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Harness The Power Of a Global VillageDigital Communities
A strong community allows a business to foster brand loyalty, have highly engaging customer
interactions and design products that fulfill the needs of its consumers.
Online communities are now becoming mainstream business tools, and customer engagement is the key to success, no matter your line of business. To derive ROI and strengthen their brand presence, companies have started recognizing the need to engage with customers regularly to ideate and innovate their products and services, and to bridge the gap between customer intelligence and marketing strategy.
Nearly 49% of businesses with online communities have indicated a cost saving, associated with marketing and consumer research, of nearly 10%-25%. Nearly 67% of the brands use their communities to get market insights, ideas for new product designs and services. With active community engagement, itis easier for a brand to "sell" without actively selling!
We have been in the business of building online communities since 2006. Talk to use to if you are a business looking to harness the power of a community.


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You may not always make the right decision in your life. By the time you realize it, the damage has already been done. But, sometimes it is never too late to change those wrong decisions into right ones.
But, are you willing to do what it takes to turn it around?
Here's bringing to you the trailer of 'Gori Tere Pyaar Mein', a film by Punit Malhotra.
Directed By: Punit Malhotra
Produced By: Dharma Productions
Starring: Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor
Music By: Vishal - Shekhar
Gori, Tere, Pyaar, Mein, Official, Trailer, Imran, Khan, amp, Kareena, Kapoor

subset: commoncrawl


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Everything is broken,
Everything is broken.
Everything, everything,
Every god-damned thing is broken…
I found myself singing this little song last week, as I tried to get the top off my malfunctioning washing machine, only to find that the ratchet on the nutdriver handle had also broken.
Even the tools to fix the broken things were broken.
It was fitting to the pattern of the week, which included Muddy The Dog destroying my new boots — high-quality vegan footware ordered from the UK — before I'd even had a chance to wear them.
The climate was broken, with sub-zero wind chills and eight straight days of freezing temperatures — a twenty-eight year record for the area.
The national political climate remained broken. And the tools to fix it — the free press, the election system — remained broken too.
And after a difficult holiday season, my heart remained broken.
I tried to psych myself up by adding a counter-point to my song:
Everything is broken
(So let's fix it)
Everything is broken.
(So let's fix it)
But the washing machine was beyond simple repair. It needed a service call, and the Maytag repairperson would not be available until next week. (At least it was still under warranty.) And it seemed as if nothing else were going to get fixed anytime soon.
And, as if the Fates decided to put a cherry on top of this sundae of brokenness, I knocked one of my favorite mugs — handmade, bought at the Maryland Renaissance Festival a few years ago — out of the drainboard and off the counter, shattering it.
It broke with the handle still attached to a fairly clean half of it, making a striking picture. So I did what we do these days, and posted a photo to Instagram, saying "Somehow, the way this mug shattered when I knocked it out of the drainboard seems a perfect comment on my life at present. Broken and beautiful."
And I threw the pieces in the trash.
But here's a funny thing about being a writer about "spiritual" topics: sometimes, people actually expect you to take the stuff you say seriously.
When the photo made its way to Facebook, one friend suggested that I could do something artistic with the pieces. Another, "Without its imperfections life would lack texture and beauty."
A third said "Wabi sabi. You are the one who taught me that term." And a fourth posted a link to a story about kintsugi, the Japanese tradition of repairing broken ceramics with gold to call attention to the mended seams.
And another observed that the way it was broken showed that even though it was shattered I still had a handle on it.
To which I could only say this:
You all are going to make me do this, aren't you? You're going to make me actually walk my talk about wabi sabi, pull those broken pieces out of the trash, go to the crafts store, and try some modern-style kintsugi? And use that as a launching point for some essay about how although the world is completely broken, with patience and love we can put it back together.
Damn you. Thank you, my friends.
So, Saturday — the day that would have been my father's 73rd birthday, and which marked one year from my mother coming home after her brush with death, I hied over to the crafts store.
Traditional kintsugi is done with Japanese lacquer, which is not only hard to get ahold of, but is dangerous to work with. The lacquer's Japanese name, urushi, is the root of urushiol — the name for the chemical that makes poison ivy itchy. Properly cured, a process taking days, it make a fine natural polymer; improperly done, it can cause a serious rash, or worse. So the traditional route was out.
On the other extreme is glue with gold-colored paint overtop for a faux kintsugi. That didn't seem right either.
So I compromised: Elmer's China and Glass Cement, and real gold flake, which I ground down to a more powdery form with my mortar and pestle.
Real gold plus some real effort. This was becoming a ritual. A ritual to honor the broken world, and those who continually remake it. A ritual to honor wabi-sabi, the beauty of the worn and broken. I wrote a poem years ago:
the bonsai tree is lopsided
the potter's glaze on the chado bowls is spiderweb-cracked
the forge line of the katana waves and weaves back and forth like the footsteps of a drunkard
the black belt of the budo master is time-worn and frayed
zen says no perfect thing is beautiful
the things that are true are irregular, worn
broken symmetry
like the favorite coat I keep stitching up
my heart, too, is irregular and worn
broken and mended many times
zen says
from outside of time everything
is already broken
and everything is just this moment new
the treasure you would hoard is already stolen and dispersed
but can never be lost
the loved one, the beloved self, is already dead
and yet was never born
and my heart
is already broken
already renewed
already reborn
my wabi-sabi heart
glorious in its flaws and scars
is perfect just as it is
and I have already arrived
on the other shore
It still needs a little touch-up, but the mug is cemented back together, with golden lines showing where it was mended.
Everything is broken. But what we do about that is up to us. May we remind and inspire each other to do our best.
Thank you, friends.


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8x8 Podcast: Romano's Macaroni Grill & OFX
Last week at the 8x8 Executive Forum, we had the opportunity to sit down with Marc Ballbach at Romano's Macaroni Grill and Ryan Orsmond from OFX. Ballbach and Orsmond touched on several topics related to the communications industry at large, including–the move to cloud, benefits of cloud comm [...]Read more >
Cloud Computing Economics 101
The Channels' Financial Guide to Cloud Computing is a multi-part series discussing the financial impact of cloud computing within the channel. Topics include the economic impact of cloud computing, changing the portfolio of products / services and designing sales compensation plans to change behavi [...]Read more >
Learn More About the 8x8 Support Knowledge Base
When you were a kid, did you ever sit with an encyclopedia and browse through the myriad subjects, scouring the pages for new information? Those old hard cover volumes have been replaced today by Google and Wikipedia, but our desire for knowledge continues. With just a few keystrokes, or a shout out [...]Read more >


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Canadochly Bullying Prevention
Canadochly School
Bully Prevention and Positive Behavior Support
Our goal is to give students the tools to reduce bullying behavior through the combination of schoolwide positive behavior support and explicit instruction. Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support describes a 3 step response to problem behavior, including Stop, Walk, and Talk. Students and staff in all grade levels are taught this 3 step process by the school counselor. The program is made up of six lessons. Lesson 1 includes most of the curriculum components including the stop/walk/talk response, and also includes a good deal of class-wide practice. The second lesson includes how to reply when someone delivers the stop/walk/talk response to you, and also includes some essential group practice. The next lessons cover specific examples of how to use the stop/walk/talk response appropriately. More specifically, the lessons involve practice around how to respond to gossip, inappropriate remarks, and other specific problem behaviors that may surface at school. As part of the lessons there is discussion on the difference between talking and tattling. Talking is when you have tried to solve the problem yourself, and have used the "stop" and "walk" steps first:
Did you request "stop"?
Did you "walk away"?
Tattling is when you do not use the "stop" and "walk away" steps before "talking" to an adult. Tattling is when your goal is to get the other person in trouble.
If you have any questions about the Bully Prevention lesson, feel free to contact the school counselor.


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COMMUNITY: Living His Communion Together
Sports provide St. Jerome's young people and their families the opportunity to pursue authentic teamwork, competition and fair play.
All young people in the parish ages 6-14 are encouraged to participate in soccer, cross country, basketball, softball, baseball, t-ball and track and field. Parent coaches and volunteers are needed, too!
Enter the CYO website here for information on upcoming activities and game times.


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- News Assunta De Rossi Gives Birth To Her Miracle Baby!
- Toddler How to Stop Overindulging Your Child: Don't Raise a Selfish Generation!
- Getting Pregnant Brace Yourself! The Symptoms That Can Worsen At 8 Months of Pregnancy
- News People Are Convinced They Saw The Ghost Of The Daughter In 'American Murder' In This Video
Make Fun Reminders with the New Memo Tube!This gadget puts the FUN in 'functional'.
Do you have a busy day ahead of you? Got reminders from your family and friends that you failed to remember? Well, worry no more! Now you can make sure you won't forget anything!
Get Memo Tube, your personal handy video note taker that you can bring with you anytime and anywhere. With this light and compact digital video memo, you can record your video messages and reminders as well as those from your family and friends.
It has a built-in video camera and a 1.77 inch LCD screen, a built-in memory of 32MB (SPIFlash) and supports SD card up to 32G so you can store as many memos as you can. Playback the videos to check your to-do's or your reminders anytime you want!
If you don't want to bring it with you or you need someone else to see your video memo, you can stick it on your fridge or any metallic surface using its built-in magnet. To make it more exciting, the Memo Tube comes with a tray where you can put a photo of the person that you want to leave a message to. Sounds fun, right?
Memo Tube supports the AVI format and transfers data through Mini USB1.1. It also has a built in speaker. It supports Windows and Mac operating systems. For charging, plug via usb for approximately 1.2 hours.
Keeping track of your to-do's can now be fun and easy with Memo Tube – just record to remember!
Memo Tube is available at selected stores nationwide for Php 1,700.ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWCONTINUE READING BELOWRecommended Videos
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Hello readers, if you like this page, don't forget to "Like" it !
Hello lovelies,
Today I have a gorgeous palette from Giorgio Armani to talk about. This palette is part of Giorgio Armani's fall 2013 collection – Kaleidoscope. I picked Mystic Blue ; it's a palette consisting of 3 eyeshadows and a blush. I must say that all the eyeshadow shades in Giorgio Armani Kaleidoscope collection are amazing. I had a hard time choosing which palette to get and in the end I decided to get Mystic Blue 🙂
The eyeshadow consists of 3 shades in blue-purplish tone. The shade on the left is the darkest which looks a dark purple-greyish shade. The middle shade looks like a soft purple in the pan but it is actually much nicer than what it looks like on the pan as it has a glamorous duo chrome shade. It looks like a light blue shade when swatches and at the same time it also contains a purple shimmer on it. I really like the shade as the shimmer doesn't make me look like a disco ball. The shade on the right is my favorite, it's a mid toned blue with metallic sheen.
These three shades really impressed me. The pigmentation is great; the color shows up in one layer without primer. I also love how smooth this eyeshadow feel. It's very nice to swatch these shades as it is very easy to play with.
Now onto the blush. I would describe this blush as a peachy pink shade with golden shimmer and This blush actually reminds me of Nars Deep Throat and Nars Orgasm. This shade would be an ideal shade between Nars Deep Throat and Nars Orgasm. The blush has great pigmentation; so I need to make sure that I dont overdabbed my brush on this. It's better to build up the color rather than to have too much product in one swipe.
Overall, I am very much in love with this palette as it has 3 gorgeous eyeshadow shade ad a blush. The eyeshadow shades are very unique and unusual. While the shade of the blush is nothing unusual, but it is the kind of color which really appeals to me. The pigmentation and the texture of both the blush and the eyeshadow are very nicely pigmented and soft. I have no reason to dislike this palette 🙂 a great one to pick, I'd say!
Thank you for reading!
By: Meryl


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Latest News
Afghan Police Begins Crackdown on Illegal Arms in Kabul
Police in capital Kabul on Wednesday launched crackdown against Illegal arms and tinted car windows in a bid to collect the illegal weapons and curb movement of undocumented vehicles in the city.
The first day of the campaign seemed challenging for the police, when they faced powerful individuals and government officials while ordering them to remove the black plastic sheeting from their cars' windows.
However, Najib Danish, an Acting Spokesman for the Interior Ministry said that the plan will be applied on everyone regardless of their position.
"There is no exception and nobody can violate the law, we started from Kabul and are going to implement the plan across the country," he said.
Kabul residents, meanwhile, believe the plan cannot be implemented on powerful people. "They stop cars of poor people, stop the cars of powerful persons!," said a resident of the city.
"Most of the kidnappings and smuggling are taking place in these cars, there are some people who pay bribes, including MPs," said Farhad, a Kabul resident.
The crackdown campaign against the illegal arms comes after Kabul Garrison has announced a major plan for maintaining the security of Kabul City which faces increasing armed attacks, kidnappings and robberies in recent times.
NDS claims to have killed key al-Qaeda leader in Ghazni province
Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) said its special forces killed a key al-Qaeda member in an operation in Ghazni province.
In a post on Twitter, the NDS said: "As a result of NDS special force unit operation in Ghazni province an al-Qaeda key member for Indian sub-continent, Abu Muhsen al-Masri was killed."
Al-Masri, an Egyptian national was believed to be the "second-in-command" in al-Qaeda and had been on the US's Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Most Wanted Terrorist list.
He was charged in the US with conspiring to kill US nationals and providing resources to a foreign terrorist organization.
Rahmatullah Nabil, the former director of the NDS, said Sunday that al-Masri and some other members of al-Qaeda had frequently traveled between Shawwal Valley and Ghazni over the past few weeks.
He suggested that it could be related to a possible al-Qaeda attack.
According to him, key members of al-Qaeda had also been traveling to Zabul, Logar, and Paktika provinces.
He said the al-Qaeda members had been holding "secret meetings with unknown people" in Shawwal Valley and stated if the Taliban are sincere about the peace process they should "prevent this attack".
Atta Noor asks India to 'engage with Taliban without giving them legitimacy'
As parties to the Afghan peace talks process in Doha stall over preliminary issues, Atta Mohammad Noor, CEO of Jamiat Party and former governor of Balkh province has called on New Delhi to help by playing a more proactive role in the dialogue and hold talks with the Taliban.
Noor, who is currently in India, is the fourth prominent Afghan leader to visit India in the past few weeks to discuss the peace talks process – after visits by Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation; former Afghan vice-president Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Afghan politician and former Mujahideen Leader.
In an interview with ThePrint in Delhi this past week, Noor, who picked up a weapon in 2016 to save the lives of Indian diplomats during an attack on their consulate in Balkh province, said he was there to try to garner India's support.
"The situation in Afghanistan is currently quite complicated. That's the reason I am here in India. I really hope that India will be more proactive because India has got power, it has got leverage, and it has got influence in the region," Noor said.
"If India does not do that, then this will give more ground to the Pakistanis. As the Americans are leaving, the Pakistanis are finding more space in Afghanistan," Noor said.
Until now, however, India's policy has been that it will not engage with the Taliban, as it continues to see the fundamentalist group as being aided by Pakistan.
Recounting his experience in Mazar-e-Sharif four years ago, Noor told ThePrint it had been a rainy winter day in January of 2016 when the consulate was attacked.
Noor said he reached the site of the consulate attack in 12 minutes and "started shooting the Taliban and other terrorists from Kashmir with my M4 sniper rifle".
"I put my life at risk but I had to protect the diplomats and Indian friends. I felt we should give it back in return of what India did for us when we faced difficulties. There were some insurgents who had come from Kashmir as well. I reached there in 12 minutes, took up my arms and left for the consulate to defend it," he added.
"I was the governor at that time and more than 10,000 soldiers were under my control. But I deemed it my personal responsibility to defend my brothers who were stuck there," he said.
According to him, insurgents tried to enter the consulate but were held off from doing so by security forces but managed to gain entry into a building nearby where they started shooting.
The siege lasted 24 hours, with consulate staff having had to take refuge in safe rooms throughout the attack.
"I started shooting with my people and continued shooting till the morning so that they cannot attack back. I am sure it was me who killed the first person and finally gunned all of them down. With their blood, they wrote Kashmir and Afzal on the wall," he said.
Noor also got helicopters to bring in reinforcement soldiers and said he managed to guide the pilots as well.
As External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in a tweet after their meeting earlier this week, Noor is regarded as a "long-standing friend of India".
But Noor has pointed out that he is concerned Afghanistan might return to what it was during the Taliban's regime and said India has the capability to become a "facilitator" of the peace talks and join other countries who are playing the same role.
"The peace talks going on in Qatar have not yielded any results yet. And the Taliban are being more aggressive. It seems they are being supported by others … India is a big and strong country and should be one of the facilitators (in the peace talks)," he said.
Otherwise, he said, there may come a situation where some of the Taliban leaders come to power and become part of the government while others continue to wage attacks, ThePrint reported.
"If that happens, we will get back to what happened in 1996. The situation can be worse than that," he added. Being an important stakeholder in the development process there, India cannot afford to let that happen, he said. "I really hope India can be more proactive. India has more nationalist and strategic friends in Afghanistan."
Noor also pointed out that the current peace talks can throw up very different results, each with consequences for India.
"There can be two situations arising out of the current peace talks. Either it will conclude and there will be a new government or the peace talks will fail and the fighting will continue. If the new government comes in, India will have its strategic partners in the new government, as always, by defusing all the plots hatched by other countries," he said.
"Both countries are fighting terrorism … We do not want to drag the feet of India in a prolonged war. But India should engage with the Taliban … I want India to engage with the Taliban but not give them legitimacy."
He said China is playing its role in the peace talks "aggressively" and so are the Russians and the Iranians.
Noor asked Jaishankar Wednesday to begin negotiations with the Taliban, something that the Afghan government has also reportedly been asking New Delhi to do but he said if the talks fail, the insurgents will have an "upper hand" and this will give more leeway to Pakistan.
"At that time, we would need to stand by the Afghan government … We will have a united resistance against the Taliban if the situation becomes so," Noor said.
Khalilzad urges independent bodies, media included, to document casualties
Amid rising levels of violence in the country, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconstruction Zalmay Khalilzad said overnight Sunday that an accelerated political settlement was critical along with a reduction in violence.
In a series of tweets, Khalilzad said: "The answer to this tragic situation is an immediate reduction of violence leading to a ceasefire by all sides. The answer is to accelerate a political settlement."
"The US is singularly focused on this goal & is pressing both parties to reduce violence & find a path to peace as soon as possible," he tweeted.
Khalilzad stated however that independent bodies also need to document current events.
"It is vital that Afghanistan's independent media and robust civil society be allowed to document current events," he said.
This comes after a particularly violent week in Afghanistan in which dozens of civilians lost their lives.
On Saturday, at least 18 people, mostly students, were killed in a suicide bombing close to an educational facility in Kabul city.
Also on Saturday, nine people were killed in Ghazni when the vehicle they were traveling in hit a roadside bomb.
Earlier in the week, an airstrike hit a mosque and school in Takhar province, killing at least 12 children.
Reacting to this incident, Khalilzad tweed that Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission has confirmed 12 children were killed and many more injured in the airstrike by Afghan government forces.
"This is a terrible tragedy. Unfortunately, tragedy is not limited to Takhar. Civilians are victims of car bombs, IEDs, and targeted killings perpetrated by the Taliban. Civilians have been forced to flee fighting in Lashkar Gah and other areas."
He said the US offers its "condolences to all the families of those killed and injured."
This statement by Khalilzad follows on the heels of government's rejection of claims last week that the Afghan National Army airstrike had hit a mosque and school.
First Vice President Amrullah Saleh rejected the claims made by local officials in Takhar province and instead ordered the arrest of the individual who reported civilian casualties.
Local officials said 12 children had been killed and 18 civilians wounded in the strike in Hazara Qarluq village in Takhar on Wednesday morning.
Saleh, rejected claims, stated: "No child was killed in Afghan Air Force strike in Takhar."
He also stated that the Taliban sniper unit "responsible for the massacre of our special forces a day earlier was targeted."
"The person responsible for spread of this venomous and fake news was arrested immediately. Talibs use houses and mosques as shields," Saleh tweeted.
Saleh also wrote on Facebook that legal action would be taken against those "who make false allegations."
Meanwhile, associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch Patricia Gossman said on Thursday: "Vice President Amrullah Saleh is trying to silence those who reported a potentially unlawful airstrike that killed civilians, including many children," said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director.
"The government should immediately release anyone detained under Saleh's order and carry out a thorough and impartial investigation of the airstrike."
NDS claims to have killed key al-Qaeda leader in Ghazni province
Atta Noor asks India to 'engage with Taliban without giving them legitimacy'
Khalilzad urges independent bodies, media included, to document casualties
Saleh lashes out over Kabul blast, says 'rotten ideology' must be rooted out
At least 18 killed in suicide bombing outside a Kabul college
Taliban record video of their checkpoint actions close to Kabul
Khalilzad meets with female talks team members for their feedback
Gizab, Dihrawood districts in Uruzgan on verge of collapse: officials
Iran, Afghanistan to complete border railway station by end of Autumn
Afghan cricketer Tarakai in critical condition following car crash
Sola: Current situation of the Afghan peace process
Tahawol: Second VP warns Taliban
Pas Az Khabar: 24 Afghan forces killed in Nimroz
Pas Az Khabar: 180 civilians killed in past one week
Sola: Concerns over protraction of peace talks
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Added a new car to my stable! That is a stable of model cars that I used to build many years ago. Yes, I have another hobby besides photography! For the last few years, I have been meaning to start building model cars again. Finally, about a couple of months ago I dug up a model that I started building many years ago and put together a new toolbox with the minimum tools and paints necessary. The half-finished model was a 1937 Packard Formal Sedan and most of the chassis, including the engine, was done. The coach, the fenders, doors, etc. were all painted but not all in place yet.
As I started putting some parts in place, I realized that my eyes were not as good and my hands were shakier. The dexterity I once had has diminished significantly. This particular kit was also very detailed with tiny hinges holding the doors, the hood, and the trunk, many parts disappearing between my fingers. I was determined to finish the model even at the expense of doors not opening. After all, anyone wishing to see the detailed interior could look through the windows!
It took me much longer than it used to, say 20 years ago and I moved in small, careful steps. Missing some of my old tools and the kind of glue I used to use made things go a little slower than I expected. But, a couple of days ago, I put the finishing touches and finished the 1937 Packard Sedan. It reflects all the grace of the era, at least in my eyes. I thought I would share some photographs of the finished model with the friends and visitors of this site. Most importantly, I wanted to share the photographs with my sister Binnaz who, after seeing the model in progress during a Skype conversation, indicated how much she loved it.
For the curious, it is about 13.5″ (34 cm) long and 1/16 scale. That makes the actual car about 18′ or about 5.5 meters long! They were cars! Here is the 1937 Packard Formal Sedan.


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SUEZ's solutions aim to further the efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the Group and its clients, adapt to the consequences of climate change on water, promote wastewater reuse, and develop climate-responsible models.
Climate change results from an increase in the temperatures of most of the earth's oceans and atmosphere. Water is the most impacted area:
At the Group level, SUEZ has signed up to achieve the 2-degree target. The Group is equally committed to limiting the carbon footprint of its activities in India.
In India, the company is committed to use energy in the most efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible manner. SUEZ has a robust energy-management policy in India which will play a key role in maximizing profitability, strengthening its competitive position, providing value for customers with the highest service quality, and also, support its commitment towards the community.
Design and build facilities that can be run in complete safety for people and for the environment. Identify partners and contractors who can contribute to continuous improvement actions and processes must be in place to select them on the basis of their commitment to do so.
To manage energy consumption, maximize energy performance, optimize operating expenses.
Demonstrate our commitment to stakeholders and leadership in our industry by reducing environmental impacts associated with energy use.
Every one of SUEZ's employees is working for the Resource Revolution. Within their area of responsibility, each manager has the duty to ensure the protection of property and the environment. Each manager is responsible for the communication and application of the rules and commitments and ensuring that messages and practices are consistent.
Each employee is aware of his / her personal role in protecting the environment and in preventing accidents. Employees are expected to deploy responsible behavior to their benefit and their co-worker.
The Sustainable Development and Risk Prevention Department establishes and ensures the deployment and continuous improvement of all Safety, Health and Environment related processes in our Omega Management system. It oversees its implementation and its effectiveness.
SUEZ runs wastewater treatment plants in India which are substantially energy self-sufficient. To cut down on its Operation & Maintenance costs and add to the power availability in the city, these plants meet a majority of its power demand by captive biogas-based power generation engines, thus running on clean energy and reducing air pollution caused due to the discharge of Methane in the environment.
The Wazirabad Recycling Water Treatment Plant, in New Delhi, inaugurated in 2010, uses advanced technologies to treat the wastewater of the sludge, produced by another drinking water production plant and make it fit for human consumption. Because of this, an additional 50 000 m3 per day of water, is pumped into Delhi's distribution system, benefiting more than half a million people, especially residents of the Burari area in North Delhi.


text: This one takes a bit more effort to master! Grab two colors, and paint your nails with the lightest one. Next paint the two colors you've chosen and paint them side by side, then use a toothpick to blend the colors in the middle. Grab a makeup sponge and gently dab the sponge in the two semi-blended colors. Dab the sponge on your nails and let it dry. Dab a Q-Tip in nail polish remover and clean-up any mess around your nails. Apply a topcoat and that's it! You're all done!


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The zombies we know are scary brain-eating, human-hunting monsters. They don't have any feelings or emotions; and they certainly don't have any heart. But what if all of this was wrong? What if zombies were capable of thoughts and emotions? What if, there was a cure… Review of Warm Bodies after the jump.
R (Nicholas Hoult) is a regular zombie; well at least that's how he appears. He spends his eternity shuffling around an abandoned airport. Sometimes R sits and "talks" with his best friend M (Rob Coddry), and other times he joins the zombie pack in search for food (humans) beyond the airport. Since the "zombie apocalypse" the humans live in a walled city, very fearful of the zombies. They only venture out to gather necessary supplies.
On one hunt for food, the zombies find a group of humans who are gathering medical supplies. R is hungry and wants food, but unlike the average zombie, he doesn't actually want to kill humans. He's lonely and he doesn't really like this zombie gig. He kind of just wants a friend, and to be, you know…normal. There's something about the beautiful blonde human (Julie, Teresa Palmer) which stops R from eating her. The other zombies are feeding, but he is fascinated.
Is there such thing as a "good zombie"? Even if R can convince one human that there is such a thing, could she then convince an entire population that what they believe to be true is in fact false?
Marketed as a "zom-rom-com", this film is much more than that. It explores what it actually means to be human – what separates us from animals or from monsters. If we act like monsters, doesn't that make us just as bad? In fact, doesn't that make us worse? We have the power of choice; the monsters may not. Warm Bodies comes to the conclusion that what makes us different is our humanity – the ability to care, show compassion and to love; and that showing just a little humanity can be life-altering.
It's hard to believe our hero, zombie R is Nicholas Hoult, the same actor who recently gave a lifeless performance as the hapless Jack in Jack the Giant Slayer. Hoult has more depth and range as a snail-paced zombie, than he did as a human character. We're not supposed to feel sadness for a guy that eats brains, and yet the combination of Hoult's fantastic performance and a well-written character makes it happen.
Rob Corddry is also great as M, R's best friend. Despite their communication problem, the two say more with their eyes than many manage with words. Australian Teresa Palmer does a good job as Julie; and her and R have reasonable chemistry – a feat considering he is a corpse.
This was a fun film. It made fun of the genre through R's narration and obvious displeasure with his situation. Along with the fun, there are also some heart-stopping action scenes and more than a few scares for faint-hearted folks (like myself). The bonies (the stage after zombie) were particularly menacing and added a real element of fear. In addition the fantastic and atmospheric original score and amusing use of pop songs added life to a film largely centered around the dead.
Warm Bodies asks you to take another look at who or what you consider to be a monster. All that may be needed, is a little humanity.
By Sam McCosh
The Facts
Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer(s): Jonathan Levine (screenplay); Isaac Marion (novel)
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Rob Corddry
Runtime: 98 minutes
Release date(s): Australia & New Zealand: April 11 2013; USA: February 1 2013


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Most of us learn the Sermon on the Mount as a random, disconnected collection of sayings from Jesus. But that's not what it is.
It's a comprehensive action plan for new life, presented in a specific order for maximum results, and recorded in three full chapters of Matthew (5-7).
Following it is how one follows Christ to seek his kingdom. To use Paul's words, it's how you put off the old self and put on the new (Eph. 4:22), continually working out your salvation (Phl. 2:12).
The Sermon is where Jesus has "hidden" the keys to the kingdom of heaven, God's system of goodness and well-being at hand. Even the spiritually destitute can unlock it and enter, provided they're not merely hearers of the Word, but are also doers of the Word. (Jas. 1:22)
How Did I Miss This New Life From Above?
I used to wonder why, having been a "believer" all my life, the presumed new creation in me never actually showed up, and Jesus' words and ways still seemed ridiculously unrealistic. Yet they must be crucial to grasp or he wouldn't have said them.
But the Christian books I read and radio shows I heard insisted that Jesus' primary value is in his blood. Whatever he taught was back-burner stuff—either too random or too profound to make sense of in real life, and in any case, was separate from deliverance.
This conclusion shows in the lives of multitudes of sincere Christians (including the old me) who nevertheless have no idea how to love their neighbors, themselves, or do what Jesus says to do. We've been taught that getting our doctrines correct—the Trinity, justification, atonement, baptism, etc.—takes priority.
However, the new me has learned that doctrines, although helpful, don't produce the radical, long-term changes that God is looking for. No wonder genuine new creations in Christ are as common as three-legged cats. There's more to Jesus than his blood!
A Brilliant Savior
The sequence in Jesus' Sermon is a divine strategy for life to the full. Before he delivered it, he had already provided incentive and hope for scores of people trapped in the "righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees" (ROTSAP) by announcing his good news of an alternative system available for new life, i.e., his gospel of the kingdom of heaven at hand.
So here's a quick run-down of his plan that invites even the most spiritually impoverished people to follow him into the kingdom of heaven in the life they're living now. It's a matter of "yoking" with him, through practice and grace, to eliminate the following habits of mind, heart, and behavior.
1. Willful, retained, "righteous" anger and contempt. The Pharisees were constantly angry at Jesus. The more he went on about God's kingdom, the more offended and contemptuous they became. People rarely say, wow, my anger is wrong. It always seems right, so we cherish it and hold it dear, refusing to let go. This leads to:
2. Adultery and divorce. Individual human affairs/divorces aren't Jesus' direct target here, although they are micro-reflections of the systemic target he's aiming at. This is primarily a spiritual adultery "in the heart" and a collective divorce from God. It's about lusting for substitute ways of life, both religious and secular. Together, they become the "harlot" we embrace, which leads to:
3. Swearing oaths. This addresses stubborn insistence, pride, and proving things by swearing this or that, which often backs us into disastrous corners. Recall that Peter swore on oath that he didn't even know Jesus. So Jesus advises that anything beyond simple Yes or No comes from the evil one. Swearing progresses to:
4. Score-keeping, returning evil for evil. This stems from a greedy sense of fairness that turns revenge into something righteous (eye for eye). It demands "payment" from people who owe anything from apologies to favors to money. If they don't pay up, pay-back's a bitch, and a sworn enemy is born. Compounded by anger, it manifests as anything from spiteful insults to mass shootings. Score-keeping leads to:
5. Obsession with outer appearance and reputation. The old fashioned term is vanity, and the Pharisees were experts at it. This is about egotism, looking down on others with contempt if they don't measure up, or about envy, admiring people for superficial qualities. Both finally create:
6. Judgmentalism and hypocrisy. Here's the finished product of all the previous habits. It manifests as a compulsion to correct everyone else, whatever it takes, up to and including abuse. Whether it's snobby social practices, political character assassinations, or "holy war," the full-grown beast destroys others in self-congratulatory "correctness."
This is sin and spiritual death in a nutshell, to which everyone falls prey. It's important to realize that these are not only sequential, but also cumulative. Each new habit is built on the previous one, creating a less and less Christ-like heart.
Getting rid of these habits one by one is what "dying" to self is. Jesus knows that if you start by knocking the legs out from under willful anger and contempt, the rest of the structure gets wobbly and almost falls apart by itself. It's precisely how you repent, surpass ROTSAP, and seek and enter the kingdom of heaven through Jesus' well-defined "narrow gate."
If the forgiveness-only view of life from above purifies the human mind and cleanses the heart, why do we still have obnoxious, forgiven Christians? Wouldn't these destructive thoughts and behaviors vanish? Forgiveness cleanses guilt, but has no transformative power over sin, the cause of guilt. Wouldn't it be smarter to aim for the root, as Jesus does, and let the result take care of itself?
If we plan to someday rule the earth with Christ, it's best to follow his plan and practice. God can hardly entrust dominion to people who can't or won't live in His system of total well-being.
So Jesus' complete package to restore God's system to humanity consists of his gospel of the kingdom of heaven, his Sermon on how to unlock and live in it, and his death and resurrection to ensure safe passage for those who choose to practice. Faith alone in Christ alone.
"In him was life, and that life was the light of men." (Jhn. 1:4)


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This is a plan that you can use to plan your own self-care. Feel free to print and keep it close:
Sample Actions:
- I will practice speaking to myself with kindness.
- I will work on disempowering my saboteurs.
- I will keep an "I'm worth it!" sign on my desk.
- I will meditate, walk in nature and listen to relaxing music.
My Plan:
Sample Actions:
- I will schedule two self-care breaks into my day.
- I will begin walking on a regular basis.
- I will drop 25 pounds by next year at this time.
- I will schedule regular check-ups with my doctor and dentist.
My Plan:
Sample Actions:
- I will say "No" to my mother-in-law when circumstances dictate.
- I will make time to revitalize my marriage.
- I will limit (or eliminate) the time I spend with people who drain me.
- I will clear the air with those I care about.
My Plan:
Sample Actions:
- I will tell my boss I'm no longer going to work past 5:30 p.m.
- I will communicate better with my co-workers.
- I will more effectively delegate to my subordinates.
- I will talk to my supervisor about my future.
My Plan:
Sample Actions:
- I will attend self-help talks or workshops.
- I will block out time to go to gentle yoga several times a week.
- I will spend more time with friends who value spiritual awareness.
- I will allow myself more time in silence, solitude and prayer.
My Plan:
Sample Actions:
- I will set aside quiet time after work to decompress.
- I will play soft, soothing music every day.
- I will not take on any more school, work, neighborhood or community projects for the rest of the year.
- I will redo my "Bucket List" to reflect more of my true needs.
My Plan:
Next Avenue Editors Also Recommend:
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Your generous donation will help us continue to bring you the information you care about. Every dollar donated allows us to remain a free and accessible public service. What story will you help make possible?
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Cute love memes are hard to resist. Each time you see one, you just can't stop looking for more. This is why you often end up spending hours and hours on the internet.
Because we know how adorable they are, we took the time to collect the most awesome cute love memes that are going viral on the internet. See each meme and make yourself smile!
See Also: Love quotes – Best Inspirational Quotes about Love
Hi There
Good Morning
I Love
I Gots U A Flower
I Love You Dis Much
I Am Otterly
You Are The Most Amazing Person
I Love You More Than This Much
I'm Cute
Owl Love You Forever
I Must Destroy You
Always And Forever
I Love You Like No Otter
Have I Told You Lately
Owl You Need Is Love
Love Is
You Think Im Cute
I Just Want You That's It
I Love You This Much
Don't forget to share your favorite cute love memes with everyone you know.


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Week of August 26-30
Reservations: (320) 762-4280
Monday - Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes/gravy, mixed vegetables, lemon pudding
Tuesday - Lasagna, garlic breadstick, green beans, peaches
Wednesday - Minnesota casserole, wax beans, chocolate mousse
Thursday - Hamburger, baked beans, coleslaw, Rice Krispies bar
Friday - Oven fried chicken, potatoes, vegetable, dessert
Meals served at Alexandria Nutrition Center. Served with bread and milk.
Reservations: (320) 859-2325
Monday - Scalloped potatoes and ham, cucumber salad, muffin, cookie
Tuesday - Chicken a la king, biscuit, green beans, Jell-O
Wednesday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes/gravy, squash, bar
Thursday - Closed
Friday - Country fried steak, country gravy, glazed carrots, rhubarb cake
Meals served at Osakis Nutrition Center at 11:30 a.m.
Monday - Chicken, tuna boats
Tuesday - Chicken, liver and onions
Wednesday - Chicken, meatloaf
Thursday - Chicken, barbecued ribs
Friday - Chicken, patty melt
Meals served at Corral 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Served with potato, vegetable, dinner roll and dessert.


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The Public Relations Strategist — Current Issue | The Public Relations Strategist — Winter 2010 Issue
Publication Date: 2010, Winter
Please log in to MyPRSA to View or Purchase this item.
Even Americans who are lucky enough to be employed during the recession are becoming unhappier with their jobs, according to a survey released in January that found only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work.
That was the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board's Consumer Research Center in more than 22 years of studying the issue.


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How Bigpacific Creative Works
I've been creating web sites and digital strategies since 1997. I love working with people and organizations who are deeply passionate about what they do and who they serve. I work intimately with my clients to deeply understand the driving force behind their business, to unveil and articulate their story and create a marketing strategy and online presence that not only sets them apart but does so within the time, resources and budget available.
I follow a key principle in all my work:
I believe clients should be free to work with who they want and that they should always have control of their domain name, hosting, and web assets.
I work with you, the client, to really listen to what it is you want to accomplish, and what you need your online presence and marketing – your STORY – to do, and budget for how to get there.
I do full web site development, web redesigns including making your site mobile-responsive, mobile first development, monthly site maintenance & content development packages, full digital strategies, and also offer an affordable monthly wordpress & plugin update program.


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Erica Payne
Erica Payne, the founder and president of the Patriotic Millionaires and The Agenda Project, serves on the board of advisers to the Business Initiative for Health Policy. Follow her on Twitter: @EricaPayneAP
Articles by this author
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Medicare for All Is a Winner for Democrats, as Ocasio-Cortez and Others Have Shown
Last month's upset primary victory by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who beat 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in a New York City district, was decisive proof: the Democrats' path to victory requires exciting their base with a bold, fearless agenda that includes Medicare for all. We have seen this...
Read more


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« Reflection on 2016's #OneWord: 'Metamorphosis' | Main | Who's in Charge? Make Co-Teaching Relationships Seamless »
Teach Students to Break Down Criteria for Success
As a general rule, I front load my units/projects by previewing and discussing the end product first and then using the following weeks to provide instruction and practice to ensure success criteria.
Since we're starting our new unit now, we've been spending time looking at the assessment, modifying it together and now discussing how students can find success with the skills being assessed.
Rather than just provide a rubric and a sample, students were split up into groups focusing on a particular standard.
Students needed to review the assignment (which they annotated yesterday) and the rubric and align past learning with the standard they were responsible for.
Each group made a chart and shared out around the room. Students then were asked to take pictures of each of the charts and return to their seats.
As they worked together to determine what success will look like and why they were working on these skills, I walked around the room answering questions and listening to their conversations.
After we shared out and developed a list of skills from the standards, students were asked to answer an exit ticket (that was emailed to them) that asked the following:
Exit ticket:Based on the success criteria established and the work we've done in class thus far, what skills and/or content do you feel you're already proficient in or mastering? How do you know? Which areas do you feel you need the most help with? What lessons will you need to find success?1. What skills and/or content do you feel you're already proficient in or mastering?2. How do you know?3. What areas do you feel you need the most help with?4. What lessons would be helpful to find success?Thanks! Make sure to check your email and "pupilpath" regularly for feedback.


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The summer months are almost upon us and many people are looking at redesigning their gardens and outdoor spaces so that the next few months can be spent outside, topping up tans, drinking fresh jugs of Sangria and entertaining guests in a garden that you can be proud of.
Not everybody can afford to have their garden kitted out with the newest features and fads which is why we have compiled a few cost effective ideas designed to inspire the budding gardener within!
Water features
As we all know, water features and ponds can be quite expensive which is why a good old fashioned bird bath can offer an ideal solution. Bird baths are cheap to purchase, easy to locate, look amazing and help our feathered friends. Everybody wins!
A trellis is a perfect addition to any patio, are easy to build and do not tend to be overly expensive!
A trellis will always add a beautiful setting to any garden whilst offering hints of privacy and look amazing when surrounded with plants and lighting.
For a perfect addition, look up climbing plants that will work well with the Trellis – Honeysuckle and Clematis are great options!
Colourful Furniture
Decking and patios sometimes require the odd boost in order for a person to truly appreciate their garden. To add a unique touch to the area why not introduce some colourful items to an otherwise plain setting and really stand out from the crowd.
brightly coloured cushions, lights, lanterns and candles are all really cheap and easy work with yet really add a warm touch to the garden. Why not restore an old piece of wood or furniture by sanding down and painting in a bold vibrant colour.
Unique Garden Lighting
Garden lighting is such a good addition to a garden. Visibility is assured, regardless of time as well creating a tranquil area built to welcome late night socialising. There are so many options that are available to a person. For those that like to recycle, why not use some old Christmas fairy lights. They are great to work with and will compliment other furniture especially when weaved within a trellis or pergola.
Another fun option is to use some old jam jars or empty bottles. A simple tea light candle will make all of the difference as well as being fun to make. The result is stunning and it really is a case of 'the more the merrier'.
And there we have it!
Introducing fun, unique ideas to the garden do not have to be expensive, time consuming or difficult. There are no limits to what you can do.
The above ideas should should hopefully give you a push and get those creative juices flowing. The internet is a great place for inspiration and if you do run out of ideas, a good bit of research can really help you.


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LOS ANGELES – After leading the Lady Vols to the National Championship, University of Tennessee forward Candace Parker was named college basketball player of the year and awarded the prestigious Women's John R. Wooden Award in a ceremony this morning at The Los Angeles Athletic Club. The announcement was made today during the national CBS telecast of the "John R. Wooden Award Show."
"Parker has proven herself to be an amazing all-around talent and the best player in the nation after leading Tennessee to a National Championship," said Wooden Award Chairman Duke Llewellyn. "We are tremendously excited to present Candace with the prestigious Women's Wooden Award."
The third player to be honored with the Women's Wooden Award, Parker finished ahead of other finalists including Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, LSU's Sylvia Fowles, Duke's Lindsey Harding and North Carolina's Ivory Latta (see attached for complete vote tabulation). The ceremony also featured Texas' Kevin Durant receiving the Men's Wooden Award and Gene Keady of Purdue receiving the 2007 John R. Wooden "Legends of Coaching" Award.
Parker led the SEC in scoring (19.6 ppg) while guiding Tennessee to a 34-3 record and the 2007 National Championship. Crowned SEC Player of the Year, she also helped Tennessee capture the SEC regular-season title with a perfect 14-0 conference mark.
A panel of more than 200 voters comprised of sports media members and women's college basketball experts from around the nation had until 3 p.m. EST on Monday, March 26 to cast their votes for both the five-member All-American Team and Wooden Award recipient as the nation's most outstanding women's collegiate basketball player. In addition to on-court performance, voters were also asked to make their selections based on each candidate's character and academic achievements, essential components of the Wooden Award. All voting results were handled and tallied by Deloitte, the official accounting firm of the John R. Wooden Award.
For the first time in Wooden Award history, college basketball fans were able to cast their vote for the Wooden Award Player of the Year. Fans had the option of voting online at www.WoodenAward.com or by text messaging. Nearly 70,000 fans cast their vote and more than 27,000 of those were cast for the Women's Wooden Award Player of the Year. With 9,200 votes, Candace Parker made it a sweep and took home the Women's Wooden Award fans' choice honor as well. The rest of the fans' top five includes Lindsey Harding, Sylvia Fowles, Ivory Latta and Armintie Price (Mississippi). Men's results are included in the Men's Wooden Award Player of the Year release.
The top five finalists will receive a contribution from the John R. Wooden Award Scholarship Fund in their name to their university's general scholarship fund.


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Last Girl Standing
May 2008
12 years
The Accidental Bride: What I've Learned
Eight lessons I've learned so far about wedding blogging. And I haven't even picked out the cake yet.
1. If I continue writing about my wedding plans (check out these no-holds-barred comments), the haters may do the unthinkable, like throwing LGS over for Billy Dec's blog. (He must have one. Doesn't everyone?)
2. Readers want to hear from The Fiancé. Today after work, he's meeting my mom and me for the first of many florist appointments, this one with Richard Remiard…
12 years
Sex and the Windy City
There are two kinds of people in this world: those giddy with anticipation in advance of Friday's premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie and those who'd rather poke out their eyeballs with a six-inch stiletto than hear fictional sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw croon "Hellllloooo, lover" on the big screen. Everyone's in luck! There are plenty of things to do this week, some of which are all about Sex and others that have nothing to do with it. (No shocker here: I fall into the fan camp and have a SATC-themed girls' night out planned for Friday; more on that next Monday)…
12 years
After spending more than a month recuperating from knee surgery, I finally kicked the couch last weekend and hobbled back onto the scene—and I couldn't have picked a better spot to remind me just how much I love nightlife in Chicago: Rebar. You might have heard of it. It's that little joint from Trump and his kids in a building they're putting up along the river. Opened last month, the bar—whose name nods toward the more than 50,000 tons of rebar, or reinforced steel, used in the tower's construction—is gilded and sceney, with an over-the-top drink menu. In short, it's everything we want a Trump bar to be…
12 years
Word to Your Mother
It's been two weeks since I had reconstructive knee surgery—two weeks spent holed up at my parents' house in the suburbs recovering. Having my ACL and meniscus repaired hasn't slowed the wedding arrangements down at all; not even crutches can affect this bride's ability to plan, plan, plan. If anything, being laid up has let me devote even more time and energy to the big day. The only thing scarier than a bride with too much time on her hands? A mother of the bride who's newly retired…


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Winter has blown in with a vengeance and the thought of going outside is chilling! It would be ideal if we could hibernate like bears and wake up with the first warm breeze of spring! Staying indoors is not an option for women caught up in the rigid schedule of the cancer world; radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and doctors' appointments.
Dressing to stay warm, dry, and sufficiently mobile to dodge a few low-flying snow balls can seem impossible. "Not true," claims outdoor enthusiasts. Their secret? Layered clothing systems. Simply put, layering clothing and outerwear for warmth, protection, and comfort.
Here's how:
Use many warm, thin layers of clothing versus a few thick or heavy ones. Heavy clothes will create bulk and be restrictive.
1. Start with a thin, wicking layer next to your skin.
Choose fabrics like nylon, silk or polyester, which have wicking properties. Wicking materials draw moisture away from the skin and into the fabric to keep you drier. Avoid cotton.
2. Add polyester or fleece as a second layer for insulation.
The purpose of this layer is to keep heat in and cold out. Think sweatshirts and vests.
3. Finish with a waterproof, wind-resistant layer.
This exterior layer is meant to protect and guard against the elements.
Keeping exposed skin protected is always important, but during radiation or chemotherapy treatment, skin can become ultra-sensitive, dry, damaged, and irritated. When choosing the rest of your winter attire–opt for mittens or gloves that are made from waterproof, breathable fabrics. Gloves shouldn't fit too tight. A little extra room at the tip provides extra insulation.
Even if you have a coat with a hood, you'll want to be sure your head, ears, neck, and lower face are adequately covered. Block the wind and chill with a soft, close fitting, beanie-style cap or cap with ear flaps, (function over style here) and a warm scarf. This is particularly important if you are experiencing hair loss.
And as always–wear sunscreen. Sunscreen is a must, year-round.
Once you are back inside your home, have a big glass of water. Hot coffee and hot cocoa are delicious but they can also be dehydrating. Now for the best part…cover yourself with a cozy throw and settle in for a restorative, fatigue-fighting nap. Those sleeping bears have nothing on us.
For more skincare tips and clothing suggestions during radiation and chemotherapy-Visit our website, www.cancerbeglammed.com.
Stay dry, safe and warm!
Photo Credit:CBS News/Getty Images


text: Application form for high school students Personal dataName *Place of birth, DOB *Address *Phone number *E-mail * Family informationName of father *Age of father *Occupation of father *Name of mother *Age of mother *Occupation of mother *Number of family members living together *Names of family members living together *Per capita income (HUF and %) *(You may find help to calculate the number on 'Conditions' page)Please, provide a brief summary of how your parents feel about your plans for further education! * Information about schoolThe high school you are studying at *Academic result (average) at the end of the 2nd school year *Academic result (average) at the end of the 3rd school year *ECA Favourite subject Referee who might be contacted by the Dr. Kahán Éva FundName *Phone number *E-mail address * AttachmentsDid you attach your CV? *YesNoUpload CV Did you attach an essay about why you want to attend law school? *YesNoUpload essay Did you attach further supportive material? *(For example, declaration of support, proof of attendance at academic competitions, arts groups, sports groups or in voluntary organizations, research materials, or some further information You might feel relevant)YesNoIf Yes, please provide the attachment! Upload attachment VerificationPlease enter any two digits *Example: 12This box is for spam protection - please leave it blank:


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Prior to Computex 2011, we wanted to get NVIDIA's opinions on a number of topics that affect both them and the industry. So in order to gain insight we sat down and had a conversation with Dan Vivoli, NVIDIA Senior Vice President of Marketing, and covered a variety of topics from mobile computing to cloud computing, to whether or not the PC can ultimately survive in the face of growing competition from tablets. Here's what Dan had to say and some takeaways that we had from our conversation.
State of the computing industry
NVIDIA has never been more excited about the prospect of GPUs then it is today. Everywhere you look, whether it's the latest super phone all the way up to the world's fastest supercomputer, you'll find GPUs front and center. Consumers really understand the benefits of an amazing visual experience, and they are demanding it in all their devices.
Mobile leading the way
Mobile computing is on a tear, as evidenced by simply looking at the cumulative shipments of iOS and Android devices. It took just two years to reach 20 million installed users. If you contrast this to how long it took on the Mac/Windows PC side, the same milestone took over eight years.
But it makes total sense. If you think about it, the most personal of computers for consumers is currently their mobile device. Mobile devices follow users wherever they go and consumers expect the devices to be able to do all the things their PCs can do. Users want to be able to multi-task, to have super-fast web browsing, including support for Flash. Users also want to be able to play games on these devices and watch movies. As networks get faster and consumers have access to bigger data pipes, this demand for richer content will increase even more.
This is the primary reason NVIDIA built Tegra. The company saw convergence coming and wanted to make sure it was at the forefront of this revolution. NVIDIA understood that the future of computing was all about delivering efficient performance at every level, meaning performance per watt per density will be critical in determining success for mobile processors.
For example, a successful mobile computer based on the x86 chipset, such as the Macbook Air, requires a minimum of 25 watts of power. NVIDIA can provide even better comparable performance all around with a next- generation Tablet built on Tegra, and that device can be delivered on something less than a watt of power.
When you start getting into such dramatic differences in terms of performance and capability per unit of power consumption, it makes a huge difference concerning what kind of device you can design and build. NVIDIA envisions that the market will increasingly see hybrid types of devices that can be used as phones, tablets and notebooks.
Such convergence has been building for years, and the market is now starting to experience exciting and disruptive new applications and usage. For example the Motorola Atrix comes with a Lapdock so you can dock your phone and effectively use it as a notebook. The Asus Transformer is a tablet but also comes with a keyboard dock. System and application developers will only be limited by their imagination, and it's hard to predict what the imagination will unleash.
As for consumers, they neither understand nor care about the laws of physics when it comes to what needs to go into the designs that provide these exciting new experiences. Consumers are not concerned with semiconductor or system design, or with the relationship between power consumption and heat dissipation. They simply want to do everything with their mobile device that they can do with their home PC. Consumers will expect their notebooks to provide all day battery life, and will expect their super phones to do all the things their PC can do.
While consumer expectations are incredibly high, NVIDIA aims to exceed them. This is the main reason the company has been investing heavily in its Tegra family of mobile processors over the last five years. It's the reason NVIDIA was the first to market with the Tegra2 dual-core super chip and it's why it will be first to market with quad-core as well as with the Kal-El technology for Tegra it showed off this year at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Tegra2 is the world's first dual core super chip. This means that it delivers extremely fast web browsing, up to 2x faster performance than competing solutions, and supports hardware-accelerated Flash so users can view the whole Web, a whole lot faster.
It also features console-quality gaming because of its integrated GeForce GPU. NVIDIA has used this to bring games like Riptide GP that were XBOX 360 games over to Tegra super phones and tablets.
NVIDIA did this by focusing its development on the ARM platform. NVIDIA believes ARM is an architecture that can deliver amazing performance per watt. It's one of the reasons NVIDIA chose it as the basis for its Project Denver, an NVIDIA-designed custom high-performance ARM core.
NVIDIA believes that the computing industry is currently undergoing a disruption that is seen every few years, such as when the work station replaced the minicomputer as an industry standard or when the x86 platform took over the server market. The same kind of thing is happening now with ARM architecture becoming so pervasive that it will have an order of magnitude of more devices shipped in the computing market, providing application vendors to develop on the platform. The larger the platform the more it has going for it and NVIDIA believes it has every chance to be a major disruption in all levels of computing over the next 10 years. For example, earlier this year Microsoft announced it will be supporting Windows on the ARM-based Tegra platform.
Don't forget the cloud
As mobile computing on superphones and tablets begins to take precedence, consumers will increasingly become used to accessing data and applications in the cloud. For example, currently most users of YouTube do not feel compelled to download the videos to their client device. In the future, this type of usage model will increasingly be adopted for various multimedia segments including music and movies. In 5-10 years, many consumers will likely completely forego the owning of physical CDs/DVDs, or even the bits on their hard drive. Instead consumers will own the right to things that can be immediately streamed to their client devices. Amazon has already introduced a streaming system using this business model.
One of the key features of this paradigm is that there will be increased demand for computation in the cloud. Devices will still need to do local processing to handle decompression and decoding, but servers will also need to improve, especially when it comes to things like graphics computations in the cloud. It is already common knowledge in the industry that the best computing devices in this area feature the perfect balance of a powerful CPU and GPUs. The fastest supercomputer on the planet, the Tiahe-1A housed at China's National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin features powerful x86 CPUs paired with NVIDIA Tesla GPUs. Tesla is also featured in the fastest super computers in Japan, India and Italy.
In addition, in the HPC (high performance computing) space, the Tesla GPUs delivers cluster-level performance in a power-efficient workstation. This "high density computing" allows every technical professional to have a dedicated high-performance supercomputer at their desk-side instead of building up a small cluster in the data center. In the HPC space packing as much performance as possible within fixed budget and power parameters is critical. By adding a GPU to a CPU NVIDIA is able to accelerate computing, and this is something the industry is really excited about. Developers with just a minimal amount of work can take small portions of their computing code and move it to the GPU using CUDA to get massive speedups in performance. This is game changing and the results are faster time to insight, something that is crucial in science.
For example, in the medical field one of the potential dangers of getting a CT scan is the chance that the process of looking for cancer may actually cause cancer in some cases due to the fact it may take minutes of prolonged X-ray radiation exposure to produce the scan. The use of GPU acceleration to do computation in this field can reduce the amount of radiation needed to complete the scan while also allowing for higher fidelity results through filtering out data. Developments such as these show how advanced GPU accelerated performance can help directly save lives.
Can the traditional PC survive?
The PC is still going to be the central computing device for consumers, but as processing power increases in all devices, it will actually be the GPU that is the differentiator in these systems in the future. Even now, GPU attach rates in consumer desktops and notebooks are at their highest levels ever. In fact, more than half the consumer PCs today, ship with discrete graphics. This is a trend that NVIDIA believes will continue to grow as consumers expect more from their PCs.
However, no matter what can be done on a handset or tablet, users will still be limited by the size and power consumption and there are several applications and many different uses of the classic PC where there is a lot more headroom, including gaming and professional applications. For many years there is going to be a happy cohabitation between traditional PCs and mobile computing devices and consumers will be the beneficiary.
In the gaming industry, for example, whether it is smoke in the form of fluid dynamics or an added level of realism through NVIDIA PhysX technology, it will be the GPU that will process a lot of that computation to deliver a jaw dropping experience. NVIDIA understands there is still a whole lot that needs to be done in the traditional personal computer, as well as graphics, areas. More and more the problems of creating the reality users experience and face in real time games requires a combination of the visual as well as the simulation of the environment around the user.
During Computex Taipei 2011, NVIDIA will feature demos from companies such as Epic and Crytek that shows off what creative people can do when you put amazing technology in their hands.
Investment in Tesla pays off
Vivoli concluded by stating it is clear that whether it's mobile computing, computing in the cloud, or computing on a PC, NVIDIA is well positioned to be the leader in all these areas. The company made a bet on mobile computing five years ago when they built their Tegra family. This gamble is paying off now as the mobile market is taking off and sales of super phones and tablets are sky rocketing. On the PC side, NVIDIA's focus on GeForce continues and they're constantly raising the graphics bar for what's possible on a PC. I can't wait to see what some of the next gen games will look like. I'm sure they'll be truly cinematic experiences. On the cloud front, NVIDIA's commitment to GPU computing is also paying off. As more data moves to the cloud, companies will need powerful processors that can compute all of this data. That's where NVIDIA's Tesla family comes in. Whether it's the latest super phones or the fastest supercomputer, what was clear at Computex 2011 is that NVIDA is the only company that has a strategy and product line that can address all of these markets.
Tesla supercomputer helping to produce safer CT scans
NVIDIA Tesla supercomputer
NVIDIA helping power supercomputers
NVIDIA Tegra-powered phone
NVIDIA Tegra delivering amazing graphics
Photos: Company


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Social Media
Management, Planning, Marketing...
Not one day goes by without one of our team (and our teams partners) ... (and our teams kids) engaging in Social Media. It has changed and continues to change the way we interact with the web. It's created a data usage hungry youth that, the first thing they do whenever they arrive anywhere, ask for the wifi password. Come to think of it - it's pretty much the first thing everyone does now. We would suggest that 8 times out of 10* they are connecting to the wifi to check out their social media account(s).
What you need to ask yourself is 'Are you engaging with your potential and existing audiences?" At GAAP we help make sure that you are - and properly.
From Social Media Profile Design to Audience building, Planning and scheduling and influencer outreach. You need a Social Digital Marketing Agency! : )


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Hi, this is Miranda from Inspinration. After making two Amares, with two different bows I jumped on Anne's question who was willing to write a photo tutorial on bow construction. This tutorial is the (very) extensive version of page 6 and 7 from the manual. Besides explaining how to make the standard bow, I will also give some tips on how to adjust the with of the bow to your liking (step 4) which makes it possible to combine it with the ties. If you prefer a bow without pleats, just read the extra tips at the end of this post.
1. Cut the bow piece from your fabric on the fold. Mark the foldingline and the four middle lines as shown on the pattern piece (mark both sides of the piece). Make sure the marks are within the last centimeter of the fabric (within your seam allowance). You will be folding the fabric a few different ways so marking both front and back of the fabric is the most convenient. If your version of the pattern has 8 lines, just ignore the outer two on both sides (these are removed from the pattern piece closely after releasing the pattern).
2. Fold the short sides of the piece together and stitch on one centimeter from the side.
3. Turn the piece inside out and match the seam with the middle marker, this way the seam is exactly in the middle (on the back).
4. Skip this step if you want to make the bow exactly like the pattern, and do not want to adjust the size. If you make the bow exactly as the pattern prescribes, the smallest sizes will have a bow of about 6.5 centimeter high. For this tutorial I wanted a bow that would be exactly as high as the ties (which are 5 centimeter high). I therefore drew a different set of four dots. Starting from the exact middle of the piece I drew a dot one centimeter higher and one centimeter lower (distance between dot is 2 cm). I also drew two dots at 1.5 centimeter from the top and bottom of the piece. These distances summed add up to exactly 5 centimeter and has a relatively equal distribution with a slightly bigger middle. You can play with the widths, if you want to calculate the height of the bow, just take the distance between the middle dots (assuming that you now do not have a dot that marks the exact middle of the piece) and both distances from the outer dots to the edge.
5. Put a pin through the back of the piece through the lowest dot and then through the next dot in line.
6. Fold the piece together on your pin.
7. Turn the pin a bit and let the end resurface a little lower than the entry point.
8. Do this three more times
9. Either use the small holes from the pins, or a small dot with a marker to make four help stitchings at the spots where you put the pins.
10. Open the piece by pulling the flaps outwards.
11. Fold the seam under the middle bow piece and press the bow with your iron nice and flat.
12. If you wanted you bow to be a specific height, measure if the bow has the intended size. If it is too big, you can sew another line of stitches a bit more to the middle. You can leave the first row of stitches. If the piece is to small you will have to remove the first rows. Set aside your bow piece.
13. Now you are sewing the middle piece of the bow. Copy and cut the pattern piece.
14. Fold the long side together.
15. Stitch on one centimeter from the side. Trim the seam, I forgot and this makes it harder to put the seam exactly middle back.
16. Turn the small piece, there are several ways how to turn such a small piece. A pencil or a straw and a small stick can be great tools in this situation.
17. Fold the piece such that the middle back seam is on the outside and again sew on one centimeter. Trim the seam to 3 centimeter and if you own it, use some fray stop on the ends.
18. Turn the piece inside out
19. Slide the piece on the bow.
20. The manual suggests to use the marking on the middle piece and baste the bow in place before stitching the sides. I prefer a slightly different way, especially when lining up bow and ties. Choose whatever you like best. In case you are sewing both ties and bow, I first put the side piece on the table with the right side up. Then I put the tie backside up, and align the bottom of the tie with the seam between the bodice and skirt piece. I made this top in the evening, there was a relatively short deadline on this post, and I was not satisfied with the pictures. I re-shot the bow construction the next day, but I had to use these pictures because I didn't have time to make a whole new top, my apologies for these two bad pictures.
21. Put the bow piece on it, back side up and finish your sandwich with the middle garment piece back side up. Make sure the seam between the bodice and skirt part are folded upwards and stitch on one centimeter from the side. Do the same for the other side.
22 The above explanation is according to the manual. I wanted a bit more control on the final folding of the bow, so I skipped step 17 until 19 and put the middle piece on afterwards. So when I finished step 21 this was my result
23 I took a needle and stitched through the bow piece to pre-shape it. If you want to do something similar make sure the thread pinches the bow together somewhat, but not totally. The threads should be relatively loose, because the middle piece will not be sewed on tight.
24 Determine the preferred width of the middle piece and stitch it closed and stitch it invisibly to the bow (to ensure it position after washing). I did a butcher job on this hadstitching, I know, I was having a conversation at the same time. The stitching is totally hidden though at the back of the bow.
Extra tips.
For the first Amare I didn't use the bow pattern piece. I simply cut a piece the same width as the tie (12cm) and the same width as the middle piece (plus half a centimeter). This way you make a bow without middle pleats. This way you can skip step 4 until 12.
If you want to match the bow height to the tie height but you do not want to readjust the dots in step 4, just first sew the bow. Determine its finished height of the bow and adjust the height of the straps to the height of the bow. (2 times the height of the bow plus 2 times 1 centimeter seam allowance).
I hope my explanation is clear, if you have any issues with it please tell me. If you are curious how this top looked on my daughter, you can find the blog post about it here.


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2019 International Joint Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers(CSSC 2019)
Країна: Чехія
Місто: Prague, Czech Republic
Тези до: 30.10.2019
Дати: 22.11.19 — 24.11.19
Область наук: Технічні; Науки про Землю; Кібернетика;
Е-мейл Оргкомітету: email@example.com
Організатори: IASED
Телефон / Факс: 85230696823
★2019 2nd International Joint Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers(CSSC 2019)-- Ei Compendex & Scopus—Call for papers|November 22-24, 2019|Prague, Czech Republic|Website:http://www.ijcssc.org/
★Venue:HOLIDAY INN Prague Congress Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
Holiday Inn Prague enjoys a quiet location, a few steps away from Vysehrad Castle and Park. Vysehrad Metro station can be reached within 150 m. All rooms offer air conditioning.
The rooms are equipped with Satellite TV, a minibar and a safe. A choice of pillows and anti-allergic blankets will be provided.
The massage room features oriental decoration and offers a wide selection of massages. There is also a small fitness room.
Modern Czech and international cuisine are served at the Café Restaurant Esprit which features a winter garden and a terrace. A delicacy bistro is also on site.
Historic Wenceslas Square can be reached within 2 stops by metro.
★2019 International Joint Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers (CSSC 2019) will be held in Prague, Czech Republic. From keynote lectures by internationally recognized academics and leading experts, to a forum that invites dialogue and the sharing of ideas from the brightest and best in the field of Signals, Systems and Computers, we believe CSSC 2019 will be a remarkable conference. Located in a sensational city, you'll have the privilege of hearing from key researchers in your field, as they present the latest findings. Join us and an array of international experts in a forum that puts you at the center of an exciting and evolving field.
★Publication and Indexing
All accepted papers will be published in the digital conference proceedings which will be Indexed by all major citation databases such as Conference Proceedings Citation Index – Science (CPCI-S),(Thomson Reuters, Web of Science), Scopus, Ei Compendex, Inspec, INIS (International Nuclear Information System), Chemical Abstracts, NASA Astrophysics Data System, Polymer Library, etc.
A selection of best papers with extended versions will be recommended to publish in journals.
★Keynote Speakers
Prof.Vaclav Skala, University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic
Dr. Tomas Krajnik, Czech Technical University, Czech Republic
Prof. Robert Babuska, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Koch, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany
★Program Preview/ Program at a glance
November 22, 2019: Registration + Icebreaker Reception
November 23, 2019: Opening Ceremony+ KN Speech+ Technical Sessions
November 24, 2019: Technical Sessions+ Half day tour/Lab tours
★Paper Submission
1. PDF version submit via CMT: https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/CSSC2019
2.Submit Via email directly to: email@example.com
Ms. Amy L. P. Yeung
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Веб-сторінка конференції: http://www.ijcssc.org/


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I received a very kind invitation to attend the UK annual national water policy conference, Future Water 2013. This year, proceedings were chaired by John Vidal, environment editor at The Guardian. His animated and critical approach – not to mention his rather atypical speaker introductions – made for a more entertaining and insightful event than last year's conference, and it was good to see things improving year on year.
The day opened with wide-ranging scene-setting by John Vidal then some reflections from the morning panel (pictured above). This was framed around anticipation and speculation about the imminent Water Bill (the Draft one is here). My ears pricked up when Anne McIntosh MP stated that regulation should reward innovation, and talked a little about the potential 'resilience duty' for Ofwat. Ian Barker from the Environment Agency hoped the new Water Bill would give a clear policy direction to the sector, and framed his remarks with an overview of the last year's weather extremes (which he stated were still not outside the bounds of historical weather patterns). Putting things in perspective, he indicated there were around 70 days of drought last year and 90 of floods, and that the EA had had a very busy, issuing around 6,000 flood warnings to protect 200,000 or so homes.
Tony Smith from the National Consumer Council for Water talked about the need to fix a growing 'customer legitimacy problem' – a misalignment and lack of engagement between customer priorities and industry activities caused by an industry that tends to do what regulators and legislators say rather than what customers want, all against a backdrop of austerity, rising water prices, and high water company returns on investment. Alan Sutherland from the Water Industry Commission for Scotland also gave a very customer-focused commentary and stated that the fact that England and Wales water companies have been allowed to make a 17% compound annual return to investors since privatisation was bound to prompt questions around legitimacy – albeit further down the line that expected, given that Ian Byatt had talked about looming legitimacy problems as long as 16 years ago, according to Alan.
Sonia Phippard from DEFRA then said very little about the forthcoming Water Bill other than to reaffirm that it clearly won't address all of the content that was in the Water White Paper. She also talked about the high-level Open Water programme that is providing some direction on non-Water Bill aspects of the White Paper.
Then came a rather perplexing 'in conservation' session with John Penrose MP:
Although it had been reported on launch back in April, John Penrose's We Deserve Better policy paper/campaign had passed me by so I was not aware of its main points. Sadly I can't say I know a lot more about it now. It was very hard, even after quite a bit of Q&A, to discern what is new about his proposals that hasn't already been discussed at length since the late-1980s – when many people around the world starting writing and commenting in earnest the pros and cons of regulated private utilities vis-a-vis (ostensibly) more competitive and customer-responsive free market approaches, on the eve and in the early days of the UK's gargantuan privatisation programme. In a nutshell it seems to be a proposal to replace cheesed-off customers, 'Big Regulator' utility sectors with 'Big Consumer' one where (somehow) empowered, informed utility costumers will (supposedly) be able to redirect utility services to become more consumer-responsive. I was not impressed to say the least but until I've read John Penrose's prescriptions in detail I'll leave my comments there.
The afternoon workshop I attended, one of three, had a distinctly international flavour, and asked, 'What would it take for the UK to lead the emerging smart water sector?'…
Kudos to Mark Lane (from UKWRIP) chairing the session for getting the three speakers to define concisely the term 'smart water' – which I then roughly took to mean use of real-time data capture to visualise then make data-informed decisions to control remotely, manage and optimise water networks in a holistic and integrated way (a synthesis of the thoughts of Dr Hasnul Mohamad Salleh, Tony Conway of United Utilities, and Adam Kingdon of i2O). This session highlighted the UK's slow adoption of smart water systems and that, unless a concerted Government-SME approach is taken, the UK will remain in a 'follower' global position in this field – behind the leaders like Israel, Japan and others.
Much of the tone of this workshop session then carried over into the later 'international innovations forum' and a discussion of the UK water sector's laggard position with respect to international best practice. Before this we were given a the 'meteorologist's perspective' on the water sector's environmental challenges, by Vicky Pope of the Met Office:
My main takeaway from this presentation was that weather forecasting science is very basic, it turns out – far more so than I'd ever previously realised. Even though the Met Office has quite recently started to use far more intensive computing power than ever before, which increases their working resolution (i.e. decrease the 'km' of their data grid sizes), the utility of their outputs is still very limited and restricted to very near-term predictions – apparently no more than a day or so ahead. Reliable monthly or seasonal forecasts are still far from reality, and this is all without even considering the likely impacts of both natural and human-made climate change variabilities.
The day wrapped with a presentation from Andrew Beaver of Ofwat. In light of the looming 'resilience duty' issue, Andrew cautioned that 'resilience' is fast becoming the new 'sustainability' in policy circles (aside: there's an interesting 2013 Worldwatch Institute report on this 'sustainababble' phenomenon) and needs to be properly defined. Demonstrating Ofwat's understanding of the issue he showed a 'three pillars' model – a customer legitimacy pillar, an environmental resilience pillar, and a sustainable investment pillar, all underpinned by a 'proportionate and evolutionary regulatory model'. Andrew was candid about the limits of the comparative competition regulatory approach that's been in place for the past 20 years or so, and how it led to early gains as laggard companies matched the initial frontier ones' performance and practices but then the sector's progress slowed as the next frontier doesn't naturally emerge from this kind of system. He also had a very stark slide to illustrate the 'customer legitimacy' point – that I'm going to try to get hold of – on high RPI levels since the recession started (e.g. +5% in 2010) upon which RPI-X water prices are set, and falling annual incomes (e.g. -4% in 2010).
Overall, and recapping all these different strands of presentation and discussion now reaffirms my feeling on the day, I think Future Water 2013 – interesting as it was – bit off a bit more than it could chew. Water events have a natural tendency to sprawl off into anything-and-everything coverage, given the fact that water touches all aspects of life. Even with the theme of 'building resilience' there were a few too many threads during the day that I could keep a coherent focus upon, and a few mild annoyances here and there that some of the same old arguments popped up again and again, typically without any evidence base to support them. But more on that in my next post…
And I almost forgot… to close this round-up, in spite of the slightly diluted focus of the day, it's worth noting the audience's clear and emphatic response to one theme that was prominent throughout the day, i.e. whether the new Water Bill would make the water sector more resilient, better for customers, or just better in general. When John Vidal asked for a show of hands, not a single one went up (as far as I could see at least). So, out of the people present, no one believed the Water Bill would have a positive impact; a telling response indeed!
Duncan Thomas


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How to make your wedding your own when it comes pre-packaged…
All-inclusive weddings are popular choices when it comes to modern day wedding planning. Many couples are choosing to go this route for the ease the packages can provide for the day of, as well as the effective, up front cost solution.
Many venues that offer all-inclusive packages have only a few selections for décor, centerpieces and menu items so our wedding insiders have given their best tips on how to personalize your package so that your day will reflect exactly who you are as individuals and as a newly married couple.
Wedding Planners' Tips on Personalizing All Inclusive Wedding Packages
1. Show your heritage!
Take your all-inclusive package to the next level with a truly fun and unique way to show where you came from. Embrace your Scottish blood with bagpipe player or your Hispanic heritage with a mariachi band. Celebrate your Jewish lineage by dancing The Horah. Whatever your tradition is, bring it to your wedding day!
2. Take a trip down memory lane
Set up photos of you, your groom and even your family and friends all throughout your day. Hang small frames with ribbon on the aisle chairs during the ceremony. Have a baby photo at the sign in table or place a few pictures of you and your best girls in the restroom. Surround the cake table with wedding photos of those whose marriages you admire: your parents, grandparents and even siblings.
3. Write your own vows
As simple as it sounds, this is the perfect way to make your ceremony truly yours. Express your love, commitment and devotion to one another in your own words.
4. Choose your favors wisely
Favors are a great way to introduce your guests to who you are and who you will be as a new married couple. If you're headed to Napa for your honeymoon, try giving out etched wine glasses or mini wine bottles with personalized labels. Hail from Arizona while your new spouse is from Texas? Give your guests a baby cactus with a yellow rose. Get creative with how you thank your guests and use that as an opportunity to shine!
5. Dessert Bar
Every wedding has a wedding cake, but take it up a notch with a unique spin on a personalized dessert bar. Meet at a coffee shop? Have a donut, pastry and coffee bar. Headed to Mexico for your honeymoon? Offer your guests a sopapilla bar. If you and your new spouse are nature lovers who enjoy a good camping trip, a s'mores bar is a fun addition for both adults and kids.
6. Move to the beat of your own drum
Customize your ceremony music to reflect who you are. Sure, Here Comes The Bride is a beautiful, timeless piece of wedding music, but try walking down the aisle to a song that is significant to you and your groom. You know, that song that plays in his head every time he looks at you.
7. Bring in something unexpected
Take something you are planning on having and giving it a new twist. For instance, are you planning a rustic wedding in the country or in a barn? Consider using hay bails as an outdoor seating option around a fire pit during your reception. Ice sculptures are often seen at weddings but let it take on a place of its own and use it to create a champagne bar.
8. Signage
Thanks to Pinterest, unique wedding signage has almost become the norm and it is such an easy way to add an additional personal touch to your wedding. Use an old glass window to scribble a sweet thank you note to your guests. Carve or paint pieces of wood pointing them in the direction of where each event will take place. Don't be afraid to get extra creative and have fun!
This day will only happen once, be sure it reflects who you are as a couple. Take your all-inclusive wedding package, talk it over with your wedding planner and let them help you decide on the most fun and creative ways to make your day truly yours.
How would you most like to personalize your wedding day? Please share in the comments section below how you would love to personalize your wedding day. Do not want to give away your secrets yet? Then please share what you treasured at other weddings you attended.
Have you looked at Moffitt Oaks all inclusive wedding packages and now need some advice on how to make it your own? Do not hesitate. Please request a tour now and your Moffitt Oaks wedding planner will help you to put your personal stamp on your wedding day.