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Where Are All the Cannes Lionesses?
Two female mcgarrybowen creatives celebrate their first Cannes win, and spark a movement
Last Wednesday night, I couldn't sleep. My partner Holly Fallows and I were up for our first award at Cannes. Two girls from the north of England were up for an award. At Cannes. No biggie. I found myself playing out every scenario: What would we do if we won? Would they give us the day off? Could we drink champagne for breakfast?
By 5 a.m., suspense had got the better of me. By 5:05 a.m., I'd Googled and found our names on the list. By half past five, I'd run round the flat silently screaming, rung my mum and reluctantly gone back into bed and silently screamed some more. Now I really couldn't sleep.
In the agency that morning, we celebrated our success with a third piece of toast. And then started asking again: What should we do now that we've won?
I'd Instagrammed a picture of a Lion with the caption, "We got one. #lionesses #canneslions." This seemed to answer our question about what to do: We would find all of this year's female winners and celebrate with them. It wasn't quite the day off we had in mind, but within a few feverish hours, CannesLionesses.com was ready.
And we are so glad we did it.
Don't get us wrong. We love that in our industry the "idea" wins, no matter who it comes from. Nobody is asking for judging quotas. But when the number of female creatives is so low, well, maybe the lionesses should all get together and roar a little louder?
The site has been live for only a couple of days, but the support has been overwhelming, ranging from top female CEOs to the president of the IPA to 3 Percent Conference founder Kat Gordon to leaders of our industry both male and female. We've had vocal support from female creatives and connected with another all-girl team, Kate Allsop and Joanne Sissons at Grey London, who also just won their first Lion.
As a whole, though, if finding support was easy, finding female winners in the lists was less so. It was usually Dave, Mike, Brad and Dave. Only the odd #CannesLioness.
In her Glass Lion speech, Cindy Gallop noted that the number of women coming up on stage to collect awards was low, which led me to wonder if this project was more important than we first thought. How do we "make" more female winners? What initially seemed like a nice thing to do in the moment now seemed like it might be something more.
By the end of this week, we hope to have all of the Cannes Lionesses on the site, so we can begin to build a community and an archive that celebrates the best of female creativity. If we post past winners, perhaps we can expand the showcase of inspiring work. And if we do this next year, perhaps we'll see that the numbers will have risen. Perhaps we can do a little bit to gradually inspire fresh talent and help close the gap.
It's been impressive to watch agencies give their female winners an extra loud shout-out via the site and social media, tweeting openly the percentage of women in their creative department. Fallon London is at 40 percent, while our creative department at mcgarrybowen London stands at 35 percent. Not bad, but there's more to do.
It's a matter not of positive discrimination but of simple representation. Until we achieve a more equal balance—not just within creative departments but within the leadership levels of our agencies—are we really showing young women what a rewarding career this industry can offer? And if our creative work doesn't spring from the broadest, deepest pool of human imagination, isn't there just a chance that our awards aren't celebrating the best work, but the best work of the Daves?
And so, this movement has evolved to focus on a single, strong purpose: "Celebrate female creativity to inspire female creativity."
So if you're a #CannesLioness and you're not on the site, please tweet us @CannesLionesses and we will get your brilliant work uploaded. And finally, if you're an established lioness or a friendly lion, please roar loudly for your female teams.
—Holly Fallows and Charlotte Watmough met at university studying design and art direction at the Manchester School of Art. They moved to London and joined mcgarrybowen in 2012 after placements at Wieden + Kennedy and Poke London. At mcgarrybowen, they've worked across iconic British brands such as Branston Pickle and global clients including Intel, Mondelez and Honda.
Their Honda campaign "The Endless Road" won mcgarrybowen's first Cyber Lion.


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Today, in some ways, marks the end of an era.
With this new edition of The (award-winning) Carroll News, you hold in your hands the last installment of "Cooney Meets World." This edition is also my last as editor in chief of The Carroll News.
The past four years at The Carroll News provided some of the best learning experiences I could have ever asked for. Those experiences will gain even more meaning and practicality once I enter "the real world."
Exiting the newsroom for the last time as a Carroll News staffer is bittersweet. John Carroll University has been my second home, but it is time to move on to the bigger and better things that lie ahead.
Plenty of blood and sweat went into each of the issues I helped to put out each week. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights were spent meticulously laying out pages, researching my next story or crafting an article or commentary. I always hoped that you, the readers, felt what I had to say was important.
That brings me to the title of this, my final column. I offer my deepest apologies to my millions of adoring fans, but I won't be giving the commencement address as Millor Orator. I didn't even apply. But if I had, the theme of my speech would have gone something like this …
I found my niche at JCU through my work at The Carroll News. Countless late nights were spent, horrible slices of pizza were digested, friends were made, and jokes were cracked in our newsroom. In the end, our goal was to put out a quality product every Thursday.
Many traveled to areas of Cleveland where others don't frequent. They were called more to service, whether that was through mentoring, teaching kids about civics, delivering food or simply by being there for someone who just needed a person to talk to. Their goal was to enrich the lives they touched – to brighten someone's day by giving them something (food or a friend) they didn't have before.
Others took to the court, field, pool, track or diamond. They built camaraderie with their teammates through tough practices or time spent together on the bus before a game. They spent grueling hours in the weight room or running drills just for the chance to play. Their will to win pushed them towards their ultimate goal – a championship.
The point is that whatever paths we chose or goals we pursued, we did our work with great passion. We toiled with an incredible amount of enthusiasm. We did what we did because we cared.
The fierce zeal everyone shared was evident from the moment I stepped on campus as a freshman. That quality in the people I've met along the journey, thankfully, has not changed. I've seen it in my friends, professors, colleagues and alumni I have met.
JCU is a place that embodies that spirit of "ad Majorem dei gloriam." Now, it's our turn to go forth and set the world on fire, as St. Ignatius of Loyola said. We are ready to make the world our own and share that passion we have with others.
This time might signal the end of an era. But it's time to also see this period as a new beginning. Right now, we have an opportunity to carpe diem and passionately change the world for good. Will we seize the day?
A new staff, led by Editor in Chief Zach Mentz and Managing Editor Ryllie Danylko, takes over the reins of The (award-winning) Carroll News today. They are talented and ready to do a magnificent job.
And now, in my new role, I'm excited to see them seize their opportunity.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pretzel Bake Off
Just waiting for the weekend to catch up. I did another round of Pierre Nury's light rye and my hubby's favorite mixed grain oatmeal sourdough yesterday. Tonight is whatever kind of ale we have with sourdough pizza night. So tonight after I mix the pizza dough I will start on pretzels.
I gave TP a poke yesterday and she is busy with dumplings, but she sent her regards and said she should be stopping by soon. So we both should be ready to fire up the pretzel ovens this weekend.
I can't wait to try these! I noticed that in local breads Dan used his pretzel dough for hamburger buns too... humm
It was fun making them but they were not without a few little problems... the first being not sure how long to boil them. Do you just dunk them? or leave for 1 minute or two each side?
Secondly, do you have to wait until they are dry before baking. I left them on the oven rack to dry for only a few minutes and then just slid the rack straight into the oven. I discovered my mistake when they stuck to the rack and had to be pried off after cooling.
I also had trouble knowing how long and thin to roll out the dough so that my pretzels would look right. I'm sure there is a trick to forming these or else lots of practice. I think mine are a bit too fat and compact. More like buns. Still they taste great, although not having ever tried them before it's hard to compare.
Thanks for getting this going Duane. Bake-Offs are such a good way to learn. I hope some others turn up.
Any suggestions about what to eat them with? Dips? Beer & Pretzels sounds familiar.
The most common dip I used with the pretzel was mustard or mustard and honey.
I have to say your pretzels are off to a good start.
This bake-off is looking delicious...thanks to LD and Johnny!
I've just recovered from making 100 chinese/malaysian savoury as well as sweet rice dumplings (for a recent excuse2eat festival), and, now I feel pretty up to twissup some pretzels. This is going to be something new for me too, never having tasted sourdough pretzels. I can vaguely remember pretzels I tasted in NYC with big chunks of salt, and, commercial pretzels we have here don't come plain...they always come flavoured...onion and sour cream, garlic, chocolate sprinkles, nuts, and etc.
Yep...this is going to be interesting. Off to refresh my long neglected starter...
Thanks, LD!
Like you Duane I had to make a recipe to get what I needed, but other than losing track of how much flour I used it turned out great. You can see my pics out on the main page for now since I am really having tech problems with posting them here.
These are dutch style pretzels... More like Amish, Mennonite influenced soft pretzels with a whole rye/ whole spelt sponge. And I need a longer cutting board to roll these out but since we are dunking them in hot water the more compact design seems to work... I will try and post the recipe after another run...
Terri, what lovely pretzels they are! Definitely interested in a recipe. Yes, they are on the homepage, but, when I clicked on your gallery, all I got was a blank. I wonder if it's to do with your file being a png instead of jpg?
I'm going to mix my dough now.
they are, topped with parsley, crystal sugar, coarse salt. Made a chunky vegetable and lentil soup to eat with. Need more practice, coz it wasn't as easy for me as it was for LD.
Hmm....I see I'm having posting problems too. Cooooeeee, Maedi?
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Almost a year and a half ago, I heard Nick Cave's cover of the Bob Dylan song from 1988 for the last time. I am just as sad today as I was then. Apparently, Sellaband no longer exists. My sadness is only exceeded by my agitation of the fact that this obviously means little to anybody. In January of 2008, I discovered Sellaband, a vital music crowdfunding community which brought forth an impressive number of musical works from famous and not-so-famous artists since its founding in 2006, however was not able to bring about the much needed commercial success.
After the initial (Dutch) management went bankrupt in the beginning of 2010, a German CEO took over the business. The takeover left behind a lot of disappointed and upset artists as well as believers (supporters) but, thanks to a few dedicated employees, the platform had a brief second bloom until the fall of 2013.
Since then Sellaband had only been a shadow of its former self. The sad remainder was put to rest sometime in December of 2015 unbeknownst to the rest of the world.
For me, the downfall of Sellaband raises several questions which the supporters of Sellaband, music crowdfunding in general as well as all supporters of crowdfunding deserve answers to.
- Can music crowdfunding establish itself as an alternative to conventional music financing? Answer: It is possible, but not in its current form. Sellaband and other such music crowdfunding platforms have only established themselves as an instrument for the financing of music. In order to truly become established, there have to be options which cover the other links of the value-added chain (e.g. A&R, sales, promotion). In the end, this can only be accomplished by creating capacities for such aspects within the platform or in cooperation with established players within the music industry. This is the only way crowdfunding can establish itself as a sustainable business model and further develop into a true alternative to the classic music industry.
- Is music crowdfunding done for? Answer: Yes, if crowdfunding platforms do not evolve and if they continue to see crowdfunding as an independent "industry" – or if they see crowdfunding as self-fulfilling. Crowdfunding is only one of many options which an artist can take into consideration when he wants to finance his music – and it is not even the most convenient. Crowdfunding platforms have to make this type of financing both more attractive and more flexible in order to make crowdfunding more than just hype. For several years now, there have been no new concepts and no new visions – except for offers such as Patreon. All in all, it seems to be that the wind has definitely gone out of the crowdfunding sails.
- Can music crowdfunding establish itself in Germany? Answer: It will be difficult. The German music market itself is a difficult one. In addition, there are skeptical artists, fans who would much rather consume music than actively forge music careers and then there are record labels for whom the topic of crowdfunding does not even seem to exist. There is a lot of informing and convincing to be done here.
- How quickly can the trust from supporters be lost in music crowdfunding? Answer: Light speed. I was able to experience this phenomenon during the first bankruptcy of Sellaband at the beginning of 2010 after which numerous artists and believers turned their backs on the platform. During its second blooming in 2012/2013, Sellaband was not able to return to its former glory even though it concluded several successful projects. After the most recent bankruptcy filing in August 2015, I cannot say whether I will ever see the money I invested in the Sellaband system again or not. It is also doubtful as to whether or not the artists I have supported will ever be able to realize their projects which were concluded successfully within the platform. Some of the artists, according to their own accounts, have been waiting for the funding from their believers since 2013. Trust in crowdfunding cannot blossom in such an environment, yet trust remains one of the most important pillars of the business model.
It remains to be seen if 2016 will be a better year for music crowdfunding.


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Černá v Pošumaví 46
38223 Černá v Pošumaví
Contact: Irena Pekárková
Telephone: +420 380 744 106
Fax: +420 380 744 017
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
WWW: www.cernavposumavi.cz
Location: Region of Český Krumlov
Geographical area : 5038 ha
Altitude : 728 m above sea level
Černá v Pošumaví
Dolní Vltavice
Train station
Cottage settlements:
- Jestřábí
- Radslav
- Plánička
Origin of the Name
1268 - Natschernerece (= na Černé řece)
1284 - Nachirnie
1483 - Czerna
1530 - Schwarczpach
1654 - Sswarczbach
1720 - Schwartzbach
1841 - Schwarzbach
The first written mention of the town is from 1268. The first settlement, named "Na černé řece" (on the black river) in the 13th century, lay right next to the estate of the Zvíkov burgrave Hrz (Hirzo - Hrzy?) who in 1268 gave the settlement over to the Zlatá Koruna Monastery. After the Hussite wars, the monastery with the settlement went over to the ownership of Český Krumlov and stayed there until the end of feudalism. In 1568 Jakub Krčín of Jelčany ordered a brewery to be added to the original one-storey chateau. The town's significance increased especially in the 18th century due to its advantageous position on the trade route between Český Krumlov, Austrian Aigen, and German Passau, but also because of its high quality graphite mines; indeed, the area ranked among the highest graphite producers in the world for several dozen years. The first mentions about graphite mining at Černa and Hůrka are from 60's of 18th century. In 1767 Prague Burgrave requested Krumlov municipality to send him sample of graphite which was mined by regional farmers. The farmers used graphite to lubricate wooden wheel axles and also as a polishing paste. When Viennese and Bavarian pigment businessmen learnt about graphite they taught the farmers to dry and to manually condition the graphite. Because graphite became export merchandise it began to be interesting for state administration. And result was that graphite was declared as exclusive raw material in 1811 and its querrying had to be submitted to strict mining laws and ordinances. In Černá were opened graphite mines in 1812 and were owned by Schwarzenbergs. Graphite was used for fabrication of pencils in Zlatá Koruna and in České Budějovice.
Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary erected 1799-1800 on the site of a former wooden chapel; 1901-1904 modified in new romanesque, tower added. In present time is the tower under reconstruction.
Statue of St. Jan Nepomucký
Chapel at Dolní Vltavice
Chapel Divine torment (above village at roar to Černá v Pošumaví)
Černá v Pošumaví, lying on the shores of Lipno Dam, is the natural geographic center of the entire lake area. The widest area of the lake creates an ideal environment for recreation, swimming, and water sports including fishing. The town is within the šumava Protected Nature Reservation and nearbz zou can find the šumava National Park with well-marked hiking trails


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Today, we're super excited to share the gorgeous cover for MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT, by Jessica Pennington. (April 2020 from Tor Teen). We're big fans of summer romcoms and can't wait to get our hands on this book. First, a note from the author: Hi YABC! I'm so excited...
Recent Comments
I've loved Jessica's first 2 books. I'm so excited for this one!Thursday, 01 August 2019 17:36
Can't wait to read more of her books!Saturday, 03 August 2019 18:35
This cover is so fun and this book sounds awesome ??Monday, 12 August 2019 18:25
2655 Hits


text: Hi Roman, Thanks for replying. I have <release-bundle>/log/sasl but it's empty. And there is no other file/dir in log dir. Do I need to include anything in code/config to make it log errors to a file? Regards, Vineet On Wed, Dec 12, 2012 at 9:27 PM, Roman Gafiyatullin <r.gafiyatullin@REDACTED>wrote: > Vineet, most probably something went wrong during startup. > Can anything similar to sasl-error.log be found in > the <release-bundle>/log/ directory? > > -- > RG > > On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 6:31 pm, Vineet Naik wrote: > > Hello, > > I am trying to package my app using rebar. `rebar generate` command runs > without any > problem (no errors at least). But when I try to start the console by > running the script generated > by rebar in bin directory, it fails with "Kernel pid terminated" > > A huge crash_dump is also created but I am not able to gather any info > from it. > > I checked the erlang docs[1], I found this paragraph about the error > > "Kernel pid terminated (Who) (Exit-reason)" - The kernel supervisor has > detected a failure, usually that the application_controller has shut down > (Who = application_controller, Why = shutdown). The application controller > may have shut down for a number of reasons, the most usual being that the > node name of the distributed Erlang node is already in use. A complete > supervisor tree "crash" (i.e., the top supervisors have exited) will give > about the same result. This message comes from the Erlang code and not from > the virtual machine itself. It is always due to some kind of failure in an > application, either within OTP or a "user-written" one. Looking at the > error log for your application is probably the first step to take. > > > If I run `console_clean` command, then the console start in the correct > node. Does > this rule out the "Node is already in use" case above? > > I also tried running the code from an erlang shell with the ebin dir paths > of all required > libs added manually to sys path and it works perfectly. > > How can I go about debugging this? > > [1] http://www.erlang.org/doc/apps/erts/crash_dump.html#id71973 > > Thanks, > Vineet > > > _______________________________________________ > erlang-questions mailing list > erlang-questions@REDACTED > http://erlang.org/mailman/listinfo/erlang-questions > > > -- Vineet Naik -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://erlang.org/pipermail/erlang-questions/attachments/20121213/e6b75abc/attachment.htm>


text: Character posters are fantastic unless they're for the "Harry Potter" series which are apparently meant to wallpaper a multiplex. As "Toy Story 3" heads towards its June 18th, 2010 release date, Disney-Pixar is making sure we know that the gang's all here. While we still have yet to see posters for Bullseye and Mrs. Potato Head (assuming we even get them) but we do have seven characters that are letting us know that they enjoy the number "3": Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, and Hamm. Enjoy all seven after the jump.


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Jillian Michaels, the hard-core personal trainer from NBC's The Biggest Loser, spent her adolescence overweight and unhappy. Enrolling in a martial arts class helped her shed the pounds and inspired her to dedicate her life to helping others lose weight. In her new book, Master Your Metabolism, she writes that the key to weight loss is balancing your hormones. As season seven of the show comes to an end this week, Michaels talks to TIME about why she recently called The Biggest Loser contestants "half dead," how much exercise the average person really needs and what changes you can make in your life to lose ten, twenty or hundreds of pounds. (See pictures of what makes you eat more food.)
Tell us about the three diet secrets from your new book.
People tend to think that metabolism is genetically predetermined. That you're either cursed or you're blessed. And that's not true. You can dramatically affect the expression of your metabolism and your biochemistry by the way you eat and the way you live. So, the first part of the plan is to remove all of the chemicals in your environment your cleaning supplies, your beauty supplies and your food supply. The second part is to restore power nutrients to your diet. The third part is to make some easy changes to rebalance your life, everything from getting enough sleep, to working out correctly, to what time of the day you should work out, to how much you should be eating.
You were overweight as a teenager. Does this make you more sympathetic to the contestants on The Biggest Loser?
I'm not sympathetic. I have zero sympathy. I understand about emotional eating, I understand how painful the process can be, but I also understand that change is possible. In my experience, honesty is the best policy. And being a friend to somebody is not always the best way to help them. (See nine kid foods to avoid.)
Contestants train for at least four hours a day on Biggest Loser. In real life, it's not usually possible for someone to get out and exercise for four or five hours a day.
Not only is it not possible, it's not safe. You only want to work out like that when you're being medically supervised. We have doctors who have to approve everything I do. I also have a nutritionist and a dietician. And the people who come to the show are very sick! They are 400 pounds! It's very different when you have less than 50 pounds to lose.
So how much should people exercise when they only have less than 50 pounds to lose?
The key is intensity. Incorporate weight training, but don't overdo it. Don't do more than eight hours a week. Definitely not more than ten hours a week.
You recently said that by the time The Biggest Loser contestants come to you they're half dead. What did you mean by that?
Yes, I said "half-dead" And everybody was like, "oh, I can't believe she said that." Are people just not tuning into the show? We've got 30-year-olds whose internal organs are 60. If we were having this conversation about somebody who was a drug addict or somebody who had anorexia or bulimia, we would openly admit that it was suicide.
So what do you think is the number one worst thing people are doing to their bodies right now?
Oh my God, they eat processed food and it is horrifying to me! You look at people, they'll be having a sandwich on white bread with turkey. Okay, well, the turkey's probably processed, meaning it's got nitrates in it. And of course white bread doesn't grow white. It's stripped of all its nutrients and all its fiber. High fructose corn syrup: poison. Artificial sweeteners: poison. Artificial coloring: poison. MSG: poison. Nitrates: poison. Unload all those things and you're off to a good start. (See the truth about 10 dieting myths.)
You are so busy, so how do you stay fit?
I'm not going to lie, it's really hard. When you don't have time to work out, you have to be really meticulous about your diet. And when you do have time to work out, make it count. Yesterday I ran five miles and went to a yoga class.
So you are doing double exercise.
Well, this is something that I do. Not realistic for the average person. I'll run in the morning and then I'll do my resistance training at night. On days like today when I can't get it in, I know that I did two yesterday.
Seems like a good way of losing weight if you can do it.
If you can do it. I think most people can't, and I can understand why. Just do what you can, but when I say that, I don't mean just take the stairs. When I say "do what you can," I want half an hour, five times a week. "Do what you can!" Walk your lunch hour. Do a video in your living room for thirty minutes.
I've heard that you are really into motorcycles. What kind of motorcycle do you have?
I have five. And I'm emotionally attached to all of them, so I can't let one of them go. I have a KTM 990 Superduke, I have a Ducati 848, I have a Ducati Desmosedici, I have a Yamaha SZ1000 and I have a Harley.
There are only a few hundred Desmosedicis in the world, right?
Only 500 in the United States, and I'm the only woman in the world that has that bike. And of course my ego is so happy [about that] I can barely stand it.
See a special report on the science of appetite.


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Walk of the World edition #100
Day 3 – Day of Groesbeek
The Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and Memorial (French:Le Cimetière de Guerre Canadien Groesbeek) is located about three kilometres north of the town of Groesbeek, Netherlands. The cemetery contains 2,338 Canadian soldiers of World War II. The cemetery is unique in that many of the dead were brought here from nearby Germany. It is one of the few cases where bodies were moved across international frontiers. It is believed that all fallen Canadian soldiers of the Rhineland battles, who were buried in German battlefields, were reinterred here (except for one who is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery). General H.D.G. Crerar, who commanded Canadian land forces in Europe, ordered that Canadian dead were not to be buried in German soil. Thousands of Dutch children tend the graves of the soldiers buried here as they do throughout the Netherlands. The cemetery also has a Cross of Sacrifice within it.
Within the cemetery stands the Groesbeek Memorial, which commemorates members of the Commonwealth land forces who died during the campaign in north-west Europe between the time of crossing the Seine River at the end of August 1944 and the end of the war in Europe. There are 1,103 names on the memorial; although since the date of completion of the name-panels, graves have been found for four men commemorated by it. The Bayeux Memorial in Normandy, France honours 103 Canadian servicemen and women. The memorial consists of twin colonnaded buildings which face each other across the grass forecourt of the cemetery, between the entrance and the "Stone of Remembrance." The names of the men whose graves are unknown are inscribed in panels of Portland stone built into the rear walls.
Notable graves
Among those buried here is Aubrey Cosens (1921–1944) of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada who received the Victoria Cross. John Baskeyfield (1922–1944) of the South Staffordshire Regiment, who also received the Victoria Cross is remembered in the Memorial. Memorialized also, are Gustave Biéler, Frank Pickersgill, and Roméo Sabourin, Canadian members of the Special Operations Executive who were sent undercover into occupied France; all three were caught by the Germans and sent to concentration camps, where they were executed.


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I am thrilled to be able to provide hula hoop classes for physical and mental wellbeing at the Birmingham MIND Beechcroft Wellbeing Centre in Erdington. Readers of this blog will know that I am passionate about promoting the benefits of physical activity (in particular hula hooping!) for physical and mental health, so I was particularly excited to be able to bring hula hooping to the Beechcroft Wellbeing Centre.
What I learned on visiting the centre, which I hadn't realised before, was what a wealth of support and services were on offer by Birmingham MIND at various locations around Birmingham. They promote wellbeing and recovery, provide high quality support and challenge the stigma of mental distress.
As well as person centred support, which allows service users to be in control of their own lives, services and support offered includes:
- Accommodation with support
- Partnership services
- Residential care
- Support in your own home
- Wellbeing and recovery service
My hula hooping class falls under the remit of the wellbeing and recovery service - you can download their 2016 Wellbeing and Recovery Timetable here. It is updated every two months with new sessions, including cookery, creative writing, nature walks, film nights, mindfullness, coping skills courses, hula hoop classes and much much more.
Accessing the services require completion of an Access form, as well as an Identifying Support Needs form. Birmingham MIND supports individuals who want to support and improve their mental wellbeing. You do not need to be referred to their services through a professional (such as your GP or CPN), you don't have to have a mental health diagnosis.
There is an open afternoon, every Tuesday 1.30pm – 4pm at the Beechcroft Wellbeing Centre in Erdington. You can meet the staff team and people who use the service, find out what's on offer and complete an application form if you decide you would like to access the service.
Beechcroft Wellbeing Centre
Rear of 501 Slade Road
Tel: 0121 237 3761
If you are interested in getting involved and supporting Birmingham MIND, see their website here to donate, fundraise, volunteer, work or become involved as a service user.


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February 2015
A FACTORY to produce elastomeric rubber insulation for the GCC's heating, ventilating and air conditioning market is to be set up in Bahrain.
Armacell, a producer of flexible foams for equipment insulation, will build the plant at the Bahrain International Investment Park, the products from which will help meet demand worth $3 billion in the region. The facility will create more than 100 jobs.
Armacell International Holding managing director Dr Karl Paetz Lauter said the fast-growing Gulf market presents "an excellent opportunity" for manufacturing firms. "We think that not only does Bahrain provide the most efficient access to that growing market, but it also provides the most open and favourable business environment in which to operate," he added.
Dr Lauter was part of an official German business delegation led by the Deputy Vice-Minister of Economic Affairs, Dr Herbert Jakoby, of the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia that visited Bahrain earlier.
In a statement, the Economic Development Board (EDB) said the investment is a direct result of efforts of its Berlin office in attracting investment into Bahrain.
EDB officials have been showcasing the economic strengths of Bahrain and business opportunities it offers to investors, saying they can benefit from its open market, a competitive tax regime, world-class regulations and one of the most educated workforces in the GCC area.
Transportation and Telecommunications Minister and Economic Development Board acting chief executive Kamal Ahmed noted that Armacell joins a number of prominent German and other international businesses that are using Bahrain as a manufacturing hub to access the GCC region, one of the world's great growth centres.
"In Bahrain, German businesses will find a sophisticated regulatory environment, excellent transport connections, low costs, competitive taxes and a highly educated workforce," Ahmed said.
Leading German companies with offices or facilities in Bahrain include DHL, BASF, SMS Meer, RMA and Siemens PG.
The Heritage Foundation's 2014 Index of Economic Freedom has the kingdom ranked 13th in the world and first in the Middle East and North Africa.
With its regional headquarters for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in North Rhine-Westphalia, Armacell employs more than 2,200 people around the world.


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This iconic shirt gets a contemporary update in this season's key colours. Designed to flatter the figure, this piece can be wrapped to bind the waist, or worn knotted at the front with an elegant long drape. Alternatively, wear as a coat-dress and layer a pop of seasonal colour over your look.
- Main Composition: 100% Silk
- Garment Care: Specialist Dry Clean Only


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|December 24, 2005
|December 26, 2005
|Why it's fun to dose your relatives
|You are precious to me. Did you know that?
|June 20, 2005
|The cigarette between your fingers seems to be burning slower than normal.
|Dear anonymous. Here is your moment.
|I almost stopped believing in shooting stars
|Please tell me everything, this means you, I am hungry and also
|December 1, 2006
|December 27, 2005
|Christmas Carol
|It is not our noise at all, but we are lucky to be listening
|Work within the limitations of the medium
|I will take one ticket please to whatever you have to say please keep talking
|December 25, 2007
|Attack of the Graske
|Bad things that happened on Christmas Day
|The Christmas Invasion


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Smoke break at the marketplace in Bagan, Myanmar.
"The people are too poor to buy real cigarettes or cigars," noted the photographer. "There are many vendors in the market selling cigarettes or cigars made from local plants, mixed in with a little tobacco, rolled in local leaves. My guess is that smoking is not their biggest health hazard."
Up the road a ways past Casablanca in Morocco is the ancient Berber city of Marrakech, famed for its gardens and palaces and especially for its sprawling, labyrinthine markets.
Click on the picture to, um, biggenize it, to glimpse what's on display in this souk and also, perhaps, to check the accuracy of our unofficial count: mounted on rooftops visible here are at least 104 satellite dishes.


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Kiganjima (奇岩島 (lit. "Rock Formation Island") is a tiny fictional island which appears in the Kiganjima)2000 Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus.
Millennium series
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Having been successfully lured to the island by the Mitsubishi F-15Js and the GX-813 Griffon, Godzilla stared down the aircraft, ready to fight it. However, the Dimension Tide was charged up, and fired down upon him, creating a large hole in the ground, but not trapping the King of the Monsters. Unfortunately, the weapon failed to do nearly as much damage as the crew of the Griffon had hoped, forcing a hasty retreat. Shortly afterwards, a swarm of the Meganula descended on the island, and begun to take blood from Godzilla. Godzilla burnt away most of the swarm with his Atomic Breath, with the remaining giant dragonflies taking away the life fluid back to their queen in Tokyo, which had accidentally became flooded.
Showing 1 comments. When commenting, please remain respectful of other users, stay on topic, and avoid role-playing and excessive punctuation. Comments which violate these guidelines may be removed by administrators.
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LED Signal TowerLED Signal Towers Provide Enhanced Visibility From Any Direction And Distance.
LED Signal Towers feature low maintenance and energy efficiency LED technology. Housing is made of steel, ABS resin and AS lens for superior impact, heat resistance and long lasting durability. Lens is weather resistant and light translucent for optimum performance. Specialty Cut Lens provides enhanced visibility from any direction and distance and dual reflection system enhances light diffusion for distinctive illumination. Features include 2 selectable built-in alarms with adjustable volume up to 90dB at 1m and interchangeable LED module. NPN/PNP compatible and IP65 (non-FB) and IP54 (FB) rating. Available styles include 3-in-1 Manual Control signal Tower Kit, Continuous Flashing Light W/2 Audible Alarms, 6-Switch Manual control Box, Multi-Color LED Signal Light, Continuous Light and more. Round or rectangular shapes. Direct or pole mount with flange bracket or L bracket available. Module colors are are Red/Green, Red/Amber/Green/Blue, Red/Amber/Green, White/Yellow/Blue/Green/Purple/Red/Water Blue. Color finishes are Off White, Metallic Gray, Silver, Beige and Black.
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Mindstein Montessori is a community-oriented Montessori preschool with a great spirit. We are committed to nurturing and educating the 'Whole Child' in an environment that is free of pressure or competition. Our program is enriched with a holistic and well-rounded Montessori curriculum.
Established in 2012 on Linking Road, Khar west, we have since been involved with Montessori education and child development related activities, helping kids become confident, happy, calm, purposeful and independent.
Accredited Montessori Teachers at Mindstein Montessori use a comprehensive range of Montessori materials and Montessori teaching methods in the classroom and make learning enjoyable for children.
We recognize the need to educate the whole-child. The Montessori curriculum hence also focuses on creativity, visual arts, environmental/ecological projects, physical movement, children's yoga, well-planned outings and a lot more.
We practice the Montessori Method of education based on the Dr. Maria Montessori educational philosophy.
A child should be treated like a little adult and his needs should be respected. Unlike a Nursery School, we at Mindstein Montessori believe in 'helping the children to help themselves' and each step they take in this direction is a step towards independence and a step that helps boost their self-esteem.
Apply Letter for Admission
We welcome parents and their beloved kids to join our team and start education in Mindstein Montessori!
At Mindstein our teachers are highly passionate, dedicated and have years of experience in education. We use a holistic Montessori curriculum and Montessori teaching aids to work with the child, helping them move towards independence and becoming a life-long learner.
Kruti Lakhani
MMI certified with over 18 years of teaching experience
Naina Kriplani
10 years of working experience
Kavisha Shah
AMI Certified with over 12 years of teaching experience
Maya Shah
AMI certified with over 8 years of teaching experience


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Handicap Accessible Bathtubs & Showers in Lake Lotawana, Missouri
Independent Home Products, LLC custom manufactures handicap accessible bathtubs in Lake Lotawana Missouri and handicap accessible showers to meet the needs of your specific environment. With many models and styles, as well as a wide variety of accessories to choose from, Independent Home Products, LLC makes it simple to customize your handicap accessible bathtub or shower to best meet your individual needs. No other Lake Lotawana handicap bathtub or handicap shower company offers the extensive features and customized service that Independent Home Products, LLC can. Simply call (888) 365-1901 for a free in-home consultation and quote on installing a handicap accessible tub or shower in your Lake Lotawana home.
Call for a FREE Quote
Benefits of a Lake Lotawana Handicap Accessible Shower or Tub Installation
When you call (888) 365-1901 for an in-home consultation, our trusted installer will arrive at no charge, take all necessary measurements and answer all of your questions about installing an accessible bathtub in Lake Lotawana. Below are some of the many benefits of calling Independent Home Products, LLC to make your standard bathroom more accessible with a walk-in tub or shower:
|• Low to no entrance thresholds mean no trips & falls
|• Non-skid flooring prevents slips & falls
|• Well placed grab bars will make bathing & showering safe
|• Bath & Shower seats offer comfort while bathing
|• Customizable to meet your needs
Handicap Accessible Bathtubs and Showers in Lake Lotawana
Independent Home Products, LLC's installation of a handicap accessible bathtub or handicap accessible shower in your Lake Lotawana home will allow you the independence to bathe and shower in comfort and safety. Our handicap tubs and showers are specifically designed to transform a standard tub or shower into a beautiful and safe handicap accessible space. As the trusted leader Lake Lotawana handicap accessible bathtub design and installation since 2007, call Independent Home Products, LLC today at (888) 365-1901 for a free in-home estimate.
Call for FREE Handicap Accessible Bathtubs & Showers Quote
(888) 365-1901
★★★★★ - "We are very satisfied and happy with our tub from Independent Home. This model works best for me, it fits our space and is comfortable. The guy who came to install it was wonderful, explained everything and cleaned up their mess after doing the job."
Homer in Branson, MO2016-09-12
★★★★★ - "I had broken my leg and had to have back surgery. I was thinking that a walk-in tub costs too much for what you get, but I like my Independent Home tub and it has really helped me. I could sit and go to sleep in it, and it's so easy to get in and out of it. The sales representative was a very nice guy and the installation team was very careful about bringing stuff in across the carpet."
JoAnn in Springfield, MO2016-09-12
★★★★★ - "My husband called Independent Home and talked to somebody that was helpful. We then got the air jetted tub that is 24 by 40 because it fits our needs. We installed it as my husband's a contractor. Our purchasing experience went very well."
Jennifer in Independence, MO2016-09-12
★★★★★ - "They hydro and air jets are exactly what I needed to manage my arthritis. I feel so refreshed after talking a bath."
Peter in Kansas City, MO2015-05-14
★★★★★ - "I love my new walk in tub. Delivered and installed as promised and about 20% less than the other quotes I got. Thank you very much!"
Steven in Columbia, MO2015-05-14
★★★★★ - "Marc did a great job explaining the product and the installation. He was very patient with us and we would recommend him to anyone looking for a walk in tub."
Betty and Rob in St. Louis, MO2015-05-14
★★★★★ - "Thanks for the excellent installation and for turning my bathroom into a walk in spa!"
★★★★★ - "The sales representative wasn't pushy and I love my new walk in tub."


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Farmington Police Department K-9 officer Gary Tipton looked to the mythical world when he named the department's second police dog.
Tipton and his family selected the superhero name "Odin" after the comic book character father of Thor, known as the peace-loving, wise hero who fought to bring peace and justice.
Tipton believes the four-footed Odin will be highly trained to bring greater public safety to Farmington and surrounding communities.
A month ago, Odin traveled from the Netherlands with a stamped passport to the United States. This medium-sized shepherd dog is a Belgian Malinois who just celebrated his first birthday. Odin is still a playful puppy whose body has not quite grown into his tall, lanky legs, almost like a young teenager, Tipton said.
Odin follows in the paw prints of Bosco, acquired in 2010 as the first police dog handled by officer Travis Sundvall. Bosco became beloved in the community for his service to support officers and protect public safety. He educated youth at school safety camps and mingled with the public at Farmington Expo and during National Night Out visits to local neighborhood block parties.
When the canine officer position opened, Tipton contemplated becoming the new handler.
"I decided to go for it and change things up a little bit," Tipton said. As a true dog lover, Tipton said he is excited about the challenge.
Upton, 42, brings nearly 12 years of experience as a patrol officer here since July 2005. Tipton has worked in law enforcement leadership capacities, including a firearms instructor and field training officer.
Family of fur
Odin has been getting used to living with the Tipton family and sleeps in the basement at night and stays in a kennel inside the garage during the day to build up his winter fur coat.
Tipton said since his wife, Kristie, works at a veterinary clinic, it did not take a lot of convincing for the veterinary technician to be excited about bringing Odin into the family that already includes two dogs and a cat.
"Her clinic works with the airport canines and many other department canines," Tipton said. His wife's animal knowledge came in handy in recent weeks when Odin got sick and recovered quickly.
"We have been slowly introducing him to family," Tipton said. His two children, 10 and 14 years old, are also very excited to welcome another dog, especially a police dog with a cool mythical name like Odin.
Priceless investment
Farmington Police Administrative Sgt. Jim Constantineau said employing a police dog is a priceless investment for the city to protect public safety.
"It is actually hard to quantify how much a dog can bring and it depends upon what happens, but when there was a suicidal gentleman in Lakeville a few years ago, Bosco ended up tracking him down," Constantineau said.
"If it is someone's life, it is irreplaceable and the nice thing about that is that the cost of the dog is covered by donations so there is very little from taxpayers," he said.
The investment of $15,000 covers the cost of the canine police dog and handler training. The sum has been donated by many community groups, including Thrivent Financial, local fundraisers from the profits of city liquor stores and checks from local residents.
"The chief said it is a big deal to have a dog, not only from a PR standpoint but from the abilities the dogs have because you can send a dog in somewhere where a human cannot go," Constantineau said.
Canines can swiftly enter into a crime scene and stop a potential violent subject. "They can be sent in more safely than putting officers in and dogs can see better and they can smell better," Constantineau said. A consulting firm recently reported how Farmington police was understaffed, well run and how the department did not experience the typical turnover of officers found in other metro police departments.
"It is so hard to quantify having the dog and it is a PR thing definitely because everybody loves a dog, but if it was only PR then we wouldn't and if we didn't get a value out of it," added Constantineau.
Other local cities may ask for a canine as far as mutual aid assistance, especially during the day hours.
If there was a critical enough incident in the state, Tipton and Odin could be sent out for mutual aid as far as the north metro area.
Odin will not be trained to respond to a bomb threat but will be of value to assist with drugs or missing persons' cases.
"He will be sent out if drugs are involved and honestly, if someone hears a dog bark, no one wants to face a canine," Constantineau said. "I remember this first time I met Bosco, who was a gentle giant, but I had never met him and when he was running toward me and I am a dog person and I realized it was OK and he just wanted to be petted," he added.
Farmington police owns a police canine squad vehicle equipped with special equipment like a high-tech device to monitor the heat and cold temperatures that will alert the officer with text messages.
Training academy
In the next few months Tipton will be working to establish a bond with Odin as his handler. Tipton will lead Odin in the full-time training at St. Paul Police Academy beginning March 5 for 12 weeks. Odin will be trained to become a dual purpose K-9 police dog, trained to do drug searches, sniff out drugs on crime scenes and help locate suspects or lost people.
"We are looking forward to having in him be here in the office and he will be around here more than Bosco because Odin will be on the day shift," Constantineau said.


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'I alone cannot change the world but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples' - Mother Teresa
Can a simple act cast a ripple that challenges our perception of refugees? Can it even change how we see each other? June 18-24 is refugee week, a week that puts a spotlight not just on the ongoing refugee crisis but challenges us to find out who refugees are and how we should act. A slogan loaded with so much complexity that it cannot stay at surface level but instead drives at core values of dignity, humanity, compassion and justice. It asks important questions: should we welcome refugees, who are they and is there anywhere to welcome them to?
Day to day I work in parliament on migration and asylum policy. I often travel in the Balkans, discussing what refugee policies should look like with parliamentarians, journalists, refugees themselves and those who've been detained. Yet what drives my desire for a fair, just and humane system is my faith. The compass I set my code by compels me to love my neighbour, and to welcome refugees. 'He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)'
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)
Throughout the Bible we read how we are to treat each other, yet do the policies of nations reflect this, does my heart even reflect this? Yet even when my heart compels me to say "Refugees welcome" I must exercise wisdom and this includes looking behind the headlines to the facts.
- While the pictures we may see on TV perhaps make us think that most refugees are coming to Europe it simply isn't the case. The UN's Refugee Agency estimates that nearly nine in ten of the world's refugees are sheltered by developing countries.
- Given the world is facing the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War, comparatively few people make it to Britain in their search for safety. Asylum applications in the UK decreased by 25% to 27,316 in the year ending June 2017. (Refugee Council)
Travelling through the Balkans I have met people from all backgrounds, some are asylum seekers fleeing religious persecution, others are fleeing for political reasons. These are compassionate resilient individuals who are often highly skilled yet find themselves fighting to be treated with dignity. Some choose to stay in the country they initially apply for asylum in, trusting that the system will help them start a new life where they can fully contribute to society, others get so frustrated waiting years for a decision, that they take greater risks by moving to yet another country, often to be deported back to their country of origin.
As I work with different groups I often hear people say the words "you cannot trust them" or "why should we welcome them" but it is true we must always have our eyes open and take into consideration fear which can be well founded. Some people have and will take advantage of a crisis, yet this should not be an excuse for populist policies that are devoid of justice and humanity. Fear of the other can be extremely toxic; it is one thing to ask for a robust policy that meets our international requirements while helping those genuinely in need and another that looks at the colour of someone's skin or their religion and simply states we must have a zero-tolerance policy no matter the cost. We live in a world unsure of how to cope with conflict, climate change, persecution; a world badly in need of hope. Policies need to reflect how people can and should be treated. The press is full of pictures of children being separated from families on the US border, a zero-sum policy that puts ideology above justice, a policy I find at odds with the God of justice and love that I know. Separation is not in my view an immigration policy and falls short of our international obligations which are at the heart of why we should welcome refugees.
The international obligations on immigration and refugees provide protection to people fleeing in search of refuge, as one of humanity's most long-standing traditions – a shared value embedded in many religious and cultural traditions, and now part of international law. It is a value that has stood the test of time and was most recently articulated by all 193 United Nations member states in the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants, adopted in September 2016. http://www.unhcr.org/uk/publications/legal/3d4aba564/refugee-protection-guide-international-refugee-law-handbook-parliamentarians.html
In the United Kingdom, family reunion was debated this week, there are ongoing debates around detention without time-limit and in the long-term, there will be discussions around asylum seekers right to work. It can all seem so abstract yet The New York Declaration emphasizes that protecting refugees requires the engagement of all parts of society and that includes people attempting to make good policy.
This article is my simple act of saying why I want to welcome refugees. For your simple act why not write to your local MP, simply challenge yourself to get to know someone different than your normal social grouping or perhaps it's as simple as thinking "it could be me". These simple acts might just be a ripple in the water that inspires us to keep meeting our obligations, taking a small step forward in being the kind of welcoming, inclusive and fair country that we should surely aspire to be.
[1] https://missingmigrants.iom.int/


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Dairy Prices Improve Prior to Correction
The dairy markets increased throughout last week followed by downward price pressure on Friday because of the Brexit vote. "The market was primed for a price correction," said Robin Scmahl market analyst with AgDairy. "We saw weakness is cash prices, but still futures contracts increased at the beginning of the week."
Scmahl says at one point last week futures contracts for September and October reached $17. Soon after, they returned to where they started the week.
Cash Price Highlights
Butter went down $0.0225 with 13 loads traded
Block cheese went down $0.025 with 2 loads traded
Barrel cheese declined $0.01 despite there being no loads traded.
Nonfat Dry Milk increase $0.575 with 25 loads traded
According to Scmahl, it was an optimistic week for the dairy markets.
"The outlook improved but how long it's going to stay that way is anybody's guess," he says.
Listen to Scmahl's full comments from the Weekly Dairy Market Wrap below.


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Jun 26, 2020
Really this course is one of my favorite courses ever the way of professor Cuskin's presentation really mindblowing. It's a highly recommended course for all students or anyone with any background.
Aug 24, 2017
William Kuskin has delivered a truly inspiring and empowering MOOC - legendary!\n\nHis shared wisdom on presentation skills will help me for the rest of my days - thank you William!\n\nOnwards!
por Raul•
Jul 19, 2017
This review is written to discourage you to take this course. The classes do not teach presenting skills and the teacher is an awful presenter himself. There are lots more valuable courses capable of teaching you how to present.
The current course is not about presenting in a business setting. It is about anxiety, fear, and storytelling. It does not teach skills that will help pursue your audience. The lectures are focused on giving you pointers to cope with anxiety instead. Professional presentations are about more than the ability to fearlessly tell stories. Therefore, "Successful Presentation" falls short.
Additionally, the lecturer does not present well himself. He is exaggerating all aspects of public speaking. This makes him come across as being unauthentic. He overemphasizes every word he says, which makes him appear as if he is putting up an act. This distracted me from the content and made me question everything he stated.
Students need to complete this course to obtain the degree for the "Effective Communication" specialization. I will finish this course only for that reason. If you want to just increase your public speaking skills, I highly recommend forgoing this course. It will not teach you these skills and the presenter will annoy you. Coursera has some exquisite courses on similar topics. I would go for one focused on persuading audiences that is given by a public speaker you esteem.
por Orlando T•
Oct 12, 2017
This course got me outside of my comfort zone in many aspects, and I will see public presentations with new eyes from now on ! The abstractions and philosophical topics gave me a lot to think, specially how a presentation is a reflection of our very private selves.
True mastery requires a lot of practice, and this course paved the way for improvements in a new set of skills. As the other courses in the specialization, I am sure I will revise the material every now and then.
Some improvements and suggestions: separate the optional and mandatory assessments, and mark the optional clearly. In some point I was a little bit worried I would not get enough peer reviews.
Onwards !
por Marie A O•
Sep 16, 2017
I truly needed this course. I will continue to view the videos and learn what i may have missed to utilize in my position. Thank you so much for the opportunity to take this course.
por Anant S•
Jun 16, 2020
Very well presented course. Would recommend to everyone reading the reviews.
por Michail S•
Nov 10, 2017
In my job I have to deliver a presentation every week. Although I felt I was good at delivering presentations, I needed to learn the basics of a good presentation. This course, goes beyond the basics and teaches you a holistic approach to successful presentation. It achieves that by focusing on the 3 components of a presentation. Yourself, the presentation and the audience. I strongly suggest this course to anyone who needs to present regularly. Even if you believe you are good, this course will take you to the next level.
por Partha G•
Nov 26, 2017
It was challenging for me and my few areas were badly exposed when I started recording. But the idea, subject matter and Prof Kuskin's formula really worked to pull up my level. I hope its a start from now "ONWARD". Thank you Prof Kuskin.
por Malani S•
Oct 22, 2020
It is a wonderful course. Although I am not doing any presentation, I took this course to learn how to do a presentation and I discover a lot of new things than what I know and what I see when a person does a presentation all this time. It is really an eye-opening course and thank you to William Kuskin for a wonderful explanation of each video/topic. It was really inspiring and boosting. I will definitely do a presentation soon.
por Agnes C C•
Oct 25, 2020
Very helpful in my job as a department head wherein presenting to an audience is a must. Presenting my ideas either to my direct reports or my boss is always a scary thing for me. This course will help build up my idea and how to present to them in orderly and effective manner.
por Ana C D R•
Jul 03, 2020
It was a great experience to learn from, and it covers so much that I think that this course can be applied and interpreted for many other circumstances in life. The professor Kuskin is really inspiring to learn from, and covers a whole lot for public speaking, Great course
por Nazari J A•
Nov 24, 2018
with due Respect ,
I would like to thank professor William Kuskin, and Dr. MacAndrew, and Mr. David Underwood as a team
this course was very effective and efficient for me, you have done a great Service to the knowledge and humanity. May God bless you all.
Jawid Akram Nazari
por Abdulsalam M•
Aug 18, 2020
I really learnt a lot. Please I've been trying to enroll for the last part of the course. It keeps telling me that only people that are done with the first 3 can enroll, and I'm done with it. Please and please, how can I enroll for the capstone
por Nataliia D•
Jun 23, 2020
A great course that gives you really valuable advice and guidelines on how to prepare a successful presentation and speak in front of an audience. Professor Kuskin inspires with his own example. I am grateful for this invaluable experience.
por Nugroho E L•
Sep 19, 2020
I have difficulties in the beginning to follow this course as English (i.e. my listening) is the problem of mine. I took several time to translate the dialogues to understand contents. This is the first time I join Coursera.
por Rehman A•
Sep 30, 2020
Thanks for Professor William Kuskin, He gave us tools to improve "Successful Presentation". From what he presented you can get how he speaks, how he moves body gesture. He taught us a lot. Recommended coure on Coursera.
por Sukphichai K•
Jun 04, 2020
Thanks for Professor William Kuskin, He gave us tools to improve "Successful Presentation". From what he presented you can get how he speaks, how he moves body gesture. He taught us a lot. Recommended coure on Coursera.
por Amr Y M•
Nov 23, 2017
It's a wonderful course that taught me many things. The first time to perform an English presentation. The first time to record a video of mine. I recommend it to anyone who want to start his public speaking baby steps.
por Joko S•
Sep 27, 2020
It's a great course that gives me valuable advice and guidelines on how to prepare a successful presentation and speak in front of an audience. I think this course is very useful specially for story teller.
por Hlib B•
Aug 02, 2020
It was amazing! Professor Kuskin has so much passion and is so good at delivering his message, that I couldn't stop listening to him. (and he also speaks very slow, so x 1.75 seems like a good speed.)
por Roshan B P•
Jun 26, 2020
Really this course is one of my favorite courses ever the way of professor Cuskin's presentation really mindblowing. It's a highly recommended course for all students or anyone with any background.
por Parker J•
Jun 02, 2019
Great Course! I have learned a lot of useful information that I can't wait to set forth and forward into the world. Thank you so much and I really appreciate all of your hard work and efforts!
por Antonio L N•
Aug 24, 2017
William Kuskin has delivered a truly inspiring and empowering MOOC - legendary!
His shared wisdom on presentation skills will help me for the rest of my days - thank you William!
por Michael K•
Apr 24, 2017
Outstanding! Professor William Kuskin's Successful Presentation course provides learners with The Formula, a valuable asset to anyone needing to engage audiences, large or small.
por Priyangaa A•
Aug 04, 2020
An excellent course to improve presentation skills. The content taught are very simple yet effective. I feel more confident in my presentation skills now. Thank you so much!
por Vishal A•
Apr 12, 2020
It is a very useful course. I completely caters all the required knowledge to deliver effective presentation. Thankyou william kuskin for your passionate teaching style.
por Gihan I•
Sep 28, 2017
Professor William Kuskin is such a passionate teacher that it becomes infectious and a great learning process. I found the structured process very useful and applicable.


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MATTOON, Ill., May 8, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNSL) today announced results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2008. The following reflects consolidated results from Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania.
The company reported: -- Revenues were $105.4 million. -- Adjusted EBITDA was $49.2 million. -- Net cash provided by operations was $25.0 million. -- Dividend payout ratio was 72.2 percent.
"We are off to a great start in 2008," said Bob Currey, Consolidated's president and chief executive officer. "Our first quarter financial results are strong, we had another solid quarter of DSL growth and we have made great progress on completing our IPTV suite of products in all markets."
"With our Pennsylvania integration ahead of schedule and approximately $4.0 million in cost savings already realized, we continue to be confident that we will meet or exceed our original synergy projections of $7.0 million in 2008 for the North Pittsburgh transaction. In late April, we launched IPTV service in Pennsylvania and rolled out DVR in all our markets. The DVR offering completes our current IPTV suite and provides Consolidated with an even more competitive product. The Pennsylvania IPTV launch gives us a triple play bundle that has demonstrated strong consumer demand in other markets and we expect it to have a positive impact on access line and broadband performance," Currey concluded.
Operating Statistics at March 31, 2008, Compared to December 31, 2007 -- Total connections were 455,745, an increase of 3,453, or 0.8 percent. -- Total local access lines were 282,641, a decrease of 3,545, or 1.2 percent. o Our existing IL and TX operations had a decrease of 2,500, or 1.1 percent. o Our new Pennsylvania operations had a decrease of 1,045, or 1.7 percent. -- ILEC Broadband connections were 97,339, an increase of 3,761, or 4.0 percent. o DSL subscribers were 84,313, an increase of 2,976, or 3.7 percent. o IPTV subscribers were 13,026, an increase of 785, or 6.4 percent. -- ILEC VOIP lines were 2,938, an increase of 473, or 19.2 percent. -- CLEC access line equivalents were 72,827, an increase of 2,764, or 3.9 percent.
As of January 1, 2008 and for the quarter ended March 31, 2008, our operating statistics include metrics and results associated with our acquisition of North Pittsburgh Systems Inc. In addition, the company is now including VOIP lines and CLEC access line equivalents in its total connection count and reflecting PRI voice grade equivalents in its access line count for the Pennsylvania ILEC consistent with its methodology in Illinois and Texas and industry norms. Under the previous North Pittsburgh methodology, Pennsylvania ILEC access line loss would have been 2.3 percent for the first quarter of 2008. These adjustments have no impact on revenue and comparable historical figures are provided in the accompanying tables.
Steve Childers, Consolidated's chief financial officer, stated, "As expected, our financial results were very strong in the quarter. Quarterly revenue of $105.4 million, adjusted EBITDA of $49.2 million and a solid dividend payout ratio were all in line with our expectations for the consolidated business. Additionally, on April 1, we completed the redemption of $130.0 million of our 9.75% Senior Notes. By limiting borrowing to $120.0 million from a delayed term facility, we effectively realized a $10.0 million reduction of debt and annualized cash interest savings of $4.0 million.
Cash Available to Pay Dividends
For the first quarter 2008, cash available to pay dividends, or CAPD, was $15.7 million and the dividend payout ratio was 72.2 percent. At March 31, 2008, cash and cash equivalents were $34.3 million. The company made capital expenditures of $13.3 million during the first quarter.
Financial Highlights for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2008 -- Revenues were $105.4 million, compared to $83.0 million in the first quarter of 2007. Revenues excluding the impact from the North Pittsburgh acquisition were $81.5 million, a decrease of $1.5 million. The decline was primarily driven by decreases in Local Calling Services and Network Access Services, partially offset by an increase in Data and Internet revenue. The reduction in Local and Network Access revenue was primarily attributable to $1.2 million in carrier billing settlements that were recognized in 2007. The increase in Data and Internet revenue was driven by continued growth in DSL and IPTV subscribers. -- Depreciation and amortization was $22.9 million, compared to $16.6 million in the first quarter of 2007. The $6.3 million increase was primarily driven by increased depreciation associated with the fixed assets acquired and the amortization of intangible assets recognized in conjunction with the acquisition of North Pittsburgh. -- Income from operations was $20.5 million, compared to $18.4 million in the first quarter of 2007. -- Interest expense, net was $18.1 million, compared to $11.4 million in the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily driven by the incremental debt and terms of the new credit facility associated with the North Pittsburgh acquisition. -- Other income, net was $4.1 million, compared to $1.3 million for same period in 2007. As part of the acquisition of North Pittsburgh, the company acquired interests in three additional cellular partnerships, which contributed approximately $3.0 million of income during the period. -- Income tax expense was $2.9 million, compared to $3.7 million in 2007. The decrease was driven by lower pre-tax income. -- Net income was $3.7 million, compared to $4.6 million in the first quarter of 2007. -- Net income per common share was $0.13, compared to $0.18 in the same quarter of 2007. "Adjusted net income per share" excludes certain items in the manner described in the table provided in this release. On that basis, "adjusted net income per share" for the first quarter ended March 31, 2008 was $0.16, compared to $0.21 in the first quarter of 2007. -- Adjusted EBITDA was $49.2 million, compared to $37.2 million for the same period in 2007. The increase was primarily driven by the impact of the North Pittsburgh acquisition. Net cash provided from operating activities was $25.0 million, compared to $18.0 million for the same period in 2007. The total net debt to last twelve month adjusted EBITDA coverage ratio was 4.6 times to one, and all coverage ratios were in compliance with our credit facility.
Financial Guidance
For 2008, the company provides the following updated full year guidance, including the Pennsylvania operations: Capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $46.5 million to $49.5 million, including $2.0 million associated with integration related capital expenditures; cash interest expense is expected to be in the range of $64.0 million to $67.0 million; and cash income taxes are expected to be in the range of $12.0 million to $15.0 million.
Dividend Payments
On May 6, 2008, the company's board of directors declared its next quarterly dividend of $0.38738 per common share, which is payable on August 1, 2008 to stockholders of record at the close of business on July 15, 2008.
Conference Call Information
The company will host a conference call today at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 10:00 a.m. Central Time to discuss first quarter earnings and developments in the business. The call is being webcast and can be accessed from the "Investor Relations" section of the company's website at http://www.consolidated.com. The webcast will also be archived on the company's website. If you do not have internet access, the conference call dial-in number is 1-800-642-1783. International parties can access the call by dialing 1-706-679-5600. A telephonic replay of the conference call will also be available starting two hours after completion of the call until May 12, 2008 at midnight Eastern Time. To hear the replay, parties in the United States and Canada should call 1-800-642-1687 and international parties should call 1-706-645-9291 and enter pass code 42996281.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release, as well as the conference call, includes disclosures regarding "adjusted EBITDA", "cash available to pay dividends", "total net debt to last twelve month adjusted EBITDA coverage ratio", and "adjusted net income per share", all of which are non-GAAP financial measures. Accordingly, they should not be construed as alternatives to net cash from operating or investing activities, cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations or net income (loss) as defined by GAAP and are not, on their own, necessarily indicative of cash available to fund cash needs as determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, not all companies use identical calculations, and these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. A reconciliation of the differences between these non-GAAP financial measures and the most directly comparable financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP is included in the tables that follow.
Adjusted EBITDA is comprised of historical EBITDA, as adjusted for certain items permitted or required by the lenders under the credit facility in place at the end of each quarter in the periods presented. The tables that follow include an explanation of how adjusted EBITDA is calculated for each of the periods presented.
EBITDA is defined as net earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization on an historical basis. We believe net cash provided by operating activities is the most directly comparable financial measure to EBITDA under GAAP. EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure.
Cash available to pay dividends represents adjusted EBITDA plus cash interest income less (1) cash interest expense, (2) capital expenditures, (3) cash taxes and (4) stock repurchases.
We present adjusted EBITDA and cash available to pay dividends for several reasons. Management believes adjusted EBITDA and cash available to pay dividends are useful as a means to evaluate our ability to fund our estimated uses of cash (including interest on our debt) and pay dividends. In addition, we have presented adjusted EBITDA and cash available to pay dividends to investors in the past because they are frequently used by investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry, and management believes presenting them here provides a measure of consistency in our financial reporting. Adjusted EBITDA and cash available to pay dividends, referred to as Available Cash in our credit agreement, are also components of the restrictive covenants and financial ratios contained in the agreements governing our debt that require us to maintain compliance with these covenants and limit certain activities, such as our ability to incur debt and to pay dividends. The definitions in these covenants and ratios are based on adjusted EBITDA and cash available to pay dividends after giving effect to specified charges. Other information related to these two non-GAAP financial measures, specifically "total net debt to last twelve month adjusted EBITDA coverage ratio", help put these three measures in context. As a result, management believes the presentation of adjusted EBITDA and cash available to pay dividends, as supplemented by these other items, provides important additional information to investors. In addition, adjusted EBITDA and cash available to pay dividends provide our board of directors with meaningful information to determine, with other data, assumptions and considerations, our dividend policy and our ability to pay dividends under the restrictive covenants in the agreements governing our debt and to measure our ability to service and repay debt.
These non-GAAP financial measures have certain shortcomings. In particular, adjusted EBITDA does not represent the residual cash flows available for discretionary expenditures, since items such as debt repayment and interest payments are not deducted from such measure. Similarly, while we may generate cash available to pay dividends, we are not required to use any such cash to pay dividends, and the payment of any dividends is subject to declaration by our board of directors, compliance with applicable law and the terms of our credit agreement.
Because adjusted EBITDA is a component of the Dividend Payout Ratio and the ratio of total net debt to last twelve month adjusted EBITDA, these measures are also subject to the material limitations discussed above. In addition, the ratio of total net debt to last twelve month adjusted EBITDA is subject to the risk that we may not be able to use the cash on the balance sheet to reduce our debt on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Management believes these ratios are useful as a means to evaluate our ability to incur additional indebtedness in the future and, together with adjusted net income per share, assist investors, securities analysts and other interested parties in evaluating both our company over time and the relative performance of the companies in our industry.
About Consolidated
Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. is an established rural local exchange company providing voice, data and video services to residential and business customers in Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania. Each of the operating companies has been operating in its local market for over 100 years. With approximately 282,641 ILEC access lines, 72,827 Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) access line equivalents, 84,313 DSL subscribers, and 13,026 IPTV subscribers, Consolidated Communications offers a wide range of telecommunications services, including local and long distance service, custom calling features, private line services, high-speed Internet access, digital TV, carrier access services, and directory publishing. Consolidated Communications is the 13th largest local telephone company in the United States.
Safe Harbor
Any statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including statements about management's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance. Words such as "estimate," "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "target," "project," "should," "may," "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements (including oral representations) involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include our ability to successfully integrate North Pittsburgh's operations and realize the synergies from the acquisition, as well as a number of other factors related to our business, including various risks to shareholders of not receiving dividends and risks to Consolidated's ability to pursue growth opportunities if Consolidated continues to pay dividends according to the current dividend policy; various risks to the price and volatility of Consolidated's common stock; the substantial amount of debt and Consolidated's ability to incur additional debt in the future; Consolidated's need for a significant amount of cash to service and repay the debt and to pay dividends on the common stock; restrictions contained in the debt agreements that limit the discretion of management in operating the business; the ability to refinance the existing debt as necessary; regulatory changes, rapid development and introduction of new technologies and intense competition in the telecommunications industry; risks associated with Consolidated's possible pursuit of acquisitions; economic conditions in the Consolidated service areas in Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania; system failures; losses of large customers or government contracts; risks associated with the rights-of-way for the network; disruptions in the relationship with third party vendors; losses of key management personnel and the inability to attract and retain highly qualified management and personnel in the future; changes in the extensive governmental legislation and regulations governing telecommunications providers and the provision of telecommunications services; telecommunications carriers disputing and/or avoiding their obligations to pay network access charges for use of Consolidated's network; high costs of regulatory compliance; the competitive impact of legislation and regulatory changes in the telecommunications industry; and liability and compliance costs regarding environmental regulations. These and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in more detail in Consolidated's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Many of these risks are beyond management's ability to control or predict. All forward-looking statements attributable to Consolidated or persons acting on behalf of us are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements and risk factors contained in this press release and Consolidated's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required under the federal securities laws or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Consolidated does not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
- Tables Follow - Consolidated Communications Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) March 31, December 31, 2008 2007 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $34,295 $34,341 Accounts receivable, net 47,250 44,001 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 19,122 21,273 Total current assets 100,667 99,615 Property, plant and equipment, net 407,732 411,647 Intangibles and other assets 787,128 793,329 Total assets $1,295,527 $1,304,591 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Current portion of capital lease obligation $1,029 $1,010 Accounts payable 16,134 17,386 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 66,210 66,547 Total current liabilities 83,373 84,943 Capital lease obligation less current portion 1,371 1,636 Long-term debt 890,000 890,000 Other long-term liabilities 181,564 168,324 Total liabilities 1,156,308 1,144,903 Minority interests 4,594 4,322 Stockholders' equity: Common stock, $0.01 par value 295 294 Paid in capital 278,550 278,175 Accumulated deficit (125,274) (117,452) Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (18,946) (5,651) Total stockholders' equity 134,625 155,366 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $1,295,527 $1,304,591 Consolidated Communications Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2008 2007 Revenues $105,414 $82,980 Operating expenses: Cost of services and products 33,863 25,629 Selling, general and administrative expenses 28,144 22,299 Depreciation and amortization 22,871 16,629 Income from operations 20,536 18,423 Other income (expense): Interest expense, net (18,054) (11,400) Other income, net 4,105 1,283 Income before income taxes 6,587 8,306 Income tax expense 2,878 3,687 Net income 3,709 4,619 Diluted net income per common share $0.13 $0.18 Consolidated Communications Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2008 2007 OPERATING ACTIVITIES Net income $3,709 $4,619 Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 22,871 16,629 Non-cash stock compensation 384 734 Other adjustments, net (2,834) 418 Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net 903 (4,429) Net cash provided by operating activities 25,033 17,971 INVESTING ACTIVITIES Capital expenditures (13,285) (8,187) Net cash used for investing activities (13,285) (8,187) FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from issuance of stock - 12 Payments made on long-term obligations (246) - Payment of deferred financing costs (181) (320) Purchase and retirement of common stock (8) - Dividends on common stock (11,359) (10,045) Net cash used in financing activities (11,794) (10,353) Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (46) (569) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 34,341 26,672 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $34,295 $26,103 Consolidated Communications Consolidated Revenue by Category (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2008 2007 Telephone Operations Local calling services $26,950 $21,313 Network access services 24,458 18,318 Subsidies 13,799 11,597 Long distance services 6,251 3,636 Data and Internet services 14,401 8,631 Other services 9,115 9,014 Total Telephone Operations 94,974 72,509 Other Operations 10,441 10,471 Total operating revenues $105,415 $82,980 Consolidated Communications Schedule of Adjusted EBITDA Calculation (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Three months ended March 31, 2008 2007 Historical EBITDA: Net cash provided by operating activities $25,033 $17,971 Adjustments: Compensation from restricted share plan (384) (734) Other adjustments, net 2,834 (418) Changes in operating assets and liabilities (903) 4,429 Interest expense, net 18,054 11,400 Income taxes 2,878 3,687 Historical EBITDA (1) 47,512 36,335 Adjustments to EBITDA (2): Integration and restructuring (3) 1,082 172 Other, net (4) (4,377) (1,455) Investment distributions (5) 4,590 1,395 Non-cash compensation (6) 384 734 Adjusted EBITDA $49,191 $37,181 Footnotes for Adjusted EBITDA: (1) Historical EBITDA is defined as net earnings (loss) before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization on a historical basis. (2) These adjustments reflect those required or permitted by the lenders under the credit facility in place at the end of each of the quarters included in the periods presented. (3) Represents certain expenses associated with integrating and restructuring the Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania businesses. For the first quarter of 2008, this is comprised of $0.9 million of integration costs and $0.2 million of severance costs. For the first quarter of 2007, this is comprised of $0.2 million of integration costs. (4) Other, net includes the equity earnings from our investments, dividend income and certain other miscellaneous non-operating items. (5) For purposes of calculating adjusted EBITDA, we include all cash dividends and other cash distributions received from our investments. (6) Represents compensation expenses in connection with our Restricted Share Plan, which because of the non-cash nature of the expenses are being excluded from adjusted EBITDA. Consolidated Communications Cash Available to Pay Dividends (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2008 Adjusted EBITDA $49,191 - Cash interest expense (17,802) - Capital Expenditures (13,285) - Cash income taxes (2,585) + Cash interest income 224 Cash available to pay dividends $15,743 Quarterly Dividend $11,359 Payout Ratio 72.2% Consolidated Communications Total Net Debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA Ratio (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Summary of Outstanding Debt Senior notes $130,000 Term loan 760,000 Capital leases 2,400 Total debt as of March 31, 2008 $892,400 Less cash on hand (34,295) Total net debt as of March 31, 2008 $858,105 Adjusted EBITDA for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2008 (1) $188,091 Total Net Debt to last twelve months Adjusted EBITDA 4.6 x (1) Per the new credit facility adjusted EBITDA has been agreed upon for the second and third quarters of 2007 at $90,600 and reflects a combined pro forma number for the fourth quarter 2007. Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter 2007 is the sum of $11,264 for the Pennsylvania operations and $37,036 for the Illinois and Texas operations. Adjusted EBITDA reflects actual results for the first quarter of 2008. Consolidated Communications Adjusted Diluted Net Income Per Share (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, March 31, 2008 2007 Reported net income applicable to common stockholders $3,709 $4,619 Severance, net of tax 130 4 Billing integration, net of tax - 92 Integration and restructuring charges 479 - Non-cash compensation 384 734 Adjusted income applicable to common stockholders $4,702 $5,449 Weighted average number of shares outstanding 29,449,849 26,029,228 Adjusted diluted net income per share $0.16 $0.21 Calculations above assume a 43.7 percent and 44.4 percent effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. Shares outstanding in the first quarter of 2008 reflect 3.3 million shares issued pursuant to the North Pittsburgh acquisition. Consolidated Communications Key Operating Statistics March 31, December 31, March 31,(6) 2008 2007 2007 Local access lines in service Residential 179,864 183,070 192,667 Business 102,777 103,116 104,471 Total local access lines 282,641 286,186 297,138 Total IPTV subscribers 13,026 12,241 8,366 ILEC DSL subscribers(2) 84,313 81,337 69,731 ILEC Broadband Connections 97,339 93,578 78,097 ILEC VOIP subscribers(3) 2,938 2,465 1,562 CLEC Access Line Equivalents(4) 72,827 70,063 65,369 Total connections(1) 455,745 452,292 442,166 Long distance lines(5) 167,360 166,599 165,509 Dial-up subscribers 6,042 6,783 11,200 IPTV Homes passed 107,631 107,631 107,183 (1) Total connections include statistics for our Pennsylvania markets. (2) Includes only ILEC DSL. CLEC DSL is included in CLEC access line equivalents. (3) VOIP subscribers are now included in total connections for all periods presented. (4) CLEC access line equivalents represent a combination of voice services and data circuits. The calculations represent a conversion of data circuits to an access line basis. Equivalents are calculated by converting data circuits (basic rate interface (BRI), primary rate interface (PRI), DSL, DS-1, DS-3, and Ethernet) and SONET-based (optical) services (OC-3 and OC-48) to the equivalent of an access line. (5) Reflects the inclusion of long distance service provided as part of the VOIP offering while excluding CLEC long distance subscribers. North Pittsburgh included company and toll-free long distance lines in their counts. In order to be consistent with our IL and TX operations, we are excluding these from the lines and have reflected this in all above periods. (6) Presented on a pro forma basis to include the aggregate operating statistics of IL, TX and PA as of March 31, 2007, as if the acquisition of North Pittsburgh had occurred prior to that date. Consolidated Communications PA Historical Operating Statistics March 31, December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, 2008 2007 2007 2007 2007 ILEC lines - previous method(1) 56,888 58,241 59,311 60,663 61,546 ILEC lines - revised method(2) 61,354 62,399 63,334 64,526 65,320 December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, 2006 2006 2006 2006 ILEC lines - previous method(1) 63,317 66,347 68,143 69,187 ILEC lines - revised method(2) 66,977 69,979 71,707 72,575 (1) Reflects North Pittsburgh methodology of treating voice grade PRI equivalents as 1 access line. (2) Reflects Consolidated Communications PA voice grade PRI equivalents as 23 access lines.
Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc.


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Saturday, April 12, 2014
Morgantown, NC
Brother Sun in Concert
Americana Stage Production
Morgantown, NC 28655
Price: $20.00
For information and reservations contact Clint Bernard at 828-368-0381 or email at email@example.com.
Suggested Donation $20
Bring your on beverage and a finger food contribution. Doors open at 6pm.
export this event to my calendar


text: BillTheButcher 37 Posted September 19, 2014 Report Share Posted September 19, 2014 Hello all. I currently own a Porsche 987 Cayman S. It's a great car but after test driving an Exige S roadster last weekend at Bell & Colvill I knew I had to have one; the engagement and involvement of the Lotus are on a different level to the Porsche. I placed an order on Tuesday for a Starlight Black roadster with Ebony Black leather/Slate Grey Alcantara interior. Options: Cruise control. Air conditioning. Rear parking sensors. Hard top. Expected delivery time is late October/early November (I got a cancelled build slot). Can't wait! Quote Link to post Share on other sites


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Miscarriage and Metformin Use
Can Metformin Cause A Miscarriage?
Metformin, also known as glucophage, is a medication used primarily for diabetics. Metformin helps the body in the way that it processes blood sugar, and helps to keep blood sugar levels stable. Many women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) take Metformin to address the side effects of PCOS. In fact, many women with PCOS who have trouble with infertility find that metformin actually stabilizes their ovulatory cycle enough to be able to become pregnant. Once pregnant, the obvious question is how safe metformin is during pregnancy, and whether or not metformin can cause a miscarriage.
The effects of metformin during pregnancy on the unborn child are not entirely known. Little research has been done to date that describes either harm or lack of harm to the baby. Like many other medications, metformin has not yet been studied in clinical trials sufficient for the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to state whether or not it is safe to use during pregnancy. However, the research that has been done to date does appear to be promising.
Women with PCOS are particularly prone to miscarriage. In addition, they run a higher risk of gestational diabetes, premature delivery, and high blood pressure. Research suggests that Metformin not only addresses the problems of PCOS in terms of fertility, but that Metformin may actually reduce the risk of these other problems. Because metformin can help a woman to balance out those hormone levels, it could actually reduce the number of miscarriages related to PCOS during pregnancy. Here again, there is not enough research to say conclusively that this is the case.
As with any medication, whether it is prescription or over-the-counter, you should consult with your health care provider about taking it during pregnancy. If you have diabetes and use metformin to control your blood sugar, your health care provider may wish to control your blood sugar during pregnancy through the use of an altered diet, or perhaps with the use of insulin. It is imperative that you closely monitor and control your blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Problems with blood sugar levels can lead to your baby having low or high blood sugar levels, gaining too much weight, or having a variety of birth defects.


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Labour only, nest learning thermostat installation service, to either a combination boiler (Combi), system or heat only boiler (Regular).
Installation based upon either a nest installed with a stand or fitted on the wall over existing power supply cables for an existing room thermostat, which can be converted to 12v dc from 240v ac.
Heat Link to be located where easiest for Installation decided by me.
Basic installation only, includes 1000mm of flex wire.
I will commission and train you to use your new thermostat.
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DURANGO, CO. – Steamworks Brewing Co. continues with its special monthly "firkin" tapping Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, featuring a specialty beer in the spirit of a British Yuletide treat: Figgy Pudding. The cask will be tapped at 3 p.m.
"The base for our Figgy Pudding is our Lizard Head Red," said Steamworks Brew Master and Certified Cicerone Ken Martin. "I made a beer reduction sauce with diced figs, dates, 'craisins,' sweet orange peels, brown sugar and brandy, then steeped it with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The result should be a nice caramel and toffee-noted beer with hints of the dark dried fruits and holiday spices." During Firkin Friday Steamworks will also tap a "mystery" firkin as a holiday bonus for craft beer aficionados.
A firkin is an old English unit of volume, typically a wooden cask equal to approximately one-quarter of a regular barrel, or nine/ten gallons. The word "firkin" is derived from the Middle Dutch word vierdekijn, which means "fourth" as in one-fourth the size.
In the United Kingdom cask-conditioned beer, which Steamworks calls a firkin, is known as "real ale." Authentic cask ale must be kept at "cellar temperature" – which is about 54 degrees – as it's conditioned in its cask. This is done in Steamworks' "cellar" – the basement at the brewpub on E. 2nd Ave.
In cask conditioning, the yeast transforms the sugar into alcohol within the cask, and carbonation results from the trapped carbon dioxide occurring as a byproduct. Firkin beer is unpasteurized and unfiltered and served at cellar temperature – cool but not cold.
Steamworks initiated its Firkin Fridays to introduce unusual, specialty craft beers to patrons, and augment its regular, award-winning offerings.
Steamworks Brewing Co.
Open 11 a.m. to closing seven days a week, located at 801 E. Second. Ave., Durango, CO.970.259.9200). For further information about brewery or Frikin Fridays, call 970-259-9200 or visit www.steamworksbrewing.com.


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Prosecutors Disciplined For Striking Blacks From Jury Panel
Here's something you don't see every day:
Saying they were negligent and incompetent when they struck seven blacks from the jury pool in a recent murder trial, Harris County [Texas] District Attorney Pat Lykos castigated two of her prosecutors Thursday, docking their pay and removing them from trial work.
Lykos said the prosecutors were negligent when they removed every black member of the jury panel in the murder prosecution of a black defendant. The prosecutors claim they were "shocked" when they looked at the dozen jurors who made the final cut and saw no black faces. Lykos said the prosecutors were merely incompetent, not racist, in their decision to strike all the black panel members. "If I thought for a moment that there were racial motives, they would have been fired," she said.
But what are "racial motives"? [more ...]
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