prior to the acquisition, the corporate headquarters of AirTran were located in Orlando, Florida.[18] The airline moved its headquarters to Orlando in 1994. Prior to that period, the headquarters were in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[19]
Employee relations
AirTran adopted an approach to employee recruitment similar to Southwest Airlines with an emphasis on functional skills and relational competence.[20] The airline had clear job specialization with the expectation of flexibility between jobs as required by day-to-day operational circumstances. AirTran's training approach involved drawing the link between individual job performance, the airline's overall financial performance and the importance of achieving high levels of customer service and efficiency.[20]
Main article: AirTran Airways destinations
When the acquisition by Southwest was announced, AirTran served 69 destinations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and abroad.[21]
Top served cities
AirTran did not participate in any major global airline alliances, but the airline had a codeshare agreement with its parent airline, Southwest Airlines.[23]
Prior to the acquisition by Southwest, the AirTran fleet maxed at the following aircraft:[24]
Before being acquired by Southwest, AirTran had orders for 65 additional 737-700s. In addition, AirTran's 717 fleet included the first and last 717 ever built.
AirTran Airways operated a two-class configuration featuring Business Class and Economy Class. Business class included rows 1–3 and coach began with row 10; rows 4–9 are skipped for numbering purposes and 13 is skipped due to superstition.
AirTran's livery was primarily white, with teal on the ventral side. The sections were divided by parallel red and pink stripes, which ran horizontal at the front, and started to curve upward at the wings until they reached the top side of the plane at the back of the vertical stabilizer. The nacelles were royal blue, with "airtran.com" written in white Helvetica font. The logo version of "AirTran" was written toward the front on either side in teal above the passenger windows and the vertical stabilizer was teal with a prominent white cursive "A", just like the beginning of the logo.
Special livery aircraft
AirTran Airways also created several special livery aircraft. They included an aircraft featuring Elton John and Danica Patrick. AirTran also partnered with the Orlando/Orange County CVB to create a Boeing 717 aircraft emblazoned with a "Say YES to Orlando" logo on each side and a second Boeing 717 saying "Orlando Makes Me Smile," which celebrated AirTran Airways' partnership with the OOCVB to promote travel to the city. The airline also had an aircraft paying tribute to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando.
Several aircraft featured sports-related liveries. The teams represented were the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Orlando Magic, and Milwaukee Brewers.
On February 12, 2010, AirTran Airways celebrated Little Debbie's 50th anniversary by launching a one-of-a-kind, custom-designed Boeing 717, dubbed Little Debbie 1.
Incidents and accidents
External links


text:
A Rad Place: Reflecting on a Semester in Nashville by Chelsea King
Editors's Note: The following article is by Chelsea King, a Northwest Christian University alum and music student. Here, King reflects on her off-campus study experience last semester at the Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Contemporary Music Center (CMC) is a rad place. Though I was only there for three months, it made an impact on me that will last a lifetime. It seems pretty impossible to try to write an article short enough that people will be interested in reading, and that will also fully capture the experience, but I'm gonna do my best to cover all the important stuff.
I was part of Semester 31 at CMC. There were only 27 of us, in 3 tracks: 8 Artists (all female), 9 Business, and 10 Tech. I was in the artist track and got to write a song every week and then
perform it with a full band. We worked with some of the most incredible teachers, who have had impressive careers as musicians, sound engineers, band mangers, etc. The best part about the semester was that I didn't have to write a single paper while I was there. It was pretty awesome.
Now I'm gonna hit you with some of the hi-lites:
- Traveled to the Smokey
- Was in Tessa Violet's music video "Not Over You" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg4setI1nMk).
- Won a Halloween Costume Contest as Eleven from Stranger Things.
- Helped with a Cage the Elephant music video.
- Saw one of my favorite bands, The Oh Hellos, at The Cannery Ballroom
- Had Friendsgiving and many other gatherings late at night in apartment 504.
- Made my own music video for my original song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Kg5dFEhys).
- Recorded several original songs.
- Sat next to celebrities at The Dove Awards.
- Surprisingly never tripped on the spiral staircase.
- Watched a lot of New Girl and The Office.
- Had a professional photo shoot with makeup done.
- Started my own artist Instagram account, YouTube channel and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/cecekingmusic/).
- Went on a week long tour with The Madison Letter (see the tour recap video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g_-HFI23Qg).
- Sang the opening and closing songs on said tour, played organ and accordion, and sang background vocals for some of the other artists.
- Made some of the best friends ever! Overall, this was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I am so grateful for all of it.


text:
Running SAP better
The faster the world of business changes, the more important that IT strategy and business strategy go hand in hand. Fujitsu offers you comprehensive support and solutions for application innovation, IT infrastructure optimization, efficient infrastructure operation and business intelligence.
Start now!
As a SAP Global Partner for technology, service and hosting, we provide companies with seamless support at the application and IT infrastructure levels, implementation and operation of SAP systems, strategic consulting and ongoing improvement of business processes. Solutions and services from Fujitsu enable companies to set new standards for their SAP operations. Our complete solutions for the development and support of your SAP landscape, are based on industry standards and our best practices, and deliver several important benefits:
- More flexible SAP operations
- Significant reduction in costs
- Improvement in the quality of services without the need for highly qualified SAP specialists
FlexFrame for SAP is a pre-integrated and highly efficient IT infrastructure that dynamically assigns servers to SAP applications on demand.
More Information on FlexFrame for SAP[/column] [column size="1-2" last="1" style="0"][/column] [column size="1-2" last="0" style="0"]
SAP NetWeaver® Business Warehouse Accelerator
Turn your data into knowledge within seconds with our BW Accelerator Infrastructure solution.
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The Fujitsu SAP HANA Infrastructure solution enables businesses to analyze their business operations in real-time.
More Information on SAP HANA[/column] [column size="1-2" last="1" style="0"][/column]


text:
Mingus Diggs
|Mingus Diggs defeated
DescriptionYou've earned the right to challenge Mingus Diggs, the archaeologist!
Mingus isn't that tough, from what I hear... but the people in charge let him bring some of his excavated treasures with him into the brawling ring. Those are what you want to watch out for.
Come buy his card when you're ready!
You ran around that arena so quickly, I got dizzy for a moment.
Well done!
Well done!
RewardsYou will receive:
|Digmaster's Bodysleeve
|Gigantic Sack of Coins
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Simply type the URL of the video in the form below.
The Wowhead Client is a little application we use to keep our database up to date, and to provide you with some nifty extra functionality on the website!
It serves 2 main purposes:
- It maintains a WoW addon called the Wowhead Looter, which collects data as you play the game!
- It uploads the collected data to Wowhead in order to keep the database up-to-date!
You can also use it to keep track of your completed quests, recipes, mounts, companion pets, and titles!
So, what are you waiting for? Download the client and get started.


text:
There are certain items of clothing that really stick in a girl's mind. First bra, first designer handbag, graduation dress… But memorable though these sartorial stepping stones are, I'd argue that your first pair of really great jeans is every bit as crucial. Well, few people understand the importance of a well made jeans better than Paige Adams Geller, Founder of cult label, Paige Denim.
I caught up with Paige during her visit to London last month to grill her on her incredible career and pick up a few denim tips…
LPA: What prompted you to launch Paige Denim in 2004? Having worked in the high-end denim industry for over a decade, did you feel that something was missing?
PAG: I wanted to bring a female perspective to what was generally a men's industry at the time. Denim was designed as something to wear at weekends. I wanted jeans which were more in-line with the fashion items I was buying and started Paige primarily as a fashion brand.
LPA: Within a year of launching Paige Denim, your jeans were stocked everywhere from Bergdorf Goodman to Harvey Nichols and seen on the likes of Eva Longoria and Mandy Moore. Despite the disastrous effects of the recession on so many other businesses, Paige Denim has continued to grow enormously since then. What do you think has been the key to your company's success?
PAG: We never got complacent; we were always striving to be better. We are devoted to the details and committed to the craft and quality of Paige product. That meant that we didn't drop our price when times got tough, we stuck to our guns and continued to produce trendsetting accessible luxury with considered, unexpected details.
LPA: Talk me through your typical daily routine…
PAG: I wake up at 6am, look after my adorable dogs London, Taffy and Ashley and make a coffee. I then do an hour work-out either at my gym at home or I go for a run. I make my way to the office after that where my days can be taken up with fittings, meetings with the design team, catching up with our fabric suppliers or meeting the PR and Marketing team. It's pretty non-stop so I usually eat on the go.
I leave the office at around 6.30pm. Sometimes I have more meetings after work but generally I like ro be home by 8pm. A couple of hours downtime (usually catching up on email!) and playing with the dogs and I'm in bed by 10pm.
LPA: As someone renowned for helping women wear denim well, you must feel under pressure to always look good yourself. What's your failsafe outfit formula?
PAG: Skinny jeans (my favourite Paige style is the Verdugo Super Skinny which we do in tons if fashion washes and prints) worn with ankle booties, a fantastic silk blouse and a leather jacket.
LPA: Everyone's had a few fashion disasters in their time, and most of us still do on occasion. What style sins can you confess to committing in the past?
PAG: The Little House on the Prairie stage when I was a child growing up in Alaska was particularly bad. I wore peter pan collar dresses down to the floor, ruffles, braids in my hair and glasses.
LPA: What more do you feel brands and publications could, or should, be doing to promote a more healthy standard of beauty?
PAG: I always work with models who look healthy and have a glow from within. Brands should be careful of how much they alter images. It needs to be realistic and achievable beauty.
LPA: Printed and bright denim is everywhere this season, but can everyone really wear these tricky styles? Should certain body types steer clear of certain colours or cuts?
PAG: Yes! It's all about proportion. If you're looking to wow you can go crazy with clashing prints and colours. If you're not so confident wear a neutral colour top and shoes and make the patterned jean an accessory and the focal point.
LPA: What advice would you give to someone hoping to launch their' own company?
PAG: Don't allow too many chefs in the kitchen. Stay true to your vision, believe in yourself and your instincts and it work hard and it will be a success.
Love Ella. X


text:
Use co-sourcing in a sentence
" You may want to try and do some co-sourcing that will help to get your personal ideas in the project. "
" They did some co-sourcing and that was all part of the process and would help everyone achieve what they wanted to achieve. "
" Our company utilizes co-sourcing partnering with local temporary staffing services to accommodate the increase in business experienced during the holiday season. "


text: illusions_on_the_sea #1 Posted July 5, 2007 Hi folks, My husband and I along with his parents will be on the Fascination (July 16th) and I think we'll take a cab as recommended into Playa del Carmen. Any suggestions on a great place to have dinner? Also should I just ask the cab to drop us off on the main strip where there is shopping and restuarants etc? Thanks in advance. 0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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This is how Carter's manic phases express themselves. It hardly seems fair. He has all the pain of a devastating mental illness, no memory of a time before he became sick (because he was symptomatic so early), and none of the parts of that illness that so many people with bipolar experience as fun!
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Ethylene, a byproduct of natural gas processing, is important to
the production of plastic and other chemicals. Located on the Houston Ship
Channel at Enterprise's Morgan's Point location, the ethylene terminal will
have a capacity to export approximately 2.2 billion pounds of ethylene per
year. Commercial operations are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of
"Our clients sought an EPC solution that would allow them to
fulfill increasing calls for ethylene export with an aggressive execution schedule
and performance guarantees," said Gary Martin, regional general manager for
Black & Veatch's Oil and Gas business. "Black & Veatch, together with
PCL Construction, has an established track record of delivering safely,
on-time, and on-budget, even with accelerated production timelines."
"BPC has had an eight-year history of pursuing and successfully
completing very challenging projects in the power market," said Kent Free,
senior director at PCL Industrial Construction Co. "We are very proud to expand
our solution-provider culture into the oil, gas, and petrochemical arena."
The Morgan's Point project continues the Black & Veatch/PCL
joint-venture work under the BPC banner. This will be the third award for the
joint-venture, which has performed over 4.5 million workhours to-date, with
zero lost-time incidents.
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $6 billion, making PCL one of the largest contracting organizations in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.
Stephanie McCayManager, US CommunicationsPCL Construction(303) firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright © 2020 PCL Constructors Inc. All rights reserved
Read the latest issue of Horizons, PCL's quarterly publication.
All Issues »


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Art and wine lovers are invited to the August edition of the fun new summer art event series in Old Town La Quinta, "Art & Wine" presented by La Quinta Arts Foundation (LQAF) and Old Town Cellar.
"First Tuesday Reception" on August 3rd, 5 to 7 pm – Meet the Artists & Enjoy FREE Wine Tasting & Appetizers
August's Opening Reception will feature Metal Sculptors Ric & Tim Vigallon, and Photographer Bart Aldrich—all regular exhibitors at La Quinta Arts Festival and Art Under the Umbrellas at Old Town La Quinta. Their artwork will be on display and for sale at Old Town Cellar throughout the entire month of August.
Brothers Ric &Tim Vigallon reside in Joshua Tree where they create vibrant hand crafted metal wall hanging sculptures, mostly made out of stainless steel and aluminum. Although their art primarily focuses on wildlife, "woody" surf wagons, native flora and fauna, and ocean scenes, they are also adept at creating custom commission pieces. They have sold their sculptures to the Art in Public Places programs for the City of Palm Desert and the City of La Quinta. Ric and Tim's distinctive work can be displayed outdoors or inside the home. Contact info: Vigall-Art.com / 760-366-8152
Indio based photographer Bart Aldrich (a former wine sales representative – how fitting for the occasion) began to craft his career as a landscape and travel photographer in the 80s. While Bart is still highly recognized for his representational photography, the area that makes his work unique and sets him apart from other photographers, is his abstract works, a process and style Bart calls "Abstract Photo-Painting." Several of Bart's travel, landscape and abstract works have been published in photographic magazines and book covers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia – most recently in the May 2009 issue of Outdoor Photographer. Website: bartaldrich.com
Wine Tasting for the evening's reception will be hosted by Bennett Lane Winery. In four short years this Napa Valley winery has garnered an incredible thirteen 90+ point scores with Wine Spectator. It has been making a splash with its lush textured cabernet sauvignons and a no-nonsense red wine varietal blend, Maximus—an incredible blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah—named one of California's "Outstanding Values" by Wine Spectator. Bennett Lane Winery is located at 3340 Highway 128, Calistoga, CA 94515, Phone: 1-877-MAX-NAPA Website: www.bennettlane.com
Appetizers will be courtesy of TKB Bakery & Deli. Short for "The Kids' Business," this former mom and pop bakery has expanded into three retail bakery delis in the desert, noted for the highest quality sandwiches and desserts for which they bake their own bread and perfect their own recipes. A TKB production facility for their original frozen doughs is now distributing cookies and muffins to its wholesale customers in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada. TKB Old Town La Quinta is located at 78015 Main St., #108. Phone: 760-771-3777
Event Sponsor Old Town Cellar's All Day Summer Happy Hour, created to coincide with the Art & Wine events starts at 3 pm (when the bar opens) until closing Monday through Saturday, with live entertainment on the weekends. One can purchase any of 30 items featured on the Happy Hour menu for only $6 each. This is a great opportunity to sample a glass of premium wine or taste the Old Town Cellar signature sliders or BBQ ribs at Happy Hour prices while admiring the incredible artwork for sale. Old Town Cellar is located at 78015 Main St., Suite 109 in Old Town La Quinta. Phone: 760-771-8950 Website: oldtowncellar.com
Mark your calendars for the fourth and final "Art & Wine First Tuesday Reception" of the summer on September 7th showcasing Mixed Media Artist Joanne Casey and Painter Leslee Adams, whose artwork will be on display at Old Town Cellar throughout the month of September.
La Quinta Arts Foundation (www.LQAF.com) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1982 driven by its mission of "Promoting and Cultivating the Arts." In alliance with its Premier Sponsor, the City of La Quinta, LQAF provides a year round schedule of cultural events and programs benefiting students, artists, residents, and visitors to La Quinta and beyond.


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Make parking easy! A very central West Hollywood location if you are traveling or living in the area without a parking spot.
Remember that this is a parking space only, not a hangout or a place to party. You will be asked to leave immediately if there is such business going on.
Nearby Events or Venues Tip: Also include city in "Listing Title" above.:
Near Airport
Near Bus/Train Station
Near Stadium or Concert Venue
Near University or Hospital
Near Lake Beach or Seaport
Near Major Employer
Near Tourist Attraction
Near Major Bar, Club, or Restaurant
Near Other Events or Venues
Additional comments (description) of venues or events nearby: Centrally located to tons of fun locations
Event or Venue admission cost included with parking?: No
Vehicle Types (Check all that apply):
Recreational Vehicles (RV)
Long Haul Trucks
Boat Slips
Additional services:
Car Wash
Covered Parking
Gated Community
24 Hour Security
Electric Charging Station
Other Parking Services
No Additional Services
Additional instructions to the driver: If you are here to park, great! But if you are here to hang out in your car, not great! Friendly parking, come and go only. No Hanging out. I work from home and can always see whats going on. On the positive, you will have an extra set of eyes watching over your car. It is safe here!
Acknowledgement: I maintain full care, custody, and control of this property. I acknowledge that there are no local ordinances prohibiting this listing, rental, or lease. (To acknowledge, type Yes): yes
Marketing Acknowledgement: I acknowledge CurbFlip may modify my listing by adding additional pictures, videos, and/or text to my original listing to adhere to CurbFlip's marketing standards. (To acknowledge, type Yes): yes


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Wales' own Jayne Pierson helped to close a triumphant London Fashion Week yesterday with a dramatic short fashion film.
The Carmarthen designer launched her spring/summer 2013 collection at the heart of the five-day style showcase, inside The Strand's bustling Somerset House.
Jayne's on-schedule event was the designer's second stand-alone presentation at the biannual event, and took the form of an atmospheric beach-set film featuring her own six-year-old daughters.
On the final day of Fashion Week, guests filtered into the BFC Canon Screening Room in the venue's main tent all morning to catch Jayne's latest project, starring twins Molly and Daisy and directed by the former Coleg Sir Gar graduate herself.
Jayne's ready-to-wear collection, entitled Brave, was inspired by science, symmetry and balance, and used precise laser cutting, worked on with students at Swansea Institute's Dynefor campus; plasticised materials, layering and even organic ceramic accessories.
A blonde model wore a white cut-out evening dress paired with aqua blue oversize visor-style sunglasses and tribal royal blue collar, while a brunette sported a dramatic white ceramic choker and spike rings in the feature, filmed on a beach and in nearby woodland.
Silk crepes, cottons, coated linens, habotai, form-fitting leather, undulating leather pleats, and printed silk jersey showed alongside lightweight tulle, in what Jayne said was "redefining the fluidity of materials".
Young Molly and Daisy, wearing enormous feather head dresses, appeared in the film as the character's 'younger self' and were there to support their mum at the screening yesterday.
During the film, which ran on a loop for two and a half hours yesterday morning, models walked the runway to the sounds of 10-piece New York band The Irrepressibles ahead of an after party at exclusive Mayfair nightspot, Whisky Mist.
For the second time, Jayne, who lives and works at Five Roads, near Llanelli, collaborated with friend and fellow designer, Derek Lawlor, on some of the outfits' embellishments, and accessories were a range of hand-made ceramic pieces developed with designer Alicija Sobczak.
In February, Jayne collaborated with Pembrokeshire woollen mill, Melin Tregwynt on a range of wool and leather.
Her autumn/winter 2012 collection received acclaim from guests at both London and Paris fashion weeks including Vogue Italia and French Vogue.
The 41-year-old, who trained with Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, will take her latest collection to Paris Fashion Week where she will show at the picturesque Museum of Decorative Arts, near the Louvre, next month.
Jayne, who dresses celebrities like singer La Roux and actress Gemma Arterton, told WalesOnline her next step is to open a shop in Wales.
"I want one in either Cardiff or Swansea with a studio attached," she said.
"I love [designer] Nina Ricci's place in Paris where she has just that.
"My studio is in Pembrey and I wouldn't go to London – I'd keep it in Wales.
"I've just got to find the perfect place."


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CD Review
Black Strawberries
Have you ever listened to a CD and it was so bad that you found yourself bleeding from every possible hole on your body, yes I mean there too. It was just so bad you said to yourself "Hmm… why do I get the sudden feeling that stabbing this pencil in my eye would ease my pain?" No need to worry about that with the release "Black Strawberries" from Unbunny. This Album is magnificent. I also give it a non-blood loss guarantee.
You know that "guy" from high school? Everyone knew one. He showed up at all the parties with his guitar, sat during lunch playing tunes on the grass and always was playing in some sort of band? You always liked the sound of his songs but knew the radio would never play them. The radio wouldn't play them not because they were bad songs but because radio is out of the loop. The radio would rather play the new soulless dribble from Brittany Spears. Only "guy", you and your close friends could ever get his songs.
The songs that "guy" sang made sense to you. That "guy" had the same problems as you. That pretty much sums up the imagery of Unbunny. Unbunny is that "guy" a little older and his songs are more magical then they ever were during 4th period lunch. The guitar and voice dominate the landscape with sparse drums, trumpets and bass. His sound reminds me of that "guy"; Whimsically simple but great.
Unbunny's songs seem effortless. The lyrics are simple but after a few spins of the record you find a deeper meaning.
"Referring to the wrinkled bus schedule you keep on your living room floor.
I noticed the last 43 left ten minutes ago.
As I made up my mind to make the long walk home.
Something reminds me of 1778"
Listening to this first line of the last song you can picture yourself in the same situation. Who has not been here? He touches on stories of your everyday life and makes you look at them as amazing. He could have said "I picked up the bus schedule off the floor." Says the exact same thing. Still gives you an image of the action. Unbunny has a way of making it more real, like you are living the song
If you have no clue what "guy" I'm talking about, you missed out. Live the experience that most of us had by picking up and listening to "Black Strawberries." Or if you want you can listen to the Hanson brothers Christmas Album, but if you do listen to Hanson, stock up on pencils and don't blame me for the blood loss.
To see for yourself go to http://www.myspace.com/unbunny


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"Keeping good financial records or accounts is the only way you can be sure you are making the right decisions about your business."
Adrian Oliver Senior Manager, Business Banking, HSBC – The Times 21 February 2004
"Not surprisingly the general feeling was that smaller firms were better off with smaller accountancy practices who are more attuned to their needs. Large accountancy firms were not regarded as providing a personal service to small businesses, particularly in helping them cope with Government red tape."
Institute of Directors survey, September 2001
Realising that start up businesses need help with the day to day financial and administrative burdens Abacus was established in 2001 to provide a regular, reliable and friendly solution. We are proud that the majority of clients have been introduced to us by referrals from existing clients and we now have clients throughout the UK and as far afield as the Falkland Islands.
Abacus is Licensed and regulated by AAT under licence number 1357 and a Certified Bookkeeper and Licensed Member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, Registered Practice Number 2852.. Abacus is also registered for Money Laundering Regulations 2007 by AAT and has Professional Indemnity Insurance arranged through Simply Business.
Abacus is a member of the Sage Accountants Club and the Federation of Small Businesses.


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Ascot Racecourse is a famous English course used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is considered to be one of the UK's leading courses, hosting 9 of the 32 Group 1 races. It is closely associated with the Royal Family as it is located near Windsor Castle. Today, Ascot Racecourse stages 25 days of racing and is home to the prestigious King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Address: High St, Ascot, SL5
Phone: 0870 727 1234
This course was established in 1711 by Queen Anne. The first race, "Her Majesty's Plate", was run on 11 August 1711. Seven horses competed, each carrying a 12 stone weight. The winner took home a purse of 100 guineas. In 1813, Parliament passed an act to ensure that the grounds would remain a public racecourse, and in 1913 the Ascot Authority was created to manage the racecourse. This Authority continues to manage the course to this day.
From its establishment until 1945, the only race run at this course was the Royal Meeting, which was a four-day event. Beginning in 1945, many more fixtures were introduced to Ascot Racecourse, including the Steeplechase and hurdles added in 1965.
The racecourse closed down for nearly a year in 2004 to undergo renovations. And though it cost £185 million, people criticised the new grandstand because it does not provide good enough views for patrons. This was rectified in 2006 after another £10 million renovation. It is now considered by many to be one of the top sporting venues in the UK.
There are plenty of notable races at this course, including the Royal Ascot. It dates back to 1711 and is considered to be one of the world's most famous race meetings. Some of those and other notable races held at the Ascot Racecourse include:
Royal Ascot
Other Flat Races
National Hunt Races
By Road
By Rail
Dining – In addition to private rooms, Ascot Racecourse offers four different restaurants to choose from: Parade Ring, Panoramic Restaurant, Horsewalk, and Brown Jack Restaurant. All four offer first class service and menus along with differing yet equally spectacular views of the racecourse.
Conferences & Events – This top class sporting venue is capable of hosting conferences and several different events. This includes weddings, banquets, seasonal occasions, dinner, dances, midsummer balls, open-air concerts, intimate cabaret, firework spectaculars, exhibitions, seminars, and product launches. The Ascot Pavilion can accommodate up to 1100 people. No matter what the event, Ascot offers a selection of menus and wine lists to choose from as well as state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment.


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Yeb Saño shares a beautiful reflection on the warm welcome received in Vanuatu for the People's Pilgrimage.back to listing
Our journey had reached the shores of Vanuatu, and it was the perfect place to launch the People's Pilgrimage for climate action. Vanuatu has consistently found itself at the top of climate risk rankings in recent years, with its communities being exposed to the changes of climate disruption so profoundly. As a low-lying chain of islands in the South Pacific, it is a struggling nation beset with the challenges of an isolated economy, and bearing the brunt of intense cyclones and accelerated sea level rise.
Despite this fact, there was no sign of surrender or defeat. What greeted us was a surge of positive energy and gallant spirit.
As the Pilgrimage arrived in Vanuatu, we were treated to the warmth and vibrant culture of the Pacific, with our friends from Vanuatu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Solomon Islands welcoming us to Port Vila. With soulful chants, songs, and dances, the islanders received us, and their effervescence was deeply heartwarming and uplifting. After all, as we learned from our friends from the Pacific islands, fundamental to their resilience is their faith.
Setting foot in Vanuatu and getting to meet and hear from President Baldwin Lonsdale speak about the impacts of Cyclone Pam and the resilience of the people of Vanuatu brought back memories of Super Typhoon Haiyan. Cyclone Pam wreaked havoc in Vanuatu and neighboring countries of Kiribati, Tuvalu and Solomon Islands in March and was described as the strongest storm that had ever hit the region. Haiyan, which was incredibly off the charts in terms of intensity and has since been declared as the strongest storm to ever make landfall in modern recorded history, slammed the Philippines in late 2013.
The images of devastation would almost be indelible in our minds and as more and more of these extreme events happen all over the world, we are presented with an ever-expanding tapestry of tragedies. Yet, these are not ordinary tragedies, nor are they accidents. Much of the harm many vulnerable communities face are consequences of a chain of acts that have collectively altered the face of the planet and led to climate disruption.
Today, every super storm will have the fingerprints of climate change.
And climate change will have the unequivocal (to borrow the word the IPCC has used to refer to the human influence on the warming of the climate system) fingerprints of human activity, and more so the unmistakable fingerprints, or perhaps more aptly footprints, of an incredibly small number of entities that have benefited from the use and exploitation of the global commons.
What has also become increasingly clear as we examine the tapestry of climate tragedies is that the most severe impacts are hitting those who have contributed the least to the causes of climate disruption, and have obviously benefited the least from the burning of fossil fuels. Many would argue that we would need to continue depending on fossil fuels to emancipate all people from poverty, but this convoluted theory has already been proven to be at the very least imaginary. The failure of this paradigm to address inclusive and sustainable development also sits at the heart of climate injustice.
But what is climate justice?
Justice itself is a complex concept, and different people will have different views on what it means and what it should serve. Yet if we just step back and reflect on the kind of complex challenges we face as a human family, it boils down to a matter of fairness, the rudiments of which we must have learned early in life, like taking turns, sharing food equitably, not getting more than you need, or literally not stepping on people's toes, or literarily not killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
In the case of the small island nations, and of course my own country The Philippines, and many other vulnerable communities around the world, it is with steely resolve that we demand fairness. Because the major carbon polluters know the harm their very source of profit does. Because they have absolutely ignored the universal ethic of taking turns. Because they have gobbled up an enormously disproportionate slice of the cake (and ate it too). Because greed is their creed. Because they step on people's toes and violate basic human rights. And because they are destroying life on this planet.
In Vanuatu, we gathered inside the hallowed hulls of the Rainbow Warrior (which was docked in Port Vila at that time) with the remarkable people from Tuvalu, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, The Philippines, and Vanuatu, and we exchanged stories about calamities and catastrophes, but also hope and heroism. As we walked around the Port, praying with our feet, we marched to the cadence of the chants and feet-stomping led by the Pacific climate warriors. The energy was astounding, and we were walking as one, united in spirit, and mindful with every single step.
We realized we are on a common journey, a collective odyssey towards the new dawn of a more just and caring world.
But before we get there, we must stand together and hold those responsible for the climate crisis accountable. We stand together as island communities because we have no other choice but to stand together, and we do this for a vast volume of reasons, including having to face the most severe consequences of climate disruption. But most importantly, we stand together for it is a matter of survival for our peoples and our cultures. Justice must be served. But we must claim it.
To see the photos from the People's Pilgrimage, click here.
Header image via flickr user Washed Over
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