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While full of fun and humour, playing The King's Ears requires attention to the story, experimentation, observation, and other forms of serious play. There are few instructions or hint diagrams in the app which means it can be challenging at times (moreso for adults than for children). My research in picturebook scholarship and early literacy convinced me that a lot of hints and instructions were unnecessary because of the way children read picturebooks. That is, they look carefully at the pictures, puzzle over the words, and deduce different meanings from their combined effect. My classroom testing confirmed that children in small groups did the same kind of intent exploration with story apps. The need to strategize and puzzle in The King's Ears and the way it repays playing in small groups could make collaborative playing more appealing to children with Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) .
In a study of group play with a puzzle app, Hourcade et al noted in Multitouch tablet applications and activities to enhance the social skills of children with autism spectrum disorders (Pers Ubiquit Comput (2012) 16:157–168), "[The ] Multitouch tablet encourag[es] pro-social behavior through sharing an interactive surface. . . ", and "It naturally encourages collaboration and coordination without requiring it. Both children with ASD and typically developing children enjoy playing with it, and puzzle together with other children."
The King's Ears may also have particular relevance for children with ASD because of the many interactions which explore emotion and convey inner states by combining facial expressions, sounds, words, and animation. While these interactions are meaningful to all children, they may be of particular value for children who have difficulty recognizing feelings in themselves and others. Several screens deal with feelings of pressure and anxiety.
Continue reading for some highlights from the app of aspects of play relevant to children with autism spectrum disorder, or download the full walkthrough for The King's Ears:
Summary: On this first story screen we are introduced to two of the three main characters: King Boyan and the bird.
Interactions:- Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Touch anywhere on the frame to make the king blink; touch again to make him cry a single tear.
– Listen to the sound of the tear splashing into a puddle of tears
– Drag the bird to make it fly around the screen; let her go and she will land on the frame or the lower right of the screen.
Discussion: The king is first shown inside a frame; he is trapped in an obsession with his appearance and it is the fear of being judged for it that keeps him a prisoner. In contrast, the unselfconscious bird is free and can fly anywhere it wants. The king's sad face, the interaction of tapping him to make him cry, and the sound of the tears splashing reinforce a feeling of sadness. The child may deduce that if there is enough accumulated water to make a splashing sound, it means the king has been crying for a long time.
Summary: We learn the reason the king never leaves the palace is because he has a secret: he has goat ears. Barbers who have seen the king's ears are never allowed to leave the palace again. The people are starting to wonder what's going on.
– Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Touch anywhere on the king or his reflection to alternate from the king from seeing his ears and being displeased, to hiding his ears and being happy with how he looks without them.
– Listen to his corresponding sounds of pleasure and displeasure.
– Touch the bird to make it flap. Touch again and it will walk across the frame. Swipe down, then tap to make her kiss her reflection accompanied by a kissing sound. Swipe up to make her become upright and walk back.
Discussion: The correspondence of happy face with happy sound, and annoyed face with annoyed sound are instructive for children with ASD. The bird's kissing sound and action are associated humourously with self-love.Children can discuss the contrast between the two characters' feelings about themselves. Which would be a better way to feel?
Summary: The king peeks out the window of his palace and sees the people talking about him.
Interactions: – Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Touch the king or the curtains to make the king hide or peek out. Listen to his sounds of fear and worry.
– Drag the people and the cat around the screen. Notice how characters who are dragged close and are facing each other
will whisper. Pull them apart to stop them whispering. Characters will flip over to face the direction they are dragged.
– Listen to each character's different voice. Notice that what they say is unintelligible. Each additional character added to a whispering group adds its voice, so the scene can get very loud.
Discussion: The necessity of being close and face-to-face to have a conversation models behaviour for children with ASD. The whispers are incomprehensible because we hear them as the king would and how even though he can't understand what people are saying, he worries it's not good. This mirrors the common social situation for both adults and children of hearing whispers but not well enough to understand what is being said. A person who worries what others think may assume whispers they don't understand are both about them and critical. The king hides and makes a worried sound when touched.
Summary: The screen opens with a glum barber facing glum pigs. Now that he's seen the king's ears, he cannot be allowed out to reveal the king's secret. In his hand is a pair of scissors which he snips compulsively. Here is a man sitting in a pigpen and wishing things were different.
– Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Tap the heartless pigs and see them laugh at the barber's plight.
– Touch the piglet hiding behind the big pigs and see her run to the barber and put her hooves on his knees to comfort him. Touching her resets the animation.
– See the tiny wiggling cloud shape hinting in the barber's ear.
– Touch to make it expand into a thought bubble which contains his vision of himself as a barber cutting the king's hair. Listen to his wistful sigh and see his smile.
– Touch the bubble again to see a slideshow of the mistake the barber made after he saw the king's ears. When the bubble disappears, the heartless pigs laugh and the barber looks glum again.
Discussion: The barber is happy and makes a happy sound with a good memory. He looks upset and makes an upset sound when he remembers something bad. The laughing pigs prompts a discussion on whether laughing when someone is sad is an appropriate response. The piglet demonstrates the behaviour of comforting by moving close and making kind sounds.
Summary: A closeup of the cat with a pair of scissors on either side. Interactions:
– Drag scissors to cat and use a using pinching motion to cuts hair
– Listen to the snipping sound and see the clumps of fur disappear in a spray of clipped hair. Notice how cutting the cat's hair reveals little scruffy patches until the cat is entirely bald.
– Listen to the cat purr.
Discussion: Two pairs of scissors allow for right- and left-handedness. The cat purrs throughout because he is happy to be with Igor. Purring is a unique and universally understood sound that means happiness. This interaction is fun because the cat looks increasingly ridiculous as his hair is cut, but is significant because it contrasts with the king who is so unhappy about his appearance that he becomes socially disabled. This screen also shows us that Igor is terrible at cutting hair.
Summary: Miro's barber shop. Three bangs on the door invite the player to tap to open the door.
– Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Open the door and a soldier will clank in.
– Touch the sheep outside make them jump and baa.
– Touch Miro to make him faint and the chicken flutter off.
– Touch the cat. She will run to the fallen barber and lick his face and purr to comfort him.
Discussion: For children with ASD, there is a clue about how to tell someone is unwell when Miro looks unhappy and goes pale before fainting. Igor demonstrates alarm when Miro faints through his facial expression, body position, and by saying, "Oh!" The cat demonstrates comforting behaviour.
Summary: Igor is at the palace and about to cut the king's hair. The bird flies back and forth dropping eggs.
– Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Tap Igor. He will cut raise his scissors to cut the king's hair then refuse. He'll refuse twice. On the third try he will start to cut. But as soon as he does the king's ears pop up, which triggers Igor's surprised reaction.
– Tap or drag and release the flying bird to drop an egg.
– Touching Igor while he's cutting will make him pause to contemplate his handiwork. After the bird has made ten passes across the screen, she flies down and lands on the king's chest. He looks annoyed. The bird nuzzles the king's beard and he makes a happy sound, closes his eyes and smiles. When tapped, the mischievious bird nibbles the king's nose, which prompts him to glare at the bird and growl.
Discussion: This egg game can be seen as meaningless messy fun or interpreted as an observation that life is chaotic. Being a powerful king and locking yourself in a palace can't prevent that. For children with ASD, Igor's behaviour demonstrates a child reluctant to try something new followed by a shrug meaning, "Okay, why not?" When Igor is surprised by the king's ears, it is a surprise tinged with humour, which says a little surprise may be a funny one. The wordless dialogue between the bird and the king show the king responding through expression and sound to behaviour he likes and behaviour that bugs him.
Summary: Igor has completed his first job as the king's barber. There are broken eggs everywhere and the king's hair is a fright, but the king is happy because Igor doesn't laugh at his ears. Igor is happy because he is satisfied with his own efforts in life.
– Read the story text.
– Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Touch the king or Igor to show their dialogue bubbles
– Touch bird to make her laugh and whistle.
Discussion: For children with ASD, there is a demonstration of two ways to respond to a request for reassurance. Igor sees the best in the king's appearance and smiles, nods, makes a positive sound and raises his arm. The king responds by smiling and making a happy sound. In contrast, the mischievious bird laughs or whistles.
Summary: Igor feels oppressed with the burden of keeping the king's secret. A pressure gauge represents Igor's internal state.
– Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– Drag the point of the needle on the dial to increase and decrease Igor's feeling of pressure about keeping the secret. This action can go backwards and fowards. When the player pushes the dial to maximum, there is a sound of a factory steam whistle.
Discussion: Dragging the needle makes Igor feel more or less pressured. Igor exhibits his distress by putting his hand to his mouth, moaning, and turning red with bulging eyes and cheeks. The pressure inside Igor is building to the explosion point. Sometimes it's hard to recognize in oneself or others a feeling of building stress. This interaction concretizes this emotional state and may provide a communication tool.
Summary: Encouraged by young Igor, the apprentice barber, the king ventures out of the castle for the first time. But he continues to hide behind the heavy curtains of the carriage. The occasion is the fair.
– Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– When screen opens can see horse's head and front feet on left. Drag to bring animated coach and horses onto the screen.
– Observe that the carriage knocks the apple man, causing him to spill his apples. A speech bubble appears, "Please help me pick up my apples."
– Drag the apples to the basket. See the apple man make a grateful gesture and sound. – Pick up all the apples, moving the carriage to see if any are hidden behind it. The apple man blows a kiss of thanks and makes a kissing sound when all the apples are back in his basket.
– See the curtains quiver because the king is shaking with fear. Tap on the curtain to make the king peek out. Touch king to make him hide and make an unhappy yelp.
– Touch the horse's hindquarters to make her poop. Notice the bird squawk when the horse poops.
– Touch the bird to make her squawk and move. Drag the bird to make her sidestep across the top of the carriage.
– Move carriage to the right and off screen. This will cause the next screen to open.
Discussion: This screen shows a request for help after an accident, an opportunity to give that help, and expressions of gratitude. Throughout, the king remains locked in his own uphappiness to the extent of not noticing the accident his carriage causes nor helping to clean up. He hides in his carriage, shaking the curtains, peeking out, and yelping. The player, however, can enact the appropriate way to respond by picking up the apples and receiving thanks.
Summary: Igor hurries to the palace to apologize to the king. He feels responsible for the king's secret getting out.
– Igor is pacing the room.
– Tap to see him bend forward and moan with anxiety.
– When he hears the king arriving, tap Igor to see him flap his arms and gurgle with anxiety.
– When the king enters, Igor throws himself at his feet and cries loudly and wetly.
– Tap the king who reassures Igor. Igor stops crying, sighs, and smiles. His tears drain away.
Discussion: Anxious anticipation is shown through sound, action and expression. Igor's unhappiness is so great his tears fill the room. The Mona Lisa empathizes by watching Igor and crying with him. The mischievious bird uses the opportunity to play with her boats. The bird's lack of empathy, while funny, is a useful contrast to behaving with empathy. The king expresses gratitude and concern through his expressions, reaching down to Igor, and warm vocalization.
Summary: On this last screen of the story King Boyan leaves his picture-frame prison and is free.
– Read the story text. Touch the sound button to listen to the narration.
– The King reaches out for help in getting out of the frame – Drag king out of frame. – King flaps his arms and hovers in the air.
– Drag him flying around the room. Background moves to show the open window. King can be dragged out. He will momentarily vanish to the left, the appear again, flying back and forth in the distance silhouetted against the bright sky. The bird follows him. Listen to the people on the street respond to seeing the king fly above them.
Discussion: Again the player is asked for help and in responding receives the thanks of the king's great pleasure in being free. Dragging the flying king actualizes empathy by enabling the king to fly. Dragging the king and releasing him out the window extends that empathy and embodiment of the king's experience. Listening to the responses of the people who react first fearfully, then led by the children, with happy congratulation is an exercise in listening and deciphering emotional vocalizations.


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Herpes Simplex Virus
Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are two strains of the Herpes virus family, Herpesviridae, which cause infections in humans. HSV-1 and 2 are also referred to as Human Herpes Virus 1 and 2 (HHV-1 and HHV-2).
After an initial, or primary, infection, HSV establishes latency, during which the virus is present in the cell bodies of nerves which innervate the area of original outbreak. During reactivation, virus is produced in the cell and transported outwardly via the nerve cell's axon to the skin. The ability of Herpes virus to establish latency leads to the chronic nature of Herpes infection; after the initial infection subsides, Herpes symptoms may periodically recur in the form of outbreaks of herpetic sores near the site of original infection.
Herpes infections are marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or mucous membranes (such as the mouth or lips) or on the genitals. The blisters resemble those seen in Chickenpox — an infection caused by a third member of the alpha-Herpesviridae subfamily, Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), also known as Human Herpes Virus 3 (HHV-3). Lesions heal with a crudescent scab, the hallmark of herpetic disease. Herpes is contagious if the carrier is producing and releasing ("shedding") virus. This is particularly likely during an outbreak, although individuals may shed virus between outbreaks. Although no cure is yet available, treatments exist which reduce the likelihood of viral shedding. An infection on the lips is commonly known as a "cold sore" or "fever blister"; not to be confused with a canker sore, which is not caused by the HSV virus.
HSV is generally transmitted by direct contact of lips or genitals when the sores are present, or just before they appear (known as shedding). In addition, herpes may be transmitted during childbirth, which can be fatal to the infant. The immature immune system of the child is unable to defend against the virus and even if treated, infection can result in brain damage. Transmission occurs while passing through the birth canal and the risk of infection is minimal if there are no symptoms or exposed blisters during delivery. The first outbreak after exposure to HSV is commonly more severe than future outbreaks, as the body has not had a chance to produce antibodies; this first outbreak also carries the risk of developing meningitis.
Entry and Replication
Entry and replication of the HSV involves interactions of several viral glycoproteins with cell surface receptors or particles. The virus particle contains an envelope which, when bound to specific receptors on the cell surface, will fuse with the cell membrane. This allows entry of the viral particle into the host cell. Initially, glycoprotein C, on the surface of the viral envelope, targets and binds to a cell surface particle, heparan sulfate. This interaction allows for other surface glycoproteins to interact with the host cell. Two major glycoproteins, glycoprotein B and glycoprotein D, also associate with the cell membrane. Glycoprotein D binds specifically to the herpesvirus entry mediator receptor (HVEM), thus providing a strong, fixed attachment to the host cell. Glycoprotein B interacts with host cell surface glycosaminoglycans.
Once bound to the HVEM, glycoprotein D changes its conformation and interacts with glycoproteins H and L, which form a complex. Glycoprotein B interaction with the glycoprotein H and L complex allows the virus to enter into the cell. The viral particle migrates to the nucleus, where the genome is replicated using enzymes from the host cell. Upon entering the cell, an α-TIF protein also joins the viral particle and aids in immediate early Transcription. The virion host shutoff protein (VHF-UL41) is very important to viral replication. This enzyme shuts off protein synthesis in the host, degrades host mRNA, helps in viral replication, and regulates gene expression of viral proteins. While the viral genome immediately travels to the nucleus, the VHF protein remains in the cytoplasm.
The packaging of the viral particles, which include the genome, core and the capsid, occur in the nucleus. In the nucleus, cleavage of genome concatemers occurs and these are placed into pre-formed capsids. The viral envelope is acquired from the nuclear envelope, more specifically the inner lamellae of the membrane.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the cast of The Hunger Games, answer questions at a local press appearance at the Mall of America in Minnesota. Jennifer, and her co-stars have been busy promoting the film which premiers on March 23rd. Are you planning on seeing the film?
Jennifer wore a pair of J Brand's 910 skinny jeans in Pure with a pair of boots and a striped Tory Burch top. I have these jeans and love them! The Pure wash is such a beautiful dark blue-black, they look great with so many things. You can buy J Brand jeans online at JBrandjeans.com.


text: Stan Hutson 164 Report post Posted October 12, 2017 I can't remember if I posted this before or not, but this is pretty neat. The letter was written by E. W. Treadwell of Company H, 19th Alabama Infantry on 26 March 1862. Neat insight concerning the days before Shiloh. You know we are already short of firearms but our Blacksmiths are engaged in making pikes which I think will be valuable to us. General B. (Beauregard) is gathering up all the church bells he can get to make cannons and I am glad to learn that the churches are sending them in with all the feelings of patriotism that can prompt a true Southerner It is for sale, so if anyone is looking for an early Christmas present for me HA! http://www.mqamericana.com/19th_AL_Battle_of_Shiloh.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Mooncup Ltd
Vantage Point, New England Road
BN1 4GW Brighton
United Kingdom
Phone: +44(0)1273.673845
Fax: +44(0)1273.628187
Mooncup® is the original, soft, medical-grade silicone menstrual cup designed by women as the convenient, safe and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and pads.
Tried and trusted since 2002 by users around the world, the Mooncup menstrual cup offers an end to the waste, discomfort and expense of disposable sanitary protection. Popular worldwide, the Mooncup is distributed in over 50 countries.
Mooncup Ltd is ISO 13485 certified and is registered with the FDA. Rated 'Best Buy' of all sanitary protection by the Ethical Consumer magazine, top-rated sanitary product business in The Good Shopping Guide, and recommended by prestigious independent expert advice magazine, Which?
In the United Kingdom, Mooncup is stocked by Boots, the leading British pharmacy chain, and good independent health food stores. Mooncup Ltd are returning to Vivaness to nurture an ever-growing network of stockists across Europe.


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By John Gruber
Next-generation Apple device management for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS. Request access.
My boy started getting into checkers a few months ago, which means I'm into checkers now, too. I looked around in the App Store, and while there were a bunch of checkers games, none of them were any good. (In fact, many of them don't even enforce the rules of the game, such as that if you can jump, you must jump — why would anyone program a checkers game that doesn't enforce the rules?)
But then came Igor Diakov's American Checkers, released earlier this month. This is a great iPhone checkers game — without question the best in the App Store — and it costs just $1. The gameplay is good, the AI has five settings that (for me at least) span the gamut from easy to impossible, and it's very fun.
★ Tuesday, 24 March 2009


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Marangu Waterfalls
With a back drop of the mighty Kilimanjaro, the waterfalls provide a relaxing day trip, that enable you to see more of the countryside whilst also stretching your legs as you walk to the waterfall. Swimming is also possible. You will also have a chance to see the caves which was used by the Chagga tribal which was used during the tribal war with other tribal million years ago, the trip includes a guide, transport, packed lunch, entrance fees, and one bottle of mineral water. 7 hours- Full day
Moshi Forest Tour
Visit the lush, cool Moshi forest, spend time walking around exploring the forest and viewing the large Baobab trees. The trip will take around 5 hours and the price includes a guide, transport, visit to the rice paddies and entrance into the forest. Lunch can be arranged on request.
Town Trip
We can arrange for guided town visits. During the trip, you can visit markets, churches, shops and other points of interest. You can also visit banks and bureau de change as necessary. After traipsing around town, you will have worked up a hunger, the day will finish with a late lunch at a tasty spot in town.
Coffee Tour
Coffee was one of the major exports of Tanzania, whilst this has lessened, coffee growing is still widespread across the region. You will travel between 10-25kms from Honey Badger and the trip will provide you with the opportunity to meet with local coffee growers, learn about the history whilst experiencing the process involved in making your own cup of coffee, i.e. the picking, roasting and grinding of the beans. This is a full day trip and will take around 8 hours and will include lunch. The price
Chemka Hot spring
The tour takes you to the fascinating warm spring in the village with amazing clear blue water in beautiful surroundings covered by big trees with surprising roots of the fig trees, visitor will have a chance to swimming against strong flow of water in spring, camping overnight and having a local food prepared by our local mamas. This is a full day trip and will take around 8 hours and will include lunch. The price does not include the transport.
Lake Chala
30 km east of Moshi, this crater lake fed from Mount Kilimanjaro is truly an off the beaten track. The views of the surrounding area and the shores of the lake provide a magnificent picnic site. The Chala Hill walk is best done in the early morning. Well worth the climb, this is an incredibly scenic walk with breath taking 360% views across the lake to Kenya, to Lake Jipe, Kilimanjaro and over most of the 800 hectares of Chala land. This walk can be continued right around the lake.
Materun Village & Coffee Tour
Materuni is one of the few villages of wonder in Northern Tanzania sitting at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. The village is blessed with full of all the beauty worth much visiting for holiday, week-end outing or vacation. While in the village, scenic view of Moshi Town and Mount Kilimanjaro is astonishing. This green village with fresh air from green vegetations welcomes visitors to explore the beauty of the land and cultural heritage of the Chagga people.
Coffee Tour (2-3 hrs)
The tour takes you around the coffee small farms owned by the villagers where an opportunity to learn traditional ways of growing coffee, harvesting and preparing it for drinking is guaranteed.
Waterfall tour (2 hrs)
The tour starts from tourism office at Materuni village then take a walk though banana and coffee plantation identifying different species of bananas as you're going to the "Mnambe" waterfall where you will enjoy swimming in a natural pool.


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KCHA Sports Report (10/2)
In a game heard right here on KCHA Friday night, the Charles City Comet football team was on the road against Vinton-Shellsburg for a Class 3A District 3 contest. The Comet football team was able to pick up their first District win of the season as they defeated the Vikings 36-20. Sophomore defensive back Marcus Cranshaw got the Comets on the board as he returned an interception 52 yards for a score. The Comets were able to control the game on the ground after that as they finished with 331 yards rushing as a team which came out to over 5.5 yards/carry. Leading the rushing attack was Sophomore Mitz Concepcion who finished with 95 yards on the ground. Senior quarterback Mike Cranshaw had 84 yards and two touchdowns rushing and also threw a 33 yard touchdown pass to Trey Walker. Elliott Sinwell rounded out the scoring for the Comets with a 56 yard TD run. With the win, Charles City football is now 2-4 on the season and 1-3 in the District. They will return home this Friday night to take on Benton.
The Nashua-Plainfield Husky football team made it three wins in a row on Friday night as they beat West Fork 26-12 in Class A District 3 play on the road. Husky quarterback Dayton Hansen threw for 183 yards and had a touchdown pass to Levi Enright and John Krull. Tristan Brase rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown and Mason Hyde had 80 yards on the ground and a touchdown for the Huskies. Nashua football improves to 4-2 on the season overall and they move to 3-1 in the District. They will play at home this Friday night against Grundy Center.
The Osage Green Devil football team picked up a win in Forest City on Friday night as they won the defensive battle 13-7. The Green Devils finished with less than 200 yards of total offense, but were able to get two rushing touchdowns, one by Drew Olson and the other by Zach Williams to help them to the win. Osage football evens up their overall record at 3-3 and they move to 3-1 in Class 2A District 2. A road game at New Hampton awaits them this Friday night.
The North Butler Bearcat football team was able to take the field for the first time in three weeks and they made the most of it as they were able to defeat Rockford on the road 26-13. The Bearcats used a two-headed rushing attack as Brandon Trees rushed for 180 yards and Rhett Lammers finished with 162 yards on the ground and they each found the end zone twice. North Butler is now 3-3 overall this season and they move their Class A District 3 record to 1-3. The Warriors remain winless at 0-6 and 0-4. The Bearcats will play West Fork at home this Friday night while Rockford will play at West Hancock.
The Saint Ansgar Saints football team kept their perfect season in tact on Friday night as they defeated Grundy Center on the road in a Class A District 3 game 42-21. The Saints attempted just two passes on the night as they let their rushing game carry them. Josh Van Vliet ran for 183 yards and a touchdown, Dayton Smith rushed for 73 yards and two touchdowns and Colin Kramer and Jack Sievert each had a rushing touchdown. The other Saints score came on a 70 interception return by Smith. The Saint Ansgar football team is now 6-0 overall and they move to 4-0 in the District. They will play at home this Friday night against Mason City Newman.


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There is a great demand for English fruit in preference to imports when it is available, so by growing fruit on various geographical sites, the length of the UK season can be optimised.
Although Haven and Coombe Farm are only a mile from Winterwood, the Southern facing slope of Coombe Farm means that the same crop will be 3 weeks earlier on that site compared to Winterwood, and Haven Farm falls roughly in the middle.
Winterood Farms Ltd has recently added an additional 16 acres of ground locally to its area farmed. This new farm called "Haven Farm" is now run together with Coombe Farm. This fertile ground will be used to extend the production of soft fruit predominantly Raspberries and Blackberries.
Winterwood Farm comprises just under 50 acres of good soft fruit ground, on a well drained very fine sandy loam. The farm grows Raspberries, Redcurrants, Blackcurrants, Blackberries and Gooseberries.


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Patna, Jun 19 (PTI) South west monsoon may advance further in remaining parts of Bihar during the next two-three days.
The monsoon has hit the eastern parts of Bihar on Friday, June 16.
"Favourable conditions are developing for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, remaining parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, some parts of East Madhya Pradesh and East Uttar Pradesh during next 2-3 days," said All India Weather Inference report issued by the India Meteorological Department, Delhi.
As per bulletin issued by Patna Meteorological Centre, Bihars major cities like Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea may also witness partly cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thundershower tomorrow.
Gaya recorded the highest maximum temperature at 41.1 degrees celsius, followed by 39.8 degrees in Patna, 37.0 in Bhagalpur and 34.4 in Purnea, it said.
Light to moderate rainfall occurred at one or two places in north east parts of the state in the past 24 hours.
Patna received a trace while Purnea 2.5 mm and Bhagalpur 0.2 mm rainfall in past 24 hours, it said adding that Purnea received 2.5 mm rainfall and Bhagalpur received 0.6 mm rainfall today.
Dengraghat received 5 cm while Islampur and Manihari 2 cm each, bulletin said.


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Horse Ride Tour In JarabacoaDate: Wednesday 3 jun 2020 - Thursday 31 Dec 2020
Nature trail for the whole family where you can get in touch with nature and enjoy a relaxing walk with your children. If you do not have much experience you will be assigned a person who will help guide your horse.
To know how to swim
To be older than 16
About one hour
Crash helmet
What should I bring
long pants and shirt / tees to prevent burns caused by the sun or the saddle
Shoes / sandals
Do not take alcoholic drink before activity
minimum age 16
Be in good health and mental condition
Weight 225 lbs maximum.
It not allowed to do this walk alone in swimsuit
Show more
Book now - choose start date and product
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Thursday, 9 April 2015
Pretty In Purple
The purple lace number, got the necessary attention when the actress, made her appearance.
The outfit was teamed by details...lace bodice, cute clutch bag, trendy nude pairs, and a matching belt that truly suits the dress.
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Sitges 2010: BLOOD RIVER Review
Over the past few years we have kept close tabs on British director Adam Mason in these pages, drawn in first by his remarkable ability to manipulate tension and accomplish rather a lot on very tiny budgets, and then further impressed by the remarkable steps forward Mason has been taking from film to film. And fresh off of an appearance by his feature The Devil's Chair in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto Film Festival that constant striving forward continues with his latest effort, the genre defying Blood River. By far Mason's most cinematic film to date it is also his more personal work and features the most thematically complex script from Mason and writing partner Simon Boyes to date. A simmering study of Old Testament style sin and retribution, Blood River plays like a slow burning Faulkner by way of Deliverance. We begin with Clark and Summer - young, attractive, still freshly married and driving through the Nevada desert to tell her parents of Summer's pregnancy. The pair pass a lone figure walking along the side of the road and debate picking him up and eventually opt against it, unaware of what an impact this one man would soon have on their lives. His name is Joseph - a powerful performance from Andrew Howard who also starred in Mason's The Devil's Chair - a hard drinking, chain smoking drifter with a major religious fixation and the deeply held conviction that he is a messenger from God, called to judge people for their sins. And everybody has sins. Everybody is in need of judgment. Everything is going well for Clark and Summer until a blowout leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere. Clark is bloodied by the resulting crash, Summer fears the effect the impact may have had on her unborn child. They have no water. They have no spare. Their car is bogged down in sand and the roadside motel they spent the previous night at is fifty miles back. Their only hope is to continue forward on foot and hopefully find help at the small town labeled on their map as Blood River. But when they arrived, tired and dehydrated, they discover that Blood River is dead, a ghost town. There is no help to be found there. They are completely on their own with no resources whatsoever until, once again, they see a lone figure approaching on the road. It is Joseph. He explains that his truck has run out of gas and suggests the camp for the night where they are before returning to Clark and Summer's car on foot to siphon off the gas for use in his truck which they can then drive for help. They see no other option, and Joseph has both food and water in his pack, and so they agree. But Joseph has no real desire to find help ... Although screened as a work in progress at an invitation only screening at the European Film Market, in a version without color grading, ADR or any significant post production work done on it whatsoever, Blood River is an immediately striking visual piece of work. Shot on location in the desert outside of LA the film makes great use of the desolate landscapes and lonely imagery. It is a beautifully shot piece of work, one that makes use of aerial and crane shots to fully exploit the vast expanse of its desolate setting before moving into the deserted town and gradually developing into an uncomfortably claustrophobic indoor affair. A difficult work to categorize, Blood River is very clearly recognizable as Mason's but it is Mason exploring some very new ground. While there are a pair of striking gore shots in the film and there is certainly a good deal of violence, that vilence occurs on a more mental and emotional level than on the physical. While it will appeal largely to horror fans I don't think it can really be considered a horror film per se, though it's not really a thriller, either. Whatever you want to classify it as it seems quite clear that this is the most personally invested Mason has ever been with his material, it seems clear he really means what he's saying here and he has some truly troubling things to say about the nature of evil, the nature of sin, and the consequences that it carries. Blood River is a more difficult film than Mason's earlier works, it asks more of its audience and, as a consequence, it will probably require a little more time to find that audience. The very things that make it difficult, however, will also very likely prove to make it lasting. Blood River is no disposable piece of entertainment, it is a film with some substance to it, one that will stick in the minds of its viewers.
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Whatever your current strength level, one of these push-ups is right for you. Start with the level that you can perform at least 8 but no more than 12 times slowly. As you get stronger, add on more repetitions, and when you reach 15 in good form, switch to the next level, starting at 8 repetitions.
- Wall push-up: Stand facing a wall, arm's length away, hands on wall. Keeping your body rigid, bend elbows to let your body release toward the wall, heels lifting. Push back up to standing position.
- Bent-leg push-up on floor: Start on hands and knees, body forward so that weight is not on kneecaps, and form a straight line from knees to head, feet up and crossed. Bend elbows to lower chest toward the floor, then straighten arms.
- Straight-leg push-up on floor: Hands and feet are on the floor, and body is parallel to the floor. Keep head, neck and spine in alignment and abdominals contracted through the whole sequence. Lead with the chest and don't dip the chin, forehead or hips.
- Go slowly: no faster than 2 seconds down and 2 seconds up, and even slower if you're strong. Exhale on the way up.
- Straight-leg push-up feet on step (for advanced exercisers): Same as straight-leg push-up on floor, except hands are on the floor and feet on a step.


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Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'The Lighter Side' started by Glockrunner, May 30, 2007.
I think this person was a bit ticked....
That is a classic.
Outstanding. I wish I thousht of it. Good Luck and Ride Safe
Wow, never seen that one. A stroke of genius for sure.
Hmmmmmmmm, I need to go borrow a backhoe . . . .
"Hello, auto club? I'm gonna need one hell of a tow truck......."
Whoever did it certainly did a nice job. I guess the water in the trench was an extra added attraction.
We buried a car in snow once but that takes first prize!


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Neither of my parents, who divorced when I was five, went to college. I was a good student and was determined to go. Rome had two colleges and a junior college, and there were many colleges and universities in the region. Most of my classmates headed to those or to the big state universities. I headed to a small private Baptist college in the mountains, Carson Newman College.
I worked three of my four summers in the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains, two dipping ice cream at a Baptist conference center and another working at a glass shop at the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tn. I never would have imagined that I would return to those mountains years later as a lawyer.


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Looking forward to Baltimore Innovation Week? So are we! Check out this post to see where the Yet Analytics team will be hanging out this year.Read More
We're so excited about the team we're building that we want to show them off a bit. In the below interview, we'll introduce you to our VP of Enterprise Sales, Mike Anthony - the person that helps our customers design and build the best solutions for their organization.Read More
We're so exciting about the team we're building that we want to show them off a bit. In the below interview, we'll introduce you to our UX expert, Erika Lee - the person that keeps us on point when it comes to creating the amazing user experiences you've come to expect from Yet.Read More
Yet Analytics, the Baltimore-based creator of a software platform for experience data, has been named Tech Startup of the Year at the annual Baltimore Innovation Week awards ceremony.Read More
Yet Analytics co-founder Margaret Roth will be presenting at the WOW Festival on a panel titled "Solutions to Gender Bias in STEM."Read More
The Baltimore Women in Tech Summit brought together nearly 100 women from across the region's tech industry at the University of Baltimore this past weekend.Read More
Baltimore Innovation Week is right up there on our list of favorite weeks of the year with summer vacation and our birthdays. These are the events during #BIW15 that the Yet Team won't be missing. We're excited to see you there!Read More
At what we hope will become an annual event, Smartlogic, Downtown Partnership, and EAGB brought together tech-heavy startups with industry heavy-hitters at b2Bmore.Read More
With great resolve to keep the good in mind in a trying time, April's Startup Soirée went on as planned. In a conversation led by Hersh's Pizza and Drinks founder Stephanie Hershkovitz, the current state of affairs led to a deep and personal discussion on people, their stories, and how they are part of developing a brand.Read More


text: Age 68, of Norco, Entered Into Eternal Rest on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 after failing health. He was born on September 15, 1949, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the beloved son to his parents Willard and Bernadine (Kardos) Shaffer. David proudly served his Country for over 6 years with the U.S Navy. Soon after his release from duty, David worked as a Network Systems Engineer for over 35 years. He leaves behind his son, Brad and his longtime companion, Patricia. No formal services will be held.


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The Whitehall Youth League is hoping some teamwork between the league, the town and the community will result in some much needed improvements to fields at the Rec. Center.
League officials approached the town board at last Wednesday's meeting looking for assistance and the town is expected to review their request.
The fields, which are used for baseball, softball, cheerleading and football, have fallen into disrepair and feature a litany of problems.
On Friday evening four members of the youth league board — Chad Monty, Jeremy Putorti, Melvin O'Dell, and Clayton Laubach — met with Supervisor George Armstrong to point out a few of the problems.
They pointed out sinkholes, areas of poor drainage, uneven playing surfaces and holes in the fence surrounding the area. They also discussed inadequate restroom facilities and insufficient space for equipment storage.
"It's disappointing because teams from other towns come and comment on the field," said Monty.
"It's been a long time since any work was put into the fields," said Putorti. "There are all sorts of problems. It's not good for the community.
"We want to make it safe and a little more aesthetically appealing."
Although the town purchased some bases a few years ago, there has been little money set aside in its budget for maintenance of the fields, leaving the onus on the league.
"We're not looking for lots of money. Some machinery and help from the town crews would go a long way," said Putorti.
One of the biggest problems is drainage. Because the fields are not crowned, water collects in the infield and can make the field unplayable. The problem is made worse by the fact that the material in the infield has compacted so tightly over the years that it doesn't allow water to permeate the ground. That same material has slowly spread to the outfield, enlarging the area that is affected each time it rains.
Last year a tournament the youth league says it relies on as a major fundraiser had to be canceled because the fields were too wet to permit play.
"We need to bring some shale in, crown the field, dump some topsoil on it and let the grass grow back," Monty said.
League officials admit it may be a little too late to properly address the drainage issues before the season begins in another month, but are hoping to get a cost estimate to bring in fill and topsoil.
The fields are also littered with a number of deep, softball-size holes that will likely require some fill. League officials are worried a wrong step could result in a twisted ankle or worse.
The league has taken steps to address some of the problems.
A pair of goal posts that was just out of the field of play was removed so kids wouldn't run into them and get hurt.
The league has also purchased a prefabricated storage shed so that equipment isn't sitting inside dugouts all year. And officials will construct two dugouts on the field located closest to the Rec. Center. They may consider renting portable toilets during the season as well.
But with $3,000 in insurance costs each year and the recent discovery that 29 football helmets failed their annual safety exam and are therefore unusable, the board's resources are expected to dry up quickly, which is why they've requested the assistance of the town.
Armstrong said it may be difficult to find money this year because there wasn't anything set aside in the budget, but he said the town will work with the league to develop solutions.
The league may also ask for the village for some assistance and are looking for volunteers from the community who may be able to lend a helping hand.
The nonprofit league, which has been in operation for more than two decades, has about 150 kids signed up for the baseball and softball programs this spring.
"This is the future of the community. It starts right here," Putorti said.


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Marketing the Rainbow
Click on pictures for larger image.
Pepsi and the other brands belonging to the same group were among the first major fmcg brands to use gay advertising and marketing.
The company has been broadly eyeing the U.S. gay market since 1997, when it was advised by a gay marketing agency to expand its policies for gay employees first (which is almost always the first step in the process of Marketing the Rainbow).
Corporate efforts to target the LGBT customers did not happen for a while, however. In Colorado Springs, an regional bottler supported Pride events since 1999 and an independent Pepsi bottler was supporting a Pride parade in California in 2001. There were other local initiatives: the Chicago chapter of EQUAL, the employee-resource group for LGBT, organized an event asking straight PepsiCo associates to become LGBT allies. In three days, 475 employees made the ally pledge, committing to support LGBT equality in the workforce and reinforcing the importance of being a visible supporter.
On corporate level, first - support was institutionalized. In 2002, the company amended its equal employment opportunity statement to include sexual orientation. In 2004 it added "gender identity and expression," and "domestic partner benefits." They also offer insurance coverage for transgender employees, including leave after surgery, and counseling, hormone therapy, medical visits and surgical procedures. PepsiCo requires that its employees attend sexual orientation and gender identity training. EQUAL's four chapters span all company brand holdings.
The website states: "People are PepsiCo's greatest asset. We believe in building a workforce that reflects the diverse consumers and communities we serve. Diversity and engagement is core to our company's values and how we operate as a global corporate citizen."
Since 2004 they have received a perfect 100 score in the Corporate Equality Index. In 2017 they won the HRC Corporate Equality Award for "exceptional commitment to equality for the LGBTQ community".
The company also won a Workplace Excellence Award at the Out & Equal Summit.
In 2009, Pepsi made a donation of $500,000 to the Human Rights Campaign and the same amount to PFLAG, which made some people (read American Family Association, AFA) wonder "Has Pepsi Gone Gay?" - also because no donations were made to "organizations opposing to homosexuality". The AFA indignantly observed that PepsiCo was continuing "its support and sponsorship of the homosexual agenda despite growing protest and a continuing boycott of Pepsi products", and "revealed" that PepsiCo was a founding member in establishing a homosexual activist group in Chicago called Citywide Pride. One of the points on the agenda of Citywide Pride allegedly was "Recruitment and engagement" techniques training.
The AFA claimed that Pepsi said: "It really is a true celebration of the entire community when PepsiCo steps out to be part of a parade. In most of these cities, we are giving out a sampling of all our product lines, which are as diverse as Tropicana juice, all the way to Frito-Lay chips. We also hand out cups and banners and whistles. It's really a true corporate presence once we hit the parade route." Bells and whistles... Chicago mothers, watch your children! Pepsi stood by their pro-gay stance and was subsequently praised and elected one of the five most gay-friendly food and drink products by Westworld.
A boycott by the AFA is normally quite beneficial for a brand, see my article about boyotts.
Note: in 2014 AFA announced a boycott of Coco-Cola. Soon, they will only have water left to drink.
Pepsi was present at the 15th Annual Out & Equal Summit in 2013 with a PepsiCo Café, where they announced to sponsor HRC's Historically Black College and University LGBT Leadership and Career Summit in 2013, providing internship opportunities to Summit participants as well.
In 2014 they joined brands such as Costco, Apple, Netflix and Gap, by launching an anti-bullying campaign "Go Purple" ahead of the annual Spirit Day (October 16), which is organized by GLAAD. They encouraged their employees to wear purple and to share anti-bullying messages and content from website with the hashtags #SpiritDay and #PurpleOn. "PepsiCo leads by example and is a true ally of the LGBT community and our organization," said GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis. Patrick McLaughlin, senior VP of Human Resources for PepsiCo's Frito-Lay was be among the speakers at GLAAD's 2014 Game Changers Gala.
At the Milan Design Week 2016, where Pepsi had a major and impressive presence, they announced to "take emojis offline in new and surprising ways", and the range of emojis included one for the Week's gay pride parade, which was used on bottles as well. Additionally, a partnership with renowned Italian designer Fabio Novembre led to a float for Design Pride 2016. The press release bleated: "The unexpected result, celebrating the mood of the event and Pepsi's new global campaign and visual vocabulary, conveys all the positivity of the American brand reinterpreted with irony and Italian style". So there you have it.
In the 2005 Super Bowl Pepsi spot "Queer Eye" star Carson Kressley gapes at an attractive man on the street. The spot also features Cindy Crawford in a cameo.
Thanks to Pepsi (sponsoring the half-time show) and Satan (?), the 2016 Super Bowl "turned all 114.4 million viewers gay by sneaking in gay pride symbols, upside-down crucifixes, 666s and none-too-subtle hell-pits onstage with Coldplay's help, Illuminati symbolism and liberal propaganda" - according to a conserative vlogger, who was ignorant of the fact that the displayed rainbows and flowers were the images of Coldplay's new CD. So, Pepsi was condemned because of... "Illuminati symbols"? Better not watch the Super Bowl next time.
PepsiCo was one of the first sponsors of PrideVision, a 24-hour gay TV network launched in Canada in 2001.
After the formation of EQUAL, Pepsi made its debut in Pride parades in June 2004, followed by participation in and sponsoring of similar events - like the 35th New York Pride, and in Dallas, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Diet Pepsi has kept a relatively consistent gay media presence since then.
One of their ads features a young, shirtless man with a "nutrition facts" box that lists the number of "six packs consumed a week to keep this 'six pack'" at two.
Jazz Diet Pepsi, the flavored diet drink, was given mainstream publicity as well as an aim for the gay market via LOGO, the gay cable network.
In Canada, a "bisexual" man came out of the closet in a commercial and declared his love for... Pepsi and Diet Pepsi. How fun.
In a spot aired in the UK, a man drinks a Pepsi to find courage to ask someone out. He passes up two women and expresses interest in a man. His friends are baffled by his choice, which damages the message a bit, but it is funnily done.
Pepsico's brands Doritos and Lays repeatedly released so-called gay tease commercials. All these ads use gay jokes to appeal to a larger audience (because, who does not want to laugh at the gays?). However, they were not really aimed at the gay market - in fact did more to alienate them - but Pepsi did enter that arena.
In 2002 Pepsi ran an ad in Australia, where two wrestlers are fighting. One gets knocked out, and in his 'dream' sees a Kylie-like fairy who does the Pepsi Challenge with him. When he wants to kiss her, he wakes up and is about to kiss his opponent. A violent head-butt is the result. Complaints from Victoria's gay community resulted in an investigation by the country's Advertising Standards Bureau, but no action was taken. Michael Barnett, who registered the complaint, said the commercial "conveys a somewhat unsubtle message that it's okay to be violent if a guy tries to kiss you if you're male. The message it is giving reinforces homophobic attitudes." Darren Borg, marketing director of Pepsi Australia, defendeds the ad as "less gender-specific and not about that at all – it's a competition between two wrestlers." Borg notes that independent local bottlers in Australia had been supportive of the gay community as sponsors of gay events - but not corporate Pepsi, and the commercial in question continued to run.
A big blooper was made in 2009, when a local Pepsi bottler sponsored a concert in Uganda - a country that at the time was considering a new law which would execute or jail for life gay people - by Jamaican artist Beenie Man, who is vehemently anti-gay and in his songs advocates executing LGBT people. Pepsi was apparently not aware of the content of the singer's work, because after protests from GLAAD, OutRage! and Change.org who expressed their anger at the sponsorship, Pepsi said it was "appalled" at the rapper's lyrics, and they profusely apologized.
Upon hearing news that Diet Coke was also entering the gay market, PepsiCo spokesman Dave DeCecco told Commercial Closet in March 2007, "We were first. We recognized the importance of the gay market and hope that the community will reward that." Diet Pepsi would get more advertising revenue behind it in gay media, DeCecco says and added that Diet Pepsi scored No. 2 (after Absolut vodka) among most popular brands in a 2005 gay.com survey.
Branche: fmcg
© 2020 BRIGHT Marketing Solutions


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Global Waste Paper Management Market: Overview
The paper is created from the cellulosic fiber that is extracted from the plants. Used paper can be temporarily utilized as sticky notes, used pamphlets or can be stored as a proof or evidence. The majority of the used paper is considered as trash and goes directly into trash bins. The paper that cannot be used post consumption is termed as waste paper. But the thrown away paper can be recycled again after some process of paper making.
Global Waste Paper Management Market: Segmentation
Waste paper management market is widely segmented based on various essential aspects, such as—based on processes used to manage the waste paper includes collection, transportation, incineration, disposal, segregation, and processing. Further, based on the sources from where the paper is collected, the global market is diversified as commercial, residential, educational institutes and many others. In addition, post processing of the waste paper, the final products that can be created is segmented as facial tissue, paper towels, newspaper, paper plates, confetti and others.
Global Waste Paper Management Market: Growth Factors
Due to rising literacy rate and growing awareness among the people about the need of education, the demand for the paper manufacturing industry has raised, which in return also generates ample amount of waste paper that can be recycled. Stringent government rules to reduce deforestation is also encouraging the growth of the waste paper management industry. Key players adopt new technologies to extract maximum paper from recycling process in order to make various recyclable paper products and are a vital factor motivating the growth of the waste paper management market. Government organizations enthusiastically taking part in developing waste paper management facility is also fostering the growth of waste paper. People inclining towards recyclable paper products are also driving the global waste paper management market. On the other hand, rising digitalization of the technology and people strongly adopting paperless work culture is also a factor restraining the growth of the global waste paper management market to some extent.
Global Waste Paper Management Market: Regional Analysis
Geographically, Asia Pacific region dominates the global waste paper management market due to rising industrialization relevant to waste management in the developing nations such as India and China. North America is expected to grow rapidly due to high efficient technology developed for waste paper management and a high number of the manufacturer, producer of paper pulp and waste paper. Europe may show a steady growth in coming further due to strict regulation enforced by the government related to deforestation.
Global Waste Paper Management Market: Competitive Players
Some of the major players contributing through their efforts and development in global waste paper management market include Veolia Environment S.A., International Paper Company, Waste Management Inc, UPM-Kymmene, YJ, Westrock Company, Republic Services, Mondi Group, Georgia-Pacific LLC, Sappi Ltd, and DS Smith PLC.
Global Waste Paper Management Market: Regional Segment Analysis
- North America
- Europe
- France
- Germany
- Asia Pacific
- China
- Japan
- India
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Middle East and Africa
What Report Provides
- Full in-depth analysis of the parent market
- Important changes in market dynamics
- Segmentation details of the market
- Former, on-going, and projected market analysis in terms of volume and value
- Assessment of niche industry developments
- Market share analysis
- Key strategies of major players
- Emerging segments and regional markets
- Testimonials to companies in order to fortify their foothold in the market


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AREZZO - The comfortable lounge chair with an exceptional mix of materials!
AREZZO – High-quality workmanship in an ingenious combination with exceptional design, combined in a lounge chair. At first glance, you can see that this swivel chair is different, because it not only boldly mixes two complementary colours, but also different materials. The seat shell with integrated armrests is tightly padded and classically covered with fabric. In contrast, the exterior is made of novel and extremely resistant synthetic leather. Another special feature: The seat shell follows your movements and rocks pleasantly while relieving the back muscles.
- Refined material mix of high-quality fabric cover and innovative faux leather
- Comfortably padded seat with integrated armrests
- The outer seat is covered with a special synthetic leather in a different colour; it is scratch-resistant, particularly durable and easy to clean
- The innovative Relax suspension follows your movements when leaning back and relieves your muscules optimally by gently rocking
- Stable, high-quality, polished aluminium base
- Fitted with weight-activated multi-purpose castors. As such, the user has complete freedom of movement while seated. Upon standing up, the safety braking mechanism hinders unwanted movement of the office chair. The castors are unlocked when pressure is placed back on the chair.
Smart Premium Collection
By ordering this product from our SPC-Premium range, you will enjoy the following exclusive benefits and privileges:
- Extended 4 year warranty
- Individual advice by telephone and after sales service support
- Spare parts guarantee for the entire warranty period
This item is supplied unassembled.
For assembly by the customer in just a few simple steps.
Of course, for gas springs, chair castors, footrests, etc., no construction is required.
Castors information
The multifunction wheels supplied with this chair are suitable for both carpet and hard floors. Please note that it is not possible to exchange the castors prior to shipment for logistical reasons (unless otherwise stated in the product description). In addition, we recommend for hard floors, the use of a protective floor mat.


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Campo de Golf El Saler
The Parador de El Saler Golf Course (Valencia), is considered by professional and amateur players, organizations and specialized press to be one of the 60 best golf courses in the world and among the top 3 in Europe. Built in 1968 by Javier Arana, considered to be the great and internationally acclaimed architect of Spanish golf, the course is located in the El Saler Natural Park, on the shores of the Mediterranean, in the Autonomous Community of Valencia.
The total course is 6,042 meters, distributed among 18 holes, for which the par is 72. The Club includes a golf school, practice area, 3 putting greens, 2 approach greens, pro-shop, club leasing, carts and electric carts, restaurant and snack bar."
Considered by many to be a great layout, the course easily uses the surrounding protected landscape with many native plants. The course layout is varied, ranging from the beach links reminiscent of the famous Scottish golf courses, to areas of typical Mediterranean forest.
- Address Avda de los Pinares 151
- City 46012 El Saler
- State/Province Valencia
- Country Spain
- Allowed CC VISA, MasterCard
- Allowed Players 1-4 players
- Year Build 1967
- Holes 18
- Designer Javier Arana
- Greens Agrostis Stolinifera, 900 m2 med
- Dresscode Casual & Sportive
Rental Clubs, Golf Cart Rental, Pull Cart Rental, Driving Range, Putting Green, Chipping Area, Teaching Pro, Practice Bunker, Golf School, Food Service: Restaurant & Snack Bar, Bar Service, Accommodations: Hotel 65 Rooms
How to get to Campo de Golf El Saler , El Saler (Spain)
The Parador is located between Lake Albufera and the Mediterranean Sea. Coming from the south on the AP7 highway, take the Cullera exit. You should pass through Sueca and then, heading in the direction of Valencia, you should pass through the towns of El Perell
Real Time Reservations
Campo de Golf El Saler is not yet in our pool of Golf Courses for orders.
For this reason unfortunately you can't book it at the moment.
- Real Time Confirmation
- Free Cancelation
- Free Modification
Golf Course Rating
- Satisfaction:
- Money Value:
- Tees:
- Fairways:
- Hazards:
- Rough:
- Greens:
- Pace of Play:
- Average rating of 3/5 based on 1 reviews
Golf Courses Nearby
Foressos Golf Picssent, Valencia


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Fans on the fence about fences
Last week's mention of bringing in the fences at Petco Park -- particularly in right field and right-center -- drew considerable response from the fans.
I kind of expected it. Padres fans are sounding off on everything these days, from 3.2 beer to wondering why Steve Finley or Kenny Lofton hasn't been signed.
What I didn't expect was a 50/50 split on the idea of changing the dimensions at Petco. I offer two e-mails that landed from cyberspace at nearly the same nanosecond.
Clay Wukovits: "You are 100 percent right about the boring 2-1 games. Right field and right-center should be moved in substantially. The average baseball fan wants to see some runs scored at a baseball game."
Bernie Nofel: "No, no, no, no, no, no! The attendance dip at Petco Park has NOTHING, repeat, absolutely NOTHING to do with the right-field fence or any physical aspect of Petco Park."
Other responses:
John Mood: "... Then you say, the real problem is the Padres are boring. NOT TO ME!!! I LOVE low-scoring games, have never been a fan of power."
Mike Enders: "I've sat in the beachers. Why do they face the visitors' bullpen and not home plate? Draw a straight line from the corner of that porch down the line in right to the centerfield side of the beachers. Make that your fence."
Nearly all of the 42 responses included some shot at the Padres for matters unrelated to the distant fences in right and right-center.
Chad Marks: "Even if the fences were shorter in right and right-center, could the Padres reach them? I think not. But since they designed this ballpark, how could they not build a club with more speed? It's like they blew it in both directions."
Ted Ellis: "I'm a baseball fan, so I will come out and watch the Padres no matter what. But a higher alcohol content and cheaper beer would make it easier at this point."
Edward Hoffman: "No speed. No outfield. No one to throw out base-stealers. One home run threat. And a manager who is a clone of the former manager, no imagination ... They should be ashamed."
Clearly, the fans are restless. Correction -- they are angry.
Beyond the fences, the tone is that they do not believe they are getting value to parallel what they are expected to spend.
More than half of the respondents included a negative comment about John Moores and what the Padres are charging compared with what they are spending. No fan seemed accepting of Moores' argument that he has to pay down the debt at the expense of the product. That one point was raised in nearly a quarter of the responses.
Nofel: "The problem with the Padres' attendance is much more deep-rooted in basic marketing principles and therefore much more difficult to fix. It has to do with the fundamental relationship between the Padres and their customers.
"In short, the Padres are charging premium prices for a mediocre-at-best product. Worse, the fans have no faith that this team is even trying to improve the relationship."
Enders: "The Padres believe it is OK for them to operate on the cheap while we pay through the nose for everything. Dangerous way to operate a business."


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It looks like Discord is having a global outage, rest assured though you can still tune in to the stream in the meantime!
SEGA has annouced that they will release the Genesis Mini and the Mega Drive Mini in the United States and Japan on September 19 2019
With great power comes great responsibility, and with great vision came Stan Lee. A man whose work wasn't only an iconic artistic vision, but a literary, gaming, and cinematic one too. His legacy of work is timeless in too many ways to mention.
Split Infinity Radio is deeply saddened to bring you the news of his passing today. He will remain an inspiration to us all, and for future generations to come.
RIP Stan Lee, Excelsior.
2nd Annual Split Infinity Radio Secret Santa Gift Exchange
"Dear Santa, can I be naughty with just a dash of nice?" ~ Cookie
Nintendo is releasing a new set of joycon controllers for the Nintendo Switch that look like the classic NES controllers.


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Miranda Kerr's Makeup Routine
Want Skin Like Miranda Kerr? Start With a New Shower Filter
For Miranda Kerr, a healthy life is a happy one, and that shows in how she fills her home. "Being healthy is the way that I am. I try to keep a healthy house," the model recently told Into the Gloss. Aside from alkaline water filters in her kitchen sink and showerheads, Miranda keeps a certain type of plant in her home. "All the plants in my house are oxygen-producing and air-purifying plants," she said. This organically minded attitude was the driving force behind her skin care line, Kora Organics, which is made with certified-organic products.
While she relies on her own line for her picture-perfect complexion, she gets a little creative with her hair and makeup. "When I do it myself, I keep it simple," she says. "I just throw on a lip color and my sunglasses, so I don't have to worry about anything else. RMS Lip2Cheek ($36) is really good because you can use it on the lips and cheeks....I find a red lip just lifts my face, like Le Métier de Beauté Colour Core Moisture Stain Lipstick ($32) in China Beach." Miranda also knows the importance of good eyebrow maintenance. "I groom and pluck them myself, and use Bobbi Brown eyebrow gel ($22) to keep them in place."
To get more of Miranda's beauty secrets, just keep reading.
Coconut oil and apple cider vinegar help Miranda maintain the gorgeous luster of her hair, which she keeps natural for the most part. "This is all my natural color, except for a tiny bit around my face, which was just bleached for a shoot to make it look sun-kissed." Her handbag contains some of the more typical essentials, like floss, eyedrops, and tweezers. But the one thing she always makes sure to have on her? "I've also got . . . scissors for my nails in my bag; I'm really a freak about my nails," she explains. "Orlando [Bloom, her husband] and I share a nail thing — he has a bit of a foot fetish."
But for all of this organic- and natural-minded effort, Miranda is pretty down-to-earth about the important things. "You don't have to be 100 percent strict with yourself," she said. "I try to avoid saying 'always' and 'never,' because we're human beings, and it's not always possible."


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The Wanderer
Reviewed by Galen Strickland
Leiber's second Hugo-winning novel is better than his first (The Big Time), but it has a host of its own problems, not the least of which are the stereotypes, both societal and gender specific, along with sexual situations he may have thought were bold and risqué, but in truth are lame and another instance of stereotypical gender roles. There are also sections that reflect the racial antagonisms of the times, with that word used several times. Unfortunately, certain segments of the current SF reading audience would accept all of these without complaint. The story takes too long getting to the good parts - there are several dazzlingly well-written passages - but in the end it is still a disappointing book, especially for an award winner.
There are a wide variety of characters spread out all over the globe, but the three main ones are two men and one woman who have been friends since high school, and all have a connection to the space program. Don Merriam is an astronaut, stationed on the Moon; his fiancé is Margo Gelhorn; Paul Hagbolt, who works in public relations for the space program, is Don's rival for her affections. Paul and Margo are together one night to observe a full lunar eclipse. She persuades him to attend a meeting of a local UFO group, and he relents only because he wants to be with her and wants her to be thinking of him rather than Don. Neither know anyone from the UFO group, so they make up nicknames for them; Doc, Beardy, The Little Man, Turban, Ramrod. We do later learn their real names, and most feature in part of the action throughout. What doesn't make sense, because it's written in third person, is that the majority of times they are still referred to by these nicknames, and it was hard for me to remember who was who the few times their real names were used.
Just as the eclipse is full, Earth is witness to the sudden, mysterious appearance of another celestial body near the moon. Is it an alien craft, or, since it seems as big as Earth, is it another planet? It is dubbed the Wanderer, since the word planet is derived from a Greek word with that meaning. It is later learned that it is a planet, but not a natural one, rather it was manufactured, so in essence it is a planet-sized starship. Throughout the book there are short sequences of other people and their experiences in observing the Wanderer and its effects. The Moon is fractured by the strong gravitational pull of the newcomer, and earthquakes, tsunamis and enormous tidal shifts wreak havoc on Earth. Merriam is able to escape the destruction of the Moon, but his craft is captured and brought inside the Wanderer. At about the same time, Hagbolt is teleported onto a small alien ship which has descended toward Earth. He had been holding Margo's cat, whom the cat-like alien falsely assumes is of the dominant species of our world. All of the action on Earth is repetitive, as people flee the rising tides and attempt to shelter from raging storms, dodge the quakes and the fires that ensue. It's a puzzle why he introduced so many other characters since we learn so little about them, and at least half drown or die from other causes. Even the major characters aren't developed completely, it's hard to care what happens to any of them.
The only satisfying sequences are of Don on the Wanderer and Paul in the alien ship. If he had developed this aspect of the story more and spent less time on insubstantial characters it would have been much better. The aliens are telepathic so they are able to communicate in English. Paul comes to know his abductor as Tigerishka, and she eventually explains why they are in the solar system...to refuel. The Moon is being broken up and taken aboard as reaction mass for their hyperspace engines. Don is given a glimpse of the many species that inhabit the Wanderer, as well as the research they are conducting, but he's not sure if he actually experiences it or if it's just a dream or images telepathically transmitted to his brain. Likewise, Paul cannot be sure that what Tigerishka tells him of her culture is the truth or just a rationalization for their actions. Tigerishka's tale of their origins, of vast galactic communities of manufactured planets saturating the cosmos, reminded me of scenes from a Stapledon novel, and the interior of Wanderer evoked memories of Clarke. There is another element to the story, concerning the Wanderer and its plight, but I won't reveal that, but it also deserved more explication. Paul concludes that it isn't that the aliens were unaware Earth was inhabited and that their presence would cause damage, but that they just didn't care. Their own needs took prescedence.
The Wanderer is in the solar system for only two or three days, then it disappears just as mysteriously, yet its effects will last forever. What little is left of the Moon might eventually form a ring around Earth, or else burn up in the atmosphere. The rotation of the Earth has slowed some, but there's no way to know if that will continue or if it will settle into the new pattern. For sure, the tides will be less in the future, only being affected by the Sun. Millions, maybe billions, have died. Maybe things will be rebuilt and civilization will reassert itself. No way to know really, since the book ends abruptly. No resolution, never a sequel. Finish the story as it suits you. Or not, maybe don't read it at all. I don't think you'll miss it. If you do want to, I'd suggest finding a used copy somewhere. The current paperback through Amazon is overpriced in my opinion.
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text: If you would like something custom made to suit your needs, contact the TETRA SOCIETY at www.tetrasociety.org It is one of the Disability Foundation organizations that have retired engineers who will make or modify anything for you. Our daughter Cydney just had a custom made gardening tool made for her so that she could use it to plant or weed her raised garden bed full of vegetables. All you have to pay for is the materials they use.


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Homemade Goo Gone
2-Ingredient Homemade Goo Gone
When dealing with sticky stuff, instead of reaching for solutions filled with chemicals, make your own cleaner with two ingredients you already have in your pantry. Along with working on glass, plastic, and wood, this homemade version of Goo Gone is so simple — and basically costs nothing to make.
- Mix together two tablespoons vegetable oil and three tablespoons baking soda into a paste in a small, sealable container. The mixture is usable until it's gone and doesn't include any harsh chemicals or smells.
- To use, simply scoop a small dollop on sticky stuff and gently rub with fingers. The oil and baking soda work together to gently remove the sticky residue without scratching.
- Wipe away with a paper towel, and you're sticky free. That's it!


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From 31st May to 1st June 2012, Vienna received the ISWA Beacon Conference "Waste Prevention Recycling", an important event dedicated to professionals who want to improve their knowledge on waste prevention recycling issues. The conference was organized by ÖWAV and ISWA and counted 78 active participants, 18 presentations and a technical study tour.
D-Waste was there participating actively with two D-Waste authors – Ana Loureiro and Costas Velis.
Ana Loureiro, Communication Director of Valorsul, presented "Communication 3R – Responsible, Rational, Relevant". Ms Loureiro introduced communication as an important tool to establish sustainable waste management. As she stated "If people are the ones responsible for the existence of the waste itself, communicating properly with them is crucial" She also presented the Valorsul Prevention Program, which includes internal and external activities developed in the company intervention area, (19 municipalities with1.6 million people that represents 16% of the municipal solid waste produced in Portugal)
Costas Velis, who recently moved to the University of Leeds, after many years in Imperial College of London, presented a systematic approach for analyzing and evaluating inclusion/integration solutions for the waste pickers. His approach is based on the recent work of the ISWA Globalisation and Waste Management (GWM) Task Force which, besides other aspects, investigates and addresses issues around informal sector waste management activities. One of the main outcomes of this Task Force is that informal sector recyclers must not be ignored by both the municipalities and the waste management industry, instead they have to be faced as a global recycling partner.
This is a powerful idea that should be spread worldwide to all decision makers, in order to achieve a more rational and human approach and to create better conditions for all people working with waste daily.
Other relevant presentations
Although all presentations were of high status there were some presentations that captured the audience attention due to their innovative or even polemic character.
A very interesting presentation was the case of Peter Börkey from OECD, who defended the need to align the formal and informal sectors regarding WEEE and establish partnerships with the Governments and the municipal institutions.
Walter Hauer showed the significant contribution of Waste to Energy facilities to Recycling as a conceptual approach to improve integrated waste management,; and Hubert Reisinger from the Environment Agency of Austria presented a EU food waste prevention project, with data from several European countries. Mr Huber recommended specific measures and guidelines on the preparation of food waste prevention programs.
Katharina Kummer Peiry from UNEP, defended that the concept of turning wastes into valuable resources or energy should become a pilot area for greening the economy in a cost effective manner.
Henning Witls presented an interesting case study from Germany, where specific measures to enhance waste prevention were taken. He also presented some conclusions for the conception of prevention programs as planning instruments, their potentials and limitations;
Willi Haas presented a study to better understand how to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, and how it isnecessary to change the pathway of our society.
Regarding EPR – Extender Producers Responsibility, William Vermeir stated that in order to improve it with transparency, understandability, commitment, market coverage, reliability, efficiency, effectiveness and high performance in all over Europe, we should all support the EU to take measures for better guidance; Katia Lasaridi presented a Greek example and Naojo Tojo made clear the connection between EPR and waste prevention.
As for communication, it was clear for everyone the importance to develop environmental communication in a professional way. A good example from The Netherlands was presented by Michiel Westerhoff.
The subject of the last panel was about planned obsolescence. Mr Tim Cooper made a compelling presentation about "Policies and practices to get away from premature obsolescence". As he stated " Recycling is the best excuse to instant obsolescence""
Finally, Andreas Bart made an interesting presentation providing some historical context and Benoît Desmarchelier gave the angle of economic growth by waste generation.


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I really love this apartment – not just because it has ALL the features I adore about a global style home (geometric dhurrie, check; indigo dyed cushions, yup; lush house plants, oh yeah) but also because its clever owner has created this eclectic look in a small space and on a tight budget. Let's see more shall we?
The clever owner in question is Brisbane-based photographer Nicolette Johnson and the home is a rented 1920s apartment. I think it's really impressive that Nicolette has been able to bring so much personality to the space without actually doing any real decorating. This home is a masterclass in the potential of using carefully curated objects and furniture to inject character and proof that you don't need to paint to make a room your own.
I've written before about the importance of taking your time when decorating if you want to achieve a truly natural and individual style… this sort of look doesn't come out of a box overnight. Nicolette sourced much of her vintage furniture from eBay and Gumtree, including those drop-dead lovely mid-century armchairs and beautiful dhurrie rug mixed in with travel finds and the odd high-street buy… can you believe this stylish bedstead is IKEA?
I hope you've found this home as inspiring as I have. I can definitely see some Decorator's Notebook Kenyan baskets and House of Rym Honeycomb cushions fitting perfectly into this space! What's really interesting is that Nicolette recently moved into a new home and, if you follow her on Instagram, you can see how her furniture and objects have integrated into her new place equally successfully… solid evidence that if you buy well, you need only buy once!
[Photographs: all Nicolette Johnson]


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- How Much Fruit Should I Be Eating Every Day?
- Are You Eating Too Much Sugar?
- How to Determine Your Daily Calories for Weight Loss
- The Safe and Smart Ways to Cut Calories for Weight Loss
- The Smart Calorie Approach to Weight Loss
- When Do You Burn Calories Most?
- 10 Crazy Low Calorie Foods to Eat A Lot of Today
- Sugar and Mental Health: What You Need to Know
- How Many Calories Do You Really Need?
- 9 Foods to Shut Down Your Appetite
- 10 Wonderfully Low Calorie Foods
- A Smart Weight Loss Tool: Calories on Nutritional Labels
- 7 Awesome Ways to Burn 1000 Calories
- Why Counting Calories is Bad For You
- Health and Fitness Tips for Living
- See More Articles
9 Foods to Shut Down Your Appetite
Want to lose weight? The real key is to not only eat healthier, but eat less! Cutting back on calories will help to stop your body from turning excess energy into stored fat. A caloric deficit will force your body to access stored fat to burn, leading to long-term weight loss. To help you cut back on calories, here are a few foods to shut down your appetite:
Coffee is one of the best appetite-suppressants on the market! First off, it's absolutely delicious. Second, it contains ZERO calories, so you can have as much as you want without messing with your diet. Third, it's good for boosting your energy levels and helping you get through your workout. Stay away from all that high-fat cream and milk and artificial sugar, and you'll find coffee is your best weight loss buddy!
Avocadoes are loaded with fiber, healthy fats, and nutrients. It's a filling fruit, one that will deliver a hefty dose of the fatty acids your heart needs in order to function properly. The fatty acids will send signals to your brain, telling it to switch off your appetite.
Nuts are an amazing source of fatty acids, antioxidants, Vitamin E, magnesium, and a host of other nutrients. The fatty acids in the nuts will make you feel full, and can switch off your appetite. A handful of nuts makes an excellent snack, one that will keep you satisfied for hours.
Ginger is an appetite suppressant because it stimulates your digestive system to work more efficiently. It will energize your body and speed up the digestive process, giving your body the fuel it needs to function. Whether you eat ginger in curry, ginger tea, or even raw, it's an excellent way to keep yourself from getting hungry.
Cayenne pepper is an amazing weight loss food. Not only will it raise the temperature in your fat-burning furnace, but it will stop you from feeling hungry. You can burn more calories with every meal and satiate your mouth's craving for spicy foods!
Eggs are loaded with healthy fat, protein, and minerals. Eating just one egg can stop you from feeling hungry for hours. In fact, having eggs for breakfast will help to fill you up faster than anything else. You'll end up eating fewer calories every day if you start your morning off with an egg breakfast.
Apples are one of the best sources of a dietary fiber known as pectin. Pectin is an appetite suppressant, but it's also a type of fiber that improves digestive health and prevents your body from absorbing cholesterol, toxins, and sugar. The fact that you have to chew apples so much increases the production of saliva, which also helps to increase satiety. Apples are definitely a diet-friendly food that will quash your hunger!
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes are filled with a unique form of starch that is harder for your digestive system to break down. This means they stay in your stomach for longer, and keep you full for longer as well. They're an amazing source of Vitamins C and A, as well as fiber and healthy carbs.
Veggie Soup
The beautiful thing about veggie soup is its high water content and low calorie content. Make yourself a bowl of veggie soup with each meal, and you'll get all the nutrients you need with almost no calories. The water and fiber will fill you up, stopping you from feeling hungry. It's a great first course that will keep you from eating too much protein or starch.


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The United States struck a surprising nuclear deal with Iran last week. The agreement commits Iran to halt its nuclear activites for six months in exchange for limited and gradual sanctions relief. U.S. President Barack Obama hailed the deal as putting substantial limitations on the Iranian nuclear program which the U.S. and its allies have feared could lead to nuclear weapons capabilities. He stated, "For the first time in a decade we have halted the progress of the Iranian nuclear program."
After getting badly beat by Barack Obama in the first two major battles of 2013 -- passage of Obama's $620 billion tax increase and his $60 billion "disaster relief" bill -- the Republicans will gain a huge victory if they can muster up courage for the next battle coming to a head on March 1st.
The Republicans in Congress will not even have to pass any legislation to gain a victory on March 1st. That is because what Obama, and his fellow Democrats in Congress, thought was a clever little trap for Republicans -- automatic cuts amounting to $1.2 trillion (half in defense spending cuts and half in domestic spending cuts spread over a 10 year period -- will back-fire on Obama and Democrats if the Republicans allow the "sequester" cuts (which will also reduce the nearly $17 trillion federal debt by $1.2 trillion; no small feat) to become reality on March 1st.
This writer recently wrote a commentary entitled "Will GOP Leaders Become Bob Michelized?" Unfortunately, during the past couple of weeks, the answer seems to be in the affirmative. The headline referred to the former Republican House Minority Leader, Congressman Bob Michel, R-IL, who was perfectly content to position his party in the minority for his entire 14 years as GOP leader in the House of Representatives. That is, until an upstart Republican Congressman from Georgia, Newt Gingrich, warned Michel that he would challenge him for Republican leader during the next congressional leader elections. Michel promptly announced that he would not run for reelection in 1994.
Meanwhile, because House Minority Whip Gingrich organized a massive and historic issues-oriented campaign during the election of 1994, including a "Contract with America," he not only became leader of the Republicans in the House of Representatives, but Gingrich became Speaker of the House.
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PORTLAND — When I was in college in upstate NY, the period immediately following Christmas break was affectionately known on campus as "the gray season." January and February were cold and depressing.
Fast forward to today. In northern New England, not much has changed during a time of year that still sees a peak of divorces, suicides, and a whole slew of other human drama.
But what has radically changed for me is that now I have Portland Stage just a stone's throw away, and the folks there want to get me out of the house during the gray season, and laughing.
Its current production of Joseph Kesselring's "Arsenic and Old Lace," directed by the inimitable Paul Mullins, resoundingly fills both those needs.
While most know the storyline courtesy of Frank Capra's 1944 classic movie starring Cary Grant, this refresher can help:
It is September, 1941. War rages in Europe but the U.S. is not yet fighting. We find ourselves in Brooklyn, at the home of two slightly mad spinster sisters, Abby (Maureen Butler) and Martha (Cristine McMurdo-Wallis) Brewster, who, we find out quickly, have a terrible habit of bumping off their lodgers with tainted elderberry wine,
Under their boarding roof is also delusional nephew and Theodore Roosevelt wanna-be Teddy (James Patefield), as well as Mortimer (Ross Cowan) a drama critic trying to woo Elaine Harper (Leighton Bryan) into marriage.
Enter long-lost prodigal son and Boris Karloff doppelgänger Jonathan (John Keabler) and his sidekick in crime Dr Einstein (John Shuman), who happen to have a corpse of their own in tow.
The basement becomes part cemetery, part locks for Teddy's Panama Canal, and center of gravity for the ridiculousness which follows, aided and abetted by a slew of complementary characters played by the following highly talented actors: Hoskins/Spenalzo (Slashy), Police Officers (TJ Baldassare, Paul Birtwistle), Rev. harper/Mr. Gibbs/Mr. Rooney (Will Rhys), and Office O'Hara/Mr. Witherspoon (Daniel Noel).
The delirium in this play would delight any audience member looking to lighten the mood for an evening in this time of dreary weather, and even darker political rancor.
Butler and McMurdo-Wallis should take extra bows for their Miss-Marple like aura of cognizant rope-a-doping. Their humorous spice was, in no small way, uplifting and joyous.
Cowan played Mortimer which just the right touch of boyish charm, and irony extraordinaire. This drama critic in particular was tickled by Cowan's playing up the duality of that role. For her part, Bryan was a sleek and sensual Elaine, with considerable humor to boot.
Patefield showed excellent bluster in his Teddy Roosevelt fantasy and Shuman was as smarmy a weenie as the fake Dr. Einstein could muster. Finally, Keabler was a perfect double for Karloff, which was a great salute to the original Broadway production, where Karloff himself portrayed Jonathan.
The play ran about 2 hours and 10 minutes, which included two 10 minute intermissions.
Lights by Michael Giannitti–who has collaborated with director Mullins numerous times at Vermont's Dorset Theatre Festival–were both incisive and surreal in their effect. Chris Fitze's sound reverberated and added to the satire, while period costumes by Hugh Hason were very nicely stylized, and stage manager Shane Van Vliet adeptly orchestrated the large cast and constant movement to and fro.
Finally, Brittany Vasta's set was a visual feast. I've seen "Arsenic" many times, and while there is always a staircase allowing Teddy his charge time and again up San Juan Hill, Ms. Vasta's version added a long landing runway, which doubled Teddy's forays, adding to the inane atmosphere pervading the Brewster household; bravo!
Let's be clear: one doesn't go to see "Arsenic and Old Lace" to acquire existential insights to universal morae. One goes to laugh. And laugh. And then laugh some more. And when the laughing is done, if it was first class, the entire theatre jumps to its feet and roars.
Which is exactly what happened when I attended this gray season antidote at Portland Stage Company. And why you should go and down this potion while supply is still in stock.
"Arsenic and Old Lace" runs through February 19 at Portland Stage, 25A Forest Ave, Portland. Tickets and info call: 207-774-0465 or visit: http://www.portlandstage.org/
Telly Halkias is a national-award winning newspaper columnist, and a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA).
Stage Names is the theatre review segment of From The Stacks.
Subscribe to From The Stacks at the bottom left of this page, or follow Telly on Twitter: @TellyHalkias