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Why You are Doing Yourself Wrong with a Theme Framework
WordPress Medic Podcast Episode 12 WordPress Tips & Tricks
It's episode #12 … I am discussing Theme Frameworks and an Interview with Michal Wendrowski for Rublon … and other WordPress Tips & Tricks coming your way next on WordPress Medic Podcast
WordPress Medic Podcast Can also be found at WPMedic.ca
WordPress Medic Podcast can be found on Stitcher Radio Click here to Download app or listen online Now.
WordPress Medic Podcast can be found on the iTunes Store here.
WordPress Medic Podcast can be found on Blubrry.com here
>>>Self Promotion of my businesses here<<<
WordPress has become easier and easier to use over the past 5 years and as we know the easier it is to use the easier it becomes to break. Do you find that you suddenly need some quick WordPress support & need to figure out that one simple task? Correct that simple layout issue or has something broken and you have the white screen of death. Or maybe you have received notification of a hack on your site? Visit me for Emergency WordPress Support at WPPro.ca/Emergency for some quick tips or contact me and I can help you with live support via screen sharing or phone.
The Following links are Affiliate Links:
WordPress Hosting
WordPress Plugins
WordPress Themes
Lynda.com WordPress Training
John's Rant: What to rant about?
Join me on WordPress Plugins from A to Z Podcast find it at http://WPPluginsAtoZ.com where my co host Marcus Couch and myself discuss WordPress Plugins. .
Also since I love to rant about lots of things have lots opinions instead of making this a platform for that I have another show called Kritter Escapes at http://KritterEscapes.com
Note: Looking for a few good plugin developers out there who freelance in the area of customizing existing plugins or can write addons to plugins. Requirements must have a couple projects to review, have the ability to set a price and timeline for completion and stick to both.
Contact John at 818-850-7729 or email email@example.com
Listener Feedback
Would you like to be part of this show? Head over to http://WPMedic.ca and leave a speak pipe or a question and I'll Feature you here also if you would like to be on the show just let me know and we an arrange to get you on it.
This Episodes Interview
An Interview with Michal Wendrowski the brains behind Rublon a great 2 tier login system for your WordPress website. http://rublon.com/
**WordPress Discussion & Tips by John**
In this episode I am discussing the issues behind WordPress theme Frameworks, why you need to think about your theme framework when building your website and the problems that can happen if you choose the wrong one to start with.
Daily news on WordPress at http://wpnews.wpmedic.ca
Well as everyone knows hosting is a big part of how well your WordPress website runs and if you're looking for hosting either for something new or to change to a better provider I can recommend GreenGeeks Hosting. And if you enter the code "PLUGINS" you can save $30 off their 1, 2, or 3 Year EcoSite or EcoSite Canada packages. Click Here to Save Now!
Just some reminders:
Rate me at iTunes Store here, Blubrry.com here, ViaWay.com, Stitcher Radio and any place else you find me.
If you would like to be a guest on the show please email me or contact me through my site and we can talk.
How to Contact me:
John can be contacted at:
on my website @ http://www.johnoverall.com/
WordPress Emergency Support http://wppro.ca/wpemergency
Twitter http://wppro.ca/twitter
Facebook at http://wppro.ca/facebook
email: email@example.com
List of Training Books & Tutorial Websites for WordPress
Lynda.com WordPress Training
Smashing WordPress: Beyond the Blog
WordPress website in a weekend


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Fibrebond Ltd. StoneRock House, High Street, Hawkhurst TN18 4AG Tel: 01424 755238
Fibrebond Ltd, was established to introduce dental professionals and patients to a new, minimally invasive, and cost effective treatment option for correctly chosen cases. Fibrebond wants to serve the dental professionals by organizing interesting and informative lectures and hands-on courses to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills associated with these high technological materials.Who is this site for?This site is for dental professionals and auxiliary staff who are encouraged to contact Dr van Rensburg regarding any information about the fibre products, treatment planning, lectures and hands-on courses. Fibrebond ltd specializes in fibre related products only and would like to offer the dentists, dental therapists and dental technicians accurate advise when purchasing these products from FibreBond Ltd.(the Fibre Specialists).Patients will find useful information about stabilizing loose teeth normally due to periodontal disease and also replacing missing teeth with options less invasive and more cost effective than implant retained crowns and other conventional treatment options.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Shelter your skin from the harmful effects of sun and pollution with this 1.5-hour Murad Hydration Quenching Facial. The facial provides a deep hydration effect that replenishes moisture levels in your skin to offer relief to dehydrated skin. Meanwhile, the added ultrasound therapy helps the hydrating serum to penetrate your skin and maintain a lasting moisture lock for a brighter and smoother skin texture.


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April 2018 Sustainable Champion – Lorraine Prince
Lorraine has been a voice of stewardship, protection, and dedication for the environment for many years.
She is a constant volunteer and community leader:
-Newton Creek Watershed Association,
– Saddler's Woods Conservation Association as their Director of Education and Outreach,
– Delaware River Keepers, and
– Collingswood Great Team
Lorraine is currently a Rutgers Master Gardener Intern, working toward her certification.
She is also helping Collingswood's Green Team as they pursue Silver Certification with the Sustainable Jersey program
We are proud to recognize Lorraine Prince as our Camden County Sustainability Champion for the month of April.


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HD, or high definition, is creating quite a lot of
interest, due to some very high spirited campaigning
done by the cable networks wanting you to buy HD
boxes to watch HD on television. What you may not
be aware of, is the fact that HD is delivered in
a widescreen format of 16:9 instead of the normal
television format of 4:3.
The average everyday customer has every right to be
confused as to what HD really and truly is, as most
companies involved with it can't agree on one simple
standard. The standard getting the most support
with HD is 1080i, which means a resolution of 1080
interlaced lines or 720 progressive lines. The
television signals in general will give you 525
lines so the increasing quality is dramatic, if
you have the HD gear to watch the video the way it
was meant to be.
Cameras that offer HD are simply the best you can
buy. They are obviously more expensive than digital
cameras, with some models reaching upwards towards
90,000$ and above! These types of cameras are
normally for professionals, as the average working
man would never be able to afford such an expensive
type of HD video camera.
The average HD video cameras will run 800$ and up.
HD cameras offer you the chance to shoot high
definition picures and videos, and send them to
friends or family. You can also save your shoots
to disk or memory card, then take them with you
everywhere you go.
If you've yet to see a HD video camera, you'll
probably find yourself amazed. The zoom offered
with these cameras are amazing, as many can get
above 100X! Shooting up close and personal is
never a problem with HD video cameras.
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Gorgeous collection of green Summer Loft which includes a mix of roses, polka dots and flowers with a vintage touch. Perfectly harmonised mixture of fabrics for small sewing ideas or patchwork projects.
Quantity: 5
Size: 45cm x 55cm
Composition: 100% Cotton
Weight: 145gsm
Certificate: Oeko-TEx Standard 100
Washing instructions: Medium wash, max 30°C. Do not bleach. Do not tumble dry. Warm Iron. May be dry cleaned.
Product Details
Postage to the UK:
£2.99 - 2nd class Royal Mail
£3.99 - 1st class Royal Mail
Free 2nd class postage on all kits!
Any order that has a kit will qualify for free postage.
We aim to dispatch all goods within 24-48 hours, but could take up to 3 working days.
International Postage - please click here for more information.
Please read the following information.
Unless otherwise stated, all bolts are sold by fat quarter and multiple quantities will be sent in one continuous length as shown below.
Please refer to the images below:
Example: If you purchase one fat quarter, it will be approx. 72cm x 50cm. If you purchase two fat quarters, it will be 145cm x 50cm.
If you don't love your item(s) you can return them within 30 days for a refund or exchange.
Please ensure that they are in an unused, uncut and unopened condition. Once we have received the return, we will issue a refund within 5 working days. If you'd like to exchange the item please get in touch with us.
Please note: we cannot compensate you for the original and return postage costs. This should be met by yourself.
Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on sale or discounted items unless they are faulty or incorrect. If the item is faulty or incorrect we will pay for the return cost. Please get in touch with us.


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When you think about it, a CD or DVD has a lot in common with a binder—both have colorful, attractive covers on the outside and a wealth of information on the inside. Combining these two resources lets you create an amazing multimedia presentation, especially when you use a CD/DVD binder. CD/DVD binders provide the best of both worlds by storing papers and electronic data.
With so much important info in one place, you have to create a binder design that's worthy to contain it all. Browse our 70 styles of custom binders to find the one that's right for your multimedia presentation.
Add Color
The best way to make your CD binders really pop out is to add a splash of color. You can use ink-printing options to get the color you desire, even if you're using white stock. In fact, printing with color on white stock will actually create a bolder, truer color than using colored stocks. Printing options include full-color printing, which is recommended for designs that use many colors, and PMS printing, which uses fewer colors at once but creates a more vibrant color tone. Creative binder designs that use color tend to attract more attention than boring monochromatic designs.
Photos and Graphics
Add brightly colored photos and other graphics to your CD binder design for an added visual element that will let recipients know what to expect when they open it up. If you are selling a product or service that is easily photogenic, then you should lead with that front and center. If not, considers some other positive imagery that can be integrated into your design, such as pictures of happy customers and staff members.
You should take every opportunity you can to enhance your brand identity—even when designing your presentation binders with DVD holders. Incorporate your company logo into your custom design in order to build up awareness of your brand. Brand identity is about more than just logos—your binder design should also reflect your company's color scheme, style aesthetic and mission statement.
Pocket and Slit Customization
The shape, style and location of your binder's interior pockets are just a few ways that you can add more customization options to your design. You can opt for a disk-sized pocket for your CD or a disk-sized slit in a full-sized pocket. CD pockets let you add full-color photos or text, which makes it stand out visually when you open the binder. A CD slit lets you maximize your space by letting you have two-full sized pockets for storage or a full-sized pocket and a blank interior page to use for design purposes.
Customize the interior of your disk binder to include pictures, graphics, text or logo. Your interior doesn't have to be overly graphical—you can use printing options to simply give the inside some color. Designing the interior of CD binders is easier than document binders because you have more interior design room to work with since CD pockets are small and CD slits can be incorporated into preexisting pockets.
Embossing and Foil Options
The embossing process prints a relief image directly into the stock of your CD binder, creating a visual effect that can be felt by touch. If you want your embossed image to stand out even further, consider adding foil stamping to the mix. Both effects are powerful when used on their own, but when working in tandem they produce a high-quality classy effect that begs to be touched.
Get Creative
The world's most famous fashion designers didn't make a name for themselves by playing it safe—sometimes you need to go big or go home. Consider the custom design options available to you and find new ways to think outside of the box. The best custom CD binders are imaginative and fun, while still portraying your company's personality in a way that is appropriate and accurate.
This post is a part of our Binders 101 product guide.


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Find Trade Union expertise in Saint Lucia
In St Lucia the Trade Union Federation, which was established in 2005, represents all trade unions in the country with the exception of the National Workers Union (NWU). The Trade Union Federation works as a unit to address issues of common concern to the island's trade unions and the workers of the country. The largest trade union on the island is the St Lucia Civil Service Association, followed by the National Workers Union and the Seamen and Waterfront General Workers Union (SWGWTU) which have membership bodies of 3,000 and 1,000 people respectively. Other prominent trade unions include the St Lucia Teachers Union (SLTU), established in 1934, and the Vieux Fort General and Dock Workers Union.
|Trade Unions organisations in Saint Lucia
|Civil Service Association


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Shelby teamed up with drag racing legend Don Prudhomme to create a limited-edition signature everyday drag car called the Prudhomme Edition Super Snake. It does 800hp from a 5.4-litre supercharged engine.
The name Shelby is synonymous with performance cars, especially Ford performance cars. Shelby Automobiles now teams up with legendary drag racer Don "The Snake" Prudhomme to create something they call the Prudhomme Edition Super Snake. It's a drag racer package kit that can be added to 2007 - 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 units that have already been sold.
The car pushes out 800hp (588kW) from the 5.4-litre supercharged powerplant when running on racing fuel. Filled with regular 93 octane maximum power is reduced to 750hp (552kW) which is still quite a tidy sum.
The tuning package for the car includes things like a front and rear adjustable racing suspension system, drag tyres, a side exhaust system by Borla and a modified air intake that intrudes quite brazenly out of the bonnet. Road tyres can be supplied and fitted at will. A five-point impact safety harness is part of the package as are side lower rockers. The latter improve the car's aerodynamic capabilities.
"The thing I really think is cool about this car is that you can drive it both on the track and on the street," said Prudhomme. "It reminds me of how drag racing used to be back in the day when we would drive our cars to the drag strip, race them, and drive them home at the end of the day. That's maybe the neatest thing about this car."
Shelby is only making 100 packages for the Prudhomme Edition Super Snake and each of them will cost US$100,000 excluding the actual car.


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PT303 - Platform Truck 1220 x 800, Boxed
Price: From £305.00 excl. VAT
Product Information
PT303 - Platform Truck 1220 x 800, Boxed
Capacity: 500 kg
Platform Size: 1220 x 800 mm
Bed Height: 290 mm
Handle Height: 1000 mm
Handle configuration: Handles Both Ends and Removable Sides
Wheels: 2 Fixed, 2 Swivel 200 mm Diameter
Weight: 65 kg
Different wheel options can be chosen from the drop down menu and braked swivel castors can also be added as an optional extra to replace the 2 swivel castors
Manufactured by Breg in the UK!!!!
Tell what you think about our products.


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Health and Enviornmental Make Up Concerns
September 28, 2010 View all articles in Home
Every day, millions of women use products like eyeliner, mascara, foundation, lipstick, lotion, and perfume (to name but a few). What most of these women don't know is the FDA doesn't have the authority to regulate personal care products, not even those for children. This means many ingredients are unapproved by the FDA, some of which are known or probable carcinogens.
The average level of lead in lipstick is over ten times the amount allowed in candy. Even natural skin care products only require 1 percent natural ingredients in order to be advertised as "natural." The European Union has banned over one thousand chemicals from being used in cosmetics; the United States has banned a grand total of ten.
Some of the dangers of cosmetics and perfumes include;
- Lead, mercury, phthalates, coal tar, and parabens are all found in many cosmetics, but they're rarely listed as ingredients.
- Tests have revealed that, on average, perfumes contain fourteen "secret" ingredients, or ingredients that cannot be found on either the product labels or company websites.
- Products tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics each contained at least ten ingredients capable of triggering various allergic reactions, such as asthma and contact dermatitis.
- Potential hormone disruptors were found in the same Campaign for Safe Cosmetics test, with an average of four hormone disruptors per product.
So, what can you do to reduce or remove these harmful substances from your daily routine, without sacrificing your hygiene or beauty?
- Before buying any cosmetic or toiletry product, read the label and check for the following: phthalates, mercury, toluene, lead, formaldehyde, and petroleum distillates. Also look for parabens, hormone-disrupting preservatives, such as methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, propylparabens, and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). If they are present, put the product back on the shelf.
- Even just doing a little research about the ingredients will help you better understand what is bad for your health, and you will be more knowledgeable every time you shop.
- Buy products made from organic ingredients only, as these are far less likely to have harmful effects on your body and health.
- Skin Deep is a great cosmetic database that rates the health risks of a variety of products on a scale of one to ten, and also goes very in depth about each product. Plug all of your current products into its search engine and see which ones you need to replace.
These are great ways to improve your health, but you might be questioning what they have to do with going green. Most of the products that cause harmful effects on your body are also going down the drain and causing harmful effects on the animals and environments they come into contact with. Therefore, by not purchasing these products, you are helping both yourself and the earth. There is more you can do to protect the earth than simply stop buying things that harm you directly, however. Take a moment and think about how each product will affect the earth before you buy it. Make certain that every product you buy has as little packaging as possible, or is packaged in biodegradable substances. Aside from buying only organic products, reducing the packaging is the best way to protect the environment when buying personal care products.


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Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa
Retreat to our Luxury Beaver Creek Resort Near Vail
With sweeping views from the base of Beaver Creek Mountain, Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa offers guests a luxurious year-round escape in Colorado's Vail Valley. Our ski-in/ski-out location in the heart of Beaver Creek Village is adjacent to the ski school and home to skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and more in winter. The summer brings activities like fly fishing, river rafting, and 4x4 rides.
- Free Internet Access
- Restaurant On-Site
- Room Service
- Fitness Center
- Pool
- Pet Friendly
- Ski
- Golf
- Spa
- Digital Key
- Business Services
- Resort Property
- Laundry
- Concierge
- Meeting Facilities
Up to Ten Free Nights
Earn up to 10 free nights at Hyatt hotels with the World of Hyatt Credit Card
8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill
Celebrate Colorado's bold flavors and its best craft beverages at our unique open-kitchen restaurant. Locally sourced organic ingredients are prepared atop our showpiece grill for our seasonal menu.
Map, Parking + Transportation
- Phone
- +1 970 949 1234
- firstname.lastname@example.com
Rooms + Suites
Indulge in the elegance of Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa, where warm and inviting rooms open to the picturesque beauty of Beaver Creek, many with a private balcony. Or for more space, choose a suite with cabin-style décor and fireplace.
Our Hotel
Hotel Accessibility Features
Accessible Hotel Parking and Transportation
- Hotel Parking is valet only
- Accessible Transportation with advance notice
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Public restrooms
- Restaurants
- Swimming pool
- Public Entrance
- Fitness Center / Exercise facilities
Accessibility for Guest Rooms and Meetings
- Assistive listening devices for meetings provided upon request
- Accessible guest rooms with mobility features have doorways with 32in (0.81m) of clear width
- Text telephone TTY
- Closed caption or closed captioning decoders for guest room televisions
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Spa
- Restaurants
- Registration area
- Fitness Center / Exercise facilities
- Guestrooms
- Meeting room / Ballroom area
- Swimming pool
Your four-legged dog family member is welcome at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa. We welcome up to two dogs weighing up to 70 pounds each. A one-time $150 fee applies. Please keep your dog on a leash when walking around the resort.
A one-time $150 fee applies
Weight Limits
We welcome a maximum of two dogs weighing up to 70 pounds each.


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Before Acorn Interactive came on the scene, Casa Hererra's search engine ranking was non-existent and there were no inquiries coming in from the site. Furthermore the site did nothing to show the company as the world-class flat bread and tortilla manufacturer that it is.
Acorn Interactive developed a strategy incorporating brand development and website redesign. Using a multi-lingual content management system that incorporated the development of several product software modules makes it easy for the company to showcase its ever expanding product line with product descriptions, specifications, brochures, videos and images. There were nearly 30 business inquiries in just the first month of launch and Acorn Interactive had to soon develop further qualifying aspects into the site so that the most valuable inquiries were escalated.


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Basic Principles & Uses of Inverters
Most of you who chose to read this probably know what inverters are but I'll go through as simply as I can. An inverter is basically an electronic device that converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). It requires a DC input to work. In a DC power source such as a battery, the current flows in one direction. An inverter will physically reverse the current in repetitions to output AC.
- Why is an inverter important?
As we all know energy stored in cells, which makes up almost every single battery in the world, has a DC output. Most home electrical appliances or machinery rely on AC power sources. In turn, anything that needs AC to run can't run on a battery if it doesn't have an inverter. The second reason is that long range power delivery lines carry DC due to its efficiency and minimal loss when sent over long distances. Thus, an inverter is required on the receiving end before it's put through a device that needs AC.
- Potential of inverters in the future.
Harvesting solar energy is growing in popularity nowadays due to its minimal impact on the environment and virtually no waste being produced on site. Solar energy can only be stored in batteries. Thus this exponentially increases the need for inverters being a conversion median of electricity.
- How do I know if I'm choosing a reliable inverter?
Manufacturers of good quality inverters usually have a proven recorded statistic to back up their recommended usage period of their products which usually is their recommended maximum runtime. Exceeding the recommended runtime of a product is basically introducing risk of downtime or even fatalities if machinery fails around personnel due to loss of power. Another thing to take note of when choosing an inverter is that one should always purchase according to specifications. Never get an inverter that is below requirements of your specific usage.
Inverters run the world, down from tiny pocket-able devices up to large scale factory equipment. Most of them will need this ingenious device present day and future. They should not be overlooked when designing an electrical system and should always be up to specific requirements.
Overall, they are a nifty concept which spawned from the battle of Nicola Tesla and Thomas Edison with it being the middle man of every transaction from DC to AC. The opposite of it would be called a converter which is the opposite, but that's a topic for another day.
This post was brought to you by PSC Technology. They provide the quality industrial inverters and inverter repair services in both Singapore and Malaysia.


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Feel the calming effects of wearing semi precious stones and Lava beads infused with your essential oils. Just add a few drops of your favorite oil of choice to the lava beads and notice how much better it makes you feel.
Swarovski Crystal and Semi Precious Stone Bracelet. Packaged with meaning cards, pouch and recycled Kraft box
– 10mm Lava Stone
– 8mm Black Onyx Stone
-30mm x 15mm Swarovski Red pendant
-Sterling Silver beads and Sterling Silver Caroline Calvert (original) tag
Bracelet measures 7.5 to 8 inches long and will stretch accordingly.
Elastic cord is pre-stretched before beading and knotting to prevent sagging while wearing.
Benefits of Lava Stone:
Healing: anxiety relief, emotional tranquility, relaxation, and a sense of calmness. Lava stone's porous nature allows it to easily absorb your favorite essential oil while your body heat contributes to gently diffusing the scent to create your very own personal and wearable aromatherapy diffuser
Benefits of Black Onyx:
Soothing stone to wear during times of turmoil. Releases negative energy and helps in healing. Powers of the stone include, focus, balance positivity change and protection. Anyone who wears this stone has full access to its power.


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I've been working on Yamarrah's faceup for a long time, mostly, as can be discerned from the results, with orange, red and yellow Prismacolors. Her tongue, inner mouth, eyebrows and eyelashes are done, and right now she's resting to see if I like the way her lips have turned out. If I do, I will seal her lips and then work on her teeth.
She's one of the sweetest dolls I've had the pleasure of working on. I can't really describe it any other way except to say that her mischievous expression and floppy body combine to make her a friendly, cuddly, cheery person. I've thought about getting a bronze Soom Mega Gem body to match her head, but I really do like her wiggly, floppy Domuya Flexibody. As much as her inability to hold a pose bothers me, it's become part of her character now that I don't think I can sacrifice, even for resin matching. I guess she's just a really loungey fire elemental!
This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1593332.html. You can comment here, but I'd prefer it if you'd comment on my DW using OpenID.


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*Media Invite*
Another restaurant bites the dust. Remember Fisherman's Market Seafood Buffet Restaurant? That no longer exists, but the good thing is, another restaurant that is EVEN BETTER, has taken its place. Actually Chiso Zanmai is owned by the same people. Guess they must have realised that the prices that Fisherman's Market charged made it really uncompetitive. Chiso Zanmai doesn't look any different from Fisherman's Market. The decor is the same, and even the layout of the various food sections. However, the food is modelled after its Osaka counterparts.
The key point to note is that Chiso Zanmai is nearly HALF THE PRICE of the old restaurant. At SGD$24.90++ per adult for a Japanese Buffet, is that a steal or what? And let's be frank here. A lot of people like to attack the sashimi counter when gorging at hotel buffets, as everyone knows that sashimi is expensive. Now here's a buffet where you can do away with the other frills (ie the food items that people hardly touch but hotels find it necessary to include in their buffets in order to impress you with variety), and pay less!
Chiso Zanmai's Menu. Click on it for a larger version


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Several times over the last few days, sometimes in very different contexts, I found myself thinking about the relationship between seeing and believing. The default assumption for grown-ups is that "Seeing is believing." This is a good approach to some problems: testing scientific hypotheses, for example, and evaluating the promises of politicians. But what if we rely too heavily on the primacy of proof? What if there is something essential – and therefore essentially missing – in the more childlike belief that "Believing is seeing"?
I spent some time driving around Silverton, Mount Angel, and the surrounding area on Sunday, thinking and praying about my community and asking questions about my place in it. I started thinking about how God might look at a place, perhaps holding in unison its past, present, and future. Can I try to see my place with the same unity? What does it mean to be a community's memory-keeper (the Past)? How do I look squarely at my community as it is now (the Present), both as it presents itself to the outside world, and also those parts of the community that are relegated to the shadows? And now to my original point: Do I have the faith to see my community as it will be (the Future): Silverton redeemed, a shining city? Believing is seeing.
I want to be more intentional about asking God to help me see my family, my neighbors, my community, the world, the stranger, my friends, my enemies, and even myself, the way God sees us. Elisha prayed for his servant, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." "Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around…" Elisha believed and saw. His servant saw and believed. The former is a kind of prophetic imagination and it had to precede the latter.
I hope my response to "seeing" will include awe as well as action. I'm reminded of that famous quote from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel: "Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me." Rabbi Heschel, who has been called "a philosopher of wonder," believed awe can be a way of understanding. "Awe is itself an act of insight into meaning greater than ourselves," he wrote. "The meaning of awe is to realize that life takes place under wide horizons, horizons that range beyond the span of an individual life or even the life of a nation, a generation, or an era. Awe enables us to perceive in the world intimations of the divine, to sense in small things the beginning of infinite significance, to sense the ultimate in the common and the simple."


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Pakistani officials count votes for Karachi by-election just hours after 28 killed in political murders.
Karachi shuts down for a day of mourning after violence that has left at least 72 people dead since Saturday.
|Karachi has long been plagued by political and ethnic violence [AFP]
Karachi, Pakistan's commercial hub, shut down on Wednesday for a day of mourning after a fresh wave of violence that has killed at least 72 people since Saturday.
Violence first erupted in the city on Saturday ahead of a by-election to replace a provincial legislator who was murdered in August.
Police said four people were killed in different incidents on Wednesday, bringing to 32 the number who have died in the last 24 hours.
Ten people died in a single attack on Tuesday in the Sher Shah area.
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said: "Schools are closed, markets are closed and there is very little traffic on the roads and of course the political parties are all saying that their people were the victims even though the residents of Karachi know that the victims were on all sides.
"There has been some trouble in certain parts of the city, shops and hotels set on fire."
It has been difficult to maintain security in Karachi, home to Pakistan's main port, stock exchange and central bank and the main gateway for Western military supplies bound for neighbouring landlocked Afghanistan.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement[ MQM], which is the dominant political force in Karachi, has stepped up pressure on the government to stem the last days' violence, saying its workers were among those killed.
"It seems that there is no government in Karachi. The government has failed to protect the lives and properties of the people of Karachi," Altaf Hussain, the leader of the MQM, said in a statement from self-imposed exile in London.
Hyder said: "There has been a demand from the Pakistan Peoples Party, from some of their leaders, that the army should be called in but [just a] few minutes ago, Pakistan's prime minister shot down that idea, saying that the army will not be sent in."
The MQM has been threatening to pull out of Zardari's coalition, a move which could lead to the government losing its National Assembly majority or even its downfall if the MQM sides with the opposition.
Kamal Hyder said: "The president is definitely not looking good, neither is the prime minister looking good."
'Turf war'
It was not clear whether Tuesday's attacks were related to the violence that erupted in the wake of the run-up to the by-election.
"The gravity of violence is high, as 1,000 people have been killed during the past year," Amir Latif, the bureau chief of Pakistan's largest independent wire service, Online News Network, told Al Jazeera.
"Ethnic violence is increasing with every passing day … The city is still burning."
Hyder said the recent unrest stemmed from a political power struggle.
"For the last few months, various political parties have been battling for control of Karachi," he said.
"The Awami National Party and MQM are fighting what appears to be a turf war. The Awami National Party is MQM's main rival for political posts and control of the city.
"The people of Karachi have been held hostage by these political groups."
Karachi has long been plagued by political and ethnic violence and there is concern that the city is being used as a haven for the Taliban. Some violence in the city is also linked to criminal gangs.
Zafar Jaspal, a security analyst and associate professor of international relations at Kai-ee-di Azam University, told Al Jazeera that the tensions signify "a shifting trend in the power politics of Karachi".
Underlying the conflict, he said, are demographic changes linked to the major internal mass displacements to the city in recent years – one due to military operations, and the other because of flooding.
Karachi generates 68 per cent of the government's revenue and 25 per cent of Pakistan's gross domestic product.


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Over the weekend, someone in a Facebook group I belong to posted a link to an article with helpful tips to keep you from accidentally leaving your baby in a hot car. It suggested putting your laptop bag, purse, or cellphone in the backseat so that you're forced to open the back door and look in the back seat.
Unfortunately, the poster added this comment: "What kind of idiot leaves their kid in the car?"
"A drug addict, probably," added another commenter.
"If you have to put your cellphone in the backseat to keep from forgetting your child, you've got major problems," another chimed in.
Then one brave woman spoke up. She talked about the day she had a big meeting at work, and a problem at home that weighed heavily on her mind. She drove straight to work instead of dropping her child at her mother's. She was walking into the office when her mother called to ask what time she was dropping the baby off. She rushed back to her car, feeling like the worst Mother in the world. Luckily, the baby was only alone for a minute or two, but it taught her to double-check from that day on.
She got attacked by another woman, who assured her that she would never, ever be capable of forgetting her child. But another woman shared the story of her friend, a loving, attentive mother who lost a child to just such a situation. A few others shared their near-miss stories, including one woman who left the baby in a hot car in her own driveway, finding him covered in sweat and lethargic, but thankfully without lasting harm.
The skeptical woman could not be swayed: no good parent could ever do that, as far as she was concerned. And it would never happen to her.
I hope she's right about that last sentence. And I hope she someday grows some empathy.
I once believed I could never do such a thing, either, but one hot July day when my daughter was two, this was nearly my tragic memory.
She had a summer cold and was up most of the night before. I was pregnant with her brother and exhausted. Her father normally made the morning drop at daycare at that time, but he had an early meeting that day. With her sleeping soundly in her car seat, and a forty-five minute commute (her daycare was near my office) it was too easy for my tired, pregnancy-fogged brain to drive me straight to work.
Thank God, she woke up enough to sleepily call out "Mommy?" as I was closing the door and preparing to walk away. I immediately yanked that door open, threw my arms around her in the car seat and sobbed hysterically, realizing just how close I came to killing the child I loved more than anything in the world.
I drove with my purse in the back seat until my kids were out of booster seats.
Don't think for a moment this can't be you. In this time of a thousand distractions, a preoccupied mind can come after an unexpected text, a rotten commute, a bad morning, or a sleepless night. Even the most attentive, loving parent can make a momentary mistake that can cost them everything.
A public service announcement from a mom who is still choking up over this, fifteen years later.


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Articles About First Presbyterian Church :: Page 3
Youth linen drive aids women's shelter
The youth of First Presbyterian Church are holding a linen drive throughout the month of November, collecting new, white linens for the Family Violence Protection Center of Greene County.
Shower of Stoles to exhibit at Presbyterian church
Drawing attention to the plight of gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender people of faith around the country, next weekend the Yellow Springs First Presbyterian Church will host a national exhibit of liturgical stoles representing 1,000 homosexual clergy members of 32 religious denominations, many who have been excluded from serving in their church due to their sexual orientation.
First Presbyterian church spotlights the plight of gay people of faith
To draw attention to the plight of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith around the country, the First Presbyterian Church of Yellow Springs next weekend will host a national exhibit of liturgical stoles representing 1,000 clergy members of 32 religious denominations…
Presbyterians throw birthday bash for community
The Yellow Springs First Presbyterian Church is throwing a 150th birthday party for the community that supported it through its long history on Friday, Sept. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 on the church's front lawn.
Presbyterians celebrate 150th
In 1855 the First Presbyterian Church was founded in Yellow Springs when Nancy Love, tired of going by horseback in bad weather to churches in Clifton and other nearby towns, successfully convinced her husband Robert to start, with other locals, a Presbyterian church here in town. Five years later, the members, for $5,000, built the church that still stands on Xenia Avenue today.
Church harbors a market in winter
While church basements tend to be the place for after-service coffee hours and socials, the basement of the Yellow Springs United Methodist Church will soon veer off the traditional path and host vegetables. Beginning this Saturday, Jan. 9, from 9 a.m. to noon, the church will sponsor its first winter farmers market.
Lotsa thanks
Copies of this and other photographs may be purchased from the News; please contact us via e-mail at email@example.com, or by phone, between 9:30 a.m. and 5: 30 p.m., Mon.–Fri.
Presbies welcome new pastor
Growing up in the farming community of Arcanum, Ohio, almost five decades ago, Doris Arnett Whitaker was surrounded by strong, church-going women who passed on to her their highest aspirations for a young girl: if she worked hard, she could grow up to be a nurse, a teacher, or a minister's wife.
Whitaker took that advice seriously, although she's given it a significant twist. She's not the minister's wife. She's the minister.
Building expenses spark Presbyterian finance woes
The Emporium was lit up on Saturday night with the music and enthusiasm of over 100 congregants and supporters of the Yellow Springs First Presbyterian Church, who were partying at a fund-raising benefit.


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Here's a round up of all the latest stories coming out of the Emirates from today's Mirror and the rumours circulating across the web...
Gunners boss expects more arrivals and departures
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed he is yet to conclude all his transfer dealings this month .
The Gunners have recruited Alexis Sanchez , Mathieu Debuchy , Calum Chambers and Columbian goalkeeper David Ospina .
Wenger, however, admits Thomas Vermaelen could yet leave before the closure of the window on August 31st.
Gerrard given short thrift by Wenger after Arsenal put downs
Arsene Wenger has responded to Steven Gerrard's claims that he told Luis Suarez not to join the Arsenal as he was "too good" for them.
The Gunners tried prise away the then Liverpool forward with a £40,000,001 bid which they believed triggered his £40million release clause.
Liverpool, though, held steadfast and rebuked the advances of the north London club but Wenger insists his club are big enough to attract the best talents.
Arsenal in training ahead of the Emirates Cup:
Saturday's Arsenal stories from other newspapers and websites
Arbeloa poised for Premier League return
Real Madrid full-back Alvaro Arbeloa is emerging as a possible replacement for Thomas Vermaelen should the club captain leave this month.
The former Liverpool defender acquitted himself well in the Premier League during his tenure on Merseyside.
Reports in Spanish newspaper AS suggest Arsene Wenger will draft in the Spanish international to provide his side with defensive cover in the event of the Belgium international leaving.
Follow all Saturday's transfers in our rolling live blog here
Vermaelen still on United's radar
Manchester United are poised to pounce for Vermaelen with a £12million bid.
The 28-year-old is currently sidelined with a minor groin injury but that is not expected to derail any potential transfer.
Vermaelen would be the first signing identified with Louis van Gaal that the club captures as summer arrivals Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera were scouted by United's previous coaching staff.
Arsenal would prefer to sell the defender abroad rather than strengthening a direct rival.


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It was not insomnia that was keeping me awake. It was just that my bunk bed was shaking rather violently at intervals. It wasn't some boogeyman or a werewolf under my bed. Rather, it wamaybe Virgin making out with a chick. In France, in the middle of FUCKIN Paris.
I wasn't jealous. No, I wasn't. How can you be jealous when your best friend hooks up with a cute chick in the most romantic city in the world? Nope, not even a shred of jealousy. I guess I said no too many times in the last few sentences, didn't I?
The spring of 2009 saw six of my friends and me arriving in the City of Lights after a brief spell in Amsterdam. Arriving at Gare Du Nord, we were immediately accosted by what I presumed to be gypsies, begging for money. In true backpacker fashion, we pretended not to be able to understand English and shook our head in pretend puzzlement. They soon moved away in search of some poor sucker to accost.
Our first impression of Paris was not good. Having been from Amsterdam where everything seemed laidback and languid (possibly the narcotic effects of marijuana on half the population), the frenetic pace of Paris was overwhelming. Peugeots and Citroens whizzed past us, dodgy characters glared at us from street corners. People hurried from one place to another and hell, even the smell of Paris was, well, different. Where was that fashionable, elegant Paris which Travel and Living Channel so often shoved in our face?
Our answer came only later, after a botched attempt at buying Metro tickets and getting lost for half an hour searching for our hostel. As everyone checked in and unpacked in the hostel room, I went down and had a smoke by the river which ran next to our hostel. It was there and then when everything seemed to slow down and I had a peaceful moment to myself.
I realised the reason why it had seemed to be so frenetic and fast paced. It was because I was the one who was doing the major planning. In doing so, the pressure was on me to make sure everything went according to plan. I was stressed! It didn't help at all that some members of the group were not throwing in their weight and only knew how to bitch over the itinerary I had set. I promised myself there and then that I would never take a big group out on such an epic trip ever again.
The Eiffel and Louvre
Until this very day, my mom is still stunned that I had travelled all the way to Paris, walked underneath it's wrought iron arches and didn't bother to go up to it's viewing deck. Doubling her shock was also that I had been to the Louvre's courtyard, stood in the backdrop of IM Pei's glass pyramids and didn't actually go in to see the priceless works of art.
"Naah. Too touristy." I had dismissed.
"But it's the Eiffel Tower! Everyone wants to go up the Eiffel Tower. And the Mona Lisa was in the Louvre. How can you not go see it?" my mom protested.
Unlike my mom, I had never been a museum vulture in the first place. I had on occasion enjoyed certain museums and displays such as the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City and the Ancient Egypt exhibition in Singapore.
That is not to say that I was not drawn into the history of Paris. I was, especially with regards to the World War 2 period. But just remember this, the French don't really like any mention of wars since they pretty much sucked at most of them. Most of the time, the French preferred to surrender, which pretty much explained why the Americans called the French 'surrender monkeys'.
The word surrender itself is taken from French. The only time i could recall from my history lesson when the French were good at war was when they were being led by a short pompous man with a big hat. Ok, maybe that's not a nice thing to say about Napoleon Bonaparte. I shouldn't digress.
The reason we hadn't gone up Eiffel Tower was simple. We simply didn't have the patience to queue up behind what seemed to be a long line of old ladies and noisy Chinese tourists and their guides waving group flags. It was also late in the day and we had walked literally kilometers to reach the damn place. (Ok, blame it on a navigation error by yours truly) We were tired and more importantly, hungry.
My favourite place however was most certainly the Centre Du Pompidou, a massive hulk of a high tech architecture building designed by the famed Renzo Piano. The French, when it was first unveiled, hated it. My French ex colleague who studied urban planning rolled her eyes when I even mentioned the building. "It's ugly!" she insisted. I couldn't deny it. But maybe, it's ugly in a nice sort of way.
Confit De Canard. I still remember vividly how the flesh peeled off the preserved duck leg easily, dab some French mustard on it and putting that little slice of meat into my mouth. The salty smoky flavor of the duck melted with the tanginess of the mustard. It was culinary fireworks on my tastebuds. Soak in the duck juices with some fresh baguette and it all blended into one of the most excellent meals I had in Europe. Ending the meal with a carafe of red wine and a cigarette later, I was one satisfied customer.
The same could not be said of the Virgin who had ignorantly ordered carpaccio. I presume he had ordered the beef carpaccio due it's rather fancy name. What was served caused much laughter among us. Thin slices of raw meat with a sprig of garnish. The Virgin was never an adventurous eater and with every bite, he turned even greener. He soldiered on through half the dish before surrendering.
French cuisine is celebrated throughout the world as one of the greatest culinary fares. In fact, the French are the number one contributor to food and kitchen lingo. Internationally recognised words associated with cooking such as sous-chef, mise en place, ala carte and ala mode are all French in origin. While French restaurants cannot be regarded as cheap, they are vastly more affordable than French restaurants back home who have no qualms whatsoever to charge $50 for a plate of duck confit (It was 15 euros in a quaint little restaurant in Paris).
Food we had in Paris was great although we often ended up at a little kebab store near our hostel due to the Mentalist's preference for halal food. I guess in his mind, by eating halal food now, we could negate the non-halal drinks we would usually have after supper.
Cidered Out
I met up with a French ex colleague and her boyfriend in Paris who offered to bring us clubbing. We wandered the streets for a while before ending up at a club near Montmatre. Loud music, hot club and glass after glass of apple cider.It was my first time with apple cider and it tasted just like apple juice. I was draining glass after glass without inhibition.
That night, we took the taxi back to the hostel giggling and laughing all the way. I had an excellent sleep only to wake up in the morning to have the worst hangover of my life. It seemed that there was a construction worker drilling through my brain cortex with a jackhammer. The light streaming through the window seemed to poke holes in my eyeballs, causing me to burrow even deeper into the darkness of my blanket. It was well after 12 when I staggered downstairs to join the rest for a day out.
That however, would not be the last hangover I would have for the rest of our Eurotrip. There was still the tale of the Sangria in Spain but that is another story for another time. 🙂


text:
The camera on my mobile phone isn't all that spectacular, but sometimes it comes in handy (!) to capture a perfect moment.
Here I have snapped the Fernsehturm from across the Holocaust Memorial with the full moon and a dusting of snow. Low-res, but quite evocative of the moment, I think.


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Hi All
Now that rivers are deprecated, I need to index data into ES from MongoDB.
Can anyone suggest an approach?
We currently have a system in place with mongo river. I just need to know
what should be the plan of action to get data into ES without Rivers.
Sri Harsha
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sriharshakiran wrote
Now that rivers are deprecated, I need to index data into ES from MongoDB. Can anyone suggest an approach?


text:
I have started making some Scratch tutorials:
* Introduction to Scratch
* Scratch Lesson 2
* Scratch Lesson 3
Scratch Tutorials
I have started making some Scratch tutorials:
Director of Innovation and Strategy
by John Hendron ·
I have started making some Scratch tutorials:
* Introduction to Scratch
* Scratch Lesson 2
* Scratch Lesson 3
by John Hendron ·
Congratulations to Kim Bachmann for winning our EdTech Blogging Contest!
This webpage has all of the latest information. Typically, if they get your name in time (I have sent them in), you may get a schedule and parking info. by mail. If not, here's what I know…
They open at 8 AM for light breakfast. The headquarters is in the Copley Science Building on the Randolph-Macon campus. You can park on the street; also look for signs for additional parking.
The conference locations vary by session, between the Copley building, to the library, and the auditorium.
You can choose the sessions yourself. If you want one of the workshops, they require a ticket (first come, first serve). Otherwise, look-over the conference program when you get there, and choose the sessions of best interest to you.
by John Hendron ·
I wanted to encourage you to apply for our scholarship program. Inspiration Software will award 25 educators with $1,000 scholarships that can be used to purchase technology for the classroom. All you have to do is share information about your best InspireData project and submit a couple of examples. It will only take 10 minutes. I hope you will apply!
The deadline for entry is Feb. 1, so please apply soon!
by John Hendron ·
This latest news about MySpace is symptomatic of a larger concern I have about privacy.
Even though kids may have marked profiles as "private," a security hole in MySpace allowed folks to see their photos from their online profiles.
As much as I believe in the usefulness of online, social networks, my kids (if I had them) wouldn't need this type of experience in their lives.
by John Hendron ·
Voice Thread is a cool website that you can use to create what I call "interactive presentations," including still pictures and video.
In this podcast, I explore how teachers might use VoiceThread and what the possibilities are for using it in and outside the classroom.
I do hope you can watch!
by John Hendron ·
Sadly, we did not win the Promethean ActivClassroom video contest sponsored by Promethean USA.
But the award-winning videos are a great showcase of what's cool about the ActivClassroom!
by John Hendron ·
Today I published two new video podcasts:
– Omni Outliner, and
– NetNewsWire
Both are short instructional videos that will play back on 5th generation iPods, iPhones, or on your computer.
Subscribe to our podcasts via RSS:


text:
R2PCS Listserv
26 July 2006
Responsibility to Protect Engaging Civil Society
Web: www.responsibilitytoprotect.org
In this issue:
[R2P in the News, Darfur, Somalia, Uganda]
List of Articles:
I. R2P in the News
II. Darfur
III. Uganda/Somalia
I. R2P in the News
Gareth Evans
15-17 July 2006
G8 Summit 2006: Issues and Instruments
()What should be the response of the international community when faced with situations of catastrophic human rights violations within states, where the state in question claims immunity from intervention based on longstanding principles of national sovereignty? When, if ever, is it right for states to take coercive action, in particular military action, against another state for the purpose of protecting people at risk within it? Whether or not they are on this G8 agenda, these questions simply have to be addressed, and a workable international consensus reached as to how to answer them.
The Conceptual Breakthrough. The good news is that the international community, after years of wrangling, has more or less agreed on basic principles. We have seen over the last five years the emergence of a new international norm the esponsibility to protect - of really quite fundamental ethical importance and novelty in the international system, and which one that may ultimately become a new rule of customary international law. ()
Unfinished Business. The not so good news is that we still cannot be at all confident that the world will respond quickly, effectively and appropriately to new human rights catastrophes as they arise. There are at least three pieces of unfinished business to attend to.
First, there is a need to persuade the Security Council to embrace specific guidelines for the legitimate use of military force, at least in the context of R2P, if not more generally. The Canadian Commission argued strongly that this was an integral part of the package: if we cannot get general agreement about which are the kinds of cases that clearly demand coercive military action, and which are those where the responsibility to protect should be exercised with less shattering effect, there is a risk that the R2P principle will be misused, and that such consensus around it as there is at the moment will evaporate. (In the minds of many, R2P was misused in Iraq by those arguing, in the absence of other plausible rationales, that Saddams tyranny against his own people particularly his large-scale violence against the Kurds and Shiites many years earlier fully justified his military overthrow.)
What is needed and the High Level Panel and Secretary-General have agreed is the adoption of five basic riteria of legitimacy to test the validity of any case made for a coercive humanitarian intervention. These criteria are, in short, the seriousness of the harm being threatened (which would need to involve large scale loss of life or ethnic cleansing, happening here and now and not in the distant past, to prima facie justify military action); the primary purpose of the proposed military action (to halt or avert harm); whether there were reasonably available peaceful alternatives; the proportionality of the response; and the balance of consequences whether, overall, more good than harm would be done.
There will always be argument about how these criteria should be applied in particular situations. Darfur is a tricky case in point: there is no doubt about the scale of the catastrophe and the international communitys responsibility to help resolve it, but coercive military force applied without Khartoums agreement in effect, an invasion would almost certainly be counterproductive. It is reasonable to assume, however, that if agreed criteria had to be systematically addressed every time force was proposed, there would be a much better chance of consensus being reached in these cases, and less risk of the Security Council being bypassed.
Second, we have to solve the problem of capacity, ensuring that if we are to exercise the responsibility to protect, and in particular the responsibility to react to clear and present dangers, the required civilian and military resources are always available in the right amounts. In the case of military capacity, those countries with apparently massive resources are often preoccupied with battles and deployments elsewhere, or have the wrong kind of troop configurations and equipment to do the fast and flexible jobs most often required. Throughout Europe in particular, in country after country, the number of troops operationally deployable at any given time is a tiny percentage of the men and women in uniform. Elsewhere in the world, there may be no apparent shortage of boots able to go on the ground but there will be issues of training, command, control and communications capability, transportability and general logistic support. Unless these problems are tackled, R2P will often be more theoretical than real.
Last but not least, there is ever-recurring problem of generating the political will to act. For most countries this is hardest to find when military force is involved, even if the required capacity is there, but it is also needed to mobilize non-military coercive action like sanctions or bringing atrocity crime suspects before international criminal courts, and it is also a requirement even for utterly non-coercive preventive action, like targeted development assistance, which may nonetheless involve expensive resources and the commitment to apply them effectively. Finding the will to do anything hard, expensive or politically sensitive is just a given in public affairs, domestically or internationally. Its absence should be the occasion not for lamentation, but mobilization.
Part of the task here must be to generate much more widespread understanding and support for the responsibility to protect concept itself. It is becoming better known by policymakers and those in the media and elsewhere who influence them. But R2P is not yet a household term anywhere in the world and it needs to become one everywhere. We have to get to the point where, when the next conscience-shocking mass human rights violation comes along, the reflex response, of both governments and publics around the world, is to find reasons to act, not reasons to pretend it is none of our business. And that means some sustained campaigning by all those of us who take seriously - as we must, despite all the backsliding case after case the battle cry ever again! Our common humanity demands that the responsibility to protect be a permanent item on the global security agenda as a matter not just of principle but of operational practice.
Gareth Evans is President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, www.crisisgroup.org. He was Co-Chair of the International
Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, and a member of the High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change.
Full text: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4269
The Guardian
Salim Lone
22 July 2006
Kofi Annan finally made the headlines yesterday with his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East crisis
()Complicity in a war with such a high civilian toll is unprecedented in this era. It is particularly odious because all these leaders had, at last September's extraordinary UN summit, solemnly hailed as a historic milestone the declaration on the "responsibility to protect" civilians during conflict, labeling this protection as one of the most urgent global priorities.
The world's carefully constructed international system for maintaining peace and security, built around the UN charter, is now on its last legs. It tackles crimes by the weak but is mute and unresponsive in the face of lawless behaviour by the powerful. ()
Salim Lone is a former spokesman for the UN mission in Iraq
Full text: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1826360,00.html
II. Darfur
Africa Action Press Release
25 July 2006
() The U.S. can and must be the one to break the deadlock on Darfur. The U.S. has unique power and leverage with the government of Sudan that can end the stalemate and advance the goal of a UN peacekeeping mission for Darfur. The U.S. also remains the only government to have publicly acknowledged that what is happening in Darfur constitutes genocide, though it has failed to articulate or pursue a strategy to improve the security situation on the ground. If the U.S. is committed to ending this genocide, it must use its power to protect the people of Darfur and secure the necessary UN peacekeeping force now.
()Africa Action has previously pointed out that the current relationship between the U.S. and Sudan features "strategic priorities", such as intelligence-sharing, that have undermined a stronger U.S. response on Darfur. As the world seeks Khartoum's acquiescence to a UN mission, and as the U.S. claims a commitment to ending this crisis, this relationship gives the U.S. special leverage to pressure Khartoum to accept a robust Chapter VII UN peacekeeping force for Darfur. The Sudanese government wishes to strengthen its ties with Washington, and ultimately "normalize" relations, and the Bush Administration must use all available pressure points to force the necessary action from Khartoum and to pave the way for a UN mission to protect civilians and humanitarian operations, and to support the goal of peace in Darfur:
* The U.S. should make clear to Khartoum that the future of U.S. relations with Sudan depends on Khartoum's cooperation with the international community in allowing a UN peacekeeping mission into Darfur. The Sudanese government had previously stated that it would welcome a UN mission after the signing of a peace deal in Abuja, and it must now adhere to this commitment. President Bush has repeatedly stated that a UN mission is needed in Darfur and he should call President Bashir directly to convey this position and the expectation of Sudanese cooperation in this regard.
* The U.S. should push for new sanctions against senior Sudanese government officials responsible for the continuing violence in Darfur, pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1591. Thus far, only four individuals have faced sanctions, and no sitting Sudanese official has been targeted. The U.S. should seek further targeted sanctions through the Security Council, including asset freezes and travel bans.
* The U.S. should offer its cooperation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its proceedings against those charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The relationship between the U.S. and Sudan, particularly with regard to counter-terrorism efforts, has provided the U.S. with unique insights and information that should be made available to the ICC.
* The U.S. should encourage other countries to enact comprehensive bilateral sanctions against Sudan, as the U.S. has had in place since 1997, precluding investment in Sudan's growing industry and other such economic relations. Such sanctions would register international outrage at the ongoing crisis in Darfur, for which the Khartoum government must be held responsible.
* The U.S. should use its relationships with governments around the world to "internationalize" pressure on Khartoum and create a united front for new and urgent action on Darfur. Just as the U.S. has leverage with the Sudanese government, it also has bilateral leverage with Sudan's allies on the Security Council (particularly Russia and China), and it must use this leverage now to enlist their support to pressure Khartoum to admit a UN peacekeeping operation into Darfur.
* While Khartoum's advance consent for a UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur is desirable, the urgency of the crisis requires the Security Council to take new action regardless. Even as it takes steps to increase pressure on Khartoum, the U.S. must simultaneously seek the UN Security Council's authorization of a robust UN peacekeeping operation with a Chapter VII mandate and an expedited timeline.
Africa Action emphasizes that the U.S. is uniquely positioned to bring effective pressure to bear on Khartoum to accept the international community's demand for a UN mission in Darfur. By taking the steps described above, the U.S. will show that it is committed to protecting the people of Darfur, and that this is the priority in U.S. policy toward Sudan. New U.S. action is needed now to break the international deadlock and achieve a rapid and robust UN peacekeeping force for Darfur.
Full text: http://allafrica.com/stories/200607250416.html
UN News Service
24 July 2006
United Nations humanitarian staff in Sudans strife-torn Darfur region cannot reach at least one in five of those in need of assistance because of the ongoing violence and insecurity there, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reported today.
Direct attacks against humanitarian workers, acts of banditry and fighting among rebel groups mean the UN has access to less than 80 per cent of beneficiaries, well below the rates achieved in 2004, according to UNMIS.
The mission said it is also worried that the security conditions inside some camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) are so poor that humanitarian operations there have been placed at risk. In Zamzam camp in North Darfur, the presence of arms belonging to elements of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), one of the regions rebel groups, is raising concerns. Last Thursday IDPs killed three government workers and a police officer at Zalengi camp in West Darfur.
The reports come as the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan, Jan Pronk, completed a two-day tour of South Darfur as part of his regular visits to the three states in the region.
Mr. Pronk met South Darfurs governor and members of the local government yesterday, also holding talks with local UN staff and non-governmental organization (NGO) workers and inspecting a government-run camp for about 13,500 IDPs at Sureif.
Scores of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million others have been displaced since 2003 because of fighting between Sudanese Government forces, allied militias and rebels that has led to claims of civilian massacres, rapes and other atrocities.
Full text: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19283&Cr=sudan&Cr1=
3. THE U.N.s DUTY TO SAVE DARFUR
Star Tribune, Minneapolis
24 July 2006
Darfur, it is said, is the first genocide of the 21st century. That fact is beyond undoing, but the slaughter in western Sudan is not beyond stopping. What is needed is worldwide resolve -- a commodity that seems surprisingly scarce whenever mass murder occurs in Africa. But human conscience can't abide another Rwanda, the 1994 bloodbath that claimed nearly a million lives as the world looked on and did nothing.
The world's leaders seem to have grasped that point, but can't seem to settle on just how to intervene. Since Sudan's Arab-led government first lashed out at non-Arab tribes in 2003, such leaders have tried every diplomatic trick in the book to halt the atrocities. Top statesmen -- from Colin Powell to Kofi Annan -- have visited Sudan. The U.N. Security Council has twice condemned Sudan's conduct. Nations within and beyond Africa have helped broker cease-fires and peace deals. Yet through it all the genocide has continued -- claiming as many as 300,000 lives and forcing 2.5 million people into camps.
Push has definitely come to shove, and a meeting in Brussels last week underscored the calamity at hand. The only "peacekeeping" operation now in Darfur is run by a 7,000-member African Union force -- too thinly spread and underfunded to keep much peace at all. Money raised in Brussels will sustain the force only through September. But it's hard to know what benefit that investment can buy: Sudan's government militias -- known as janjaweed -- seem to have little trouble skirting the AU troops as they continue to torch villages and slay villagers.
It's plain a stronger presence is required, and President Bush deserves praise for saying so. After meeting with Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir last Thursday, Bush called on Sudan to welcome U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur. Backed by all in the international community, that move has so far met resistance from Sudan.
The sponsor of genocide should not have the last word on this question. If reason and pressure can't move Sudan to make way for capable peacekeepers, the United Nations must act nevertheless.
Full text: http://www.startribune.com/561/story/567482.html
III. Somalia, Uganda
News 24, South Africa
23 July 2006
Unknown gunmen have killed 682 civilians - including a foreign journalist - in executions over the past year in Somalia, a local human rights group said in a report on Sunday.
The killings took place largely in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Some were for unknown reasons, others due to clan differences, said the report by the Dr Ismael Jumale Human Rights Centre.
Included in the reports of 682 killings is the slaying of Swedish journalist Martin Adler as he filmed a protest in Mogadishu in June.
An unidentified gunman shot Adler in the back.
The report covers human rights violations between July 22 2005, and July 20 2006.
It said that combatants killed 400 civilians and injured 1 500 during on-and-off fighting between Islamic militiamen and secular warlords for the control of Mogadishu that went from February to July.
Somalia has not had an effective central government for 15 years since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 and then turned on each other.()
"At the present time, Mogadishu has one authority - the Islamic courts," the human rights group said.
It said it "urges Islamic courts officials to restore law and order, to rebuild all necessary judicial institutions and to form a regional administration".
About 20 women reported being raped by militiamen of various loyalties, the report said.
Militiamen and others killed 17 civilians kidnapped for ransom after their demands were not me.()
Full text: http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1972100,00.html
BBC News
24 July 2006
Uganda's government has recruited the mother of Lord's Resistance Army leader Joseph Kony to try to end the long war.()
The LRA has killed and maimed thousands during the 20-year war. Mr Kony has refused to attend the talks personally.
Ugandan official Ruth Nankabirwa said the talks would be suspended for a week to allow time for Joseph Kony to be persuaded to take part. Previously he has cited security concerns in refusing to attend.
The official warned that Uganda was prepared to attack the rebel camp, should the peace negotiations fail.
When talks resume, Mr Machar said the parties would discuss a ceasefire and the disarmament and reintegration of fighters.
The two sides reached deadlock in the talks which began last week, with government negotiators refusing to sign a ceasefire agreement with the LRA before other issues had been dealt with, saying they might use the occasion to regroup and rearm.
The discussions in southern Sudan are considered north Uganda's best chance of peace in years.
Full text: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/5209788.stm


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Pliable Yet Precise
The Drop Baffle is one of the industry's most adaptable acoustic solutions. With varying heights and a flexible profile, the Drop Baffle array offers a completely customizable appearance in any arrangement. This is where malleable aesthetics and acoustic performance meet in harmony.
- Component: UNISTRUT P1000T Standard (supplied by installer). Rare earth Magnet. Cable Grips with 3/64″ aircraft cable. Blind male/female panel clip.
- Durability: Contract
- Maintenance: Vacuum occasionally to remove any particulate matter and airborne debris or dust. Compressed air can be used to dust the material in difficult to reach areas or for large assemblies.
- Lead Time: Shipped in 4 weeks.
- Environmental: 9mm PET felt board is made from up to 60% pre-consumer recycled polyester plastic, over 50% of which come from recycled water bottles. TURF is pursuing product transparency for LEED V4 MR Credit 4 Option 1, and MR Credit 3 Option 2 for recycled content. TURF is pursuing a Declare Label for this product.
- Variation: PET Felt uses a traditional 'felting' process to create its panels. This often results in a pleasing heathered effect, where multiple tones are present in the fiber. Slight and consistent variations in color should be expected when using this sustainable material.


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When Ridley Scott took it upon himself to singlehandedly reinvent the old sword-and-sandal genre, he couldn't have hoped for a better opportunity than Gladiator. Stealing his plot from Anthony Mann's The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and his inspirational iconography and plot points from Ben-Hur, El Cid, Spartacus, and a half-dozen Cinecittà musclemen movies, Scott brought his great eye for production design to bear on the ancient Roman world with the same thoroughness and attention to detail he had applied to the dystopian future-scape of Blade Runner – the result being a fully immersive, 360-degree past for his story to play out against.
A still tasty Russell Crowe blends honour and brutishness in his titular combatant, a formerly all-conquering general betrayed and sold into slavery by a jealous new emperor. All about him is the cream of great English character actors, from lion-in-winter Oliver Reed (marvellous, even though some of his role is digitised, owing to the actor's death mid-production), and aged-in-wood Richard Harris (as Marcus Aurelius) to a bewigged David Hemmings (who bears a disturbing resemblance to Lucille Ball), while Joaquin Phoenix is suitably degenerate, quasi-incestuous and weak-kneed in the sub-Caligula role of the new Emperor Commodus.
The combat-arena sequences are bloody and utterly gripping – one of the advantages of returning to a moribund genre 40 years after its heyday is that one can add a level of violence that was impermissible in said heyday – as are the politics and the palace scheming. Scott laid the groundwork for an exciting new medieval strain in his later work, seen in Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood.


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|United States-English
The future of global IT: It's all about energy
When you look at that system, you can see a big problem looming – energy.
Patel, who pioneered research into energy-efficient computing at HP Labs in the early 1990s, believes the energy needed to make, operate and cool IT equipment will be the biggest factor in determining the shape of the system as a whole. As a result, the philosophy behind creating, purchasing and operating IT systems needs to change.
The change could have a profound but positive impact on the world – resulting in big financial savings for IT operators and customers, while at the same time giving the planet a badly needed environmental break.
Patel, who is sharing his vision for a sustainable IT ecosystem at the Always On network's first GoingGreen conference this month, points to a simple reality of computing: As computer processors get more powerful, they also generate more heat. Today it can take as much energy to cool an IT device in a data center as to power it.
"Work is now required along the entire stack in the IT system to remove heat – from chip to the cooling tower," Patel says.
That comes at a huge price. In just a few years we're likely to see some four billion mobile devices accessing some 5,000 data centers worldwide. To power this global ecosystem will take nearly 70 GigaWatts of power a year – enough to power 70 million homes.
"In terms of destruction of available energy," says Patel, "that's equivalent to around 300 million metric tons of coal a year and the release of some 585 million metric tons of CO2."
Now add to that the reality that energy is likely only to increase in price in the future.
When energy was inexpensive and often subsidized, reliability was more important than the cost of power.
"The prevailing wisdom was that nobody in IT ever got fired for wasting energy. But people did get fired for bringing a server down," says Patel.
The thinking is changing.One inspiration for that is work that Patel initiated at HP, which shows that the overall cost of power to IT equipment (the 'burdened cost of power') now exceeds the depreciation cost of that equipment. (See HP technical reports Energy Flow in the Information Technology Stack: Introducing the Coefficient of the Ensemble at its Impact on Total Cost of Ownership and Cost Model for Planning, Development and Operation of a Data Center.
A part of the burdened cost of power calculation is the cost of putting your gear to full use – a problem endemic to data centers that can't be fully populated by servers because they run too hot. At the same time, most data centers lack adequate air-conditioning controls. For example, the fans run at only one speed – the highest one.
"Would you buy a ceiling fan without a dial to alter its speed?" Patel asks. "Probably not. Yet most air conditioners in most data centers do not have such a dial."
It was problems like these that prompted Patel to found HP Labs' thermal technology research program and start a virtual thermal research community -- the HP Cool Team. The team's work led to the development of HP's Dynamic Smart Cooling, where sensors direct cooling only to the places in the data center that really need it, allowing it to run at greater efficiency and lower total operating cost.
One more element in the global IT equation is the cost of energy used in making IT equipment.
Mining, processing and refining the raw materials requires energy. So does manufacturing the equipment and delivering it.
"Inevitably, finite energy resources will be destroyed in that process," says Patel. "We need to create a design system that takes into account the worldwide energy supply and minimizes destruction of available energy."
Such designs must consider the entire lifecycle of a material, including the degree to which it can be repeatedly recycled and ultimately returned to as close to its original state as possible, he says.
All of these concerns are behind Patel's drive for a new philosophy for developing the next generation of IT systems.
"In the future, we will end up judging IT decisions based on the pool of available energy resources that we are depleting from the ground," he says.
Technically speaking, this is the second law of thermodynamics, which says that although using a resource (e.g., burning coal) does not result in destruction of energy, it does destroy its available energy – that is, its ability to do useful work.
Such available energy is often called exergy and the unit in which it is measured is a joule.
"In a flat world," suggests Patel, "the only currency is going to be joules – not yuans, not rupees, not dollars. What we want to do in our future research is to look at the entire IT ecosystem from end to end and quantify the available energy destroyed."
Patel also advocates that the 'smart' data center concept – where available energy is provisioned only when required by the equipment – be extended to the concept of 'Smart IT.' All IT systems, all over the world "need to place their workloads from a total cost point of view – as a balance of power, cooling and computing needs."
That cost, he says, should be measured in terms of available energy or exergy consumed.
That will require creating global IT systems that have a pervasive sensing, control and communications infrastructure, so system operators can tell what is needed and then deliver it remotely, anywhere in the world.
There's a lot of work to be done, says Patel, but people are getting the message.
"When we started this, we said management of energy as a key resource is going to be a requirement in the IT ecosystem. And sustainability was a bonus.
"Sustainability is no longer a bonus," he says, "Directly addressing sustainability leads directly to a lowest cost infrastructure."
|Printable version


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Social wonderland society
Social media has the power to grow your business by connecting you with new people every day.
But right now you're struggling to unlock that potential.
Maybe you feel like you're posting without a plan, guessing what to share and when, and basically wasting your time.
Or perhaps you've been frozen by information overload and don't know how to get started.
Social Wonderland Society will help you create and implement an efficient, effective social media plan to grow your business.
The right social media strategy will help you get more customers, in less time.
Social Wonderland Society is a monthly membership full of help, advice, trainings and a private Facebook group that takes away the confusion and overwhelm when it comes to social media.
Enrolment is now closed
Click below to join the waiting list
I'm Katie Tovey-Grindlay,
a multi award winning social media strategist and coach.
My social media journey started in 2011 when I started my own business. Shortly after starting my business, I found social media fascinating and wanted to learn all that I could about it. And to this day, I still do. Yep, I'm a bit of a social media geek.
Now I use my social media obsession to help other small business owners.
I'm taking away the guesswork for you with no fluff trainings inside the Social Wonderland Society.
I've done the research, tested the strategies and taken away the confusion to save you wasting your precious time and energy.
I know what a blessing it is when you are running your own business to have quick actionable steps that produce results.


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The Adventurer: Tasman Glacier Heli Hike
We are Operating!!
There has never been a better time to come and see your own backyard
To celebrate recommencing operations we are pleased to offer a limited time $120.00 per person off for our popular Heli Hike:
For Direct Bookings Only
Online Booking PROMO Code = MCGGDOM20
Validity: – For trips up to and including 1 December 2020
Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer/Subject to change
Minimum numbers to depart = 4 (Don't have 4 people? We will try to join you with other visitors or will suggest alternatives)
Tasman Glacier Heli-hike Mount Cook
Combine the excitement of walking on New Zealand's biggest glacier with the thrill of breathtaking scenic helicopter fly-bys of New Zealand's largest mountain, Aoraki/Mt Cook. You will fly in to your drop off point on a remote part of the glacier.
All Glacier Exploring Equipment Included
In summer, your guide will outfit you with special ice spikes for your feet, called crampons, designed for hard ice glacier conditions. During the winter months, you will be able to use crampons, try snowshoeing or a combination of both.
Once your crampons or snowshoes are fitted you'll go exploring the amazing ice formations, following your guide as they cut steps in the glacier, using skills handed down from NZ's mountain pioneers. Your trip finishes with another spectacular scenic flight back to our Aoraki/Mt. Cook base.
Every Tasman Glacier Hike Journey is Unique
As the glacier is changing all the time our experienced guides are always finding something new and interesting to show our visitors. Time on the ice is up to 2 hours, weather permitting.
A minimum of 3 people is required for a trip to depart (if you have less than 3 people in your group, we will do our best to put you on a trip with other people).
Important – Please Make Sure That You Arrive on Time for Your Trip
Please ensure that you allow sufficient time to travel to our base at the Aoraki/Mt Cook Airport, Mt Cook Road, State Highway 80 safely.
We have strict scheduled fly times so are unable to delay a trip departure if you are running late.
- Any Essential Medication
- 3 - 4 layers of warm upper body clothing
- Warm trousers (no jeans)
- Sunglasses and sun protection
- A daypack, a drink and snacks are useful
- A warm hat and gloves
- A Camera


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Has adopting a black child become the new past time for white celebrities?
You could argue such.
Steven Spielberg was one of the originators. Didn't remember that one, did you? Yeah, it's been going on for a while. Heard of 16 year old J Connor Cruise? He's become the toast of Hollywood DJ'ing some of the hottest gigs in town. And he's the other child of Tom Cruise not named Suri. Don't forget Michelle Pfeifer. She adopted a baby girl back in the day as well.
Since then adopting black children has taken off amongst white celebrities. Angelina Jolie, Madonna, Sandra Bullock, Charlize Theron and several other white celebrities have all adopted them.
TMZ has been around for several years. With all the hardcore obnoxiousness they lay on their celebrity subjects you'd have thought they'd done some sort of parody piece on this phenomenon a long time ago. Apparently not.
They actually did this a year ago but never released it publicly…until now.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mIzm0mP8a0%5D
You may also like:
TMZ Makes Fun Of Celebrities Adopting Black Babies was originally published on giantlife.com


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Millet Miage AF 60+10
Existing model- Backpack with versatile range: from mountain disciplines to trekking to year-round conventional mountaineering. Rugged and durable. High comfort adjustable back system.
- Main compartment with extendible lid
- Detachable, extendible lid flap with 2 zipped pockets. Key ring.
- Gear holding loops/Ice-axe holder
- Compatible with all hydration systems
- Dual pack-base compartment with access zip'
- Zipped side bellows pockets
- Ski-holding compression straps
- FPP Ergo ice-axe holder
- Ergonomic shoulder-straps + sternum strap + load transfers
- Removable ergonomic waistbelt


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1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm 32 and I live in Manchester, where I'm a city councillor.
2. How, when and why did you first start writing?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember... I think my first story was about a snowman. I got my first rejection letter from a publisher when I was 9! My mom (who was the inspiration for Kat in 'Shush') was my first reader: as soon as I could hold a pen she bought me a diary and encouraged me to write every day.
3. How often do you write?
Sadly, despite the diary I never really got into the daily writing habit! I'm very inconsistent: I can go for months feeling as though I've forgotten how to write at all, then spend a week writing for hours at a time.
4. What made you decide to enter the Mother's Milk Books Writing Prize?
I spotted the prize in Mslexia magazine's excellent listings section! I'm a big fan of any competition where instead of cash, the entry fee is an excuse to buy a book or some stationery...
5. How did it feel when you'd heard that you'd won?
I can remember exactly where I was – checking my emails as I walked up the stairs! I'd been feeling a little down on myself as a writer because it was a while since I'd been published or placed in a competition: winning the prize made me feel as though I wasn't completely wasting my time. Plus the very kind words from your judge helped me to identify some of the strengths in my writing. It's really helped me towards finding my voice.
6. Can you tell us a little about your winning piece of writing?
'Shush' was originally written for a different competition, for which the theme was 'Discovery'. I brainstormed that word and thought about how sometimes life's most exciting discoveries – twenty quid when you're broke, or anything at all when you're six and digging in the back garden with a spoon – are things that might seem quite small to other people.
The library in 'Shush' is inspired by my wonderful local community library, The Place At Platt Lane in Fallowfield, so I split the prize money with them and it went towards their 85th anniversary celebration – we had a great day.
7. Any future writing plans?
At the end of last year I was lucky enough to have a novel longlisted in the Mslexia Novel Competition. I didn't get any further in the competition, but now I have a novel draft to work with – so I'm going to spend some time hammering it into shape.
8. Any tips for writers?
If you're like me – inconsistent, and only capable of working when a deadline looms – then enter loads of competitions! Some of them are free to enter; some of them give you great feedback; some of them you might even win – but all of them will prompt you to get something written.
You can read Grace's winning story, 'Shush' here. And if you feel inspired to take part in this year's Writing Prize (and I'd really love it if you would!) please read the full guidelines here.
By accepting you will be accessing a service provided by a third-party external to https://www.mothersmilkbooks.com/


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Invasive Wildlife
- Cane Toad
- Cuban tree frog
- Florida's Introduced Birds series
- Invasive and Introduced Reptiles
- Lionfish
- Ecological Risk Assessment for Invasive Wildlife in Florida
- Invasive Species of Florida's Coastal Waters: The Asian Green Mussel (Perna viridis)
- Invasive Species of Florida's Coastal Waters: The Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) and Devil Firefish (P. miles)
- Options for Unwanted Exotic Pets
What is EDIS?
EDIS is the Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension, a collection of information on topics relevant to you. More...


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This message is shown if your computer has detected a difference between the firmware installed on your Mac and the firmware that macOS expected to see. Firmware is software that allows your Mac hardware to work with the OS, and firmware that has been damaged or modified might affect the stability and security of your Mac.
Beginning with macOS High Sierra 10.13, your Mac periodically checks for changes to the firmware and allows you to send information about these changes to Apple.
If you see a message that your computer has detected a potential problem, click Send to Apple to transmit information about the firmware change to Apple. You can click Show Report first to see the information that will be sent. Or you can click Don't Send to skip sending any information and dismiss the message.


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If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know that my blog is all about sharing. I enjoy sharing with you my life and everything that I love about life – food, parties, crafts, my family,everything pretty and delicious. I love that you take the time out of your busy daily lives to share some of it with me.
Something I do not actively share on on my blog is my religion. But my religion is a large part of my life, it is my life. It is not just something I do on Sunday. It effects every aspect of my life -my attitude, my lifestyle, my choices, my mothering, my marriage etc.
Through all of this sharing you have probably figured out that I am a Mormon (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) There has been a lot of "Mormon" talk in the media lately because of a particular presidential candidate. (I don't blog about politics either) Much of that talk has been good, some of it not so good and I realize there may be a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about what we as Mormons, truly believe. Whenever I have a question about a certain topic I like to go to the source. When I have a legal question I don't ask my doctor just as when you have a question about Mormons you shouldn't ask your Catholic friend, you should ask your Mormon friend and I hope that I am your Mormon friend.
Recently I joined together with an amazing group of women bloggers, who also all just happen to be Mormons. You may recognize some of them on the list. Many of my favorite bloggers are on this list. There are a lot of Mormon bloggers out there. Every wondered why? You may find this post by Mormon Blogger Sydney of Daybook interesting.
In an effort to combat the negativity and uplift and inspire and help answer your questions about Mormonism, Mariel from Or So She Says asked a group of Mormon bloggers to share their testimonies about the church and a few of our most favorite scriptures. I am honored to be part of that group.
If you've ever wondered why I'm Mormon—or why anyone is Mormon—now is your chance to find out. Because this project involves thoughts and stories dear to our hearts, we are making it available only to those who truly wish to read them. On that note, please respect our beliefs as I promise to do the same.
If you are genuinely interested in learning more about why many of your favorite bloggers are Mormon, send an email with your name and address to me at [email protected] You can also just ask me a question that I will be happy to answer in an email or you can receive the packet we have put together.
Due to the nature of this post, please keep your comments upbeat and kind. We are lucky to live in a free country where we are able to share our feelings and thoughts, whether or not we all agree, so let's please encourage one another and help each other along this journey of life 😉
Please feel free to privately email me any questions you might like an answer to.
If you'd like to receive the packet here's what you'll receive:
A packet filled with the personal thoughts of the following bloggers:
Along with the blogger packet, you will find our favorite scriptures and a free copy of The Book of Mormon. Why a copy of The Book of Mormon? It would be pretty difficult to truly understand us without it. It is, as we like to say, the keystone of our religion. From Mariel:
The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. It is the ancient records of prophets who lived in the Americas before, during and after Christ's time on earth. Honestly, I think it's the coolest book ever.
And FYI, if you do request a packet, I will not use your address for any purpose other than sending your packet. No strings attached! If missionaries show up on your doorstep, blame it on or thank someone else.
Also, this weekend is kind of a big deal for us Mormons. Twice a year we are able to enjoy General Conference. We get to stay home, in our jammies, and watch and listen to the leaders of our church provide us with counsel and guidance on TV. It is truly one of my favorite weekends of the year. If you get BYU TV (Channel 290 at our house) you too can tune in and listen. The Mormon Tabernacle choir will be singing!
General sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. MST
Here's a quick little video that explains a little more about General Conference.