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Read about Ralph Gilles' address to the Chicago Economic Club
by Jim Choate, Contributing Editor • skip to part 2
The 102nd edition of the Chicago Auto Show, held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, runs from February 12th through February 21st, 2010. I attended the media preview days on February 10th and 11th.
At first glance, the show seems to be as big as ever despite the current lull in the economy. After walking the floor and getting my bearings, I realized that the show floor is not as large as it was, even compared to last year. In 2009, the Chrysler Group area took the entire southern end of the South Hall from the food court area south to the walls - it was from this food court vantage point that I took the images of the expansive Chrysler Group display area.
This year, the displays end with the food court, leaving a vast area of space walled off from view and unused. It's a similar story on the north end of the North Hall, where the food area and the 'third party vendor area' used to reside is now empty and everything has been pulled 'forward' a bit. None of this is really surprising considering the economy and that many longtime show displays are no longer in business. Pontiac, Saturn, Saab, and Hummer all had displays last year - all are gone this year. Chrysler's former setup with three test tracks dropped to two last year and down to just one Camp Jeep track this year. On the upside, there seems to be more space to accommodate the large crowds that attend the show, and there was enough space for Chevy to sponsor a 'family fun' area with two giant inflatable slides.
The new auto show "set" for the Chrysler Group brands is a big change from shows of the past. No longer does the giant Ram head logo dominate the display area, and the unique test track of recent years has been scaled back to a single "Camp Jeep" track featuring several Wrangler Unlimiteds (and at least one Liberty) that show-goers can ride in and experience a small taste of what Jeep is about.
There were several customized Wranglers on display, along with the Mopar Underground "Lower Forty" Jeep Wrangler. The three recently announced new Jeep editions (Jeep Liberty Renegade - slotting between the Sport and Limited models, the Jeep Wrangler Mountain edition, and the Jeep Wrangler Islander edition) were on display, and the rest of the Jeep lineup was also present. One glaring omission was the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee - it was scheduled to be on display and then pulled. Ralph Gilles stated that Chrysler Group's new edict is to not show a new model until within 3 months of the vehicle being available to consumers. That being said, we expect to see the new Grand Cherokee at the upcoming New York Auto Show, where numerous Jeeps have been released in recent years.
For Dodge, one of the highlights is the new "Furious Fuschia" Challengers (which, according to Ralph Gilles, received 1500 orders within hours of its announcement) - shown along with the "Plum Crazy" and "Detonator Yellow" colors also available. These "Furious Fuschia" editions are intended to commemorate 40 years of Challenger performance.
Featured in the center of the Dodge display is the "Connected" Grand Caravan that shows off communication, navigation, and entertainment options that are available for purchase today. This minivan showed off available options like a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, FLO TV & SIRIUS Backseat TV, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, dual DVD screens, iPod integration, navigation, and voice command capability for all the mentioned services plus hand-free Bluetooth-enabled phones. It's pretty clear that they've not done a great job of pushing these technologies and services (while Ford's SYNC and Kia's UVO garner far more attention) so it was good to see them making this effort.
Dodge announced the Grand Caravan "Hero" model during the show via press release. Starting with a base Dodge Caravan SE model, the Hero gets among other things a set of aluminum wheels, steering-wheel audio controls, tri-zone climate control heated mirrors, and the 3.8L/6-speed drivetrain. On display at the show was a Grand Caravan "Rush" Concept vehicle - details were sketchy but it appears to be on larger stylish wheels and might have even been lowered a bit, clad in "Redline Red" paint.
The Dodge Caliber was represented by the new "Rush" and "Mainstreet" models and also showed off the new interior design - most folks I spoke with seemed to feel that the new interior design was leaps and bounds over the previous interior, and while some still thought the plastics were hard others felt it was no worse and actually better than other vehicles in that price point. I personally think that the texture of the old interior along with the angular design and many cuts and seams was the bigger problem, not so much the actual 'hardness' of the plastics used.
Caliber is to be available in Express, Mainstreet, Uptown, Heat, and Rush models. Those wanting an R/T model should look to the Rush, as it appears to to be the only Caliber offered with the 2.4L engine - all others use the 2.0L engine.
Avenger was represented by an R/T model, while the new Express package for the SXT model was also announced - Express adds power drivers' seat, heated mirrors & cloth seats, Media Center 430 radio (the former MyGig) and other options to the SXT.
Charger was also represented by an R/T model which now gets a Media Center 430 with uconnect Phone standard and optional AWD. A "Chrome & Tunes" package adds chromed wheels, alarm, EVIC, and more, and the "Super Track Pack" is also available. Other changes for the Charger include a new entry-level model with a standard 3.5L V6 replacing the oft-maligned 2.7L along with ABS, ESC, traction control, a power driver seat and more. AWD is optionally available as well. All new is the Charger Rallye model that gets a touring-tuned suspension, 18" wheels (with 20" wheels as options), rear sway bar, and a rear decklid spoiler. An available "Chrome & Leather" package throws in more goodies and AWD is also available.
Nitro dropped SE, SXT, and R/T and now appears with Heat, Detonator, and Shock models. It appears the chrome grille has been axed - all Nitros will have body-color grilles along with 20" wheels on all models.
Journey gets a Crew model which adds the third row seating, rear climate control, a premium gauge cluster (I have yet to see one, so I can't say what is premium about it), more chrome trim inside, and a subwoofer among other things. The 5+2 seating is now standard on the R/T model.
Viper enjoyed a big chunk of the display space, showing off the cars and several of the awards and trophies the car has won over time. This is to be the last model year for the existing Viper, and Ralph Gilles has mentioned that a new Viper is being worked on for the future, perhaps as a 2012 model.
Chrysler's display put the focus on the 300S models and with good reason - they are beautiful in their details and should serve to keep interest up until the arrival of the new 2011 Chrysler 300, said to be in December of 2010.
Also shown is the Chrysler Town & Country Walter P. Chrysler Signature Series edition minivan. The interior here is significantly more upscale in appearance with unique "Macassar range" (some would call it "zebra") wood trim and very nice two-tone leather seating.
PT Cruiser makes a statement for its final year with the Couture Edition (named after pioneer Allan Couture); the two-tone paint and "Radar Red" leather interior are quite eye-catching and a big contrast to the stark angular plastic of the "towel bar" handle and "swiss cheese" door panels. On the other hand, it's priced at only $19,995, which could make some folks overlook such things.
Sebring sedan and convertible were shown - and while almost every other model in the display had some kind of new or special edition to show off, the Sebring got nothing but its de-ribbed hood and now black-faced gauge cluster. I'm expecting the current Sebring to soldier on until it's significantly revised later this year.
On the turntable was the "Chrysler Design Study" based upon the Lancia Delta. David Zatz covered this when it appeared in Detroit in January, and my own opinion still stands - I like it, but the grill shape isn't "Chrysler" and it looks awkward and out of place when made to fit in the Lancia's grille space. Will it play in Peoria? Probably not, but it should certainly play in the North Shore and the more affluent areas.
The new Ram brand easily dominated a third of the display space (with Jeep taking another third and the other brands sharing the rest) - but that's to be expected, as there was at least one representation of every possible model that Ram offers. The "suspended upside-down HD truck" was there, as were many HDs outfitted in different fashions. Dakota was represented by a single "Big Horn edition" and much emphasis was put on the awards the Ram 1500 and HDs have won recently.
Ferrari wasn't represented officially during the media days. Perhaps Chicago isn't a big Ferrari market. Maserati made do with a single example - a sharp black Gran Turismo model. Fiat was showing the same two 500 models from the Detroit show - the black 500 "elettra" EV model and the white 500 Abarth model - along with (I think) the same two models next to the models. One thing that I think would really have been smart would have been to have at least one 500 on the show floor that people could actually get in. I understand the 500 intended for the US market (to be built in Chrysler's Toluca, Mexico plant is undergoing some revisions - but to see "how it fits" is a big deal for folks attending this show. The Fiat 500 is anticipated to be available in the US in December of 2010.
Chrysler's Global Electric Motorcars group, which had in previous years taken up quite a bit of display space, was this year relegated to two models in the corner of the display, sandwiched between the "Furious Fuschia" Challengers and the Camp Jeep track. It's hard to justify pushing GEM products as viable passenger car transportation when they are limited to streets less than 35 mph in most areas and their cost (~$12,000) is bested by cheap gas and cheap cars like the Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, and Chevy Aveo.
The IDEA electric van from Bright Automotive (Bright IDEA - get it?) was on display at the Bridgestone tire booth. While folks might have seen it or read about it before, it does have some very nifty features like the passenger seat than flips/folds into a cork-surfaced work table with cupholders; I noticed one Mopar-related detail immediately. The center stack is right out of the current Jeep Liberty.
They've added a pod on the top for a PDA-type device and the radio is replaced with the electric transmission lever, a cubby hole, and a USB port - but from the vents down to the HVAC controls, it's identical. Upon closer inspection, almost the entire upper dash is from the Liberty - looks like only the aforementioned top of the center stack and the instrument panel are different. Light-weight materials are a major part of the IDEA, as shown with the aluminum shelving that weighs only 18 pounds and the large carbon fiber bulkhead.
Of course, there is more than just Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram at the show. During the media preview days, displays are still being built, vehicles are still being moved about, and things that were not there on day one sometimes appear on day two. Because of this, I tend to walk the entire show floor multiple times over. Here's a recap of those walks.
Toyota's focus was on the announcement of the new 2011 Avalon. Some folks have observed that Toyota has a goal to become just like GM, and the Avalon at first glance represents their attempt at offering a Buick or Oldsmobile - it's definitely larger and more upscale than the Camry, and overall isn't a bad looking car -it's just not anything that's all that exciting. The first feature of the new Avalon mentioned is the "redesigned accelerator pedal and brake override system" - no surprise there since those are hot topics with Toyota right now. Two more features of note: the 3.5L V6 is rated at 20/29 mpg - not shabby at all for a 268 horsepower carryover engine in a full sized car - and the rear view mirror features a 3.3" display with colored guidelines to assist when backing up into a parking space or driveway.
A lot of focus was also put on the newly redesigned Sienna minivan. Hyped by a "mommy like/daddy like" marketing pitch that highlights features that appeal to parents, there were at least 5 of the new minivans on display. The new second-row premium seating is a big feature and might offer something to folks shopping other minivans - primarily the Honda Odyssey.
Speaking of the Odyssey, Honda showed of an exterior styling concept for the next-generation Odyssey. Looking a little more aero than the previous model, the key styling feature was the "lightning bolt" bottom window line, which Honda claims will offer better visibility for rear-row passengers. (What they don't mention is how that styling was lifted from last year's Chevy Orlando concept.) Also featured at Honda is the upcoming CRZ hybrid and the Accord Crosstour, essentially a slightly lifted hatchback Accord.
Ford showed off the newly redesigned Edge crossover, with what they claim is all-new styling. To me, it looks pretty darn similar to the current model with changes to the lighting and fascias, with bigger changes appearing inside. The bigger news was the introduction of the Transit Connect Electric (a plug-in electric version of the standard Transit Connect van that seems to be doing well) and the Transit Connect Taxi. What makes the Transit Connect Taxi unique is that while it comes with a standard gas engine, it can be converted to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) or propane (LPG.) The Transit Connect is very well suited for taxi duty and seems to be a good way for Ford to go once the existing Crown Victoria production comes to an end. There's lots of room inside for passengers and their cargo. The new Ford Fiesta is also heavily shown - both the 4-door hatchback and the 4-door sedan; although while I can appreciate some folks' need for a trunk, the looks suffer greatly compared to the hatchback. The new Focus was also shown, along with rest of Ford's massive lineup.
Not much new was shown here, with Mercury looking particularly bare. Recent news has Mercury bringing back the Tracer, based on the new Ford Focus - but I question that move, wondering if there really needs to be a Mercury model smaller than the Milan, and if so, would something Fiesta-based be a better option? Volvo also seems to be treading water in regard to new product. Lincoln got to show off the new corporate grille on the MKX crossover, and that's about it.
Dead center of the display shows the various TDI diesel offerings from VW, all stickered with "NOT A CONCEPT VEHICLE" decals. VW is covering just about every market segment today - but will it dilute the brand? That remains to be seen. The CC is a beautiful car, and the styling on the Chrysler-Built Routan is arguably better than on the Town & Country - but the Routan still doesn't get the nifty features like Stow'N'Go seating or Swivel'N'Go seating. Then again, do VW buyers care?
MINI is always a fun and upbeat booth to visit, but I was somewhat disappointed that the newest concepts ( Coupe, the Beachcomber/Countryman) weren't there. Just the standard Cooper/S and the Clubman/S were there, and while still sharp little cars, the interest is starting to wane.
Nice vehicles, questionable styling.
While nothing in the BMW display really caught my eye (they apparently did show off a new Alpina B7 model,) what DID catch my eye was actually on the drive in - a BMW 120i 5-door, which isn't offered in the US so I'm not really sure how it was out on the road to begin with. It has that "bread truck" styling they offered on the old Z3, which I really liked. Again, the perception that US buyers hate hatches and need trunks deprives us of another good car.
Audi made the mistake of showing one of every model they offer, in the exact same color (save for the R8 which was in a separate area.) And since the same styling is used across the model line, nothing stood out at all. Maybe put the S models in red, or use different colors for each model range - something. With nothing for the eye to grab on to, it was very easy to walk right on by.
Mazda showed off the Mazda2 - which looks a lot smaller than its Ford Fiesta brother - along with the rest of the line-up. One surprise was when we found a Mazda Tribute in the far corner of the display - I honestly wasn't aware they were still making those.
The SLS-Class, with its gull-wing doors, was a big visual draw. Past that, it's similar to Audi in that all the cars were the same color. And try as a might, I found nothing around the ML-Class and GL-Class vehicles that indicated they used the same underpinnings as the new Jeep Grand Cherokee.
While Fisker has done some good designs, the front end of the Fisker Karma hybrid is not one of them. The grille is a mustache, and not a good-looking one.
The iMIEV, Mitsu's small electric vehicle, was on display. Mitsu is working with Best Buy to put the Geek Squad in iMIEVs before they go on sale to the public. It's small, but not as small as a smart fortwo. The Outlander was also a focus for Mitsu; it now wears a front fascia similar to the Lancer. While it looks pretty good on upscale Outlander models, it looks quite awkward and out of place on a base Outlander with plastic wheel covers and no exterior trim. The Galant, Endeavor, and Eclipse soldier on - keeping at least some of the lights on at the plant in Normal, IL - but for how long?
Nissan decided at the last minute - a week before the show open - to attend here. Not much new of note, more just a token effort to let people know they are still alive it seems.
With a decent pop from their Super Bowl "Sock Monkey & Friends" commercial hyping the new Sorento, Kia's sales have been on an uptick when others have been tanking. Part of that is because they are offering very good vehicles at a decent price - it's like they zeroed in on what mainstream America is looking for and aimed for that with their latest designs and offerings. The Forte is taking more than a few Civic sales away from Honda, the Soul is snagging interest from the Scion/MINI crowd, and the Ray concept shows that Kia isn't just about basic transportation anymore. Beware when you visit, there's an open Karaoke setup here.
Chevy showed off the new 2011 Silverado HD pickup and a 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban. The new HD is bigger, stronger, sturdier and more powerful. The special edition Suburban is essentially an LTZ model with different wheels, different roof rack rails, triple-white paint, and special badging. The Camaro was shown in all trims, as was the major 'star' of the display - the Chevy Equinox. Volt was there, as was Cruze - both out of reach of showgoers hoping to try one on for size.
The XTS concept was on display. More than one person referred to it as a "Cadillac Malibu" - not for its size, but for its rather bland styling when compared to the CTS.
Buick showed off the new Regal and the Regal GS concept - but both are out of reach for checking out interior details. The LaCrosse and Enclave were available for showgoers, and both are very good examples of what Buick can offer - very well-appointed and well-executed. Rumor has it that Cadillac may move the Escalade to the same architecture as the Enclave (and Traverse, and Acadia) - to be honest, they could simple swap out the grille and badging and call it a day, the Enclave is THAT good.
The Granite concept doesn't belong at GMC. Word is that it was supposed to be a Pontiac before the brand was killed - but it's not a Pontiac either. It could be a Chevy, but Chevy already has the upcoming Orlando (on which the Granite is supposedly based). Leave it a concept and let's move on. Acadia gets a Denali edition, which seems to exist only to practice for building an Escalade on this architecture. Otherwise, GMC continues to exist as, as my father would say, "Chevrolet's with lock washers."
People that buy Subarus seem to know what they want and need - it's those that don't consider a Subaru that are the tough nuts to crack. They say they responded to their customers and made the Outback wagon/SUV bigger - but now it seems to encroach on the space taken by the Tribeca. The Legacy is nice enough, but other than the standard AWD doesn't seem to offer much more than others in its class. Same with Impreza and Forester. There wasn't one time I walked past the display where someone there wasn't trying to get me into one of the vehicles to check it out.
Suzuki has a problem - they exist and many people don't know it. While they soldiered along with GM Daewoo vehicles for a long time, now they have newer offerings - just not the people to buy them. The SX4 is a pretty decent tall sedan/hatchback (developed alongside Fiat's Sedici that's not offered in the US) - and now they market the AWD-equipped hatchback as a crossover. The new Kizashi mid-size sedan is a very nice car - it's on the small size of mid-size (much like the Dodge Avenger or Chrysler Sebring) but might be attractive to folks considering a compact car. The Equator pickup truck (a rebadged Nissan Frontier) is more pushed as a tow vehicle for Suzuki's motorcycles, ATVs, and PWCs than as a vehicle of its own merit. Word has it the Swift compact car is on its way back to the US (last time here most folks knew it as the Geo Metro) and that might be the niche they need to get people in the door.
Shown here was the home-market (Korean) Eqqus sedan. Pushed as a competitor to cars like the BMW 7-Series, it's certainly a premium looking and equipped vehicle. Last year, the question was "would people consider a $35-40K Hyundai in the Genesis?" With that question answered, the Eqqus will test that same question, pushed to the $45-50K range.
The Genesis continues to impress folks (but that grille needs to go), and the new Sonata can sit right in line with the VW CC and the Mercedes CLS as a very attractive "4-door coupe" design. The Elantra Touring wagon now offers a better-priced entry level model ($16K, down from $19K) which should attract more attention. The Accent Blue 3-door fights with the Nissan Versa for "cheapest car sold in America" - but I think folks would rather drop $10K on a used car rather than for a new one that comes sans radio, let alone sans A/C. The new Tuscon crossover/SUV is also featured, along with the Genesis Coupe (which, while probably not taking too many sales from Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger, is likely giving the Eclipse and Scion tC and other such coupes a few fits.)
Pushed as a family-friendly and affordable experience, the Chicago Auto Show runs from Friday, February 12th through Sunday, February 21st. The showfloor is open from 10am to 10pm each day except for the last day when the show is only open until 8pm. Adult admission is $11, seniors and kids 7-12 are $7, and kids under 7 are free. Tickets are available online at http://drivechicago.com/ and it's highly recommended to buy tickets in advance, as lines at the show can be very long. Attendance is usually lighter on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Rest rooms can be found on the bottom levels of the two center 'food courts' and along the north wall in the South Hall, and along the outside walls in the smaller North Hall. There are food options in both halls, as well as a Connie's Pizza and McDonald's - but beware, as they are pricey options. Plan on eating before you get there or after you leave.
There is a Metra Electric Train stop right at McCormick Place, however it may require a bus transfer (or two) and some walking to utilize it from certain locations outside Chicago - you can try using sites like http://www.metrarail.com and Google's "Transit" service to find the best way to the show via public transportation. For those driving to the show, be aware that parking at McCormick Place is $19 for 12 hours at either Lot A or Lot C. Free shuttles are offered on the WEEKENDS ONLY that run between the Millennium Park and East Monroe parking garages, where parking is only $14.
For those opting to park at McCormick Place, I suggest Lot A. It's accessible from the Stevenson Expressway/I-55 via Martin Luther King Jr Drive, exit 293D. (Pay VERY close attention to the signs for Lot A access - it's VERY easy to make a mistake and be where you don't want to be!) On the exit ramp, keep LEFT, and once you turn left, keep RIGHT. You'll wait at a light for a longer-than-you expect amount of time, and you'll want to head STRAIGHT towards the parking garage access road that runs alongside the building. The access road turns right, and then right again where you'll stop and pay. They do take plastic. I recommend you head for level 3, because there is direct access from the parking garage to the show via a covered walkway - this is great for leaving your coats (but not your valuables!) in the car while you attend the show. There are elevators between levels, so if you get on another floor, just use those and head for level 3. Alternatively, there is underground parking in Lot C, which is under the "old" McCormick Place (now called Lakeside Center.) Take the Stevenson Expressway/I-55 north and exit to Lake Shore Drive/US-41 SOUTH. Exit at 31st street and make a left, go across LSD and make another left onto the access road - follow the signs to Lot C. Once you are in Lot C, it's a LONG walk through the garage, through the Lakeside Center, across the covered pedestrian bridge over LSD, and to the show. Lot B is outdoor parking. I used it once, and that's why I recommend lots A or C.
Bring good shoes - the show covers 1.2 million square feet of space.
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Besides benefits for baby, there are also benefits of wearing bigger kiddos! In an overstimulating world, toddlers can retreat to the security of their carrier and feel safe on mom, dad, or the loved one who's wearing them. Being worn helps toddlers to overcome meltdowns before they escalate, and provides a safe space to calm down if a meltdown has already occurred. Practically speaking, being up higher can help your toddler enjoy the same sights you enjoy, whether at a museum or on vacation in a new place. Also, it makes holding conversations with your toddler much easier! You wouldn't believe the sweet comments my 2 year old has made while riding comfortably and happily on my (or my husband's) back. Sometimes he even tucks his arms in to "hug" me from inside the carrier. I cherish these moments! <3
Our toddler could easily be worn in our baby carrier because the weight limit on it goes up to 45lbs. We decided to purchase a Toddler Tula because it is specifically designed for use with older children and because, well, we need to use our baby carrier for our BABY. Ha! Glad we thought that one through 🙂 Our toddler calls the Tula his "big boy carrier" and loves the rocketship design. It has a wider seat for a toddler's longer legs, a taller back for a toddler's longer torso, and cushier straps for the wearer to support the extra weight. Most of the weight rests on your hips anyway due to the hip belt. We usually wear him on our backs, but it can be used to wear on your front as well. Oh, and it has a removable hood too just in case your toddler happens to fall asleep on you (*gasp*)!
The BEST IDEA I EVER HAD was purchasing a toddler carrier so that my husband could wear our 2 year old on vacation to Barcelona. (I wish we'd had it in the airport during our recent move from the U.S. to Northern Ireland!) I wore our 8 month old in our Onya and, paired with the Toddler Tula, the two carriers were a dream team! We were able to navigate the streets, metro, trains, and buses of Barcelona with so much ease.
The boys were able to observe their surroundings without feeling overwhelmed and "out there" in a foreign city.
They also napped on us while we got to continue exploring during the day, and we weren't ever worried about our toddler running off somewhere to explore on his own!
When our babies are on us, we as parents are able to observe our surroundings better too. I'm certain we had a much more enjoyable trip to Spain because we weren't preoccupied with our children, they were happy being worn and we were happy wandering the streets of a new city. Carriers are also great for taking hiking expeditions where strollers would be too difficult!
It seems like we always come across toddlers and babies throwing fits while in buggies, strollers, or on leashes, and I just want to run over to the parents and say,
"It's okay! We've all been there! …But have you ever thought about wearing your baby instead?"

subset: commoncrawl


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Holy Week 2018
Holy Thursday
7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord's Supper
Good Friday
12:00 p.m. Confessions
3:00 p.m. Passion of the Lord
7:00 p.m. Tenebrae
The Cathedral Men's Schola will lead the singing of Tenebrae at 7:00 PM on Good Friday. Tenebrae (Latin for "darkness") is the name traditionally given to Matins and Lauds (from the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours), on each of the last three days of Holy Week. As Tenebrae is no longer an official part of the post-Vatican II Liturgy of the Hours, our Cathedral will combine psalms, readings, and musical responses from these three days in one 50-minute devotional service on April 3rd.
Tenebrae has a penitential tone, with a special emphasis on the Passion of Christ, and is famous for its interplay of light and dark, as candles are gradually extinguished after each reading, lesson, or psalm. The Men's Schola prepares beautiful music for Tenebrae each year—this is a wonderful opportunity to close Good Friday with a meditation on the Passion.
Holy Saturday
12:00 p.m. Confessions
3:00 p.m. Confessions
8:30 p.m. Easter Vigil
Easter Sunday
7:30 a.m., 9:15 a.m., & 11:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m. St. Josephine Bakhita Mass


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Toronto, ON (PRWEB) January 26, 2011
Renowned for its medieval hillside towns, ancient cultural heritage, food and festivals, the Region of Umbria is coming to Toronto at the end of January to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Umbria Association of Ontario.
Umbria is the geographic centre of the Italian Peninsula. Its cuisine, culture, arts, trade and tourism will be celebrated first in the traditional heart of Toronto's Italian Community - the Columbus Centre - and secondly, in the Distillery District where Umbria Jazz, - the most prestigious jazz Festival in Europe - will present a solo piano concert by Danilo Rea. The concert will be held at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Kevin and Roger Garland Cabaret, Saturday January 29 January 2011 at 8 pm.
About Umbria Jazz:
Umbria Jazz was founded in 1973. Today it is the most prestigious jazz festival in Europe, attracting July of each year a quarter of a million people to Perugia, Umbria's capital city.
Carlo Pagnotta, the Artistic Director of Umbria Jazz and founder of the Hot Club of Perugia (circa 1950), played a key role in persuading jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker and Dexter Gordon to perform in Perugia. With the new found promotional success, in 1973, he approached the Umbrian Regional Government with the idea of Umbria Jazz. Over three decades since inception, the roll-call of performers at Umbria Jazz is peerless. A list of greats, such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Thad Jones, Dizzie Gillespie, Stan Ggets, Wynton Marsalis, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Clark Terry and more have all graced the Umbria Jazz stage.
About Danilo Rea:
One of Italy's leading jazz pianists, Danilo Rea received musical training and his degree from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. Among the artists he has worked with on-stage and in the recording studios are Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Steve Grossman, Bob Berg, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobam, Aldo Romano, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Brad Mehldau and others. In the field of Italian pop music, he has collaborated with the likes of Mina, Pino Daniele, Claudio Baglioni, Fiorella Mannoia and many others. He has given concerts in Italy, France, England, Germany, China, Japan, Brazil, India, Mexico and the Unites States . He is currently the part of the trio "DOCTOR 3", one of the most highly-acclaimed groups in Italy. He is a much sought after performer in classical music settings. At the Umbria Jazz mini festival in New York in March 2006, Danilo Rea performed an astonishing solo concert based on operatic arias at the Guggenheim Museum. In recent years he has dedicated himself to teaching master level classes in jazz and jazz improvisation techniques.. In Toronto he will be performing " A tribute TO- Umbria", a piano solo concert inspired by the images of the Region of Umbria.


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Scalable, open and mobile – a telematics team for all cases!
mecFLEET® Portal and mecTRACE® mobile apps: Perfectly aligned.
Telematics begins with the processing of collected data for real added value, for real benefit. The integration of different data sources makes it possible to create concentrated decision templates and to transfer results to other systems, from which further processes are fed. This is the core competence of the mecFLEET® telematics portal, one of the most powerful and mighty IoT platforms in the world.
Web presence alone is no longer enough. Mobile applications are required for mobile tasks. Choose from a variety of existing applications of the mecTRACE® family. We implement specific customer solutions for you and integrate them into mecFLEET®. For optimized functionality and real teamwork.


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|Car Hire Italy
|Car Hire UK
|Car Hire Croatia
|Car Hire South Africa
|Car Hire Germany
|Car Hire Greece
|Car Hire New Zealand
|Car Hire Netherlands
|Car Hire Poland
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|Car Hire Ireland
|Car Hire Turkey
|Car Hire Austria
|Car Hire News
|Car Hire Switzerland
|Car Hire Bulgaria
|Car Hire Bahamas
|Car Hire Dominican Republic
|Car Hire Jamaica
Car Hire Perpignan Airport
Compare prices from the major international and local car hire companies offering car hire Perpignan Airport. See all of our locations in France.
Car Hire Perpignan Airport:Hiring a car in Perpignan gives you the freedom to go off the beaten track and explore the French countryside. Car hire also allows you to check out Perpignan's main sights such as the Palace dating from the 13th century. With your Perpignan car hire you can also visit the nearby regions of Beziers and Toulouse.
We compare all of these suppliers and many more to get you the best price on your car hire.
Cancellation Policy:
Need to cancel your car hire Perpignan Airport? No problem. You will get so long as you cancel at least 48 hours in advance of your pickup date. We also offer excess insurance.
Payment Information
All payments processed by ecbonline.com are secured by Comodo Security. We accept all major international credit cards, but do not currently accept debit cards.


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During chilling winters the fire place becomes the most preferred corner in our houses as it provides the required warmth and comfort. As the chimneys serve an important functionality of keeping us warm it is equally important to maintain them on regular bases. This is essential to keep them in good condition so that they have longer life time. Now when you are staying in a place like Leesburg in Virginia where the winters are majorly chilly with snow and ice storms being a regular feature it is important to keep the chimney well maintained. It helps to stay warm and comfortable throughout the winters. The process of cleaning is a very tedious and time taking procedure therefore we can opt to have a professional do the job for us. For example the best available professionals in Leesburg are a firm named Chimney Sweep Leesburg VA who have been pioneers in the field for some time now.
Cleaning the chimneys – Why should you do it?
Cleaning the chimneys should be an important routine in every household form both health and safety point of view. Not cleaning them for a considerable period of time will lead to a good amount of dust and other allergens being built up inside the vents. Hence periodic cleaning is very essential to keep it running in the perfect condition. Since after being used for one winters there is considerable amount of dirt that gets accumulated the task of cleaning becomes cumbersome. Hiring the services of companies like Chimney Sweep Leesburg VA can make your life easier to a great extent. Availing their regular maintenance services can be beneficial in more than one way. With time and usage the chimneys may have some structural damages. Therefore services like them will check for cracks, discolorations, leakage etc and fix them on time to prevent further damage in the long run.
Long-term usage of chimneys generally leads to a build of creosote along with dirt. The former is considered to be a highly flammable material which if not cleaned could be dangerous. Regular cleaning and maintenance will also help in diverting any potential fire hazards or accidents in the house. The chimneys sometimes become a storehouse of leaves and branches and also home to birds. These if not cleaned regularly can lead to potential fire break outs as the dry branches and leaves are flammable.
Sometimes if the chimneys are not cleaned properly for a considerable amount of time could lead to a build up of bad odour in the house. Not only is these but the efficiency of the chimneys also decreased drastically. Due to clogged vents and out lets all the smoke and fumes generated may not effectively go out form the house. This leads to a build-up of carbon monoxide inside the house which further leads to health problems in the long run. Hence regular cleaning and inspection is very important not only form health and safety point of view. But periodical cleaning can help you save lot of money and time in future.


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Today has probably been the most 'British' of days since I relocated to China.
The journey to work started wrapped in fog which apparently caused chaos at Pudong International Airport throughout the day. Around lunchtime the heavens opened and the rain literally poured (as it still is now) which made my walk from the underground station to the apartment quite a challenge due to the flooded roads and pavements. I now wish I had shipped some wellies from the UK!
According to my colleagues we will have about 10 days of this, but living on the 13th floor I guess I won't have to worry about the apartment flooding!


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Kanchana and Rachana - Super Luxury Apartments is designed to cater to the needs of Modern Society. Being situated at just 200 meters away from Kaikamba Junction is a well planned Residential Complex. The project is dilegently architectured with beautiful front view. Every apartment is so designed as to make use of best available space, natural light and ventilation. Apart from this the special features like Childrens play area, Spacious community hall makes this project unique one.
India : - +91 8971269222
India : - +91 9449230092
Bahrain : - 0097339458296
Email : - firstname.lastname@example.com
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Tarot Online
Play French Tarot for Free
French Tarot (jeu de tarot) is a classic trick-taking card game for 4, played with a tarot deck. As the name suggests, Tarot card game is most popular in France, but it is also widely played in the French-speaking parts of Canada. Known also as 'the Game of Kings', the game has alternatives where it is played by 3 or 5 players.
French Tarot is played with a special deck designed for the game. The Tarot deck consists of 78 cards – the four standard suits plus an additional 21 numbered trump suit. The standard decks have 14 cards of a suit – 1 to 10, Jack, Cavalier (a new card), Queen, and King. There is also one extra card with a special function – the Fool.
The most unique and a bit confusing part of French Tarot is that it is simultaneously a team game and a solo game. In the end, the player with the most points is the sole winner, but each round the gameplay opposes three players against one. Teams shuffle when rounds change and player dynamics can escalate quickly. That's what makes the game so fun to play.
Key Features and Benefits of VIP Tarot
- You can play the game on all mobile devices, Facebook and on the web!
- Customisable player profiles. You can change your avatar, fill your location and write a smart status!
- Upload your favourite pictures to your personal gallery! VIP users can browse and like them!
- You can send other players a friend invite, like their profiles and write them a private message!
- If you really enjoy playing with someone you can show him/her that by taking advantage of our in-game gifts shop! Choose one of our various gift options and use it to impress him/her!
- Make your profile and game unique with the various items that you can acquire with gems through our in-game shop!
- Notifications header where you can keep track of everything that is happening around you!
- You have the ability to create custom games with custom bets and turn time.
- We decided to reduce the possibility of players cheating or abusing each-other in-game by building a predefined list of appropriate phrases.
- Also, we have a variety of emojis that you can use and show your reactions during the game!
- Write in the global chat and share your thoughts and interests with the other players!
- Four weekly leaderboards you can compete in!
Play French Tarot online on any device!
VIP Tarot is a true cross-device platform. This means you can play Tarot online with the same account on your phone, your desktop computer, or even your Smart TV. And the best part is it is completely free! You can download VIP Tarot from the Appstore or Google Play, or you can play directly in your browser without any downloads or plugins! VIP Tarot runs smoothly on any resolution and on any device!
VIP Spades
Explore the most friendly and fun card game for the whole family. It is currently one of the most popular social games which are played with a full deck of cards. This is a 52-card trick taking game similar to Hearts, Bridge and Euchre.
VIP Belote
Play two classic French card games, beloved worldwide – Belote and Coinche. One of the best free card games out there! Discover a fun, friendly and strategic multiplayer game. It is currently the most popular french card game which is played with 32 cards.
VIP Backgammon
Play the most popular board game worldwide – Backgammon. Connect with thousands of players from around the globe and test your skills. Experience a complete cross-platform service with support and real multiplayer across all platforms! VIP Backgammon is available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone and your Smart TV! Play and enjoy the same high quality of service with one account everywhere!
VIP Klaverjas
Klaverjas is a true Dutch classic card game. Considered as the grandfather of the French Belote, VIP Klaverjas is the perfect choice to play a new cool card game. Strategy and careful planning above all, this game might be the new intellectual challenge your brain needs.
VIP Hearts
Hearts is a classical trick-taking card game for 4. It is a fun game where every player is playing solo and tries to beat the other three by having the least points in the end. There is no trump, Hearts and Queen of Spades bring penalty points you must avoid. A complex rating-based matchmaking system guarantees the thrill of each Internet Hearts game you play!
Frequently asked questions
You can read the full list of frequently asked questions on our FAQ page.
How do I play Tarot Online?
Choose a game room from the lobby, depending on your playstyle. You will be queued in our matchmaking system.
When we find you a worthy opponent, we will send you a game invitation. Leaving games is punishable!
How do I enter the site?
After the site loads, you will be required to enter as a guest or sign up. Registration can be done in three ways:
- Login with Facebook: For faster registration, use your Facebook account. Your avatar and username will be transferred automatically, allowing you to change them later. You will have access to the full functionality of the site and you will be able to play with your Facebook friends.
- Login with Email: Use this method if you signed up with your email address to VIPTarot.fr. Choose "Login" from the welcome screen. There, use your credentials to login.
- Enter as guest: Use this method, to visit the site before you register. As a guest, you will have limited access to the site. You get a small amount of starting chips, you can't play against real players, only with AI partners and opponents. You won't be included in leaderboards, won't be able to purchase items from the store, view user profiles, or socialize with the community.
- Log in with Google: Use this to log in to your currently active Google account. This will give you full access to the website and allow you to utilize the cross-platform features that VIP Tarot offers.
What are chips used for in VIP Tarot?
Chips are a virtual currency in VIP Tarot. They are used to purchase items from the store, send gifts and join game rooms. Chips can be purchased in our store, using one of the payment methods that our site supports. In addition, they can be earned from games. Every registered user receives free chip bonuses every day.
Read the complete list of frequently asked questions at our Official page with answers.


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Get in touch with Rafael Marrero & Company
Rafael Marrero & Company, a team of Business-to-Government (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) professionals, are always available to assist you via the following ways:
Via Phone
Free Initial
30 Min. Consult
In Person
Free Initial
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Video Conference
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Video Consult
Visit our Calle Ocho Office
Join us for a free 1-hour Expert Consult at our new Calle Ocho office and enjoy a complimentary cafecito cubano and free valet parking.
Rafael Marrero & Company
11890 SW 8th Street, Suite 511
Miami FL 33184
Blocks from Florida International University / Direct access to Florida Turnpike / Minutes to Dolphin Expressway, Dolphin Mall and Miami International / Centrally located between Doral and Kendall
How Can We Help?
If you are wondering how to become a government contractor, please let us know. Our team of award-winning government experts can help your firm get to the next level:
Media Requests –
Public Relations:
Hanoi Martinez
Web Development & Digital Marketing:


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COVID-19 Statement01/06/2020
COVID-19 Statement01/06/2020
We are open.
The safety of our customers and employees is our priority.
We'd like to thank all our customers for their patience and understanding throughout this pandemic. The UK government has announced that automotive showrooms can now reopen – and we're delighted to resume our regular support and assistance.
While our doors are reopening, the protection of our customers and employees will remain a priority. We've implemented new social distancing measures recommended by Public Health England. These include:
· 2-metre social distancing measures
· Please follow the signage and guidance in place around the Centre - One-way systems will be in operation around some parts of the building
· Designated and timed appointments, as well as collection periods to minimise queues and maintain social distancing
· Increased levels of cleaning and sanitising products for your use
· Using Personal Protective Equipment to help keep you safe
· Extra cleaning for your vehicle & our demonstration models, to ensure that all touch points within have been cleaned
· Perspex screens on all service and sales desks for added safety
· Offering online demonstrations and no-touch demonstrations in dealerships
· Limits on the number of people inside the showroom at one time. It may be necessary during busy periods to wait prior to entry
· One-way systems will be in operation around some parts of the building
· Vehicles inside the showroom will be locked to ensure each car is sanitised prior to any interaction. Please ask a member of the team for assistance – they'll be happy to unlock and show you around any car
Online is always open.
While we're very excited to reopen our showroom for business, we understand that many may still prefer to engage with us online. If you'd rather not come in to see us yet, we have a range of contact-free options for your New & Approved Used BMW enquiries. These quick and easy tools enable you to browse for your next BMW from home:
We have a dedicated virtual sales team ready to handle your new BMW enquiries. You can book a convenient virtual appointment with our friendly and knowledgeable new car experts from the comfort of your home.
Online Click & Collect Service
Our Online Click & Collect service allows you to select your vehicle, value your part exchange and apply for finance, all from the comfort of your own home. Search our Approved Used vehicles and reserve online today.
Contactless Delivery available on all new and used vehicles
Working within government guidelines and advice, we are pleased to launch our new contactless delivery service (UK mainland only). We will safely deliver your vehicle directly to your door via transporter or a driver.
· All handovers will strictly adhere to social distancing guidelines along with the use of a driver sanitisation kit
· Prior to handover, our delivery agent will give the interior and exterior of your new vehicle a thorough clean using anti-bacterial wipes
· Our delivery and handover specialists will remain at a distance during the entire handover
· Virtual vehicle handovers are available to all delivery customers. Our digital sales team will talk you through the technical features of your new car.
You can also book your MOT, service or maintenance online.
Thank you all once again, we look forward to seeing you soon.


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Primary school taught Grace a lesson she would learn over and over again:
she was a minority.
In the village in Eastern Rwanda where she grew up, girls weren't encouraged to go to school. As Grace remembers it, girls made up only 20 percent of her primary class. Little changed when she went to secondary school.
While it went against common culture, Grace's parents insisted she focus on her education. Despite the sacrifices, her parents wanted all of their eight children to receive every opportunity to learn and grow.
In secondary school, Grace was already thinking about university. Her plan was to study accounting, and learn as many skills as possible to help her start her own business one day.
Despite her confidence, the cost of a university education made her question the feasibility of her vision. In Grace's moments of doubt, her father stepped in.
"The best gift that my father gave me was to believe in me," Grace said. "Regardless of our family challenges, he supported my dreams. He believed in my ability to join university. With his trust and encouragement, I made it."
Grace received a partial government scholarship for her tuition, but halfway into university, she questioned whether the financial burden to her family was worth it.
That's when Grace met Pascaline – a university student also in her second year. Pascaline shared about her experience as a University Leadership Scholar at These Numbers Have Faces. Grace learned how the program provides Leadership Loans to deserving students, in addition to monthly Leadership Trainings. More than being a program, Pascaline said These Numbers Have Faces was like a family. With that, Grace knew she was meant to apply.
Grace, right, with her fellow TNHF Scholar, Joyeuse!When Grace was accepted to be a University Leadership Scholar in 2015, she and her family rejoiced. At These Numbers Have Faces, Grace has been further inspired and encouraged in her vision for business. During monthly trainings, she has met business leaders from Rwanda and across the world. Grace has even led service projects counseling street youth, and taught peace and reconciliation classes in refugee camps.
Meanwhile, during Grace's third year in the program, two of her fellow scholars, Benson and Alice, were in Portland, Oregon for summer internships. There they met These Numbers Have Faces supporters, Bryan Concannon and Debi Dereiko. After hearing Benson and Alice's stories, Bryan and Debi felt compelled to become more involved.
Alice and Benson, far right, striking their best funny face poses during their dinner with Bryan and Debi!As it would happen, Bryan would offer an accounting internship at his company, Concannon Lumber, in Fall 2017, and Grace would apply.
At a recent Leadership Training, we announced that Grace was selected for the Concannon Lumber internship! She cried and thanked God as her fellow scholars celebrated her with applause, songs and cake (of course!).
When she lands in Portland in August, Grace said she's looking forward to getting hands-on experience in accounting. She doesn't want to just be a temporary member on the Concannon Lumber team — she wants to be part of the company's growth.
Grace, right, with scholars Pascaline and Kevin, during their internship announcement!"I carry in my heart the burden to help the communities around me, to positively change them for a better life," Grace said. "I want to support others to build their self confidence, no matter their circumstances."
After her 3-month internship, Grace will return home to Rwanda, a country that is now working to invest in women in education, business and leadership.
"Investing in a woman means laying a foundation for a strong home, family, community and nation," Grace said. We believe that foundation begins with her.
Grace, left, with her fellow TNHF scholars, Ines and Florence!


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Death Row Information
Offender Information
Last Statement
Date of Execution:
March 28, 2012
Jesse Hernandez, #999425
Last Statement:
Tell my son I love him very much. God bless everybody. Continue to walk with God. Go Cowboys! Love ya'll man. Don't forget the T-ball. Ms. Mary, thank you for everything that you've done. You too, Brad, thank you. I can feel it, taste it, not bad.


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Financing Options Available
Get the HVAC Services You Need throughout Sherman Oaks!
At Pros 360, we feel that our customers should have access to the skilled Sherman Oaks HVAC services they need without having to break the bank. This is why our team has ensured that you have access to numerous financing options!
Ygrene Energy Fund
Improve your family's comfort, health and safety – save big on your monthly energy bills and boost the value of your most important investment.
Matadors Community Credit Union
MCCU offers Home Energy Loans with preferred interest rates for participants in the Energy Upgrade California™ Home Upgrade rebate program. Properties must be serviced by Southern California Edison or The Southern California Gas Company (not including Ventura, Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo Counties).
The Home Upgrade offers property owners rebates and incentives on eligible residential energy efficiency projects and makes rebate recipients eligible for preferred interest rates for qualifying energy efficiency and solar projects.
To learn more about program details and available incentives, visit the Home Upgrade website.
- 99% APR for up to five years*
- 99% APR for up to 10 years*
- 99% APR for up to 15 years*
- Loan amounts from $2,500-$50,000
Hero Program
Affordable Energy & Water Efficiency Upgrades
Hero partners with local governments to make energy and water efficiency upgrades easier. Apply online in just a few minutes and choose terms of up to 25 years, borrowing up to 15% of your home's value.
Approvals are mostly based on the equity in your home, and you can check to see if you qualify without a credit application.
Call our Sherman Oaks HVAC team today at (818) 581-2686 if you have any questions about financing!


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Live Line Safety Demonstration Request
CHELCO unveiled the new Live Line Safety Demonstration at the annual meeting April 16. The demonstration was designed and built by CHELCO employees for the purposes of educating the public about powerline safety and dangers.
CHELCO can perform the demonstration for first responders, schools, civic organizations as well as the general public. Our safety team is ready to present at your school or event. Simply fill out the request below and we will contact you.


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iPaaS: Cloud-to-Cloud Integration of Gmail and Pivotal Tracker
MuleSoft's iON is a cloud-based integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) that isn't just for "cloud-to-premise" scenarios, but for "cloud-to-cloud" integration as well. With the current API explosion, a vast array of services is emerging which can be brought together in unimagined ways, and iON is there to enable this—like lightening between the clouds!
In this post, I'd like to demonstrate how to integrate two such cloud services. The first is Google's well-known Gmail and the other is PivotalTracker, Pivotal Labs' cloud solution for agile software development and project management. Developers, analysts and testers can work together by posting, editing and moving "stories" from the initial phase of gathering requirements to final delivery. Our friends at Pivotal Labs have exposed the core functionality to us as a REST API. Our solution will exploit the Cloud Connector DevKit and Mule Studio to deploy an iApp, an integration Application, to iON. Creating and commenting on stories posted to Pivotal Tracker will be as easy as sending an email!
Use Case
Emails arriving in a developer's mailbox are considered to be requests for features in the development of new software.
- If the email is new, they should be placed on Pivotal Tracker as new "feature" type stories with the subject of the email as the name of the story and the body of the email as description of the story. For future correlation, the story should be labeled with the Message-ID header of the email.
- If the email is a reply to the thread created by #1, do the following:
- If there is a story on Pivotal Tracker labeled with the first value of the References header on this email, then append the body of the email as a comment to that story.
- Otherwise, create a new story as in #1.
Overview of Solution
A Mule Flow which comprises:
- Pop3 (or IMAP) connector for consuming emails (comes with Studio)
- XSLT Transformer to create XML requests for PivotalTracker (comes with Studio)
- PivotalTracker cloud connector (we'll create that!)
Pivotal Tracker Cloud Connector
According to DevKit instructions
For the initial question, just accept the default value.
Change the directory to pivotal-tracker-connector and run mvn eclipse:eclipse to convert it to an Eclipse project. Once in Eclipse, import it as an existing project into your workspace and then proceed to convert it to a Maven project (right-click Config -> Convert to Maven Project).
Take a look at the class generated at com.mulesoft.se.PivotalTrackerConnector
We need one such annotated method for every property which we need to configure from a flow using the config element.
We won't exploit this, so just return true in the isConnected method:
We need one for every operation we wish to expose in the flow. @param: It is important to list all parameters passed to processor methods in the javadocs, for proper generation of docs. Otherwise the Maven build will fail.
Now, let's spice up our connector so that it caters to the use case highlighted above! We need 4 methods:
- create-story, which should expect the story payload.
- label-story, which we need to correlate stories with subsequent emails in the thread.
- find-story-by-filter for searching
- comment-story, to add subsequent emails in the thread as comments to the original story.
Before we start coding, let's add the following dependencies to our pom, as we will be using jersey as our REST-ful webservice client and logback for logging:
- org.slf4j:slf4j-api:1.6.4
- org.slf4j:jcl-over-slf4j:1.6.4
- ch.qos.logback:logback-classic:1.0.0
- com.sun.jersey:jersey-client:1.12
Once that's done, we need to update doc/PivotalTracker-connector.xml.sample to facilitate doc generation:
Building the Connector for Studio
Now, while the dev-team is busy enhancing Studio to cater to our use case, we are going to do a little under-the-bonnet work and deploy our connector to Studio so that it is recognizable in our flow.
Execute: mvn install -Ddevkit.studio.package.skip=false
This will generate /pivotal-tracker-connector/target/pivotal-tracker-connector-1.0-studio.zip
This zip file contains both the binary jar for use as a dependency and icon information so that Studio can include the connector in its pallete. Unzip this file to $studioHome/dropins and restart Studio. You should see the icon for PivotalConnector in the pallete under cloud connectors.
Creating the iApp
So what is an iApp? Its an integration App that creates a composition of other applications and services to create additional value. In this case, it is a flow that integrates two or more public APIs and is deployed to Mule iON. Our app will cater fully to the use case described above by consuming emails coming into our Gmail account, transforming them into XML payloads for Pivotal Tracker and then routing them to Pivotal Tracker through our cloud connector.
Before the flow element, we need to configure our cloud connector:
And here's the flow
Email arrives on the Inbound Pop3 Endpoint. We immediately save its From header to Session scope for use in the other flows. The Choice Routing Message Processor determines if Message-ID is present in the header to determine whether the email is new or a reply to the thread.
If the email is new, processing is delegated to the newEmail Sub-flow. Immediately we wrap the body of the email with XML markup in order to make it suitable for the XSLT Transformer. The latter prepares the XML request for Pivotal Tracker before dispatching the message to the in-memory queue, VM Endpoint.
New Emails
A separate flow, createStory, consumes the transformed message on vm://createStory and immediately posts the message to Pivotal Tracker using our new cloud connector. We save the Story Id returned by Pivotal Tracker for use in other flows.
Immediately we prepare a new request to Pivotal Tracker which will label our new story with the Message-ID header of the email. We will use this later on as a corelation mechanism.
Again in a separate flow (we do this to facilitate finer-grained exception handling, which I talk about below), we consume the previously dispatched message at vm://labelStory, invoke the Pivotal Tracker cloud connector and log the successful invocation.
Reply Emails
When our main flow determines that the incoming email is a reply on the thread, then it invokes the replyEmail sub-flow, which saves the first value of the References header to Session and subsequently dispatches the message to vm://commentStory.
The commentStory flow picks this up by listening to vm://commentStory. It invokes the search operation on our PivotalTracker cloud connector.
If a matching story is found on Pivotal Tracker we proceed through our Choice Routing Message Processor to add the body of the email as a comment to the story again using the cloud connector after having suitably transformed the message using the XSLT Transformer.
Exception Handling
We chose to break up our solution into separate flows in order to catch potential exceptions in the invocation of our Pivotal Tracker cloud connector. (We can't assume the availability of the Pivotal Tracker API). Our strategy is simple. Keep retrying every five minutes up to a maximum of twelve retries. A subsequent failure is caught with our default exeption strategy. We then create a delay of 1 hour using the Quartz Endpoint before dispatching the message as it was before the exception to our Active MQ error queue. As we have a composite Message Source for each of these flows, we can consume these failed messages using the same flow which participates in the happy path.
Deployment to the Cloud!
This couldn't be easier! Right-click on the Project in the Package Explorer and select Mule iON -> Deploy to iON.
Enter your username, password, domain name and it's deployed!
That's it!
You now have a new cloud connector already exploited in an iApp running in the cloud. You can see the full Mule configuration here and the source code of the cloud connector here.


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Categories: Polls
Categories: Polls
Where professional sports get down & dirty
Finding Balance Through Food
Want me to talk about Philly Philly?
be updated with your surroundings
The Author Home of Marcus Johnston
Look closely around and about you, and you will see all forms of beauty.
news from around the world
Never give up
All things Philly Sports
Live, Love, Travel and Laugh (Proudly Pinoy)
Phillies Prospects
Experience The Finest Travel, Food and Lifestyle Stories Around The World
My mission is to give the world a unique collection of recipes and inspiration
Hockey blog providing critical analysis on trends and stats for the Calgary Flames, NHL, and more.
An outsider's perspective on all things stick and puck.
It's just banter
Every life tells a story
just enable and listen
# USA / Canada Basketball


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Christopher Liberatos
Christopher Liberatos is principal and designer at Bevan & Liberatos, a design firm based in Charleston, SC specializing in traditional design from town-planning to buildings and furniture. He holds an M.Arch from the University of Notre Dame and has tutored programs in classical architecture at the Schools of Architecture of the University of Notre Dame, the University of Greenwich, and at the Library Society of Charleston. Christopher has designed for some of today's most renowned Classical architecture firms including ADAM Architecture and Fairfax & Sammons, and has worked on projects in Brian, France and Italy.


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Interesting HBR article: Innovation Blowback: Disruptive Management Practices from Asia (Hagel & Brown, 2003).
Their main point
Companies offshore production to cut wages, gain access to skills and capabilities and seek new markets, but they fail to gain more than a small affluent segment of these emerging markets because they do not seek the level of innovations to target the demands of the larger low-wage market. Long-term they then are often undercut by the local companies that do seek this level of innovation.
What do the authors recommend:
- Specialize, develop partnerships and orchestrate the resulting process network to extend your capabilities.
- Develop open collaborative environments and orchestrate innovation within these partnership networks.
- It is not enough to strip costs from existing products. Instead, redesign products and processes from a "Clean-sheet" perspective in a way that amplifies your own distinctive capabilities and those of the partners in your network.
Relevance for Education
Whether it's high school dropouts, workers needing re-training, organizations with new learning demands, higher expectations from graduates, or a multitude of other new demands for learning; we too are facing new and different "markets" for learning. It is not enough just to make small adjustments to existing systems that were designed for other demands. We need to redesign our educational products and processes by innovating within our own capabilities and by seeking open network partnerships to extend those capabiities.


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Submission Number:
Initiative Name:
FTC Workshop: Debt Collection 2.0: Protecting Consumers As Technology Changes, Project No. P114802
I really think that the FDCPA should set a limit on the number of times a debt collector can call a person. 2 times seems enough, 3 is really pushing it. I think that calling any more often than that is harassment. Think of it as a hypothetical ex-mother/father-in-law wanting to call you. How many times would enough be enough? I think that the new FDCPA rules should expressly state that leaving voicemails or sending texts should not be allowed. You can't be sure that the person accessing the voice machine is the debtor (house guest, boyfriend/girlfriend/family member, etc). The same goes with text messages. I can change my phone number easily by visiting my local AT&T store. Who knows how quickly that number will be recycled, and then some other Joe gets a text message for them to call the collector. Most collectors I work with or have come across have the technology to identify the caller by the incoming phone number, which would essentially communicate that a debt is owed to a third party. As an anecdotal reference, I still get phone calls from people asking for the previous owner of my phone number, and I've had this number for over a year!


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What's new | A-Z | Discuss & Blog | Youtube
What does the Glorious Quran say about the Jews' mighty success and dominance in wealth, science, media and politics?
The sections of this article are:
1- Reaching "Mighty Height".
2- A rope from Allah and rope from people.
(a)- GOD Almighty deceiving people and sending "lying spirit" in the Bible [1].
3- Conclusion.
1- Reaching "Mighty Height":
1- Allah Almighty promised the Jews that they will reach "Mighty Height" on earth, and that they will be very evil and spread mischief and corruption throughout earth:
The Bible's 3 Babylons:
Salam aleikum,
Wa Alaikum As'salam dear brother Idris,
Bible & Quran declare: Ishmael's Covenant is for the latter generations [2].
The prophecy of the 10,000 Muslims who liberated Mecca (Paran) in the Bible. In the OT and renewed in the NT. Also, the Bible's 3 Babylons thoroughly discussed here.
Isaiah 29:12 mentions the first
Quran-Revelation upon Prophet Muhammad in Cave
Hira by
the name. The
Quran's first revelation upon Prophet
Muhammad inside cave Hira.
Take care,
As-Salam aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa baraketuh dear
brother Osama,
Wa Alaikum As'salam Wa Rahmatu Allah Wa Barakatuh
dear brother Idris,
Isaiah 21:7
Take care,
As-Salam aleikum wa
rahmatullahi wa baraketuh,
As'salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatu
Allah Wa Barakatuh dear brother Idris,
Jeremiah 51:33
I hope this helps,
Bible & Quran declare: Ishmael's Covenant is for the latter generations [2].
The prophecy of the 10,000 Muslims who liberated Mecca (Paran) in the Bible. In the OT and renewed in the NT. Also, the Bible's 3 Babylons thoroughly discussed here.
Isaiah 29:12 mentions the first
Quran-Revelation upon Prophet Muhammad in Cave
Hira by
the name. The
Quran's first revelation upon Prophet
Muhammad inside cave Hira.
2- A rope from Allah and rope from people:
There is an interesting Noble Verse where Allah Almighty tell us how the Israelites will reach the promised "Mighty Height":
|Noble Verse(s) 3:112
[003:112] Ignominy shall be their portion wheresoever they are found
save (where they grasp)
a rope from Allah and a rope
from men. They have incurred anger from their
Lord, and
Arabic (Read from right to left. Also, all png image files: [1] [2]):3:112 ضربت عليهم الذلة اين ماثقفوا الا بحبل من الله وحبل من الناس وباؤوا بغضب من الله وضربت عليهم المسكنة ذلك بانهم كانوا يكفرون بايات الله ويقتلون الانبياء بغير حق ذلك بما عصوا وكانوا يعتدون
We know that Allah Almighty promised the people of Israel that they will reach Mighty Heights. And here in this Noble Verse Allah Almighty tells them:
1- That He will make that possible by extending them a rope from Him, the Almighty, and a rope from people. In other words, the ways will paved, and the doors shall be opened before the Jews to enable them to fully rise to the top and dominate in all major areas that dominate humans, such as:
2- Allah Almighty has decreed upon them
The English translation for here is
"wretchedness". In
Arabic, however,
(MASKANA) also means laying low or keeping a
low profile for the purpose of protecting
yourself. I translated it above as: "playing low
profile". Let us look at the following definitions of SAKAN, which
is the root word for MASKANA:
مسكنة (MASKANA) in Mujam Dictionary:
Also, the following popular Arabian proverb uses مسكنة (MASKANA). This is how the MUJAM dictionary defined it:
تمسكن حتى تمكن
أي لعب دور المسكين الضعيف ويستمر في خداع الناس؛ حتى يصل إلى مراده. ومن ثم يظهر على حقيقته.
Means he played the role of MISKEEN (poor, needy) and DAEEF (weak), and he continues to deceive people, until he reaches his goal. And he would then be revealed truthfully.
تمسكن: TAMASKANA (played low profile).
حتى: HATTA (until).
تمكن: TAMAKKAN (He finally reached his goal).
Furthermore, مسكين (MISKEEN) , which is derived from SAKAN, means:
|Noble Verse(s) 76:8
[076:008] And they feed, for the love of God, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive,-
Dr. Munir Munshey (one of www.answering-christianity.com's authors):[076:008] And for the sake of His love, they feed the poor (and needy), the orphans and the captives.
Arberry:[076:008] they give food, for the love of Him, to the needy, the orphan, the captive:
Arabic (Read from right to left. Also, all png image files: [1] [2]):76:8 ويطعمون الطعام على حبه مسكينا ويتيما واسيرا
See also:
Jews had always maintained a low profile. While they control just about everything, but they are always careful to maintain a low profile. They don't like to be "out there" and known. Their secret satanic societies also from Free Masons and Illuminaties also keep not only a low profile, but an entirely secrete one! Please visit:
Also visit: GOD Almighty deceiving people and sending "lying spirit" in the Bible [1].
Quran Miracle: The Jews' and Christians' scribes changed and still change the Words. Proven with images, text and videos from their corrupt bible and books! See how they removed words and altered words.
Bible Hoaxes on GOD: Rebekah's story is a clear and indisputable proof that many of the Bible's accounts are full of hoaxes!
MORE LIES ON GOD: Rebuttal to Jochen Katz on FOX News' lying on their motto (Balanced Lies Rebuttal).
Who was the sacrificed son? Isaac or Ishmael? Even the altered Bible thoroughly supports that it was Ishmael [1] in many passages. And in Islam there is no "El" (God) in names as in Ishmael or Gabriel in Hebrew? Is the GOD of Islam different? Allah Almighty allowed for His Holy Name to be shortened (as "El" in Ishmael, and Lillah for Li-Allah in the Quran, as in Alhamdulillah) in both Islam and Judaism [1].
Differences between the Noble Quran and Bible only prove Islam's Truthfulness and Divinity.
GOD became concerned that the Babylonians' Tower that they were constructing will reach Him???
Also Read:
Bible defines "Lying Spirits by GOD" to mean GOD MAKES YOU LIE; you have no will (2 Samuel 12:7-12).
Made to be prostitutes by GOD: In 2 Samuel 12:7-12, King David's wives were turned into ***** prostitutes by GOD Almighty [1] as a punishment for David's sins with Bathsheba. This means that GOD Almighty can create custom Laws for punishment even if they fully contradict GOD Almighty's Moral Code on morality and chastity. Also, seduction and RAPING of virgins isn't a physically punishable crime in the Bible. See Deuteronomy 22:25-29, Exodus 22:16-17.
3- Conclusion:
Allah Almighty through His Divine Wisdom and Plan, allows the Jews to run wild with their evil and wickedness and mischief on earth, and to reach Mighty Heights and received ENDLESS support from people from wealth and men. But in the end, they will come down crashing in this life, and in the Lifeafter Hell Fire awaits most of them, except for a few. Please visit:
Ask me any question section.
Prophecies of the Glorious Quran [2].
Islam and the Glorious Quran - Questions and Answers.
Bible's History, Canons, Corruption.
The Jews section.
JUSTICE, Mercy, Good Manners, Forgiveness, Moral Code, Ethics in Islam.
See also: Islam's end of times STUNNING Prophecies section.
Zionist Israel will rule the earth with Mighty Evil! (Islamic Prophecy)
The Glorious Quran declared 1,400 years ago that the Israeli Zionist machine will rule the entire earth with mighty evil and power. They will reach "Mighty Heights" علوا كبيرا of evil power and might on earth. See Noble Verses 17:4-8:Also, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, made a stunning prophecy about the one-eyed anti-Christ who will rule the infidels and the world: Narrated Ibn Umar: "Once Allah's Apostle stood amongst the people, glorified and praised Allah as He deserved and then mentioned the Dajjal (anti-Christ) saying, "l warn you against him (i.e. the Dajjal) and there was no prophet but warned his nation against him. No doubt, Noah warned his nation against him but I tell you about him something of which no prophet told his nation before me. You should know that he is one-eyed, and Allah is not one-eyed." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 553)" Prophet Muhammad had many visions about the dajjal, and gave many signs about him. Some of the things the Prophet said about the dajjal were literal, and some were vision-metaphors. The most prominent one is that he will be one-eyed. This is both literal and metaphoric. It is literal today because the zionist anti-Christ system is indeed represented by the ONE-EYE symbol as seen in the following images. The metaphors here are Allah Almighty not being ONE-EYED, because nothing can describe Allah Almighty. There is "none like unto Him" (Quran, 112:4). In other words also, the Prophet warned that this ONE-EYED SATANIC system will be a worshiped deity. And that false deity is not Allah Almighty. For ample more details and proofs, please visit link below. Was the Islamic ONE-EYE Prophecy foretold before Islam in the Bible's Zechariah 11:17? I demonstrated using ample Biblical verses that the ONE-EYED DAJJAL (anti-Christ) was never prophesied in the Bible to be ONE-EYED, nor was this Sign ever given in the Bible to any being. For ample Noble Verses and Hadiths (Sayings of the Prophet), and proofs, please visit: Many references of this Hadith (Saying) exist throughout our Islamic Texts. This is one of the most popular Hadiths and Prophecies of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. And indeed, we are seeing it come to pass before our very eyes. Please also visit:
Send your comments.
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text: Insecurity doesn't look good on anybody, but a whole nation? Now that's something we could all do without. This episode lays out very clearly how the ISIS problem is related to the Russia-Ukraine problem, and how the USA government is instigating it all. --Oh! And I make fun of Democrats!


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Frostburgh Campaign
I have added one of my old LEGO Universe campaigns which I had totally forgot. I found it while checking my backup hard-drive the other day.
I remember how it was while producing the web campaign. It was a great but way busy time. The idea was that the development team created at new zone, a winterly like without the use the standard names or anything religious. So we came up with Frostivus Festival in the zone of Frostburg.
For the marketing campaign, they team wanted something edgy and not very christmas like. With no time in my hands I created the concept and the graphics for the campaign which was launched the moment I managed to finish.


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Skip to 0 minutes and 1 second Prof. Nahon's analysis of the options open to us when confronting antisemitism and other forms of hate online, leads us to the second part of our lesson - the examination of the ways antisemitism is confronted and dealt with in various arenas today. Let's begin by focusing on the arena of research. When attempting to confront a phenomenon or issue, it is first important to understand what it is, what are its roots, history, forms, and characteristics. As such, the study and research of antisemitism hold an integral part in the attempts to confront this phenomenon. Let's hear about the challenges the research of antisemitism poses today.
Skip to 0 minutes and 40 seconds Contemporary antisemitism and the study of it in the academy in Europe and North America is still a taboo. It's a subject that people don't want to address and don't want to deal with. Intellectually and politically it's difficult to engage in the study but I think there's been some movement forward. I think there's more centers emerging. At our research center, we train professors to teach courses on contemporary antisemitism. And amazingly enough there were not courses on contemporary antisemitism literally throughout the Western World in the university. Today more courses are coming online and that's an important thing.
Skip to 1 minute and 20 seconds And I think also in general it's difficult to study antisemitism because the way we measure antisemitism, the way we understand antisemitism, sort of critical concepts of critical thinking of understanding contemporary antisemitism, how records are kept, how different governments around the world keep or do not keep statistics, on how many forms of antisemitism exist. Or what is antisemitism? What is the discourse of antisemitism? So this is really … it's surprising given the legacy of antisemitism and the key role it's played in Western civilization for centuries that we still don't know all that much about antisemitism and its discourse.
Skip to 2 minutes and 7 seconds We know about the history of antisemitism but we don't understand how sort of economically, socially, culturally processes are sort of feeding into the re-emergence of contemporary antisemitism. So it's an understudied field, and it's a field that needs to be developed. And I think we also have to in order to develop the field get over the sort of the political incorrectness of the study of contemporary antisemitism and really frame it as a human rights issue, as an issue that defends and promotes social democracy. This is not just about Jews. We know that antisemitism begins with Jews but it never ends with Jews.
Skip to 2 minutes and 43 seconds And this is an issue that confronts the democratic principles of a society and the democratic core and human rights of a society. It's the reactionary forces that are using antisemitism at the core of their ideology to promote their interest at the cost not only of the Jews but of notions of citizenship, democracy and humane decent societies.
Researching Antisemitism
Dr. Charles Asher Small
When attempting to confront a phenomenon or issue, it is first important to understand what it is - what are its roots, history, forms, and characteristics. As such, the study and research of antisemitism hold an integral part in the attempts to confront this phenomenon.
What challenges do the research of antisemitism pose today?
Institutes for the research and study of antisemitism
Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), US.
Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Indiana University, US.
Center for Research on Antisemitism, Technical University Berlin, Germany.
Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, University of London, UK.
Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism, Yale University, US.
© Yad Vashem


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The opening of a new multiplex movie theatre in the southern Iraqi city of Basra has gotten local film makers and actors talking. Will they ever get to see a locally-made production screening there? After all, Basra was one of the first cities in the region to open a movie theatre.
Sadly, most of those here who know the movie business remain pessimistic. In the past, Iraqi film makers relied mainly on state funding. The movies that were funded by the government were usually used for promotional or propaganda purposes. The few individual, non-government attempts to make Iraqi movies withered away as the country dealt with international sanctions against it, under Saddam Hussein.
In Basra, there are no professional camera, lighting or sound professionals. You need a real film crew to make a film.
This has seen a correspondent decline in the skills film makers need. The standard of cinematography here is "under zero," says Fathi Shaddad, head of the artists union in Basra. "All the arts in Iraq have deteriorated but cinema has suffered more than all the others because it is an industry in which people want to make a profit," he complains. "We lack almost all of the required infrastructure, including expertise, funding, studios for production and cinemas. A whole generation has forgotten about movie making," he laments.
Nobody wants to fund local movie makers, says Raad Abu Ashtar, a local actor and scriptwriter. "You need millions to make a 90-minute feature film and we don't even have a quarter of that sort of money available in Iraq," he says. "This has a very negative impact on the aspirations of local film makers. Most of us are now dependent on individual organisations that allow us to produce short films, that we can screen by posting onto social media, like Facebook. We just really want to practice our profession and reach an audience," he laments.
But screening online can also have negative aspects. Many of the film makers fear that if they show the films online, there won't ever be any point showing them elsewhere and the films will lose their currency for prospective festivals and cinemas.
To make his films, Rahim Khalaf, a local actor, who's been working in this area since 1983, says he relies on funding from local initiatives and on crowd funding when possible. He has used his own home as a location many times, as well as the business premises and vehicles of other locals who want to help.
Mostly he screens the finished product on YouTube or Facebook and it is the positive response he gets from watchers that keeps him going.
"We have screened a number of short films online and this provides experience for the talented young people of Basra, it introduces new faces and attracts the attention of festival organisers," Khalaf explains.
Of course, the Basra film makers would love to make a full-length movie one day. But this requires a lot more film industry than currently exists in Iraq. "In Basra, there are no professional camera, lighting or sound professionals," Abu Ashtar points out. "You need a real film crew to make a film."
"These small offerings on social media don't mean we are making films that could be shown in cinemas," he continues. "The short films posted on social media lack a lot and they should also be of a certain standard, which they are not. Today Iraqi cinema is well outside the real film business."
Shaddad says that he and his colleagues in the arts are still trying to keep their hopes up, by organising events like the annual Al Qumrah film festival, to be held in Basra in April. "We are trying to provide talented young people with opportunities," Shaddad says, stressing the importance of ensuring that locals contribute to these efforts and that they don't just rely on films screened online and produced by outsiders.
It's not all doom and gloom though. The success of the new cinemas at Basra's Times Square shopping mall might encourage more investment in the local film sector, suggests Ghaith Majid, a student at the local college of fine arts. He hopes this will mean people in his hometown become more aware of the impact a film can have and that one day, he might be able to play a part in this after he graduates.
"This city is rich in history and it is a fertile land for ideas for films," he enthuses. "Iraqis are keen to see more films about Iraqis, made by Iraqis," he argues.


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Landlords can save tax with changes to the way Wear and Tear Allowance is claimed that are due in April by holding off on spending money on replacing furniture, white goods and other items supplied to tenants.
Since 23 November 2015, all landlords operating in Wales must become registered. Landlords have a year to comply with this new obligation.
The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 is now in force having received Royal Assent on 17 September 2014.
All you need to know about the Government's plans to restrict finance cost relief for individual landlords
The National Assembly for Wales has moved a step closer to finalising legislation to register and licence landlords and letting agents.
A crackdown on landlords has resulted in record hauls of capital gains tax for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Tax investigations – undertaken when officials believe there is evidence of underpayment – are resulting in record hauls of capital gains tax.
The planned changes have taken effect from 22nd April 2014, where fees for possession claims have seen one of the largest increases at 60%.
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The new BBC America and Netflix adaptation of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books became available on UK Netflix this week. The books follow the surreal adventures of Dirk, a private detective who believes in the interconnectedness of all things. In Dirk's world, murder cases aren't solved by deduction, they're solved by finding lost cats and discovering the secret behind eccentric professors' magic tricks.
Author: mattjwatts
My Scientology Movie – Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux's My Scientology Movie has been a long time coming. Louis's been working on it for over a decade, and Louis fans (Therouxvians, if you will) have been speculating over rumours and trailers for several years now. This Monday it was finally released and featured an hour-long live-streamed Q&A with the man himself and producer John Dower.
Eight Days, Two Films, One Direction
This week I saw the new Beatles documentary Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years and the 2013 One Direction documentary This is Us. Dare I mention The Beatles (known as musical innovators, the inventors of pop music, cultural icons) and One Direction (known as mere money making marionettes for cultural Beelzebub Simon Cowell) in the same sentence? By now the flaming torches have been lit, the pitchforks sharpened, and a digital snob mob is headed my way, but hang on. Let me explain myself. There are more similarities between the two bands and their documentaries than you might think.
Recommendations in Brief 31/07/16
This week's recommendations feature a tiny Jack White wearing an Aphex Twin t-shirt. Everyone should own one. They're excellent company.
Pokémon Go
It has taken about 24 hours for me to entirely change my opinion on Pokémon Go. I initially resisted the temptation to download it, telling myself that I was above the 'cleverly designed but ultimately pointless reward system that Pokémon is based on' because I am a dickhead. A dickhead who is determined to not have any fun ever.
Orphan Black
I think you would like the sci-fi TV drama Orphan Black. It's made by BBC America in Canada and was originally aired on BBC Three in the UK, distribution has since been taken over by Netflix, where the fourth series has just concluded. I only realised after 8 episodes had already been released, so had the luxury of binging on the majority of the fourth series in a matter of days. Can Netflix do no wrong? (Apart from the Adam Sandler thing, but let's pretend that didn't happen.)
Recommendations in Brief 02/07/16
This week's Recommendations in Brief features quite a few synthesizers, and one of those films that I should have seen a while ago but never got round to it.
Recommendations in Brief 26/06/16
From now on, the Recommendations in Brief sections are going to be their own posts because I have decided that they will be. This website is a dictatorship, ruled with a crudely drawn, lopsided fist.
Heddwen recommended that I watch Community. Heddwen is the crack dealer of sitcoms.
If you like the crippling addiction of heroin but lack the funds or contacts, Community is for you.
Born Standing Up
I think you would like Born Standing Up by Steve Martin.
It has a reputation for being the definitive stand-up comedy memoir, which is the only reason I felt compelled to buy it. To my shame, I have never seen Steve Martin's stand-up act, and my only experience of his work is the film Cheaper by the Dozen. Yet, despite my ignorance, I found Born Standing Up insightful, entertaining, and beautifully crafted. It is far from being just another celebrity autobiography.


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I'm constantly searching for hair products that do not contain sulfates or silicon. My reasons are as follows:
Sulfates, which are very common in shampoo and skin care products, strip your hair (or skin) of natural oils causing it to dry out. In fact, they even aggravate the problem of hair loss. And silicone shampoos or conditioners can weigh your hair down and make it look flat and greasy, especially if you've naturally curly hair.
Sometimes with natural shampoos and conditioners you only get a day or so out of your hair before you need to wash it again, however when I used Yes To Carrots Nourishing Carrot Shampoo I found I got up to four days (I know, I'm scummy, but believe me with hair as long as mine you don't want wash it every other day.) I apply the shampoo, massage my scalp and leave it there for a couple of more minutes almost like a mask for my scalp.
I also use the conditioner from this line which I adore, though it might be a little light for my very thick hair, or perhaps I should leave it on for longer.
Overall I've been so impressed with this line that I've repurchased their body wash twice and image I will purchase it again. The smell is absolutely gorgeous, one of the nicest, cleanest scents I've ever come across.
Yes to Carrots Eye and Makeup Remover is next on my 'wish list'!
To buy try amazon or click here for Irish retailers