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ICE, ICE BABY!! Yes, we finally made it out to the Gaylord Palms Hotel for the annual big ICE event!
I guess our Icebar Orlando visit left us wanting even more freezing temperatures… This time we took our son Nicolas (22 months) so he could have his first winter-like experience. Even though it's artificial cold, the effects of it are the same as the real thing, trust me. Runny nose, frozen fingers (after 15 minutes in 9 degree Fahrenheit I had to stop taking pictures because my hands simply couldn't hold my camera any longer), cold feet – and a new appreciation for warm weather! It was quite a relief to step out of the ICE tent which made it hard to imagine that I lived through 24 winters with temperatures like this before moving to Florida… On top of that Florida's weather has made me even more sensitive to cold temperatures. Today for example is a chilly day for me: high 79, low 61. Brrrr… I was wore boots this morning.
Anyway, here are my picture impressions of our excursion to ICE and some tips/advice. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
- Take advantage of the Florida resident discount. It's not much, but better than nothing
- Inside, ask for a little coupon to save you an additional $2 for parking (which otherwise would be close to $17). On top of money you already paid for tickets I think it adds quite a bit to the total sum. In fact, while I understand that keeping the ice frozen and the work that goes into creating those sculptures (artists from China are working on them for an entire month!) costs a lot of money, I think that the event is a bit overpriced. Including parking and with the FL resident discount we paid about $65. Add some hot chocolates and maybe a little souvenir and you easily get up into the 100s. And we only had to pay for 2 adults. Since Nicolas is still so little he got in for free (children under 4 enter free).
- If you have kids under 3 years old, I personally wouldn't recommend a visit. Your kids most likely won't really appreciate this Winter Wonderland experience. My son at least didn't, he had a meltdown – no pun intended – when we stepped into the tent. It took him about 20 minutes to warm up (not literally – I know, right?) and enjoy staring at some of the ice sculptures (of course since he doesn't watch TV or movies yet, he had no idea who that funny looking lion, zebra or penguin were). I am not sure what it was that ticked him off in the beginning, maybe the amount of jackets we stuffed him in, but he certainly did not like this experience for the most part… I spare you those pictures…
- Remember to bring gloves!! How could I have overlooked this little detail?? My fingers were literally frozen. Yes, they do provide you with those fashionable (just kidding) parkas with hoods (thank goodness!), even for kids, but no gloves! And if you don't want to buy a $30 pair of gloves in the gift shop or endure the cold, please BYOG (you know what I mean…)
- Take your own pictures! If you don't want to spend $35+ for a picture of you and your family after you walk out, please do yourself the favor and bring a camera with flash to take some decent pictures inside. There's also an opportunity for a mall-like visit with Santa, but that was closer to $50 for some pictures. I don't think so… (plus my son and his little friend hated Santa, but that must be a phase…)
- Last but not least: based on web site pictures and hearsay I truly imagined ICE as a huge Winter Wonderland hall with ice and snow, kind of like a cheesy replica of a typical European Christmas market with warm drinks and food to purchase and some fun kids activities (like building snow men and sledding down a hill). Sure, there was an ice slide, which was certainly the highlight for any kid visiting, but ICE is really just a big tent that you walk through in about 20 minutes. You are told that you can stay as long as you want, but I doubt that any Florida resident could make it longer than an hour as much as I doubt that anyone visiting Florida from Minnesota or any other icy state would even want to visit ICE, but hey, they certainly could make it all day – my apologies in advance, I didn't want to stereotype anyone here 😉
- Click here for more the info
[hana-code-insert name='ice' /]
There is an event though that I think I will check out in hopes of finding some type of winter/snow experience here in Orlando. It's only one day and FREE:
Children's Christmas in the Park with Snow
December 15, 2012
One day only, enjoy snow and a chance to go sledding on the corner of 5th Avenue and Baker Street from 4:00 – 9:00 pm.
Location: Donnelly Park in Mount Dora
More Info: 352-735-7183
Cost: Free admission


text:
Manager, Family Health and Infectious Diseases at East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community, January 2018
NAFASI ZA KAZI / AJIRA East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community, January 2018
East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community
Vacancy Advertisement
Post of Manager, Family Health and Infectious Diseases
The East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA-HC) invites
applications for the Post of Manager, Family Health and Infectious Diseases
from suitably qualified persons who are nationals of Member States. The
Member states are Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The position is tenable at the ECSA Health
Community Secretariat in Arusha.
The Organization
The East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA-HC) is a
regional organisation set up in 1974 to promote the highest possible standards
of health among member states. It is mandated to foster cooperation that will
lead to the strengthening of health care programmes among member states in
the region. The Secretariat implements its activities through four specific
programme clusters, namely:
i. Family Health and Infectious Diseases;
ii. Non-Communicable Diseases, Food Security and Nutrition;
iii. Health Systems and Capacity Building; and
iv. Knowledge Management, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Broad Purpose of the Post
The Manager, Family Health and Infectious Diseases will be responsible for
providing policy and strategic direction to coordinate regional networks to
implement evidence based programmes in order to facilitate member countries
to achieve the highest level of Family Health and Infectious Diseases for the
population of ECSA-HC.
Specific Responsibilities
i. Provide leadership in establishing ECSA HC policy and strategy on
Family Health and Infectious Disease interventions within the ECSA
member states.
ii. Coordinate the implementation of family health and infectious disease
programmes in the ECSA region.
iii. Support the managers of programmes within ECSA in evolving
programmes that integrate family health and infectious diseases into
other sectors/programmes for the improvement of health delivery in
ECSA member states.
iv. Use established networks at the regional and international level to collect
and exchange information on family health and infectious diseases for
use in programming.
v. Monitor and report the progress and outcomes of the organisation's
interventions related to family health and infectious diseases that are
integrated in other health programmes.
vi. Advise management on the issues related to family health and infectious
diseases that needs to be addressed at the regional level.
vii. Liaise with regional and international organisations/partners to facilitate
the implementation of innovative interventions and models of good
practices that are adaptable to the ECSA member states.
viii. Maintain and regularly review a system for profiling, repackaging and
dissemination of models of good practices that are cost effective for
promotion of family health and control of infectious diseases in the ECSA
HC member states.
ix. Mobilize resources from different partners through writing
programme/project proposals to support implementation of regional
interventions for family health programmes and control of infectious
diseases and ensure accountability of resources to meet the collaborators
funding requirements.
x. Implement multi-centre operational research activities to support
development of evidence-based policies and programmes that focus on
family health and infectious diseases.
xi. Participate in scientific conferences on family health and infectious
diseases as part of advocacy and to keep abreast with contemporary
issues in family health and infectious diseases.
xii. Coordinate as required specific programmes and projects on Family
Health and Infectious Diseases.
xiii. Perform any other related functions and duties as may be assigned by
the supervisor.
Minimum Entry Qualifications
i. Bachelor's Degree in Medicine
ii. Masters/Postgraduate qualifications in Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
Public health, Epidemiology, Community health or SRH field or a social
degree with postgraduate qualifications in Public health or Epidemiology
iii. Any other post graduate social science or clinical qualifications relevant
to SRH, MCH, HIV/AIDS, TB and other Infectious Diseases.
Work Experience
i. S/he should have at least 5 years' experience in a senior
management position in a health related organisation including
managing community health programmes.
ii. Experience in donor funded projects is preferred.
iii. The working experience should include work in international,
organizations, civil service and in multicultural environments.
Essential Skills and Competencies Required
i. Good communication and report writing skills.
ii. Management, interpersonal and networking skills
iii. Strategic planning and research skills.
iv. Experience in training and ability to organize, train and support staff on
needs assessment, project design, implementation monitoring and
v. Solid understanding of and experience with strategic, organizational and
management issues as well multi-stakeholder processes and negotiations
vi. Good contextual knowledge of national, regional and international health
issues and priorities.
vii. Strong resource mobilization and project management skills
viii. Political astuteness, diplomatic and with good negotiation skills.
Language: Fluency in both spoken and written English.
Age: Between 40 and 55 years of age.
Remuneration Package
An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the right candidate. The
details of the package may be obtained on request from the Director General
ECSA Health Community Secretariat, Arusha.
Contract Appointment
This is a three-year contract appointment renewable on the basis of
performance and by mutual consent on the part of the employer and the
Method of Application
Nationals of Members States who wish to apply for the Post should do so by
submitting the following:
i. Detailed Application Letter stating why the candidate feels suitable for
the Post;
ii. Detailed Curriculum Vitae including names of three (3) referees with
their addresses, telephone, fax and e-mail.
iii. Completed Application form for ECSA-HC posts (available under
vacancies/opportunities > jobs on www.ecsahc.org )
iv. Certified Copies of Educational and Professional Certificates.
v. Letter supporting the application written by the Permanent/Principal
Secretary of the Ministry of Health of the member state.
Deadline for Applications:
Applications should reach the address below by 31st January, 2018
The Director General East,
Central and Southern Africa- Health Community
Plot 157 Oloirien, Njiro Road
P.O. Box 1009 Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: Off: +255-27-250 8362/3; 250 4106
Fax: +255-27-254125/250 8292
E-mail: email@example.com with copies to firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.ecsahc.org
The ECSA Health Community is an equal opportunities employer. Female
candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
[Met Performance] CID:190380
Salome {59} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/5/1962.
Metropolitan Opera House
March 5, 1962
Salome..................Jane Rhodes [Last performance]
Herod...................Ramon Vinay
Herodias................Nell Rankin
Jochanaan...............Morley Meredith
Narraboth...............William Olvis
Page....................Joan Wall
Jew.....................Charles Anthony
Jew.....................Robert Nagy
Jew.....................Gabor Carelli
Jew.....................Andrea Velis
Jew.....................Gerhard Pechner
Nazarene................Roald Reitan
Nazarene................William Wilderman
Soldier.................Norman Scott
Soldier.................Louis Sgarro
Cappadocian.............Calvin Marsh
Slave...................Lynn Blair
Conductor...............Joseph Rosenstock
Review of Douglas Watt in the Daily News
Vinay quits Tenoring With Salome's Dance
The novelties of last night's "Salome" at the Met were Nell Rankin's first Herodias there, which we can overlook as an unfinished portrait and, as backstage word had it, Ramon Vinay's farewell appearance as a tenor in the role of Herod. Vinay, who began his career as a baritone - not here, but in his native Chile - will reportedly return to his earlier register to sing next season, among other things, Telramund in "Lohengrin." As a tenor, Vinay has been having it bad in recent seasons, descending finally from a weak-voiced Tristan to the maundering, but still oddly effective, Herod of last evening.
A Unique Artist
With the immediate news out of the way, I'd like to get straightaway to Jane Rhodes, whom I consider the finest singing actress in major roles the Met has produced since Maria Callas, whom it has unaccountably lost. The petite and delightfully young and attractive Miss Rhodes (last night's Salome) is a special case, I grant you, but so is every truly important artist. To refresh your memory, she made her first and only appearance at the Met season as a one-night-stand Carmen, the only distinctive Carmen of the season. Returning this year in Richard Strauss' "Salome," a month back, she went on with a fairly high fever and in the wake of a vicious, anonymous phone campaign disparaging her abilities. She was disappointing and a colleague referred to that "Salome" as one of the Met's worst shows ever. So be it.
Actress at Heart
But Miss Rhodes is as much of an artist in "Salome" as she was in "Carmen." She has studied the role as an actress would. She plays a cool, petulant youngster until the celebrated dance. From then on, she is in full command and fascinating. I have Witnessed only one other striking Salome in my time and that was the Ljuba Welitsch of a decade ago, already advanced in years. Her voice had bite and power and meaning, but who would trade her ridiculous dance for that of the graceful Miss Rhodes? And the dance is part of the opera whether you like it or not. Miss Rhodes' voice lacks the thrust it should have, alas, but it is still a voice of parts. I don't know what we're going to do about her and I doubt that Rudolf Bing does either. I just trust he doesn't simply dump her. She's too promising a performer for that.
Getting back to the others, Morley Meredith was a boomingly impressive Jochanaan, and William Olvis a commendable Narraboth. Joseph Rosenstock conducted.


text:
find out more
find out more
In 2012 Bechtel had revenues of $37.9 billion (US) and new contracts valued at $23.9 billion (US).
Projects vary from roads and rail systems, air and seaports, mines and smelters to defence and aerospace, pipelines and oil and gas fields.
Projects in Australia include Caval Ridge Coal mine and Curtis Island, the new Liquified Natural Gas(LNG) project.
If this is your company hire click here to update this page


text:
Office of Government Relations Legislative Programming Coordinator
The OGR Legislative Coordinator is a badass who chairs the Legislative Steering Committee and is a member of the staff of the Office of Government Relations.
Historically, the ASUW Office of Government Relations has run one large-scale event: Lobby Day. Lobby Day is usually held in February and consists of UW students traveling to Olympia to lobby on behalf of ASUW and the Legislative Agenda.
In 2005-2006, OGR decided to add a new event, called the Legislative Pre-Session Reception. This event brought together student leaders and members of the administration and faculty, and invited members of the Washington State Legislature to campus to meet with them. A dinner and round-table discussions allowed legislators to come to campus and see what students felt, prior to the beginning of the Legislative Session in January.


text:
Recently the Permanent Town Building Committee recommended that the Selectmen fire Dore and Whittier, the architectural firm responsible for planning the proposed Boston Road Fire Station. The Selectmen followed up on that recommendation and now it's time to find Dore and Whittier's replacement.
The Permanent Town Building Committee met on Tuesday to discuss a timeline for that task as well as other thoughts on the process moving forward.
A new architectural firm is expected to arise in early May after the committee closes its window for applicants on April 14 and whittles down the field during meetings on April 25 and May 5.
Contrary to advice given by Town Manager Jodi Ross, the Permanent Town Building Committee is not putting a maximum fee amount toward prospective firms, although they expect the fee to be a significant part of the selection process.
Any firms applying for the job won't have to start from scratch; schematics created by Dore and Whittier will be retained by the town and Dore and Whittier still has some limited work left to do connected with the conclusion of its contracted work before the town decided to move on.
Whoever is chosen will likely retain some of what has already been done, but also provide a fresh look on the process.
"It's unfortunate what happened. You're going to get the same sized building," said Paul Davies, a member of the committee. "The square footage is going to be similar to what we had, but (Dore and Whittier's) problem was in the estimating."
New cost estimates are still being made by outside firms independently of the architectural firm application bids, and members of the committee spoke about the importance of staying within the $12.7 million appropriation provided by the town.
However, that figure is likely to be balanced with an expectation that any new plans will also include key building features such as a joint Police/Fire training area and four vehicle apparatus bays.
A briefing session and a tour of the current Central Fire Station for any architectural firms interested in submitting proposals will take place on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Police Station Training Room.
Permanent Town Building Committee Chairman Tom Mahanna indicated during the meeting that additional materials relating to the process so far will be added to the town's website in the near future.


text: For boys, for girls, for everyone. If Christmas is coming, this universally lovely wash bag will cover at least half the people on your gift list. It's water-resistant on the inside, so could actually save the day when it comes to an explosive shampoo bottle-shaped emergency. Hey, we've all been there.


text:
Robot Car and Truck Market participants IBM and Google are sure to be a significant software vendors.IBM has a huge head start with its excellent middleware branded integrated solutions that are hardened and reliable. Google has mindshare and early market success with its early market trials. As automated process hits the auto industry as a disruptive force, it parallels the automated piloting of the airline industry that saw significant labor savings implementation. Automated vehicle driving can be done anywhere just by connecting the car to integrated adaptive cruise control, adaptive steering and braking, and lane assist systems all working off one central processor. Robot cars and trucks incrementally add automated process to driving. As software is added to cars and trucks it is done in concert with modification to the steering, breaking, and other automotive systems. Autonomous functions for vehicles are increasingly adopted. Change is incremental, we do not have fully functioning robot cars immediately, rather, steering, collision avoidance, parking, test driving, series of camera and radar based monitoring systems, lane assist, and adaptive cruise control are being implemented, presaging rapid adoption of robot cars and trucks as the various functions mature and work in the real world.
Browse Detailed Report with TOC at:
According to Susan Eustis, team leader for the preparation of the study, The market for robot car and truck vehicles is anticipated to expand in parallel with the deployment of appropriate roadway controls funded by government programs. The large public investments for robot vehicles so far has been for development of technology that works for military purposes. The extension of this type of automated system to commercial fleet vehicles will be rapid after 2020. The robot car designs amalgamate a group of features to represent an automated process solution. These include the hardware, the software middleware, the steering system, adaptive cruise control, numerous software applications, an integrated systems approach, and related services. Significant investments in research and development are necessary as the emerging robot cars and trucks industry builds on incremental technology roll outs.
Robot car and truck commercial autonomous car market shipments forecasts indicate that markets beginning to develop in 2015 will rise to $868 million by 2021. Growth is a result of various moves toward autonomous vehicles that park themselves, provide automated steering, are used as test vehicles, are used as mapping vehicles, and that provide driver alerts but fall sort of complete robotically operated car vehicles. Market driving forces relate primarily to the need for increased safety and personalization for autos. Car manufacturers are positioning with robot car models to meet demand at the high end. Many robot vehicle car vendors are making automation for personal vehicles and trucks a reality.
Latest Market Research Reports by Hexa Reports Inc.:
Smart Commercial Drones Market:
Advanced Energy Market:
Biometric Market in Middle East:
Companies Profiled
Market Leaders:
• Ford
• Tesla
• Daimler AG / Mercedes-Benz
• Fuji
• Kairos
• Nissan
• Toyota
• Volkswagen / Audi
Market Participants:
• Allen Vanguard
• Audi
• BAE Systems
• Boston Dynamics
• Bosch Group
• Evatran Group
• Buick Group
• Chrysler / Dodge
About Us:
Hexa Reports Inc. (http://www.hexreports.com) is a market research and consulting organization, offering industry reports, custom research and consulting services to a host of key industries across the globe. We offer comprehensive business intelligence in the form of industry reports which help our clients obtain clarity about their business environment and enable them to undertake strategic growth initiatives.
Media Contact
Company Name: Hexa Reports
Contact Person: Ryan Shaw
Email: email@example.com
Phone: 1-800-489-3075
Address:Felton Office Plaza, 6265 Highway 9
City: Felton
State: California
Country: United States
Website: http://www.hexareports.com/report/robot-cars-and-trucks-market/details


text:
Commercial Food Distributor, South Carolina - Charles D., Sales Executive
"My Masters program was absolutely first class; the staff did everything so professional. If you come to The Executive Club you will absolutely be treated like a king. Once they [your guests] come, you have them forever as a customer and client."
Commercial Construction, Virginia - Bryan K., President
"This is one of the most finely tuned machines as far as hospitality and event management I have ever seen."
Insurance Services, Georgia – David A., President
"When my clients tell me how absolutely thrilled they were to be here in Augusta, be a part of the Masters, be a part of the event, be a part of the hospitality that comes with it, that makes me feel great. To me it doesn't get any better than that. You make my clients happy, you make me happy."
Banking, London – Neil B., Market Development
"My Super Bowl program was a fantastic experience. The attention to detail was first class."
Private Guest, London – Sir Thomas H.
"What an incredible experience you created for me and my clients at the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach last month. You guys are simply the best. Thank you!"
Insurance Services, Florida – Todd B., CEO
"Everything was thought of. The house was perfect and the chefs were incredible. The food was off the charts! It was the experience of a lifetime. Thanks!"
Financial Services, New York – J. Mack, Director of Marketing
"Working with Executive Marketing to build an incentive program for my top producers was a win for both my company and my employees. With the additional efforts from my staff who earned this program for the Ryder Cup, I have added to my bottom line and rewarded them for their hard work with a once in a life time experience!".
Commercial Construction, Georgia – Eric C., President
"Anybody jumps at the chance to come to the National and when you bring them to The Executive Club, they are overwhelmed. The staff, the service and the hospitality was beyond expectation."


text:
We are going to our country house for summer vacation. I hope we'll be able to create many new interesting clothes and accessories for your dolls during summer. So we want to sell our older doll goods we are going to replace with the new assortment.
Get our production at a discounted price!
Get our production at a discounted price!
Visit http://MerryDollShop.etsy.com for the further details


text:
« Back to Done, Finally (March 2011)
8.5x11, double page | materials cardstock (unknown) + patterned paper (The Girls' Paperie, Basic Grey) + tag (The Girls' Paperie) + letter stickers (American Crafts) + fringe scissors (Martha Stewart) + flowers (Making Memories, K & Company) + brad (American Crafts) + sticker (7 Gypsies) + foam adhesive (Scrapbook Adhesives)
A Note from Erin
I started the original version of this page not long after Emma was born. I had pictures and journaling printed but it never went any further. Now that Emma is five, I thought it was about time to get it done. I ended up printing some different pictures and printing them a different size while at it. I also typed out all the journaling again (since I no longer had a saved copy of it). Only making a few changes. It went from a one page to a double pager in order to fit all the journaling without hiding any of it, as I had originally. I realize this is probably not going to be the most exciting page in Emma's album, but I'm glad to finally have the story of her birth layout done!
March Fun Fact
Russell Stover caramel eggs (out now for Easter) as well as hearts (for Valentine's Day), Santas (see the pattern?) and pumpkins are my weakness. Thank goodness they're not available year-round.


text: We were surprised, last week, to hear about a Best Buy customer who ordered one iPad, then received a box of five. It was even more surprising when we heard from another customer who had the same problem. We keep hearing from more people who have received iPacks instead of iPads. One of them was Eric, who took them back to the local Best Buy and received a $50 iTunes gift card for his trouble. He was surprised to learn from a fellow commuter about our series of posts. Especially the part where Best Buy offered to let the other customers keep the four bonus iPads. Now he feels like a sucker. [More]


text:
The Edmonton Community Development Company is a non-profit organization devoted to working with inner city neighbourhoods in the areas of economic development, job training and creation, affordable housing, social infrastructure (e.g. child care centres, community kitchens and gardens) and other development that will add value to the socio-economic lives of area residents.
Although discussed for years, the ECDC got legs at the Mayor's Taskforce to Eliminate Poverty, in particular at the Task Force's Working Group on Housing and Transportation, which recommended its creation and to the Task Force and was met with unanimous endorsement.
Long-term funding and parcels of land value at approximately $10 million have been provided by the City of Edmonton and other funding came in from the Edmonton Community Foundation, Homeward Trust, United Way of the Alberta Capital Region, and the Stollery Charitable Foundation.
While the Edmonton CDC began its work in 2017, it did not hire its executive director, Mark Holmgren, until early January 2018.
The Edmonton CDC is a non-profit Part 9 company.
About our logo:
The base icon is a combination of 3 elements. A graphic geometric infinity symbol, a tree as well as a graphic representation of a community and the lines that roads make on a graphical map.
The symbol represents "a change process" and the relationship between Edmonton CDC and the communities we serve and the cyclical nature of community development which includes renewal, innovating, maturing, and when necessary, tearing down.
While the logo is meant to imply movement, it also represents strength, shelter & growth, The shapes are divided into coloured sections that symbolize various aspects of a project, the players involved, groups etc. Although subtle the divisions also give the impression of a neighbourhood map.


text:
Calamity is a word that, to me, first calls to mind Wile E. Coyote, the misguided rocket that soars past Road Runner and sends Mr. Coyote tumbling down to the bottom of a deep canyon, the small mushroom cloud of dust where he lands. However, where Mr. Coyote shows up in the next scene either intact or, at worse, bandaged up, the truly calamitous event does not disappear so easily. Rather than being easily reparable, it is something that creates irrecoverable loss. The calamities that pile up in this week's issue range from the potential calamity of nuclear warfare in selections from Maggie Cleveland's Atom Fish to Francisco Guevara's meditations on life, death, and the history and presence of the body; from Katie Manning's nightmarish fairytale evoking the fears of a soon-to-be-mother to Robby Nadler's ekphrastic response to human vulnerability and sexual politics in Lucian Freud's provocative painting Sunny Morning—Eight Legs.
While putting together this special issue, I was surprised to discover that the word's etymology was more complicated than just the immediate Latin predecessor calamitas: loss, damage, disaster. The word is also related to clamare: to shout, proclaim, declare, cry out. My first impulse is to say that this is the purpose of the poem, the purpose of writing. Why else do we put words to page? Because we feel we see or feel something we must shout, proclaim, declare, and cry out. Because we hope that through our verse that we can evoke a similar emotion or impulse in others. The four writers highlighted this week take the same approach to their own work, desiring not only to recreate a personal emotion but also to provoke a personal and original response from each reader.
The poems this week challenge us to examine our own world, to see both the calamities in our personal lives as well as the global issues that create disaster and loss for multitudes around us. They challenge us to not remain silent, to instead cry out, to name calamity and be honest with the conditions of our world. None of these poems offers a solution, and that is perhaps the point. We cannot return to the earlier situation, that world before we knew of the splitting of the atom or before conceiving of a future life. We cannot erase the faults of our ancestors nor the events of the previous evening. What these poems offer us, instead, is a path toward accepting the responsibility and actuality of the new world we can create, the world that becomes the tomorrow derived from our actions today.


text:
'Eyes Set Against The Sun' to be released on January 15th 2007 on Warp
If you go down to the woods today you're sure of a big surprise. Mira Calix is hunched down amongst the trees, fiddling with gear, smoking like a chimney. It's a bright spring day and she's been there all afternoon, fiddling, smoking, recording, twitching (in the ornithological sense). She's working on a track for her new album, Eyes Set Against The Sun. The track will eventually be called 'Protean'. The melody came to her first, and it suggested a 'pastoral' feeling. As it often does with this boundary-blurring, backwards-forwards songwriter, this feeling in turn conjured an image in her mind's eye – 'a landscape,' she says, 'but not one that I knew. A place that I'd never been.' But she knew this landscape was aflutter with birds. So she took herself and some of her electronic kit off into the forest near her house in Suffolk. Some hours later she returned to her little home studio. 'I let most of the file run,' she says. But as well as a beautiful cacophony of birdsong, 'there's lots of rustling where I'm walking through the woods,' she laughs. She kept these in 'Protean', which ended up a 157-second bucolic symphony. You can hear the birds; and if you can't hear the trees you can certainly feel them. You can also, if you listen carefully, hear the rustling of leg on leaf. 'Most people would chop that stuff out but I actually really like it. It adds to that live-ness. Which I really try and pull into my work, which is why I play all the notes rather than programme it.' Calix is keen on such 'errors'. So much so that 'I add more'. That way, 'it sounds more real. I like dirt. It's not just sonic dryness.' Similarly, the silences between and within songs matter. And the pauses in titles matter: she says, with the album pronunciation, it's Eyes Set [three beats/three spaces] Against The Sun. It all adds up to create a living, particular whole.
This is what Warp recording artist Mira Calix- aka Suffolk-dwelling South African expat Chantal Passamonte – does. She makes electronic music that breathes like an orchestra breathes. Folk music fashioned from broken beats and field recordings. Technologically-advanced soundscapes with the knobbly, wobbly bits kept in. You might call it avant-garde, but it's meant to make you smile, not frown; it's heart-warm, not ice-cool. Laptronica built using knackered bits of wood. Music that's fun for children – not just the ones who appear singing on it – and grown-ups too. 'I hate to use that word¦ organic,' she sighs reluctantly, in fact only using it because I made her. 'But I'm heavily influenced by my surroundings,' she says of the semi-wilderness in which she lives. 'Wooden instruments breathe – even if it's an old Korg! If you record some trees or knock two branches together, there's something in that. Oxygen or something. That might appear completely contrary to the technology I use. But that makes it more important to me bring that in.'
Eyes Set Against The Sun is Mira Calix's third 'studio' album after OneOnOne (2000) and Skimskitta (2003). The three years between albums is largely due to the profusion of commissions and engagements Calix has been undertaking for a range of European arts bodies and institutions – from Geneva's Natural History Musuem (Nunu, a 30-minute piece made using the sounds of insects), to London's Barbican (a site-specific piece to mark the opening of their Gallery), to music for a dance piece by Spain's Compania National de Danz. Then there are her ongoing international DJing commitments. In fact, there's too much detail to go into here. See Appendix A for a verbatim rundown of what Calix calls 'All my arty blah blah' (grammar and punctuation, composer's own). And see also the mini-album 3 Commissions (2004) for an elegant round-up of some of these works. It's all a long way from the previous life of this South African who came to Britain, pursuing her love of music, as a record shop manager and full-time DJ-cum-party-enthusiast. But there were other outside agents at work, too, in the genesis of Eyes Set Against The Sun. It began life in the wake – and in the midst – of Calix's work with sound designer/composer David Shepard and pianist Sarah Nicolls. Calix had met the pair while recording and touring Nunu with the London Sinfonietta (Shephard is a principal player, Nicolls a soloist). Together the three undertook a commission from the Ravello Festival, and the concomitant offer of rehearsal facilities by Aldeburgh Productions, parent organisation of the 60-years-young Suffolk-based Aldeburgh Festival, co-founded by Benjamin Britten. Working under the name Alexander's Annexe and making much use of Aldeburgh's Steinway, the trio assembled Push Door To Exit, an album built round the playing and manipulation of one piano. That album was released on Warp in early November, and was accompanied by a handful of special live shows.
Through her residency at Aldeburgh, Calix secured use of a violin player and of a local children's choir, The Woodbridge School Junior Choir. Their voices – treated, warped, echoed – appear on 'Because To Why', the opening track on Eyes Set Against The Sun. Calix loved the 'innocence and optimism' of the children's voices, and favoured their 'enthusiasm' over any vocal 'perfection'. She layered these on top of the edited highlights of two three-hour DATs she'd made of snow melting. 'That was great fun,' she says – cheerfully aware that, in less gifted hands,- the sound of snow melting would be but a snarky metaphor away from the sight of paint drying. 'Obviously I didn't seen much snow growing up,' she continues. 'There's something romantic to me about it – it becomes water and washes away. I love that it makes everything still and silent outside.'
The second track is 'The Stockholm Syndrome', buzzing with beats and the closest echo – but still not that close – to Calix's past immersion in the UK dance scene. 'The album doesn't necessarily need a banging interlude. But maybe it's just my slightly prickly self. It's a sort of slap in the face. It's the opposite of the norm – albums build to a crescendo, but here we start that way and then things unravel themselves.' On the other hand 'Eeilo', a spectral piano lament nudged by strings-led soundscapes, is more of a ravelling: 'I just started to work with a piano, building it up from melody lines. I work on a colouring-in principle. That probably describes my methods quite well.'
A central track (in every sense) is near 11-minutes-long 'The Way You Are When': the sound of an orchestra jostling for ear-space with electric crackles. Or is it liquid spatters? Insect chattering? A clanging scrapyard? It could be any of them, Calix will say, and is happy for the sonic blurring of the edges. Then, after some thought, she says that it 'goes back to wood. I brought back a bamboo xylophone from Indonesia and 'cause I didn't wax it started to fall apart. So I recorded it as it fell apart. All the instruments in this song are wooden. Pieces of wood make their own sounds, crumbling and tearing as they fall apart.' Later, it occurs to Calix that 'The Way You Are When' – with its ghostly cloud of voices lurking in the mix – means more than that. See Appendix B (emoticons, artist's own).
What else? What else in this most whirling, hypnotic, creaking, unsettling, uplifting, lo-fi-hi-fi of records?
'One Line Behind' features the school choir and Calix's voice, at its best – or worst – at 4am in the studio, ashtray overflowing, tea cups littering the floor, equipment warm from overuse. 'It was very much about this idea of building barriers. Doing the hermit, hiding-away thing. I do it more than just physically, I do it as a human being. I don't really let things out very much. But I do with music. It's the place where I'll be totally honest and express myself.'
There's a hidden track. The chopped-up sound of the children singing the album title. It ends, tremendously, in a football-style chant. 'Tillsammans', a dappled, delicate tune featuring glockenspiel (or whatever instrument it was) and weather, was equally inspired by Swedish director Lukas Moodysson's brilliant film of the same name (Together in English); by The Summer Book, the cult novel of an idealised summer on an island in the Gulf of Finland by Moomins author Tove Jansson; and by a gig that Calix did in a mineshaft in Sweden. 'There was a 33-second delay. It was weird. And they gave me a little summerhouse to stay in. And I liked the yellow in the Swedish flag.'
Ah, yellow. Mira Calix has a thing about colours. She sees her albums in terms of colours: the first one was red, the second one blue. Eyes Set Against The Sun is yellow. It's not synaesthesia ('a sensation experienced in a part of the body other than the part stimulated'). 'I don't hear a note and see blue but it just seems to be the way I function musically – pretty visually. It's on a pretty base level. I seem to get his feeling fairly early on. This time it was different tones – sunset yellow, sunflower yellow.' So 'The Stockholm Syndrome' is a fiery yellow. 'The Way You Are When' is 'almost an ambery yellow, going toward orange'. The album's name is hot, glowing yellow- which fits with some of the thinking behind it. 'It seems upturned to me,' says Calix of the title she chose for third album. 'I guess I feel optimistic,' she adds. She's referring to herself, to her own music, and to the music she's doing for others. She points out (with a mild squirm of embarrassment) how she's now moving in some circles with the mantle of 'contemporary classical composer'. Coming next: an opera for Aldeburgh Festival, with a libretto by author Blake Morrison that draws together Hansel & Gretel and (oh yes) the Elephant & Castle shopping centre in London.
Yep, it's a lot to get your head round, this mad swirl of ideas and collaborations and commissions and countries. But in Eyes Set Against The Sun, Mira Calix brilliantly, wonderfully draws many of her ambitions together. 'The idea that it's a coming out album – there is some truth in that,' concedes this dazzling yet hitherto elusive artist. The Yellow Thing makes sense too, even if you only listen with half as much care as she put it into its making.
Eyes Set Against The Sun: it's out-there. But it's in-here too.
Craig McLean, October 2006
Appendix A: All My Arty Blah Blah
i worked on an installation piece with italian artist felice limosani based on glass. it launched at the sketch gallery this year and will go on to tour around europe.. so still a work in progress i guess. Also i did some music for a dance piece for the Compania National de Danz of spain who performed in madrid in may last year. i wrote all the music for a circus piece performed at the bloomsbury theatre which then toured.. it was called lactic acid by the generating company – a bit like cirque de soleil – dance/circus people hanging from ropes etc.. pretty amazing watching people dance to my nutty rhythms. There was also a play at the national.. called free.. but the playrights name escapes me at the mo.. also worked on the music for a documentary series for the sundance channel on contmp american artist. done damien loeb so far, waiting to complete cecily brown and others. its a 4 parter. of course there is the elephant opera with blake/tim/tansy for aldeburgh festival and a choir piece for 2008 based on allegri's misere.. these big commissions get pulled in so far in advance there also has been a lot of touring with the sinfonietta of the nunu piece which i keep re-writing so every performance is different and feels like a living thing. Two really top mira calix live gigs i did last year both in paris – one in the planetarium at the cite de science with bernard parmigiani (one of the old masters) really amazing gig. and the other with the smith quartet and horacio vaggione at the original GRM studio using their diffusion system
Appendix B: 'The Way You Are When'
really its about things not being either black or white. that people are complex and that even if you experience one extreme emotion like happiness, its never just that. there are always shades of other feelings going on (maybe thats that that yellow thing going on ;-) ), the other extreme is sadness, and i feel like i always carry some of everything with me, even when a feeling seems clear so much else is part of it. i think everyone is like that. we're not so 2 dimensional. but when you write music it really brings it home to you.i can go into the studio feeling one way, but when i realise i feel so many more things, not just 'happy' or whatever..


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The Charles Hotel Munich - enjoy outstanding Service!
Get to know one of Munich`s finest hotels
Photo: Architecture at its best - facade of the The Charles Hotel
Luxury without Overstatement - simply Wellbeing
As much as I love Munich - many of the city`s luxury hotels are a bit outdated for my taste. Fortunately, there are a few exceptions - and The Charles Hotel (part of the exclusive Rocco Forte chain) is one of them. I can even say this place is now my favorite hotel in Bavaria`s charming capital. Why? I love the clear architecture without any frills (no wonder the architects won several awards). Excellent location in a new part of town, just opposite the old botanical garden and in walking distance to the central station and the major downtown attractions such as the town hall at Marienplatz. First-class service and, above all, a gastronomy second to none. Well-defined luxury with cool art all over the place but not "chichi". In short - your perfect home away from home.
Photo: Awesome place to chill - the lobby bar. - KHL
A very cool but yet cozy Ambiance
What a nice welcome. "My name is Philipp. If you need anything, I am at your disposal. May I escort you to your room?" The friendly receptionist tells me that the hotel has only 160 rooms. "We prefer to know our guests." - I like the fresh and modern style of the lobby with the outstanding photographies of Axel Crieger - black and white photos of famous actors such as Romy Schneider, Al Pacino and Robert de Niro. The lobby lounge with all its books looks very inviting. And I discover a Hemingway photo on the wall - a perfect match for this library-style bar. My room totally meets my expectation - good size, modern but cozy furniture and an awesome bathroom, cannot get enough of the shower. The heated floor is so pleasant - particularly on a pretty cold November day). Thumbs up! Philipp tells me that there is a direct lift to the spa and gym ... so no stop which will safe you from standing next to business people while you are wearing a bathrobe or sports dress - cool!
Photo: So very stylish - photography of actress Romy Schneider - KHL
A casual, excellent Restaurant - Sophia`s
Since April 2016 the Munich gastronomy has been enriched by a new top restaurant. The new concept "botanical bistronomy" (yes, we keep creating new expressions ;-)) reflects the location just next to the old botanical garden and the casual style, inspired by cool places in Paris, New York and London. You cannot miss the modern art on the wall and two trees in the middle of "Sophia`s". Plants, flower pots and herbs serve as decoration elements. Sip a cool cocktail made of veggies (would you ever expect beets in a cocktail? Give it a try!) and fruits (very tasty, promised!) in the adjacent bar with its Moroccan touch before enjoying your meal. Finest local ingredients and the creative cuisine by chef Michael Hüsken guarantee a wonderful treat for lunch or dinner. The homemade focaccia with onions and olives is to die for. Since it is fall, warm chestnuts with fresh garlic are served as amuse-gueule, followed by ravioli stuffed with sweet potatoes and mascarpone, along with parmesan cheese and sorrel. Healthy and tasty at the same time (well, if we exclude mascarpone, maybe ... but after all I am not on a diet). The loup de mer as main course is just excellent - and everything is served by charming Alisa who by the way knows a lot about wines. May I suggest her as "Employee of the Year"? - All in all - a perfect dining experience which increases my pleasant anticipation for breakfast the following day.
Photo: A truly awesome dining experience - Sophia`s at The Charles Hotel
Photo: Art at "Sophia`s" by Munich artist Friederike Straub - with a statement of Isaac Newton! - KHL
What a wonderful Start into the Day - Breakfast at "Sophia`s"!
Well, I am a big breakfast fan. This may be one of my few German characteristics. I even get up one hour earlier than necessary to slowly start the day with a great meal. And the breakfast buffet at "Sophia`s" is just h-e-a-v-e-n! I love the fresh fruit, the great selection of bread and juices and order an egg white omelette with avocado and pumpernickel bread- healthy food in anticipation of a quick workout later. And here she is again - Alisa serves an espresso which is as good as in Milan ... with a smile on her face. A ray of sunlight makes it way through the trees outside while I am listening to chillout music. Can the day start any better? I don`t think so.
Photo: Alisa preparing a delicious espresso - KHL
A Workout Quickie and no Relax at the Pool...
I had the firm intent to do something for my body after so much great food. And the gym at The Charles is worth a quick workout. Latest Technogym equipment and a very nice ambiance with pool view. While I am torturing myself on the treadmill, I can watch some guests lounging on the comfy deckchairs just next to the pool. I decide to resist a swim and lift a few dumbbells before having a look at the spa and the spectacular pool with its big piece of art. Next time I will take the time for a swim and a treatment for sure!
Photo: On my way to the gym - with another photo of Romy Schneider. - KHL
Photo: Pool with art - it happens at The Charles Hotel! - KHL
No Fly in the Ointment?
Hmmm ... I really tried to find something negative about this place but I did not succeed - honestly! I had a wonderful stay and would definitely like to come back in summer - enjoying a dinner on the terrace of "Sophia's", following Alisa`s wine recommendation. - And why not combining a few days in Munich with a nice stay in the Bavarian Alps? Das Kranzbach close to Garmisch-Partenkirchen would be perfect for this combination:
Photo: A deluxe room with a view - The Charles Hotel
Key Facts
* Hotel opening in 2007
* 160 rooms, thereof 24 suites including the Royal Suite Monforte
* Rooms have a standard size of at least 40 sqm, the largest size of all Munich hotels
* Digital flat screen TV, interactive video-on-demand system, free WiFi, air condition, safe, minibar and organic skincare in all rooms
* Conference facilities on 700 sqm and two floors
* Restaurant "Sophia`s" with "botanical bistronomy" concept
* The Charles Spa on 800 sqm with the longest hotel indoor pool in Munich. Heated relax deck chairs, steam bath, sauna, wellness showers and a modern gym
More information on https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resort...
Photo: The cool bar at Sophia's - The Charles Hotel
Photo: Green on black looks so good! - KHL


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Ugly Sweater style t-shirts for Everyday. These stylish novelty t-shirts feature funny quotes and sayings. Made of a triblend material they are comfortable and will quickly become your favorite t-shirt.
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Have a party to go to and you can't find that "Ugly Christmas Sweater"? No fear, get one of our fabulous t-shirts and you will be the life of the party. You will not only be comfortable (I know how hot is gets in sweaters on the west coast during Christmas) but fashionable too. These are not just for the holiday party fad, but they are for EVERYDAY. Be part of the cool crowd (literally) or just be a nerd like the rest of us!


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Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who threatened to burn a Koran (and eventually did), is running for president. And his campaign website, Stand Up America, just posted an article entitled, "8 Reasons to Impeach Obama."
"A US President can be disqualified and removed from office for 'Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors,'" the campaign statement begins. "We see Obama's 'service' to our country as a trail of bribery, fraud, intimidation and lies."
Among the actions that outrage Jones are:
- The president's continuing financial ties to ACORN;
- Allegations that the president used "illegal tactics such as ballot stuffing, falsifying documents, voter intimidation outside polling places, and threats of violence against Hillary Clinton supporters to gain votes for his 2008 primary election";
- His "refusal to release his long form birth certificate or the microfiche as well as his college records";
- "Car dealerships owned by minorities and women have been given special treatment by the Obama administration as part bailing out the auto industry. His administration is also responsible for the forced closing of a number of dealerships located in rural areas that did not vote for Obama";
- The president "attempted to bribe Rep. Joe Sestak with job offers to get him to drop out of the Senate primary race against Sen. Arlen Specter";
- The oil drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico;
- Ending Bush-era oil drilling contracts, thus depriving the nation of needed sources of energy; and
- "Obama's illegal practices are also greatly responsible for the legalization of abortion in Kenya by the spending of $23 million of taxpayer money through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)."
The Impeach Obama Campaign is not associated with Pastor Jones. Its founder, Floyd Brown, has strongly denounced the pastor. Many of the campaign's supporters disagreed with his stance at the time.
Whatever one's opinion of Jones' Koran-burning past, it seems he is thinking clearly on the impeachment issue today.


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Every day is another chance to discover the world. Explore Sardinia, Italy with a campervan hire from Salamanda Travel. We offer great deals and special discounts for that well-deserved holiday. Choose from our wide variety of motorhomes to suit your needs, your style and your budget.
If you're from the main Italian peninsula, say from Genoa, you can visit Olbia and the entire Sardinia through the Port of Olbia. The pier of Isola Bianca is where you will be landing off from and from there you can visit the shops and restaurant in Olbia.
Sardinian food is a mix of seafood and the freshest fish and other flavours that suit fancies from all over the world. Bottarga or botargo are grey mullet of tuna fish eggs that are considered a delicacy in Sardinia. Most people who are only discovering Olbia request for a taste of the sharp, salty taste of the roe. It can be eaten alone or could served accompanied with bread or pasta.
Pecorino sardo, which is also known as fiore sardo or the Sardinian pecorino cheese, is made from sheep milk and is firm. The cheese is widely known in the world as a symbol for Sardinia.
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Welcome to the Child Care Aware of NH Job Board!
*Please note that the sign-in for the Job Board is not related to the sign-in for the NH Professional Registry. These are two separate web pages
Click here to access Child Care Aware of NH's Employment Opportunity How To Guide.
Looking for employment?
Click here to visit our Early Childhood Employment Opportunities page.
To search for a position in an early childhood setting near you, Child Care Aware of New Hampshire, offers this job search feature for individuals to explore potential employment opportunities. Please note that these opportunities are available through the individual programs or entities posting. We do not endorse any particular program or position, they are offered as a courtesy to early childhood professionals seeking new employment and are posted by these programs through our site.
Looking to post an employment opportunity?
Click here to visit our Submit Employment Opportunity page.
Use this page to post early childhood employment opportunities throughout the state.
Looking to manage your employment opportunity postings?
Click here to visit the Job Dashboard.
On this page, you will be able to mark a position as full, edit, duplicate and delete post that you have created.


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New Delhi, August 5, 2015: To curb road accidents, it is necessary to have compulsory traffic training at secondary school level, said Delhi Orthopaedic Association (DOA), which is also planning to give a petition to Delhi Government in this regard.
The Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA) has marked this year for 'Road Safety' on the occasion of National Bone & Joint Day.
The Delhi chapter of IOA is running an awareness campaign to highlight menace associated with road accidents.
"The theme this year is 'Road Safety Awareness' because of the alarming figures of death and disability due to RTA (Road Traffic Accident) which places a huge economic and social strain on the family as well the society at large."
"Data suggest that on Indian roads, there is one serious injury every minute and one death every four minutes."
"Delhi stands dubiously distinct with the highest number of traffic accident related deaths amongst all cities in India. Public awakening at large is the only way forward," Dr Anmol Maria, President of Delhi Orthopaedic Association, said.
Road transport shares 4.8 per cent of economical contribution towards GDP in India but the loss to the Indian economy due to fatalities and accident injuries is estimated at 3 per cent of GDP.
On top of that, more than 52 per cent of road accident victims in India are in the age group of 25-65 years.
Pedestrians, bicycle and two-wheelers account for around 39 per cent of the fatalities.
Sharing data on road accidents, Dr Dhananjay Gupta, Secretary of Delhi Orthopaedic Association, said, "Last year 2,199 fatalities were attributable to road accidents in Delhi, which is the highest amongst all cities in India. Compared to last year, there is 3 per cent rise in fatalities in Ghaziabad area alone."
"In NCR, the age group affected the most unfortunately is between 15 to 29 years. Over-speeding accounts for almost 31 per cent of the cases, 39 per cent owe to careless driving, poor weather conditions claimed 3.2 per cent cases and 1.6 per cent cases account due to drug/alcohol influence," Gupta said.


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18 May 2017
Senior Company Secretary Guernsey or Jersey
Job DescriptionOur client is a private bank and wealth management company is seeking to recruit a Senior Company Secretary. This role is open for candidates who are either based in Guernsey or Jersey. Key responsibilities will include: • Provide timely company secretarial and governance support to the company's Group of companies, including end to end organisation and administration of board meetings and board and senior management committees. • Provide advice to executive and non-executive directors and staff across the group on company secretarial and corporate governance matters, as appropriate. • Implement processes and procedures to ensure the highest standards and best practice are maintained. To maintain knowledge of all main functions within Secretariat and deputise for other staff members as required. • Develop strong relationships with senior management, compliance, risk, finance and tax departments across the Group and the wider company's network to ensure that appropriate board reports and papers are generated. The successful candidate will have: • Proven company secretarial experience gained working at Board level for UK, Channel Islands and / or Gibraltar Companies • Ability to maintain the confidence of stakeholders at a senior level inside and outside the organisation. • Self-starter with a proactive and flexible approach to their work, able to exercise a high degree of initiative and resourcefulness in problem solving; • Good interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills. For more information please email: firstname.lastname@example.com or call: +44 1481 723221. Please visit our website www.pa.gg for our latest vacancies.
Apply for this job by clicking the link below:
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Fresh and sweet air, leisurely meandering river, green woods flying with river bank, fragrance of flowers and grasses flowing with spring breeze...March 29, Germany local time, beside the Poetic Rhine river, SOUNDKING EUROPE GmbH grandly opened. After half a year of careful preparation with millions of investment, the company will develop, deal and sell Soundking core products, this is an important strategic measure for Soundking to expand into the European map.
At 11 am, Mayor of Cologne, Dr. Christian Moser, president of Soundking,Mr Wang Xianggui, vice president of Soundking, Ms. Chen Zhong, general manager of SOUNDKING EUROPE GmbH, Mr. Markus, Soundking team and CEOs from more than 100 top companies in the global audio and video industry attended the opening ceremony and the new product launching event.
Soundking president Mr. Wang Xianggui delivered the welcome speech that Cologne as a modern international metropolis has gathered a lot of high-quality resources, it is a treasure land for investment, providing a unique condition for Soundking to expand the European market, and Soundking will increase investment in the future to create a European technology exchange base and provide better service to partners across Europe.
Soundking president Mr. Wang Xianggui delivering speech
That day, mayor of Cologne Dr. Christian Moser attended the ceremony and offered his congratulations, saying Cologne boasts excellent environment for trade, many of Europe's top companies are gathered here, the establishment of SOUNDKING EUROPE GmbH will bring new development opportunities to Cologne's economy and 'Made in China' will certainly stand on the world stage.
Mayor of Cologne Dr.Christian Moser(3rd from the left)
attended the ceremony and offered his gifts
Unveiling ceremony
Ribbon-cutting ceremony
Modern large exhibition hall created by SOUNDKING EUROPE GmbH with millions of investment exhibits core products which can be used in stadiums, cinemas, meeting rooms, theaters and many other venues.
At the launch of the new product, Soundking released an ultra-compact and powerful multifunctional digital vertical array system; easy-to-operate digital mixer series; pearl in the mixer world——Cadac mixer exclusively chosen by Royal Opera House; speaker arrays suitable for a variety of stadiums, theaters and mobile live performances;versatile speakers for a wide range of large, medium and small sized meeting rooms; digital POE speaker for audio and video transmission; electronic drum series with beautiful appearance and excellent performance; exclusively patented elevation rack with unique design; network recording microphone series that meets the needs of multiple occasions which can switch among four modes; cost-effective digital audio processor with good field control capability, digital professional amplifier and other products, offering all-round display of Soundking's diversified whole industry chain, fully demonstrating the relentless pursuit of Soundking in international intelligent audio and video industry.
SOUNDKING EUROPE GmbH general manager Mr. Markus making introduction of new products
In 2019, Soungking accelerated the pace of development, SOUNDKING(Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd and the subsidiary in Australia have begun operation. After the establishment of SOUNDKING EUROPE GmbH, Soundking will set up a number of joint-stock companies, constantly expanding the enterprise map, gathering talents and forming a global marketing strategy.The new carrier of the international audio and video industry has set sail! Welcome more elite of the industry to join Soundking!


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Supply of eSourcing System
We are looking for a versatile, comprehensive and flexible system which is easy to use from both a Buyer and a Supplier's perspective.
United Kingdom-Redcar: Procurement software package
Contract notice
Directive 2004/18/EC
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name, addresses and contact point(s)
Cente for Process Innnovation Limited
Wilton Centre, Wilton
For the attention of: Rosanne Ryott
TS10 4RF Redcar
Telephone: +44 1740625751
E-mail: email@example.com
Internet address(es):
General address of the contracting authority: www.uk-cpi.com
Electronic access to information: www.uk-cpi.com/tenders
Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)
I.2)Type of the contracting authority
I.3)Main activity
I.4)Contract award on behalf of other contracting authorities
The contracting authority is purchasing on behalf of other contracting authorities: yes
The Cell Therapy Catapult
12th Floor Tower Wing, Guys Hospital, Great Maze Pond
SE1 9RT London
The Digital Catapult
101 Euston Road
NW1 2RA London
Energy Systems Catapult
6220 Bishops Court, Birmingham Business Park
B37 7YB Birmingham
Future Cities Catapult
The Urban Innovation Centre, 1 Sekforde Street
EC1R 0BE London
Advanced Forming Research Centre
University of Strathclyde, 85 Inchinnan Drive, Inchinnan
PA4 9LJ Renfrew
AMRC with Boeing
University of Sheffield, Advanced Manufacturing Park, Wallis Way, Catcliffe
S60 5TZ Rotherham
MTC Ltd
Ansty Park
CV7 9JU Coventry
The National Composites Centre
Feynman Way Central, Bristol and Bath Science Park, Emersons Green
BS16 7FS Bristol
Nuclear AMRC
University of Sheffield, Advanced Manufacturing Park, Brunel Way, Catcliffe
S60 5WG Rotherham
WMG Centre HVM Catapult
International Digital Laboratory, University of Warwick
CV4 7AL Coventry
Precision Medicines
12 Hay Hill
W1J 8NR London
National Renewable Energy Centre
Offshore House, Albert Street
NE24 1LZ Blyth
Satellite Applications Catapult
Electron Building, Fermi Avenue, Harwell
OX11 0QR Oxford
Transport Systems Catapult
The Pinnacle, 170 Midsummer Boulevard
MK9 1BP Milton Keynes
Section II: Object of the contract
II.1.1)Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority:
II.1.2)Type of contract and location of works, place of delivery or of performance
NUTS code UK
II.1.3)Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)
II.1.4)Information on framework agreement
Framework agreement with a single operator
Duration of the framework agreement
Duration in years: 4
Estimated total value of purchases for the entire duration of the framework agreement
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 50 000 and 300 000 GBP
II.1.5)Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
The system should be currently fully commercially available and well supported, ideally it will be widely used by procurement professionals and bespoke modifications should be kept to a minimum.
II.1.6)Common procurement vocabulary (CPV)
II.1.7)Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
II.1.9)Information about variants
II.2.1)Total quantity or scope:
This tender will establish a single supplier framework agreement of 4 (four) years duration and establish general terms of business and fixed prices for the provision of an eSourcing system. This framework agreement will be available for use by any of the Catapult Centres, each of whom is able to call off against the framework and enter into a specific contract with the appointed supplier.
The services required include but are not limited to the following:
— Provision of an eSourcing system;
— Off-premises hosting of the eSourcing system;
— Development of the eSourcing system where required in order to meet the technical specification;
— User licences;
— User training;
— Technical support;
— Future developments, customisation, software update and/or amendments to the system.
Estimated value excluding VAT:
Range: between 50 000 and 300 000 GBP
II.2.2)Information about options
Options: yes
Description of these options: Set out in the tender document which is available to download from www.uk-cpi.com/tenders
II.2.3)Information about renewals
II.3)Duration of the contract or time limit for completion
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1.1)Deposits and guarantees required:
III.1.2)Main financing conditions and payment arrangements and/or reference to the relevant provisions governing them:
III.1.3)Legal form to be taken by the group of economic operators to whom the contract is to be awarded:
III.1.4)Other particular conditions
III.2.1)Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Please refer to the tender document which can be found at www.uk-cpi.com/tenders
III.2.2)Economic and financial ability
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met: Please refer to the tender document which can be found at www.uk-cpi.com/tenders
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required: Please refer to the tender document which can be found at www.uk-cpi.com/tenders
III.2.3)Technical capacity
Information and formalities necessary for evaluating if the requirements are met:
Please refer to the tender document which can be found at www.uk-cpi.com/tenders
Minimum level(s) of standards possibly required:
Please refer to the tender document which can be found at www.uk-cpi.com/tenders
III.3.1)Information about a particular profession
III.3.2)Staff responsible for the execution of the service
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1.1)Type of procedure
IV.1.3)Reduction of the number of operators during the negotiation or dialogue
IV.2.1)Award criteria
IV.2.2)Information about electronic auction
IV.3.1)File reference number attributed by the contracting authority:
IV.3.2)Previous publication(s) concerning the same contract
IV.3.3)Conditions for obtaining specifications and additional documents or descriptive document
IV.3.4)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
IV.3.6)Language(s) in which tenders or requests to participate may be drawn up
IV.3.7)Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
IV.3.8)Conditions for opening of tenders
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1)Information about recurrence
VI.2)Information about European Union funds
Reference to project(s) and/or programme(s): The Catapult Centres run projects which are Part-Funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and these projects may fund purchases called off against this framework.
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice:


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Yom Kippur Evening Service, Kol Nidre is Tuesday, October 8 at both Temple Beth El and FAU at 8:00 pm. Tickets are required and available for pick up beginning at 7:00 pm. Yom Kippur morning services are both at Temple Beth El and FAU on Wednesday, October 9 at 10:00 am. Tickets are required and can be picked up prior to services at both Temple Beth El and FAU.
The Family Participation Service is at 2:00 pm Wednesday at FAU. Tickets are required.
The Young Children's Service is at 2:00 pm Wednesday at Temple Beth El. No tickets are required.
Yom Kippur Afternoon Service is at 3:45 pm Wednesday at Temple Beth El in the Sanctuary and Community Yizkor is at 3:30 pm at Temple Beth El in the Chapel.
View full service schedule. We look forward to seeing you! L'Shanah Tova
You must request tickets for each member of your family. Tickets will be provided when at least one third of your 2019-2020 Congregational Commitment has been paid, and there are no outstanding past–due balances. Payments can be paid online.
We welcome your family and friends to High Holy Day services. Guest tickets are $180 per person for the entire holiday, or $90 for each holiday. All are welcome! Due to space considerations, guest tickets are for FAU services only (except for Rosh HaShanah Evening Services, Second Day of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur afternoon services when we celebrate together at Temple Beth El.) If you are a member and are bringing a guest we ask that you attend services with them at FAU.
Members must request special tickets for this service. Tickets are included as part of the congregational commitment.
Adult guest tickets are $180 and student tickets are $90 for children ages 8-12. Tickets can be used at both Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur Family Participation services. Children younger than 8 should attend the Young Children's Service. Family Participation Guest ticket holders are also welcome to worship with us on Erev and Second Day Rosh HaShanah and Yizkor/Ne'ilah at Temple Beth El and on Kol Nidre and Congregational Worship Morning Services at FAU.
Members may choose to celebrate services either at FAU or at Temple Beth El.
Simultaneous services will be held at the Student Union/Kaye Auditorium at Florida Atlantic University and in the Rabbi Merle E. Singer Sanctuary at Temple Beth El's Schaefer Family Campus for the first First Day of Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur Evening, and Yom Kippur Morning.
If you are a member and are bringing a guest we ask that you attend services with them at FAU.
Guests who are not members of Temple Beth El must attend services at FAU.
Second Day Rosh HaShanah services will take place at Temple Beth El Only.
There will be a community Yizkor service (no tickets required) on Yom Kippur afternoon at 3:30 pm in the Chapel at Temple Beth El.
Convenient parking has been secured in nearby lots on the FAU campus. Details will be included with High Holy Day tickets.
FAU Student Union/Kaye Auditorium is located on FAU's Boca Raton Campus at 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, just east of I-95.
On Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur Day you may park in any available spot in lots 10, 12, 13, 14 or 15. Shuttle buses will run throughout the day beginning one hour before services and will end approximately one hour after services. Pick up will be clearly marked at both the south entrance of the Basketball Arena (directly across from the athletic field house) and at the entrance to the Tom Oxley Athletic Center. It is also a quick walk east on Volusia Street, crossing over West University Drive and following the covered walkway into the north entrance of the Student Union.
On Yom Kippur Evening (Kol Nidre) you may park in any available spot in any parking lot including the parking garage on Volusia Street (PG1). If the spot is metered, you must pay for it. There are no shuttle buses.
To get to the lots, enter the main entrance of FAU at Glades Road and 10th Avenue (West University Drive). For lot 15, make your second left. If lot 15 is full continue to the traffic light at Volusia Street. Make a left onto Volusia and the first right into lot 10. If lot 10 is full, you may take the third right into lots 12, 13 and 14.
To get to the Volusia garage, enter the main entrance of FAU at Glades Road and 10th Avenue (West University Drive). Turn right at the second traffic light onto Volusia Street. Make the first left into the garage. After you have parked your vehicle, exit the garage to the South, cross Volusia Street and follow the covered walkway to the auditorium.
Temple Beth El Schaefer Family Campus north and south lots will be available for parking. Overflow parking will be available at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church across the street, and Church on the Hill, just north of Temple Beth El.
Please park in designated parking spots only and observe handicapped and reserved parking signs.
For Temple Beth El members who will be attending services out of the area, please fill out the Reciprocity Request and we will make the request for tickets on your behalf.


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Stay up to date about new collection releases and special promotions.
Dimensions: 20" diameter
This round wood wall art is bordered with natural, cotton rope, and incorporates bohemian macrame accents for a relaxed piece of unique artwork. A natural wood ring is installed at the top for easy installation in your favorite space.
Due to handmade nature of this piece and the highly variable essence of wood grain, final appearance may vary slight from the images shown here.


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Monday 5th September, 7p.m. in the Hindmarsh Hall
Northumbria Blood Bikes
In critical situations, blood or other medical items need to be delivered urgently in order to save a patient's life. Blood bikes, with their distinctive livery, emergency lights, and narrow profile, can quickly get through busy traffic reaching the destination sooner.
Northumbria Blood Bikes is a charitable organisation established by local volunteers to deliver essential blood and urgent medical supplies, out of hours, between hospitals and healthcare sites and laboratories in North East England.
12 August 2016
Our volunteers have completed 10,000 jobs since going live on 03/02/14.


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Jiro dreams of sushi, but Barack Obama dreams of Tempura. At Tempura Kondo, to be exact.
In 2014, the ex-US President visited Japan and as a special treat, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intended to take him Tempura Kondo. The story goes that Fumio Kondo – the head chef after which the restaurant is eponymously named – refused to cancel existing reservations to make room for Mr POTUS, and so Abe had to resort to Sukiyabashi Jiro. Yes, Japan's most famous restaurant was plan B. Upon the meal's completion, Mr Obama purportedly said – in perhaps the most understated sentence of the year – 'that's some good sushi right there'.
I wonder what he would have said about Tempura Kondo.
Date Last Visited: 31 July 2017
Address: 5-5-13 Ginza Chuo Tokyo
Highlight Dishes: prawn heads, onion, eel, sweet potato, tencha
Price Guide (approx): ~10,000 JPY ($115 AUD at time of writing)
Tempura has been one of the central pillars of Japanese cuisine for hundreds of years, but it was actually the Spanish & Portuguese that introduced the notion of deep frying during the 16th century. Of course the Japanese, being the exacting perfectionists they are, transformed it into a cooking style that is now truly their own.
Splashing out over a hundred dollars on a meal where the highlight involves immersing comestibles in scalding hot oil tends to raise eyebrows. In a world where deep frying is associated with the words 'fast', 'cheap' and – quite often – 'junk', tempura-ya (ya = Japanese for restaurant) face a tough challenging rising to the occasion of what one would consider a 'special occasion meal'.
But just like how sushi can span the gamut from pocket change sushi trains to $400+ experiences such as 'Plan B' Sukiyabashi Jiro (totally worth it, btw!) in Tokyo or Masa in NYC, so too do tempura restaurants earn their keep and adoration from gourmands all over.
Tempura Kondo, with Fumio Kondo at the helm, proudly boasts two Michelin Stars. This isn't the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as Michelin's relevance in Japan is greatly diminished vs in Europe; however, in this case, it's safe to say that the guide is quite close to the mark. Two stars is a restaurant that demonstrates 'excellent cooking, worth a detour'. It's a bar that Kondo easily meets.
My first challenge with Tempura Kondo wasn't attempting to reserve it (oh hi, Matsukawa), but to merely find it. Located on level 7 of a nondescript, slender office building in the heart of Tokyo's Ginza district, Kondo sure didn't make it easy. For those who can't read Japanese, it's especially troublesome as there is no English signage. Even the Japanese sign is smaller in size than a car's licence plate – and the text far smaller still. For those intending to visit, please leave yourself with plenty of time just in case. You don't want to be that person that shows up embarrassingly late: we all know what the Japanese think of tardiness (even if it's in the other direction!)
Eventually, I found the right building, and after fifteen stuffy seconds in a claustrophic elevator that felt like forever, arrived to be greeted by Kondo's noren (doorway curtains). Like most high-end restaurants in Japan, the aesthetic is one of pragmatism and Japanese sensibility. Unembellished woodwork adorns the restaurant, being so ubiquitous I couldn't even call it trendy.
The plain wooden counters are set low enough such that almost nothing gets in the way between the diner and the chefs at work. There are two rooms, at the front and back. I was seated in the back room which unfortunately meant I couldn't interact with Kondo-san himself. On the plus side, the extra space means Tempura Kondo actually can seat more than a handful of people – which means easier reservations! That said, it's still not so big that I didn't feel slightly self-conscious being the only foreigner amongst Japanese locals.
Whatever, I'm here for the tempura. If this is the first time seeing anything like this, prepare to get out some chalk: it's time to draw a new baseline.
Where 'tempura' differs itself from 'deep frying' is in the batter. Most recipes only involve three ingredients: wheat flour, corn or potato starch, and carbonated water. A speciously simple thing – with the reality being anything but. Tempura chefs coat produce with the batter only lightly, and fry to specific temperatures in such a way that the result is always wafer-light & airy yet crunchy, with the produce cooked through to perfection without actually sullying its natural flavours. The frying process is effectively a flash-fry, sealing everything – all the flavour – within. Best of all, good tempura should never be an unctuous experience: eating at a tempura-ya like Kondo left me feeling ready to go onto my next meal, as opposed to turning into a beached whale.
Of course, at Tempura Kondo, all of this was a given. The produce, no matter whether it's an insanely good tamanegi (onion) from Hokkaido, a perfect satsumaimo (sweet potato) from Aichi or dainty kisu (Japanese whitebait) from Shikoku, all of it was treated with excellence. The batter always played second fiddle, allowing the produce to shine through consistently. Yet, the batter was essential, adding to (but never detracting from) whatever was deep-fried. Despite all my rhetoric on tempura's fancy-schmancy nature, it's still a universal truth that deep frying tends to make delicious things even more so.
At Kondo, I was given the choice of two menus. There's the sumire, for smaller eaters with 9 pieces of vegetables & seafood, plus a special rice dish at the end for 6600JPY ($77 AUD). More voracious appetites ought to opt for the tsubaki, which adds a few more pieces and goes for 8800JPY ($102 AUD). Interestingly, Kondo seems to make a particular point in allowing diners to add (at extra cost of 500JPY) a course of tempura satsumaimo (sweet potato) which is not included in either menu.
Whichever one you opt for, recognise that this is incredible value for a 2 Michelin-starred restaurant. While there has been a recent trend for the red guide to bestow stars on ultra-cheap eateries in South-East Asia, Japan + Michelin = still expensive. For a meal like this to cost the ballpark of a dinner at a mid-range bistro in Sydney is quite the something. No bank to be broken here.
Both menus are served omakase-style, in which the diner makes no choices – 'leaving it to the chef'. Individual, seasonally-dependent elements are deep-fried, and served one at a time. In its pure form, tempura in Japan is eaten with nothing but a dab of high quality salt. However, most tempura-ya – Kondo included – provision a light dashi and grated daikon, specifically designed to match tempura. I personally find that seafood pieces go well with only salt, as the meat itself is plenty flavourful, while vegetables tend to do well with dashi – the umami of the condiment bringing out the subtler notes of the season's harvest.
My lunch at Kondo started with prawn heads, deep fried to a golden crispiness, consumed whole. Easily one of the more flavourful pieces, the prawn heads are another example of why the entire prawn can – and should – be eaten. The heads were soon followed by the rest of its body, with supple flesh that responded very well to some salt.
The starters quickly progressed into a series of vegetables and seafood: crisp, juicy asparagus; an eggplant that somehow held together despite it almost melting in my mouth; a kisu (Japanese whitebait) that pretty much did melt; a bittersweet, succulent capsicum; and best of this lot – a simple renkon (lotus root). Each and every piece simply tasted like their best selves, nothing less.
Things really picked up in the second act, with a magochi (bartail flathead) which truly brings credence to the saying 'the uglier they are, the better they taste'. This fish, hideous in life, was delicious in death: it's probably up there as one of the best pieces of fried fish I've ever had. And all it needed was a little dab of salt.
Then out came a gorgeous, perfectly-cooked onion (look at those layers), a flavour bomb of an anago (conger eel), and then the much-anticipated sweet potato. It was perhaps somewhat overrated; however, I could not deny that this was a damn fine example of the starchy vegetable. Needless to say, it was fine just by itself (please don't add salt to a sweet potato…please).
At this point, the rice course came out. So I might have lied a little when I said you didn't have to choose anything other than the menu. My choice was the kakiage ten-cha – literally a mass of prawn meat deep fried with honewort sitting atop a bed of steamed rice. A light miso dashi is poured in and the dish is eaten like a rice soup. The alternative is to have the kakiage served as a tendon, which eschews the soup, with a much stronger dipping sauce on the side in its place.
While I can't speak for the tendon, my ten-cha was one of the tastiest courses on which to end the meal. I wasn't bothered at all that soup and deep fried stuff – usually two things you wouldn't want to mix – were married in this dish. Sure, the prawns did eventually get 'soggy', but it was all just so tasty! The rice also serves as a final gut-filler, though they don't know this blogger: thanks for trying though.
Dessert was a simple affair of fruit: peeled peach wedges, at their peak in summer. No fanficully-plated, multi-element dessert. No complaints.
Like so many other Japanese restaurants, the meal was a performance. Watching the chefs prepare and cook the food directly in front of you is not only satisfying (even if I have to say tempura chefs aren't as interesting as sushi chefs), but also hides nothing. Any diner can see right there that there is no back-stage magic, no excuse for anything but the best quality.
That said, despite being party to this unadulterated, edible show of pristine produce, it would be unreasonable to expect the world. Yes, Tempura Kondo and other tempura-ya in its likeness present tempura on a whole new level; however, it would be hyperbolic of me to say my experience here was life changing. Temper your tempura expectations, but expect it to be excellent.
But in the end, I suppose I'll have to paraphrase Mr Obama's words:
'That's some good tempura right there.'
This post is based on an independently-paid visit to Tempura Kondo in Tokyo, Japan.
Hankering for more Japan goodness? Check out some of these posts below!
- One of the best meals I've ever had: Matsukawa in Tokyo
- A refined kaiseki experience at Kichisen, Kyoto
- Or for a portal to Japan that's right here in Sydney, Sasaki
The Good:
- Tempura that's literally and figuratively on another level (level 7, to be precise)
The Bad:
- The omakase can get a little samey
The Ugly:
- Kondo and restaurants like it will spoil tempura for you!
Would I return: yes!
I have a new scoring system! Read all about it here.
Most important takeaway – three separate scores for food, service and ambience to give the final score. The new system is not compatible with any score given prior to 11/11/2014.
7.5/10 Caesars


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Two ghosts I know once traded heads
And shrieked and shook their sheets to shreds –
'You're me!' yelled one, 'and me, I'm you!
Now who can boo the loudest boo?'
'Me!' cried the other, and for proof
He booed a boo that scared the roof
Right off our house. The TV set
Jumped higher than a jumbo jet.
The first ghost snickered. 'Why, you creep,
Call that a boo? That feeble beep?
Hear this!' – and sucking in a blast
Of wind, he puffed his sheet so vast
And booed so hard, a passing goose
Lost all its down. The moon shook loose
And fell and smashed to smithereens –
Stars scattered like spilled jellybeans.
'How's that for booing, boy? I win,'
Said one. The other scratched a chin
Where only bone was – 'Win or lose?
How can we tell whose boo is whose?'
– by X J Kennedy


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U.S. crude oil futures fell on Monday as profit-taking hit commodities markets amid mounting concerns about a slowing economy and continued banking and credit uncertainty.
Crude futures retreated only after reaching a record peak near $112, lifted by the weak dollar. Refined products futures ended down sharply on Monday.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April crude dropped $4.53, or 4.11 percent, to settle at $105.68 a barrel, trading as low as $103.23 after reaching a record $111.80.
In London, Brent was also lower.
Gold struck a record of $1,030.80 an ounce before falling to a $999.80.
Crude oil prices had risen by about 16 percent so far this year to the record high, driven in part by the weakness of the U.S. dollar, which makes raw materials priced in dollars relatively cheap, and as fund-managers seek a hedge against inflation.
Global stocks and the U.S. dollar fell sharply on Monday after JPMorgan Chase agreed to buy rival investment bank Bear Stearnsfor a rock-bottom price.
At the same time, the U.S. Federal Reserve expanded lending to securities firms for the first time since the Great Depression in an attempt to shore up confidence.
Ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have repeatedly said high oil prices are not related to fundamentals, but are the result of speculation and the U.S. dollar's fall.
"There is no problem at all with world oil inventories," Kuwait's acting oil minister Mohammad al-Olaim said in comments published by state news agency KUNA on Monday.
Some oil executives have also said fundamentals of supply and demand do not explain oil price strength.
"From the physical point of view there is no high alarm," Royal Dutch Shell's Chief Executive Jeroen van der Veer said at a news conference. "It's difficult to understand why the oil price is where it is."
But he said prices were expected to stay volatile.
"We think that is quite likely because there is so much uncertainty around it, whilst the physical flow is basically the same as when the oil price was a lot lower."


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Most parrots love to take regular baths. Goldie my sun conure is no exception to that. She usually likes to take a bath around 3 times a week and in the summer it's usually every other day.
Goldie oftentimes is sitting on my shoulder while I am doing things around the house. She usually knows what she wants and will let me know one way or the other when it's time for a bath. It's when I go in the kitchen and run the water in the sink that she will let me know that she wants a bath. She will lean into the running water and make a little noise that sounds like a soft grunt to let me know that she wants to take a bath.
Goldie doesn't take a bath in the sink however. She has a little white tub that she likes filled with cold water. Yes cold water. If I put warm water in the tub she won't get in it. She will dunk her head in the cold water first and then get in and dunk her head again. She doesn't like help taking a bath and frankly it angers her if I try to help, so I just stand back and watch.
After she has finished, I dry her off as much as possible and after that she usually wants to snuggle against my head and shoulder for a while.
Every parrot is unique in their bathing habits. Some like to be misted. Goldie my sun conure hates that and will scream. Some parrots like to take a bath in the kitchen sink. Goldie doesn't like it either and most of the time detests running water except when she wants a bath. And some parrots love to take showers. No my sun conure doesn't like that either.
A regular bath really benefits the overall well being of parrots and sun conures. Goldie is generally calmer and happier when she gets a regular bath. Finding out which way they prefer their baths is another matter, and is part of the unique individual personality of each pet bird. New parrot owners have to experiment to find out their birds preferences. With Goldie, it took some trial and error before I got it right. Now she really enjoys her baths.
Related Posts


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The Port and City of Bellingham announced today (Dec. 17, 2012) the full package of draft regulatory documents and plans for The Waterfront District are complete and are being handed off to the City Planning and Community Development Department to prepare for the formal legislative review process.
"While we recognize this is just the beginning of the next round of public discussion of the plan, completion of these documents is a significant milestone for the project," said Mayor Kelli Linville. "Our City and Port staff teams worked diligently to meet our shared goal of finishing these key proposals by the end of the year. We're proud to let the community know these draft documents and agreements are complete, and the next important steps of the process are about to begin."
To mark this milestone and to thank the many stakeholders and staff who have worked on the project, Linville and Fix are hosting a Document Handoff Celebration at 3 p.m. today in the Lobby of City Hall, 210 Lottie St. Members of the Port Commission and City Council are expected to take part, along with Port and City staff and advisory group members who have helped with the project during the past eight years.
"Since 2005, hundreds of community members have taken part in meetings to share their ideas and a dedicated core of Waterfront Futures Group and Waterfront Advisory Group volunteers have helped create these documents," Port Executive Director Rob Fix said. "We want to thank them and recognize the good work that has been done so far to address complex issues and complete a package of documents that is designed to deliver the community vision for the waterfront."
These documents chart the course for decades of redevelopment work on 237 acres of Bellingham's waterfront. Most of the property was used by Georgia Pacific in its long operation of a large pulp and paper mill. The Port acquired the property in 2005. Because this brownfield redevelopment project requires a lasting Port and City investment partnership, the package of documents includes not only a subarea plan and development regulations, but also detailed implementation agreements between the Port and City describing commitments and creating certainty for future investments in the site.
In early December, the Waterfront Advisory Group completed its latest review of the Draft Subarea Plan and Development Regulations, focusing on changes that were made to a 2010 version of the documents. Their comments and recommendations will be submitted to the Planning Commission for consideration.
In addition to those documents, the complete package includes: a Development Agreement; an Environmental Impact Statement; a Planned Action Ordinance; and an Interlocal Agreement for Facilities Within the Waterfront District. All documents are available on the City and Port websites for public review.
Beginning in January, the City will launch its regulatory process that begins with a comprehensive Planning and Community Development Department analysis of all documents and meetings with several City advisory groups to examine specific elements of the draft plans, including the Transportation Commission, Parks Board and Historic Preservation Commission.
This will be followed by the Planning Commission's review and public hearing process, scheduled to begin in the spring. Once the Planning Commission has made its recommendations to the City Council the agreements will be considered for final action by the Port Commission and City Council. The full process is expected to take about a year.


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Thanks for sharing Preston Bailey's response with us. It was EXCELLENT!!!He covered all the points that came to my mind and I appreciate VERY much that he took the time to address these issues. Wouldn't it be nice if all of my memories leading up to the Nephilim was just a deception and all I had to do was just deny my memories and then I would be free?!!! Think about it, these memories were buried for close to 50 years and think of the hell we've been through just getting out of the cult and along come these guys saying I would be free if I only realized I was deceived about being a Nephilim mother. I guess that also means I would have to believe that my life leading up to the birth of the sons was also just an illusion. Unfortunately, they don't realize that I spent over 50 years trying to deny this reality and now it is time to own up, take responsibility!! I just don't understand how they can so calmly and almost callously brush away the horror of the last 61 years of my life and say it is all a deception. Do you think if I could dis-believe my life then I would no longer deal with major PTSD and I would no longer have horrific body memories? I don't think so…I've been there and done that…IT'S CALLED DISSOCIATION!!!!! Dissociation is no longer working so that means I can no longer live in denial about what I experienced!!
Constantina Bontrager