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STYLING AT BENETTON: The day I went to the
Benetton store at Mall Of The Emirates, I basically had the chance to speak to
the customers, tell them that I'm a fashion blogger and give stem suggestions what to buy. All
the customers I helped doing this, got 30% off on what they bought. It was
great both for me, the customer and Benetton.
I spent the time there from
4 to 6 and then bought myself a few shirts, Benetton headphones and my new
trolley, which I can't wait to wear when I travel.
Don't forget to click here to 'LIKE' their Facebook Fan Page & click here to follow United Colors Of Benetton in the UAE and ofcourse don't forget to check out their official website at: www.benetton.com/
Thank you so much everyone!
♥ Giulia Zampieri


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For the more than 36 million Americans who will turn 65 in the coming decade, the best cities and towns for retirement now have a much higher bar to clear. They can't just be great places to live—they also have to offer great value. In our "Retire Here, Not There" series, we survey every state to find less-expensive alternatives to the best-known retirement destinations.
On a postcard, California looks like the perfect retirement destination. On paper, the picture is a little more cloudy. With a cost of living that's more than a third higher than the national average, superhigh unemployment in many areas, and the country's sixth-highest tax burden, the Golden State may be out of reach for many seniors, say financial advisers. Take Santa Barbara, one of the state's most popular hot-spots for seniors. While residents take pride in the city's Spanish adobe architecture, arts scene and many boutiques—all within a short drive to one of the fasting-growing wine regions in America—they also pay for the pleasure. Living costs are more than twice as high as the national average, while the median home costs roughly $700,000, compared with about $200,000 for the average U.S. home.
But retirement experts point out that there are other retirement-friendly gems in California that offer lower prices—and, perhaps more important for people who want to live in a thriving community, they also have peppy economies. The four hot spots below boast a lower cost of living and cheaper housing than the California norm. They also have plenty of perks for older people, including dynamic scenery, some of the world's best golf courses and a number of cultural attractions. And while these places are still pricier than some other parts of the country, California doesn't tax Social Security payments, says Glenda K. Moehlenpah, an adviser at San Diego-based Financial Bridges: those savings can at least partially offset some of the higher costs of living.
San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo is nestled between the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Pacific Ocean; the coast is only about 10 miles from the heart of downtown. But this town offers more than just beautiful sights, say retirement experts. Residents are particularly civic-minded—for example, San Luis Obispo was one of the first towns to ban smoking. And in a bid to protect the town's arty culture, the city has also banned drive-through restaurants, according to the local Chamber of Commerce. The city is also known as "little Santa Barbara," which it resembles, architecturally (the actual Santa Barbara is about 95 miles south). And advisers say the town's popularity with retirees is growing. "Retirees love to live downtown because they can walk to everything from there," says Lindsey Miller, a spokeswoman for the chamber. Other attractions: Plentiful golf courses and hiking trails and a big arts community, she says.
Advisers caution, however, that while it may be cheaper to live here than Santa Barbara, seniors still need a considerable nest egg to buy an apartment or home and live well. The cost of living is about 65% above the national average, with a median home price of about $500,000.
By the numbers*:
- Population: 45,119
- Median home cost: $463,800
- Cost of living: 65.3% higher than the national average
- Unemployment: 8.8%
* Source: Sperling's Best Places
San Diego
With its fitness-crazed residents and miles of beaches, this city lives up to its nickname of "Sandy Ego." Residents can run, swim, surf, bike, golf or play tennis most days of the year (hence those toned abs one sees among the folks strolling along the city's boardwalk). The military is one of the main drivers of the city's economy, but the other is tourism, and the vibe is laid back. Retirees particularly like the proximity to a number of universities, including the University of California at San Diego and San Diego State, says longtime resident Aimee Cebulski, as well as the city's 5,000 restaurants and dozens of "spectacular" museums. Balboa Park -- a massive public space and urban center with 15 museums and sprawling gardens -- regularly has concerts, plays and classes. There are also plenty of spots to take visiting grandkids, including the famous San Diego Zoo. But advisers warn the city isn't for those who like their peace and quiet, as some areas of the city, especially the historic downtown Gaslamp Quarter, are regularly bustling and loud.
By the numbers*:
- Population: 1,307,402
- Median home cost: $361,600
- Cost of living: 43.3% higher than the national average
- Unemployment: 9.2%
* Source: Sperling's Best Places
This sleepy seaport town at the northern end of the state is crowded with artists and dotted with quaint Victorian homes. It's got its share of outdoor attractions, but its residents are typically more into backpacking, bird-watching and hiking than tanning and surfing. Eureka, after all, is situated in Humboldt County, home to thousands of redwood trees, many protected within vast square miles of national forest including the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. "It lends itself nicely to the young active retiree," says Dean Kessler, a real estate agent in the area. "Hiking and fishing are very popular—the natural beauty is a big draw." Plus, retirees will enjoy the proximity to two universities, Humboldt State University and College of the Redwoods.
Eureka definitely doesn't enjoy stereotypical California weather, however: average high temperatures hover in the high 50s and low 60s all year long. The town can also feel remote for some people's tastes, say retirement pros say. The small town has fewer restaurants and shops than other California cities, and while there's a little airport right in town with direct flights to San Francisco and Seattle, the nearest international airport is 200 miles away in Sacramento.
By the numbers*:
- Population: 27,191
- Median home cost: $207,300
- Cost of living: 16.9% higher than the national average
- Unemployment: 10.2%
* Source: Sperling's Best Places
Palm Springs
The onetime stomping ground of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack, Palm Springs during the 1950s and '60s was the "it" spot for Tinseltown's elite. But while some celebs such as Barry Manilow, Suzanne Sommers and Carol Channing still stroll along its palm-lined streets, this town is more affordable than its historic reputation suggests. In fact, the cost of living is lower than the state's average and median real estate prices hover around $200,000. And there's still plenty to see and do. Retirees often come here for the golf, says travel coach Elaine Masters (there are more 100 courses in the area). They also like the walking and hiking in Indian Canyons, a stunning area with miles of hiking trails. The town also offers many cultural and outdoor activities such as the Plaza Theatre, a 1930s movie palace, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January. One drawback: This is a true desert town. Temperatures in the summer can climb above 100 degrees, making some of those outdoors activities off-limits, at least at midday.
By the numbers*:
- Population: 44,552
- Median home cost: $198,800
- Cost of living: 14.4% higher than the national average
- Unemployment: 12.8%
* Source: Sperling's Best Places

subset: commoncrawl


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5 Irish-style beers for your Minnesota St. Paddy's Day
Slainte, thirsty locavores, the holiest day on the drinking calendar approaches!
St. Patrick's Day is traditionally a holiday of volume consumption, but for craft beer aficionados, it's more of an excuse to explore the breadth and depth of American craft beer. Instead of opting for pint after pint of Guinness, Minnesotans are more likely to celebrate with a collection of seasonally appropriate local brews.
Dodge the dyed-green Bud Light. This St. Paddy's, head to your neighborhood taproom and try one of these five brews. They might not be the most traditional Irish fare, but they're the best Minnesota has to offer during shamrock season.
Castle Danger George Hunter Stout
Stout, 8% ABV, n/a IBU
By far the most by-the-book Irish beer on this list, Castle Danger's winter seasonal George Hunter Stout is named for brewer Clint MacFarlane's great-grandfather, who hailed from Belfast but brewed in Tower, Minnesota. In an homage to that immigrant beersmith, Castle Danger put together this stout that's rich and sugary.
Denser and creamier than your pub-style Irish stout, George Hunter is an obsidian brew that sits in your belly warmly. It has big mocha notes that make it go down with ease, but this thick 8% drink isn't for knocking back. It embodies the hospitality of the Irish culture without falling squarely into the drinking tradition Hunter brought with him from Belfast.
Bad Weather Windvane
Red ale, 6% ABV, 65 IBU
The IPA is a distinctly British style, and the Irish have not fallen in love with its hoppy, juicy profile the same way Americans have. That's too bad, because there's a high degree of synergy between the eminent ale and the ambers of the Emerald Isle.
St. Paul's Bad Weather have recognized this synergy, and their year-round Windvane red IPA is one of the best examples of the complementary styles melding on the market. With a caramel body and a piney hop aroma, Windvane represents the characteristics of the red ale and IPA in equal measure, bringing them together in the sweetness of the resin. There's a subtle appreciation for the Irish sensibility, but Bad Weather nudges things in a more American direction -- for a true Minnesotan St. Paddy's Day.
Lift Bridge Irish Coffee Stout
Imperial stout, 8.5% ABV, 50 IBU
Boozy coffee is perhaps the most appropriated Irish cocktail in America. As such, it's a touchstone for a lot of drinkers, making it a ripe tradition to draw from on St. Patrick's Day. Lift Bridge created a classic Minnesota beer from the palette of java, Bailey's, and whiskey, putting out an annual release that's celebrated every St. Paddy's Day in Stillwater.
A standout coffee beer in its own right, Irish Coffee Stout is perfect if your Paddy's pregame starts before noon. Creamy and delicately woody, it's distinctly a stout as well. There's an almost bready quality that rounds out the array of flavors, creating a comfortable yet atypical Irish beverage.
Bauhaus Copperpop
Red lager, 5.6% ABV, 60 IBU
"Brassy" isn't the first descriptor you typically arrive at when drinking a traditionally Irish beer, but Bauhaus doesn't do typical. They lagerized the red ale, giving it a translucent marmalade body that's unlike any other beer you'll see this St. Paddy's. The resultant brew is innovative and crisp, blending flavors of rye and roasted malt with traditional pale ale hops like columbus, cascade, and amarillo -- thus the brassiness.
Though Bauhaus recommends a sweet-ass Rube Goldberg machine for drinking the beer, a frosty glass mug and a penchant for revisionist history should do the trick. Tallboys of this seasonal curiosity just came back on the market, and it's a feature over at St. Patrick's destination Keegan's Irish Pub.
Omni Rua
Red ale, 4.1% ABV, 24 IBU
Released for the first time last year during St. Patrick's weekend, Omni's red ale takes the Irish beer to the far-flung land of Southeast Asia. By incorporating fresh ginger in the brew, Rua (a cheeky Irish term for a redhead) brings pep to a style that's stagnated over time.
Alongside the sweetness of the ale, the beer almost tastes like candied ginger, making Rua light and playful. It's pretty close to the flavor of fresh ginger beer, so it's a great introductory beer for novice drinkers. It also sports a St. Paddy's-friendly 4.1% ABV, so that means it'll be a dutiful all-day companion for your craic. Rua should be on tap at Omni through the summer, and local pubs in Maple Grove (like the Claddagh Irish Pub, perhaps) will also tap the gingery brew.


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Does your pet struggle to cope with fireworks?
It is estimated that approximately 45% of dogs do, which isn't surprising when you consider the loud noises and bright flashes they make. We are able to understand what they are and why the skies light up every November, but, to cats and dogs, fireworks are unfamiliar and threatening occurences.
Many pet owners admit to being unable to help their pets cope, either because the pet's fear is extreme, or because they simply don't know what measures to take to reduce the fear. When we are fearful, we will often retreat somewhere quiet and comfortable - a safe space, if you like. Animals are no different and need somewhere similar to retreat to when things get too much.
An important step in tackling firework fear is creating a haven or den in the home. This needs to be an area where your pet feels relaxed and secure. Maybe there's already somewhere your pet naturally gravitates to when feeling threatened or unsure. Make this space as cosy and comfortable as you can to encourage your pet to use it.
If there's no existing area where your pet likes to go, create one! Use a bed or crate and fill it with soft blankets and cushions. Place your dog's favourite toy in there, along with drinking water. Ideally the crate should go under a table or a bed - somewhere slightly concealed from view - but if that's not possible, cover it with a blanket or bedsheet to provide some privacy and reduce some of the noise disturbance. The darker and quieter, the better.
To make the den even more inviting, spray it with Adaptil (for dogs) or Feliway (for cats) to help promote feelings of calm and contentment. These products also come as room diffusers and have a similar effect. Pet Remedy has blends of essential oils which help calm the nerves of animals affected by firework fear. The plug-in diffuser is ideal for dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, rodents and birds.
When it comes to creating a den, the sooner you do it, the better. Your pet needs a chance to get used to the area and accept it as a safe place. Make sure the den is accessible at all times so your pet can visit it even when you're not at home. If you have any advice on creating the perfect safe haven for your pet, please share it with below our other readers! :)
Written by: Hannah


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But for the first bill of the year, I make it a practice to look more carefully. Under this annual scrutiny, I saw that my January land-line phone bill included a $6.99 charge for "inside wire maintenance." It's insurance that covers me should hungry squirrels nibble on the phone wires inside my walls. Yes, I know I'm paying $84 a year for something that's very unlikely, but that's not my point.
At the time we moved to this phone service provider about 15 years ago, I made a conscious choice to purchase "inside wire maintenance." And once per year when I scrutinize the bill, I ask myself again, "Why am I paying for this service ?," and I make a conscious choice to renew.
From time to time, you should ask yourself this same question about your marketing programs: "Why am I paying for this?"
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers are spending a lot on marketing. Why? What are they getting for their money? What should they expect?
Let me suggest a few answers:
- Marketing helps revenues. Effective marketing should have a positive impact on winning new business or keeping existing business. In fact, if marketing isn't driving revenue, either directly or indirectly, don't pay for it.
- Marketing tells your story. Good marketing people can clearly explain what your company makes and why people should pay you for it. This story - your value proposition - is different from explaining how your product works.
- Marketing helps you win positive recognition and generates trust. People buying SaaS solutions in particular need to trust you. With a SaaS solution, customers are not just buying a product; they're buying a promise, a promise that you'll deliver services over the life of the subscription.
- Marketing accelerates the sales process. Effective sales enablement tools - a web site, presentations, collateral, on-line demos, case studies, etc. - move prospects toward a purchase. And they should do it more cost-effectively than, say, a direct sales force working without marketing support.


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A plan for all Edmontonians
The Way We Live: Edmonton's People Plan is the City's first plan focusing on people services and quality of life issues.
It builds on Edmonton's strengths - its vibrant arts and culture sector, strong libraries, community leagues, volunteerism, sports programs, parks and natural areas, river valley, diverse retail sector and strong municipal government.
The Way We Live: Edmonton's People Plan acknowledges the importance of building positive relationships among individuals, neighbourhoods, communities and regions.
What are people services?
The people services provided to Edmontonians reflect the needs and values of the community. Edmontonians work collaboratively with the City to directly provide, partner and advocate for people services.
People services include essential services for daily living, such as:
- Water quality
- Waste management
- Roads
- Emergency services
- Public transit
They also include services that add to our quality of life and to our national and international reputation, such as:
- Libraries
- Recreation centres
- Parks
- Welcoming new residents
- Arts, cultural and sporting events
- Preventive social services
- Crisis supports
- Celebrations of historic, civic and cultural milestones
- Caring for vulnerable populations
How the City of Edmonton meets people services needs
The City of Edmonton wears many hats when it comes to ensuring Edmontonians receive the people services that contribute to our quality of life.
- Partners with other organizations and other orders of government to deliver people services – such as the Citizen and New Arrival Information Centre on the main floor of city hall that receives provincial government funding. We also partner with Edmonton school boards to create the joint use of schools agreement which has provided community space for activities.
- Advocates with and to other orders of government and community stakeholders for people services that impact residents' quality of life such as housing, education and health care.
- Provides services that reflects the needs and values of Edmontonians and their community.


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What Has Changed Recently With ?
All You Ought to Know Regarding Commercial Energy Consultants
The commercial industry is offered assistance by energy consultancy, especially if they want to provide valuable information when it comes to sustainability, energy efficiency, and reducing emissions. When it comes to energy consulting services, a lot of specialists such as electricians and engineers are involved. Those people can help businesses raise their concerns regarding energy, pollution, and the environment when they are consulted. If you have a business or company, you should look for commercial energy consultants, especially if you would like not to use a lot of cash to pay energy bills. If you look for such professionals, they will help you with the guidance of the best renewable energy options. If you seek their help, they might recommend you to install some solar panels or windmills at the rooftop of your commercial building.
Apart from those solutions I have mentioned above, commercial energy consultants can help you with other environmentally friendly solutions that can help you save a lot of energy in your commercial building. If you look for such consulting services, you will also be advised on all matters related to creating a more energy efficient business environment. They will also help you with ways on how you can save energy, the best systems to use in your business, and also government regulations towards energy use. Those who run businesses should look for commercial energy constants because they are offered with an all inclusive service. Because of that reason, they are taken step by step in ways that can help them reduce energy bills in their commercial buildings. For you to improve energy efficiency, they will prepare for you a sustainability statement.
If you work or own a larger commercial facility or industry scale, a lot of issues will be discussed by them on how you can save a lot of energy and also pay fewer energy bills. When you look for such consultants, they will discuss all the advantages you can enjoy when you use energy efficient systems in your business. These days it is easy to find commercial energy consultants because they are many out there. They do not offer the same services when it comes to efficiency, even if they are many out there. Because of that reason, you need to look at some things before you hire them. Those things you need to consider are the ones that will help you find the best consultants in your area.
Before you hire commercial energy consultants, you should check whether they are licensed to offer such services. If they are not licensed or do not have work permits authorize by government agencies, you should look for others. Before you hire them, you should check their level of experience also if they have been in the industry for more than five years, it means you are in the right hands. You should also read reviews about them if they have a website to see what other people say about them. Reviews are important because they can help you know their reputation in the market.
5 Takeaways That I Learned About


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A teacher at a West Bay primary school has been suspended amid allegations that he threw a chair in a classroom incident, injuring a 10-year-old student.
The child suffered a minor fracture to one of his ribs in the alleged incident at the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School, according to his mother.
Government officials confirmed in a press release that allegations of what they termed "child abuse" had been made.
Police also confirmed a report had been made to them and an investigation commenced.
The teacher has been placed on required leave.
The child's mother said the incident took place in December but was not reported to her by her son until after term finished.
She said he told her that some of the children were playing a game of "flip bottle" and the teacher responded by throwing a chair, which struck the boy in the side.
The mother, who the Cayman Compass is not naming to protect the identity of the child, said she waited for the new term to start in January to approach the teacher for his side of the story.
She said she was not satisfied with his response and made a report to the school principal and to the police.
She said her son had complained of continuing pain to his ribs during physical exercise and she took him to the hospital last week, when he was diagnosed with a fracture to one of his ribs.
She said she had always been a supporter of the school and was involved with running after-school programs.
"My child got hurt, what am I supposed to do?" she said. "I am so stressed over this I feel like they need to check me into hospital."
Whatever disciplinary issues were going on, she said, she would never expect a teacher to react in the way described by her son.
Police and staff from the Department of Children and Family Services will now seek to verify the account.
Allegations taken seriously
The Ministry of Education and Department of Education Services said in a joint statement that they take any allegations of abuse against students seriously.
"In December 2016, an incident occurred at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School where a teacher's action caused a student to receive an injury," the statement indicated.
A police spokeswoman confirmed that the incident was under investigation.
The statement from education officials indicated that the incident was first reported on Jan. 10 and that the staff member involved had been placed on required leave on Jan. 12 until the police investigation was concluded.
"At that time, any necessary additional action will be taken," the statement indicated.
In a separate development at the same school, education officials issued another statement denying allegations made by a parent that there was a serious mold issue that would require some of the school buildings to be demolished.
The statement acknowledged that mold was found in "isolated areas" in September, but said this had been dealt with at the time in accordance with recommendations from the Department of Environmental Health. It added that some upgrades would be made to school buildings in the summer.
The statement read: "Amongst the other work that is on-going, a refurbishment programme for all of the Key Stage 2 Classrooms is under way. This work will involve replacing the floor and ceiling tiles, and repainting the walls ….
"None of this work is as a result of suspected damp or mould, but is merely part of an on-going programme to improve the quality of the classroom environments. This work will be on-going throughout the year, with the bulk of the work occurring during the summer break."
The statement said such upgrades were generally carried out outside of school time to avoid disruption.
It added, "However, whenever an issue is identified that has health and safety implications, the school always places the welfare of the students and staff first, and addresses those concerns immediately."
Support local journalism. Subscribe to the all-access pass for the Cayman Compass.


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Book with us today. We offer very low prices and great specials on various models and configurations of campervans and motorhomes from Valencia. If you plan to go on a self-drive road trip adventure to Spain, check out the amazing deals we have. A campervan hire can also facilitate a leisurely drive to different exciting locations and fun-filled activities with your loved ones today.
Spain's third largest city is wonderfully filled with a thriving cultural, dining and nightlife scenes that can captivate you(the traveler) in an instant. Valencia is famous for a lot of things like paella ( a rice dish), La Huerta - the fruit and vegetables farmland, Ciudad de las Artes las Ciencias, a set of futuristic buildings set on top of what was once a riverbed, (A pretty neat engineering marvel if you'll ask me), and the La Tomatina (tomato throwing festival). If it's your first time, and don't know where to go or what to expect, here are some suggestions:
Your stay in Valencia promises to be filled with unforgettable activities and sumptuous appetite satisfying delights. A self-drive road-trip starting from Valencia is a good idea, type A roads are available giving easy access to other locations in Spain like Alicante and Bilbao. You can even drive your way towards another European country like France or Portugal. When you hire a campervan from Valencia, check to see if a one-way rental to other locations is allowed as most companies do, check if conditions apply.
For a FREE QUOTE, use the search form above to find out if your destinations are available.
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Single Property Website: www.924Arcadia.com
BALDWIN STOCKER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! ORIGINAL OWNER, FACES NORTH! 3 BR + LOFT, 2.5 BA, 1805 SQFT LIVING AREA. This charming two-level condo is centrally located close to 99 Ranch and Vons supermarkets, Westfield shopping center, Santa Anita race track, restaurants, retail shops, and more. The desirable end unit has only one shared common wall and is located at the end of the complex where it's very quiet. The bright living room offers a nice fireplace, and the formal dining area adjacent to the kitchen has a sliding glass door leading to the private backyard. The spacious loft is currently used as an office. The master bedroom suite is large and features a double sink vanity, fireplace, and walk-in closet. The landscaped backyard is easy to maintain, offering a patio and sprinklers. The 2-car attached garage with direct access to the unit has an automatic roll-up door and built-in cabinets for storage. The $210/month HOA dues cover water, basic TV channels, trash, fire insurance, and common area maintenance. The gated community has guest parking spaces and a recreation room with a kitchen for entertaining family and friends. This address is assigned to the prestigious Arcadia Unified School District.


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I'm not finding the solution for my problem.
I'm hosting my website somewhere else on a VPS server, according to the help pages I should:
1. create my own nameservers
2. update my domain with the new nameservers
I get an error message saying the nameservers are "Unavailable"!
and "The data provided cannot be used, please correct it and resubmit your request."
What can I do?? please Help!
Hi @pt4all, thanks for posting.
You'll want to ensure that the nameservers were properly created. They must also use 2 separate IP addresses. Checking your domain, the nameservers for NS1. yourdomain and NS2. yourdomain don't seem to be setup.


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from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- interjection Used to express mild annoyance or impatience.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- interjection
Nonsense! Expresses disbeliefor disdain.
- interjection Expresses mild
dismayor annoyance.
- noun Plural form of
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
But the moment you interfere with the free choice of the individual and dominate toward your choice, regardless of his own, you enter the realm of hypnosis; deprive him, just to that degree, of free choice, and might as well call it "fiddlesticks" as "suggestion."
The New Avatar and The Destiny of the Soul The Findings of Natural Science Reduced to Practical Studies in Psychology
I mean what does Barack need to do ... disown the whole world? these people should have sat down pfleger long ago if he was so "troubling" ... as my pastor would say "fiddlesticks!" andrew
Now I gotta wait for the next one - fiddlesticks ...
And did Greg say fiddlesticks after his steed was absconded with.
"Water-fiddlesticks, my dear!" said the professor; and he turned away sharply.
So, Iain, are you saying the crime of perjury is fiddlesticks ?
I have no idea why, but the paisley shawl from fiddlesticks is what really stood out to me.
Your pure mind is going as dry as fiddlesticks, from what I see of it.
"All these are foolish illusions ... fiddlesticks!"
You win eight shillings? you win eight fiddlesticks.
Aww fiddlesticks!
One might wonder why the plural for a singular item used for bowing stringed instruments. Here's why I believe the definition associated with this page is incorrect.
In old-time music the fiddle is sometimes played by two people at the same time, with one player bowing and fingering, while a second player stands to the side and taps out a rhythm on the fiddle strings using two small-diameter sticks or dowels called fiddlesticks (also spelled "fiddle sticks"). This technique is also called "beating the straws".
found something i liked on the images on 'fiddlesticks' of all things. first time thats ever happened. usually the pics are LAME.
incidentally this is the pic here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravenelle/2746349815


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What are bifid ribs and are they a symptom of the syndrome?
Yes they are. Bifid ribs are ribs that are split in two. They cause no problems and need no attention.Continue reading →
Yes they are. Bifid ribs are ribs that are split in two. They cause no problems and need no attention.Continue reading →
It does appear that a large number of people with Gorlin Syndrome have this problem. It is nothing to worry about and will cause no problems.Continue reading →
Yes. The second toe tends to be longer than the big toe resulting in the second toe getting pushed back.Continue reading →
In Gorlin Syndrome individuals are at a greater risk of developing BCCs. It is important to stay in the sun. Protect yourself by using a sun block or high factor sun screen. Cover up with hats, long sleeves and sunglasses … Continue reading →
There is no evidence to suggest that fibromas or cysts affect fertility.Continue reading →
Jaw cysts should be treated when small. The only sure way of detecting a jaw cyst is by x-ray or MRI. It is therefore sensible for regular screening at intervals recommended by your geneticist or oral consultant. This will be … Continue reading →
In childhood annual dental screening should start at about 8 years of age. Screening should continue into adult life. However, the frequency will depend on the findings of each X-ray or MRI. To ensure effective management of jaw cysts they … Continue reading →
A fibroma is a solid benign lump on the ovary. Calcium can also build up on the ovary. Studies show that 20% – 25% of women with Gorlin syndrome have ovarian fibromas and/or calcification (a build up of calcium). They cause … Continue reading →
In some patients with Gorlin Syndrome radiotherapy may lead to the rapid development of new basal cell carcinomas and therefore should be used under special / exceptional circumstances.Continue reading →
Mohs surgery is a precise surgical technique used to treat skin cancer. During Mohs surgery, thin layers of cancer-containing skin are removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains. Mohs surgery is also known as Mohs micrographicsurgery.Continue reading →


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Objet : information pursuant to art. 13 of Regulation UE 216/679, regarding the protection of personal data.
Holder of the treatment is Kocca S.r.l., with its office in Nola, Interporto di Nola-lotto C/2 n°1/5. For more information concerning the processing of personal data, as detailed in this document, you can write to the Holder at the indicate location or an email to: email@example.com
Kocca S.r.l, as a holder of the treatment, informs customers that the data provided by all those who contact the company for the future establishment of a legal relationship and by the customers with whom a relationship is in progress are managed for the following purposes:
to respond to the request of the potential customers, for the purpose of a potential establishment of a legal relationship;
for the management of the existing contractual relationship ( including bookkeeping, fulfillment of the duties and obligations required by civil, fiscal, accounting, accounting regulations or community regulations; the management of credit and / or commercial transactions, the management of litigation)
to perform statistical analysis, market research and to send advertising information on KOCCA products, through the use of paper mail and telephone and / or telematic channels.
The provision of data is optional, but necessary in the case of an existing contractual relationship. Any refusal to provide your data will make it impossible for KOCCA to accept the purchase offers from the customer. For the pursuit of market research and promotional activities, however, the lack of consent to result the non-receipt of advertising material and will not preclude in any way the performance of the contract.
For the execution of the letter a) and b) the legal basis for processing is the need to take pre-contractual measures taken at the requests of the data subject or to fulfill the contract.
For the execution of the promotional and marketing purposes referred the letter c), we need to acquire your specific consent, which we request with the completion of specific forms. Customers will be send news and promotions similar to those purchased, unless they expressly request not to receive more commercial information by sending an email to: firstname.lastname@example.com .
All processing is carried out by personnel specifically assigned, that using electronic and non-electronic devices, configured to guarantee confidentiality and data protection. The staff is aware of the data according to the area of competence, in order to perform the required services.
The data are processing and stored for the time required by the purposes for which they were collected: in particular, personal data collected for purpose related to the legitimate interest of the Holder will be retained until the satisfaction of such interest; for the use of data for contractual purpose, the information will be retained for the duration of the contract and for the terms of law related to the management of accounting and tax regulatory obligations, related to the contract itself.
When the processing is based on consent, the Holder may retain personal data until such consent is revoked.
The personal date used for the purpose listed above, can be communicated in writing or by telephone, to the categories and to the subjects indicated below, who participate in our company processes for various reasons: banking, insurance and financial institutions, agents, dealers, distributors and sales network in general; external consultants; transport, shippers and customs agents; companies specialized in marketing and market research; Public Administration, for the performance of Institutional functions; within the limits established by law and regulations.
The scope of any data communication will be national/European.
The detailed list of these subjects is held at the Company and can be easily know by contacting the Holder in the way described above.
In addition to what is reported, the data will not be disseminated.
In relation to the processing of personal data you can, by contacting KOCCA S.r.l. to the above mentioned contacts, exercise the following rights:
revoke their consent at any time. You can revoke your consent to the processing of your personal data expressed for the different treatments that require it.
oppose the processing of your data. you may object to the processing of your data for reasons related to your particular situation, when the processing take place on a legal basis other than consent or execution of the contract.
access your data. You have the right to obtain information on the data processed by Holder, on certain aspects of the processing and to receive a copy of the data processed.
Verify and Request rectification. You can verify the correctness of your data and request the update or correction.
Obtain the treatment limitation. In certain situations, you can request the limitation of the processing of your data. In this case the Holder will not process the data for aby other purpose other than its conservation.
Obtain the cancellation or removal of your personal data. In certain situations, you can request the cancellation of your data by the Holder.
Receive their data or transfer them to another Holder. You have the right to receive your data in structured format, commonly used and readable by automatic device and, where technically feasible, to obtain the transfer, without barriers, to another Holder. This provision is applicable when the data is processed by automated devise and the processing is based on your consent, on a contract of which you are a part or on contractual measures connected to it.
Propose a complaint. You can propose a complaint with the competent personal data protection Authority or act in court.


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Serenity Roster is intended to be the ultimate organizational tool for chapters of STARFLEET. Created by a chapter CO, this tool will allow you to manage almost every aspect of your chapter.
Check Our Forums for the full list of features.
The primary audience that Serenity Roster is intended for is leaders and members of chapters of STARFLEET International. In the future we may add the ability for other organizations to use this software, but for now it isn't really possible. But if you really do want to use this, contact the admins of the site On the Forums.


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Tips on Choosing a Good Shipping Company
The valuables you have can be delivered to your destination by making use of a shipping company.In existence is many companies that can serve to offer the shipping services. The challenge which is common is that not all the companies can offer the assurance that your items will be delivered well.There are high chances of having your valuables delivered well with the use of a good company.It is possible to secure good shipping company with the help of research.The many activities that are involved in research will necessitate that one to make use of his times as well as money.It is with the company that you obtain from research that you have good delivery services.It is possible also to get a good company for the shipping services by consulting the referrals.The right kind of referrals to use in order to secure a good company are the experienced relatives and friends.It is through them that you will be able to have a good company for the delivery services. The following are tips of choosing a good shipping company.
Select that company that has good a license as well as the insurance.The role of the license is to ensure the kind of services that you obtain are of good quality.It is the experience and skills of the company make the company to be issued with a license.It is through the company that has a license that you will have the promise of quality services.It is important to assess the license of the company before making the selection. This due to the reason that some companies can fake the license and offer services that are not quality. It is through the assessment that you will be able to void any problems that may arise from the delivery.It is possible to minimize the damages associated with the delivery services by considering that company has an insurance.This will serve to ensure that you are compensated in case the valuable does not reach you safely .
The consideration of the company offers the shipping at your budget will serve you good.The amount of money that you have set aside for the shipment should be key in choosing a good company to ship valuables.To be noted is that it may be expensive to get a good company, but you will have the assurance of quality shipping services.In order to get a good company for your services, it is good to ensure that the company you select is not based on prices only. The importance of having that company that you can afford is that you will not get financial problems.
The consideration of online reviews will also serve to ensure you choose a good company for your services.
Why not learn more about Tips?


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Enrolment for Foundation 2019 is now open. If your child will turn 5 before April 30th 2019 they are eligible to enrol for Foundation at Darlington Primary School. School tours are conducted on Tuesdays at 9.30am or can be arranged by appointment. Please contact the school office to arrange tour.Keep Reading
The Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge is now open and we are excited to be participating. The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. Since the challenge began 14 years ago, more than 2.5 million… .Keep Reading
School Photos will be taken this Friday 3rd March by school photo specialists Kapture. Parents can either order online using the school code from the documentation sent home or by returning the envelope with payment on photography day. Please contact the office if you require any further informationKeep Reading


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Savvy Managing Partners rewrite rules of Client Engagement
When Managing Partner David Bickerton of law firm Clifford Chance advises newly-appointed Managing Partners to ask themselves "How does the Client feel?" , I ask "How does the Client feel at your Client Events?"
Currently, not great, is the likely answer. I know this because I have spent many thousands of hours introducing guests at business and social events and working out how to provide the best possible experience for them in the periods when they are expected to interact with others.
Your Client has probably had to get up early for your Breakfast Briefing or ended a long-day at work to attend your evening event. No doubt you'll look after him or her by offering a cup of coffee or a reviving glass of wine.
At this point, your Client will be feeling expectant and hopeful of receiving a pay-off for attending – some new information from an industry expert, perhaps - and in the networking breaks, an opportunity to make valuable connections.
Bizarrely, it is at exactly this point, coffee or wine duly offered and a greeting exchanged, that many firms leave their guests "to get on with it" in a sea of strangers. To put it bluntly, they abandon their guests. The engagement stops dead. It is at this point that many companies do the reverse of making their Clients feel good – they do the opposite and unwittingly make them feel ill-at-ease.
This is systemic in British events. It is so systemic, that both guests and the host companies have come to accept this state-of-affairs as acceptable. The guests aren't complaining, so it might appear that there is no need to act.
In not acting to better the situation, however, firms are overlooking the enormous opportunity that a Client event can provide to make their guests feel good.
Let's look first at what your Client is likely to feel at your event.
Almost everyone feels trepidation at being in a room with other people. Often the others are strangers, which means you need nerves of steel to say hello. Even if they are not strangers, a room full of people becomes the school playground: who will talk to me? Who will reject my approach? Will I be the one who gets left out? You can see all these fears playing out because your Clients will often stick with the people they came with, or with you, or with their contacts on their mobile.
How can you alleviate your Clients' fears?
The only way you can put them truly at ease is to make your Clients feel accepted by the others in the room. Although the brave can in fact say hello on their own, this does not in itself make other people in the room accept them. Nothing works to make your Client feel good at your event except being introduced by you, your Partners, or someone on whom you have conferred the authority to do it on your behalf. If you introduce your Clients to your other guests you provide them with your stamp of approval. You are telling the other guests that this Client is someone they should meet. If you do this for all your Clients, they will all feel good about themselves. They won't feel like outsiders, they will feel that they belong.
You can now be masterful and deliver tremendous benefits to your Clients. What do they want? They want the same as you do – business. Much is said to encourage people to attend Client events, with words such as "networking opportunity" on invites and flyers. You put on an event, providing your Clients with an "opportunity" to make contact with other people, but often an "opportunity" is all it is. The Client is left to make what they will of the opportunity. In other words, they have to do the work, and go through all the social anxiety that prevent them from using the time productively and enjoyably. If you, the host firm, offer the opportunity and deliver the desired results for them – taking the trouble to introduce them to the people relevant to their business, they will feel really good at your event. They will feel energized and invigorated by the buzz of an occasion jam-packed with multiple valuable connections and empowered, not only to introduce themselves with ease, but to introduce those that they meet to others present. This is the ideal, turbo-charged event which leaves everyone, hosts and guests, satisfied.
The advantages of this approach are many. If your Clients leave your event having made extensive connections of their own, having laid the foundations of strategic alliances that will carry them forward and feeling good about themselves and their own abilities, they will think well and speak well of your event and will want to return for more, providing you with more opportunities to engage with them. Firms giving their Clients relevant on-the-spot introductions will be the ones that stand out from the pack to become the market leaders in Client engagement.
What will David Bickerton be doing in the future?
Rachel Fay is a Professional Introducer connecting people at Conferences, Receptions, Networking Events and Private Parties. You can contact Rachel on 020 8743 1249 email@example.com


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Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made through links in this post
Click For Current Price & Reviews%%item_offer_is_free_shipping%%
Ryze Tech Tello Boost Combo – Mini Drone with 5MP Camera for Kids and Adults, RC Quadcopter with 720p HD Video, 13min Flight Time, Scratch Programming, Educational Toy, Selfies, Powered by DJI, White
- See the World from the Sky: Whether you're at the park or hanging out at home, take off and experience the world from new perspectives. This small drone weighs only 87 g, has two antennas for extra-stable video transmission, and a high-capacity battery that offers up to 13 minutes of flight.
- Capture Great Pictures and Videos: Tello's camera has a high-quality image sensor to capture 5MP (2592×1936) photos and 720p HD videos. If you're a beginner, one-tap EZ Shots let you shoot pro-level videos to share on social media straight from your smartphone.
- Programming Fun: The Tello EDU app supports Scratch, a kid-friendly programming language. With a mobile device, students can drag coding blocks that command Tello to perform exciting movements. Games with challenging levels teach more programming skills in a fun way!
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- What you get: Ryze Tech Tello Aircraft, 4 Propellers (Pair), Propeller Guards (Set), 3 Batteries, Micro-USB Cable, and Propeller Removal Tool, Battery Charging Hub.
See User Reviews And Ratings On Amazon
More RC Drones To Choose From
SNAPTAIN S5C WiFi FPV Drone with 720P HD Camera,Voice Control, Wide-Angle Live Video RC Quadcopter with Altitude Hold, Gravity Sensor Function, RTF One Key Take Off/Landing, Compatible w/VR Headset
- ✈USER-FRIENDLY✈ SNAPTAIN S5C drone is user-friendly. Simply press one button, it will take off, land or return to your command. Smart voice control, headless mode, and the fascinating 360° Flips & Rolls come handy even for the drone newbies.
- ✈FARTHER & CLEARER✈ The SNAPTAIN S5C provides video transmission within a range of up to 80m. Edit and upload instantly your videos on Social Media by iPhone or a 720p video transmission signal up to a scale of 80m, allowing you to fly farther. Edit HD footage and directly upload it to social media from your iPhone or iPad. The video clips are automatically saved to the Micro SD card.
- ✈POWERFUL & SAFE✈ Protective Propeller Guards to ensure a safe flight. High quality ABS material to free your worries of a sudden shock or drop. Best choice with enough fun for beginners.
Holy Stone HS110D FPV RC Drone with 1080P HD Camera Live Video 120°Wide-Angle WiFi Quadcopter with Gravity Sensor, Voice Control, Gesture Control, Altitude Hold, Headless Mode, 3D Flip RTF 2 Batteries
- 1080P FOV 120° HD FPV CAMERA: You can capture memorable moments with distortion-free and view images on your phone from the wide-angel lens. The app enables you to expand your creativity further and share it on social media with ease.
- ALTITUDE HOLD: When you focus on shooting images, you may set your hands off the joystick and the drone still suspend in mid-air with locked altitude. A perfect drone for beginners, kids, starters, or newbies to have a easy and stable flight experience.
- HEADLESS MODE: The pilot will feel easier to control, especially when the drone is out of sight, under headless mode while the orientation of the drone is in relation to the pilot. The drone are also equipped with 3D flips to make your day.
Holy Stone HS120D GPS Drone with Camera for Adults 2K UHD FPV, Quadcotper with Auto Return Home, Follow Me, Altitude Hold, Way-points Functions, Includes 2 Batteries and Carrying Backpack
- Built for Adventure: The specially designed backpack can carry everything for HS120D, allows you to take this drone anywhere, incredibly convenient for travel and outdoor
- 2K UHD 120° FOV Adjustable FPV Camera: Capture high definition footage ( 2048*1152p) and directly save to your smartphone; Gesture Control: pose to the camera, you can take automatically generated photos and videos, share it instantly with friends on social media.
- Smarter Return Home: GPS assisted flight, it can perform automatically return home when the drone lost signal, out of range or low power, never have to worry about flying it away
SNAPTAIN SP650 1080P Drone with Camera for Adults 1080P HD Live Video Camera Drone for Beginners w/Voice Control, Gesture Control, Circle Fly, High-Speed Rotation, Altitude Hold, Headless Mode
- Camera Drone with Better Views: 1080P FHD camera captures crystal clear aerial photos and 1920 X 1080 @ 25fps videos. With 120° FOV and 90° adjustable design, you can catch every moment of your adventure from a bird-eye perspective
- Intelligent Voice & Gesture Control: SNAPTAIN drones are the only drones with smart voice control and gesture control. You can speak to control the flying direction, or pose to the camera to trigger photo/video shooting, adding fun to your flight
- Multiple Flight Modes: SP650 is a versatile drone. It can perform stunts like 360° flip, circle fly, and high-speed rotation. Combined with trajectory flight which allows you to draw flying course on your phone, SP650 drone brings you spectacular flying experiences
SNAPTAIN A10 Mini Foldable Drone with 720P HD Camera FPV WiFi RC Quadcopter w/Voice Control, Gesture Control, Trajectory Flight, Circle Fly, High-Speed Rotation, 3D Flips, G-Sensor, Headless Mode
- 【HD Pictures & Videos and FPV Function】The mini foldable drone equipped with 720P HD Camera, which captures high-quality video and clear aerial photos. You can watch a live video in your smart phone for beautiful scenery by wifi real-time transmission.
- 【Intelligent Voice & Gesture Control】Control your drone with simple voice commands like "take off", "landing", "left", "right", "forward", "backward". And gesture control allows you to pose to the camera to trigger phone taking and video recording.
- 【Multiple Fun Flights】SNAPTAIN A10 is a versatile drone, can perform stunts like 360°flip, circle fly, and high-speed rotatio. And you can also draw a path in your app interface, the drone will fly following the path accordingly, which is the newest technology.
Last update on 2020-10-21 at 19:47 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


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State of Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland,
Montgomery County, Maryland, and
Prince George's County, Maryland,
*(Amended Pursuant to Clerk's 6/10/02 Order)
(Dist. Court No. 01-cv-121)
District Court Judge: Gregory M. Sleet
Argued on December 16, 2002
Before: NYGAARD, ALITO, and McKEE, Circuit Judges.
(Opinion Filed: July 18, 2003)
ALITO, Circuit Judge:
The State of Maryland and three Maryland counties (Baltimore, Montgomery, and Prince George's) (collectively the "Taxing Authorities") appeal from an order of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware affirming two orders of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The first of these Bankruptcy Court orders declared that certain sales of real estate interests proposed by Hechinger Investment Company of Delaware, Inc. ("Hechinger") would be exempt under 11 U.S.C. § 1146© from transfer and recording taxes imposed by the Taxing Authorities. The second order directed the Taxing Authorities to refund any transfer and recording taxes previously paid by purchasers of the real estate interests once the Bankruptcy Court confirmed Hechinger's reorganization plan.
Agreeing with the only other court of appeals that has decided the issue, NVR Homes, Inc. v. Clerks of the Circuit Courts, 189 F.3d 442 (4th Cir. 1999), we hold that 11 U.S.C. § 1146© does not apply to real estate transactions that occur prior to the confirmation of a plan under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. We therefore reverse the order of the District Court and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
The relevant facts are undisputed. Prior to its bankruptcy and cessation of operations, Hechinger was a "retailer[ ] of home and garden care products and services." App. at 17. In June 1999, Hechinger filed a voluntary petition for relief pursuant to Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, and in September of the same year, Hechinger announced its plan to liquidate its assets and cease operations. In October 1999, Hechinger filed a motion in the Bankruptcy Court requesting permission to sell its interests in certain real estate pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 363 and 365. Hechinger proposed to make these sales prior to the confirmation of a plan of reorganization by the Bankruptcy Court under 11 U.S.C. § 1129. The real estate interests at issue were all located within the Taxing Authorities' borders. Consequently, the Taxing Authorities - under normal circumstances - would have been able to collect transfer and recording taxes from the purchasers of those interests. Hechinger's motion sought a declaration by the Bankruptcy Court that the proposed sales would be exempt from these taxes on the ground that the sales constituted "the making or delivery of . . . instrument[s] of transfer under a plan confirmed under section 1129" of the Bankruptcy Code and thus could "not be taxed under any law imposing a stamp tax or similar tax." 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c).
In November 1999, Hechinger filed another motion seeking the authority to sell its leasehold interest in real estate located in Montgomery County, Maryland. As in its October motion, Hechinger proposed to make this sale prior to the confirmation of a reorganization plan, and Hechinger again sought a declaration by the Bankruptcy Court that the sale would not be subject to state and county transfer and recording taxes. Both the October and November motions were filed pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9014. As required by Rule 9014, the Taxing Authorities were served with the motions and informed of their opportunity to enter objections in the Bankruptcy Court. See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9014(a)-(b). The Taxing Authorities subsequently filed such objections. First, the Taxing Authorities claimed that the Bankruptcy Court proceedings concerning the declarations sought by Hechinger constituted a suit against the State of Maryland under the Eleventh Amendment and were therefore barred. Second, the Taxing Authorities maintained that the proposed declarations would effectively enjoin the collection of a tax imposed by state law in violation of the Tax Injunction Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1341.1 Finally, the Taxing Authorities argued that the proposed sales did not constitute "deliver[ies] . . . of . . . instrument[s] of transfer under a plan confirmed under section 1129" of the Bankruptcy Code, as required by 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c), and that the proposed sales were thus ineligible for the tax exemption created by Section 1146(c). The Taxing Authorities contended that a property interest that is sold prior to the confirmation of a reorganization plan is not transferred "under a plan confirmed under section 1129" within the meaning of Section 1146(c) because a Chapter 11 plan must be confirmed before a property interest may be said to be sold "under" such a plan. The Bankruptcy Court rejected the Taxing Authorities' contentions and issued the requested declarations. Two aspects of the Bankruptcy Court's opinion are pertinent to this appeal. First, the Bankruptcy Court held that Hechinger's motions seeking the declarations were not "suits" within the meaning of the Eleventh Amendment. Because the motions did not request "the turnover of property already in possession of a state," the Court reasoned, "adjudication of the motions [did] not require the Court to exercise jurisdiction over Maryland." App. at 27, 47. Second, the Bankruptcy Court held that Hechinger's proposed sales were "under a plan confirmed under section 1129" within the meaning of 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c), since "a transfer . . . that is essential to or an important component of the plan process, even if it occurs prior to plan confirmation, is 'under a plan' within the meaning of § 1146(c)." Id. at 47.
Hence, the Bankruptcy Court concluded, the proposed sales were exempt from the Taxing Authorities' transfer and recording taxes. The Bankruptcy Court's order made the operation of the tax exemption in Section 1146(c) conditional upon that court's eventual confirmation of a Chapter 11 plan. The Bankruptcy Court accordingly ordered Hechinger to escrow proceeds from the sales sufficient to pay the transfer and recording taxes that the purchasers would have been required to pay absent the Section 1146(c) exemption. Hechinger subsequently sold an unknown number of real estate interests pursuant to the authorization granted by the Bankruptcy Court, and the purchasers of those interests paid transfer and recording taxes to the Taxing Authorities. In October 2000, Hechinger filed a motion requesting that the Bankruptcy Court clarify its prior order. Hechinger asked the Bankruptcy Court to instruct the Taxing Authorities to refund the taxes paid by the purchasers as soon as the Bankruptcy Court confirmed Hechinger's proposed plan. The Bankruptcy Court granted Hechinger's motion in January 2001, and directed the Taxing Authorities to refund any transfer and recording taxes paid by the purchasers once the Bankruptcy Court confirmed Hechinger's reorganization plan. The Taxing Authorities took an appeal to the District Court. While the Taxing Authorities' appeal to the District Court was still pending, the Bankruptcy Court confirmed a plan of reorganization. In pertinent part, the plan required Hechinger to transfer all of its assets to the Hechinger Liquidation Trust (the "Trust").
In March 2002, the District Court affirmed the Bankruptcy Court's orders for the reasons stated by the Bankruptcy Court. On the issue of the Taxing Authorities' sovereign immunity, the District Court held that the Eleventh Amendment did not preclude the issuance of the declarations because they did not mandate a "direct recovery from [a] state's treasury" and thus did not require the Bankruptcy Court to "exercise jurisdiction over the State" of Maryland. Id. at 10. On the question whether 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c) applied to the real estate sales at issue, the District Court held that "it is the fact of plan confirmation, rather than its timing, that is critical" to a determination of whether a sale is "under a plan confirmed under section 1129" of the Bankruptcy Code. Id. at 13. So long as a plan authorizing a sale is eventually confirmed, the District Court reasoned, the proceeds of the sale are not subject to transfer and recording taxes. Thus, the District Court held, it was proper for the Bankruptcy Court to order Hechinger to escrow the sale proceeds until such time as the Bankruptcy Court made a final decision concerning Hechinger's proposed plan. The Taxing Authorities appealed the District Court's decision to this court. In June 2002, we granted Hechinger's motion to substitute the Trust for Hechinger as the appellee in this appeal.
On appeal, the Taxing Authorities make two contentions. First, they claim that the Rule 9014 proceedings concerning the propriety of the declarations violated the Eleventh Amendment. Second, they maintain that Section 1146(c)does not exempt sales of real estate interests from state transfer and recording taxes where those sales are made prior to the confirmation of a plan.
As we detail further below, we believe that the Bankruptcy Court and the District Court erred in holding that 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c) exempts the real estate sales at issue here from the Taxing Authorities' transfer and recording taxes. In view of this holding, we find it unnecessary to reach the question whether the Bankruptcy Court's orders declaring the transactions to be tax-exempt violated the Eleventh Amendment. We will first explain why we are not required to reach the Eleventh Amendment question, and we will then show why Section 1146© does not exempt Hechinger's proposed transactions from the taxes at issue.
As noted above, the Taxing Authorities claim that the Trust's motions seeking the declarations issued by the Bankruptcy Court were "suits . . . commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States" within the meaning of the Eleventh Amendment. The Supreme Court has stated that where a defendant successfully demonstrates that the Eleventh Amendment precludes a suit, the court in which the plaintiff filed the action lacks subject matter jurisdiction over that action. See Seminole Tribe v. Florida, 517 U.S. 44, 64 (1996) (stating that the Eleventh Amendment stands "for the constitutional principle that state sovereign immunity limit[s] the federal courts' jurisdiction under Article III"); Blake v. Kline, 612 F.2d 718, 721 (3d Cir. 1979) ("The eleventh amendment has been interpreted to bar jurisdictionally the federal courts from entertaining suits for damages when a state is the real party in interest."). When subject matter jurisdiction is at issue, a federal court is generally required to reach the jurisdictional question before turning to the merits. See Steel Co. v. Citizens for a Better Env't., 523 U.S. 83, 93-95 (1998) (rejecting the position previously taken by several courts of appeals that found it "proper to proceed immediately to the merits question" in a case "despite jurisdictional objections"); Larsen v. Senate of the Commw., 152 F.3d 240, 245 (3d Cir. 1998) ("A court that is without proper jurisdiction cannot proceed at all, and must merely note the jurisdictional defect and dismiss the suit."). Eleventh Amendment immunity, however, has features that are atypical of doctrines that divest federal courts of subject matter jurisdiction. While "no action of the parties can confer subject-matter jurisdiction upon a federal court," Insurance Corp. of Ireland, Ltd. v. Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee, 456 U.S. 694, 702 (1982), a state may waive its Eleventh Amendment immunity. See Atascadero State Hosp. v. Scanlon, 473 U.S. 234, 238 (1985) ("[I]f a State waives its immunity and consents to suit in federal court, the Eleventh Amendment does not bar the action."). Similarly, while a federal court is obligated to consider whether it possesses subject-matter jurisdiction even if the issue is not raised by the parties, see Insurance Corp., 456 U.S. at 702, a federal court need not address the issue of sovereign immunity if neither party brings it to the attention of the court. See Wisconsin Dep't. of Corrections v. Schacht, 524 U.S. 381, 389 (1998) ("[T]he Eleventh Amendment grants the State a legal power to assert a sovereign immunity defense should it choose to do so. The state can waive the defense. Nor need a court raise the defect on its own. Unless the State raises the matter, a court can ignore it.").
These distinctions between Eleventh Amendment immunity and other doctrines that divest federal courts of subject matter jurisdiction have led at least two other courts of appeals to conclude that where a defendant argues that an action is barred by sovereign immunity, a federal court is not required to resolve that issue before adjudicating the merits of the action. See United States v. SC Bus. & Tech. Inst., Inc., 173 F.3d 890, 891 (D.C. Cir. 1999); Parella v. Ret. Bd. of the R.I. Employees' Ret. Sys., 173 F.3d 46, 53-57 (1st Cir. 1999). In addition, two other courts of appeals have bypassed Eleventh Amendment questions and decided appeals on other grounds pursuant to the doctrine that courts should avoid deciding constitutional questions whenever possible. See Tyler v. Douglas, 280 F.3d 116, 121 (2d Cir. 2001); Floyd v. Thompson, 227 F.3d 1029, 1034-35 (7th Cir. 2000). Other courts of appeals, however, have held that questions of sovereign immunity must be decided before reaching the merits of an appeal. See United States v. Texas Tech Univ., 171 F.3d 279, 287 (5th Cir. 1999); Seaborn v. Dept. of Corrections, 143 F.3d 1405, 1407 (11th Cir. 1998). Although there are reasonable arguments on both sides of the issue, we agree with the decisions of the District of Columbia and First Circuits noted above, and we therefore hold, for two reasons, that we are not required in this case to address the Eleventh Amendment issue before proceeding to the merits.
First, the premise of the holding in Steel Co. - that a federal court has no power to entertain an action if Article III jurisdiction is lacking - simply does not apply when the jurisdictional defect is the bar erected by the Eleventh Amendment. As noted, a federal court is not necessarily devoid of jurisdiction to entertain a claim to which the Eleventh Amendment applies. See Schact, 524 U.S. at 389. "Rather, the Eleventh Amendment grants [the] State a legal power to assert a sovereign immunity defense should it choose to do so." Id. Since a federal court possesses the power to entertain such a claim if the state opts to waive or merely neglects to assert its Eleventh Amendment defense, it does not follow from the reasoning of Steel Co. that a federal court must address an asserted Eleventh Amendment defense before considering the merits of a case. See SC Bus. & Tech., 173 F.3d at 893 ("Steel Co.'s rule is premised on a court's lack of power to reach the merits without establishing its jurisdiction. In the Eleventh Amendment context, where a court lacks power only if a state claims that it does, it is arguable that we have no obligation to decide the Eleventh Amendment issue first if the state does not demand that we do so."); Spicer v. Hilton, 618 F.2d 232, 241 n.7 (3d Cir. 1980) (noting the paradox inherent in the fact that "it is clearly established that the state's [sovereign] immunity can be waived by the state, despite the principle that a waiver cannot confer jurisdiction on a court which lacks subject matter jurisdiction").
Second, we believe that the Supreme Court's reasoning in Calderon v. Ashmus, 523 U.S. 740 (1998), supports the position we take here. The plaintiff in Ashmus filed a class action challenging the application of certain time limits on the filing of habeas corpus petitions in capital cases. The District Court granted declaratory and injunctive relief, the court of appeals affirmed, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari on the issues of whether the suit was barred by the Eleventh Amendment and whether the injunction issued by the District Court violated the First Amendment. After granting review, the Supreme Court on its own motion raised the question whether the named plaintiff had standing under Article III to request a declaratory judgment, and the Court stated that it was required to decide this standing question before reaching the Eleventh Amendment and First Amendment issues. See Ashmus, 523 U.S. at 745 ("We granted certiorari on both the Eleventh Amendment and First Amendment issues, . . . but in keeping with our precedents, have decided that we must first address whether this action for a declaratory judgment is the sort of 'Article III' 'case or controversy' to which federal courts are limited.") (citing FW/PBS, Inc. v. Dallas, 493 U.S. 215, 230-31 (1990)).
The Supreme Court's treatment of the Article III standing issue in Ashmus is important for present purposes because in Ruhrgas AG v. Marathon Oil Co., 526 U.S. 574 (1999), the Court held that federal courts are not generally obligated to address "jurisdictional issues" in any particular order. See Ruhrgas, 526 U.S. at 584 ("While Steel Co. reasoned that subject-matter jurisdiction necessarily precedes a ruling on the merits, the same principle does not dictate a sequencing of jurisdictional issues."). The language of the Court in Ruhrgas makes it clear that, by "jurisdictional issues," the Court meant those issues that a federal court must address before it possesses the power to reach the merits of an action. See id. at 583 (observing that "Steel Co. reasoned that subject-matter jurisdiction necessarily precedes a ruling on the merits"). If the Eleventh Amendment issue in Ashmus had been one of the "jurisdictional issues" that must be decided before moving on to the merits, the Ashmus Court would not have been obligated to reach the Article III standing question before turning to the Eleventh Amendment question. The Ashmus Court's statement that it was required to reach the standing issue first, however, suggests that Steel Co. does not require a federal court to consider an asserted Eleventh Amendment defense before reaching the merits. This conclusion does not obscure the distinction between a defense based on sovereign immunity and a defense relating to the merits of an action. A sovereign immunity defense differs from a defense on the merits in the key respect that a defendant may raise the defense of sovereign immunity at any time in the absence of an explicit waiver. See Edelman v. Jordan, 415 U.S. 651, 678 (1974) (stating that the "Eleventh Amendment defense sufficiently partakes of the nature of a jurisdictional bar so that it need not be raised in the trial court"); Ford Motor Co. v. Dept. of Treasury, 323 U.S. 459, 467 (1945) ("The Eleventh Amendment declares a policy and sets forth an explicit limitation on federal judicial power of such compelling force that this Court will consider the issue arising under this Amendment in this case even though urged for the first time in this Court."). Hence, the notion that the doctrine of sovereign immunity is in some sense a "jurisdictional bar" retains significance.
For these reasons, we hold that we are not required to determine whether the Eleventh Amendment bars the Trust's action against the Taxing Authorities prior to reaching the question whether the real estate sales at issue here are protected by the 11 U.S.C. § 1146© tax exemption. We therefore turn to the primary issue in this appeal, the proper interpretation of Section 1146(c).
Title 11 United States Code, § 1146(c), provides as follows:
The issuance, transfer, or exchange of a security, or the making or delivery of an (instrument of transfer under a plan confirmed under section 1129 of this title, may not be taxed under any law imposing a stamp tax or similar tax. 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c). There is no dispute that the property sales at issue here involved "the making or delivery of . . . instrument[s] of transfer" or that the Taxing Authorities' transfer and recording taxes are "stamp" taxes or "similar" taxes. Nor is there any dispute that approval of the sales was sought under the authority of 11 U.S.C. §§ 363 and 365, not 11 U.S.C. § 1129, and that the Bankruptcy Court had not confirmed a "plan" under Section 1129 at the time of the sales, although it later did so. The disputed question is whether the sales were carried out "under" the eventually confirmed plan.
The Trust argues that the sales in question here occurred "under" the plan even though the plan had not been confirmed at the time of the sales. According to the Trust, a transfer occurs "under a plan confirmed" if two criteria are met. First, the transfer must be "necessary to effect the confirmation of a plan." Brief for Appellee at 18. Second, the Bankruptcy Court must eventually confirm a Chapter 11 plan that retroactively authorizes the transfer at issue. See Brief for Appellee at 19. Thus, under the Trust's reading of Section 1146(c), a debtor who sells real estate interests before the confirmation of a plan may still benefit from the Section 1146(c) tax exemption so long as the Bankruptcy Court eventually confirms a plan that covers the sale of those interests.
In interpreting Section 1146(c), we look first to the language of the provision. See Health Maintenance Org. v. Whitman, 72 F.3d 1123, 1128 (3d Cir. 1995); In re Segal, 57 F.3d 342, 345 (3d Cir. 1995). As noted above, Section 1146© speaks of the making or delivery of an instrument of transfer "under a plan confirmed under [11 U.S.C. § 1129]." The preposition "under" is of course very common, and it can have many different meanings in different contexts. See Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged 2487 (1993) (listing 13 different definitions); Random House Dictionary of the English Language 1543 (unabridged ed. 1967) (listing 27 definitions). After considering all of these definitions, we believe that the most natural reading of the phrase "under a plan confirmed" in 11 U.S.C. § 1146© is "authorized" by such a plan. See Random House Dictionary at 1543. When an action is said to be taken "under" a provision of law or a document having legal effect, what is generally meant is that the action is "authorized" by the provision of law or legal document. Thus, if a claim is asserted "under" 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Section 1983 provides the authority for the claim. If a motion is made "under" Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6), that rule provides the authority for the motion. If benefits are paid "under" a pension or welfare plan, the payments are authorized by the plan.
On this reading, if an instrument of transfer is made or delivered "under" a plan, the plan must provide the authority for the transaction. But the transfers at issue in this case were not made under the authority of the plan that was eventually confirmed. Rather, they were made under the authority of 11 U.S.C. §§ 363 and 365. Since the plan had not been confirmed at the time of the transfers, the plan could not provide the legal authority for the transfers, and the legality of those transfers was not dependent upon eventual confirmation. Although we believe that "authorized by" is the most natural reading of the term "under" in the phrase "under a plan confirmed," we do not go so far as to say that this is the only plausible interpretation of that term. For example, an accepted definition of the preposition "under" is "in accordance with," and "accordance" may mean "agreement." Random House Dictionary at 9, 1543. Thus, we cannot say that the language of Section 1146© rules out the possibility that "under a plan confirmed" means "in agreement with a plan confirmed." On this reading, a sale of real estate could be said to be "in accordance" with a plan if the sale, although actually carried out under the authority of some other provision of law (such as 11 U.S.C. §§ 363 or 365), is later listed as part of a plan that is confirmed. Nevertheless, we find at least two other reasons for interpreting the phrase "under a plan confirmed" to mean "authorized by" such a plan.
First, that reading fits best with the remaining language of Section 1146(c). It is a "normal rule of statutory construction that 'identical words used in different parts of the same act are intended to have the same meaning.' " Sorenson v. Sec. of the Treasury, 475 U.S. 851, 860 (1986) (quoting Helvering v. Stockholms Enskilda Bank, 293 U.S. 84, 87 (1934)). This canon logically has added force where identical words appear more than once in the same provision. Section 1146© uses the word "under" three times in the same sentence. As noted above, Section 1146© provides that "the making or delivery of an instrument of transfer under a plan confirmed under section 1129 of this title, may not be taxed under any law imposing a stamp tax or similar tax." 11 U.S.C. § 1146© (emphasis added). It is apparent that the term "under" in "confirmed under section 1129" means "confirmed pursuant to the authority granted by Section 1129." It is similarly clear that the term "under" in "may not be taxed under any law . . ." means "may not be taxed pursuant to the authority of " any such law. Consequently, reading the first "under" in this sentence -in "under a plan confirmed" - to mean "pursuant to the authority conferred by such a plan" gives the term "under" a single, consistent meaning throughout Section 1146(c).
Second, this interpretation gives the phrase "under a plan confirmed" the same meaning as an identical phrase in another provision of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 365(g). This provision speaks of the assumption of an executory contract or unexpired lease "under a plan confirmed under chapter 9, 11, 12, or 13 of this title." 11 U.S.C. § 365(g). It seems clear that this language means a plan that is confirmed pursuant to the authority conferred by those chapters. For these reasons, we believe that the phrase "under a plan confirmed" in 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c) was most likely intended to mean "authorized by a plan confirmed."
Even if the language of Section 1146(c) is ambiguous, however, two important canons of construction support our interpretation. First, tax exemption provisions are to be strictly construed. See United States v. Centennial Savings Bank FSB, 499 U.S. 573, 583 (1991) ("[T]ax-exemption and . . . deferral provisions are to be construed narrowly."); United States v. Wells Fargo Bank, 485 U.S. 351, 354 (1988) ("[E]xemptions from taxation . . . must be unambiguously proved."); United States Trust Co. v. Helvering, 307 U.S. 57, 60 (1939) ("Exemptions from taxation do not rest upon implication."). Second, federal laws that interfere with a state's taxation scheme must be narrowly construed in favor of the state. See Nat'l. Private Truck Council v. Oklahoma Tax Comm'n., 515 U.S. 582, 590 (1995) (noting the "strong background presumption against [federal] interference with state taxation"); California State Bd. of Equalization v. Sierra Summit, Inc., 490 U.S. 844, 851-52 (1989) ("[A] court must proceed carefully when asked to recognize an exemption from state taxation that Congress has not clearly expressed."); NVR Homes, Inc. v. Clerks of the Circuit Courts, 189 F.3d 442, 459 (4th Cir. 1999) (Wilkinson, J., concurring) ("If Congress wished to exempt a bankrupt from state and municipal taxation, 'the intention would be clearly expressed, not left to be collected or inferred from disputable considerations of convenience in administering the estate of the bankrupt.' ") (quoting Swarts v. Hammer, 194 U.S. 441, 444 (1904)). Since Section 1146© both constitutes a tax exemption and interferes with the State of Maryland's scheme of property taxation, we must construe Section 1146(c) in the Taxing Authorities' favor.5 All of these reasons weigh in favor of interpreting the phrase "under a plan confirmed" in 11 U.S.C. § 1146(c) to mean "made pursuant to the authority conferred by such a plan," and since an unconfirmed plan cannot confer such authority, this interpretation means that a transfer made prior to plan confirmation cannot qualify for tax exemption under 11 U.S.C. § 114(c)
We have considered the alternative interpretation advanced by the Trust, but we reject that construction. As noted above, the Trust argues that "made under a plan confirmed" means "necessary for the confirmation of a plan" that is eventually confirmed. Although the preposition "under" can have many different meanings, no accepted definition of that term corresponds to the meaning that the Trust advocates.
Of the many possible definitions of the preposition "under," the Trust points to the following as supporting its position:
"covered by", "beneath the heading or within the category of ", "subject to the authority, direction, or supervision of ", "protected, controlled, or watched by", "authorized, warranted, or attested by", or "in accordance with". Brief for Appellee at 25 n.8 (quoting Random House Unabridged Dictionary 2059 (2d ed. 1993)). But not one of these definitions corresponds to the Trust's definition, i.e., "necessary for." For example, the statement that a sale is "covered by" a plan that is later confirmed would presumably mean that the sale is required or permitted by the terms of the plan. Thus, the statement that the sale is "covered by" the plan would not in any way suggest that the sale was "necessary for" confirmation of the plan. Similarly, the statement that a sale is "in accordance with" a plan would not suggest that the sale was necessary for confirmation. The interpretation advanced by the Trust and adopted by the Bankruptcy and District Courts simply cannot be squared with the statutory language. In support of its interpretation, the Trust cites the Second Circuit's decision in In re Jacoby-Bender, 758 F.2d 840 (2d Cir. 1985), and numerous District Court and Bankruptcy Court decisions relying on Jacoby-Bender. See Brief for Appellee at 26 (citing In re Baldwin League of Indep. Sch., 110 B.R. 125, 127 (S.D.N.Y. 1990); In re Smoss Enters. Corp., 54 B.R. 950, 951 (E.D.N.Y. 1985); In re Lopez Dev., Inc., 154 B.R. 607, 609 n.13 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. 1993); In re Permar Provisions, Inc., 79 B.R. 530, 534 (Bankr. E.D.N.Y. 1987)). The Trust characterizes the decision in Jacoby-Bender as holding that "a sale [is] exempt from taxes under § 1146© so long as the sale [is] 'necessary to the consummation of a plan.' " Id. at 26 (quoting Jacoby-Bender, 758 F.2d at 842).
The Trust's quotation of the Second Circuit's language is correct, but the conclusion that the Trust draws from the quoted language is not. In Jacoby-Bender, a Bankruptcy Court confirmed a debtor's proposed reorganization plan pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 1129. The debtor subsequently sold real property located in New York State and claimed that the Section 1146© tax exemption protected the sale from state real property transfer taxes because the sale was authorized by the confirmed plan. The state argued that the confirmed plan did not authorize the sale "because the plan did not mention any instrument of transfer and did not give the debtor the authority to make the specific sale." Jacoby-Bender, 758 F.2d at 841. The Second Circuit disagreed with the state, holding that since Section 1146(c) "does not require that the reorganization plan include specifics" and the sale at issue was "necessary to the consummation of [the] plan," the confirmed plan authorized the sale. Id. The Jacoby-Bender decision thus resolved the issue of whether the sale was authorized by the terms of the previously confirmed plan, not whether the sale was necessary to achieving the plan's confirmation. The Second Circuit's statement that the debtor's sale of real property was "necessary to the consummation of the plan" simply meant that the language of the plan, or the implications thereof, required the sale to occur. Accordingly, Jacoby-Bender does not support the proposition that Section 1146© protects pre-confirmation transfers that are necessary or essential to the subsequent confirmation of a plan. See also NVR Homes, 189 F.3d at 456 (disapproving the practice of "extend[ing] the Second Circuit's language and alter[ing] Jacoby-Bender's holding, changing the test from 'necessary to the consummation of a plan,' to 'necessary to the confirmation of a plan' ").
Since we disagree with the Trust's reading of the Jacoby-Bender decision, we also disagree with the District Court and Bankruptcy Court decisions that have adopted the Trust's reading. The Trust argues that the language of other sections of the Bankruptcy Code supports its interpretation of Section 1146(c). The Trust approvingly quotes the Bankruptcy Court's statement that "[w]hen Congress wants to impose a temporal condition on a bankruptcy transaction, it does so expressly." App. at 42 (citing 11 U.S.C. § 1104(a) (authorizing a Bankruptcy Court to appoint a trustee "[a]t any time after the commencement of the case but before confirmation of a plan"); 11 U.S.C. § 1121(b) ("[O]nly the debtor may file a plan until after 120 days after the date of the order for relief under this chapter.")). We are not impressed with this argument. If, as we conclude, the phrase "under a plan confirmed" means "authorized by a plan confirmed," no "temporal" issue is raised, because it is beyond dispute that the transfers at issue were not made on the authority of a plan but on the authority of other provisions of the Bankruptcy Code. Even if no plan had ever been confirmed, that would not have called into question the validity of the transfers. The Trust finally maintains that permitting preconfirmation transfers to benefit from the Section 1146© tax exemption would best implement the policies underlying Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The Trust contends that Congress "enacted § 1146© to encourage chapter 11 plans by providing chapter 11 debtors with tax relief when they are compelled by business realities to sell certain assets." Brief for Appellee at 21. Limiting the Section 1146(c) tax exemption to "post-confirmation transfers," the Trust contends, would not serve Congress's purposes, because such an approach would not adequately assist debtors in obtaining creditors' approval of proposed reorganization plans.
We are not persuaded by this argument. Needless to say, "it is not for us to substitute our view of . . . policy for the legislation which has been passed by Congress." United Parcel Serv., Inc. v. United States Postal Serv., Inc., 604 F.2d 1370, 1381 n.16 (3d Cir. 1979). Moreover, as is often the case in disputes about the interpretation of legislation that affects the economic interests of different groups, the opposing sides both cite policies that Congress might have wished to further when it enacted the law at issue. In opposition to the Trust's policy arguments, the amici curiae note that "limiting the [Section 1146©] exemption to transfers under a confirmed plan . . . create[s] an incentive for early confirmation." Brief for Amici Curiae at 11. In addition, the Taxing Authorities' preferred interpretation limits the Bankruptcy Code's interference with state revenue collection. See In re 310 Assocs., 282 B.R. 295, 299 (S.D.N.Y. 2002) (stating that a taxing authority "should not be required to wait until some indeterminate time when there may be a plan before collecting the taxes which it was entitled to collect at the time of the transfer"); see also Nat'l. Private Truck Council v. Oklahoma Tax Comm'n., 515 U.S. 582, 590 (1995) (noting the "strong background presumption against [federal] interference with state taxation").
For all these reasons, we hold that a real estate transaction is made "under a plan confirmed under section 1129" only where the sale is authorized by the terms of a previously confirmed Chapter 11 plan. Since the real estate transactions at issue here were made pursuant to the authority conferred by other Bankruptcy Code provisions and occurred before the confirmation of a plan, those transactions were not entitled to the Section 1146© exemption from stamp taxes and similar taxes.
For the reasons explained above, we reverse the judgment of the District Court, and remand the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.


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Hip-hop artists represent one of the strongest and most diverse facets of the Azalea City's music scene. Rappers have come and gone, but C-Nile has remained one of its most productive and talented figures, bringing the world stories of his life coming up in the Roger Williams Projects.
His rhythmic verbal science has allowed him to work with artists such as Lil Boosie, Yo Gotti and T.I. Throughout his career, his listeners have watched as he has transformed from the "Golden Child" to the "Frozen Child" to simply "Afori."
Each of these identities has served as an evolutionary stage in C-Nile's career as his subject matter has shifted from stories from the streets to sermons from the pulpit.
C-Nile fans can experience his personal and artistic transformation with "The Best of C-Nile." With gritty releases like "Who Can I Trust" to inspirational rhymes from "The Master's Piece," this album provides a perfect cross-section of this local legend's life. "The Best of C-Nile" is now available at his official website, www.afori251.com.
Singer-songwriters flourish at Callaghan's
Callaghan's Irish Social Club and American Songwriter magazine make a great team. The two have collaborated to provide some of Mobile's most memorable shows, such as Justin Townes Earle's intimate performances at this neighborhood bar/music venue in the Oakleigh Garden District.
The performances are so intimate and popular they typically sell out. For those who haven't been fortunate enough to attend one of these shows, American Songwriter has posted Earle's most recent Callaghan's gig (from September). In addition to his music, this video also captures Earle's memorable stage banter from his Callaghan's performances. Fans can view the video by visiting the American Songwriter website.
Speaking of Callaghan's and songwriters, this cozy venue is starting 2016 with a huge show guaranteed to be a sellout. On Sunday, Jan. 24, Callaghan's will welcome modern-day troubadours Andrew Duhon and Dylan LeBlanc. Hailing from opposite sides of Louisiana, these songwriters' back-to-back sets will give the audience a look into that state's versatile songwriter scene.
Duhon, from New Orleans, has gained popularity through the literary element he weaves into his songs. This versatility has earned Duhon dedicated fans in Mobile and beyond. In 2014, his latest album, "The Moorings," received a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album.
While still a teenager, LeBlanc began performing in his hometown of Shreveport and eventually made his way to Muscle Shoals. For his performance at Callaghan's, he'll be performing cuts from his latest album, "Cautionary Tales." As with many songwriters, LeBlanc's music is inspired by his daily life experience.
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Good Morning. I thought I would do a little update on my classes for you today! Really pleased with how my classes are going at the new studio and I have had some great feedback from my customers on the new venue. It really does feel like home now! All my classes are listed on my Facebook page HERE, you can even subscribe to my events so you don't miss out! I also post most of them HERE too on my Classes/Events page and there is usually a secure link to pay on this page. All classes must be booked and paid for in advance please.
Here is an overview of some extra events I have planned in addition to my usual classes
Botanical Gardens Box Frame Class
Wednesday 1st June @ 10am – 3 seats left
Wednesday 1st June @ 7.15pm – 5 seats left
Come along and make this stunning box frame project using the Botanical Gardens stamps.
If you already own the stamps the class cost is £18.00 which includes the frame and a pack of pearls.
If you need the stamps (the class will only work if everyone has their own) then the class cost is £30.00 (the stamps are valued at £15.00)
Please bring your own glue.
Project Life All Day Play Day
Come along and work on your Project Life album all day. Bring your own goodies or I can provide you with a kit which we can work out.
Saturday 4th June – 10am – 4pm – 4 seats left
£10 per person for the seat (no kit)
Bring your lunch, hot drinks provided
Crafternoon Teas
Please note my introductory price ends in June and from July Crafternoon Tea will be £25 per person
2nd Saturday in the month
Saturday 11th June
£22.00 which includes craft project and full Afternoon Tea
Saturday 9th July
£25.00 which includes craft project and full Afternoon Tea
Saturday 13th August
£25.00 which includes craft project and full Afternoon Tea
Wednesday 29th June – 12 seats left
Saturday 2nd July – 10 seats left
10am – 4pm
24 cards in one day with £25 goody bag and lunch included
Bring your own glue
If you would like to book onto any events please email me at email@example.com
I'd love to see you here
Julie xShop Stampin' Up!
Join Online


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Elliott Alternative Continuation Center
The Continuation Program at Elliott is a high school program designated for students who are between the ages of 16 and 18 years. Students are placed into the program by referrals from a Modesto City Schools comprehensive high school. Students are referred due to poor attendance, poor academic progress or a history of discipline problems. A student can graduate from Elliott Continuation with a high school diploma when he/she has earned 200 credits, and meets all course requirements. Credit is earned through attendance and work produced. On average one credit is earned every 15 days of attendance and academic work completed. Highly motivated students may earn up to 45 credits per semester with prior counselor approval.
Other Programs/Services include:
- Aggression Replacement Training (A.R.T.)
- Math 180
- Modesto Technical School
- Pregnant Minor
- Teen Parenting
- Work Experience
- Read 180
- Extended Summer School
- Adult Education Class