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Facebook's algorithm is changing to demote "engagement bait," so hoteliers need to focus on organic and authentic content.
REPORT FROM THE U.S.—Facebook recently announced it would demote content it considers "engagement bait"—those posts that ask users to like, share, vote, tag, comment or react in some way. That means Facebook page owners might need to rethink their strategies to continue to be seen in users' crowded news feeds.
"It's the latest move Facebook has made in its battle against clickbait," said Tim Johnson, LBA Hospitality's corporate director of e-commerce. "Spam-like posts that try to attract likes, clicks and shares—such as, 'Like this post if you're committed to success in 2018,' or, 'Share this post to win a dream vacation'—will be relegated in Facebook users' news feeds."
He said Facebook claims its algorithms will detect different types of engagement bait and discern between spam and authentic posts. For example, posts asking for shares to round up travel tips or top-rated hotels from friends won't be demoted or dismissed.
"What Facebook wants to achieve is that users and their communities start to use more common sense and provide more valuable content that resonates with the audience," said Are Morch, a social media consultant for hotels.
He said Facebook lists three primary keywords for users to focus on in their feeds: relevant, meaningful and authentic. And those are the three pillars hoteliers should keep in mind when they are building their strategies for Facebook content.
How to create engaging content
Aside from demotion due to Facebook's algorithms, it's best to avoid engagement bait because it turns off consumers, sources said.
"Established hoteliers should focus on steady growth through organically engaging content rather than turning to engagement bait for spikes in followers and likes," said Whitney Reynolds, director of social media at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. "If people find your content interesting and relevant, they'll stick around."
The way to do that, Johnson said, is to make sure posts are authentic.
"Authentic content can often turn into a modern-day testimonial," he said, adding that LBA's primary focus is to create a voice that is helpful, reliable, human and resonates with its target audience.
"Everyone wants to feel welcomed, right? The best way to welcome others and naturally increase engagement is by creating a genuine and inviting tone," he said. "We use our social presence to hold real conversations. Anyone who sees the trail of conversation will immediately think of us as being engaged and more genuine."
Fiona Boyce, director of social media and content marketing for Two Roads Hospitality, said it's important to give followers a reason to engage. Thus, call-to-action posts can encourage engagement—as long as they are authentic. For example, asking followers to share a memory tied to an image can help to spur engagement.
In fact, Reynolds said most social channels thrive on images.
"That's what compels people into action, or shares, likes and comments. If you've got what we refer to as a 'thumb-stopping image,' you can stop people in their tracks as they quickly scroll through their news feeds," she said. "We've found that posts containing our best, most powerful images outperform posts that contain lackluster images—or worse, stock images."
Johnson agrees that compelling imagery is critical to social-media success. "Images and video convey real-life visual experiences which can help people imagine what it's like to stay at one of our hotels."
For example, during a recent winter storm that hit the East Coast, LBA's Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Waterfront/Downtown hotel posted a "snowplace like home" video on Facebook inviting area visitors to warm up with hot chocolate at the lobby bar. Then, the Weather Channel commented to ask if it could share and feature the video, which expanded the campaign's reach.
Kimpton's Reynolds said that sort of relatable content is the "not-so-secret" secret to social-media engagement.
"If people can picture themselves somewhere you're describing or identify with a feeling that you're sharing, they're more likely to engage and feel pulled into the story," she said. "It's even better if the images are coming from the consumers themselves, which lends an extra layer of authenticity."
Two Roads' Boyce said another best practice for garnering engagement is to post when followers are online. To do that, hoteliers need to use the data Facebook provides on their business pages which tells them the best time to post.
She also recommended testing posts at different times with different types of content. For example, her team has found that videos posted in the mid-afternoon on a Friday perform much better than those posted first thing in the morning on a Monday.
"You might be surprised to see the types of content your fans engage with at different times of the day," she said.
Audience targeting for organic posts is another best practice in the toolbox—especially if these posts are about a specific interest or topic, Boyce said.
"Facebook offers the ability to target fans who have identified having an interest that pertains to the content of the post," she said. "While you will be decreasing your overall reach, you'll be reaching more of the right people."
Morch said whatever strategy hoteliers use to gain engagement, they need not be worried about the changes to Facebook, which will see the social-media platform get back to its roots as a way to connect with friends and family.
"I will emphasize that this is not a bad change for the hotel industry," he said. "It is more a change to utilize services that are more familiar and to go back to doing the things hotels do best: providing a unique customer service."


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Read About SINGER 14SH654 Finishing Touch Sewing Machine
Overall Rating (based on real customer reviews): 3.3 out of 5 stars
SINGER 14SH654 Finishing Touch Sewing Machine
Features and Specifications:
- Manufacturer: Singer
- Product Dimensions: 15×12.9×12.3 inches
- Shipping Weight: 17.2 pounds
- Easy conversion to free-arm sewing; built-in accessory storage
- Differential feed for versatility; color-coded threading; easy tension adjustment
- Two-needle sewing machine with speeds up to 1,300 stitches per minute
- Measures approximately 15 by 13 by 12-2/7 inches; 25-year limited warranty. 110 volt machine designed for United States and Canadian use only.
- Adjustable stitch width (3.0 to 6.7 mm) and stitch length (2.0 to 4.0 mm)
- More features
Here are some REAL customer reviews:
"Cheaply made and not recommended for the serious sewer"
I bought this item at Walmart for $229 and was excited to begin sewing my first project. That was a huge mistake. The thread kept popping out of the tension on #3 no matter what I did. I tried tightening it several times, went back to directions…Read more
"I would not buy this machine if I had it to do over"
Two stars because it does serge all right.BUT… it's a bizarre model that I can't find needles for. I've been to my local Singer dealer, manual in hand, to try to get him to order needles for it. Been on the phone to Singer's 1-800 number a half…Read more
"kay -experienced sewer"
bought this machine from Wallmart when my old serger broke in the middle of sewing a project. Did not read any reviews until after I had sewn on it. I found it excellent, and much less in price than I had expected to pay. I bought my first serger in…Read more
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subset: commoncrawl


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Note in the article on Eritrea that the BBC leaves out all mention of religion. Yet, you cannot truly understand the dynamic in the horn of Africa without understanding the divisions between Christians and Muslims. In fact, Eritrea is claimed and, by some accounts, is the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant (for you Indiana Jones fans). The town where it resides is Axum, the known birthplace of Ethiopian Christianity and, according to local legend, the capital city of the Queen of Sheba's Ethiopian Empire.
The BBC article also leaves out the fact that for the longest time Sudan, Ethiopia, and Yemen were allied with the Soviets and that the Soviets and Ethiopia allied against the Eritrean rebels who successfully fought them off.
For the BBC to leave out information on the interplay of Christianity and communism in this current dispute is neglegent or intentional.
Given the secular sympathetically communist views of the BBC, I'm inclined to go with intentional.
One final note (if you can't tell I'm fascinated by Eritrea and the mystery of the Ark): Christianity was solidly established in the Ethiopian region well before it was established in the Roman Empire.


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There are many reasons why you may not see the peeling. Even if you can't see something with the naked eye, the VI Peel is still working for you and exfoliating at the cellular level to brighten and improve your skin's appearance. If you have further questions or concerns, we highly recommend you return to your Practitioner. In some cases, an impacted stratum corneum may result in no peeling. It may take 2 or more treatments to break this down. Also, oily skin that is not degreased thoroughly may impede the solution from penetrating.
Why am I not peeling? Is this normal?
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We've recently changed the audio format for our live stream in order to improve the quality and to support more devices and services such as iHeartRadio.
Unfortunately, this means we can no longer support Internet Explorer for listening to our live stream as it does not support the new format. Please see our Streaming Guide for alternative ways to listen to our live stream on your computer, mobile or smart speaker devices.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause!
Trainwreck (n.)
1. An incident in which a train is severely damaged, 2. Something or someone that has suffered ruin or calamity, 3. A sudden and disastrous halt in a DJ set, causing general unplanned mayhem on the dancefloor.
You'll rarely hear trainwrecks when you tune to RTRFM on a Saturday night, 9-11pm. Featuring everything from underground house to techno, bass, ambient electronica, hip hop, drum'n'bass, trap and beyond, Trainwreck sees some of Perth's finest tune selectors hosting a slew of A+ local talent and occasional touring guests.
Straight from the clubs to your ears, each week features a live guest set from talented DJs, producers, emcees and electronic acts, plus interviews see us delving deep into their basements.
Also the latest news on upcoming events and enough quality diverse electronica to ensure your Saturday night goes off without a trainwreck.


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Some Mid-South organizations hope school coaches and mentors can play a role this school year in preventing violence, including for intimate partner relationships.
The Family Safety Center, Heal the Hood Foundation, and Leadership Empowerment Center are teaming up to bring Futures Without Violence's "Coaching Boys into Men" program to Memphis.
"Coaching young men and developing great relationships with them, because it all starts with knowing what their passions are and what they're trying to do in life," said Heal the Hood Foundation of Memphis CEO LaDell Beamon.
"What it's designed to do is help coaches and mentors to work with the young men that they deal with in a sports team or a program, and then they're able to shape them and how they see dating violence and respecting girls and women," said Family Safety Center Director of Communications and Development Jordan Howard.
Organizers hope the program will aid in the fight against domestic violence, a crime that appears to be up slightly in Tennessee.
TBI released new statistics on domestic violence in Tennessee
The Family Safety Center said organizers are starting with seven or eight coaches or mentors in Frayser, Raleigh, and Southeast Memphis.
"It's going to be in what we've identified as domestic violence hotspots," Howard said.
"They're literally listening to this coach. They become the father figure, they become the uncle, they become that missing voice that a lot of our young men don't have in the households now," Beamon said.
Organizers hope that providing guidance to young men will have a trickle down effect in schools and in the community.
They expect the Memphis program to directly impact about 200 students in the first school year.


text: Typically if you have insurance you will need to be referred by your GP who will fax us a referral letter. It is often a good idea to contact your insurance company before hand to ensure that you are covered and that you have "authorisation" to see us. If you are with Southern Cross you simply need to give us your membership number and as an affiliate provider we will do the rest for you.


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Cashews - Anacardium occidentale
The cashew apple is used for its juicy but acidic pulp, which can be eaten raw or used in the production of jam , chutney , or various beverages. Cashew nuts are a common ingredient in Asian cooking . They can also be ground into a spread called cashew butter similar to peanut butter . Cashews have a very high oil content, and they are used in some other nut butters to add extra oil. Cashew provide essential fatty acids, B vitamins, fiber, protein, carbohydrate potassium, iron, and zinc. Like other nuts, cashews are high in saturated fat; however, eaten in small quantities cashews are a highly nutritious food.


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6:31 am
April 9, 2009
CHILD killer Jon Venables is making a fresh plea for freedom — in an attempt to be released this summer.
Venables, 30, will appear before a Parole Board to claim he is no longer a danger and can be trusted to keep his false identity secret.
But the parents of two-year-old James Bulger — abducted, tortured and murdered in 1993 by the then ten-year-olds Venables and Robert Thompson — are disgusted that they are being forced to revisit the tragedy yet again.
A family friend said: "It is torture for them to go through this once again. They have to re-live every gory detail about what Venables did to little James."
James's dad Ralph and mum Denise have been asked to put forward objections to Venables' release by January 20 — three weeks before the 20th anniversary of the crime. The friend added: "Ralph is furious Venables is even allowed to go before a parole board, especially at such a sensitive time.
"It is hard enough the family are dealing with such a landmark anniversary but to heap this on top is just insensitive. The thought Venables may be freed as they are struggling to cope with the memory of the murder is sickening."
Venables and Thompson were jailed for life but freed on licence with new identities in 2001. But Venables's parole was revoked and he was sent back to prison in 2010 after he was caught with child sex abuse images. He was sentenced to two years for downloading the pictures.
Home Office sources said Venables had little chance of re-release unless he convinced the board he could keep his true identity secret.
Denise is convinced he cannot do that because he revels in his infamy.
The friend added: "Venables is a deviant. Ralph believes he will kill another child in a sexually-motivated crime if freed."
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... z2I1FRmooM
And we protect these people...i don't think for a second he has changed....
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At 45, I am beginning to have thoughts of what it will take to finish strong. Sitting in the middle of life, I want to be able to approach retirement and grand-parenting with no regrets. How can I make the most of my choices now so I can finish strong? Someone once said, "One thing about getting old is that you can sing in the bathroom while brushing your teeth." I want to believe God has more for us to do! Let's look at Psalm 71 and see five important ways on how to finish strong.
Some say David penned Psalm 71 when he fled from his son Absalom. If this is the correct chronological context of this psalm, then David would have been about 62-years-old when he wrote this portion of scripture. And throughout the psalm, it becomes clear he is writing from the perspective of old age. For example, in verse 9, he says, "in my old age, don't set me aside." Then in verse 18, he says, "Now that I am old and gray do not abandon me, O God."
- Make your refuge in God – When life gets hard where do you go? Where do you find your comfort? I will admit, today I have 2 things I do when I get super stressed. I eat and I play football on XBOX. These two things allow me to get away from things. I am not saying either are the healthiest things to do, but that is what happens. Why don't we turn to scripture? Why don't we turn to prayer? Often, the reason we are stressed out is because we over-stretch our abilities and time. We become exhausted. Escapism is real. The problem is in what we choose to escape. Making our refuge in God will set the tone to finish strong!
- Make your requests to God – The Psalmist asks God to fill him with praise and with presence. We look around some days and find it hard to praise. From Oregon to Ferguson to Florida it is hard to praise God. The number of mass shootings this year alone is staggering. God is not dead. God is not unaware. God has not forgotten us. We have walked away. We have neglected. We have abandoned. For those whose faith remains we must balance the pressure with praise of the Most High. Ask God to fill you with praise. Ask God to fill you with His presence.
- Find your resolve in God – Choosing to have a mood which reflects God's presence is important. The attitude you have is the one you chose to have. Surrounding circumstances and people can affect your demeanor, but the attitude you reveal is your responsibility. Find your resolve in God to give you peace and joy, even in pain and tragedy. Resolve to live in God's peace. Resolve to act on what you know of God and what you have experienced through salvation. Nothing else can compare to God.
- Often reflect on God – Looking back on life with an eye for God's hand will lift your spirit and strengthens you for the finish line sprint. As I reflect on life, I see how God has worked to get me where I am with the abilities I have. In the midst of those difficulties you can't see clearly. The fog of frustration blinds you to the reality. The life God gave and the labor God gives you today sustains you through each moment. Reflect on the movements of God more than the moments you felt anger.
- Rejoice because of God – The Psalmist ends with rejoicing in God. He chooses to rejoice because he understands the restoration and redemption he found in God. Choosing to rejoice keeps our spiritual life above the fray. We still face pain. We still face pills and doctors. We still face grief. However, choosing to rejoice in what you can balances your life.
What choices are you making today to finish strong?Summers is the lead pastor at Coulter Road Baptist Church in Amarillo, TX. He and his wife, Dulcie, have two children: Samuel and Isabella. To read more from Summers, please visit his personal blog at http://intersect.us or follow him on Twitter @aaronwsummers.


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Plain Retractables
What are Classic Retractables? Classic Retractables provide an alternative to lanyards, and allow identification to be easily accessed. Ideally attached to a belt or clothing at waist level, retractables are perfect for attaching to ID cards, membership cards, swipe access cards and ID wallets, allowing the wearer to quickly display ID when needed. AAC stocks plain white and black retractables for any last minute requirements you might have, and these can be dispatched for overnight delivery to most metro areas. The retractable measures 30mm diameter and the cord length is 80cm.
Who uses retractables? Retractables are used by offices primarily, specifically to allow fast and easy access to identification and swipe access cards /close proximity cards.
How quickly can I receive retractables? AAC holds plain white and black retractables in stock for overnight delivery.


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Why Should Sellers Go FSBO?
You may have noticed that a quick internet search for reasons WHY you should sell your home by-owner comes back with a host of articles detailing why you SHOULD NOT sell by-owner. While some of these articles bring up good points, we respectfully and strongly feel selling by-owner is a great option for the right seller in the right market.
First, let's briefly address why you SHOULD NOT try to sell your own house and the gaps in those arguments.
Limited buyer pool: This untruth may be the most commonly crowed argument against selling by-owner but if you peel back the reasons it's pretty easy to debunk. The argument behind this lies in the fact that traditionally by-owner marketed homes do not make it into the MLS (Multiple Listing Service: 80% of homes that sell are marketed on the MLS) followed by the claim of poor internet exposure and a buyer's agent reluctance to show clients the by-owner seller's house. Let's take these point by point:
Are by-owner homes on the MLS? Yes, they can be. Our product Flat Fee MLS lists your home on your local MLS allowing agents and buyers alike to find you with greater ease.
Are by-owner homes at a digital disadvantage? Not at all. Listing with our by-owner service will also place your home on major on-line real estate search websites such as Xome, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com and more .* On these sites there is effectively NO DIFFERENCE to a buyer between a by-owner listing and a standard agent-listed home.
Will buyer's agents not want to show clients your home? That is becoming less and less of a problem. More and more buyers are making the efforts to find their own future homes and they are using the Internet to do so. List by-owner and don't be surprised to receive inquiries from unrepresented buyers. Also, if you wish to sweeten the pot for agents you can always specify a buyer's agent commission, but such a thing is not always necessary.
Lack of tools. The argument that you don't have the necessary tools at your hands to sell a home is not just silly, it is completely untrue. Our Sellers Checklist arms sellers with the information and steps required to successfully prepare a home for listing, list, show, negotiate, and close. Once you've drawn in a prospective qualified buyer, contact a lawyer who specializes in residential real estate transactions to go over the contracts and fine points. You will also want to select a title and escrow company (providing your buyer doesn't have strong feelings on this point). Everything you need to sell securely and with confidence is at your fingertips.
You won't be taken "seriously." How seriously the buying public takes you is directly related to how your home is presented and merchandised. A serious home is taken seriously by buyers. By this we mean as long as the home is priced well, presented positively but fairly, and the sellers are reasonable in the selling process (agree to showings, select a date to review offers, hold to your communication commitments, allow reasonable inspections, etc.) buyers will respond positively.
Now that we have those out of the way, let's discuss who SHOULD give this a go.
By-owner selling works best in seller's markets. Seller's markets occur where inventory of a real estate market where inventory (based on available homes for sale) is small in number compared to buyers. Typically prices climb in these markets and well-priced homes go for more than asking price. If you are selling in a market where homes spend little time on the market and multiple offer scenarios are commonplace trying to sell by-owner can work in your favor.
A by-owner seller is a driven, independent do-it-yourselfer. We will never hide this fact: selling your home yourself is more work than selling with an agent, but if you aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves and do a little work you can reap some serious rewards in the form of saved cash. If you think you're ready, it's time to explore your options. Check out our handy FSBO Seller's Checklist and be sure to check out our Flat Fee MLS listing package.
If you're driven to sell your home yourself and without an agent, this is the perfect way to do it. If you later change your mind or the results are not satisfactory when you go it alone, we do also offer an agent-supported, zero commission, full-service Super Seller package.


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Before I get to today's blog post, I want to send you somewhere else!
I have spoken about Wicked & Tricksy before. Well, one of the devious minds behind that operation – Claudie A. – has her own excellent blog which deals with the intersection of science and fiction.
Claudie invited me over to her place today to write a guest blog, and I would love if you all you guys went over and had a read, because I really enjoyed writing it.
It's called Science, Fiction & Truth, and I talk about some of my heroes and prejudices in science fiction, what goes into a "high concept" idea, and the Radium Girls. Please check it out, and a big thank you to Claudie for hosting me (and for using my favourite font).
Anyone For Swimming Lessons?
I'm always searching for new blogs and new perspectives. I read a lot of stuff from agents, editors, writers, publicists, and self-publishers to try and gain the widest perspective possible. If you restrict yourself to reading things that only confirm your assumptions, you will never challenge them, and that's one sure way to be on the wrong side of history.
For those who think that Joe Konrath and Dean Wesley Smith have a bombastic approach towards large publishers, they should check out Michael Stackpole's blog. Joe & Dean are tame in comparison. Stackpole, a New York Times Bestselling science fiction and fantasy writer, likes to call trade published writers "house slaves".
I thought that description was a bit much, but I clicked on the article anyway, and read it. I'm glad I did. Stackpole has some superb insights, and explodes many of the myths surrounding self-publishing.
In a more recent post, he reports a conversation he had with a New York editor which shows how and why the large publishers are making so many missteps in the digital transition.
There is a lot of great stuff on his blog. Make sure to have a nose around.
While looking for those posts, I slipped through a crack in the internet and ended up in November 2010. It was quite fortuitous because I found this excellent interview with Michael Stackpole by fellow indie author Moses Siregar III recorded at last year's World Fantasy Convention. It's an hour long, but I strongly recommend putting aside the time and listening to it.
It teaches you everything you need to know about why e-book dominance is inevitable and why the big publishing houses are in serious trouble. It's less like an interview and more like a conversation between two friends, and highly entertaining – well worth your time.
There's A New Sheriff In Town
You heard it here
first last. There is a new sheriff in town, and he's a mean son of a gun.
I've linked to a few of Passive Guy's blogs before. But as a latecomer to this party, I plumb through the archives now and then, and always find a gem.
He has spoken a lot on agents becoming publishers and why it is such a god-awful idea. This blog post let to a retort in the comments from the agent he quoted. Passive Guy tears the poor fellow apart in the comments. Worth a read for a chuckle, and proof that becoming a publisher is going to be a steep learning curve for some agents.
On that subject, UK agent Peter Cox (who rises in my estimation each time I read about him) is raising heckles amongst some of his colleagues. At the time, he came out strongly against fellow agent Ed Victor becoming a publisher, and called for him to be thrown out of the Association of Author's Agents.
Now he has launched a free service for any authors caught in the awkward situation where your agent wants to becoming your publisher. He will provide advice, at no cost, on the contracts your agent is offering.
To get his take on why agents moonlighting as publishers is such a terrible idea, read this excellent blog post.
Science, Fiction & Truth
If you have gotten this far, and haven't read my guest post "Science, Fiction & Truth" over at Claudie A's blog, this is just a gentle reminder to check it out (to sweeten the deal, there might be a giveaway too).
That's all folks!


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Book now
172 Gloucester Place NW1 6DS London (ENG) United Kingdom
Area: Swiss Cottage
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Book online or call +39 041 8624040
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Property Location
With a stay at Americana Hotel, you'll be centrally located in London, steps from Baker Street and within a 10-minute walk of London Business School. This hotel is 0.5 mi (0.8 km) from Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum and 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from Lord's Cricket Ground.
Make yourself at home in one of the 29 guestrooms. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and digital programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with showers feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and portable fans.
Make use of convenient amenities such as complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and a television in a common area.
A complimentary buffet breakfast is served daily from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a computer station, complimentary newspapers in the lobby, and a 24-hour front desk.


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Young Irelands wishes all its members, friends and potential new members a Happy New Year!
Fancy making friends for life and getting fit? Join the friendliest club in Sydney! We have both men and women's Gaelic Football teams based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney that cater for all levels and abilities, training starts next week, Give us a shout here if you or anyone you know are keen!


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Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) has been the cornerstone of financial regulation for consumer credit for some time. At Ucan Car Credit we take this seriously so are happy to publish our TCF policies and principles below. The FCA has made it clear that this principle will be given higher urgency in terms of enforcement. The FCA requires that all businesses it regulates comply with their provisions on Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) and on embedding good consumer outcomes into all parts of their business culture.
There are no tick boxes, no absolute guidelines – it is a business principle that the FCA expects regulated entities to adopt at a deep cultural level. This guide is a high level overview of how to fulfil the FCA's requirements on TCF.
TCF is about putting responsibility on dealers to deliver a fair outcome to their consumer. It is not however, intended to be restrictive on the business.
TCF is not the same as treating customers 'nicely' or providing customer satisfaction. Instead, it is designed to ensure the business puts the interests of the customer at the heart of their business, as well as the integrity of the market.
TCF is found in Principle 6 of the FCA Handbook which explains that "a firm must pay due regard to the interests of its customers and treat them fairly". TCF is also tied to 4 of the 11 guiding principles:
* Principle 1 – A firm must conduct its business with integrity
* Principle 7 – A firm must pay due regard to the information needs of its clients and communicate information to them in a way that is clear, fair and not misleading
* Principle 8 – A firm must manage conflicts of interest fairly, both between itself and its customers and between a customer and another client
* Principle 9 – A firm must take reasonable care to ensure that the suitability of its advice and discretionary decisions for any customer who is entitled to rely upon its judgement
TCF then is about far more than just the actual customer experience in your dealership. It is an important aspect of all areas of your business. The concepts of TCF should be in every step of sales process, from staff training to the information and financial products supplied to the customer, as well as resolving any subsequent issues, which a customer has.
What does the FCA want?
It must be understood this is not a rigid area, there is no one way in which TCF must be met. The FCA has offered some broad brush guidance on how to meet the TCF requirements. Dealers should:
a) Give the customer what they have paid for – ensure that the customer fully understands the product(s) offered
b) Do not take advantage of the customer
a. Avoid pushy sales tactics
b. Do not sell inappropriate products
c. Do not allow the priorities of the F & I suppliers to unduly influence the sale of a product
c) Offer the customer suitable products/services
d) Do your best to resolve problems/mistakes as quickly as possible
e) Show flexibility, empathy and consideration in dealing with customers
f) Use plain English and be clear, ensuring the customer understands exactly what they are being offered:
a. Terms and conditions should be as clear and easy to understand as possible
b. Significant exclusions/terms should be highlighted
c. Use plain English
Using these principles, dealerships are expected to meet the FCA's six outcomes for consumers:
* Outcome 1: Consumers can be confident that they are dealing with firms where the fair treatment of customers is central to the corporate culture.
* Outcome 2: Products and services marketed and sold in the retail market are designed to meet the needs of identified consumer groups and are targeted accordingly.
* Outcome 3: Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.
* Outcome 4: Where consumers receive advice, the advice is suitable and takes account of their circumstances.
* Outcome 5: Consumers are provided with products that perform as firms have led them to expect, and the associated service is of an acceptable standard and as they have been led to expect.
* Outcome 6: Consumers do not face unreasonable post-sale barriers imposed by firms to change product, switch provider, submit a claim or make a complaint.
What can you do?
While it would be possible to compile a huge list of things dealerships could do to ensure TCF principles are followed, this is unnecessary. The best approach is to take a principled approach!
o Take the core messages of honesty, integrity and fairness and apply them to any customer situation.
You must ensure there are appropriate processes in place to ensure TCF is delivered and have a system in place to review TCF on a regular basis, identifying any shortcomings. These are important forms of Management Information (MI) and MI is a key part of the monitoring process that the FCA expects to be followed.
Process Controls and Record Keeping
The following outline the key areas, which should be considered as forming part of a good TCF approach in the showroom. For these areas, it is important to keep records to demonstrate that:
* Sales processes have been established
* Training undertaken to ALL customer facing sales staff and updates as appropriate
* Each sale has evidence to show a good process took place
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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Nicholson, Francis (1753-1844)
NICHOLSON, FRANCIS (1753–1844), painter in water-colours, born on 14 Nov. 1753 at Pickering in Yorkshire, was son of Francis Nicholson, a weaver. After receiving a good education in his native town, the boy, who was first destined by his father to become a tailor, was placed with an artist at Scarborough for instruction. After a three years' residence there he returned to Pickering, where for two years he occupied himself in painting portraits and pictures of horses, dogs, and game for local patrons. Seven months' study followed in London, under a German artist named Metz, who was an efficient figure-painter. Returning to Yorkshire, he increased his practice by taking views about the houses and estates of the gentry. After nine more months of study in London he again returned to Pickering, and probably about this time began his practice in water-colour.
In 1783 he removed to Whitby, and was at first chiefly employed in painting portraits. But the beauty of the Mulgrave Woods induced him to devote himself to landscape, and during the next nine years he gradually made a reputation by selling his drawings in Scarborough during the season, as well as in London. He practised a method of reproducing his views by etching on a soft ground and taking impressions with black lead. In 1789 he first sent drawings to the London exhibitions.
About 1792 he left Whitby for Knaresborough, where he resided three years, and found many patrons in Harrogate. With Sir Henry Tuite he spent some time each year, sketching in his company. Another patron, Lord Bute, not only bought many drawings, but commissioned him to make a set of sketches of the island of Bute. Accordingly, in 1794 he made an extensive tour through Bute and the districts round. On his return to Yorkshire he removed, in 1798, to Ripon. Sir Henry Tuite induced him in 1800 to settle near him at Weybridge, and shortly afterwards he purchased No. 10 Titchfield Street, London, where for many years he carried on a very large practice as an artist and a teacher of drawing.
Nicholson was one of the ten artists who on 30 Nov. 1804 joined together to form the Society of Painters in Water-colours. Of this society he was a member, and he was a very large contributor to its exhibitions till its dissolution in 1812. The Society of Painters in Oil and Water-colours was immediately started on its collapse, and of the new society Nicholson was elected president; but in 1813 he resigned his office and severed his connection with the society. He was specially permitted to exhibit as a member in the following year, but after that date his name does not again appear in their catalogues. He was also a contributor to an exhibition of 'paintings in water-colours,' being represented in 1814 by twenty-one works, and in its final exhibition of 1815 by three works. Between 1789 and 1833 he exhibited with the Society of Artists six works, with the Royal Academy eleven, and at Suffolk Street one.
Nicholson published in 1820 'The Practice of Drawing and Painting Landscapes from Nature in Water-colours,' London. The book passed quickly through several enlarged editions. Profiting by the newly invented art of lithography, he executed several hundred drawings on stone, which he used as drawing copies. Of his lithographs may be mentioned eighty-one sketches of British scenery, obl. fol., 1821, and six views of Scarborough, imp. fol., 1822. Between 1 Aug. 1792 and 2 Nov. 1801 he contributed fourteen drawings to Walker's 'Copper Plate Magazine.' Engravings after his works also appeared in the 'Beauties of England and Wales,' 'Havel's Aquatints of Noblemen's and Gentlemen's Seats,' 'The Northern Cambrian Mountains,' fol., 1820, and 'Facsimiles of Water-colour Drawings,' published by Bowyer in 1825.
Nicholson was not only an efficient and industrious artist, but interested himself in many other subjects. He had a good knowledge of optics, mechanics, and music. His attainments as a chemist enabled him to make successful experiments in the use of colours which did much to advance water-colour art. He was skilled in organ-building, and during his last years wrote his autobiography. He died at his house, 52 Charlotte Street, Portland Place, 6 March, 1844, aged 90.
Nicholson well deserves the name generally given to him as the 'Father of Water-colour Painting.' He advanced that art from mere paper-staining with light tints to the production of a depth of tone and variety of shade and colour that the earlier practitioners of the art never dreamt of. With harmony and beauty of colouring he combined an accurate knowledge of drawing, which made his work popular. In 1837 he painted a portrait of himself, then in his eighty-fifth year, thirty inches by twenty-five inches, which he presented to his brother at Pickering. This is (1894) in the possession of a collateral descendant, Mr. Geo. Wrangham Hardy, who published a short account of Francis Nicholson in the 'Yorkshire County Magazine,' April 1891. Mention is also made there of a portrait taken from a lithograph published about 1815.
A daughter, Marianna, in 1830 married Thomas Crofton Croker [q. v.], and apparently exhibited two Scotch landscapes at Spring Gardens in 1815.
A son, Alfred Nicholson (1788–1833), after serving in the royal navy, devoted himself to art. From 1813 to 1816 he was in Ireland, but about 1818 he settled in London, where he practised as an artist and teacher of drawing. In 1821 he made a sketching tour through North Wales and a part of Ireland, and in the following summer visited Guernsey, Jersey, and Yorkshire. His works, which are numerous but generally small in size, are accurately drawn and highly finished, and in style much resemble those of his father.
'Six Views of Picturesque Scenery in Goathland,' 1821, and 'Six Views of Picturesque Scenery in Yorkshire,' 1822, published at Malton, were the work of George Nicholson (1787–1878), probably Francis's nephew and pupil, who died at Filey, 7 June 1878, in his ninety-first year, and was buried at Old Malton. He was an indefatigable artist, but his pictures never attained any great excellence.[Roget's History of the Old Water-colour Society, vol. i.; Yorkshire County Mag. 1891; Graves's Dict. of Artists; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists of the Engl. School; Crofton Croker's Walk from London to Fulham.]


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If you would like additional information regarding a lease, please contact our office using the information provided at the bottom of this page.
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The Office of Space Management makes every effort to provide accurate, current and reliable information in this Lease Search application; however, the State of Alabama cannot guarantee that the information contained in the Lease Search database will be error-free. Therefore, the user of this data does so at their own risk.


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Today's Pics de Jour were taken from the rooftop last night, all long exposures ranging from 25 to 100 seconds. The clouds weren't moving quite at the speed or in the direction I was hoping for, but if nothing else, this will give the Ljubljana-curious among you an idea of what the Slovenian capital's skyline looks like as darkness descends.
The shots featuring castle hill are facing south, the darkest of the group is facing north towards the main train station and beyond, and the other two face east/northeast.
These are licensed Creative Commons 3.0; feel free to use them non-commercially if you wish, credited 'Bob Ramsak/Piran Café', with a link back to this site.


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This beautiful Front Door Blessings Crystal Kit combines two of my favourite crystals: rose quartz and black obsidian.
Use this kit to adorn your front door (home, office or whichever space you like) with intention. The crystals have specifically been chosen to let love in and keep the negative energy out of your space. The kit also includes a stick of sacred palo santo, which you can burn around your door to both purify and bless it.
Please note that stones in each kit vary in size and shape from this image due to each stone's unique beauty. The two crystals will be approximately the size shown in these photos.


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The Saga Of "G" Never Really Dies….
Since I've been told this is one of my more entertaining stories, I'm happy to report that there's yet a new chapter to the saga of the rather imbalanced girl I've referred to as "G" on this blog. If you haven't heard the first two parts to this story, you should catch up with the beginning here., and I'll re-tell the last bit (apologies to my regular readers) in order to keep the flow of the story working well.
We figured she was gone for good, but after New Year's Day had barely drawn to a conclusion, this message showed up in the e-mail box of The Guy I Am Currently Dating. (for some reason, she has no inclination to communicate with me.)
"I was fortunate enough to attend a New Year's Eve party with Ron Glass, inter alia. He found the story of the pasty conceited fanboy and his fat defensive girlfriend as hilarious as the rest of the group did."
The Guy I Am Currently Dating succinctly responded:
It is sad you are still obsessed with me.
I am never quite as succinct, and not one to mince words, or to let things go. Thus, I took the time to send a proper response:
Sweetheart, dollars to donuts (an appropriate metaphor here.) you weigh more than I do. And you're not exactly Snooki in the paleness department, so you're kind of opening yourself up for some unwanted attention in how you characterise others. As for me, I've gained 20 pounds recently due to heart medication..it takes a rather cruel person to mock someone's physical appearance during their time of illness. Perhaps you should add that to your funny story!
Ah, and as a former actress, I know people everywhere. If you tell the story socially again, use our names, please….you might find yourself in a rather awkward situation. In fact, I worked in London for some time (I'm assuming that's where you are.) and one of my best friends is working on assignment over there right now. Karma, my dear. Tell the story to everyone in the world, and we don't give a shit…but karma will bite you in the ass every time.
The response:
"Yahoo has blocked this e-mail
Being the rather computer savvy individuals we are, we discovered that the e-mail was sent from a small town outside of Seattle, Washington…not nearly as far out of the country as we'd imagined. Nevertheless, we concluded perhaps she was visiting family, or her rick banker boyfriend really did exist, and was in Seattle. Either way, we sort of let the matter go, except for bringing it up at a post-dinner gathering, where another guy present that day told us she'd suggested, in the middle of dinner, that the two of them leave and go for dinner somewhere more private.
It appears that it bugs her immensely that my fat ass continues to wins more friends and admirers than her personality.
Again, since it was about a month since that interchange, we figured the communication was at an end. Of course, that wasn't the case. And, once again, rather than responding to me directly, she chose to e-mail The Guy I Am Currently Dating. I don't know whether it's because she doesn't talk to women, wants to involve him in the drama, or is just scared to hit the "Reply" button and answer my note, but she consistently goes through him.
What we got was this:
I also don't understand why my mentioning anyone would care about my weight and health issues (and I'd hardly consider putting on another 20 pounds a "weight issue", although it's problematic to me, and apparently to this girl.) is taken as self-absorbed. I only pointed out that before people call others "fat", maybe they should consider that that person is suffering through greater problems in life than food and body image issues, and the negativity is cruel. I find her lack of ability to empathise with others a bit disturbing; one of the hallmarks of both narcissistic and psychopathic personalities.
If I knew where she lived, I'd invest $10 in sending her a new dictionary, so she can spell things correctly when she's attempting to put others in their place. Although, from what I hear, she has a husband who can afford it.
Seriously, are all people this disturbed, or just ones we meet in Atlanta?


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We offer new construction, pre-designed, calculated and pre-built boats / ships. At our yard also produced modules for subsea, onshore and offshore industry. Everything is manufactured in steel, aluminum, stainless.


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A potpourri of Popery
"Should the pope resign? No. As the College of Cardinals must have recognized when they elected him, he is perfectly - ideally - qualified to lead the Roman Catholic Church. A leering old villain in a frock, who spent decades conspiring behind closed doors for the position he now holds; a man who believes he is infallible and acts the part; a man whose preaching of scientific falsehood is responsible for the deaths of countless AIDS victims in Africa; a man whose first instinct when his priests are caught with their pants down is to cover up the scandal and damn the young victims to silence: in short, exactly the right man for the job. He should not resign, moreover, because he is perfectly positioned to accelerate the downfall of the evil, corrupt organization whose character he fits like a glove, and of which he is the absolute and historically appropriate monarch. No, Pope Ratzinger should not resign. He should remain in charge of the whole rotten edifice - the whole profiteering, woman-fearing, guilt-gorging, truth-hating, child-raping institution - while it tumbles, amid a stench of incense and a rain of tourist-kitsch sacred hearts and preposterously crowned virgins, about his ears."
Richard Dawkins, 2010
"Look: the man was the chief figure in the church hierarchy charged with dealing with the child-rape conspiracy that spread across the whole globe. Every single case came to his desk. These were crimes of monstrous evil. Yet he insisted that the church deal with them in complete secrecy, never sent a priest to jail, even gave the mass rapist Marcial Maciel a comfortable retirement, allowed the priest who raped over 200 deaf boys to enjoy a quiet retirement, and even now will invite Cardinal Mahoney to elect the new Pope. He put the prestige of the institution repeatedly before the dignity and inviolability of children. The only word for that is evil."
Andrew Sullivan
"The Vatican's new policy on gay priests has been leaked. Officially, it proposes the incorrigibility of deeply rooted gay tendencies. Unofficially, it exposes the deeply rooted, incorrigible antigay tendencies of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, aka Pope Benedict XVI. For decades, while moderate clerics defended celibate gay priests, Ratzinger pressed for a purge of homosexuality not merely as an act or a lifestyle but as an orientation. Now he's in charge, and he's got ambitions beyond the church. He wants to cleanse us all, inside and out."
William Saletan, 2005
"And now behold the harvest of this long campaign of obfuscation. The Roman Catholic Church is headed by a mediocre Bavarian bureaucrat once tasked with the concealment of the foulest iniquity, whose ineptitude in that job now shows him to us as a man personally and professionally responsible for enabling a filthy wave of crime. Ratzinger himself may be banal, but his whole career has the stench of evil — a clinging and systematic evil that is beyond the power of exorcism to dispel. What is needed is not medieval incantation but the application of justice — and speedily at that."
Christoper Hitchens (do read the whole thing!)
"Since then, the sex abuse scandals that shadowed John Paul's last years have become the defining story of his successor's papacy, and the unexpected abdication of Benedict XVI has only confirmed the narrative of a church in disarray. His predecessor was buried amid reverent coverage from secular outlets, but the current pope can expect a send-off marked by sourness and shrugs."
Ross Douthat
"Who cares if the pope retires? Get rid of one, and they're just going to appoint another one. It's not as if the job description has changed: the primary criteria are the ability to profess brain-buggering bullshit and work your way through the arcane medieval hierarchy of church politics, so it's not as if we're going to be surprised. It's going to be another old guy who has dedicated his entire life to superstitious nonsense."
PZ Myers
"Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered to an intrinsic moral evil, and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder."
Joseph Ratzinger
Mario Piperni
Video found via The Immoral Minority.


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Our Cloud PBX enables you to see a full list of call logs for your business. With full filtering options, it is possible to see a complete list of inbound, outbound and internal phone calls to and from your phone numbers, search by date, phone number or even answered versus unanswered calls. Get an overview of calls per extension and gauge costs and durations of calls easily. Use your logs for analysis and training too, and determine when your busiest business call times are through easily downloadable CSV format Call Detail Records (CDR). For busy working environments these hosted VoIP call features can help add a level of control and management across your workplace. Start managing your calls with a VoIP phone system today.


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Tel Aviv: The Next Big Destination for the Fashion Set
With a major style reboot and a slew of new hotels, the Mediterranean metropolis is ripe for a visit.
As of yet, there's no mathematical equation for determining the next "it" destination. Add a music festival, multiply by a few dozen Instagram-bait walls, and declare avo toast the official food of the region—it doesn't quite work like that. But if you were to take a cosmopolitan city with great food, a respected art scene, intertwined history, and combine it with a beachfront location (maybe even 13 beaches in total, let's just say), you'd most certainly have a winning combo. This is Tel Aviv.
The White City, as it's called for its over 4,000 examples of Bauhaus architecture, has hints of Paris's café culture, a bit of Sydney chill, and a dash of L.A. edge. And for anyone looking to soak up some of those Tel Avivian vibes, there's never been a better time to visit. On the fashion front, two of Israel's most legendary labels, Maskit and Ata, are back after being dormant for 20 and 30 years, respectively (more on this later). Add to that a tradition of farm-fresh eating, and some major hotel openings this year, and you have quite the destination coup.
From the fashion to the food to the art-filled lobbies, here's why the sartorially inclined will soon be descending upon Tel Aviv.
Satiate Your Sartorial Craving
One-of-a-kind boutiques, historic markets, and great walkability make Tel Aviv ideal for browsing. After checking out the country's comeback brands, be sure to wander the Neve Tzedek District, which is essentially Tel Aviv's version of SoHo. Then again, some "Los Angelviv" graffiti has been spotted in the area, so maybe an Abbot Kinney comparison is more fitting.
Numéro 13
It's easy to be lured into this Neve Tzedek concept shop, and even easier to lose track of time as you wander from room to room in what was once an Ottoman-era house. You'll find fashion for women, men, and kids, plus stationery and home goods. The selection of international labels, like beloved Belgian brand Essentiel Antwerp, is on point.
In 2014, Sharon Tal, previously of Lanvin and Alexander McQueen, helped resuscitate Israel's first major fashion house. Today you can visit the label's headquarters, which is also a shop and museum, in the Old Jaffa neighborhood. Try on capelet coats in desert shades and peruse through the label's historic sketches, photos, and vintage pieces artfully arranged on mannequins.
Jaffa Flea Market
Here you'll find souk-style stalls of antiques, textiles, and jewelry, as well as small shops with more contemporary goods. For dresses in quirky prints (flamingos, ice pops, even people), head to Bobo.
Another iconic label that's back, Ata returned just two years ago after going dark in the '80s. The Allenby Street store is filled with utilitarian-cool pieces, all cut from the quality Israeli textiles that made the brand famous in the first place. Come for the history, stay for the jumpsuits, smock dresses, and crisp button-down shirts.
Zielinski & Rozen
Also in Jaffa, here's a bespoke perfumery that resembles an old-time apothecary. Sniff intoxicating scents, like black pepper, vetiver, neroli, and amber, and have owner Erez Rozen create your own personalized blend.
Now For the Food...
Any destination needs eateries worth traveling for, and Tel Aviv has them in za'atar-spiced spades. Plus, take one spin through Carmel Market to ogle the produce, and you'll see why farm-to-table eating is about as common here as a croque monsieur in Paris. Here are some exceptional spots, from the new to the classic.
Vegans and vegetarians won't have to scour the periphery of Tel Aviv's dining scene for a place to eat. This spot is not only vegan, it's also one of the most of-the-moment lunchtime cafés in town. Decked in pink (à la Sketch in London), Bana opened last year, dazzling even the most die-hard carnivores with its meatless comfort food, including sloppy Joes and burgers.
Another newcomer, Beit Kandinof (which is right next to Maskit) is a multipurpose space that's a restaurant, bar, art gallery, and tattoo parlor. It's basically a one-stop shop…assuming you need eggplant tortellini, a negroni, a painting, and back ink in one fell swoop.
It's been around for a while, but the dishes remain creative at upscale dinner spot Messa. Here, chef Aviv Moshe takes the traditional dish shakshuka (poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce) and makes it into sashimi by adding seared red tuna.
Another standby, this buzzy café by celebrity chef Eyal Shani serves iconic Israeli dishes with ingredients so fresh, the menu changes twice a day. There's outdoor seating in front, but the people-watching is just as good inside, where everyone sits in a semicircle around the bar feasting on full heads of cauliflower, beetroot carpaccio with crème fraîche, and drinking grape soda that's mixed on the spot.
Shlomo & Doron
Of course, sampling the city's hummus is a must, and this is some of the best, as confirmed by Inbal Baum of the food-focused tour group Delicious Israel. If you flew the dozen or so hours to Israel just for the creamy chickpea goodness served here, scooped up by a piece of pita or a chunk of onion (as the locals do), it would all be worth it.
Where to Stay
Tel Aviv's design resurgence has taken form in more than just fabric. Among this trio of new hotels—all opened in the last six months—there's a reimagined Ottoman-era prison, a former sewing factory, and a 19th-century French hospital turned luxury lodge (clearly Tel Aviv enjoys a redesign).
Water lovers will flock to the Setai, which sits on the Mediterranean and has a sky-high pool overlooking Jaffa's ancient port. Between the rooms decked in Turkish rugs, the lavish breakfast spread (smoked salmon, butter kinafe, waffles, and pastries), and the spa with its indulgent Eastern practices (hammam scrubs and Ayurvedic scalp massages, to name two), you'd never guess at the property's, er, bleaker past. Originally a Crusader fortress and then a prison, the Setai today is more about serving up relaxation than serving time.
Formerly a sewing factory, Fabric is essentially Israel's answer to the Ace Hotel. Rooms feature work by local artists and some have balconies ideal for morning meditation or a few sun salutations. The first-floor bar, with its murals, hanging plants, and bearded bartenders, looks straight out of Brooklyn and feels fit for a gaggle of Pratt grads. Appropriately, this watering hole is called Bushwick.
The newest of the newcomers, the Jaffa, which officially opened its doors in August, comes by way of Aby Rosen and RFR Holding (the group behind the Gramercy Park Hotel and 11 Howard in NYC). A former hospital and monastery, the hotel melds the historic with the hip. Find proof of this in the lobby, where an exposed-stone wall from the Crusades shares space with Damien Hirst spin art, as well as the bar—a reinvented chapel (spot the portrait of Frank Sinatra as a movie priest) that's primed to become the city's most exclusive lounge. Another major highlight is the outdoor pool, which has its very own shawarma bar. Once a few influencers get their 'grams on this place, we've got a hunch that shawarma will replace inflatable swans as the preferred poolside companion. Just wait.
Top photo: Courtesy of Amit Geron


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Mozingo + Wallace offers design consulting and pre-design planning to aid our clients in identifying their needs and objectives.
A client's vision should stretch beyond the bottom line to encompass dreams and goals. Mozingo + Wallace can help a client realize that vision, in a fashion that accurately represents image, needs and goals, both present and future. Effective planning is the only way to attain and surpass a client's expectations.
It all begins with a strategy that takes into account every aspect of a client's individual requirements, whatever the size or scope of the project, to ensure that the end result is a plan that creates real value.
Services offered are:
- Master Planning and Land Use
- Site, Analysis and Selection
- Development Analysis


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The internet is replete with photography-related gifts that are kitschy, corny, or just plain silly. Another lens mug. Yay. We thought you should right by the photographer in your life by gifting him or her something genuinely cool or useful. Here are some ideas to start:
Artisan and Artist Cloth Strap
Every photographer has his or her favorite strap. For shooters that carry a smaller mirrorless or analog camera, this super simple cloth strap by Artisan & Artists will be a hit. They're supple, for easy storage and wrist-looping. They lacks adjustments, but that's kind of the point—a minimal and stylish way to carry around a camera. They can be hard to track down from widely known retailers like Amazon, but you should do fine ordering from a place like PopFlash Photo, even though the site looks kinda shady. $60 [PopFlash Photo]
Ilford Black and White Disposable Camera
This is a fun stocking stuffer for getting out of the digital routine and mixing it up with some analog shooting. Ilford's disposable cameras have black and white film that can be taken to any neighborhood film lab (assuming there are any left). You could even buy a few for the family to shoot with throughout your holiday shindig. $14 [Amazon]
Magnum Contact Sheets Book
This big gorgeous photo book not only has stunning visuals, but can teach the photographer-in-training a whole damn lot about technique. Seeing the contact sheets of so many seasoned pros gives valuable insight into how the iconic shots were created. $60 [Amazon]
Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan
This software subscription will get you access to the latest version of Photoshop and Lightroom for $10 a month or $120 per year. For the digital photographer, this software is nearly essential, and your snap-happy friend or relative will kiss your feet for gifting them the power of professional grade photo editing. $120/year [Adobe]
Lumu Smartphone Light Meter
For the serious film shooters (they are out there), a light meter is a tried-and-true t0ol for finding the exact right exposure. The Lumu mounts conveniently on your iPhone and takes surprisingly accurate incident light readings via the Lumu app. $120 [Lumu]
Blurb Gift Certificate
Books are one of the best ways for a photographer to showcase his or her work. Getting pictures out of digital purgatory and onto a physical substrate is important in our world of bits and bytes. Blurb is a great service with a touch more attention to design and quality than something like Snapfish. $20-200 [Blurb]
Western Digital Elements 2 TB Hard Drive
Every photographer needs drive space, and lots of it. Even if they think they are sitting pretty with enough space at the moment, their needs will inevitably expand. That's where a portable high capacity drive like this Western Digital come in. USB 3.0 will give them fast transfer speeds, and it's small and bus-powered for great portability. $90 [Amazon]
Still haven't found the right present? Don't worry, we're rolling out new gift guides all month—right up until the last minute. To see 'em all, head here.


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On Sun, May 23, 2004 at 12:21:49AM +0200, Josip Rodin wrote: > On Sat, May 22, 2004 at 06:35:23PM +1000, Anthony Towns wrote: > > > > OK, time's up. > > > Thanks for this stunning display of the "...or I quit!" mentality. > > Since when is giving two week's notice worthy of jeering? > I wasn't really intending to comment on the grace period per se, rather > the act itself. Why is quitting worthy of jeering then? Do you think you should have had the right to prevent him from resigning? Or would you merely have preferred an air of mystery about his resignation's cause? Cheers, aj -- Anthony Towns <firstname.lastname@example.com> <http://azure.humbug.org.au/~aj/> Don't assume I speak for anyone but myself. GPG signed mail preferred. ``Like the ski resort of girls looking for husbands and husbands looking for girls, the situation is not as symmetrical as it might seem.''
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Oster® Titanium Infused DuraCeramic™ Reversible Grill/Griddle
Healthier grilling and griddling is possible with the Oster®; Reversible Grill/Griddle featuring unique, innovative Titanium Infused DuraCeramic™; non-stick ceramic coating. Cook with the benefits of Titanium Infused DuraCeramic™; offering durable, long-lasting, scratch-resistant, easy-to-clean surface and healthier food preparation.
Dimensions: 22"L x 5"W x 15"H
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Additional Information
This reversible grill/griddle is designed with unique, innovative DuraCeramic™ non-stick ceramic coating to last 8 times longer than ordinary non-stick surfaces. This extra-durable, super-hard surface won't flake or peel. Natural Titanium Infused DuraCeramic™ is PFOA and PTFE free and cooks up to 30% faster to save time and energy. 2-in-1 grill and griddle uses reversible plates for versatile, easy and convenient countertop cooking. With the Oster® brand, you can cook with passion and serve with pleasure.
- Unique, innovative Titanium Infused DuraCeramic™ non-stick ceramic coating
- 8X more durable than ordinary non-stick surfaces - won't flake or peel
- Cooks up to 30% faster than ordinary non-stick surfaces
- PFOA and PTFE free
- Reversible Grill/Griddle Plate with embedded heating element
- Adjustable temperature control


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Original story: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/ecoflight-tours-lease-areas-contested-in-lawsuit/article_cdf3f580-78f6-11e8-ad92-10604b9f6eda.html
By DENNIS WEBB
Resources as diverse as the western Colorado landscapes that contain them are at stake in a lawsuit challenging 53 oil and gas leases covering some 45,000 acres in Mesa and Garfield counties, conservationists say.
They tried to make their point evident from up above on Monday by providing journalists with a bird's-eye view of the places facing possible drilling thanks to Bureau of Land Management lease sales conducted in December 2016 and December 2017.
The suit alleges the BLM failed to provide proper environmental review before issuing the leases. Instead, conservationists say, the agency fell back on inadequate previous analysis as well as the promise of eventual pre-drilling reviews that conservationists believe will be too little and too late.
"It's a dangerous shell game that the federal government is playing," Diana Dascalu-Joffe, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said before boarding a plane piloted by Bruce Gordon, president of the Aspen-based EcoFlight nonprofit group.
With the navigational help of Peter Hart, staff attorney with the Wilderness Workshop in Carbondale, Gordon flew a loop taking in many of the lease parcels in question. They include large swaths in piñon-juniper country both north and south of Plateau Creek east of Mesa, isolated parcels near Molina and near and even taking in part of Vega Reservoir in the verdant Plateau Valley, lands surrounding and overlapping De Beque and coming within a half-mile of the public school there, several large swaths lined up in a row in the Roan Creek Valley to the northwest of De Beque, and desert regions west of the town such as colorful South Shale Ridge with its striking "hoodoo" geological formations.
Also at issue in the suit is considerable acreage north of Highline Lake State Park in western Mesa County.
The suit contends the BLM is improperly making use of a regulatory shortcut called a determination of NEPA adequacy, or DNA, to avoid requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. Conservationists say the practice, and resulting drilling and hydraulic fracturing, with their intensive water use and potential water- and air-quality and other impacts, threaten to result in a host of harms, including to:
■ Endangered fish in the Colorado River;
■ Rare wildflowers in the De Beque area;
■ Domestic water supplies;
■ The communities of Mesa, Molina and De Beque;
■ Recreationists in areas such as Vega Reservoir and Highline Lake, and in the mountain biking terrain north of Fruita;
■ Birds and other wildlife in places such as Highline and at De Beque Wildlife Area, an area with a lease overlapping it on the Colorado River.
"Some of the (contested leases) are actually on top of the Colorado River," Dascalu-Joffe said.
The suit challenges the BLM's decision to not do additional environmental review before offering the parcels for lease and instead rely on the work it previously had done when completing resource management plans for its Grand Junction and Colorado River Valley field offices.
"They're telling you they're doing all this analysis at the RMP stage and they're not," Hart said.
He said the BLM also says it will do analysis once companies seek drilling permits on a lease. But he said the problem is that once a lease has been issued, an irretrievable commitment has been made by the BLM.
"They really have a limited opportunity to protect those resources. They've basically already said that you can drill on the lease," he said.
BLM spokesman David Boyd said while he can't comment on the specific lawsuit, generally speaking, the agency has been making use of determinations of NEPA adequacy in the case of field offices that have recent recently completed resource management plans.
Both the Grand Junction and Colorado River Valley plans were completed in 2015.
Completion of such plans involves preparing an environmental impact statement.
"So it's a very detailed, robust analysis that has several opportunities for public involvement," Boyd said.
Resource management plan processes include deciding what lands are available for leasing and under what restrictions. These can include things such as timing limitations to protect wildlife and other surface-use conditions, and in some cases even outright prohibitions on surface use, meaning the underlying oil and gas would have to be tapped using directional or horizontal drilling from other locations.
Boyd said if the BLM finds that an issue wasn't addressed or analyzed at the resource management plan stage, analysis can be done before leasing.
Otherwise, he said, "additional analysis at the leasing stage would be redundant."
If people disagree with the analysis the BLM has conducted, there are steps they can take that include filing a lawsuit, Boyd said.
In addition to the suit specific to the 2016-17 leases, conservationists also have sued the BLM over its resource management plan for the Colorado River Valley Field Office. Hart said the suit highlights a failure to adequately address things like the climate and health impacts of oil and gas development.
"There were a bunch of issues that we highlighted that they hadn't adequately analyzed at the RMP stage," Hart said.
Climate impacts also are an issue the groups raise in the lease lawsuit. They estimate that developing the lease parcels would result in emissions of more than 5.5 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Further development within the two field offices' jurisdictions would result in "many more tens of millions of greenhouse gas emissions," the groups' suit says.
The potential air-quality impacts related to industrial development such as oil and gas drilling were unmistakable from the air Monday looking toward the mountains north of De Beque and northwest of Parachute. There, valleys were choked with clouds of dust apparently resulting from truck traffic on dry roads.
"That's awful," Dascalu-Joffe said as she observed from a seat in the EcoFlight plane.
Both Laramie Energy and Caerus Oil and Gas are currently drilling in that region. Bob Hea, Laramie's executive vice president and chief operating officer, said Monday that Laramie buys water from a local landowner and waters the roads it uses.
"It's definitely dry up there but no one lives where we are operating," he said.
He said Laramie hesitates to use magnesium chloride on the roads to control dust because it's a salt and is bad for the vegetation.
Laramie owns many of the leases that are part of the current legal challenge. The company has had little to say on the lawsuit.
"The BLM awarded the leases so we are moving on," Hea said.
Dascalu-Joffe and Hart are hopeful about their chances for prevailing in the litigation.
"I think that we wouldn't have filed this lawsuit if we didn't think we were right," Hart said.
Just this month, a district court rejected a lease sale covering nearly 20,000 acres on the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico due to the BLM's failure to adequately analyze impacts.
"It's very similar facts to this case," Dascalu-Joffe said.
That case also involved the BLM's reliance on the environmental review from a resource management plan. The case differs in one key respect from the western Colorado case, though, in that the New Mexico plan is 15 years old — which conservationists said made it obsolete — rather than three years old in the case of the two local plans.
Aspen, Colorado 81611


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The Clip-Lok Steel Rack packaging solution is normally a flat-packable. It's also a returnable solution. Our steel rack packaging solution is optimized for the customer's supply chain. It focuses on protecting the product during transport. There is also focuses on packing density and operator ergonomics. We also ensure that it is easy to retrieve at the final destination.
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We guarantee our product against faulty workmanship from delivery of an order; any part which fails due to faulty material or faulty fabrication will be replaced free of charge.
All our customers are provided with a high standard of service. We will do our best to serve you and meet your needs not only in the process, but also after delivery of our reusable, collapsible Clip-Lok Boxes. Read More.
The Clip-Lok Steel Rack packaging solution transports all type of components for industries such as automotive and aeronautical among others. Designed according to customer specifications we can make it fixed, collapsible or detachable. It is an efficient and effective means of storing, protecting, and shipping a diverse range of components for industries. It is used to transport parts which are moved within plants or in some cases even continents.
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No matter the mode of transport you choose, we are able to give you packaging solutions that fit the exact requirements of your cargo. Our solution always optimizes the transport of the goods.


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It's Final Four weekend over in North Texas. While the action this year may lack a North Carolina presence, Greensboro editor and photographer Tom Lassiter posted an interesting video on his Facebook wall last night. Forty years ago NC State shocked the world with an upset of the UCLA dynasty, led that year by future NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
According to Wikipedia: "North Carolina State, coached by Norm Sloan, won the national title with a 76-64 victory in the final game over Marquette, coached by Al McGuire. This result ended UCLA's record streak of seven consecutive titles. David Thompson of North Carolina State was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player."
Lassiter uses audio and stills to tell the story of a veteran photographer from the Fayetteville Times. He lets Ken Cooke tell his story of using the technology of the era to get photos out on deadline, even overcoming an overzealous NC State player who ripped a photo off a UPI transmitter.
Lassiter gave permission to share his video here. He says:
"I made it because it's a story worth sharing. I first heard it from Ken soon after I went to work as a feature writer at The Fayetteville Times in 1976. Cooke was and is the consummate professional photojournalist and had a crackerjack staff at the Fayetteville papers.
He's mentored scores of photojournalists through the years and was a selfless proponent of the profession , helping bring cameras into North Carolina courtrooms and serving as president of the National Association of Press Photographers. After living away from the state for a number of years, he has moved back to Raleigh (where he was a newspaper photographer before becoming photo chief in Fayetteville.) On the 40th anniversary of Greensboro being in the limelight for a Final Four, it's a good time to hear Ken's take on being part of that historic event.
And as noted on the YouTube page, my apologies for the crackly audio. Our Skype connection was terrible that day."


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How to Meal Prep For Your Ski Weekend
- Tips & How To's
- 01/08/16
- Share
Preparing for a ski weekend is hard work, especially with young kids in tow. From packing up all of the bulky snow gear and renting a cabin to scoping out the mountain conditions and purchasing lift passes, there's a lot to think about. And that's before anyone even mentions food and meals for the weekend. Take some of the load off your own shoulders this season and follow these ideas for meal prep so that you can enjoy the ski weekend just as much as everyone else.
Bring Your Own Slow Cooker
There's really not much that your slow cooker can't do. It can create warm, hearty meals with little preparation, it can feed a crowd and unlike your oven, it can be transported anywhere. Essentially, there's no question that you should bring your own slow cooker to your next ski weekend. When you're busy bundling up, flying down black diamonds and enjoying apres drinks in the lodge, there's little time to prepare a big dinner for all of your fellow hungry skiers. However, if you've got your slow cooker hooked up all you have to do is prep a few simple ingredients, combine them in your slow cooker and set the temperature and time to the proper settings. Hit the mountain and when you come back at the end of the day, a hot, tasty dinner will be ready for everyone to enjoy.
Let Someone Else Do the Work
If you're sharing a ski condo with friends or family, you'll hopefully only have to worry about half of the meals for the weekend. But after a long day of hitting the slopes, the last thing you want to think about is putting a meal together. If you bring your slow cooker to the mountain with you, you're in luck. With Crock-Pot® Cuisine Ready-To-Slow Cook Meals, you won't have to measure, chop or mix a single thing! Crock-Pot® Cuisine Meal Kits are handcrafted with care, packed with flavor, made from select ingredients and delivered right to your doorstep.
Try Something New
For your next ski trip, try the New Orleans-inspired Crock-Pot® Cuisine Creole-Style Andouille Sausage and Chicken, made fresh with rich and piquant jambalaya sauce. The Creole-style sauce produces a delightful savory flavor that pairs perfectly with the sausage, rice, tomatoes and tender white meat chicken. Order the meal kit right to your ski condo so that all you have to do when it arrives is open the pouch, add it to your slow cooker and set your meal to cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
As a bonus, follow these three Chef's tips for an even better culinary experience. Instead of cold water, use chicken stock when you begin cooking. Thirty minutes before serving, add 1 cup of frozen shrimp to the slow cooker. And to top it all off, add a dash of hot sauce to the dish. The entire crew will be more than satisfied with this hearty and flavorful meal. Each meal kit is meant to feed four adults, so plan accordingly.


text: Maureen co-hosts "twig and toadstool" along with Shanti and they are both moms and wives living in Ontario Canada. Maureen Designed and created the tutorial for these darling Toadstools and tells us that making them is an addiction. I think these are so sweet and would make a lovely gift for many occasions. Thanks Maureen for the excellent tutorial and pattern!


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- This event has passed.
Carolina Challenge Cup
February 17, 2018 @ 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm$30 – $285
Major League Soccer is back in Charleston for doubleheaders on February 17, 21, and 24. This year's Carolina Challenge Cup features the Charleston Battery, Atlanta United FC, Columbus Crew SC, and Minnesota United FC!
With a 5,100 seat capacity at MUSC Health Stadium, CCC offers soccer fans unmatchable interaction with some of Major League Soccer's best. The 2018 Challenge Cup will showcase MLS stars including Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), Josef Martínez (Atlanta United), Justin Meram (Columbus Crew SC), Ola Kamara (Columbus Crew SC) and Kevin Molino (Minnesota United).
Single-day tickets include two matches and start at $30; series passes include tickets to all six matches across three days and start at $65.
Wednesday, February 21st is a DOLLAR BEER Night at MUSC Health Stadium. We'll be serving dollar beers throughout both matches.
Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more!


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Ex Akal Takht Jathedar's 3 Star Hotel in Muktsar Sahib opens for operations.
Sources have reported that former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has opened his 3 star hotel in Mukatsar Sahib. The ex Jathedar's hotel serves alcohol and plenty of meat items on the menu. A source has reported that there is also a bar inside the hotel.
The SGPC has already employed 18 relatives of Gurbachan Singh and ex Keshgarh Sahib Jathedar Mal Singh.
On the payroll of the SGPC, Gurbachan has appointed his son Jaswinderpal Singh as a personal assistant and salary positions for his brother, two nephews, two daughters, two sons-in-law, a brother in law, and six other relatives. Also, the former Jathedar's daughters work as teachers for an SGPC school run in Amritsar.
The son of Gurbachan is a leader of the AKali Dal in village Bariwala and the daughter in law is the vice-chairman of the party of Zila Parishad, Muktsar.
Now, a look at ex Jathedar Giani Mal Singh's family members who work for the SGPC:
Son Amandeep Singh: PA; deputy manager SGPC.
Son Amarjit Singh: Granthi at Sri Darbar Sahib who despite being five years younger than the required age was given the service.
A Look Into ex Jathedar Gurmukh Singh of Takht Damdama Sahib:
Brother Himmat Singh is a PA.
According to the SGPC's articles, a close relative of an SGPC member can't be given a job within the SGPC. However, rules appeared to have been relaxed during Bibi Jagir Kaur's tenure.
It's quite clear that the appointment of relatives by the former Jathedars has a direct conflict of interest and further prevents transparency in operations.


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Cirecie West-Olatunji
Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.
Thinking about Health Care Reform and what it means for you as a counselor?Recording available to view anytime, any place…
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This course does not currently qualify for ASWB-approved Continuing Education. Thank you for your patience as we retrofit our courses with required changes before we can offer them for ASWB-approved CE Hours. Contact us if you have questions or if you'd like us to expedite this course for ASWB approval.