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Since the thought of Adam Smith 's unbeatable custodies besides known as unbeatable manus of the market, the allocative power of the market has been by and large recognised. These thoughts have been reinforced by the evident failure of Keynesian theories of authorities intercession to stand the trial of clip. As a consequence of the acceptance of SAP ( Structural Adjustment programme ) by most developing states including Ghana and Nigerian which are my chief concentration, the argument of liberalisation versus intercession has been rekindled. The major country of concentration is if these developing states ( Ghana and Nigeria ) with progressive markets have benefitted from recent liberalisation attempts in the structural accommodation programme.
Fiscal liberalisation is normally an of import constituent of a state 's scheme for economic growing. In an old manner manner, fiscal liberalisation, has come to be most universally linked with liberation of involvement rates, but now fiscal liberalisation is seen as a procedure affecting a much broader set of steps geared toward the riddance of assorted limitations on the fiscal sector, such as the remotion of portfolio limitations on the banking sector, the reform of the external sector, every bit good as alterations in the institutional model of pecuniary policy.
A key stylised fact about fiscal systems in developing states is that they are dominated by commercial Bankss ( Fry, I995, pp. 4-5 ; Rojas-Suairez and Weisbrod, I995, pp. 4 ) Ghana and Nigeria 's fiscal system consists of a big disconnected informal sector and formal sector. The formal sector is made up of cardinal bank ( Bank of Ghana and Central Bank of Nigeria ) at the vertex, with 42 commercial Bankss for both states ; Nigeria ( 26 ) and Ghana ( 16 ) , development Bankss ( Nigeria, ( 5 ) , Ghana ( 3 ) , and merchant Bankss ( 30 ) Nigeria ) , ( Ghana, ( 10 ) , insurance companies, stock exchange, constructing society, community Bankss. The construction of Nigeria 's fiscal system will be explained below:
Regulative Governments: they regulate the Nigerian fiscal system, and they include Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) , the Federal Ministry of Finance ( FMF ) , Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria ( FMBN Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation ( NDIC ) , Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) , ) , and the National Board for Community Banks ( NBCB, National Insurance Commission ( NIC ) . These regulative governments will be explained in item below.
1. Federal Ministry of Finance: the function of this regulative authorization is to rede the Federal Government on its financial operation and do certain it follows whatever the cardinal bank of Nigeria says refering the pecuniary affairs of the state.
The function of the is to supply banking and advisory services, and besides to set about research activities refering to lodging. After the acceptance of the National Housing Policy in 1990, The FMBN is empowered to license and command chief mortgage establishments in Nigeria and act as the peak regulative organic structure for the mortgage finance industry.
3. The cardinal bank of Nigeria
The cardinal bank of Nigeria has the same duties as the bank of Ghana. It was established by the cardinal bank of Nigeria act of 1958 and commenced operation on July 1, 1959. Their major regulative aim is to publish legal stamp to the economic system, banker of last resort, fiscal advisor to the authorities, promote pecuniary stableness and a sound fiscal environment which will be of benefit to the state in the short and long tally. the cardinal bank of Nigeria 's success is partly due to the rise in rough oil monetary values. The application of capitalisation has given more power to the banking sector against an anterior failure by the cardinal bank to command the autumn of many Bankss in the early 1990s. By 1990, the liberalising docket of an adoptive Structural Adjustment Programme ( SAP ) , led to increase in the banking sector.
4. The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation: Its function is to complement the supervisory and regulative function of cardinal bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) . It has the right to analyze the books and personal businesss of the insured Bankss in Nigeria and other sedimentation taking fiscal establishments.
Nigeria 's economic system has ever been dependent on oil monetary values since the early 1960 's. As a consequence of the prostration of universe oil monetary values and the decrease in the production of crude oil in the early 1980 's, the nature of the state 's economic and fiscal place became really weak and vulnerable. This led to recession and economic impairment. The economic system was characterised by deficits in it 's foreign exchange, debt crises, negative economic growing and high rates of unemployment, Indeed, get downing from 1982, and through 1984, the state had become saddled with negative tendencies in economic growing as indicated by the diminution in the gross domestic merchandise ( GDP ) ( 0.35 % in 1982 ; -5.37 % in 1983 ; and -5.18 % in 1984 ) , relentless current history and budget shortages, a immense backlog of incomplete undertakings, particularly in the populace sector, mill closings, large-scale retrenchment, acute deficits of indispensable trade goods and galloping rising prices, ( Odusola,2001, p4 ) . The authorities decided to transport out some short tally stabilisation steps, one of which was to surrogate employment through the creative activity of public sector occupations, this exerted more force per unit area on the budget, non defying that, public sector employment grew by a farther 18 per cent between 1981and 1984. This policy promoted migration into metropoliss, as the additions in authorities wages during this period compared to that of the rural countries was more favorably. Urban migration and its attendant unemployment jobs became even more marked in 1981 when the Government increased the minimal pay rate to the entry degree wage of public sector employees. Urban unemployment increased significantly, from 2A? per cent in 1980 to 10 per cent in 1985, while rural unemployment rose from 4 per cent to 6 per cent over the same period. Real per capital income fell significantly every bit good, from US $ 1,010 in 1981 to US $ 850 in 1985 ( Odusola, 2001, Pp4 ) . Nigeria fiscal sector was characterised by stiff exchange and involvement rate controls, sartorial allotment of bank recognition ( Okpara, 2010, P54 ) , the naira was overvalued, all of which made the economic system more open to hazard of default and practically led to deformations that resulted into low direct investing, which in bend led to fiscal repression. it will be discussed more in-depth below. Fiscal repression discouraged investing in information capital ; it besides discouraged nest eggs mobilisation, in the sense that it was non smartly pursued. The fiscal system incurred a batch of cost in fiscal intermediation, and it was as a consequence of inactive liquidness and liability direction and inducements to increase efficiency. Not merely was Nigeria the lone state traveling through this job of fiscal repression, much of the 20th century saw intensified fiscal repression ( Caprio et al, 2001 p5 ) , for illustration, Ecuador, Uruguay, Mexico, Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania etc, all had the job of fiscal repression in their economic system. As a consequence of the fiscal repression in the economic system, the authorities decided to follow a fiscal sector reform to assist increase the states economic system. The programme they adopted was called Structural accommodation programme ( SAP ) .
The Ghanese economic system besides went through the same jobs as the Nigerian economic system during
the early 1980 's. They had similar jobs as the Nigerian economic system ; which include, high default rates, high rates of rising prices, weakened assurance in the fiscal system. These affected the ability of the Bankss to execute their intermediation map decently ( Acquaye and Sowa, 1999, p395 ) . The major aims of this SAP were, among others, to:
Reorganize and spread out the productive base of the economic system so as to cut down dependence on the oil sector and imports ;
Revitalize the fiscal sector by making new establishments
Achieve financial and balance of payments viability over the average term.
Promote non-inflationary economic growing.
The cardinal policies designed to accomplish these nonsubjective were:
The liberalisation of the external trade and payments system-dismantling of monetary value,
trade and exchange controls ;
Execution of methods to promote domestic production and spread out the supply base of the economic system ;
The puting up of a Second-Tier Foreign Exchange Market ( SFEM ) as a mechanism of
realistic exchange rate.
The rationalisation and restructuring of public sector endeavors and overhauling of
the populace sector administrative construction.
Support of of import and strong demand direction policies ;
More rationalization and restructuring of duties in order to help industrial variegation ;
The riddance of monetary value controls and trade good boards ;
The key reforms that have already been implemented as portion of the fiscal liberalisation policies include ;
Changing of the construct of a recognition ceiling with OMO ( Open market operation )
Promoting competition and efficiency in the fiscal system
Liberalizing involvement rate, exchange rate, but in general the fiscal sector.
The fiscal sector reforms were thrown into crisis by the sequencing of reform steps and the deficiency of the necessary requirements for liberalisation. In peculiar, sweeping deregulating of involvement rates and market-entry demands in the early old ages aggravated the instability of the fiscal system. A series of disciplinary steps had to be adopted, raising inquiries of policy credibleness ( Aiyeetey et al, 1997, P196 ) .
THE STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT PROGRAMME: Theoretical BASIS
Virtually every bomber Saharan African state including Nigeria and Ghana experienced major alterations in the overall way of the national economic policy in the early 1980 's. These policy reforms were implemented as an built-in portion of the structural accommodation programmes ( SAP ) prescribed by the World Bank and the stabilisation programme of the international pecuniary fund ( IMF ) ( Olasupo, 2005, p 7 ) . The structural accommodation programme had a batch of aims, but the major aim of this reform programme was to rectify the alleged deformations which made sustained economic growing and recovery in the economic systems hard. Notwithstanding the general determination of the states to set about the accommodation programme, there has since the start of the 1990 decennary, been broad runing statement environing the theoretical paradigm underlying the SAP and their suitableness to African states. The first which is the unanswered orthodoxy ; it emphasizes how good the adjustors have done in comparing to non adjustors. Harmonizing to this position, the government of restricted inward looking policies resulted in over protected industrial construction, balance of payment jobs ( Olasupo 2005, p10 ) . They besides contend that development jobs will be solved by more adjustment non less, with this they concluded that sub- Saharan African states experienced hapless macroeconomic growing and public presentation relation to their South East Asian opposite numbers, because economic systems in the former were exposed to long term authorities intercession and restrictive macroeconomic and sectorial constabularies. The modified orthodoxy sees adjustment programmes in an economic system as a necessary but non sufficient status for development, because accommodation is merely capable of stabilising economic systems in the short term. This orthodoxy believes that other steps must be put in topographic point for African development to happen in the medium and long term. A strong advocate of this attack puts it, " … the most important defect of current structural accommodation plans is the deficiency of logical linkage between the short-run aims of achieving balance-of-payments equilibrium and bettering allocative efficiency and the long-run aim of sustainable development… " Nguyuru Lipumba, ( p. 9 )
Fiscal liberalisation is the procedure of interrupting off from a province of fiscal repression. Financial repression has been most normally associated with authorities repair of involvement rates and its inauspicious effects on the fiscal sector every bit good as on the economic system.
The term fiscal repression was originally coined by economic experts interested in less developed states ( LDCs ) Gupta, 2004, Pp2. It originated in the plants of Ronald I. McKinnon and Edward S. Shaw in the early 1970s, to depict a underdeveloped state 's environment, specifying it as the set of authorities legal limitations forestalling the fiscal mediators in the economic system from working at their full capacity degree. The most common signifiers that this intercession takes are involvement rate ordinances, directed recognition strategies, and high modesty ratios. The literature on fiscal repression emphasiss that because nest eggs degrees are sensitive to existent involvement rate, nominal involvement rate controls ; cumulative rising prices reduces the sum of the national income.
The benefits of fiscal repression, as opposed to fiscal liberalisation, are debated on several points. In theory, it is believed that fiscal repression creates a better control over money supply and a lower involvement rate which can bring on a higher investing. Another statement in favor of fiscal repression is that authorities controlled vigorish controls on fiscal markets are needed, particularly for capital scarce economic systems of developing states.
In pattern, fiscal repression appears to hold yielded authorities gross in the order of 2 % of GDP on norm in samples of developing states ( Giovannini and de Melo, I 993 ; Fry et Al. I 996, p. 36 ) .
The chief strong belief of the advocators for fiscal repression is that the authorities knows better than the market. The repression mechanism works through the involvement rate and the exchange rates. Therefore traveling from fiscal repression to fiscal liberalisation would necessitate excess budgetary steps and could make budgetary jobs, Like in the instance of Nigeria in the early 1980 's when the authorities seeked to cut down unemployment in the urban countries and the result of this determination exerted more force per unit area on the budget.
Fiscal liberalisation may increase the financial shortage and the cost to finance, as the authorities loses grosss and is forced to pay more market-based involvement rates on its bing debt.
On the other manus, the most telling statement which favours fiscal liberalisation is the increasing growing consequence by exciting nest eggs and investing. Associating growing with nest eggs and investing has a figure of favoured statements. Financial liberalisation may increase the degree of nest eggs and better the allotment of nest eggs among possible investors. This may make more available financess to finance technological developments and therefore lead to higher economic growing. Financial liberalisation may diminish the cost of capital, but on the other manus, the effects of international bad capital. Motions which cause the crises and macroeconomic instability may hold a negative impact on economic growing. This argument highlights the demand for farther sound empirical grounds on the benefits of fiscal liberalisation on economic growing, particularly for little unfastened economic systems of developing states.
The advocators of fiscal liberalisation make non seek to bring on nest eggs, but to advance and increase the volume and efficiency of capital formation. While fiscal reform can impact salvaging through assorted possible channels, on the whole its net consequence is equivocal. ( Schmidt- Hebbel and Serven,2002, p2 ) . Furthermore salvaging is frequently considered good for its fiscal dimensions. In unfastened economic systems, raising national economy is a manner to cut down the dependance on foreign economy, protecting the economic system from external dazes. This is an of import policy concern in a universe of increasing fiscal integrating. Together with a strong and well-capitalized fiscal system, salvaging represents a signifier of self -insurance to cut down the economic system 's exposure to unexpected reversals of international capital flows. In this mode, salvaging can assist cut down macroeconomic volatility, which through empirical observation has been shown to halter growing ( Ramey and Ramey 1995 ; Fatas 2000 ) .
Assorted research workers have shown some empirical grounds that although fiscal liberalisation consequences in higher involvement rate and fiscal deepening, it does non truly take to higher nest eggs. In bulk of states, fiscal reforms are followed by diminutions in nest eggs ( Okereke,2009 ) .
Bandiera et Al ( 2000 ) estimated an econometric relationship Showing the private economy ratio as a map of the existent involvement rate and grade of openness as an index for fiscal liberalisation, along with income, rising prices and public nest eggs. analyse the experience of eight states that underwent important reforms in their fiscal systems, viz. Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Turkey and Zimbabwe. Foe this states they measured the consequence of liberalisation on the volume of aggregative nest eggs, their consequences
Their consequences do non supply a clear reply on the impact of reforms on salvaging, as
the consequence appears significantly negative in some instances ( Korea and Mexico ) , positive in
some others ( Greece and Turkey ) and undistinguished in the Indonesia, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, and Ghana. In a survey similar to theirs i.e. ( Bandiera et al ) , Loayza and Shanka ( 2000 ) , used India as their state of observation, and the nest eggs rate from India and found out that fiscal reform has non changed the nest eggs rate, but moved the composing of nest eggs in India towards a higher portion of lasting goods.
Ostry and levey ( 1995 ) , in their findings maintained that fiscal development as a consequence of liberalisation reduced nest eggs. Bennett et Al ( 2001 ) , in their work, besides found a negative important consequence on nest eggs.
Consequences OF FINANCIAL LIBERALIZATION
Policies that make an economic system unfastened to the remainder of the universe and they are needed for sustained economic growing. No state has achieved economic success, in footings of significant additions in life criterions for its people, without being unfastened to rest of the universe. Trade gap has been an of import component in the economic success of East Asia, where the mean import duty has fallen from 30 per centum to 10 % over the past 20 old ages.
Opening up economic systems to planetary economic system has been indispensable in enabling many developing states to develop competitory advantages in different sectors of their economic system. Countries that have opened their economic systems in recent old ages, foe illustration India in 1991, have experienced faster growing rate and more poorness decrease, a cogent evidence is that following the economic reforms, the state began to develop a fast paced economic growing. India is the 11th largest economic system in the universe
There are some negative effects experienced by states or the universe in general in footings of their reform policies that has outweighs the benefits of such reforms, this statement can be applied to the effects of fiscal liberalisation despite its benefits in footings of entree to more capital influxs. Financial liberalisation creates exposure to assorted sorts of hazard and they include ; a leaning to take to fiscal internal and external fiscal crises, unequal entree to financess for little graduated table manufacturers etc.
Many research workers have carried out empirical surveies on fiscal liberalisation on fiscal breakability of the economic system, and their decision is that liberalisation increases the breakability of the fiscal system. Harmonizing to ( Demirguc-kunt & A ; detragiache ) , one of the ground why fiscal liberalisation may take to increased fiscal sector breakability is that the remotion of involvement rate ceilings and besides the decrease of barriers to entry reduces bark franchise values, therefore worsening moral jeopardies jobs. The moral jeopardies job is a particular instance of information dissymmetry, a state of affairs in which one party in a dealing has more information than another. Normally Bankss try to protect their franchise, and the hazard of losing their franchise, but during a period of policy reform such as fiscal liberalisation, where there is free entry in to the market or fiscal sector, so as a consequence of that there is more competition, this erodes franchise values. If the attempt of reform does non integrate equal strengthening of the prudential ordinances and supervising to realine inducements, lower franchise values are likely to take to increased breakability ( Stiglitz et al ( 2001 )
Tornell et Al ( 2003 ) , in their surveies, they said that fiscal liberalisation is bad for growing because it leads to crises. Their empirical analysis shows that in states with rough recognition market imperfectnesss, fiscal liberalisation leads to a more rapid growing but besides a more higher incidence of crises. They besides argued that liberalisation leads to faster growing because it eases fiscal restraints, but on one status that this occurs if agents which are the authorities, investors and creditors take on recognition hazard which makes the economic system fragile and prone to crisis.


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New Zealand Alpine Club – Join Us Today – Video
New Zealand Alpine Club premiered our new promotional video at our New Zealand screenings of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. If you weren't able to make it to Banff you can check out the new video below!
Big thanks to our members who submitted their footage for use. Members getting out and pursuing their love of climbing and adventure is the heart of the club.
Join us today to take advantage of the great member benefits and to support the club with the pursuit of protecting the interests and safety of climbers, trampers, mountaineers and skiers.
A HUGE thank you to Resonate for doing such a great job of putting this video together for us!
NZAC – Join Us Today! from New Zealand Alpine Club on Vimeo.
Posted: 21/06/18
Posted By: Ashlee

subset: commoncrawl


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Robert Menard is the mayor of the city of Beziers in France, and when it comes to shoving a cork in the mouth of political correctness, this man knows his business and knows it well.
A French court recently demanded that Menard remove a Nativity scene from city hall, attempting to push their PC garbage down the throat of the citizens of Beziers and its mayor.
Menard, however, is refusing to comply with such an order, stating "we will never yield on our culture!"
You can imagine how that went down.
via Truth Revolt:
Breitbart reports that the controversy surrounding the nativity scene began in 2014 shortly after Ménard had been elected mayor of the city. This sparked complaints that the creche violated strict secularization laws in France, and so the administrative court of appeal of Marseille judged that the 2014 nativity did not belong in city hall.
Nonetheless, Ménard went on to put up nativity scenes in 2015 and 2016 as well, and plans to have one this year, too.
Breitbart notes that "A judgement from 2016 stated that nativity scenes were allowed in public buildings if 'special circumstances show that the installation is of a cultural, artistic or festive nature.' Since 2015, the nativity has been accompanied by a large Christmas tree as well as a letterbox for children to post letters to Father Christmas."
On Twitter, Ménard commented on the court's decision: "They will try to ban our #crèche of 2017, 2018 and up to 2030. We will never yield on our culture!"
Ils pourront tenter d'interdire notre #crèche de 2017, de 2018 ou celle de 2030. On ne cédera jamais sur notre culture !#Béziers
— Robert Ménard (@RobertMenardFR) November 10, 2017
Ménard also wrote a column for his former magazine Boulevard Voltaire in which he said, "I am respectful of secularism, but an open, tolerant secularism that does not consist in chasing down what we are and denying our history."
Menard is no stranger to controversy. Just this year he was fined 2,000 euros because he happened to mention there were demographic changes happening in French schools, noting that a class in his town was now 91 percent Muslim. He then mentioned this was a problem and there are limits to tolerance.
It seems like Menard might be the Donald Trump of France, as the man doesn't have a filter and doesn't at all seem sorry for speaking his mind. Nor should he.
Liberals seem to be all about preserving other people's cultures, so long as those individuals aren't white and Christian. Which seems awfully intolerant, doesn't it?
I mean, if you're tolerant and claim to love all cultures, why would you so passionately attempt to remove Christianity from the public sphere and not Islam?
It's a pretty sickening double standard, wouldn't you agree?


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Academic Integrity at Concordia University
A college degree prepares people to serve as professionals in society. All professions expect that their members conduct their work with integrity and character, for their work affects the whole fiber and strength of the society. As part of Concordia's goal to prepare students to be leaders for the transformation of society, students are expected to pursue their studies with integrity and character. By choosing to attend Concordia, students agree to the following statements and practices.
The Code of Academic Integrity at Concordia University Online reflects the community's values of honesty and integrity in the work of all scholars and students. Students are charged to honestly complete and present their work under the terms specified by the instructor. As a Christian community, the covenant of trust pledged among community members is honored, and the values expressed in Philippians 4:8-9 are modeled:
"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you."
Statement of Academic Integrity
As a member of the Concordia University community, I will neither engage in fraudulent or unauthorized behaviors in the presentation and completion of my work, nor will I provide unauthorized assistance to others.
What is plagiarism?
"The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own" (Oxford Dictionary of English)
This includes using your classmates' words and ideas without crediting them!
You can avoid plagiarism by:
Need help? Ask your friendly librarian!


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By Michela Tavolieri on February 6, 2019
I recently attended the Assistive Technology Industry Association exhibit hall in Orlando, Florida. The products presented were designed to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities. There were many companies with technology for the visually impaired and blind, and a few were, in my opinion, game changers for education.
- EZ-form by American Thermoform - reproduces Braille text and create tactile graphics. Safe and easy to use, the machine makes permanent and inexpensive raised line drawings. The machine uses swell paper, which is printed with a an image on a regular ink jet printer. The paper is then fed into the EZ-Form and produces a raised lined image when the lines of the image swell. I personally made an image of a lady bug, and was absolutely blown away by its accuracy and implications for the classroom.
- Inside ONE by insidevision - The only Braille tablet running Windows 10 allowing access to all kinds of digital content. It uses tactile braille keys on the screen over a clear overlay, with a refreshable braille display attached. I have tried a similar product and was impressed with the simplicity and ease of this tablet. I currently use a braille display and iPad with my Braille students. I have not found, until this product, one that allows both the teacher and student joint management of the task.
- DCMP.org - Described and captioned media program hosts an on demand collection of over 6,000 educational titles that are captioned and described. Parents, teachers and service providers for students that are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired can sign up for a free account. There is a specific category of Blindness which had videos on a varied of topics dealing with the world of blindness. The videos can be viewed through streaming or on DVD.
- Code Jumper by APH -Developed by Microsoft and distributed by APH. Code Jumper technology bridges the gap and opens up the world of coding to all students, regardless of visual ability. This amazing product will be available on quota funds in March.
These products, along with many others at the ATIA exhibit hall, are changing the way we teach the visually impaired, and definitely the way they are able to access the world.


text: It's Not Merry Christmas Without The CocktailsBy Neal Dewing December 23, 2014Merry Christmas! As Bethany Mandel noted here in the Federalist the other day, it is indeed Christmas time. It's no good pretending otherwise. Whether you're trying to Scroogishly ignore the holiday, or Frankenstein it into some kind of trite "Winter Festival," I'm here to tell you not to bother. You will fail. Christmas is irrepressible. Embrace the reality that Christmas is its own marvelous thing, and it's going to stay that way.This is not to say you should go around preaching sermons at people who don't seem to get it. If you are one of those who actively try to ruin someone's Christmas, whether by humbugging or God-bothering, be warned: The only gift you'll get from this drinks writer is a taste o' the back o' me hand.Kidding aside, as another year comes to a close I want to take the time to thank you for reading—not just these drink reviews, but for your support of all the writers at the Federalist. We've had a heck of a year, and I don't think I'd be speaking out of turn to say we're glad you're along for the ride.Wherever you find yourself this year, I hope you and your loved ones have a safe, happy, and peaceful Christmas.Now, let's hit the booze. I put out the call a few weeks ago for readers to send in their favorite Christmas cocktails, and you didn't disappoint. I'm happy to share two very tasty recipes from the generous souls of the Internet, and one traditional mix. I'd like to thank everyone who shared his or her favorites with me. I wish I could have included them all. Thankfully, it'll be Christmas again next year!Read more: http://thefederalist.com/2014/12/23/its-...-the-cocktails/


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What kind of insurance policy is right for you and your car? See which is the best and what factors affect the cost
Whether you're a first-time car owner, or have been on the road for years, making sure you have the right insurance policy for your car could save you big time
DRIVING without insurance is illegal on the UK roads no matter what your circumstances.
And even if you aren't a first-time car buyer, insuring your vehicle can sometimes be confusing, and often leave you paying more than you need to.
We have broken down the different features of the insurance process to help you understand everything you need to know when it comes to being covered when behind the wheel.
What are the basic requirements?
For all drivers, third-party insurance is the minimum level of cover you must have before getting out on the road.
This is because it covers the property of other road users, so they aren't disadvantaged if you cause an accident and can't pay for the damage.
If you are involved in an accident that is deemed to be your fault, third-party insurance covers the cost of repairing the other person's car, as well as any medical expenses they might incur.
This type of cover does NOT cover you or your own vehicle.
Do I need fire and theft cover?
Third-party, fire and theft insurance gives you slightly more cover, but still isn't as safe as having comprehensive insurance.
Policies in this bracket will allow you to make claims if you car is stolen, damaged in an attempted theft, or suffers fire damage, on top of the regular third-party claims.
If you aren't sure whether third-party or fire and theft cover is sufficient for your vehicle, consider its value and the potential cost involved in having it repaired or replaced.
Generally, if your motor is an older, inexpensive model that isn't likely to fetch more than around £1,000 in resale, third-party is probably all the cover you need.
But if you own a newer, more expensive model of car, paying for comprehensive insurance is more than likely going to be cheaper than shelling out for new parts out of your own pocket.
Why should I bother with comprehensive insurance?
Fully comp cover, or comprehensive car insurance, gives you one of the highest levels of protection while out on the road.
While it covers you for any damage to other drivers and their property, fully comp insurance means you and your own car are always protected.
Even if an accident is deemed to be your fault, if you have comprehensive cover, the insurer will pay for your medical bills, as well as repair costs for your car.
A quirk of the industry also means fully comp policies are often cheaper than third party deals.
What about optional extras?
Despite claiming to be "fully comprehensive", that type of insurance often does not include absolutely everything you could be charged for in the event of an accident.
Depending on your insurer, you may need to add optional extras to your policy to cover you completely.
The most common extras are:
- Courtesy car - some insurers may charge more to provide you with a hire car while your own is being repaired.
- Breakdown - usually with a fee attached, some providers will throw it in to sweeten the deal
- Legal expenses - legal expenses are rarely standard inclusions. They prevent you from paying large sums if an accident finds you in court trying to recover repair costs.
- Personal injury - while comprehensive insurance already covers injury to yourself, it is capped at a certain amount. You can increase the expense you are covered for in case of extensive medical bills.
CRASH COURSE The car insurance trick that can slash your premium by nearly HALF and five other ways to get the best deal
How do I get a no-claims bonus?
One way you can reduce the cost of your car insurance premium is by using your no-claims bonus (NCB).
A NCB counts the number of years you have been an active driver, and haven't made a claim on your insurance policy.
Insurers will use this record to calculate a discount, or bonus, which will be deducted from your premium.
A driver with a large NCB generally suggests they are a safe driver, which makes insurers more inclined to give them a cheaper policy.
For new drivers, you will have to build up your own NCB bonus by going a number of years continuously without making a claim.
In some cases, insurers may offer a protected NCB, which allows drivers to make a certain number of claims without their discount being affected.
What factors can affect how much I pay?
Insurers take a number of different factors into account when calculating your policy.
Quite often, two people of different age or gender trying to insure the exact same car will be given totally different prices from the same insurer.
This is because there are factors other than the car you drive that determine the amount an insurance company will need you to pay.
The most common factors that can affect cost are:
- Age - This is usually based on accident statistics, with younger drivers deemed "riskier", seeing them pay more for their insurance.
- Location - Depending on where you live, accidents may be more or less common in your area. Living in a highly populated region is likely to bump up your premium.
- Gender - Just like age, this is based on statistics. Men are involved in more accidents globally than women, making them more expensive to insure.
- Claims history - In the same way a NCB can see your policy discounted, a driver with a high number of claims could be charged more by their insurer.
- Previous convictions - If you have previously been found guilty of a driving offence, you are deemed more of a risk to an insurer, and will have to pay out more to be covered.
- Predicted mileage - The more time you spend on the road, the more chance you have of being involved in an accident, which means you'll pay more. Insurers may also take your occupation into account if it means you spend longer in your car.
Can I drive abroad with my policy?
If you wish to drive your car outside of the UK, you need to check your policy covers you for international driving before you go overseas.
In most cases, your insurer will extend your policy to cover you in Europe if you aren't already, however this will generally just be the most basic third-party insurance, regardless of your policy type in the UK.
If your insurer won't extend your fully comp policy for free, you are normally able to pay for an optional extra which gives you cover in Europe.


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Note: Mercenary Mondays is an going series of posts about the Schlock Mercenary Roleplaying Game and it's behind the scenes development!
A good story, in any form, can live or die on it's characters. Strong characters can often drive a story past any of it's faults, flaws or shortcomings. Weak characters, expose those same issues to the reader.
As the imitable Joss Whedon said: "You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are." And really, that is the core of any good story, and as we all know (or I assume you do since you are reading this blog), roleplaying games are all about the stories. And that's really something we wanted to convey with the Schlock Mercenary RPG. Space Opera can live or die on it's grand scale, and it's driven by the choices and decisions of their characters. A good character in an RPG can be a joy to play. You really attach, tell stories years later, and really empathize with that character you created.
I know for myself, if I really like a character, you know, because I'll buy new dice, stick the sheet in a sheet protector, and ensure that particular character never gets lost.
With a roleplaying game, the first choices you make as a player are about your character, and we wanted to drive the Schlock RPG to show that. There are really a few ways we can set about it.
The first set of choices are class driven. Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) really sets up your class to define your characters, and any extra bits you want to add it are the rules. They've tried to modify this over the years, with the introduction of background feats, traits, etc. Pathfinder has done similar.
The second set is really how The Dresden RPG does it. A series of questions that define your character, and by answering them, you generate your stats and abilities.
Lots of systems meld the two ideas. Legend of the Five Rings has a 20 questions you answer, and then your family, clan and school of training all generate your stats and abilities for you. World of Darkness uses a vice/virtue system to help define how your character reacts, but your background is mostly left to you. Traveller takes the other extreme and has your background generated for you as you make the character, ending with the possibility that you could die during character generation.
So how does the Schlock RPG plan on sending you on your journey across the stars!? We got a couple ideas and I'll let you in on the current way we're handling it. Obviously this is all in beta, and subject to change.
You select a Sophont template. This gives you some stat modifiers/skill adjustments. These changes reflect the inherent abilities of your "race". You then use our character creation method to generate your stats.
After that, you answer 10 questions about your characters past. These questions have answers that send to a ranked list of possible background selections. The background you select gives you some flat skill bonuses. These skills represent what you've learned throughout your life.
Second you'd pick your "command package." This defines your role within the ships hierarchy and gives you yet more skill bonuses to represent your training in the mercenary charter.
After all that, you get free skill points to modify your skills with. These final points reflect your characters chosen areas of study and expertise.
All in all, this should really give you a feel for how your character came to be.
Looking at the spread there, it seems pretty complicated, but in practice it's actually really quick and simple. Our goal was to have your character be generated in under 20 minutes and provide a list of options.
After all that, we have a list of questions that pose situations to your character. You answer them, and in doing so, attempt to determine how your character would react to specifics, and to breathe a little bit of life into your character.
Equipment and all that falls later into the process, and we'll get into that latet with the next topic! After that, next step is your mercenary charter creation. That's a topic for another post!
Thoughts? Suggestions? As usual, sound off below!
As a teaser, here is the current list of Sophonts, background and command packages:
Sophont Templates:
Uplifted Gorllias
Background Packages:
Military (Grunt)
Military (Officer)
Medical Professional
Command Packages:
Quartermaster/Munitions Officer
Legal Counsel


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Medical College of Wisconsin receives $5.5 million grant to study Alzheimer's disease
The long-term goal of this study is to develop technology to accurately stage Alzheimer's disease as it progresses in an individual.
Milwaukee, Wis. – The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), has received a four-year, $5.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute on Aging to study Alzheimer's disease. The study, called the Alzheimer's Disease Connectome Project, will use the Human Connectome Project approach, which is aimed at constructing a map of the neural connections within and across individuals, to perform brain imaging on 300 elderly individuals. This will be done in an effort to understand how communications between different areas of the brain change as a result of normal aging and of Alzheimer's disease.
Shi-Jiang Li, PhD, professor of biophysics, and psychiatry and behavioral medicine, and director of the Center for Imaging Research at MCW, and Barbara Bendlin, PhD, associate professor of medicine at UW-Madison's School of Medicine and Public Health, are the co-principal investigators of this project.
The long-term goal of this study is to develop technology to accurately stage Alzheimer's disease as it progresses in an individual. Significant irreversible brain damage is already present by the time clinical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease appear. Integrating Human Connectome Project biological markers with molecular, genetic and cognitive biological markers will enable researchers to establish a link between the appearance of any specific biological marker in individuals without symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and the appearance of clinical symptoms over time. The success of the project will open a window of opportunity to intervene with disease-modifying therapy.
"Our study represents a critical step toward the development of personalized medicine for use in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease," says Dr. Li. "We will be using integrated cutting-edge functional MRI technologies developed, in part, by professors, scientists and graduate students right here in the Department of Biophysics and in other MCW departments, over the past 25 years. We're looking forward to working closely with our collaborators at UW-Madison, as they have extensive clinical and imaging expertise. This is an exciting opportunity to advance Alzheimer's disease research to the next level."
Dr. Bendlin agrees, saying, "We're excited to carry out this study in Wisconsin. The project will be facilitated by the incredible resources at MCW and the UW-Madison, including technology that will allow us to image the development of plaques and tangles in the brain, features which characterize Alzheimer's disease. We are also fortunate to have the support of the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and the opportunity to work with our tremendous group of dedicated center participants in this ground- breaking study."
Co-investigators include Piero Antuono, MD; Malgorzata Franczak, MD; Joseph Goveas, MD; Andrew Nencka, PhD; and Yang Wang, MD, PhD, from MCW, and Vivek Prabhakaran, MD, PhD (site co-PI); Andrew Alexander, PhD; Rasmus Birn, PhD; Cynthia Carlsson, MD; Bradley Christian, PhD; Dorothy Farrar-Edwards, PhD; Kirk Hogan, MD; Sterling Johnson, PhD; Ozioma Okonkwo, PhD; Howard Rowley, MD; and Vikas Singh, PhD, from UW-Madison. Other key contributors include Gang Chen, PhD; Guangyu Chen, PhD; Yu Liu, MS; and B. Douglas Ward, MS, from MCW, Sanjay Asthana, MD, Maritza Dowling, PhD, and Shahriar Salamat, MD, from UW-Madison.
About the Medical College of Wisconsin
The Medical College of Wisconsin is the state's only private medical school and health sciences graduate school. Founded in 1893, it is dedicated to leadership and excellence in education, patient care, research and community engagement. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in MCW's medical school and graduate school programs in Milwaukee, and 26 medical students are enrolled at MCW-Green Bay. A regional medical education campus is scheduled to open in Central Wisconsin in 2016. MCW's School of Pharmacy will open in 2017 or 2018 with an initial class size of 60 students. A major national research center, MCW is the largest research institution in the Milwaukee metro area and second largest in Wisconsin. In FY 2014-15, faculty received approximately $158 million in external support for research, teaching, training and related purposes, of which approximately $139 million is for research. This total includes highly competitive research and training awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Annually, MCW faculty direct or collaborate on more than 3,200 research studies, including clinical trials. Additionally, more than 1,500 physicians provide care in virtually every specialty of medicine for more than 525,000 patients annually.
About University of Wisconsin – Madison
The School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is recognized as an international, national and statewide leader in education, research and service. The SMPH is home to approximately 1,500 faculty in 10 basic science and 17 clinical departments, 650 medical students and 662 doctoral students enrolled in basic and applied science programs. In 2013, SMPH accounted for roughly one third of the university's $1.1 billion research expenditures. It is associated with the UW Health academic health system, which includes six hospitals and 80 outpatient clinics. UW Health's 1,400 physicians and 16,500 employees take care of 600,000 patients each year. The University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering is among the most innovative and consistently highly ranked U.S. colleges of engineering. Home to more than 40 research centers and more than 15 research consortia, the College is internationally renowned for leading-edge research and widely recognized for its ability to transfer technological advances into real-world applications through patents, licenses, spin-off and start-up companies, and industry partnerships. Through world-class undergraduate, graduate- and professional-level educational programs, the College enables students to develop as thoughtful, ethical leaders and to acquire the technical expertise they need to tackle complex global engineering challenges.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Medical College of Wisconsin
Novel CAR-T Cell Immunotherapy for Lymphoma Advances to Phase II Clinical TrialOct 5th, 2020 by Medical College of Wisconsin
Study Results Published, Result of Collaborative Effort Led by Medical College of Wisconsin Researchers


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Free 4K Holiday Video: Cozy Fire in a Fireplace
Download this free 4K stock video clip of a warm and cozy fire in a fireplace. The perfect way to warm up winter! (Shot in 4K on a RED Scarlet X)
Cost: Free
Duration: 27 seconds.
Resolution: 4K MP4 (3840x2160)
Frame rate: 29.97fps
File size: 218MB
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This means you can use our video clips any way you want, even commercially.


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250,000 Evacuated from China Floods
Floods along the China - North Korea border cause chaos in both countries, forcing hundreds of thousands to be evacuated. Video courtesy of Reuters.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... Monday around the Chinese border with North Korea has caused fields in both countries ... state media reported that in China's northeast Liaoning province ... of Cordoba median people have been forced to evacuate ... all across the board in North Korea to five thousand people have been evacuated from the city of seemly Jew ... the only river swelled with torrential rains since last Thursday cruise to its highest level in over a decade at the weekend ... for people to lay down forty four townships were flooded the border town of them don't ... all ... the joys of being safe amid the rescue effort ... some ... are even being created ... Judy was nine months pregnant when she was rescued from the clothing ... she was airlifted to hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy on Sunday ... hello blackouts and communications disruptions mean she hasn't been able to contact a family to tell them the good news ... the show was ... meanwhile the short to count the is the northern Gansu province Chinese Premier Wen Gahbauer visit in for a second time since heavy rains forced the devastating mudslide that killed at least fourteen hundred people ... he stressed the need to provide Russians medical care and shelter to those who have to voice ... their homes to be rebuilt or repaired by the end of the year ... torrential rain to clothing and related environmental dissolves does have killed the two thousand people across China this year ... Sleiman Hummer ... which is ...


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Colleen Kachmann
Health Coach, Plant-based cooking specialist
Colleen Kachmann is a health coach, writer, teacher, yogi, mother of 4 (+3 bonus stepkids), and personal chef. She has a B.S. in education from Indiana University, and a master of science in health coaching from International Health Coach University. She also successfully completed the Professional Training Program through the Women's Integrative Medicine Institute.
Her career began in the high school classroom, where she taught biology and chemistry. She took her passion for teaching to the wellness industry, earning certifications in personal training, group-exercise and as a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200). She now coaches clients with her unique lifestyle approach to holistic "self-health."
Colleen has always loved to cook. She "went vegan" in 2009, and has evolved into an off-label, plant-based whole foodie. Her recipes are free of meat and dairy, with minimal sugar and oil. She loves to design high-fiber and protein meals that taste as good as they look.
Follow Colleen on social media.
Get the book.
Join this funny, over-forty, mother of four as she shares her misadventures, maps the pitfalls of change and separates fact from fiction.
My Education
Before earning an MSc in health coaching, I graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (Shout out to IIN grads!) where I learned innovative coaching methods, practical lifestyle management techniques, and over 100 dietary theories – Ayurveda, gluten-free, Paleo, raw, vegan, macrobiotics, and everything in between.
I studied with the world's top health and wellness experts including:
Joshua Rosenthal, founder and director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Deepak Chopra, MD leader in the field of mind-body medicine
David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center
Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, chair of nutrition at Harvard University
Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine
Gabrielle Bernstein, bestselling author and life coach
Susan Blum, MD, MPH, assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mark Hyman, MD, founder of The UltraWellness Center
Geneen Roth, bestselling author and expert on emotional eating
David Wolfe, raw food leader and nutrition expert
Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, professor at New York University's Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health
Mark Bittman, food writer for The New York Times and bestselling author
Joel Fuhrman, MD, family physician and leading expert on nutritional healing
My education has equipped me with extensive, cutting-edge knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and prevention. Drawing on my expertise, I work with my clients to help make lifestyle changes that produce real and lasting results. You will develop a deeper understanding of food and lifestyle choices that improve your autonomy, energy and happiness.
Each session will leave you feeling inspired and motivated. We will talk about things beyond food, uncovering your own motivation to bring balance to important elements of your life such as love and relationships as well as career and money. I will personally and carefully guide you to make simple, small changes that transform your life.


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Charles Taylor Twin Angled Companion Set
- Overview
- Reviews
- Delivery
- Returns
The Charles Taylor angled companion set is a great addition to your garden giving you a comfortable and stylish place to rest in the sun.
Constructed from tough FSC approved timber and rustproof galvanized zinc bolting, this chair is built to last and will be great for any outdoor space.
A detachable tray connects the two chairs or lets you use each component individually giving this set a versatility for all occasions.
Simple self assembly is required with this set but full instructions are included.
Features and Benefits
- Stylish – Finished in a natural stain and with a rustic but contemporary feel, this set is great for almost any style of garden décor.
- Robust – Built with tough and durable materials, this set of furniture will be a long lasting addition to your outdoor space.
- FSC approved timber – The wood used in this set has been certified by the FSC as sourced from an environmentally responsible supply.
- Scandinavian Redwood
- Rustproof galvanised zinc bolting
- Oil-based preservative
- Assembly required
- Made in Britain
- Colour: Brown
- Guarantee: 12 months
- Height: 98cm
- Seat height from ground: 45cm
- Chair seat: W 51 x D 44cm
Delivery Information
This item comes flat packed but Charles Taylor's professional delivery team will build it upon arrival
Postcode Restrictions
Unfortunately delivery to the following postcodes is restricted:
BT, IV, KW, PO (Isle of Wight only, postcode PO located in Southern England is not restricted)
Vendor Direct Products:
This product is delivered for FREE by our approved supplier on a Standard Delivery Service.
Please be aware that we currently cannot arrange for delivery of this product to the following postcodes: AB, FK, HS, IV, KA, KW, PA, PH, ZE, LL58-LL78, IM, TR, BT, PO30-41.
In the UK you have a legal right, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations June 2014, to cancel your order within fourteen (14) days following your receipt of the goods. Refunds for orders cancelled under the provisions of the Consumer Contracts Regulations will be processed in accordance with your legal rights.
You may not cancel orders for the following types of products:
- Electrical/Technical products which have been unsealed
- Customised or bespoke Products
- Anything of a nature that for hygiene or associated health and safety - this includes the Outdoor Spas, Mattresses and Divan Sets
- Fresh food
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations June 2014 you have a duty to take reasonable care of Products whilst they are in your possession. You will receive a full refund of the purchase price of the Products.
This is not intended to be a full statement of your rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. Full details of your rights are available from your Local Authority's Trading Standards Office.
How To Return A Product
If you wish to return your item to Robert Dyas, you can do so by the following method:
1. Request a Collection via Robert Dyas Customer Services
Contact our Customer Services team on 0333 103 6677 (Monday- Friday 08:00 - 17:00, Saturday 09:00 - 17:00, Sunday - Closed - call charges may vary by network) or via email to: [email protected] who will be able to arrange a collection for your item with the supplier. Please ensure that you provide your order number when contacting customer services.
If you are returning the item under your 14 day right to cancel, then a collection charge will be applied:
- Products < 20kg: £7.50
- Products > 20kg: £30
If you are not at home when we try to collect we reserve the right to deduct from your refund or charge your credit card the direct costs to us of the failed return in accordance with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000.


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Our Services
Learn English through WhatsappHere we present before you some of the most effective ways to learn English. Jinas Thadayil, CEO of English House, a well-established Orator and a Communicative English Trainer presents before you Whatsapp English Learning Course provided by English House. He gives a description of how a person acquires a language and also the different levels of learning programs available in English House
Success Stories
Dedicated Tutors
Scheduled Events
How It Works?
Initially, each student will have to take a level test in order to have a general assessment of their Language proficiency. Based on the test results, they will be assigned to the concerned levels as per their language requirement.
The students are then let free to decide on whether to join or not. The students will be provided with demo classes to collect more information regarding the course syllabus and online classes. Once they have made the decision, they can proceed with the payment and start the classes as early as possible.
Once the classes begin, the students should make sure that they attend all the activities on a regular basis. The classes will be online via whatsapp and therefore the students can join the activities as per the convenience of the students. Their improvement and proficiency solely depends on their participation in the activities. Each student will be assigned with personal trainers and the activities will be focusing on speaking, listening and reading skills
Available CoursesWe don't train all students alike, we provide special attention and result oriented training after segregating them to any of these three batches based on the level of proficiency they have in the language
Basic Level
Basic Level or Level 1 is for people with little or no experience of the English language.
Intermediate Level
Intermediate level or Level 2 covers the following topics like English speaking, English pronunciation, English writing, English grammar rules and patterns
Advanced Level
Even the most experienced people often feel nervous to talk in English adrenaline actually. So, don't panic if you feel a few butterflies in your stomach.
Popular Online VideosWe believe in giving value to people without expecting anything back. You can watch our content packed videos here
The Best Tutors in TownInstead of spending huge money on advertising, we have invested in the quality of our service by hiring the best language experts and mentors. Get to know more about our main trainers here
Register NowNext batch starts in
What our Students have to say
Myself Ponny from Kochi. I joined for third level . Mitula was my trainer. She speaks English very fluently so when I speak with her I could improve my fluency . Moreover I got some new words & phrases from her . Thanks to English house and my trainer.
Ponny T Vasudevan
I am Rajeesh, a student of English House for the past few months. I have done my basic level and advance level course at English House. I received lot of benefits after joining English house. I am thankful to the whole English House members for giving me a trainer like Mis. Mithula. Mithula madam's training classes were very helpful for me and for the same reason I decided to join again for another month. She is always ready to clear my mistakes and doubts in English speaking. She always give attention on developing the vocabulary and accent of her students. As a student I am very happy and blessed for joining English house and for getting a trainer like Mithula. Advanced level classes will help you improve your fluency, pronunciation and style of speaking to a very great extend. I highly recommend English House to all those aspiring people out there who don't have time for offline classes.
Rajeesh Kumar
It's very effective. You can attend classes at any time. Excellent teachers and interesting activities.
Shiju Varghese P
I have joined the course nearly one week before. Every single class gave me more confidence. I really liked your class and the method of teaching really influenced me. The calling activity is so good. I must say after that I gained more confident than before. Thanks to English House
Helna Martha
Superb, This course is very effective for me. I am satisfied with the class. WhatsApp course is more effective than direct course, I will give 5 out of 5 in this course.
Joji Jiju Mangalathu
Every class gave me more confident to talk English. Now I can talk and it definitely increased my confident level. Amazing class. Thank you..
Krishna Ganesh Simi
I am very happy to say that , this is very useful for me and I think others also will help from this courses. Your method of teaching is very impressive. 3 months ago, I joined an other english training institute in Ernakulam, but I couldn't improve anything from that institute. So I decided to discontinue from that institute. After a month I noticed an advertisement in Facebook. Then I searched your fb page and watched some videos. After that I decided to join your online class. In the beginning, I was very confused about online class. How to attend, how to study. But now, I am very confident to say that I improved my language, because of your way of teaching and support. And I also thank your wonderful trainers . Their support and caring is very impressive. Once again I am very thankful to you and your team. Thank you so much. Stay blessed, may god bless you and your team.


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17 Crossfit Gyms In Malaysia
Have trouble finding a crossfit gym near you? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Crossfit gyms are adult playgrounds on steroids and we mean that in a good way. A space that doesn't discriminate gender, it is not uncommon to see a men and women alike performing several intense pull ups on the pull up bar, or lifting half their body weight in a weight lifting class during classes.
Originally designed to train those in the military and police force, crossfit has not taken the world by storm, and is quickly gaining momentum in Malaysia, with new crossfit gyms popping up throughout the country. And who can blame them? The high intensity all rounded exercise programme incorporates a mixture of gymnastics, kettlebell workouts, rowing, functional training, running and more, making it one of the few workouts that focuses on all of the key fitness dynamics required to achieve our optimum fitness – stamina, endurance, speed, flexibility, strength, etc.
Benefits of crossfit include:
1. Helping you prepare for any sport – whether you're a crossfit athlete, a runner, triathlete, boxer etc, crossfit training will help you get physically prepped and ready to take on any challenge
2. Keeps you from plateauing – constant changes in workout routines, means muscles are constantly working in new ways
3. Achieve fitness goals – whether you're looking to lose weight or build muscle. Crossfit has got you covered.
4. Strong sense of community – workout amongst a group of individuals who can inspire and motivate you to do better.
Not sure where to start? Here are 18 Crossfit-inspired and Crossfit affiliated gyms in Malaysia that you should check out.
1. Fuel Athletics
Fuel Athletics focuses on helping it's members master technique and form. The beginners session will have members learning basic weight techniques and workouts before they advance to Workouts of the Day Sessions. Beginner sessions are held twice a week. Other classes also include Fuel Prime (which incorporates a mixture gymnastics, squatting, weightlifting, kettlebell, rowing and more) , Fuel heat (strength, speed, endurance) weightlifting (Olympic Lifting), private classes and more.
Website : https://www.fuelathletics.com.my/
Fees: Starts from RM130
Location: Shah Alam & Damansara Heights (click for link)
2. District 13
Helmed as the largest crossfit gym in Petaling Jaya, District 13 warehouse based gym incorporates programmes suitable for individuals from all walks of life. As always new members must first enter their Foundation programme before advancing to Pacl training sessions or Primal Express (no weight sessions). All members are required to download the WODIFY app to track their progress. Private coaching classes are available
Website: http://district13.com.my/
Fees: Stars from RM150
Location: Bangunan TH, No. 5 Jalan Bersatu 13/4, 46200 Petaling Jaya.
3. Grit Nation
This subang based gym was founded by 9 friends with one thing in common – Their love for Crossfit. Their sessions include foundation series, Workouts of the DAy, Metcon series ( bodyweight/bootcamp style workouts), weightlifting and yoga sessions at their Bamboo studio
Website: http://www.gritnationsubang.com/
Fees: Starts from RM299, RM200 ( Metcon only)
Location: 31, Jalan PJS 11/18, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
4. Crossfit Pahlawan
Located in on the rooftop of Citta Mall, Ara Damansara, Pahlawan's ample space allows members enough room to catch up on WOD sessions and practice their technique. Like all crossfit gyms, Pahlawan offers foundations series for new members, however, their Crossfit Alpha programme is taylored for those with zero crossfit experience, no foundation classes required. Other sessions include Metcon series, body transformation, kids sessions and more. Pahlawan also offers Open gym sessions, a DIY time slot for those who wish to work on their form and technique at their own pace.
Website: http://www.crossfitpahlawan.com/
Fees: Starts from RM299
Location: R-05, 3rd Floor, Citta Mall, Jalan PJU 1A/48, PJU 1A, Ara Damansara, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
5. Crossfit Vidatha
Crossfit Vidatha features a close knit community of crossfitters where trainer and coach motivate each other towards achieving their individual personal goals. Vidatha aims on making fitness accessible for all and features programmes catered for those of every background, Crossfit Quick features 45 minute high intensity workout, suitable for those with busy schedules and Crossfit 55+ is catered for those 55 and above. Other classes include Foundation series, weightlifting, strength and conditioning and crossfit kids
Website: http://crossfitvidatha.com/
Fees: Starts from RM290
Location: A1-UG1-06, Solaris Dutamas, No 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
6. Pushmore
Pushomore is the pioneer strength and conditioning gym in Malaysia and South East Asia has been making waves since 2008, and they take crossfit seriously, with that said, newbies shouldn't be detered from joining Pushmore as their experience trainers will guide you through the foundation series before moving on to WOD and the art of weightlifting.
Website: http://www.pushmore.com.my/
Fees: RM1650 for 6 months
Location: B-GF-23-23A, Block B, Merchant Square, No. 1, Jln Tropicana Selatan 1, PJU 3,47410 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
7. Revelation Republic
Utilises crossfit techniques to help those wanting to get fit achieve their optimum physical condition according to your personal goals, be it to lose weight or to gain strength.
Website: revelationrepublic.com
Fees: Rates start from RM150
Location:35, Jalan SS 23/15, Taman Sea, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
8. Crossfit Lah
Conveniently located above a mechanics shop in Bangsar, Crossfit Lah and a short walk from Bangsar LRT, Classes offered include Crossfit Light which incorporates lighter weights and easier movements, suitable for beginners. Those who are more experienced can join the WOD sessions. In addition to that, CrossfitLah also offers yoga, private fundamentals training and special programmes.
Website: http://www.crossfitlah.com/
Fees: Rates start from RM225
Location: No 7 Jalan Tandok, Off Jalan Maarof, 59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur (Above Lim Tayar)
9. Crossfit GTX
KL's first boutique crossfit box is accesible for those located in the heart of KL, Members are allowed unlimited box access and work with the best quality equipment from Rogue Fitness. Newbies can attend the Foundation programmes every Saturday and those needing to put in extra work on their technique and form can partake in their open gym sessions. Members also receive access to the swimming pool.
Website: http://www.crossfitgtx.com/
Fees: Rates start from RM329
Location: Level 7, GTower, 199, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
10. Crossfit 399
Featured in our previous top 11 gyms to check out in KL, Crossfit399 features a no frills but close knit community of crossfitters based in the KL area. The gym focuses purely on offering the best functional training to its members through WOD workouts. Begginers classes are mandatory for newbies.
Website: https://www.crossfit399.com/
Fees: Rates start from RM240
Location: Lot G.08B-1, The Ampwalk,No. 218 Jalan Ampang,50450 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.
The first official Crossfit gym based in the northern state of Penang. The Underdogs Strength & Conditioning is the home of CrossFit 5833 (Crossfit) and The Underdogs Barbell Club (Olympic Weightlifting), provides strength & conditioning programs for everyone regardless of experience & fitness levels.
Website: http://www.theunderdogspenang.com/
Fees: Rates start at RM100 ( weekly sessions)
Location: Fortuna Park, 13, Jalan Perusahaan Jelutong 3, George Town, 11600 George Town, Pulau Pinang
12. Armadas / Elite Zone Crossfit
Armadas is the first affiliated crossfit gym in Johor bahru, passionate about bringing together johorean crossfitters.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/elitezonecrossfit/ ( website is not accessible at the moment)
Fees: Enquire via FB Page
Location: No 27, Jalan Utama 34, Taman Mutiara Rini,Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
13. Crossfit JB – RX Fitness
Crossfit JB are passionate about helping everyone achieve their fitness goals but be prepared for a little tough love as they monitor and guide you through building your personal machine – your body.
Website: https://www.crossfitjohorbahru.com/
Fees: Rates start from RM 230
Location: 9B Jalan Camar 1/3,Taman Perling,81200 Johor Bahru
14. Fit Criminals
The 1st functional training gym in Melaka, will keep help you stay motivated and driven via their passionalte trainers, unconventional training equipment and methods and the awesome sense of community.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/fitcriminals/
Fees: Enquire on FB messenger
Location: Ayer Keroh Sports Centre,No.126,Jalan Usaha 7,Kawasan Perindustrian Ayer Keroh,Melaka
15. Crossfit Kuching
Crossfit Kuching is the first and only Crossfit Affiliate gym in Sarawak. Started in 2013, Crossfit Kuching is bound to produce several crossfit athletes. It is currently open to members of all ages and backgrounds.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/CFKuching/
Fees: Enquire via FB page
Location: Sub Lot 26, Lot 188 Soho East, Jalan Wan Alwi, Kuching, Malaysia
16. Crossfit 1722
This tight knot group of passionate crossfitters are looking to grow the Sabahan fitness commnuity. Get ready for an intense workout session at this place, as one reviewer put it "guaranteed to sweat like mad after"
Website: https://www.facebook.com/crossfit1722/
Fees: Enquire on their FB page
Location: No.4-0, Lot 35, Block E, Ground Floor, Iramanis Centre, Kota Kinabalu
17. X45 Fitness
Created and designed to help members reach their fitness goals. Coaches are constantly monitoring your progress and make adjustments in order for members to reach their full fitness potential. Newcomers are required to attend their foundation series before advancing. It's not all serious at X45, the close knit community often orgasnises outdoor trips ie recovery by the pool or lifting a tanjung aru.
Did we miss out on your favourite gym? Just launched your own crossfit gym? Write to us and let us know!


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Discover the neighborhoods of Bellegra
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Agoda.com features accommodation options from all over town. From high end international chain hotels to family run guesthouses, demands of all travelers are met. Whether traveling for business or leisure, Bellegra is an outstanding city to visit with over 2 hotels to choose from. Many areas, each with a distinctive atmosphere, are just waiting to be discovered across the city. Bellegra has many attractions to explore with its fascinating past, intriguing present and exciting future. There are so many things to do, you may want to stay an extra week or so to experience them all. If you're looking for a room in Bellegra and don't want to pay too much, Agoda.com offers hundreds of fantastic deals which are updated daily.


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When you get a new vehicle, you must get a good deal on it so that you can save money and time. That's not easy if a salesman is breathing down your back. However, you can do this, but you have to figure out what to do first.
Before heading to the dealership, do some comparison shopping online. You really ought to set foot on a dealer's lot after you have made the determination regarding the vehicle you intend to purchase. Do online research to find out the specifications and rating that are important to you.
Don't buy without test driving. It isn't about the make or model but about the specifics of the car you may buy. There might be a slight difference or mechanical problems that you won't pick up without a test drive.
If you think you need a new car, give your bank a call prior to shopping for one to see if you can obtain a loan. Doing so is in your best interest. You may get a better interest rate through a dealership, but it's best to know before deciding.
Don't roll up to the dealership in an expensive car. The sales staff will see that car and decline your rock bottom offers, unless the car is one you plan to use as a trade-in.
In order to test out a car, rent it. Renting a car from a local rental agency is a great way to get a personal feel for a specific car over a test drive of a day or more. Try going on a type of road trip with your loved ones to see if it works for you. Doing so helps you make an informed decision on such a large commitment.
Social security numbers should never be given out unless it is absolutely necessary. Dealers will use it to check your credit report when you give it to them. If that ends up not being the dealership for you, getting credit reports pulled at several dealers may actually harm your financing options. Wait until you're sure that a deal can happen before giving out the social security number you have.
Ask the dealer if the car can be inspected by a third-party mechanic. Use a mechanic you can trust. Never use one recommended by the car dealer. The mechanic can tell you if you can drive the car, and if you are paying a fair amount for it overall.
Every salesperson and dealership is different. Salespeople may have a pushy reputation, but this method isn't as popular any longer. Dealerships have begun to see that friendly sales techniques and satisfied clients are what bring people back year in and year out. If you find yourself with a pushy salesperson, don't be afraid to walk away. Salespeople are a dime a dozen. There is a quality salesperson who will want to work with you.
Now you should know how to get the most out of the car-buying experience and get the value you are looking for. The goal here is to become knowledgeable about car shopping. The more you know about cars and dealerships, the better off you'll be. Keep this advice in mind, and go out and car shop.


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Loss to Spurs no big deal, "We are not robots: Chelsea's Cahill
Chelsea center back Gary Cahill was on the losing end of a Premier League match for the first time in 14 outings, and refuses to be too bothered by the setback.
The Blues fell 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, their record-tying 13-match win streak snapped at the hands of London rivals.
But losing to a good team who is unbeaten in its own building? It happens, and Chelsea still lead the league by five points.
Cahill took a yellow card for yanking down Christian Eriksen after slipping to the turf in the first half.
"We were short today all over the pitch, I don't know why. We are not robots.
"It was a great opportunity for us today but one defeat out of 14 is not a problem. We won't dwell on this for a week, we go again and kick off another run."
An FA Cup visit from Peterborough is next, while the Blues will aim to rebound at Leicester City on Jan. 14 and home to Hull City on Jan. 22.


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Non-western first-time mothers older
In 2008, the average, first-generation, non-western woman was more than one year older when she had her first child than in 1996. The average age for native Dutch women to become first-time mothers rose by nearly six months over the same period. The average number of children in non-western families also dropped in 2008 relative to 1996, whereas native Dutch women tend to have more children.
Average age mothers at birth of their first child by ethnic background
Iranian women oldest first-time mothers
Women of non-western origin are on average younger at the birth of their first child than native Dutch women. In 2008, first generation women with a non-western background averaged 27.5 years when they had their first child, as opposed to 29.6 years for native Dutch women.
Within the largest non-western groups, Iranian women were oldest when they had their first child. In 2008, they averaged 31.3 years of age at the birth of their first child.
Average non-western mother has fewer offspring
In the period 1996-2008, the average number of children of women in the Netherlands has risen from 1.53 to 1.77. The increase is caused by the fact that native Dutch women on average have more children. At the same time, the average number of children is declining among first-generation, non-western women.
Average number of children of native Dutch and first-generation, foreign mothers by ethnic background
In the four largest, non-western ethnic groups in the Netherlands, the number of children declined dramatically among Turkish women. In 2008, Turkish women had on average just under two children, against 2.5 in 1996.
The number of children of women belonging to groups chiefly consisting of asylum seekers varies widely. With an average of 3.2 children, Somali women topped the list in 2008. With 1.1 children, Iranian women were at the bottom of the list. The exceptionally low number of children of Iranian women is partly due to their high average level of education.
One in six children of non-western origin
In 2008, the number of children born in the Netherlands totalled 185 thousand, of whom 1 in 6 had a non-western background. Within this category of more than 31 thousand children, Moroccan children constituted the largest group (nearly 8 thousand).
Number of births of children with non-western background, 1996-2008
Han Nicolaas and Elma Wobma


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Paste Magazine President 'Thinking Beyond Print' With Site Relaunch
Now in its fifth year, Paste magazine is among the fastest-growing independently published entertainment magazines around. In addition to now being distributed in 12 countries, the magazine recently garnered the No. 21 spot on the Chicago Tribune's "50 Best Magazines" list—right behind the New Yorker. So as today's most successful magazines are figuring out how to blend their print and online brands, Paste President and Publisher Tim Regan-Porter recently decided it was time to beef up the magazine's online identity. Pastemagazine.com relaunched this week, featuring its first-ever site sponsor (Acura) and all-new content including blogs and "Paste Station"—where site visitors can listen to streaming albums in their entirety for free. Regan-Porter spoke with Inbox about some of the site's new features, the challenges faced by an independent publisher relaunching a site, and how to incentivize your staff to "think beyond print."
Inbox: What were the most significant changes or upgrades made to pastemagazine.com as a result of the relaunch?
Tim Regan-Porter: There are two primary upgrades to pastemagazine.com: 1) We've added a multimedia player [Paste Station] that offers streaming and downloadable audio and video. Right now, the player offers streaming albums and music videos. New features are being developed weekly, and soon it will offer streaming along with downloadable audio, music videos, short films and movie trailers, as well as community features and personalization.
2) We've refreshed the look and feel of the site. The site looks much fresher and is easier to navigate. We wanted it to be clear from a quick glance at the site what content Paste covers, how to find it, and how to subscribe to the print magazine. That said, the site is also continually evolving. The focus of our relaunch was overall navigation and look, especially on the home page. The coming weeks will see new features added to enable easier browsing and more community features. We want to have more dialogue with our readers, to create a community for them and to enable them to be our brand ambassadors with easier sharing of our content.
Inbox: Was it a difficult decision to decide to accept advertising on the site? Why didn't you do so sooner?
Regan-Porter: We've accepted advertising almost since the beginning. However, we've never sought sponsorship of the Web site or even put an effort into selling online ads. It was there mainly as an option for added-value to print sales. Now, online clearly needs to be a significant part of a healthy magazine's revenue. At the at the end of last year—even without our trying—we saw a noticeable increase in the number of advertisers approaching us for online-only initiatives. Facilitating online sales, as well as circulation support, was the primary driver behind the relaunch efforts.
Inbox: Have you devised an effective strategy in getting your personnel to think beyond print and to cultivate a stronger online presence?
Regan-Porter: Getting the team (sales and editorial) to think beyond print—to think of Paste as a platform-neutral content provider—is an ongoing challenge. Everyone understands it in theory, but the onus is on management to align incentives and requirements with what we need for the new reality we're facing. We're really at the very beginning of this process.
Inbox: Can you provide an example of a way in which you offer incentives or require your staff to think beyond print?
Regan-Porter: We're still figuring this out. On the sales side, we're creating more bundled packages, adding extra cash incentives for online and event sales, holding the line on not giving away saleable assets as added value, and encouraging the team to dig for non-print connections in order to tap into new budgets. On the editorial side, we're requiring staff (marketing and editorial) to contribute regularly to our online content—whether that's with blog entries, news items, reviews or features—and to stay on top of what other sites are doing to look for relevant ideas and potential partnerships.
Inbox: What was the most difficult challenge you encountered in re-launching the site?
Regan-Porter: Despite the bursting of the dot-com bubble, good IT resources are still hard to find. And it's easy to fall into never-ending planning. Everyone has ideas, spurred by the constant evolution of the Internet. And at some point, you just have to drive projects to completion. In our case, our 5th anniversary and a partnership with Yahoo Answers provided a fixed deadline that we were able to mobilize around.
I hear similar stories from other independent publications. Every Web effort pays off handsomely, yet they don't do enough due to 1) not knowing what to do and 2) not having the staff to do it.
Inbox: Can you offer any tips to other publishers who are evaluating their own online identities and considering their own relaunches?
Regan-Porter: Stay on top of what other sites—even those far afield from your domains—are doing. You're dealing with a constantly moving target, and if you don't keep learning and adjusting, you're out of the game.
Do something and do it quickly. Don't get bogged down by the search for the ultimate relaunch. The worst thing you can do is let your site stagnate while you're locked in analysis paralysis. Let your site evolve continually in small measures.


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Broadcast your GIS
ArcGIS for Telecommunications is a set of freely available maps, apps, and models that support the needs of telecommunications and cable organizations. As an ArcGIS user, you can use this solution for improved management of wireless, wireline, and cable networks.
We have reduced the time and cost of request-for-pricing response by up to 60 percent while improving accuracy.
Apps you can use immediately
ArcGIS for Telecommunications provides ready-to-deploy mapping applications and analysis models for use in network planning, implementation, maintenance, and optimization. Executives, office and field staff, customers, and the public benefit from these map-based insights.
Maximize your GIS investment
The ArcGIS for Telecommunications solutions are ready-to-use out-of-the-box, and can be easily configured to meet your specific requirements. The templates enable you to provide essential workflows without having to build them from scratch, and with assurance of following best practices.
Broaden the use of GIS
Promote wider use of GIS with applications for common telecommunications tasks. For example, the Service Qualification app plans and routes your field service team, saving time and money, and improving customer satisfaction. The New Service Request app helps you streamline service requests and track new potential customers.
Have any questions?
Chat now
Begin a conversation online.Start chat
Send a message
Get an email response.Start my message
Give us a call
Talk over the phone.
1-800-447-9778 (United States)


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ASICS Men's Gel-Cumulus 21 Knit Running Shoe (Black/Pure Silver, Size 7.5 US)
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Run further than you thought possible with the ASICS Men's Gel-Cumulus 21 Knit Running Shoes, featuring two midsole foams: one for lightweight softness and the other that adds more spring to your step.
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Let's face it; visits to a doctor's office can be frustrating. The inherent stress of hoping for a clean bill of health added on to paperwork, insurance, wordy test results and scheduling can make a standard visit feel like a major life event.
That's why we've taken the initiative to streamline your visits. Our Patient Portal is your safe and easy way to take care of many of your medical tasks associated with doctor visits. Our Patient Portal is powered by FollowMyHealth, and it works as a universal health record.
FollowMyHealth is used by numerous health care organizations and thousands of physicians across the country. It is the driving force behind their hospital or clinic's specific patient portal. While portals may have a different name, the technology is the same.
With FollowMyHealth, you can:
- Review your medical records online in a safe, secure environment
- Communicate privately with physicians via secure messaging
- View test and lab results, read medical notes from your doctor
- Update your health information (allergies, medications, conditions, etc.)
- Request Rx refills
- Schedule or change appointments
- Fill out and submit forms prior to appointments
- Share information with other doctors/clinics
- Fax, print or email records for external use
Best of all, it's available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via any computer, tablet, or smart phone.
To put it simply, FollowMyHealth allows ADC to provide a safe and easy means of access to everything a you would need to streamline your next visit.
Take the stress out of staying healthy. Sign up or log in now.


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Green Gazpacchio Served in Mini Bread Bowls
Mix all ingredients in a food processor and blend continuing until you have a smooth soup. Bring extra to taste with salt and pepper and add any additional water if the soup is too thick. Put the gazpacho a few hours in the refrigerator, you must serve gazpacho very cold. Pour gazpacho into four bowls and make the dishes with an extra dash of olive oil, rose petals, mint leaves, crumbled pistachios and corn grains.
1 Celery Stick, Stalk and Leaves
½ Cucumber, Peeled and Roughly Chopped
1 Garlic Clove, Grated
Hand full Fresh Spinach for coloring)
2 Sprigs Fresh Basil
2 Sprigs Fresh Mint
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Cups Vegetable Stock, Cold
1 Avocado, Pitted and Peeled
2 tablespoon Sushi Vinegar
1 Lime, Zest and Juice
1 Red Chili, Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 Spring Onion, Sliced
6 Mini Brown Breads
TOPPINGS: Corn, Pomegranate, Basil and Mint Leaves + Extra Olive Oil


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« NEA Membership Continues to Drop, But More Slowly | Main | A Deep Dive Into NEA's Spending Patterns »
Emerging Themes at NEA: 'Toxic Testing' and Union Threats
By guest blogger Liana Heitin
The National Education Association's budget hearingwhere we learned about continued declines in membership numbersalready happened, but the Representative Assembly doesn't officially start until tomorrow morning.
Even so, some themes are already emerging at the convention.
For one, we now know the union's board of directors will propose a New Business Item calling for a campaign against "toxic testing." (Remember, New Business Items direct the union to act in a certain way.) According to the draft language, the item will ask President Barack Obama and Congress to end yearly testing mandates and "repeal federal requirements that state standardized test scores be used to evaluate educators."
It's probably not a coincidence that testing is a huge sticking point for Lily Eskelsen Garciathe presumed soon-to-be president-elect. In a phone interview last week, Garcia said, "Until we stop abusing commercial standardized tests to make decisions they were never designed to make, we will get everything wrong."
We'll hear more about that in the coming days. (In the meantime, I think the billboard pictured below, hung less than a block from the convention center, is fairly telling.)
The teachers' union is taking what it sees as challenges to its most basic functions very seriously. The Vergara and Harris v. Quinn decisions, which NEA saw as blows to tenure protections and collective bargaining, have both come up already. During the budget hearing, Secretary-Treasurer Becky Pringle said, "The political landscape has not changed and we expect the threats to our union to continue. The corporate reformers are spinning these complicated webs that we anticipate will continue and pick up."
This is likely not the last reference we hear to "corporate reformers," a Diane Ravitch-inspired formulation, by whom Ms. Pringle was likely referring to Bill Gates and other wealthy donors who have had a strong hand in influencing education policy. It will be interesting to see who or what else are mentioned as potential threats to the union's viability.
And one last interesting tidbit (though not really a theme, per se): Twice during the budget hearing, delegates asked questions about the NEA executive director's salary, for which there was a proposed increase of 3 percent. According to 2012-13 federal labor filings, executive director John C. Stocks earns about $302,000, which Ms. Pringle said is comparable to salaries for directors of similar-sized nonprofits "but has not actually kept pace." The salary has been frozen for 5 years, she said, and is due for an increase.


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Instant Hot Nail Polish by Essie – Summer 2013 Must Have!
Even though it's from last season this color is a must have for Summer 2013!
Essie Wedding Collection 2012
#797 Instant Hot – Essie
Trendy Nail Rating: ★★★★★
My Thoughts: If you don't use a matte base coat or any base coat and then a matte top coat prior to using this polish, it will definitely streak. But… If you create a nice layer above your nail for the polish to grab to this polish is a MUST HAVE for Summer!
The Color: Imagine a creamy white iridescent tone w/ a touch of pale pink.
At first sight from the looks of the bottle it seems as though there's an iridescence to it, but after I applied my 2nd coat I didn't notice any shimmer. This color has a lot of depth, it doesn't lay flat on your nail which is why I like it so much. It's also great for layering your favorite glitter polish for some pizazz!!
Here's a peek of this pretty shade on my nails.
If you're looking to add a new color to your collection Essie's Instant Hot is a MOST DEF in my book.
It's a great color for weddings, summer party's & a great pedicure color too!!!
Buy it Online & Save!
I found it online @ Amazon for $4.49
You can also buy it at Nordstroms, DermaStore
Shopwiki is a great source to find the best prices for polishes.
Inquiring minds want to know…. Have you tried this color yet? If so what are your thoughts?