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Hello! I have been a little absent, sorry about that. Over the last few weeks, wooing has taken over my weekends so I had even less free time to work with. Other than doing amazingly well with the wooing (I can hug her whenever I want without the police getting involved!!) everything has just been steadily moving forward.
Work on Acre has been going well. I now have all the core mechanics in place and just need to add visual effects, sound, and the surround stuff. I also added a basic lighting system. I was tempted to go with a more complex system but I decided it is fine as it is for now. I may add slight light variations just to make things look a little cooler but that is something for later in the project. I have how ever taken a short break from working on Acre which I will explain in a moment. I also rewrote the combat and collision systems and added a weapon mode to the item system. You now have to stand still to attack. This solved a lot of the knock back issues and adds an element of risk to combat. Before if you had a weapon then you where unstoppable. Once the effects and sound is done I plan to actually start on the art work. I think this will give me an extra boost of energy to get the project out of the door. I have a great feeling about this game. I think it is going to be my best game yet!
Sadly the 15th of this month came and went without any of the money that Microsoft owes me. It seems that despite getting them all the bloody paper work they have came up with yet another reason to not pay me. I can not ask them however because they do not entertain 'where is my money e-mails' until the end of the month! Sadly I had plans for that money, most notably eating and starting a company which will have to be put on hold for the time being. The company not the eating! So now I am having to put development on hold while I pucker up and earn some money. I am hoping to do this with freelance work but to be honest I am getting tempted by the guarantied income provided by a job. So for the next few weeks the focus will be dirty dirty money!
With the previous paragraph in mind I am also working on a little art site in order to sell the various paintings that adorn my walls and provide me with endless pleasure. I say this to install due value into them. For those who actually like my art you can buy my art and enjoy it every day. For those who don't really care for my art but hate me deeply (Could it be you?) you can buy my art in the knowledge that you will be robbing me of one of the few sources of sustainable happiness in my life. Sounds good right :D. Anyhow after reading about various payment services I have decided to go with google checkout. The fees are reasonable (roughly Ł5 out of every Ł100) and google pretty much own the internet so you know your details are safe because well they probably already know them and they haven't blabbed yet!
So that is what is going on with me! Oh yeah below is a painting I did for my good friend Edmund. His brief was striking and bold. He is also very good at maths so I decided to base my painting on a shape generated using maths. Enter the chaotic attractor . Once I had wrote a little bit of code to generate my own and played around with the variables to make a pleasing shape (I wrote it in html 5 because I am all hipster and cool) I imported the generated image into flash and drew all over it like a 5 year old! Behold its striking boldness!
Now I need to get back to selling my skills on the docks
Much love
The soothing summer of acre
Hello dear internauts, figured I should blog and let you know how I am doing. This is either a very late or very early blog depending on your levels of pessimism. Either way I write to tell you that I am high of spirit and low of fund. The birthday celebration I attended two weekends a go was most joyous and I even managed to get an invite to visit the fair city of Oxford out of it. I used my invite last weekend and spent an amazing day in Oxford. I have to say I was taken back by the energy there, I expected the beautiful buildings and to a degree the tourism but not the happy go lucky energy. Even the drunks in the park had a bounce in their step and some scampish banter about them. In other news I am desperately hoping I get the money owed to me by Microsoft come the 15th, as I previously mentioned I am all but out of funds and require the money to start my web design company.
As promised here is the finished version of the Miyamoto painting I did for the young Smith
Acre wise there has been an awful lot of progress. I have rewritten the combat system, the collision detection regarding npc movement. I added a dialog mode to the text window system as well as backgrounds and character avatars. I also added npc item interaction (which proved complex to think about and easy to write) to allow using items no npcs and npcs picking up items. I also extended npc alternative targeting to allow for multiple targets, (ordered by importance rather than proximity) this allows much more complex puzzles. For example there is a guard dog that attacks you upon entering a castle. You can feed him a bone which will keep him busy for the time you are in the castle but if you leave and come back the bone will be gone and the dog will attack again. But if you combine the bone with poison (I mean doggy sleep juice) then he will be an ex-dog and bother you no more.
Below are some screenshots of how Acre is looking. Please remember it is entirely made up of placeholder graphics at the moment :P
I would love to stay and ramble some more but as ever I am late and have lots to do!
Much love
The Phoenix Rising Perspective
Hello much neglected readers, behold your time of abandonment is over, for I blog once more. I should have an awful lot to talk about considering my extended absence. Surly in this time strange lands have been explored, hearts broken, traps triggered and evildoers thwarted? Alas this is not so. I have mostly sat on my ass and programmed (or looked at just one more, funny picture on the net). But I have made great progress on my new XBLIG game which is possible called Acre. I am still using placeholder graphics but a lot of the engine is in place. One can wonder about the world, examine and pick up items. You items on other items and tiles. I also have the beginning of NPCs in place. They are capable of being your enemy and attacking you or chasing an alternative target if it is present. Marvel at the beautiful placeholder graphics below
I did plan to blog about my recent balloon ride. But I have to say it feels rather distant and ethereal now. Regardless to say I was dubious about entrusting my life to wicker especially since it had a hole in it (see below the photo I took of the nothingness between the earth and my fragile yet manly body) but it kept me up in the air even when lady gravity missed me so much. I was a little shocked about the pilot (a title I think is overly generous considering he can only control the elevation of the balloon) putting me to work so aggressively. I was made to both help inflate the balloon (hold a giant piece of rope and making sure the balloon did not engulf the near by people, cars, or horses. I was also made to help with the landing (push the basket away from the large prickly hedge that was speeding towards us), and help with the deflating of the balloon (again holding a giant piece of rope to keep the balloon from engulfing yet more victims). Once more my lummox physique has betrayed my tiny unhelpful heart. Please note, just because I look like I can help, and sport a friendly but slightly vacant expression does not mean I want to help or will not seek revenge if forced to help.
It is nearly time for my jog so I best go prepare. To sum up work on acre is going amazingly, balloons are more work than you think especially for the larger gentlemen, and I should hopefully be back to regular blogs from now on
Much love
Adventure invigoration
Hello everyone. There has been another two week gap between blogs, sorry about that. In the first week I got smacked in the face by the big fisted thug of self doubt and while sitting in the dirt holding my nose the quick fingers of the "what the hell am I doing" monster freed me of my direction. Directionless I spent the week wondering around the house cursing myself and eating cheerio's
The following week I decided to take off from working on grub and instead did a little research, web coding, and dreaming of how to best change me life. After a lot of reflection I have come to realise that the poor sales of Love Hurts coupled with some rather unsavoury reviews has left me in a state of confidence crisis and a real need for a little victory. It has also made me re-think my plans to become a indie superstar.
This brings me to my new plan of action. Indie games are on there own far too speculative. They simply take too much time to make and all that effort does not even guarantee a single sale. As indie games are my passion I need to seek a complementary income that will keep me in vimto but also give me the flexibility to actually work on indie games. So I have decided to look into starting a web design company. On the outset it seems like a great idea as I am a skilled web developer, I am interested in web technologies, and it will allow me to manage my own time as I see fit
As it is a long road from deciding to start a company and actually doing it I have decided that I will try for a quick victory before I start. Over the weekend I came up with a game idea that I believe will be easy to put together, in fact I already have part of the foundations working! The reason I am working on this new game instead of Grub is that Grub is tied up with a lot of the negative emotions as it was what I was working on when Love Hurts was released. I still think it's a great idea and intend to go back to it when I have banished my demons. But for now it feels great to have a new plan and to be working on a new project. Below is a screenshot of how Grub is currently looking and how the new project is looking
Lots to do today so I will see you next week for another joyful rendition of the trials of the ever increasingly emo indie developer!
Much love
The matter of unstable matter
Where the bloody hell have you been? Well I was just, and then, erm I am sorry kind readers! Sorry I missed my blogging appointment last week. I realised the other week that I really needed to add platforms into Grub so I set about doing so. Sadly it has turned into a never ending battle. At the end of last week I was close but no cigar so I decided to hold of blogging until I had got it all working and was sure it was going to become a feature. Days melted into each other until before I knew it, it was time to blog again. As it stands I am very close to having the feature locked down. There are just a few odd behaviours that I need to beat out of the system first. The main one being the fact that occasionally it is possible to fall through platforms. The good news is that this feature will add a lot to the depth of the game. I will be able to add all the platform standards such as locks and keys, spikes, vanishing blocks etc. Below is a screen shot of the platform feature in action.
I have so many things on the go at the moment that I have decided to take drastic actions. This week I am going not going to watch TV or play games in a hope that the extra free time will translate into increased productivity. I may also dedicate a day to reading as I have two business books and a book on unity to read. Fingers crossed this will not result in death by boredom!
On a very happy note Love Hurts received an amazing review from Gamergeddon written by the impeccable Kyle Sullivan. It is this kind of feedback that makes the long hours and limited financial return totally worth it. So thank you again for the great review guys :D
Sadly that is all I have time for today as I have to cram in a weeks worth of games before 12 o'clock tonight when the games and Tv fast begins. Wish me luck!
Much love


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PewDiePie – Thanks
The Accurate Source To Find Transcript To PewDiePie – Thanks."
[PewDiePie – Thanks]
[Felix Kjellberg (born 24 October 1989)] Source: LYBIO.net
How is it going bros? My name is Pewdiepie. And welcome to another unedited Vlog, take a seat. No, but oh, you're already sitting, I'm sorry. Anyway, by the time you're watching this video, I'm going to be in LA probably, I might still be on the plane. As I mentioned before me and [Marzia] and we're bringing our dog too. We're going there to stay for a month to just enjoy our self and yeah, it's gonna be fun.
Don't worry though, don't worry, I'm still going to upload videos while I'm there, so it really shouldn't like matter that much to you bros and where I am, I don't know, I don't know. So I just wanted to mention that in case you're wondering. I have prepared The Crooked Man, which was awesome, the ending is super good, super good, and I have prepared the arrival – Slender: The Arrival. So there will be videos while I'm gone, while I'm on the plane, I think, maybe, I don't know. Uh, but yeah, it took me a lot of time to prepare, I prepared six videos bros.
It takes me like months to prepare three in advance, I did six. I think I did pretty damn good. But yeah, also by the time this video is up, we will be at six million bros, bros that is crazy, seriously. I still remember the video I made, I still have it up for a 100 subscribers and I was so pumped for a 100 and comparing that to six million as I have, because a lot of people ask me like, how does it feel like? And I'm like – It feels the same as like just as fun as when I had fewer subscribers on bros or whatever so.
[PewDiePie] Source: LYBIO.net
For people who aspired to be in my position, I don't know why you would want to be. But really it's just as fun like don't stress yourself about being big or anything like I was, I'm not big, however. This is a good Vlog. Anyway, so I don't know, I just wanted to say that, I know for sure that it would not be fun to make these videos, without you bros, and I wouldn't even bother, because it's thanks to you bros that I'm having so much fun with it, I'm literally leaving my dream can go to LA, I mean, (mumbling words) I don't know what's up with that and you're talking very much.
So I just wanted to say thank you bros six million times. So I'm going to do it, thank you, thank you. Okay, I'm tired. There is no way for me to properly say thank you for something so amazing. So well instead, you know, what we're going to do, you guessed it we're going to head butt, you're ready. Okay, I don't know what I'm doing -. Okay, so this is for six million, let's go for 60, I know that's weighed a bit of a stretch. Let's go for seven, how about that. Anyway, stay awesome bros. Thanks for all your support, here comes the BROFIST.
PewDiePie – Thanks. I just wanted to say thank you bros six million times. Complete Full Transcript, Dialogue, Remarks, Saying, Quotes, Words And Text.

subset: commoncrawl


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By Teri Watkin, Aug 25 2016 12:25PM
This may seem like a strange question – of course we expect our therapist to be an expert – why else would we pay to meet up with them? However, it's not as daft a question as it may seem.
All therapists learn about theory – they learn about child development; they learn about what motivates us as human beings to do the things that we do and make the choices that we make; they learn about how to engage with a client in a therapeutic way; they learn about how the systems we all belong to (family, culture, work, religion, ethnicity etc) shape us, and many other things. These theories provide a framework within which to work – a structure which helps us to understand the client, and without that framework we'd just be hazarding a guess as to what is going on with the client. So of course we expect the therapist to have a level of expertise in the theories that inform psychotherapy practice.
However, it's possible for a framework to become a cage. If we slot all of our clients into a nice neat 'theory box' we are unlikely to be doing our best for the client.
Every human being is different and whilst we might use our understanding of theory to gain a 'broad brush picture' of the client, the only way we can put detail into this picture is to acknowledge that there is much that we don't know and to open ourselves up to learning about this particular client at this particular moment in their life. For me, that's the joy of this job – I'm always adding to my understanding of what it means to be human and to struggle with the problems of living.
In March 2015 I submitted a 3,500 word document to BACP for assessment for senior accreditation. To become senior accredited I had to show how I had developed as a therapist from the time when I was first accredited. In other words, I had to demonstrate what have I learned in that time and how this learning has that influenced the way that I practice. I was delighted to be awarded senior accreditation – but that doesn't mean that I can now stop learning. Fortunately, I love learning and know that I will continue to develop my skills for as long as I practice as a therapist.
So to answer the question that I posed at the beginning – a therapist should be both an expert and a learner. We can expect that a therapist will have a sound framework within which to work safely, but we should also expect that the therapist will be comfortable with 'not knowing' and be willing to learn.


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YouTube Video of the Day: Child Crazy Dancing in the Apple Store
I don't know about you, but the incredibly tense mood that shrouds the Apple Genius Bar always makes me feel like erupting into spontaneous convulsions. Luckily, a kid named Trevor feels the same way.
Apparently, this dancing child has been busting moves all over Apple stores for a year now, but — thanks to the above clip (and an obligatory dance to "Friday") — he has become Internet famous, garnering more than 1 million views in April alone.
Maybe Apple should hire the little dude for its next run of iPod commercials.


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Professional Movers Provide a Range of Key Services in Birmingham
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Fix Samsung I8200 Galaxy S III mini touch screen not working problem hardware issue by tracing damage points on mobile motherboard with diagram help. First confirm Touch Panel in working condition, if touch screen is ok then check connector on motherboard. Clean motherboard with electronics cleaner and apply normal heat with Heat gun to dry motherboard. Observe diagram below and apply jumper to any missing point with good jumper wire.
Samsung I8200 Galaxy S III mini touch screen problem solution with diagram help. This PCB diagram only for glaxy win I8552, do not try this on other models.


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Research Chemist Question: Download Questions PDF
Tell me an occasion when you needed to persuade someone to do something?
Answer #1Interpersonal relationships are a very important part of being a successful care assistant. This question is seeking a solid example of how you have used powers of persuasion to achieve a positive outcome in a professional task or situation. The answer should include specific details.
Download Research Chemist Interview Questions And Answers PDF


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What does it mean to have a fluid or responsive website? A fluid layout is basically what it sounds like. Depending on the screen size, the content of the site will flow to fill the screen. Cameron Adams developed the technique of adapting a website's layout to adjust a device's display size in 2004. Being fluid alone is not enough, though. What happens when the device is so small that the text becomes unreadable? That's where responsive design comes in.
The term responsive was coined by Ethan Marcotte in 2010 in his article "A List Apart". Responsive websites rearrange the content to fit the size of the screen.
When the great World Wide Web was created in 1990 by Tim Berners Lee, desktop computers were the primary source of accessing the internet. Monitors followed a pretty predictable size pattern, so the thought of adjusting a website to fit a screen didn't really matter. That has all changed in recent years as more and more people are accessing the internet on phones or tablets. This year in the U.K. alone, mobile and tablet usage is approximately 30%, and some are predicting it could surpass 50% by the end of the 2015. According to Pew Research, 50% of American adults have a smartphone, and 42% of American adults own a tablet computer. We have seen these numbers increasing as the products become more affordable, and wireless service has consistently been increasing ; not only in available service areas, but in their speed as well.
So what does all this mean? Quite simply, if your website is not designed to be responsive, it will not function properly for over half the people you're trying to reach. A properly built and responsive site will load faster on smaller devices. If a customer can't get your site to open on their phone or tablet quickly, they are more likely to disconnect and try another link. The content on a responsive site will be automatically adjusted so that it is user friendly. Touch screen features can be implemented such as "click to call" or Google Maps at the push of a button.
If you already have a website, but it is not fluid & responsive, it may be time to upgrade. Maybe you are starting a new business and were thinking about getting a website. You need to consider who is looking at your site. What devices are they using? Are they in front of a 27-inch monitor or shopping from a smartphone?
A properly built website will be fluid & responsive to all environments. At Rocketpop Media we will be glad to help you get there.


text: A honeymoon is the one thing which both bride and groom look most forward to as soon as they get hitched. You and your other half are in love, and there's nothing better than spending time with him/her at a special place. This is a known fact that all the brainstorming goes in planning a perfect wedding and then there's hardly any time left to plan a honeymoon further. The island of Maldives is a stunning place which has white sandy beaches, azure waters, exciting water sports and a lot more. Maldives is the perfect destination for all types of couples, and we've come up with 10 superb reasons why you should visit Maldives for your honeymoon.


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It's no secret that I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to cold, dark runs. I suddenly realise about a hundred other things I could be doing, and do them slowly… basically finding any excuse not to have to go out in the cold and run.
Cold weather forms a unique problem for runners, because you can easily layer up and get nice and cosy before starting your run, but, if you're anything like me, you'll soon start to overheat and just become uncomfortable. So what's the trick?
How do you dress for winter running?
In the past I've gone for layers:
- A base layer to wick moisture away from my skin
- A middle layer for insulation in very cold weather
- A top layer to protect me from wind, sleet or rain
But in all honesty, I run quite hot and unless it's verrry cold, layers just end up making me feel positively toasty! And it can't just be me who gets annoyed by the rustling of top layer jackets when I run?
So now I turn to tops that I can wear on their own, but that are warm enough to make me feel comfortable stepping out that door! I've got a couple of thermal tops that I bought years ago when I was marathon training which soon became my staples for cold runs, and Pearl Izumi kindly offered to send me a thermal top and tights to try out this winter, which are now amongst my favourites to wear.
Pearl Izumi Thermal Running Clothes
If you don't know Pearl Izumi, they're primarily in the triathlon market. I saw their stuff dotted around at races, and when looking up kit for my own triathlon training, but never actually picked anything up – mostly because I just happened to be drawn to other choices when looking for specific items. But now I've tried some of their pieces I'll definitely be looking more closely at their kit in the future.
The stand out point for me is the fit. From the moment I put the tights and top on I felt like I was getting a nice, big thermal hug. When you run, there's nothing more annoying than clothing that doesn't fit properly – whether it's a top riding up, or a seam twisting, it's enough to drive you loopy! But, as should probably be expected from a quality brand like Pearl Izumi, every seam and curve is in the right place.
Fly Thermal Run Top
The top has perfectly long sleeves, complete with thumb holes, which is saying something as a 5'8″ girl who almost always struggles to get clothes with the right length sleeves! A half zip means you can cool yourself down a bit as you get into your run, and tapered seams with strategically placed fleece make for the softest feel against your skin.
I've only ever worn this on its own, but you could layer up with a vest or base layer if you're the type to get really cold.
You can buy this top in purple, aqua blue, or the pink (pictured), but if I'm completely honest, the two brighter colours are better as they then double up as high-vis items for those dark runs. Pearl Izumi have even introduced something called BioViz into their clothing, which is a way of using human biology to make for super-safe visibility. It uses fluorescent colours, the motion of the human body through strategically placed reflective markers, and contrasting patterns and blocks of colour to really catch motorists eyes. Something that the tights display very well.Heard of #BioViz technology? @pearlizumiuk are making waves with it in their running and cycling gear! Click To Tweet
Fly Thermal Tight
A reflective strip around the top of the calf, partnered with the fluorescent pink colour block, aren't just there for show – they are place strategically as a marker of pace, helping to identify you as a human while out running. They also happen to have a nice compression-feel to them, which is great for me as I have particularly tight calves.
A back pocket is there for the essentials, something quite often overlooked in running leggings, and the waist band is nice and high, but comfortable, meaning a fit that doesn't budge… even in the most testing of wears!
Where to Buy
You can pick up Pearl Izumi running kit from most running retailers, or direct from the Pearl Izumi website, along with their cycling and triathlon ranges too. The Fly Thermal Run Top is £59.99, and the Fly Thermal Tights are £49.99 (prices correct at time of writing).
Shop This Post
Pearl Izumi Fly Thermal Run Top ¦ Pearl Izumi Fly Thermal Tight ¦ adidas Ultra Boost (similar colour)
What do you like to wear for winter running? Are you a layer-up and go kinda girl or guy, or do you prefer to keep it light with just one layer?
Photos taken by the lovely Elle of Keep It SimpElle, using my Olympus PEN E-PL7* and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8 Lens*
Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post, however, I did receive the running top and tights for free to put to the test. As always, my opinion is my own and not affected by items gifted to me. * Affiliate link. Affiliate links do not affect the price that you pay, but any commission earned helps me to pay the costs of running this site. To find out more about my policy on this and other matters, see my Disclosure page.


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RAHMWATCH: Chicago's mayor dispatched more than 20 press releases during the week his schools 'CEO' pleaded guilty to federal felony charges ... and more loomed... BUT!... 'Chicago has a 292-mile bikeway network in all 50 wards...' was one important data Rahm shared with the world in October 2015...
Rahm Emanuel's work to manipulate the media agenda in Chicago began as soon as he took office in 2011. Above, Beth Swanson, center, stands with propaganda flacks from the "Mayor's Press Office." The photo above was taken during a press briefing following a COMPSTAT -- CPS dog-and-pony show at Police Headquarters in December 2011. The COMPSTAT-CPS event marked the only time that police and public school officials ever held a COMPSTAT CPS -- despite the fact that the mayor and Police Chief Gerry McCarthy claimed at the time that the event was being held every month to reduce crime in Chicago's public schools. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt. The headlines should have been LET'S CHANGE THE SUBJECT! (yes, in all caps, Rahm screaming at the press). From his days working for former Mayor Richard M. Daley through his days working for former President Bill Clinton to his days as chief of staff at the White House under Barack Obama, Chicago's current mayor, Rahm Emanuel, has been practiced in the dubious art of "managing the news cycle."
And so during the weeks of one of the biggest corruption scandals in the history of the nation's third largest public school system, Rahm Emanuel poured out an endless stream of press releases from the "Mayor's Press Office." To anyone paying attention, it was clear he was trying to change the subject.
Between October 1, 2015 and October 18, 2015, Rahm Emanuel had his propagandists send out at least 32 press releases about various important things going on in Chicago. The press releases ranged in topic from more openings of playlots (while the city's regular parks become swamps during baseball and soccer seasons so the average Chicago child can't really play in a park paid for by Chicago taxpayers) to the number of miles Rahm -- as if personally -- has added to the city's bicycle trails, paths, streets, and (although not mentioned) maybe even alleys.
More than 30 press releases -- about two per day, including Saturdays and Sundays.
During October 2015, Chicago's "Mayor's Press Office" even provided the press with photographs (done by a City of Chicago worker) showing Chicago's happy mayor at a joyous event for which the mayor was being thanked. Above, Rahm Emanuel went out of his way to find the city's whitest public school as the setting for an announcement that he had added (personally, it was implied) more space to the Ebinger Elementary School on the city's far far northwest side. Emanuel has deliberately avoided most of the city's Black and Latino communities since he closed 50 of the city's real elementary schools in 2013 (one month before Barbara Byrd Bennett put through the no-bid SUPES contract), apparently fearful that his media entourage will be greeted by irate protesters. The above photo was provided in a press packet by the "Mayor's Press Office." And during the week when Rahm Emanuel's former hand-picked "Chief Executive Officer" (for the public schools; he also hand-picked the person running City Colleges, who, by the way, knows nothing about education, coming to the college scene from corporate Chicago) pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges, as both daily newspapers reported, Emanuel was spending public funds trying to block the public's access to public records connecting Emanuel and his staff to the scandal.
Early on, Emanuel tried to claim he and his staff knew and said nothing about the SUPES deal, the $20.5 million no-bid principal training contracts spearheaded by Barbra Byrd Bennett (and her staff and friends). That claim slowly collapsed as news people had to take the mayor to court to get the mayor to comply with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). (As of October 19, the mayor hadn't issued any press release telling the public how much he was spending on lawyers to try and block access to public information, let alone how much all those propaganda press releases cost).
Some of the examples from the bin from October 2015 were more droll than others:
In one of his many press releases and media events, Emanuel announced to the world that the City of Chicago has created an urban network of bicycle-friendly stuff... The following directly quotes one of Emanuel's press releases during the second week of October 2015:
"Chicago now has a 292-mile bikeway network in all 50 wards, consisting of the following:
94 miles of bike lanes
83.5 miles of buffer protected bike lanes
46 miles of off-street trails
48.75 miles of marked shared lanes
19.5 miles of barrier protected bike lanes
1.5 miles of neighborhood greenways..."
Despite hosting more than two dozen media events, Rahm continues to refuse to answer questions from the media. In each of the press releases he sends out at public expense, the note ends: "There will be no media availability."
Three years before she was chosen by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to be his liaison with Chicago Public Schools, Beth Swanson was budget chief at CPS, as the above photograph (taken during the Board of Education's August 2008 meeting shows). Swanson's qualifications to be budget chief were an undergraduate degree in literature and the all-important MA in "Public Policy" from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt. And Chicago's mayor is certainly not going to make public records of his conversations with Barbara Byrd Bennett over her privatization corruption public if he can use city lawyers to stop the public from getting the "transparency" he claimed is one of his city priorities. TRIBUNE REPORT ON THE LATEST STALLING AGAINST THE FOIA:
Feds eye CPS records on education group backed by state's, city's elites
By Hal Dardick and Juan Perez Jr.
Chicago Tribune, April 18, 2015
Federal corruption investigators looking into a $20.5 million no-bid contract at Chicago Public Schools also have asked for any records related to an elite nonprofit education group that has long been at the center of city school reform efforts — the first indication that the public relations problem could extend beyond Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration.
The Chicago Public Education Fund is closely aligned with the education initiatives of both Emanuel and Gov. Bruce Rauner, who once chaired the nonprofit, as well as some of the city's most prominent power brokers and philanthropists.
Although the course of the evolving investigation is still unclear, the scandal has focused on Chicago schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett. She once worked for the Wilmette-based SUPES Academy company that received the no-bid contract to train school principals. On Friday, school officials released the wide-ranging federal subpoenas as they announced Byrd-Bennett would take a leave of absence while the investigation was ongoing.
The training program was launched with seed money from the nonprofit education fund. The group is made up of a broad list of the Chicago area's most influential politicians and business leaders — all of whom have made restructuring education a top civic priority over the past decade. Many have become key political supporters of Rauner, Emanuel or both.
By June 2011, Beth Swanson was attending meetings of the Chicago Board of Education lurking on behalf of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and refusing to answer any questions about the mayor's relationship to CPS during the crucial months the mayor was pushing for the "Longer School Day." By summer's end in 2011, Swanson was no longer sitting in the public seats during Board meeting to avoid being photographed. After leaving her job at City Hall, she began her new job as head of the anti-union and pro-privatization Joyce Foundation. Substance photo by George N. Schmidt.Indeed, Rauner himself was a board director and is currently a director emeritus. Last week, the governor's hand-picked board of education named Tony Smith the state's new superintendent of schools. Smith, who has spent most of his career in California, was appointed to the fund's board of directors last year and served on Rauner's transition team after the November election.
Launched in 2000, the group was first led by then-Chicago Tribune Publisher Scott Smith. Rauner joined the board the next year and later was its chairman before becoming an emeritus member of the board, along with future U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, a former member of the Chicago school board; and current school board President David Vitale.
Others currently on the nonprofit board include Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel, who has financially backed both Rauner and Emanuel's campaigns; Mellody Hobson of the powerful Ariel Investments; Helen Zell, wife of real estate magnate Sam Zell; Susan Crown, a principal of the Chicago firm of Henry Crown & Co.; and Beth Swanson, a former top education deputy to Emanuel.
Rauner spokesman Lance Trover said the governor has not been contacted by federal authorities. The administration declined to comment further on the investigation.
The subpoenas arrived at CPS as both Emanuel and Rauner have been at the forefront of controversial efforts to use private-sector expertise to reshape public education, an approach that's drawn sharp criticism from teachers unions. The federal probe also comes as the nation's third-largest school district teeters on the financial precipice.
CPS faces a funding shortfall equal to one-sixth of its budget, largely driven by required increases on teacher pension funding following years of failing to put in enough money to keep the funds solvent. In addition, the district is in the early stages of contract talks with the Chicago Teachers Union, and the last time the two sides had to negotiate in 2012, there was a strike.
Byrd-Bennett, whom Emanuel calls "B Three" when they appear together at schools, stepped in to help resolve the strike as the mayor's first schools chief, Jean-Claude Brizard, fell out of favor at City Hall.
Now Byrd-Bennett has become a political liability for a mayor just as he needs a way out of a financial crisis without resorting to Rauner's suggestion of declaring bankruptcy. And it appears unlikely she will be on hand to work out a new pact with CTU leaders who failed to stop Emanuel's bid for a second term in backing challenger Jesus "Chuy" Garcia. CTU Vice President Jesse Sharkey last week decried what he called "the culture of conflict of interest" at the school system.
With CPS anticipating a $1.1 billion shortfall next school year, Emanuel has pinned his hopes on a long-shot shift in Chicago school funding.
Emanuel wants the financially strapped state to use income tax revenue to pick up more than $700 million in pension payments now covered out of city property taxes, just as it picks up those payments for suburban and Downstate schools. Emanuel, who was out of town on vacation when Byrd-Bennett took her leave, said Wednesday that would close most of CPS' budget gap. Rauner has declared that a non-starter with the state's finances in disarray.
In between the strike and the subpoenas, Emanuel and Byrd-Bennett closed 49 schools and a high school program in a move the mayor said was necessary to deal with a rash of under-enrolled schools. The closures drew national attention, given Emanuel's affinity for charter schools and that most of the closures were in neighborhoods on the South and West sides and hit minority families harder.
Emanuel also drew criticism for what some have said was too big a focus on selective enrollment high schools to the exclusion of neighborhood schools. The situation became an embarrassment for Emanuel when he had to back off naming a planned North Side selective enrollment high school for President Barack Obama after South Side aldermen complained that a school honoring the first African-American president should be in that part of the city, where Obama got his political start.
On Friday, the mayor's office sought to portray Byrd-Bennett's decision to take a leave as being in the best interest of students. "Though there have been no formal allegations, the mayor has zero tolerance for any type of misconduct from public officials and welcomes today's decision to help ensure this issue does not distract from the incredibly important work happening in our neighborhood public schools," mayoral spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said in a statement.
Asked why Emanuel's hand-picked school board did not reject the SUPES contract given that Byrd-Bennett had previously been employed there, Quinn responded in an email, "You would have to ask the board."
Quinn also said the administration had no involvement in negotiating the SUPES contract. She did not respond to a question about whether the mayor feels the residents of Chicago would have been better served by having a school board that approached the SUPES contract with a more skeptical eye.
Ald. Patrick O'Connor, 40th, Emanuel's City Council floor leader, said by taking a leave, Byrd-Bennett will allow the city to concentrate on the "huge financial problem" at CPS and the contract negotiations with the union.
"I don't think that anybody points a finger and says that she did anything wrong. There are a whole bunch of issues that are playing out right now, and the last thing you need or want is to have somebody to point at any investigation going on right now ... and use that to hurt us," O'Connor said. "Her taking a leave takes her out of the cross hairs and allows us to focus more directly on the problems at hand."


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I had some problems with fills not reaching the edge of the print, so I did some testing with the available firmware versions. I took a "random" file from thingiverse (Dutch handcuff key), generated a gcode file and printed that same gcode file on three different firmware versions.
5D: good quality, takes 11 minutes.
Sprinter build 1: reasonable quality, takes 11 minutes.
Marlin build 3: poor quality, takes 7 minutes.
The speed of Marlin distorts the print. I can grok that. The difference in quality between the default 5D and the Sprinter firmware I cannot explain yet.
I will do some more testing with different files to print and do more firmware comparison (adjust feedrate with Marlin for example).
For now, I am back to the default 5D, as I need to do some quality jobs first.


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Kidney Stones and Kids: A Painful Combo
On the rise in young people, these tiny stones can cause excruciating pain.
Nov. 14, 2008 -- Scott Nellis is barely old enough to get a driver's license but the 16-year-old from Lake City, Minn., has already had something most grown-ups have not -- three episodes of kidney stones.
Once a condition only seen in middle-age adults, kidney stones are showing up in more kids, doctors say, and a handful of pediatric kidney stone clinics have popped up at children's hospitals across the country to help treat these young patients.
Nellis had his first kidney stone when he was 13. He woke up in the middle of the night with a sharp pain on his right side.
"It felt like someone was stabbing me," he said. His parents took him to St. Mary's Hospital in Lake City, where he found out -- much to his surprise -- that he had a kidney stone. He was given a numbing agent for the ache and told to go home, where he eventually passed the stone.
Although kidney stones typically have a strong genetic tendency, Nellis is the first person in his family to have them.
About a year later, he had a second episode. This time, however, he knew exactly what was wrong. But the pain was much worse than before. "I felt like a person was twisting a knife in me," he said.
After Nellis went through the painful ordeal of a second stone, doctors placed him on daily medication and he started to drink more water and watch his diet. He cut back on salt, junk food and caffeinated beverages -- a challenge for any teenager.
Yet despite the preventive measures, Nellis developed a third stone at age 15.
More Cases at Earlier Ages
Many parents react with surprise upon learning their child has kidney stones.
"They say they've never heard of a kid having a kidney stone, so they think it must be something bad," said Dr. John Pope, an associate professor of urologic surgery and pediatrics at the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.
According to Pope, who has recently compiled statistics from his clinic, in the last couple of years his clinic has seen more than 100 young adults with kidney stones, compared to about 20 such patients 10 years ago. Although there are no nationwide statistics kept, he says his gut feeling is that there is an increased incidence of kidney stones in children.
What's concerning about this is that often it is a lifelong predisposition, pointed out Dr. Dawn Milliner, who is Nellis' doctor and a professor of pediatrics and internal medicine in the division of nephrology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Visit the OnCall+ Pain Management & Arthritis Center
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"It's not something that usually happens once or never again," Milliner said. "The likelihood of having another stone is high."
Kidney Stones Can Remain a Mystery
Some environmental exposures can also lead to kidney stones in children. Recently, milk products in China that were tainted with the industrial chemical melamine were linked to an increase in the development of kidney stones in babies and children there.
"The problem is the melamine, which was directly toxic to the kidneys and was crystallizing out in the urine to form stones," Nelson said.
"As far as we know, this is an isolated problem and is not an issue here," Milliner said.
Fortunately, Milliner noted, two-thirds to three-quarters of the time physicians can pinpoint the cause or predisposing factors that can minimize or reduce the odds of recurrence in children and teens.
There are some cases, though, where the cause of kidney stones remains a mystery. Just ask Kate Mercier, who was first diagnosed with them at age 8 and has been through at least 12 operations related to her stones.
The 17-year-old high school senior in a suburb south of Boston still might not know exactly why she's so prone to forming kidney stones, but all the X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds she's been through in her young life have helped her choose a career path. She's off to college next year to study radiology, where she might have an edge on her classmates because of her firsthand familiarity with the procedures -- and plenty of compassion for the patients.
Although Mercier's been through a lot of surgeries for her kidney stones, she said, "I've never had pain. I have twinges from time to time, but they almost feel like muscle contractions."
In her case, there is a family history: Both her father and her aunt have had kidney stones. But each of them had only one stone, whereas Mercier tends to form clusters of them. And while she said, "I'll probably have them my whole life," she hasn't let them stop her from doing things -- including earning a brown belt in karate.
It's Not Only in Adults Anymore
Dr. Caleb Nelson, a urologist and co-director of the pediatric kidney stone clinic at Children's Hospital in Boston, said he also thinks the number of children with kidney stones is growing -- though he said the reasons for this are not entirely known.
"It's not simply that we're finding more of them because imaging is picking them up," he said. "We're seeing more kids come in with stone-related symptoms."
Physicians believe, however, that the two main contributors appear to be poor fluid intake and too much dietary salt -- mainly from processed, canned, boxed and junk foods.
Tiny Stones May Cause Enormous Pain
The most common symptom of a kidney stone in a child is blood in the urine, said Dr. Bruce Slaughenhoupt, co-director of pediatric urology and the pediatric kidney stone clinic at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "This is a more common complaint than pain, perhaps because younger kids might have difficulty expressing their pain."
A younger child is also more apt to say they have a tummy ache, likely with nausea and vomiting, while older children can verbalize if their pain is in the lower back or on their side.
Surprisingly, the size of a kidney stone makes no difference to pain levels, explained Slaughenhoupt. "The pain occurs when the stone gets stuck and blocks the ureters. This blockage creates pressure, and pressure is what causes pain."
While kidney stones are nearly painless for some people, Milliner said, others describe it as the worst pain they have ever felt.
"I know some women who have gone through childbirth and also passed a kidney stone, and they say passing the stone was much worse," Nelson said.
Fortunately, most people can take steps to avoid kidney stone formation. Pope tells his patients that a good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. And he also tells them to check the color of their urine for an indication as to whether they're getting enough liquids. If the urine is dark yellow or brownish in color, then it's too concentrated.
"The key is to keep urine diluted," Pope said.


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The hot tip for radiant skin
Also ideal for sensitive skin, as well as skin prone to thread veins: Particularly effective peel with long-term and anti-aging enzyme-based effect.
Peeling Enzymatique removes surplus corneocytes and stimulates the skin's renewal process. After just one application, the skin looks visibly more radiant. This anti-aging effect significantly improves many skin problems: from tired skin to pigment spots and fine lines. The key to the results achieved with this enzymatic peel is the long-term effect that is triggered by the delayed release of the active ingredients. Applied regularly over several weeks, this effect leads to a radical improvement in the overall skin surface. The result is a lovely sight: a much finer and flawless complexion


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Believe me, I would not ever make this up:
Senator Hillary Clinton's Presidential Bust To Be Unveiled at the Museum of Sex
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- New York, NY- July, 26 2006— A presidential bust of Hillary Clinton is set to be unveiled at the Museum of Sex on August 9, 2006 at 10 am. Accentuating her sexual power and bolstered by the presidential seal, The Presidential Bust of Hillary Rodham Clinton: The First Woman President of the United States of America will be officially open for public viewing on August 9 for a limited six week run.
Artist Daniel Edwards describes this new sculpture as capturing Clinton "with her head held high, a youthful spirit and a face matured by wisdom. Presented in a low cut gown, her cleavage is on display prominently portraying sexual power which some people still consider too threatening."…
…Edwards' inspiration for the piece was derived from actress Sharon Stone's controversial quote earlier in the year about challenges that would most likely be encountered should the Junior Senator from New York run on the '08 ticket. "I think Hillary Clinton is fantastic," Stone said. "But I think it is too soon for her to run. This may sound odd but a woman should be past her sexuality when she runs. Hillary still has sexual power and I don't think people will accept that. It's too threatening."
"Displaying a sculpture to encourage discourse about the sexual power debate surrounding the possibility of a Hillary Clinton presidency is very much in line with our mission as a museum," noted Daniel Gluck, Executive Director. "We are wholly dedicated to the exploration of the history, evolution and cultural significance of human sexuality. Historically, leaders are often expected to possess an exceptional amount of virility or fertility with displays of that sexual power often tied to their success. The artist's portrayal of Hillary Clinton as a president who also happens to be a sexual being conveys the message that a woman need not squelch her sexuality in order to succeed as leader of the free world."


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Be a part of something great
The Creative Director guides creative strategy and execution for projects across a spectrum of diverse clients. The Creative Director works directly with both our Accounts and Delivery teams to ensure key design opportunities are pitched and executed with the optimal creative approach. This role requires working hand-in-hand with client stakeholders to define project strategies, establish common language around design, develop design principles, generate thorough creative briefs, and direct production team members in executing cohesive, award-winning design. This is a work-from-home position with some travel for client meetings (e.g. remote client pitches or onsite kickoffs). This role reports directly to the Vice President of Experience Design.
- Take responsibility for the creative design vision from concept to completion
- Translate client objectives and audience needs into clear creative strategies
- Work closely with multidisciplinary project teams, especially User Experience Design, Front-End Engineering, Project Management, and Web Strategy to deliver projects on time and within budget
- Produce comprehensive creative briefs to help guide design execution and obtain explicit approval from key stakeholders at key project stages
- Ensure UX specifications, marketing/communication messaging, accessibility requirements, and brand standards meet or exceed expectations in design deliverables
- Lead the design portion of client pitches and proposals for key opportunities
- Facilitate effective remote and onsite design reviews, workshops, and presentations
- Work with Client Delivery to identify and assign the right creative staff to projects
- Coach and oversee Visual Designers and other creative production staff
- Support and direct design subcontractors, as necessary
- Active role in leading design vision within sales opportunities
- Meet with clients and prospects in person to gather requirements and/or run design workshops
- Deep experience in digital design (understanding of design systems, responsive, front-end technologies, accessibility standards, etc.)
- 3 years of Creative Direction experience
- 3-5 years of agency experience
- Experience working remotely
- Experience with content management systems and marketing platforms
- Strong content strategy, copywriting, and editing skills
- Strong ability to present conceptual decks and design ideas to executive/senior leaders
- Strong ability to quickly generate key design ideas/decks to win over clients
- Excellent internal and external communication skills
- Excellent problem-solving skills, both with clients and technology/design
- Experience working within a corporate environment (e.g. addressing feedback from complex stakeholder groups, capturing and working with detailed design requirements, etc.)
Nice to have
- An understanding of WordPress
- Project management skills


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We also provide customization facility to our clients which makes our envelops all the more popular and well accepted through out the world.
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Available in different sizes, designs & colors, we bring you a wide range of handmade paper greeting cards which explicit our unique dried flower designs. Decorated with exotic flowers & leaves, these cards are just perfect to brighten-up ones day.


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The Allahabad High Court is a source of judicial authority also referred to as the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad. The Allahabad High Court is based out of and provides for the legal needs of Uttar Pradesh, a state of India.
In the history of the country as a whole, the Allahabad High Court is noted as being one of the earliest high courts to have been founded in the wake of India's independence from the British Empire. As such, the Allahabad High Court has existed since 1950. Moreover, the membership of the bench of the Allahabad High Court can consist of up to 160 judges, which represents the greatest possible size for an Indian court.
In terms of the history of the institution of the Allahabad High Court, this body of judges can be dated back to a predecessor court which existed under the British Regime, which was created in 1866. The most recent change enacted to the powers of the Allahabad High Court was a slight loss of jurisdiction, when a section of the state of Uttar Pradesh was converted into a new state of its own, that of Uttaranchal.
As of 2010, Chief Justice Ferdino Inacio Rebello had been appointed to administer the Allahabad High Court, a post which he took possession of in June of that year. The Allahabad High Court is based out of the primary location of the city of that name, but also maintains offices in the state capital of Lucknow.


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Howlite Turquoise, Jade, and Kashmiri Bead Deco Necklace (001472)
The focal for this is a "Tibetan Silver" (Base metal zinc alloy, no actual silver content, tends to resist discoloration very well) pendant with 4 Howlite/Turquoise cabochons. The rest of the strand features:
- Small Korean Jade rounds
- Howlite/Turquoise rounds in 4 sizes
- Howlite/Turquoise rondelle beads
- 2 large Jade rondelle beads
- 2 sizes of round Kashmiri beads. (The core of Kashmiri beads is made from a mix of marble powder and resin. These are also known as "Bollywood" beads, and are are hand decorated using a variety of materials like mirror chips, seed beads, silver plating, rhinestones, and more.
- Howlite/Turquoise nugget beads
The pendant focal for this piece is about 3 inches by 2.25 inches.
The inside diameter of this necklace is about 17.25 inches.
This necklace is part of our Artisan Collection and is a one-of-a-kind expression; this is the only one of this design that we will create so you are guaranteed a unique piece!
We Also Recommend
Computer RAM, Ethiopian Prayer Beads, Jasper and Aventurine Steampunk/Cyberpunk Bar Necklace - Item #001507
$ 6500


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13 Dead in Louisiana as Some Return to Flooded Homes
The death toll in Louisiana has risen to 13, ABC News reports. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson will visit the state on Thursday to review the federal government's response to what Governor John Bel Edwards called "unprecedented" flooding.
Some 70,000 people have registered for individual assistance, and more than 9,000 have filed flood insurance claims. The flood waters have begun to recede, and thousands of people are returning to their homes; many more remain homeless, however—more than 5,000 people across south Louisiana. From The Advocate:
For those without family to turn to and with homes swept away or ruined by feet of water, life offers little certainty for the coming weeks and months. Ricks said some of those who left shelters are coming back after finding no power and a fetid stench from mud coating their homes.
Not even the governor knows yet what to do with those left homeless by the floods, saying it's too early to speak about temporary housing beyond shelters as rescue missions continue and state officials work to tally up just how many lost all.
"We have to take into consideration this particular group of storm victims and what their needs are going to be," Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday.
Of those killed in the flooding, The Advocate reports, seven drowned in or near their vehicles. At least one was not a local, but just passing through. Others were killed after declining to evacuate their homes.


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We export fruits and vegetables for many years,we have the excellent service team.
we have the best price and quality.


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Help Regular People Get out of Financial Hardships
Government provides many programs to help normal people to get relief from credit card debt. The US government finally has seen the financial hardships suffered by millions of citizens. Financial Literacy Survey was conducted in 2009 by National Foundation for Credit Counseling and it was found that millions of Americans have not paid their bills on time. You should try to make use of government programs which can help you get relief from credit card debts.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
This act states as to when and how a creditor can make contact with the debtor. A creditor can make a phone call in between 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fair Debt Collection Practice Act also specifies that the creditor cannot make a phone call to the debtor at his work place if the employer restricts the phone calls. FDCP looks after the customers against pestering, unfair practices and lies.
U.S. Cooperative Extension Service
The United States Cooperative Extension Service provides non-profit credit counseling. The agency helps people ease off their credit card debts. These organizations help many people to handle their debts and also provide free educational material along with workshops. Credit counselors must be qualified and skilled in personal debt management, money and consumer credit. Counselors talk about the financial conditions with the customers and create a plan that suits the customer requirements. The first sitting is likely to take an hour. Constant support is available during follow up sittings.
Personal Bankruptcy
People who have a lot of credit cards debt should go through Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 of bankruptcy. When all options are closed, people decide to exercise this option.
Chapter 7 is taken as straight bankruptcy and all assets are included such as work tools, basic household items and cars. Money is given to the creditor when property is sold by the court. They can file bankruptcy according to chapter7 after 8 years when the first one is released.
In Chapter 13, people who have fixed income can keep their belongings as long as the court grants repayments. The debtors have to make payments for 3 to 5 yrs. In this plan the waiting duration is only 2 years. The debt is released after the repayment plan that carries on from 3 to 5 yrs.
Get Out of Credit Card Debt
Many of us face financial and economic hardships at some point in life. There is no need to feel dejected, as there are government programs in place to help you out of a financial crisis. So you can start making use of government credit card debt reliefs programs and make your life free from stress.


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Free English Lessons in 7 Levels
Current event and interest stories for adult learners and ESL students:
Breaking News English Home Page
Current event and interest stories for adult learners and ESL students:
Breaking News English Home Page
Short recordings of one or two lines for elementary English learners. Elementary Dictation
Medium-length recordings of a sentence or two for intermediate English learners. Each topic has three recordings.
Intermediate Dictation
Longer recordings of a full paragraph or more for high-intermediate or advanced learners.
Advanced Dictation
The NEWSELA website is filled with interesting news articles to help master nonfiction in any subject. Choose the reading level of each article and find articles on topics that are of interest to students.NEWSELA Home Library Text Sets
NoRedInk builds stronger writers through interest-based curriculum, adaptive exercises, and actionable data.
Great website for anything related to grammar, capitalization, punctuation, sentence structures, etc. Allows teachers to easily create quizzes and diagnostic tests for students. It collects all class results for you. Ideal for second language students.NoRedInk Home Page
The Westcoast Reader is a newspaper for adults who are improving their English reading skills.The Westcoast Reader | Home List of Westcoast Reader Articles
Listen to Easy, Medium and Difficult level everyday conversations with adult and children's voices. Listening usually includes:
1. Pre-Listening Exercises
2. Listening Exercises
3. Vocabulary and Grammar
4. Post-Listening Exercises
5. Online Investigations


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Thumbs up -- Thumbs down
Thumbs down to a sign that our litigious ways have finally taken us over the edge.
We're speaking of the Greenwich Housing Authority's new rule banning residents at Quarry Knoll from using clotheslines to dry their laundry.
The reason? Clotheslines present a safety hazard and are a liability.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee must be around here somewhere.
Now opponents of the ban are talking about support of "right to dry" legislation.
How have we gotten to the point where a simple act like drying clothes requires lawyers?
Was that a white rabbit that just ran by?
The sights and sounds of shirts, sheets and shorts flapping in the breeze are part of every American landscape, from the prairie of old to the inner city. It's an image that speaks of home, but also has a pronounced practical side. It costs nothing to dry by fresh air, uses no energy. Plus, clothes smell better that way.
But the Housing Authority is worried that people scurrying around the Quarry Knoll housing complex could get hurt by the lines, especially in the dark.
We understand the Housing Authority has a responsibility to protect the town from liability, but this is going too far. There comes a point where all officials need to see that every single risk cannot be removed from life -- and the pursuit can lead down a rabbit hole to where nonsense replaces reason.
Thumbs up to the owner of Chicken Joe's restaurant and customers who undertook a serious physical challenge to raise money for charity.
The second annual Chicken Joe's Ride for Kids, which started Friday, took more than a dozen riders, including Chicken Joe's owner Joe Marini, on a three-day bike ride all the way to Lake George. Also riding was Chicken Joe's customer Sean Turpin, who started the 270-mile ride with Mr. Marini last year.
Riders raised $35,000 for seven charities last year, and hoped to more than double that this year on behalf of organizations including the Memphis-based St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
We hope the blisters and calluses are starting to go away, but not the pride the riders earned by taking part in this extraordinary activity.
Those interested in riding next year or donating to this year's campaign can visit www.chickenjoesrideforkids.org.
Thumbs up to the great success of the state's first Exotic Animal Amnesty Day, sponsored Sunday by the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Beardsley Zoo.
Organizers were expecting about 50 troublesome -- perhaps illegal -- pets to be turned in, but took in 135 animals during the event, mostly reptiles, including alligators, huge snakes and other species that really have no business cohabitating with people.
As we saw earlier this year with the savage chimpanzee attack in Stamford, tragic things can happen when humans and exotic animals mix. The DEP and Beardsley are to be commended for working to prevent additional tragedies. We hope this is a program they continue in the future.


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We've discussed the signs of a great preschool that deal with facility and curriculum. Our final post in this series will discuss a preschool's policies and staff. Sensible policies and an excellent staff are crucial to providing your child with a wonderful first school experience.
Enrollment Each school will have it's own way of handling enrollment and the state places their own requirements on facilities as well, but there are some important things to look out for. Ask what type of paperwork does your school require? You'll want to make sure that the school is collecting children's immunization records and health histories, multiple emergency contacts (just in case!) and lists of people who are authorized to pick-up your child and people who are not authorized to pick-up.
In case of illness Don't forget to ask a school what their policy is for attendance at school when a sick becomes ill. You'll want to make sure sick children are to remain home for at least 24 hours after symptoms subside to prevent exposure of the illness to other children.
In case of emergency Does the facility have evacuation procedures posted? Do they practice these procedures with the children? Of course, you never want to have these policies to be used, but it vitally important they are in place!
Discipline When talking with the director and teachers, ask what their discipline plans are. Do they work to be proactive in heading off behaviors? Will they attempt to redirect a misbehaving child? What will they do when these strategies are not helping a child who is making poor choices? You will probably hear a wide-variety of responses, but you'll want to make sure adults are providing opportunities for children to calm down and to think about their choices. Rather than the teacher using language that makes the child feel like he or she is bad, make sure they use language that labels the child's actions and choices as inappropriate, and not that the child is a bad boy or girl.
Staff Qualifications Don't hesitate to ask for the credentials and experience of the staff members at a school you are considering. Are staff members trained in Early Childhood Education? Do they have experience working with children? This is essential for a great preschool. You want to be assured the those entrusted to care for your child are both knowledgeable and experienced in working with young children.
Staff Interactions with Children Spend some time at the preschool you are considering. Listen to how the adults interact with the children. Do you hear warm and nurturing interactions with the children? Are the adults supporting the children's learning and fostering their independence? These are all signs that you have found a great preschool, with a great staff!
A final word… Trust your instincts! Of course, you want to do your homework and ask questions, but don't be afraid to trust your instincts. Many parents happy with their child's preschool experience say they knew they found a great preschool right from the first visit. We wish you the best as you find a great preschool for your child!
Missed our earlier posts? Click here for part one and here for part two.
If you found this series helpful – please like and share on social media! And, if you don't want to miss anymore news and information from Building Blocks Christian Academy be sure sign-up for our newsletter using the form on the right!


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- 11.29
Does your Brand Have a Season?
At the Handit2 Network, we understand that timing is everything -- you want your product placed in the hands of the right consumers at the right time. With 2018 quickly approaching, here are some big picture ways of looking at the coming year --...Read more
- 09.26
'Out-of-the-Box' Sampling
Is your target demographic challenging to reach?
Are you looking for new, creative, innovative ways to reach your target consumer?
Are you trying to 'reframe' your brand's positioning within a certain niche market?
Getting your...Read more
- 07.14
Back to School Sampling to Moms
It's summer everyone! As we're all enjoying the weather and wanting to make the most of the season, before we know it time will come to send the kids off to school. This means that parents everywhere will go to retailers in droves...Read more
- 05.03
Handit2 Yogis
Fitness trends typically come and go, but apparently there is no stopping yoga. A recent Yoga Journal study found that there are now 37 million Americans practicing yoga, or ~11.6% of the US population, up from 20 million in...Read more
- 02.09
8 Steps to Disruptive Product Sampling
There are many tactics available to the brand marketer when it comes to putting a sample in the hands of consumers. Whether the effort involves sampling in a grocery store, on a street corner, at a festival, by mail, or some other tactic,...Read more


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Topics :: Colorado
1 thru 10 of 93 Stories
Colorado Ski Season: Mountain Oysters, Olympic Fun & More
Colorado's ski resorts are getting ready for winter with mountain coasters, new lifts and amenities plus celebrations themed on the Winter Olympic Games.
A Whirlwind Afternoon in Boulder, Colorado
Not every destination lends itself to a whirlwind tour, but in the beautiful city of Boulder, Colorado, you can sample five fun and scenic spots in one afternoon.
Colorado Marijuana Market Funds Busts of Illegal Growers
The first recreational pot market in the U.S. notched another marijuana first Thursday when Colorado started using marijuana taxes to fund police efforts to crack down on illegal growing operations.
Colorado Ends Plans for Pot Clubs Over Trump Uncertainty
Colorado lawmakers on Thursday backed off plans to become the first U.S. state to regulate marijuana clubs, saying approval of Amsterdam-style pot clubs could invite a federal crackdown.
New Tests Show No Pot Chemicals in Colorado Town's Water
Authorities said Saturday that new tests show there is no evidence of a marijuana chemical in a Colorado community's tap water and they believe the initial tests were false.
Legal Weed Sparks Colorado Debate - Why Not Allow Pot Clubs?
Legal marijuana is giving Colorado a stinky conundrum. Visitors can buy the drug, but they can't use it in public. Or in a rental car. Or in most hotel rooms.
What's New For Colorado Ski Season
Visitors planning trips this winter to Colorado for skiing and snowboarding will find a host of improvements and new amenities at resorts, along with expanded flight service into airports serving resort towns.
Marijuana, Mainstream Converge in Colorado Tourism Concerns
In Colorado, there's mounting anxiety that ski towns have embraced stoner culture a little too much, potentially damaging the state's tourism brand.
Gay Marriage Expected to Begin in Colorado
Colorado is one of several states where same-sex marriage is expected to begin soon now that the Supreme Court has turned away appeals from five states seeking to prohibit same-sex marriages.
Colorado Won't See Gay Marriage Yet
A federal appeals court on Thursday extended a stay on a ruling from last month that found the state's gay marriage ban is unconstitutional.
1 thru 10 of 93 Stories


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Entrepreneurs Sought For Ethical Community Projects
Do you have an idea for an Ethical Community Project? Save the Earth Co-operative can help!
Are you sick of the rat race?
Let's face it – who isn't? Working umpteen hours simply to pay the bills and trying in vain to shoehorn a meaningful life around this is an all too familiar scenario, which has somehow become the norm. Far too many of us feel chained to mindless dead-end jobs or put ourselves through untold stress day in day out, all to generate profits for the handful at the top – in the 21st century, surely this existence is absolute madness?
Perhaps you crave a more vocational way of making a living, but have dismissed this as a pipe dream? After all, if it were that simple, we'd already be doing it, right? Think again.
While bright ideas are ten a penny, transforming them into something tangible often requires collaboration. If we don't have the right contacts or support, those ideas can be shelved indefinitely.
How can Save the Earth Co-operative help change this?
Save the Earth Co-operative's core mission is to connect with environmentally conscious people who are passionate about making a difference in their local communities. We aim to establish and support projects within creative and artisan industries that will fulfil individuals' lives and inspire the next generation.
Our co-operative is owned by its members and run for the benefit of our members. We strongly believe that local businesses should be run and owned by people within the community and that benefits are invested back into those communities.
If you have a burgeoning idea for a community-based project, we have an abundance of contacts and resources to help make your dream a reality. From developing business plans to grant and bid writing, accounting to crowd funding and marketing to advertising, the expertise at our central hub will free up precious time to enable you to concentrate on the practicalities of your project.
What kind of projects do Save the Earth Co-operative support?
As long as your idea is ethical, green and sustainable, we're wholly open-minded. Are you a foodie who has always dreamed of setting up your own organic bakery or pay-as-you-feel café? Do you believe that your community would benefit from a leisure centre or solar farm? Perhaps you've always wanted to set up an animal refuge, a bird sanctuary or beehives to produce local honey, but you don't know where to start – Save the Earth can assist you with the birds and the bees! Whether you're interested in establishing a tree house building company or an eco village, no project is too big or small. If you're in an urban area and would love to grow your own organic fruit and vegetables, we can help you set up a vertical farm or garden.
We can also support non-business initiatives such as guerrilla gardening projects, community walks and clean up campaigns, outreach to tackle loneliness and schemes to combat homelessness – if it benefits your community, it's right up our street.
It's crucial to consider that you and your team will oversee your project within your locality, for the benefit of your neighbourhood. Save the Earth are not seeking to back initiatives that exist primarily for private profit and share holding – all our co-operative's members will co-own the business. Of course, as project manager, we expect you to pay yourself a viable income, but the key motivation behind your idea must be to create a sustainable venture that will generate jobs and / or unlock opportunities for people within your community.
Tell me about your current projects
In Nottingham, UK, Save the Earth Co-operative are launching the city's first vertical farm, to supply the local community with organic salad leaves, fresh from the harvest to the plate within hours. Known as The Urban Leaf, the initiative will supply local families and business with fresh organic produce, reduce food miles, cut out the middleman and create local jobs. It doesn't stop in Nottingham … our aim is to establish a sustainable business model and role out urban farms in other communities across the globe.
The Urban Leaf is a trading name of Save the Earth Co-operative. If you are interested in setting up and managing your own Urban Leaf vertical farm, get in touch!
We want to hear from you
Perhaps your idea is in its infancy and you need some advice on whether it's feasible? On the other hand, you might already have formed a working group with friends and family who wish to be a part of your project and you're raring to go.
Here at Save the Earth Co-operative we're receptive to a vast array of projects. The best way to find out whether we're a good fit is simply to contact us!Not only do we have a wealth of knowledge and experience, but we're also straight talking – after all, no one likes being led up the garden path or bamboozled by business jargon.
How much does it cost?
After your initial call with us, if you feel that Save the Earth are best placed to back your idea and we have mutually agreed that your project is aligned with our policies, we ask that you become a member-owner of our co-operative. Guardian Membership costs just £72 per annum paid in advance, or £6 per month by direct debit. You can find out more about membership benefits here.
At this stage, we will also require a £395 entry-level capital contribution for each project.
What will I get for my £395?
In a nutshell, incredible value!
Perhaps the thought of formulating a business plan fills you with dread? A step-by-step guide can help point you in the right direction, and so can Save the Earth – if you know what you wish to achieve and can write this in draft form, we will use our expertise to create a professional, structured business plan with a three-year projected cash flow and an actionable profit and losses strategy. We will also advise you on how best to implement this plan.
We all know that capital is needed to kick-start any project and that money doesn't grow on trees. Our skilled grant and bid writers will work with you to secure that capital. We also have a proven track record of obtaining considerable sums through crowd funding, so if you're prepared to invest your time and energy, we can significantly boost your chances of financial investment.
Consider that if you sought to acquire these services on the high street, an accountant would charge at least £2000 to write a business plan, with the average cost of writing or bid standing at £500. And the benefits don't stop there …
We will create social media pages and a website to promote your Save the Earth project. We'll also handle all your PR and marketing campaigns across our social media network and advise you on any appropriate training needed to develop your required skillset.
Where do I go from here?
Drop us a line and let's get the ball rolling! We're happy to answer any questions you might have and you're under absolutely no obligation to commit. If you prefer talking to typing, we can arrange a phone or Skype call with you, at your convenience.
Here at Save the Earth Co-operative we're well aware that no two communities are the same – each has their own dynamics and areas of need, but we can help you fulfil your community's needs, wherever in the world you are!


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| 8.2°C Belfast
Co Antrim firm Mivan has won a £2.5m contract to fit out Ireland's answer to the Orient Express.
Around 40 of its craftsmen will be working on transforming Irish Rail carriages into luxurious cabins in a style said to reflect the Georgian architecture of Dublin.
The Belmond Grand Hibernian will launch on August 9, offering its well-heeled passengers two, four and six night trips from Dublin through the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Its two-night Northern Ireland leg - a destination dubbed 'the realm of giants' - will take travellers to Belfast for a visit to Titanic Belfast, and on to Bushmills and the Giant's Causeway. The trip costs £2,338.40.
The first Belfast-bound train departs on August 13 -but a spokeswoman for Belmond did not say if the disruption of security alerts on the cross-border line would be factored in.
The Belfast to Dublin rail line has been shut almost 30 times in three years due to bomb alerts, according to information released this month by the Department for Regional Development (DRD). There were two security alerts in 10 days last month. But she said: "The safety of our staff and passengers is of the utmost importance to us and remains a key factor in all of our planning.
"While we can't predict future disruptions to any trains that we operate throughout the world, we do remain in constant contact with local authorities in the countries that we operate to ensure any potential disruption to our guest experiences is minimised."
Belmond operates some of the world's most famous trains including the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and Belmond Royal Scotsman. The Irish model is its seventh train.
Mivan is one of Northern Ireland's best-known fit-out companies, working on properties from cruise ships to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood and one of Saddam Hussein's palaces in the 1980s. But it went into administration in 2014 and its assets including the company name, were bought over by Newry-based rival, MJM.
Gary Franklin, managing director of Belmond Train & Cruises, an international business specialising in luxury travel, said: "We chose to work with Mivan not only for their extensive experience but they have also shared our passion and vision for Belmond Grand Hibernian from the outset.
"It is very important to Belmond that we work with local experts and craftsmen to create a truly authentic train."
Mivan chief executive Neil Ward said the firm's expertise and experience on ships and hotels had helped clinch the deal - but a luxury train was a first. He said the train would rival "the great train journeys of Europe".
He added: "Mivan has a strong track record of delivering high end projects and we are delighted to be working on this prestigious contract."
Belfast Telegraph


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I'm trying to master distractions and reclaim my focus. In order to do so, I've been reading books and articles with techniques, tips, and tricks. Right now I'm trying the 18 Minute program from Peter Bregman. The basic idea idea is that you define areas to focus on in your life. Everything you say yes to should fit into and move you ahead in one of those focus areas. Then, day by day you plan your work based in the focus areas and calendar the work to be sure you have enough time to complete your tasks. If an item does not get finished in a day, it moves to the next day. After three days you have a few choices for that item- do it now, put it on a maybe list or forget about it.
I like the process so far. Calendaring my items shows me whether or not I have enough time to complete everything I think I can. It will help me decide what projects to take on because I'll have a better idea of how much time I actually have.
i also like the process because it's applicable to any job/life situation. It works for me as a contractor, but I can also see how it would be helpful to someone in an office. It's really about where to spend your time, how to determine how much time you really have, and what to do with tasks that don't get done.


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The Barracuda Web Security Gateway 210 is an integrated content filtering, application blocking and malware protection solution that is powerful, easy to use and affordable for businesses of all sizes. It enforces Internet usage policies by blocking access to Web sites and Internet applications that are not related to business, and it easily and completely eliminates spyware and other forms of malware from your organization. No more productivity loss trying to repair computers or make computers usable again.
The Barracuda Web Security Gateway enables you to set up custom policies for a particular user and groups across customizable time ranges by integrating with popular LDAP directory servers, such as Microsoft Active Directory. For organizations that do not utilize directory servers, policies can be defined for unauthenticated users as a whole, locally defined users and groups, or network IP address ranges.
With no client software to install and no modifications required to your network, the Barracuda Web Security Gateway is easy to deploy. It has an intuitive user interface for maintenance and monitoring, making it a virtually maintenance-free solution.
From drivers and manuals to diagnostic tools and replacement parts, Dell Product Support has you covered!


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Financial Support:
Some limited accommodation funds may be available for young scientists from developing countries and from Eastern European countries. An application form for financial support is provided below. You should send it (including a short resume) and ask for a letter of recommendation to be sent to:
J. Tran Thanh Van ( Email: firstname.lastname@example.com )
and copy to email@example.com
Application Form