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Dalian Dingjin is a professional manufacturer for all kinds of dish heads , spherical shell plates and Class III pressure vessels.
Company Introduction
Dingjin General Machinery Co., Ltd., Dalian is one of the professional manufacturers for dish end, spherical shell plate and the third class pressure vessel. It was established in the year of 2000 covering 74,000 square meters which located in beautiful costal city Dalian.
Dingjin has been improved quality assurance system and strengthen quality management constantly in past ten years; meanwhile, acquired ISO9001 quality management system certification. Dingjin adheres to the quality policy "Abide by laws and regulations strictly, improve continuously, quality first, and customer satisfaction". Until now Dingjin has supplied more than 100,000 pieces dish ends and spherical shell plates to clients. Thirteen of them are fabricated for key state projects, and 23 of them are fabricated for world top 500 enterprises. Dingjin products get good feedback from clients at home and abroad in quality, service and work-period.
Dingjin insists on the principle of "Technological innovation, scientific development" with recruiting talents and developing technology. Dingjin was identified as national high tech enterprise since 2008. Now Dingin is a innovative enterprise involved research and development, production, sales, service as well as technology consulting. Dingjin is the executive director unit of China Forging Association, and it is also the member of national standard technology committee for fix type pressure vessel. Dingjin conducted overall shareholding reform successfully and its stock was listed on Tianjin precious metal exchange in the year of 2009. The registered capital of Dingjin is 21,460,000RMB, and its total assets are 200,000,000RMB.
Product Introduction
The characteristics of Dingjin Products
1. Four main varieties:
1)The dish end is of diversified shape, specification and material.
2)Spherical shell plate applied to various spherical storage tank with different volume.
3)Pressure vessel belongs to A2 grade of the third classification.
4)Spinning unit involved flanging machine and dishing machine as well as hydraulic press for large specification dish ends.
2. The dish ends fabricated by Dingjin in past ten years are of many features
Dish end with 10000mm diameter and 50mm thickness which is the largest dish end fabricated by Dingjin with integral spinning technology in past ten years.
Dish end with 6000mm diameter and 300mm thickness which is the largest dish end fabricated by Dingjin with integral stamping technology in past ten years.
There is no limitation for diameter when fabricated the dish end with many petals, meanwhile, the maximum thickness could be up to 300mm.
Dingjin can fabricate dish end not only with carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel, but also have mature process technology and experience with aluminum, copper, nickel, titaniumtim, zirconium, chrome-molybdenum steel, dual-phase steel, nickel-based alloy steel as well as cladding plate.
1)Dish end with complete shapes
Elliptical dished end, torispherical end, hemispherical end, spherical crown end, flat bottom end, toriconical end, horn end, segmental end, arc bottom end, boiler furnace end, furnace platform with outer flange and all kinds of axisymmetric body end.
1)Wide application
Dish ends fabricated by Dingjin were applied widely involving petroleum, chemical engineering, smelting, shipbuilding, unclear power, offshore drilling platform, aerospace, water treatment, pharmacy, beer industries and so on.
1. Dish end with high technology content
Dingjin has researched and developed the new technology for integral forming dish end successfully which make this technology in a new stage. For example, Dingjin supplied the integral forming stainless steel dish end with 10000mm diameter and 33mm thickness to Australia client; Dingjin supplied EM7 storage tank prefabrication to Hongyanhe nuclear power plant; Dingjin supplied shielding cover for aerospace ground equipment to China Academy of Engineering Physics. Experts at home and abroad spoke highly of Dingjin products.
Equipment Introduction
Complete and advanced spinning units
Dingjin possesses large, medium, small three spinning units with complete configuration equipment which are separately self-made DF10050 model, MD21/5030 model made in Germany, and DF2220 model. Dingjin could fabricate all shape dish end with integral cold spinning process technology and the production capacity is from 325mm diameter multiplied 8mm thickness to 10000mm diameter multiplied 50mm thickness.
Dingjin possesses 7 stands of dual action hydraulic press. They are one stand of 630 tonnage hydraulic press, two stands of 1000 tonnage hydraulic press, 2 stands of 2000 tonnage hydraulic press, one stand of 8000 tonnage hydraulic press and one stand of 16000 tonnage hydraulic press. The configuration equipment for dual action hydraulic press are 4 sets of heating furnace, 3 sets of heat treatment furnace, 28 sets of crane and the maximum lifting capacity is 75 tons. Dingjin could fabricated all shape dish ends with integral hot stamping process technology from 80mm diameter multiplied 20mm thickness to 6000mm diameter multiplied 300mm thickness. Dingjin could fabricate all shape dish end from 59mm diameter multiplied 14mm thickness to 4000mm diameter multiplied 30mm thickness with integral cold spinning process technology. Dingjin has ability to fabricate spherical storage tank and spherical shell plate with nominal volume between 50 cubic meters and 10000 cubic meters..
Dingjin expanded machining workshop with installed more than 20 sets of machining equipment. The machine tools are complete, such as lathe machine, milling machine, boring machine, planning machine, grinding machine and drilling machine and so on. Among of them, the advanced large equipment, such as 6.3 meters computer numerical control vertical lathe machine with two posts, 9 meters planning, boring and milling machine made in Japan, 6 meters planer milling machine made in Japan, 10 meters horizontal lathe machine, 4 meters cylindrical grinder can meet the demand of machining work. Meanwhile, Dingjin can undertake the machining tasks entrusted by the client.
Human Resource
There is 140 staff in Dingjin. The radio for staff with above
college degree occupied the existing staff is 32 percent. The research and develop team of Dingjin is of high education, high quality and rich experience. There are more than 20 personnel engaged in research and development, among of them, 5 personnel are Senior Engineer, 5 personnel are Engineer, and 2 personnel are Technician. Among workers, there are more than 60 ones are highly skilled workers who are the masters of spinning, stamping, rivet welding, flaw detection, product surface treatment, machining and other process. Two welders of Dingjin got the first prize and the second prize in welding match with the name of "Golden Ship Cup" which was hosted by Dalian government.
Achievement Introduction
Since the year of 2006, Dingjin has great achievements in technology research and development, such as one invention patent, 15 utility patents, 8 software copyrights, one item for participating and drawing up Chinese national standard for dish ends, and second prize for advance of science authorized by Dalian government. Meanwhile, "DJSB" was regards as famous trademark of Dalian.
Dingjin brought in ERP management system of Kingdee company in the year of 2012 which bring more than 800,000 RMB profit each year. The success was authorized as the second prize for achievement for Enterprise Management Progress.
Dingjin could be in an impregnable position in the intense market base on its technology results and advanced management. Now Dingjin has more than 610 clients, and its products were sold to Japan, South Korea, Australia, Russia, Norway, Brazil and other countries.
Dingjin is operating with systematization and enlargement according to market investigation and demand. The 16000 tonnage hydraulic press in Puwan new branch has already gone into production and new branch will become the production base for large and super huge specification dish ends in future.
Future plan
Dingjin is going to establish four bases and increase sales revenue from 40 million RMB to 10 billion RMB in 3 or 5 years.
2.Four bases
Spinning unit with 16000mm diameter for seamless dish end forming is manufacturing.
(2)Research base for new product, new technology and new process
Dingjin plans to get 4 items of research results on average each year.
(3)Transformation base for science and technology achievements
Dingjin will enhance to cooperate with Tsinghua University, Tianjin university, Dalian university of Technology as well as Lanpec Technologies Limited in order to turn science technology achievements with common efforts into new product through transformation base.
(4) Training base for talents in technology and science
Dingjin will cultivate talents for product development and high technicians for key process with taking advantage of research base, production base and transformation base in order to develop sustainably.
My respected client, Dingjin General Machinery Co., Ltd., Dalian will adhere to tenet of "forging ahead, honesty and trustworthiness, mutual benefit" and supply qualified products with competitive price, short time-limited, and considerate service to you. We assure that you will be happy in Dingjin and return back with satisfaction.
Large Specification
Integral spinning size ≤ Φ10000*Thk50mm
Integral stamping size ≤Φ6000* Thk400mm
There is no limitation for diameter when fabricated the dish heads with many petals, meanwhile, the maximum thickness could be up to 200mm.
Speical Raw Material
Dalian Dingjin can fabricate dish end not only with carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel, but also have mature process technology and experience with aluminium, copper, nickel, tataniumtim, zirconium, chrome-molybdenum steel, duplex steel, nickel-based alloy steel as well as cladding plate.
Dish Heads with Complete Shapes.
Elliptical Head, Torispherical Head, Hemispherical Head, Spherical Crown Head,Flat Bottom Head, Toriconical Head, Horn Head, Segmental Head, Arc Bottom Head, Boiler Furnace Head, Furnace Platform with Outer Flange and all konds of axisymmetric body Head, Spherical Shell Plates for different capacity spherical tank.


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Network Orders Six installments of The Untitled Chris Rock/W. Kamau Bell Late Night Show
Series Debuts This Summer
LOS ANGELES, March 28, 2012 - FX has closed a deal for six installments of the Untitled Chris Rock/W. Kamau Bell Late Night Show, which premieres this summer, announced Nick Grad, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, FX.
The weekly half-hour series, from Executive Producer Chris Rock, stars standup comedian W. Kamau Bell who will dissect politics, pop culture, race, religion, the media and sex in a weekly half hour.
"The presentation pilot that Chris and Kamau shot was terrific," said Grad. "Kamau is a tremendous young comedian who has a very smart and sharp take on life. Working with Chris will only bring out the best of his talents. This series, along with Russell Brand's Strangely Uplifting, puts FX on really solid footing in the latenight arena."
The series is produced by FX Productions. Chris Rock, Chuck Sklar, and W. Kamau Bell are Executive Producers.
"I think Kamau is one of the funniest guys out there and I can't wait to work with the good people at FX," said Rock.
Bell added, "Clearly this is a great opportunity. I'm going to do my best to make the most of it. I feel lucky to be working with one of the greatest comedians of all time, Chris Rock, and the most forward-thinking network, FX."
W. Kamau Bell is one of the fastest rising socio-political comics in the United States, and a founding member of the comedy group Laughter Against the Machine. Praised by Punchline Magazine as "one of our nation's most adept racial commentators with a blistering wit," Kamau has been voted SF's best comedian by the SF Weekly, the SF Bay Guardian, and 7x7 Magazine. His recent stand up album, Face Full of Flour, was named one of the Top 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2010 by iTunes and Punchline Magazine. Kamau is best known for his critically acclaimed solo show The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour, which was a Time Out NY critic's pick in the 2010 NY Comedy Festival and a comedy pick in The Guardian during his 2011 run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Time Out NY gives him "FOUR STARS" and offers, "Bell finds comic gold...offering provocative insights into an ugly reality." The San Francisco Chronicle raves "The personable, quick comic skewers racism, stereotypes and an assortment of iconic taboos with provocative wit. FOUR STARS!" The SF Weekly has called Kamau "smart, stylish, and very much in the mold of politically outspoken comedians like Dave Chappelle," though he was more excited that they called him "handsome."
Chris Rock, the Brooklyn-raised comedian who has garnered four Emmy(R) Awards and three Grammy Awards as a writer and stand-up comedy work, recently appeared on Broadway to rave reviews in The Motherf**ker With The Hat. He will be seen on the big screen this May in Lionsgate's What to Expect When You're Expecting, followed by DreamWorks' Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted; the third film in the hugely successful franchise in which Rock voices "Marty." Later in the year he will appear opposite Julie Delpy, who also serves as writer/director, in 2 Days in New York, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and for which his performance has already garnered critical acclaim. Rock's first documentary, Good Hair, won the 2009 Sundance "Special Jury Prize" and was named one of the "Top Five Documentaries" in 2009 by the National Board of Review. His critically acclaimed HBO stand-up specials include Bring the Pain, Bigger & Blacker, Never Scared and Kill the Messenger. Rock made his feature film debut in Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987. Additional film credits include Boomerang, New Jack City, Lethal Weapon 4, Dogma, Nurse Betty, Head of State (directorial debut), Down to Earth ( co-wrote), I Think I Love My Wife ( wrote & directed), The Longest Yard, Madagascar films, Grown Ups, Death at a Funeral, the upcoming 2 Days in New York and, of course, Pootie Tang. TV credits include NBC's Saturday Night Live, HBO's The Chris Rock Show and Everybody Hates Chris, which he co-created and narrated. His debut book, Rock This, appeared on The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
In 2012, the FX schedule will feature eight original comedy series: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Archer, Louie, Wilfred, Unsupervised, Strangely Uplifting, and the Untitled Chris Rock/Kamau Bell Late Night Show.
2011 marked a banner year for FX comedy series. Every returning show posted ratings gains versus prior season. Sunny posted its best ratings ever last season and remains the highest-rated comedy in FX history. Wilfred, which debuted in June, was the number-one comedy premiere ever for FX and is the highest-rated first season comedy in FX history. Louie, starring Louis C.K., was named TIME magazine's best show of 2011, and received AFI honors as one of the Ten Most Outstanding Programs of 2011, as well as Television Critics Association Broadcast Television Journalists Association award nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series. Louis C.K. received Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (an FX first) and also Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Louis C.K. and Pamela Adlon received a WGA Award nomination in the Comedy Series category.
FX Productions co-produces the award-winning hit drama series Sons of Anarchy, and award-winning hit drama series Justified. FXP produces the critically acclaimed hit comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, and Unsupervised, Strangely Uplifting, and the Untitled Chris Rock/Kamau Bell Late Night Show.
FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule includes a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning original series, an established film library of acquired box-office hit movies, an impressive lineup of acquired hit series, and sports. For more information, go to www.FXnetworks.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Professional, knowledgeable and most importantly trustworthy! Adroit Business Solutions has helped our business implement a cost effective, user friendly accounting system which we can rely upon. I would fully recommend them to any small to medium sized business.
Michael Smith, Atelier Red + Black
We have been working with Adroit for nearly 2 years now. They have an incredible attention to detail, understood our exact business needs, always respond promptly to any queries and have been an invaluable guide for us and our team. Thanks to them our books are always in perfect order. I highly recommend them!
Sonia Sarangi, Atelier Red + Black


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Thai Beef Jerky
Jerky is another nonperishable way to get some protein from your desk drawer. (No, you can't chew on the drawer no matter how frustrated you are.) Sweet honey combines with salty fish sauce and floral coriander seed for a complex-flavored, but simple-to-make, beef jerky. This jerky should provide a pick-me-up in a long, slow burn kind of way that will enable the workday afternoon to actually be productive. So get gnawing on this salty, sweet, savory Thai version of beef jerky.
This jerky is a riff on heavenly beef, a Thai dish that is usually quickly marinated and sautéed. At once floral, sweet, and salty, it's good on its own or served with coconut sticky rice for a treat.... Read More
View Recipe


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Pat Buchanan might have seen the end of the line coming at MSNBC when last month network president Phil Griffin commented on his latest book, �Suicide of a Superpower,� by saying, �I don�t think the ideas that (Buchanan) put forth are appropriate for the national dialogue, much less on MSNBC.�
When Buchanan was let go last week after 10 years as a commentator on the network, no one was surprised.
I don�t agree with some of Buchanan�s ideas, especially regarding Jews, his questioning of whether World War II had to happen or whether the United States should be involved militarily in the Middle East. But he has every right to his ideas, as we all have the right to our own. It�s called free speech.
The approach to free speech should be like the one taken by the ACLU in 1977 when neo-Nazis made plans to march through the Jewish suburb of Skokie, Ill. While deploring their views, the ACLU defended the group�s right to express itself.
Today, is censorship the new pluralism?
Actor Ben Jones, who starred as �Cooter� on the television show �The Dukes of Hazzard,� wrote to tell me about a decision by NASCAR to ban the car known as the �General Lee� from appearing at the Sprint Cup series race at Phoenix next month. The image of the Confederate flag on the car�s roof, said NASCAR spokesman David Higdon, �... is not something that should play an official role in our sport as we continue to reach out to new fans and make NASCAR more inclusive.�
Jones said in a recent statement: �At a time when tens of millions of Americans are honoring their Union and Confederate ancestors during this sesquicentennial of the Civil War, NASCAR has chosen to dishonor those Southerners who fought and died in that terrible conflict by caving to �political correctness� and the uninformed concerns of corporate sponsors.
�This is also an extraordinary insult to rural Southerners, who are NASCAR�s oldest and most fervent fan base, and it sends a message against inclusion and against the need for diversity.�
Is conformity the new diversity?
Jones is not only an actor, but a former Democratic member of Congress from Georgia and a strong civil rights proponent.
When the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the burning of the American flag as free speech, while the free exercise of religion is being curtailed at many levels, is this not censoring a particular category of expression? Censorship is also moving beyond its classic definition into a new and even more dangerous area.
As The Daily Caller, a 24-hour news site founded by conservative pundit Tucker Carlson and former Cheney aide Neil Patel, has reported, a liberal group known as Media Matters has not only fed talking points to some reporters and opinion columnists, it has been campaigning to get people fired when they hold ideas with which the left disagrees. According to the Caller, Media Matters hired people to investigate the lives of Fox News employees and compiled an �enemies list.� Media Matters didn�t respond directly to the charges; its founder, David Brock, instead pointed to Reuters� criticism of the Caller�s �bad journalism� and �lame propaganda� as the reason for Media Matters� silence.
These and many other attempts to suppress speech and force people into a universal and �acceptable� belief system harm freedom. Suppressing speech changes not a single mind. The freedom to debate ideas and present arguments is what separates the United States from most other nations.
Do we want to become like countries that have the equivalent of �thought police,� smothering speech and penalizing anyone who refuses to toe the party line? Should I be prevented from asking this question?
Cal Thomas writes for Tribune Media Services Inc. Leave email at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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The Kissing Game
Digital version – browse, print or download
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How to print the digital edition of Books for Keeps: click on this PDF file link - click on the printer icon in the top right of the screen to print.
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This issue's cover illustration is from Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery by Keren David. Thanks to Frances Lincoln for their help with this July cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 189 July 2011.
The Kissing Game
In a BfK Authorgraph (September 2001), Aidan Chambers says, 'You have to risk dealing with the material inside yourself you'd rather not face or, certainly, not have other people face. Only in the act of writing do I declare myself.' That comment is exemplified, you might well think, in this collection of short stories and brief dramatic dialogues. Some are published for the first time, others are gathered from anthologies or magazines over the last 20 or more years. The last piece in the book, begun when Chambers was 15 and two more years in the crafting, reflects a mind already using the experience of his grandfather's death to search himself: 'There was nothing about me at that moment that I did not know. And the knowledge was an unbearable pain.'
Such self-awareness and the pain that goes with it recur in this collection, even on the rare occasions when the register is comic – a tale told by a girl doing a summer job in a kangaroo suit at an amusement park, for example, or in some of the park-bench conversation playlets. It is because Chambers has never lost that adolescent vulnerability and openness that, now in his seventies, he still writes stories in which reflective adolescents will surely discover themselves. He is not concerned with the surface stuff of some teenage fiction – the aps and i-pods and wha'evers – though he is happy enough to have one female narrator record a lengthy spell in the cosmetics section of a department store having her first make-up make-over. He has always been concerned with outside-of-time matters; with tentative relationships, emerging sexuality, lack of confidence, trust and betrayal, violence and tenderness. Any of these might provoke sudden insights about the mess of living which disturb but move you on to somewhere else whether you like it or not. His publisher says that the experiences explored here are 'unique to the teenage years'. But for Chambers, one may feel, that is not so. For him, ironically, such continuing awareness is itself evidence of a kind of maturity, of still being alive; and thus, 'only in the act of writing do I declare myself'.


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…everything you need straight to your inbox.
The Workspace Newsletter is your essential weekly briefing – bringing you the most vital writing from the worlds of People, Operations and HR.
We tried unlimited holiday for three years.
After three years, we are killing Charlie's unlimited holiday policy for good. We've decided that offering teams an unlimited holiday allowance just doesn't work – but probably not for the reasons you think.
How performance reviews tell you it's time to part ways with an employee
Companies are built on mutually beneficial relationships: every employee contributes something to the business and gets something in return. But as you grow, some of those relationships break down.
The power of letting go
Why a culture of autonomy empowers your team to do their best work and the importance of balancing autonomy with alignment.


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Sustainability is the most important and most poorly understood problem of the 21st century, according to engineer William A. Wallace, ENV SP, M.ASCE, a noted author and consultant. Consequently, many civil engineers are unknowingly planning, designing and delivering infrastructure projects that may not meet owner specifications in the long term as they may be unable to cope with future environmental operating conditions.
This is a problem, Wallace says. A huge problem.
In a recent eLearning webinar, Wallace, who is also chairing the upcoming International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure, described how multiple decades of overusing resources and degrading natural systems have altered the functions of the Earth's natural systems. Those alterations have changed and will continue to change the conditions under which infrastructure projects must operate.
As a result, he says, much of the existing infrastructure, designed for conditions that were historically stable, is now vulnerable to significant damage or failure. Not surprisingly, the generally poor condition of U.S. infrastructure increases that vulnerability and risk.
Because basic engineering design assumptions about future environmental conditions are no longer reliable, Wallace says civil engineers need to adopt a new and more dynamic approach to engineering project design and delivery.
Some engineers are working to accommodate these changes, making their infrastructure designs more robust and resilient, and creating new opportunities for their firms and clients.
To learn more, view the archived webinar or register for the International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure.


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Food guide: Dubai's weekend eats
Bazxar, Okku, Thiptara
Dubai's culinary scene continues to evolve as chefs roll out ideas to innovate and create luxurious new menus that fuse classical with the contemporary. This weekend, indulge at Bazxar, dine at Thiptara and treat yourself to Okku with these exclusive bites...
Bazxar, DIFC
Bazxar has opened the last of its four eating spaces, the Dining Room. Centred around an open kitchen as well as artworks, the menu is divided into 'things to start with', 'cold things', 'hot things' and 'things to finish'. Some of the highlights of the exciting menu include foie gras 'pb & j' topped with roasted peanuts, cured beef and evaporated balsamic and scallop ceviche with lime leaf and cilantro root and tiger's milk.
For reservations, call +971 4 355 1111.
Thiptara, The Palace Downtown Dubai
One of Dubai's premier Thai restaurants has introduced a new sharing menu that allows a combination of delectable home-made Thai delights, great company and the perfect setting. With a view of the Dubai fountain, savour some of the great Thai classics including duck spring rolls, Thai crab cakes, Thai Green chicken curry as well as the restaurant's signature Thai green curry — claimed to be the best in the emirate.
For reservations, call +971 4 428 7806.
Okku, H Hotel Dubai
Luxury Japanese restaurant Okku continues its innovative ways with a new addition to its desserts menu. True to its name, the World of Fondants includes five special fondant creations that are complemented perfectly with ice-cream or sorbet. Some of the sweet combinations include green tea with coconut sorbet and mixed berry with honey ice-cream.
For reservations, call +971 4 501 8777.
Also, read about Hollywood actor Marlon Wayans' food stop in Dubai.


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Your laptop or smartphone needs repair, so you take it to one of the highest-rated, best-reviewed IT techs in your city. Although he does great work for a reasonable rate with a fast turnaround, you don't think you'll use him again. When speaking with him, you felt ill at ease. You felt anxious and unsettled in his presence. The lines of communication between you were loaded with static. He seemed to be prickly, easily offended, and impatient with you. Chances are, you'll seek out another IT professional the next time you need help.
Even though this person might be the best technician in town, his "soft skills" need some work. Specifically, his communication skills were weak. Your somewhat-unsettling experience is backed up by research. Nobel-Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman found that "people would rather do business with a person they like and trust rather than someone they don't, even if the likeable person is offering a lower quality product or service at a higher price," notes Keld Jensen in a piece for Forbes.
Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture North America, runs a $16 billion business and oversees a team of more than 50,000 employees. In a CNBC interview she stated, "I think people underrate the importance of investing in your communication skills as a way to progress in your career . . . What's the greatest advice I give? Develop excellent communication skills."
Hone your workplace communication skills with these seven tips:
1) Be an engaged, active listener.
It's easy to get distracted by things in the environment or in your own head when speaking with someone. Your phone, emails, colleagues, grumbling stomach, and weekend to-do list all compete for your attention. But active listening builds rapport, understanding, and trust — essential components of business-world success. To help you fully concentrate on what's being said rather than just passively hearing it, integrate a few of PsychCentral's 13 active listening strategies:
- Restating: Paraphrase what you think you heard the person say in your own words: "Let's see if I'm clear about this…"
- Summarizing: Check your understanding by bringing together the facts and issues: "So it sounds to me as if…"
- Probing: Elicit more meaningful information to deepen your understanding of the issue by asking questions of the speaker: "What do you think would happen if you…"
- Validation: Demonstrate authentic empathy by acknowledging the individual's situation and feelings: "I appreciate your willingness to talk about such a difficult issue…"
- Silence: Use open, silent spaces to give each of you time to absorb and reflect on what's being said. Silence can also help slow down or diffuse an exchange that might be getting too heated or stressful.
2) Learn to speak body language.
Understanding nonverbal communication in face-to-face meetings is crucial for workplace success. The often-cited research by Dr. Albert Mehrabian breaks down human communication into 7 percent spoken words, 38 percent tone of voice, and 55 percent body language. Remember this when you want to communicate clearly with a client or colleague. Send positive body language signals to others by:
- Looking the speaker in the eye to appear confident and present.
- Raising your eyebrows and tilting your head to one side to communicate interest.
- Nodding your head to express agreement.
- Using hand and arm gestures to communicate power, express passion, and reinvigorate a conversation.
- Resting your arms across your belly button to signal you're relaxed and open.
3) Conduct powerful group presentations.
Your career may find you called upon to speak in front of small or large groups. Practice and preparation are two of the most important keys to success. The third is understanding that great public speakers don't dump information, they tell stories.
In a Leadership piece for Forbes, passionate public speaker Nick Morgan explains why burying your audience with information taxes the brain and causes them to forget what you say. Bullets points on a slide are quickly forgotten, no matter how interesting your product or service. But if you draw the audience in with a story in which they are they heroes and take them along with you on a thrilling journey, your message is far more likely to be remembered.
While you're speaking, be sure to stand up straight and tall, keeping your head up. One of the world's leading experts in Nonverbal Communication, Patti Wood, told CNBC: "When you hold or move your body the way you would like to feel, the posture actually sends a message to the brain: "Hey, I am feeling great, positive, and up."
Other pro tips for public speaking:
- Jot down notes before your event to organize your thoughts.
- Don't fidget. It implies nervousness, impatience, or eagerness to leave.
- Avoid speaking more quickly or in a higher tone than normal. Lower your voice to sound more powerful.
- Use a conversational, controlled tone to sound like a confident leader.
4) Master email communications.
Entrepreneur notes that employees read and compose up to 60 emails a day on average, making email the most widely used tool for business communication in the workplace. Effective written communication via email requires you observe some basic etiquette practices:
- Always add a subject line that's informative and relevant to your topic. Summarize the communication's content succinctly.
- Begin your email with a formal salutation. Even a "Hi there" is far preferable to launching into a message without any sort of opening greeting.
- Keep your messages clear and brief, using short and concise sentences. Long, tedious emails can confuse and bore readers.
- Use paragraphs that contain related points and change paragraphs to present separate ideas. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to read large blocks of disorganized text.
- Don't use exclamation points, emojis, acronyms, or all caps. They are not professional or appropriate for formal workplace communications.
- Close the email by stating the outcome you expect from your message and sign off with a polite greeting and your name.
- Proofread your note and run it through a spellchecker before hitting "send."
Remember that your reader can't hear your tone or observe your body language, so choosing your words wisely and being extra polite are important. Always strive for diplomacy in all written communications.
When you're on the receiving end, make it a habit to respond to business emails as soon as possible. If you can't write a full reply immediately, acknowledge that you have received the communication and will address it shortly.
5) Polish your telephone tone.
In his opinion piece for Forbes, Tommy Mello, owner of A1 Garage Door Repair, states that while technical skills are important, "what differentiates great employees from the rest are their soft skills." With over 140 employees in seven states, Mello's got a lot of experience in hiring the right people. He ranks communication skills as the No. 1 soft skill he hires for: "We're always trying to earn customers for life, and I can tell you that those who can close sales on the phone are A+ communicators."
Although many people, especially millennials, would rather text than talk on the phone, the ability to engage in polite and professional phone conversations is a key component of effective business communication. Always try to maintain a courteous and respectful tone of voice with clients and colleagues who can't see your facial expressions or read your body language.
If your position in customer service or public relations requires fielding complaint calls, it's crucial that you learn to employ conflict management and active listening skills. Callers want to share their stories with understanding and sympathetic people who understand their plight and can take appropriate action. Remember in this age of social media and online reviews: "A single negative review can drive away approximately 22 percent of customers," reports BrightLocal.
6) Practice tactful texting.
Although quick and convenient text messaging is becoming more commonplace in business, it's not always the best choice for communicating professionally. It's too easy for your recipient to misinterpret your tone, and the lightning-fast nature of the format can make you come across as flippant or abrupt.
Best practices for workplace texting include:
- Use texting only for simple notifications or reminders: "I'm running five minutes late" or "Please remember to bring the slides."
- Write in complete sentences. Although abbreviations and acronyms are fine for friends and family, if you're communicating with a customer or coworker, type out each word.
- Use "please" and "thank you" liberally.
- Don't use a text to cancel a meeting or change a lunch date. Make a phone call if your communication is important or time-sensitive.
- Save serious conversations for face-to-face meetings to ensure clear communication.
7) Sharpen your software skills.
No matter what field you work in, a solid knowledge of the most widely used software programs gives you an advantage. Being able to create spreadsheets, presentations, documents, and infographics is often critical to success. Your team might make daily use of file-sharing and video-conferencing programs, or you could find yourself tasked with posting blogs to a website or overseeing social media.
A skilled oral and written communicator must also be proficient in the most popular technology of the day. Clear and effective communication is reliant on ever-evolving technology, so be sure you keep learning, growing, and evolving your own technical skills to keep pace.


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Defence ministry officials say that many plans across the three armed forces will witness a definite setback because of this austerity measure, reports R S Chauhan
The Indian military is back to its old days of scrounging for funds, after the finance ministry under P Chidambaram has told South Block that it will have to live with a cutback of nearly Rs 14,000 crore in the ongoing financial year (2012-13).
At the start of the year, the defence budget was pegged at Rs 193,000 crore. The bulk of it -- Rs 126,000 crore, called revenue expenditure -- was earmarked for salary, pension, recurring expenditure, maintenance of arms and equipment. Only Rs 67,000 was given for what capital acquisition, that is new purchases.
While the revenue budget is likely to see a reduction by about Rs 6,000 crore, it is the capital budget that will be cut back drastically by approximately Rs 8,000 crore. Defence ministry officials concede that many plans across the three armed forces will witness a definite setback because of this austerity measure.
The hardest hit will be the Indian Navy, considered to be the service getting the most attention of late. Its plans to purchase new conventional submarines this year to augment its fast depleting fleet (down to single digit) is now put on hold. Similarly, its plan to equip many new ships with the new generation Barack missiles is also pushed back to later years.
The Indian Army, the largest of the three services and the one that takes up the bulk of the defence ministry's revenue budget, will continue to face a shortage of ammunition for its fleet of tanks (a fact highlighted by the previous Army Chief Gen VK Singh in his letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh exactly a year ago. The letter found its way into the public domain, setting off a furore). The Army's plan to acquire anti-tank guided missiles, either from the United States or Russia, is now delayed. With just 40 per cent of the tanks fitted with night vision devices, the Indian Army's tank fleet will operate below par.
Although the defence ministry has tried to put up a brave front and went out of its way to paint a very rosy picture about the future of the Indian armed forces at the recently concluded Aero India show in Bengaluru, the reality is the three services are currently operating in what is called a "holding" mode -- no new acquisitions, no new raising of additional forces and no accretion in its fire power.
Most foreign firms participating in the Aero India show also tried to project a very optimistic picture of India's defence sector by giving rosy projections through friendly media, but most of them are aware that India's stated plans to spend over 100 billion dollars in new weapons and platforms' purchases over the next five years, is no longer on track.
One of the biggest casualties of the budget cutback is likely to be the planned mountain strike corps, recently cleared by the defence ministry but yet to be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security. Aimed at countering the potential Chinese challenge across the Himalayas, the proposed MSC is estimated to cost Rs 65,000 crore, the kind of money India's finance ministry is unlikely to spare over the next few years.
Over and above all this, the Indian Air Force, which is looking at inducting 350-400 new aircraft by 2020, is rightfully miffed at the funds crunch. Its mega deal of Rs 17-18 billion dollars to purchase 126 Rafale combat jets from the French Dassault company is now pushed to the next financial year and is likely to be staggered over the next two years.
As an air force officer lamented: "When the exchequer had the money, our decision-makers hesitated. Now there is no money, so they are telling us to go slow. When will our planners and leaders understand that defence preparedness is not an overnight affair? They continue to pour in colossal amounts of money into non-productive social schemes just to appease and woo a section of the electorate."
Most hold Defence Minister AK Antony, now in the chair for over six years, for this state of affairs. "His sole aim so far has been to avoid any taint of corruption on him personally. So he has delayed, scrapped and hesitated in concluding contracts meant to meet the Indian military's basic needs," one of the senior most officers said in disgust.
The effects of Antony's indecisiveness will be disastrous in the long run, many of the key officers warn.
The frustration among the military top brass is palpable. But then their voice is never heard in the corridors of power.
And so the Indian military will continue to suffer in silence.


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Six directors have been banned for a total of 54 years after misleading more than 300 investors who collectively invested at least £12m acquiring new building homes in the north England.
Absolute Living Developments Limited sold off-plan apartments across several developments, primarily located in Bradford and Greater Manchester, to buy-to-let investors based in England and overseas, most notably in Asia.
The company sought out investments to convert commercial buildings into residential properties. But investors complained that having invested through Absolute Living Developments, the developments had not been fully completed and the apartments were unliveable.
Absolute Living Developments was wound-up by order of the courts in April 2016 following the presentation of a petition by Bradford Council due to unpaid rates and investigations that followed principally focused on four developments, three in Bradford and a single scheme in Manchester.
Investigators discovered various examples of misconduct by Absolute Living Developments facilitated by the directors.
The company provided misleading and incomplete information about the developments to investors, meaning people could not carry out due diligence.
Absolute Living Developments had no ability to ensure the terms of contracts with investors could be met and failed to provide adequate safeguards for money obtained from investors.
For one of the developments, Absolute Living Developments requested completion payments from investors despite the development not being completed.
And the company signed charges over Absolute Living Developments' assets, which meant that a third party owns them and there are no remaining assets in the liquidation to pay creditors.
An independent insolvency practitioner has been appointed in this case to investigate recovery of assets for the benefit of creditors. The liquidator's actions are ongoing and to date they have received claims from creditors in excess of £68m.
Ken Beasley, official receiver for the Insolvency Service, said: "This was a complex investigation, considering the amount of money that was invested, not all of the directors were based in the UK and we worked with several other authorities.
"We want to draw attention to these rogue directors so we can alert people about the risks involved when investing, while also warning that we will investigate and tackle those that set out to deliberately rip people off by misrepresenting the investment opportunity on offer."


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It was another fine weekend of fantasy football, wasn't it?
Manchester City were the headline-makers once again with a tremendous 5-1 win over Leicester, while North London is officially white (for the time being, at least) following Spurs' 1-0 win over Arsenal.
Have you signed up to play Dream Team Weekender?
- Pick 7 players – no limit to the number of players you can choose from one club
- No transfer budget – any player is available to pick
- Only Saturday and Sunday fixtures
- Sign up to play Dream Team Weekender now
Also, Huddersfield fans will be very relieved with their side's 4-1 win over Bournemouth, ending their five-game Premier League losing streak.
But what else did we learn from the weekend, and how can we apply it to our Dream Team line-up?
1 Liverpool already have that much sought-after striker
Last week, Liverpool legend John Aldridge told Sky Sports that Liverpool needed a 30-goal per season striker if they were to challenge Man City for the title.
Lucky for them, they already have Roberto Firmino – who has now scored 20-goals so far with plenty of games still to play in the league and Europe – as well as the excellent Mohamed Salah.
The pair, once again, were Dream Team heroes at the weekend, with Firmino picking up 15 points and Salah 10 in the Reds 2-0 win over Southampton.
If you don't have these two in your fantasy football team, then you're doing it wrong.
2 Is Alexandre Lacazette the most disappointing player in the Premier League this season?
This time last year, Lacazette was one of the best strikers in the world, tearing the Ligue 1 apart as the spearhead of Lyon's attack.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets have this brilliant offer when you sign up and bet a fiver
Fast-forward to the present day and he's struggling for game-time in the red shirt of Arsenal.
The 26-year-old came on for Henrikh Mkhitaryan (who was pretty awful himself) on the 65th minute of the North London derby and look bereft of confidence, hitting a last-minute chance well wide.
He was one of my most popular picks on Dream Team at the start of the season, but his poor form and lack of confidence is evident enough and nowadays he's only in 16.4% of fantasy football line-ups.
He came to these shores with such promise, but right now he's looking like one of the most disappointing players in the league.
3 Alexis is still settling at United
It was another difficult day in a Man United shirt for Alexis Sanchez.
The Chilean, who of course joined Jose Mourinho's side from Arsenal in a straight swap for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in January, has failed to really justify his exorbitant wages so far.
On Sunday, he was once again guilty of giving away possession far too much – a staggering 36 times – in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.
What's more, this picture of him failing to shoot in front of seemingly open goal has done the rounds on social media.
Oh, Alexis.
4 European football is BACK
Oh, yes.
The Champions League and Europa League (remember them?) are FINALLY back in our lives this week.
And as you know, you can score some valuable Dream Team points by picking players involved in this season's European competitions.
So, will Harry Kane do the business against Juventus? Will Sergio Aguero increase his Gameweek haul when City travel to Basel?
5 Serio Aguero is gaining on the leaders
For those of you who've picked Sergio Aguero for your Dream, then you already know.
The Argentinian, thanks to his FOUR goals against Leicester at the weekend, amassed am eye-watering 33 points in Gameweek 24.
His total haul of 252 means he's third in the overall standings, with Salah (273) and Kane (301) still ahead of him.
But a few more performances like this and he'll be breathing down their neck.
PLAY DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER Pick seven players to win £5k!


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Report – No hard drive for Project Cafe, has 8GB of Flash Memory
The latest in Project Cafe rumors have the console hitting the market minus a hard drive, and instead supporting 8GB of onboard flash-based memory.
According to Kotaku sources, the lack of hard drive could potentially saddle plans for large downloadable titles, however, the game discs themselves supposedly contain 25GB of available space which means you would not need to copy portions of the game onto the hard drive.
It is also being rumored the console will support SD cards along with the fact it will be running at graphics at 1080p.
Add these new nuggets to the already long list of rumors on the console, plus the strokeable touch-screen controller rumor from this morning, and you have yourself a Nintendo E3 press event that you won't want to miss.
Thanks, StolenGlory.


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Muslims Condemn Violence|at Muhammad 'Art Show'
DALLAS (CN) – Muslim leaders swiftly condemned the attack on a Dallas art show of Muhammad cartoons but also denounced the "hate speech" they say incited it.
Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, both of Phoenix, Ariz., reportedly drove into the parking lot of the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, shortly after the American Freedom Defense Initiative wrapped up its "Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest."
Armed with assault rifles and wearing body armor, the men immediately began shooting at an unarmed Garland Independent School District security officer. A Garland police officer returned fire with his service pistol, killing one shooter immediately. The other gunman was hit and reached for a backpack inside the vehicle. He reportedly died as well.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations – the country's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization – condemned the attack "without reservation" on Monday.
Muslims support freedom of speech, even bigoted speech, CAIR said.
"We also reiterate our view that violence in response to anti-Islam programs like the one in Garland is more insulting to our faith than any cartoon, however defamatory," the group said in a statement. "Bigoted speech can never be an excuse for violence."
The executive director of CAIR's Dallas chapter, Alia Salem, condemned the shooters as "violent criminals" during a press conference Monday evening. She expressed "shock and sadness" at the attack "that has shaken our community life and brought turmoil and fear into our midst."
"The fact that the violence exhibited on Sunday was committed by people identifying themselves as Muslims is equally horrifying," she said.
CAIR criticized the American Freedom Defense Initiative and its founder, Pamela Gellar, for holding the event in the first place, saying that "human history shows us that hatred breeds more hatred," and extremism breeds more extremism.
"Pamela Geller, [author] Robert Spencer, [Dutch politician] Geert Wilders and the perpetrators of yesterday's attack all seek to provoke a downward spiral of mutual hostility and mistrust in America and around the world," CAIR said. "People of good will must work together to ensure that extremists of all faiths and backgrounds do not accomplish that malevolent goal."
Geller was not swayed by the criticism, telling NBC News on Monday, "we should be holding these meetings every month"
"We absolutely must have other events like this to stand up for free speech," Geller said. "I will not abridge my freedoms so as not to offend savages."
Saying that she believes Western civilization is "superior," Geller defended the drawings of Muhammad as "political critique." She also defended the anti-Islam views of Wilders, saying he "shouldn't have to be worried about being slaughtered" for his views.
"There is a problem in Islam," she said. "The problem is we can't talk about it."
AFDI received approximately 350 submissions to its contest, which offered a first prize of $10,000. The group organized the event after Muslim groups held an event at the same facility in January called "Stand With the Prophet Against Terror & Hate." Hundreds of locals had protested that event, complaining about the use of a public school facility by religious group. School district officials had cited nondiscriminatory facilities policies in permitting both events to occur.
Azahar Azeez, president of the Islamic Society of North America, told reporters the group asked its members for several weeks to ignore AFDI's event and "stay away from any kind of protest" associated with it.
"We were concerned that people like Pamela Geller and her American Freedom Defense Initiative were disrupting peace in this city and inciting hatred by bringing their followers from out of state to disrupt harmony, peace and foster hate among the citizens of this great city," Azeez said.
Dallas attorney Khalid Y. Hamideh said that many Muslim parents were too afraid to send their children to school today for fear of retaliation.
"Retaliation for what?" Hamideh asked. "We've done nothing wrong. But the fear exists, so we must speak out about what is wrong with both sides. To clear up that 99.9 percent of Muslims are god-loving, god-fearing people. They don't stand for either extreme."


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Yesterday, Zendesk was hacked and the personal information of an unknown number of Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr users was stolen. Last year, 12.6 million U.S adults were the victims of identity fraud.
Who's committing these crimes?
Most of them are between 29 and 49 years old, and three-quarters are male. They work in organized groups, half of which have six or more members. And they live all over the world, but especially in Asia, notably China and Indonesia.
That's according to online payments company Jumio — one of the companies that Facebook founder Eduardo Saverin has invested in. Jumio has put together an infographic highlighting who is attacking companies and people.
To do what they do, cyber criminals need access to the interwebs. That means Internet service providers and website hosting providers are critical, and most of the ones criminals work through are based in Russia and China.
This won't make victims of identify theft, hacking, or online fraud feel any better, but only 0.0019 percent of cybercrimes in the U.S. in 2010 were tried in court and saw the hackers convicted.
Here's all the data, in visual form:
Image credits: Jumio
You can't solo security COVID-19 game security report: Learn the latest attack trends in gaming. Access here


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No Attorneys Fee Unless You Recover
Understanding Contingency Fees
If you've been injured in an NC car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, workplace accident or by a faulty product, you and your family are likely worried about how it will affect your health, your livelihood, your family and your financial well-being.
One thing you don't have to worry about is the cost of legal representation.
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin works on a contingency fee arrangement. That is another way of saying that the attorney's fee is based on a percentage of the gross recovery. This arrangement allows many individuals to obtain legal representation even if they do not have funds to retain a lawyer at the outset of a case. While a case may have fees and costs associated with it, there is no hourly fee charged by the firm. Simply put, if you do not recover compensation from your claim, there is no attorney's fee.
Our incentive is to get clients results
In certain cases, such as class actions, the court may specifically set the attorney fee, but in those situations the fee will still not exceed the contingent percentage in the firm's fee agreement.
As the firm's founder and president, James Scott Farrin, says:
"If we don't achieve a result for a client, we don't get a fee. I love that because — if we can't get someone a result, I don't want a fee. We're not paid on the hours we work on the case or the time we put in. We have one incentive, and that is to get our client a result."
Using a contingency fee based firm does not mean that you have to sacrifice quality. The attorneys at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin have more than 250 years of combined legal experience. We have helped more than 20,000 injured North Carolinians in the areas such as Workers' Compensation, Personal Injury, Product Liability and Social Security Disability.
Highly skilled legal professionals ready to work for you
Among our attorneys are several Board Certified Specialists in Workers' Compensation Law, and one Board Certified Specialist in Social Security Disability Law. These individuals are certified by the North Carolina State Bar as having demonstrated special knowledge, skill, and proficiency in a specific area of law.
Our Personal Injury Department boasts more than 150 years of combined legal experience. Several of our personal injury attorneys have at least 10 years of experience, and several have 15 years or more.
Call us at 1-866-900-7078 or click on the live chat option to speak with someone right now. Or contact us online for a free, confidential conversation about your claim. There is no cost or obligation for contacting us. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin — we're on your side!


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I found the latest Google Chrome Portable Version, with which you can run Google Chrome without installing it. It would helpful if you are working on multiple computers and want to use Google Chrome as your browser but dont want to go through the entire installation. You can run it right off the USB without installing it. Just unpack the attachment and run it.
All the program settings are saved in "Chrome" folder and all the user settings are saved in "Profile" folder.
Some of the Features of Google Chrome Portable :
- Everything in One Box
- Application Shortcuts
- Instant Bookmarking
- NewTabs Page
- Dynamic Tabs
- Safer Browsing
- Crash control
- Incognito Mode
- Import Settings
[download id="1″]


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Four Peaks Brewing Company Tuesday, October 29
Arizona's craft beer lovers can celebrate the release of Brewing Arizona: A Century of Been in the Grand Canyon State this Tuesday at Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe. The 360-page book features hundred of illustrations and and historical information about the breweries and saloons of the southwest. From 6 to 8 p.m. participate in a book discussion and signing and hear live music from the Los Thieves. The event is free and open to the public. For more information visit the Brewing Arizona website.
See also: Halloween in Metro Phoenix: Chow Bella's Ultimate Guide
Luci's Healthy Marketplace Wednesday, October 30
Being a gluten-free eater doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the sweet treats the Halloween holiday affords. This Wednesday Luci's Healthy Marketplace is hosting a Halloween-themed cooking class where attendees can learn to make gluten-free Halloween dishes such as Edible Cookie Graveyards and Sausage Stuffed Mini Pumpkins. Everyone will take home a gluten-free goodie bag at the end of the event and the best-dressed kid will win a $25 gift card in a costume contest. The class will be from 5 to 7 p.m. and costs $29.99 for adults and $15 for children. Sign up online.
Petite Maison Thursday, October 31 to Sunday, November 3
Scottsdale's Petite Maison restaurant is bringing back their Halloween Offal menu for the fourth time this year. The one-of-a-kind menu will be available from Thursday, October 31 through Sunday, November 3 and includes three courses plus an amuse bouche and dessert. The whole dinner plus wine pairings will cost you $65 a person. Reservations, though not required, are highly recommended. Call 480-991-6887 or visit the Petite Maison website.
The Four Season's FS Taste Truck Tuesday, October 29 through Sunday, November 3
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Support Our Journalism
The Four Seasons food truck, FS Taste Truck, will be in the Valley this week as it travels around the west coast, making stops in a total of eight cities. On Wednesday you can catch the truck serving a dinner menu of food inspired by the resort's Proof restaurant at the Phoenix Ale Brewery from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday night will bring the truck to Scottsdale's Food Truck Caravan from 6 to 9 p.m. to serve pulled pork and pork-inspired eats. For more information visit the Taste Four Seasons website.
The Coffee Shop
Get your caffeine fix on at one of the Valley's best coffeeshops with week and in the southeast Valley that means The Coffee Shop, where the pastries and baked goods are as much of a draw as the coffee and drinks. In central Phoenix, Lux tops the list of coffee spots thanks to its lively interior with hipster-friendly touches like typewriters and "grandma-chic dishware." Read the complete list of the city's best places for coffee here.


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Even though he has still doubts when he entered in the Novitiate, it did not became a hindrance for him to purse his reasons and aspirations in deciding to enter the Novitiate, i.e. to fall in love to Christ all the more, to follow Him more closely, to follow His examples, to get in touch all the more with the spirituality of Father Hannibal and the history of the congregation, to live and to understand fully Fraternal Life and Community Life in the Congregation of the Rogationists, and to become a good laborer of God's Harvest. He was admitted together with his sixteen companions in the Novitiate on May 31, 2010, the commemoration of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
During the admission ceremony held at the St. Anthony's Chapel of the Rogationist College-St. Anthony's Boys Village, Alex together with his companions were trembling and stuttering in responding the prayer formula for the admission. It was their first time to experience that kind of ceremony whereby many people, including their parents, joined the ceremony looking at them happily. For the people, including their parents, witnessing a bunch of handsome and cute guys offering themselves publicly to the Lord was a great blessing. But for Alex and for his companions, it was a knee-shaking event. After the ceremony they were all congratulated by their visitors. That day was a big day for Alex because he saw not only his mother, but also his father who also attended the ceremony. He was congratulated by them with tears of joy. His father gave something to him. It was a card with a written message coming from his brother. As he opened it and read the message, he was heartened by what his brother had written, "Alex, congratulations to you and I am glad that despite the discouragement that I said to you about your decision to enter the seminary, I am happy for you that you are really serious and brave in offering your life for the Lord. If your heart's desire is to serve the Lord and the welfare of the people, don't stop desiring. Go on Alex! Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, and ain't no river wide enough in order to chase your heart's desire Alex unless you believe. Believe, always believe and the pursuit of your goals and aspirations will be complete." After Alex read the message of his brother, he started to thank the Lord whispering in tears.
According to those who had been in the Novitiate, the novitiate period was considered as the purgation period in Religious Life. Indeed, many religious who underwent the novitiate, period before they professed the religious vows, were saying that it was an opportune time for a seminarian, who has the heart's desire to follow the Lord, to examine deeply their main reasons and intentions why they want to follow the Lord. As Alex was reflecting upon this insight that he received coming from several religious whom he asked and talked about the novitiate experience, he asked himself; "How is the purgation process being done in the Novitiate?" From that question you will witness how the purgation process is being done in the Novitiate by telling to you some delightful, funny, sad, and inspirational experiences of Alex's adventure and life in the Novitiate. Stay tune!
The first lesson that Alex learned from the Novitiate is Prayer Life. For him, it was an interesting and an exciting lesson because after the lecture of his Novice Master, they were asked to perform the exercises indicated in the hand-out that was given to them before the start of the lecture. Actually, lectures about Prayer Life became an interesting and exciting stuff for Alex not because of the teachings but because of the exercises that gave Alex an opportunity to sleep. Usually, Alex's favorite hang-out for performing the exercises was the Novitiate's chapel. For him, it was a strategic place for sleeping because nobody went there during the practicum and it was hard notice whether you are praying or not. Unfortunately, the more he tends to sleep during the practicum, the more he became accustomed with one of the improper dispositions in praying, i.e. sleepiness. So, sleepiness was one of the main problems of Alex's prayer life. He wasted and over-sighted the chance to improve his disposition and attention on prayer during his Novitiate years. But, it was never too late for him to improve the loopholes of his prayer life. As Alex's vocation journey continues to move, he gained some realizations about prayer life which became an effective tool for him to consider prayer life as one of the important foundations of Religious Life.
One of the memorable experiences of Alex's Novitiate year was the Manual Work. Manual Work was considered as one of the efficient and effective tool for the Novice Master in order for him to see how skillful and flexible the Novices towards work. Alex was diligent and hardworking in terms of work, especially Manual Work. However, he easily gets tired. One sunny and bright day, Alex was working on the front lawn. He easily got tired of working on the front lawn because of the heat of the sun. So, he rested for a while under the coffee tree. Suddenly, he felt asleep and while he was sleeping his Novice Master was in a hurry going to the administration office of the Rogationist College in order to settle some reports and information to Fr. Gabby, the Superior of the Rogationist College-St. Anthony's Boys Village. While his Novice Master was walking in a hurry on the path ways of the front lawn area, he saw Alex sleeping under the coffee tree. His Novice Master got really very angry and turned red seeing Alex sleeping so calmly under the coffee tree. His Novice Master shouted. "Kulit what are you doing? You are supposed to be working! Get up and work!" Alex immediately woke up in his sleep and did not notice that there was a branch of a coffee tree above his head. So, he bumped his head, his companions seen what happened, and they laughed out so loudly. For Alex, that was his unforgettable and embarrassing moment which helped him to realize that laziness is a great disaster for being responsible towards work.
Even though Alex's novitiate life was far from the disturbance of the demands and stress of Academic Life, he was not able to escape the reality and pangs of one of the disturbances in following the footsteps of Christ, i.e. sadness. As he continuously walks through the paths of Religious Life, he cannot deny the fact that his intentions may sometimes be tested by tensions, boredoms, and unwarranted events. Scrutinizing all the experiences that he came across during his novitiate years, one of those that he cannot forget was when his father got a terrible sickness called Pancreatic Cancer. It was the last week of January when somebody asked him to call his brother because his brother wanted to talk to him urgently. He immediately asked permission to his novice master to borrow the novitiate's cellphone to call his brother. He was stunned when he heard his brother this terrible news; "Papa was rushed in the hospital last week and the doctor found out that he has a dreadful sickness called Pancreatic Cancer." Alex told these things to his novice master. His novice master was surprised on what had happened to his father. Without any hesitations, his novice master told him to visit his father in the hospital. After Alex talked to his novice master he went to the chapel and prayed for the immediate recovery of his father. While praying he wept because of the sudden news about the condition of his father. He kept on asking God "Why?" "Why God? Why are You allow this thing to happen to me?" This was his complain to God while he was in a moment of grief. Suddenly, his novice master came to the chapel. His novice master tapped his back and said, "Be strong Alex! God is with you."
Alex visited his father at San Juan De Dios Hospital where his father was confined. He stayed with his father from morning to evening. That was a defining moment for Alex. Staying with his father in the hospital bed made him accept the fact that in life there will be always sickness, devastations, disappointments, and heartaches. It's always given and a real phenomenon. But, what sickness, devastations, disappointments, and heartaches cannot be eradicated totally to a person's conviction is his/her hope to get rid of all these unpleasant stuffs. He witnessed this entire thing to his father. After he visited his father in the hospital, he went back to the novitiate full of hope and assurance that God will never abandon his father. Every day he prayed for the immediate recovery of his father. His companions, too, pray for his father. Persistence in prayer made Alex surprised and blessed when he received the news coming from his brother and mother that his father was healed from his sickness miraculously. This unforgettable event of his made him realized how God is so gracious to him. Despite the shortcomings that he has, God still continues to work in his life. After he received the overwhelming news coming from his mother and brother he visited the chapel and spend a moment of prayer in front of the crucifix. "Thank You!" These are the only words that he uttered in front of the crucifix for he cannot express the happiness and joy that he felt after receiving the good news.
One cold evening of January 2011, Alex approached his novice master and asked for a Spiritual Direction. His novice master accepted gladly his intention to have a Spiritual Direction with him. In the middle of their dialogue, his novice master said something to Alex that made his heart enchanted, encouraged, and inspired. "As I read your biography and your vocation story it is very evident that God works into your life. It is very clear into your stories how God manifested himself in every failure, shortcomings, embarrassments, and successes that you encountered in life. You are down to earth Alex and you are also true to yourself. I appreciated all the more your courage and sincerity as I read your stories. They are all unique. They manifest how God molded you as a person. Indeed, it is very clear in your stories that despite the many weaknesses and flaws that you have, God is calling you for this kind of life, i.e. Religious life. Every experience that you encountered into your life brings about significances and indicators that He is calling you for a purpose and for a great mission. Alex, always consider these things into your life. Indeed, you're unique in the eyes of God."
May 30, 2011, a night before he will have his first profession, Alex called by his novice master for a dialogue and final instruction. In the middle of their conversation, his novice master voiced out to him some encouraging words that made him fascinated and inspired. "Once you professed your vows and became a bonifide member of the Rogationist family don't forget your humble beginnings. Always remember that everything is a Grace. What you are right now is a product of God's grace. Don't waste what God has given to you. Also, always remember the poor. Follow your heart's desire for the poor. If God alleviated you from your miserable situation, now is an opportune time for you to share the love of God also to those who are suffering and in misery. Alex, take courage and don't be afraid to follow God's heart's desire."
May 31, 2011, Alex professed his vows and welcomed in public as a new member of the Rogationist family. His mother, father, and siblings were present on the said event. Many people congratulated him including his family, batchmates, and friends. It was a remarkable and a memorable experience for Alex because he felt how God is so generous and loving. It was not yet the end of Alex journey towards Religious Life; rather it was just the beginning of the real journey.
(The Epilogue Part of his story will be coming soon…)


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We offer a family-friendly environment with a wide variety of food that is sure to tempt your taste buds.
We serve lunch and dinner everyday starting at 11 am, and offer a full bar with an array of refreshing drinks.
We ensure that our ingredients meet a high standard of quality that you can trust. Come join us for good food with a friendly atmosphere.
Sign up to hear from us about specials, sales, and events.
We are located just out of Lexington on Hwy 378 in the Lake Murray Shopping Center.
Our dining is based on first come, first served. However, if you have a large party, we encourage you to call us for reservations.
630 HWY 378, Lexington, SC 29072, US
Monday - Sunday: 11 am - 10 pm


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When you have children, it's a miraculous event and your life will never be the same — the love for your child is automatic and unconditional. But if you have more than one child and they treat each other badly and they fight like they hate each other?
Sibling rivalry is something that will most likely never go away so what can you do to lessen it? It is not likely to ever be eliminated, nor should it be. Children should have differences, which is why some quarreling is a healthy indication that none of the children are completely submissive. If there isn't any squabbling, one child may be giving orders to the other child and that child is obeying them.
Don't give attention to the rivalry, your attempt at mediation will likely to increase the rivalry — you should first encourage their children to work things out themselves. Set limits for reasonable noise levels or aggressive behaviours and the optionof a 15 to 30 minute separate timeout if they're not able to solve their problem.
Try to build positive and cooperative relationships and perhaps a token reward system can be used temporarily to reinforce children for their cooperative behaviour. Build cooperative sibling behaviour by using surprise planning, a parent gets the children together to plan a surprise for the other parent or for a third child, then the children get involved in cooperative planning and feel closer. An alliance with a positive goal builds unity. The secrets of gift giving, surprises, and parties seem to unite brothers and sisters and diminish arguing. Planning something special for a family member, neighbour, or friend encourages a sense of togetherness that comes from joint efforts.
Sibling rivalry almost always affects a child's achievement — children tend to easily assume that their achievement appears more impressive if their brothers and sisters performance is not as good. Talk to your children
about any feelings of jealousy and help them handle these feelings better by accepting the challenge of openly admiring their sisters or brothers.
Don't take sides when your children put each other down but communicate your concern privately to the one who is doing the putting down. There's a much better chance of improved behaviour if you don't correct the child in front of siblings.
Don't appoint your achiever to the role of tutor for your underachiever. It will serve only as a daily put-down for the other because the underachiever may not understand or be able to express those feelings.


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Twelve Tips to Finding Postdoctoral Mentors and Labs
As a graduate student, you may be considering a postdoc after graduate school. There are several things to consider, such as your field of interest, geographic location of the labs, and the prestige of the new department and university in your field of interest. You will need to put together a CV and prepare for interviews while trying to figure out what labs you could work in.To help you find the right fit, I share some do's and don'ts of picking a postdoctoral mentor and lab.
- DO network. Go to as many seminars and conferences as possible. Be genuinely interested and polite when asking questions about research or career paths. Ask for contact information and keep in touch. Once you feel you are on schedule to graduate, contact your newly established network and let them know that you are on the hunt for a postdoctoral position. Although I tried sending "cold-call" emails, it didn't really work out for me.
- DO start looking for fellowships and potential mentors early. NIH and NSF have several opportunities for postdoctoral fellowships. There are other institutions that offer postdoctoral fellowships that get posted to society job boards, like ASM's Career Connections. Make sure to sign up for their email alerts. The key is to identify potential mentors early.
- DO have an "elevator pitch" ready. Most principal investigators (PIs) have a couple of minutes to spare, so prepare a 2- or 3-sentence description of your work that you can present sincerely, enthusiastically, and succinctly.
- DO make sure that your new postdoctoral mentor has several years of funding for you. If you secure a fellowship, make sure a mentor is willing to fund you beyond the fellowship because they mostly last two years and it is difficult (but not impossible) to secure a faculty position after just two postdoctoral years, if that is your goal. NIH reporter is a good tool for checking funding history of your potential new mentor.
- DO talk to the members of your potential new lab. You will be spending a lot of time with these people. It will be important to understand what the lab culture is like. Talk to as many lab members as possible. A toxic lab environment will only add unnecessary stress to your new position.
- DO try to understand your new mentor's leadership skills. At one point, most mentors were bench scientists who now have to manage grants and people. It is crucial to understand how a mentor deals with conflicts, publications, project management, time management, collaborations, competition and work-life balance.
- DO make sure that your new mentor has successfully mentored other postdocs into faculty positions or other senior scientist positions in a timely manner. If possible, try to set up informational interviews with these "graduated" postdocs to get a better understanding of your new mentor.
- DO have a serious discussion with your new mentor about their expectations for your position. Not all mentors are created equal. It is important to understand how they view a postdoc and what their expectations are. A postdoc position is meant to foster growth, creativity, and eventually independence and is NOT meant to be a technical position. If they expect you to work only on their project with no room for your growth, then it is probably not the right lab for postdoctoral success.
- DON'T just focus on the "coolness" of the project that your potential mentor is pitching. It is important to understand the long-term goals of the project, your role in the project, potential publications, grants and potential tangential research that would result from the project.
- DO pick labs and lab projects that will most likely result in a publication within your first year. Be realistic and not idealistic. All science is interesting and cool, but cool and high-risk projects that don't produce results quickly become a drain on resources and time. As a postdoc, you won't have that kind of time.
- DON'T rely on your mentor to come up with ideas for your research. You will obviously be hired to work on a specific project because of your particular skill set. But it is critical that you come up with your own ideas to work on as side projects. DO talk to your mentor about their openness to your new ideas before you start working on your new ideas. Hopefully these side projects can be preliminary data for new grants/ fellowships that you could write with your new mentor or write for yourself when you secure a faculty position.
- Once again - DO network as much as possible. Almost everyone I have worked with has been more than happy to pass my CV along or to help me with some aspect of my career growth. Network, network and network some more! Good luck!


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The Average Car Insurance Rates by Age
Average car insurance rates vary widely depending on the age of the driver. When all other factors are the same or equal, older, more experienced…
How Insurers Determine That a Car is a Totaled Car
Learn what defines a car as totaled, how to determine a totaled car insurance value, and how to estimate your totaled car insurance payout.
Tips for Negotiating the Actual Cash Value of Your Car
Don't let your insurer have the last word on your car's actual cash value when there's often room for negotiation. Learn about ACV vs. replacement…
Car Insurance Cancelled? How Auto Insurance Cancellation Works
You can always recover from a car insurance cancellation, and if you have to cancel your car insurance prematurely, the fees are usually manageable.
Everything You Need to Know about Insurance Points
When it comes to insurance points, there are many things that you will need to know. Things like how you get points, what are considered violations to get points, how to reduce your points and how it affects your insurance will also be discussed. Each topic is very important to understanding the insurance
Does Auto Insurance Cover Friends Driving My Car?
Some types of car insurance cover third-party drivers, but liability insurance follows the driver, not the car. Find out what car insurance covers.


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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but when you are the beholder, you want to look as good as possible, right? We fully approve of these nine innovative devices which are not only going to make your lives easier, but which are totally going to aid and assist your daily beauty routine.
Steam makes everything better. Seriously. Doesn't nearly every facial you've ever had start off with a good, old steaming session? Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare now offers this at-home solution, a mini, portable steamer that steams, moisturizes and hydrates your parched skin. The steamer delivers a continuous facial treatment for up to 20 minutes, providing immediate results. It works to infuse hydration, clear the complexion, enhance product penetration, and soothe and promote relaxation. Use twice a week, and you'll see a difference.
Available at Sephora, $139
Your favorite NuFace device, better known as the five-minute face lift, is now available in this pretty pastel lilac. This device doesn't just look good though, it works. The FDA-approved piece is clinically proven to improve facial contouring, toning and improves skin tone. We dig it because it actually has the added benefit of giving us killer cheekbones. The wrinkle reducer attachment, which is easily added with the click of a button, is a red LED phototherapy light that is designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The three-minute indicator and 21-minute auto shut-off allow for easy application and the smart skin sensor enables lights when properly positioned on skin. It also features an ergonomic shape for use around facial contours including the eye area, mouth, and forehead. As a hot tip, pass it over your lips for the illusion of a fuller pout.
Trinity available at Mynuface, $325, Wrinkle reducer attachment, $149 at Sephora
The ZIIP is a game changer. Beauty guru Melanie Simon spent 10 years making this device, which can help prevent and reverse signs of aging, decrease on-set acne, smooth the eye area, and promote supple, glowing skin, with electrical engineers, scientists, medical doctors, and researchers to bring the results of her facials directly into your home (she has nearly a year-long wait list for one of her actual hands-on facials). It works via nano-currents that stimulate your skin's levels of ATP, which help to promote collagen and elastin. The device also promotes lymphatic drainage, increases circulation and gets rid of that pesky cystic acne that you just can't seem to quit. Even better, it matches your precise electrical signature with each use for customized treatment. Use with the ZIIP app for even further customizable treatments.
Available at ZIIPbeauty.com, $495
We're obsessed with ME's blue LED acne spot treatment, which delivers breakthrough tri-action technology: blue light, sonic vibration, and gentle warming. Based on technology used by dermatologists, this combination heals and eliminates skin blemishes on the spot. Don't believe us? Look at your skin within 24 hours.
Available at Mepower.com, $39
Finally: there's a device on the market that's giving the Clarisonic a run for its money! The Luna 2 is a waterproof cleansing and ant-aging device that deeply cleanses while improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It works by using 8,000 T-Sonic (transdermal sonic) pulsations per minute channeled through silicone touch-points. It smooths the appearance of lines and wrinkles with lower-frequency pulsations. It's available in different colors, which conveys what type of skin you have: there's sensitive/combination, oily, normal, ultra-sensitive and even a cool black device specifically for men.
Available at Foreo.com, $199
If you're totally sick of paying crazy amounts of money and spending tons of time getting your body hair lasered away, you're in luck. Thanks to LumaRx, a new, FDA-approved device, you can now get rid of pesky body hair at home, sometimes in just three treatments. You'll do this every two weeks, as you would in-office, but it's so, so easy with the LumaRx. First, you'll patch test your skin. If your skin is too tanned, or simply isn't a fit for the device, it won't unlock—making it totally safe. If your skin is a match, the device will buzz and zap each area with its IPL technology. The Mini, which is tiny, portable and easy to use, is great for facial hair and smaller areas, while the full-on device is great for all over (especially your legs!).
Available at Luma-Rx.com, $379. A full-body version is available for $449.
Are under-eye bags the bane of your existence? The Foreo Iris Eye Massager will help. The ophthalmologist approved device utilizes Alternating T-Sonic technology to reduce the visible signs of crow's feet, dark circles, and bags under your eyes. It feels weird at first given the frequency of the pulses (think two fingers pressing gently under your eyes) but we love it, especially because we've noticed how effective it is at improving the absorption and efficacy of our under-eye serums and night creams.
Available at Sephora, $139
If you absolutely hate cleaning your makeup brushes—loathe it, in fact—BrushPearl is going to be your jam. This all-in-one tool automatically cleans and freshens your make up and cosmetic brushes with the use of ultrasonic technology as well as its own cleanser. The device works by sending sound waves through the water and cleanser which efficiently vibrates dirt and grime off the brushes.
Available at BrushPearl.com, $99
Former model Fierra Cruz came up with the concept for the Lilumia device, a futuristic-looking brush cleaner than took three years to create. This innovative product is an automatic makeup brush cleaning device that can effectively clean up to 12 makeup brushes at one time. It comes in four city-specific models, including New York, Toyko (our favorite for its sleek silver design), Dubai and Paris.
Available at Lilumia.com, $159 (for the Tokyo model)


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State of Utah & Florida Handgun Permit Course
Multi-State Non Resident Handgun Permit
Carry Conceal in over 33 States. State of Utah & Florida does not require a NYS resident applicant to have a NYS Handgun Permit in order to apply for a State of Utah Non-Resident Handgun Permit.
Why Utah & Florida Permit ???
They are widely accepted in other states , Utah & Florida aggressively pursues reciprocity agreements with other states. Utah % Florida permits are honored in over 33 states
They are easy to obtain as long as you pass the background check, Utah & Florida are "shall issue" states for both residents and non residents, there is no justification of need to obtain Utah & Florida CFP, If you want to get any other state's non resident permits, they should be Utah's & Florida's Permit
What does the course cost and what's included ???
The Cost for both Courses is $175 and includes:
4 Hour Course for Utah
Live Fire Qualifier for Florida
Utah CFP Application.
Application Certification for Utah
One Completed fingerprint card for Utah only
(Florida requires fingerprinting from Law Enforcement Agency)
Recommended envelope ready for you to mail your application to the UTAH BCI
Please click the following link to download the Florida Application and Order a Finger print card from them.
You can also call (850) 245-5691 and order Florida Application packet which will come with an application and finger print card.
Questions ???
Call 845-605-2767
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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B38 - Grid reference SP046788
Kingissyche: first record 1270
Within the royal manor of Kings Norton, Kingsuch Grange was originally one of twenty granges which belonged to Bordesley Abbey whose ruins can still be seen near Redditch. Deriving from the Latin granum meaning 'grain', a medieval grange was an outlying farming estate belonging to a monastery (or sometimes to a feudal lord) but run by lay brothers rather than by monks. Kingsuch was sold by the Crown in 1544 after the dissolution of the monasteries and subsequently passed through many different hands.
Located off Westhill Road where Kingshill Drive is now, it was first recorded in 1270 and was still a residence in 1865 belonging to Robert Mynors, a Birmingham surgeon. It is shown on the 1831 Ordnance Survey map and is named on 1895 edition as Newhouse Farm, perhaps having been rebuilt.
The name Kingsuch, which is no longer in use, may mean 'King's stream', the first element relating to Kings Norton, the second, sic (pronounced 'sitch') the Old English equivalent of the Northern and Scottish dialect word 'sike/ syke'. This now means a small stream over flat marshy ground that may dry up in summer. In Middle English the term could also mean the meadowland associated with the stream.
William Dargue 29.03.09
Google Maps - If you lose the original focus of the Google map, press function key F5 on your keyboard to refresh the screen. The map will then recentre on its original location.
For 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps of Birmingham go to British History Online.
See http://www.british-history.ac.uk/mapsheet.aspx?compid=55144&sheetid=9256&ox=4019&oy=772&zm=2&czm=2&x=-26&y=183.


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Okay. I had a pretty nice week or two of random workouts. I'm doing whatever I feel like, and unfortunately, I go with cardio. That's fine for keeping up my cardiovascular fitness, but I noticed that it was kind of turning my into a mushball. I had totally forgotten about hitting the weights…
So I decided to put some weights and stuff into my workouts this week:
Monday: Cycling (60 min), Elliptical (20 min).
Tuesday: 7.6 mile run with RunningAddicts (1:11), INSANITY Upper Body Weights (46 min).
Wednesday: Elliptical (1:40), AbRipperX (15 min), INSANITY Abs (15 min).
Today: Stairmaster (20 min), BodyPump (60 min).
It has been a LOOONG time since I've taken a BodyPump class. I asked my weights to go easy on me. They said, "Okay." My weights lied to me. I got pwned. Big time.
I was planning on running a few easy miles on the treadmill, too… but my legs were wobbly, I looked at the treadmills for two seconds, and decided, "Nah." I'll do a BodyPump sandwich some other time.
So next week, I start the Hansons Marathon Method (as recommended by Adam from the RunningAddicts). I'm super excited about it and decided to color-code it and everything!
If you've followed this plan before, let me know how it went! 18 weeks is a long time, but I think the paces they prescribe (for my goal) are pretty doable. Praying for a healthy, injury-free training period!
And the race where I'm going to lay it all down? Mountains 2 Beach Marathon!
Vanna says, "Hello~"
I think it's true what people say about having a dog (or why they have therapy dogs around). She is so cheerful, playful, and CUTE… she instantly puts a smile on my face (as well as make my voice go up an octave to my squeaky, creepy voice).
I signed up for my first 50K!!! I'll be running the Big Basin 50K (Coastal Trail Runs). One of my readers that I correspond with regularly, and who I got to run with for the San Jose RNR Half, is running it and I decided to tab along with her!
I will have no time goal for it. It will only be two weeks after the M2B Marathon, so I just want to make it out in one piece. As long as I cross the finish line, I'll be PR'ing, yeah?
Side note: If you were the winner of the Athleta gift card giveaway, please shoot me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com. I'll give the winner until next Monday (Jan. 20th) to respond… otherwise, I'll have to choose a new winner… 'cause I'm pretty sure I'm going to misplace the gift card. Or spend it, harhar.
Today, I'll be chillin' at home until I teach a couple of students in the afternoon, and then visit the tRAck for an easy run with the RunningAddicts (though they will be workin' hard). And then I'll be having dinner and dessert with the sisters 😀
Have a wonderful Thursday!
Anyone attend BodyPump classes regularly?
Do you do mostly cardio or mostly weights? How do you find balance between them?
Do you have a dog/cat/pet who makes you feel better in an instant?