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Admittedly, I'm late in sharing all the details on how we painted our exterior. When we bought the house almost a year ago, there were several areas with peeling paint, and for the purpose of our loan, we had to repaint those areas in order to close on the house. We both thought it would be pointless to just slap some paint up without just painting the entire exterior… especially since it was so ugly to start.
Let's flash back to last summer. This is how the house looked the day we closed…
Let's just say, we couldn't wait to give the house a complete paint job.
A new roof, soffit and facia were all things we knew we'd be replacing quickly as well, but adding a new coat of paint was our number one priority. The existing light blue paint with the red painted brick was way past its prime, and just flat out ugly. The facia was also rotted and falling apart in several places, but because they had peeling paint, we were obligated to freshen it up.
Here's how we quickly painted the exterior.
Tools/ Materials:
- Power Washer
- Putty Knife
- Paint Scraper
- Sand Paper
- Caulking
- Caulking Gun
- Spackling
- Plastic
- Painters Tape
- Primer
- Paint Sprayer: We love this paint sprayer!
- Paint: We used Sherwin Williams Duration Exterior Paint in Satin
First, we power washed the house. The siding was filthy. Dirt and cobwebs flowed off the side of this house, as well as peeling paint that came off in huge chunks.
While Todd power washed the house, I went around and used a putty knife to scrape off any peeling paint the power washer didn't get off. I didn't get any pictures of this. Shame on me, I know, but I guess I was more focused on removing the paint and cutting out any cracked caulking that wasn't serving a purpose.
The prep work of these jobs always takes longer than actually painting, especially when you're using a paint sprayer. This siding wasn't in the best of shape, but we also didn't have any boards that needed replaced. We did however, use spackling to fill any indentations or anywhere the siding needed a smoother appearance. Todd had to be careful not to power wash it too hard, or too close, because the siding wanted to come apart.
Once we had all of the prep work done, we taped off the windows and doors and primed any areas where we were down to bare wood. I used a tray and roller to do this since the areas were minimal, but it was definitely worth it in the long run.
Because we knew we'd be replacing the windows and trim, the roof and all of the soffit and facia, we didn't have to be too careful when we were taping off and painting. We used our paint sprayer (that we LOVE) and went to town. For our paint, as you can see above, we tested a few different colors on each side of the house. We gave ourselves a week or so to look at the different colors, but it was pretty clear from the beginning which color was the winner. We went with Useful Gray from Sherwin Williams, and we used their Duration exterior paint in a satin finish.
We loved the paint… it went on like velvet and the coverage was amazing. For the most part, we had complete coverage with one coat, but there were a few areas where we had to add an extra coat of paint, especially on the brick.
Another nice thing about the paint we used, was that it was specifically formulated for exterior surfaces that included brick. And since a large portion of our front exterior has brick, we wanted something that would adhere well and last several years.
We did rent a scaffold to make things easier. Neither one of us is too crazy about heights, so the idea of painting off of a ladder was a little unnerving. The scaffold definitely came in handy when I was doing the prep work as well. So many of the boards needed caulked, and it was much easier to walk across the scaffold than to move ladders.
Todd worked his way around the house, and I was in charge of moving the paint bucket and plastic sheeting to protect the concrete or any other areas where we didn't want paint on the ground. Before we painted, we did go along the foundation of the house and rake back any rock or dirt so our new paint would be below ground level.
After a few days, we had a freshly painted house and things were looking soooo much better…
It was only a couple of days later and the roofer was at the house getting ready to install our new roof…
It was basically night and day difference. Neighbors were thanking us for repainting and suddenly the house felt so much more like ours. The power of paint is truly amazing. This house is proof of that.
The color is also one of our favorites! It's such a beautiful light, creamy gray. It has a slight green undertone and it looks perfect with crisp white trim and black doors!
With the paint done, phase one of the exterior makeover was complete. Phase two began when the roof was replaced, and the new soffit and facia was upgraded…
So far this year, we've had new gutters installed, and we just finished adding new windows and trim, and a few special surprises I can't wait to tell you about! Needless to say, with each and every "phase", we've loved this house and have been so excited to see it all come together.
It's crazy that this time last year we were repainting the house. Looking back on these pictures has given me major reflection. We've haven't even owned this home a year yet, and we've made so much progress. I have moments where I feel like certain things aren't progressing fast enough, but these pictures give me major perspective. And it's proof that progress, however big or small, is still progress. It should still be celebrated. It's just as powerful as the completed "after" we all want so badly. Without those little baby steps, we'd never make it to the finish line. I choose to celebrate the now, knowing the "after" will be that much more loved.
More exterior updates coming at ya!


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Price is key when it comes to choosing the next family car
What are your key considerations when it comes to choosing a new family car? Well, according to a new survey, monthly motoring costs and value for money are the key factors that top the list for many parents.
The research, carried out by Dacia, found 72% of parents considered price to be a prominent factor when considering a new car, with two-thirds also citing fuel economy as an important issue.
After rent or mortgage bills, the family car is the biggest monthly outgoing for more than half of parents, making choosing a new one a careful consideration for families budgeting for the new year ahead.
Over two-thirds of parents asked in the survey currently drive a used car, although 70% said they'd consider a brand-new one if they had the means.
60% of respondents weren't particularly bothered about the brand of their car, but 99% valued reliability and 93% considered interior space an important factor too.
Interestingly, safety didn't feature on the list. Similarly, a previous survey by Co-op Insurance found over two thirds (68%) had no idea what the safety rating of their vehicle was. So what's the best way families can monitor their monthly motoring costs while also considering things like safety, economy and unforeseen expenses?
The answer might just be to lease your next car. The truth is lots of people settle for a second-hand car because that's what they can afford to buy outright. However, leasing allows you to pay monthly instalments for a vehicle that is far better-suited to your needs, whatever your budget.
Best lease cars for: under £200 per month / under £300 per month / under £400 per month / hybrids and EVs for under £250 per month
If you still aren't sold, here's some of the reasons that makes leasing a great idea for families;
- Reliability – For those that consider reliability a priority, leasing makes great sense. Rather than having to worry about shelling out for expensive repairs for an ageing second-hand car, leasing allows you to drive a brand-new car every couple of years, lessening the likelihood of a breakdown. Even if you do have a problem, a manufacturer's warrant lasts up to seven years, while most leasing agreements last between two and four years. This means you'll have handed the car back well before anything breaks and, in most cases, before it is even required to have an MoT.
- Improved economy – It's a fact that brand-new cars are much more efficient than they were just a few small years ago. Leasing allows you to drive the very latest models. While the number of hybrids hitting the market is on a steep rise, the latest petrol and diesel models are getting more fuel efficient all the time too. Essentially, a lease car will be more frugal than a second-hand equivalent that's a few years old.
- Constant safety enhancements – While price and running costs might have to trump safety, we're sure parents would like to be safe in the knowledge that their children are as safe as they can be. To put it simply, the new a car, the safer it will be.

subset: commoncrawl


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Why I Oppose Abortion: My Story
by John F. Spurlock
I'm going to break Rule One of Journalism,
I'm going to make the story about me.
I'm going to make the story... Personal.
|That's right!
Your's truly has been tossed off Facebook by the
Censors, because I talked mean about the Illegal
Alien TRASH that has been invading our country.
Want to see the Posts that got me Banned?
Check them out just below...


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Place Category: Non-Profit Organization
Urban Word presents literary arts education and youth development programs in the areas of creative writing, spoken word, college prep, literature and hip-hop. UW provides FREE, safe and uncensored writing workshops to teens year round, and hosts the Annual NYC Teen Poetry Slam, NY Knicks Poetry Slam, an Annual College Fair, NYC Youth Poet Laureate Program, Uptown Open and Brooklyn Open, Town Hall Meetings, and more. UW works directly with over 25,000 teens each year and awards over $650,000 in college scholarships annually. UW also has a vigorous community educator and teacher training series, Preemptive Education, which links inquiry-based classroom practices with the most progressive academic trends in student-centered pedagogy.
Urban Word NYC champions the voices of New York City youth by providing platforms for critical literacy, youth development and leadership through free and uncensored writing, college prep and performance opportunities.
Urban Word NYC believes that free self-expression – matured in an enhanced critical literacy environment – improves self-confidence and strengthens educational achievement for NYC's inner city youth. We promote active literacy, critical thought, and positive social dialogue across boundaries of age, race, class, gender, culture, and sexuality. Our many workshops are designed to enhance critical thinking skills, leadership, and to ignite a personal commitment to growth and learning which leads to heightened in school performance, and greater interest in pursuing higher education.
- 242 West 27th Street
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Volume 7, Issue 6, November 2018, Page: 200-206
Impact of Family and Student Factors on Student Attitude Towards Reading in Governmental and Non-Governmental High School of Debre Birhan City
Gebremedhin Desta, Department of Statistics, College of Natural and Computational Science, Debre Birhan University, Debre Birhan, Ethiopia
Received: Sep. 4, 2018; Accepted: Sep. 20, 2018; Published: Oct. 24, 2018
DOI: 10.11648/j.ajtas.20180706.11 View 1091 Downloads 103
Reading is the identification of the symbols and the association of appropriate meaning with them. It requires identification and comprehension. Comprehension skills help the learner to understand the meaning of words in isolation and in context. The purpose of this research is to determine the reading attitudes and Impact of Family and Students Factors on Students Attitude towards Reading of grade 9th and 10th high school students in Governmental and Non-Governmental High School of Debre Birhan City. Totally 247 students from two high schools is chosen according to random sampling method. In order to answer the research questions in the study, "the Attitude Scale towards Reading "was used. For the statistical analyses SPSS 20 was applied. In this study, 48.2 percent of high school students have negative reading attitude whereas the remaining 51.8 percent of the students have positive reading attitude with average reading attitude of the sample respondent 59. The chi-square test of independence indicates gender, place of coming, grade level, both mother and father education level and participation of the student in group discussion have statistically significant association with reading attitude of students (p-value <0.05). From the binary logistic regression high school students' reading attitudes differs significantly by student age, studding schedule, place of coming, attending in class and group discussion, Education level of both parents, weather condition of the city, grade level and Average financial income but not by gender, school type and economic status of the family.
Reading, Reading Attitude, High School Student, Family and Student Factors
To cite this article
Gebremedhin Desta, Impact of Family and Student Factors on Student Attitude Towards Reading in Governmental and Non-Governmental High School of Debre Birhan City, American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics. Vol. 7, No. 6, 2018, pp. 200-206. doi: 10.11648/j.ajtas.20180706.11
Copyright © 2018 Authors retain the copyright of this article.
This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Palani, K. K. (2012). Promoting Reading Habits and Creating Literate Society.
Dadzie, P. S. (2008). Reading for Education: The roles of Libraries. Ghana Library Journal
Ünal, E. (2010). An analysis of the reading attitudes of elementary school fourth and fifth grade students. The New Educational Review, 22(3-4), 117-127.
Allport, G. W. (1935). Attitudes. In C. Murchison (Ed) Handbook of Social Psychology, Worcester, Mass: Clark University Press.
Riddell, A. R. (1997). Assessing designs for school effectiveness research and school improvement in developing countries. Comparative Education Review, 41(2).
Squire R. James. (1999). Language Arts. Handbook of Research on Improving Students Achievement. Education Research Service. Arlington.
Elley, W. B. (Ed.). (1994). The IEA study of reading literacy: Achievement and instruction in thirty-two school systems. Exeter, England: Pergamon.
Baker, D. P., Goesling, B., &Letendre, G. K. (2002). Socioeconomic status, school quality, and national economic development. Comparative Education Review, 46(3).
Yavuz, M. (2009). Factors that affect mathematics-science (MS) scores in the secondary education institutional exam: An application of structural equation modeling.
Arslan, Y., Çelik, Z., & Çelik, E. (2009). Determination of university students' attitudes towards reading habit. Pamukkale University Journal Of The Faculty Of Education, 26, 113-124.
Balcı, A., Uyar, Y., & Büyükikiz, K. K. (2012). The examination of reading habits, frequency to use library and attitudes towards reading of 6th grade primary school students. International Periodical For The Languages, Literature And History Of Turkish Or Turkic, 7/4, 965-985.
Mete, G. (2012). A research on elementary 8th grade students' reading habits (Malatya sample). Journal of Language and Literature Teaching, 1(1), 43-66.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2010). PISA 2009 results: Learning trends: Changes in student performance since 2000
Petscher, Y. (2010). A meta-analysis of the relationship between student attitudes towards reading and achievement in reading.
McKenna, M., Kear, D., & Ellsworth, R. (1995). Children's attitudes toward reading: A national survey. Reading Research Quarterly, 30, 934- 955.
Mitchell, T., & Ley, T. (1996). The reading attitudes and behaviors of high school students.


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Miyajima Cultural Highlights Walking TourTake a cultural highlights tour of the beautiful Miyajima island in Hiroshima.★★★★★
- 4.5 hour tour
- Small group tour
- English speaking guide
We deployed some measures to ensure the safety of our customers and guides.Read more
per person
- Explore Miyajima, the Sacred Island of the Gods with a local friendly knowledgeable guide
- Take an in depth look into Itsukushima Shrine and Daishoin Temple and learn their rich history and culture
- Learn about the difference between the Japanese Shinto religion and Buddhism
- Try out some local delicacies recommended by your guide such as delicious fresh oysters and fried momiji dumplings etc
- Entrance fee to all shrines, temples and areas
- 4 food samples of local delicacies
- 4.5 hours with a local knowledgeable guide
- Tour photos
- Additional foods and drinks (Available for purchase)
- Ferry fee to Miyajima (360 yen ($3) round-trip)
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
Welcome to the beautiful island of Miyajima! This island, rich in culture and history (and also a lot of wild deer!) is a great place to delve into Japan's past!
As everyone knows, Miyajima has a very famous floating shrine called Itsukushima Shrine. However, this holy island has much more to offer than just this one extraordinary shrine. The island itself is known as spiritual power spot, and on this tour prepare to learn about Japanese Buddhism as well as Shinto religions and their differences, and visit the just as special Daishoin Temple and be enlightened!
Some hundreds of years ago, nobody was allowed to live on this island except the Gods, however now there are some residents on the island but no cemetery is allowed to be built because of the old customs.
On this tour start off by taking an in depth look into the world of Shinto and the famous World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine and the famous great red Torii gate in the sea. After this we will take you into the world of Japanese Buddhism and this unique and mystical temple with its plethora of different statues will surely amaze you.
After this your guide will take you to the quaint Momijidani Park which lays at the base of Mt. Misen to check out the seasonal colors, before taking a stroll down to the 5 story Pagoda and Senjokaku Hall (literally the "hall of a thousand mats") to delve further into Japanese history.
After enjoying your stroll around this beautiful island and with a brain full of new knowledge on Japanese history, religion and culture get ready to chow down on some local delicacies and relax! Try out some fresh local oysters, fried Momiji dumplings and steamed buns with different fillings!
Solo travelers, friends, couples and family, all are welcome!
- It takes 30mins to JR Miyajimaguchi station from JR Hiroshima station. (JR Sanyo line)
- Your guide will be holding a board saying "Magical Trip"
- All ages are welcome on this tour.
- You do not need to pay for the guide's food and drinks.
- Please bring some cash for ferry fee (360yen) and additional snacks and drinks.
- Out of respect for our other guests and to ensure the best tour for everyone, we must start the tour on time. Please note that if you are late for more than 15 minutes than meeting time (10 mins before the tour starting time), you will not be able to join the tour, get refund or rescheduled.
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the tour starting time.
- Free date/time rescheduling up to 24 hours before the tour starting time (depending on availability).
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- ★★★★★
- Local favorite foods and drinks
- Hidden spots all over Japan
- Meet 10 of our local guides
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In the first half of the first game of March Madness this year, Kansas State's freshman point guard Angel Rodriguez stepped to the foul line to complete an and-one play—when the chants began: "Where's Your Green Card?!" Three times, members of the Southern Mississippi band, KSU's opponent, heckled Rodriguez with racial taunts insulting his Puerto Rican heritage. Although he missed the free throw, KSU prevailed, and USM was forced to reckon with a first-round exit and a chorus of criticism over the band's embarrassing behavior.
The five students who led the chants had their scholarships revoked and were required to complete cultural sensitivity training. USM's athletic director personally apologized to Rodriguez, who later forgave the band (making the coy correction that Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, so citizens do not need green cards to immigrate to the US). On March 15, the same day that the taunts drew national coverage, an anti-immigration bill modeled after Arizona's controversial law was passed in Mississippi's state legislature, leaving some to draw connections between the two incidents. An isolated moment of racism suddenly equated USM with Mississippi's history of racial intolerance, and was a damaging note for the reputation of pep bands across the country.
"The pressure on the band is to rouse the other team and heckle them," says Ryan Kopacsi, the band leader for Virginia Commonwealth University's pep band, the VCU Peppas. "If you can get in another player's head, you can change the outcome of the game. However, you've got to be a little more tactful and a little more classy. They went over the line."
Kopacsi, 33, has been directing the Peppas for 14 years, and is well-versed in the rights and wrongs of brass behavior. "I'm probably the most hated band director in all of America," he admits. Kopacsi is a former male model prone to tearing off his pants during Peppas performances, and relishes his combative reputation. "I feel like Ric Flair sometimes," he says, and likens his role as band leader to that of a pro wrestling anti-hero—adored by allies, hated by opponents. "I've had other coaches tell me some mean and nasty things, which is ok, because I've told them some mean and nasty things, too."
A degree of rabblerousing is appropriate for pep bands, Kopacsi insists. "At this point in D-1 college athletes' lives, they need to be able to handle criticism," he says, though he reminds his band before each NCAA tournament to be conscious and self-censoring of their comments. According to Kopacsi, the Peppas' two main functions— nudging his basketball team toward victory and amplifying the arena—are inclusionary to needling opponents. "If some player gets arrested for credit card theft, that may be something you want to heckle the player about."
But the synergy of school spirit and rabid cheering can spiral out of control, as evidenced by the racial slurs flung by the USM band. Too much leeway with band behavior leads to slip-ups, verging on regular fan rowdiness, that can prove damaging when displayed by representatives of the school on a national stage, like March Madness with USM. Yet too much seriousness and you wouldn't have a pep band. So what are the proper boundaries of pep band provocation?
Wilson Baer, a trumpet player in Brown University's Pep Band, and Vice President of its Band Board, has an idea of where to draw the line. "I think picking out a player and chanting at them is fine," he told the Independent. As long as its within the context of the game—fumbling a pass might warrant a "Butterfingers!" chant—or poking innocent fun at a player—a goofy haircut might earn him the nickname Rogaine—is fair game for Baer and the Brown Band. "But USM was taking it too far," he believes.
Rather than wreaking havoc with opposing players, Brown's band has traditionally preferred hell-raising with other bands. In 1973, five Brown students were arrested by Massachusetts State Police after stealing Harvard's iconic bass drum, "Bertha." The students disguised themselves as ABC television reporters who were interested in doing a segment on Bertha, and then smuggled the drum into their truck. Before making it back to Providence, the police apprehended the students, and soon after, Harvard placed a restraining order against the Brown band to protect Bertha.
But this past football season, some Ivy League hijinx drew scrutiny similar to the USM incident. Last November, Columbia's marching band, the self-proclaimed "cleverest band in the world," was reprimanded for altering the school's fight song. In lieu of celebrating its 0-9 football team, the band sung a parodied version of the fight song:
We always lose lose lose
by a lot and sometimes by a little
we all were winners at the start
but four years has taught us all the value of just giving up,
cause we really suck
why are we even trying?
we always lose lose lose
but we take solace in our booze.
The band was suspended one game, and prevented from traveling with the team to its season finale at Brown. The Head Manager of Columbia's Marching Band, Peter Andrews, denied a request for an interview for this article. But Baer defended the band's improvisation: "I don't think they were in the wrong at all with that cheer."
But for Kopacsi, Columbia's stunt was no less a violation of band code than USM. "Just because the band shows up every game, doesn't give them the right to slam their own team. They don't need someone in their own family telling them they're terrible."
Producing bravado without crossing into mocking—racial or institutional self-ridicule—is a tricky line to toe for a school's pep band. "We're not necessarily there to make friends with the other team," Kopacsi says. "But you can get on other people's nerves without being disrespectful."
To achieve that balance, Kopacsi tries to charm opposing fans before games, knowing he'll be killing their team in chants during it. On the road before games, like during VCU's Final Four run last year, the band performed free public concerts in Chicago, Houston, and San Antonio. With permission from his administration, Kopasci crammed 29 tubas, trombones, and horns into a motorized paddleboat and serenaded pedestrians along the riverwalk. "So often, bands see themselves as elevator music. We're clearly not the main attraction, however, we think of ourselves as the main attraction."
Injecting himself into the game with verbal back-and-forths with players or coaches within the arena, he doesn't take it personal when fans tell him to shut up—that's the quintessential mark of success for a pep band leader. "At that point, I know I've won. I've taken your head completely out of the game and put it on some dork who leads the band."
Malcolm Burnley B'12 played in the orchestra.


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Credit: Buiten Beeld / Alamy Stock Photo
Where to find oakbug milkcap
Oakbug milkcap is very common in the UK. It is always found under oak trees, often in large groups.
Stinky and unimpressive. Oakbug milkcap is a dull-looking fungus that is easily missed in woodland among its more spectacular cousins. It is edible, though is not to everyone's taste, and is said to have an oily smell, similar to bed bugs. Yum.
Credit: Arco Images Gmbh / Alamy Stock Photo
Common name: oakbug milkcap
Scientific name: Lactarius quietus
Family: Russulaceae
Fruiting season: August-November
Habitat: under oak trees
Grows up to 7cm tall and 8cm across, with a pale brown cap and stem.
Cap: a rounded cap that flattens with age, developing a shallow dimple in the centre. It is a dull, reddish brown with cinnamon tints, often ringed by bands of darker spots.
Gills/spores: underneath the cap the gills are pale brown, ageing to reddish brown with a hint of mauve and oozing a creamy-white, milky substance (latex) when damaged.
Stipe (stalk): the stem is the same colour as the cap, slightly darker towards the base.
Not to be confused with: the fenugreek milkcap (Lactarius helvus) which is found on heaths and under conifers and is mildly poisonous. There are approximately 70 species of milkcap in the UK, and many share similar characters.
Credit: Buiten Beeld / Alamy Stock Photo
Oakbug milkcap is very common in the UK. It is always found under oak trees, often in large groups.
Oakbug milkcap is an important mycorrhizal species for oak trees, forming cooperative relationships with oak roots.
Credit: imageBROKER / Alamy Stock Photo
It is not poisonous, and is considered edible by some who say that the bitter taste of the fresh mushroom largely disappears on cooking and the final flavour is 'carrot with a hint of ginger'. Others say that it is an 'unpleasant-tasting mushroom'.
It is thought that milkcap fungi (Lactarius spp.) exude latex as a form of self-defence when damaged, because it dries to form a protective coating around the injury, keeping out bacteria and other contaminants.


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Russian police have named a suspect in the killing of opposition leader, Boris Nemstov.
Nemstov, an opposition leader critical of Russian President Vladmir Putin was stabbed on February 27 near the Kremlin.
Public opinion remains that Nemstov's murder was a plot to silence the last of Putin's vocal critics.
Five men have been charged with Nemstov's murder, with the gunman, Zaur Dadayev, said to have confessed.
Ruslan Mukhudinov, a former officer in Chechnya's Interior Ministry was named the mastermind of the killing.


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"Friendliness." "Compassion." "Happiness."
I meditate on these three words ever single day.
You'll be more fulfilled and happier if you put these three qualities in your thoughts and actions.
Beyond the esoteric gains, there are also economic benefits that comes from using these words as well, because these attributes enhance our flexibility and ability to change.
We need to use our passions to evolve because what we do right now might not work tomorrow.
We are in a time of tremendous technological change. That's dangerous enough.
But in addition there are hundreds of millions of people around the globe, beginning to realize they have been sold a dream that society cannot deliver. Even if the American Dream could be realized, the understanding has grown that there wouldn't be much joy from attaining the brass ring.
The answer to this realization is anger and a social separation that is tearing the world apart.
This is why we need friendliness.
We see anger in politics. We see it in medicine. We see it in business. We see growing conflict in almost every endeavor of human nature.
When we are friendly, it is easier to slip through this anger so we can continue to interact with a larger audience. Friendliness, simply put, makes us more effective. Conflict is not productive. When we are friendly, we are more effective with more people.
Scarcity creates value and as social anger reduces friendliness, we become more valuable and more desirable in the world.
Growing acrimony also destroys compassion. Those in positions of power take increased advantage of those who they are supposed to serve.
This is why we need compassion.
The rising division of income and wealth creates a democracy of riot squads, corrupt politicians, magnate-controlled newspapers and a surveillance state that pushes most people into austerity.
This has been happening so slowly that even now many people fail to grasp the true meaning of "austerity".
Austerity is not a few years of of spending cuts we have seen from governments such as the UK or Greece.
We have seen real austerity rise over the past 70 years as costs have risen and living standards have dropped in the west until they meet those of the middle class in China and India. The days of families with one spouse working towards a full retirement and complete medical benefits is almost totally gone.
Real income for 99% of the population has fallen or remained stagnant in almost every part of the Western world. Meanwhile, flushed with free money, the 1% has got richer.
This is why we need happiness.
Pursuing the material dreams that are promoted by society are not always fulfilling. Finding and following our passions are more likely to make us happy. Turning those passions into profit are more likely to make us rich.
We can use much of the technology that is dissecting society to create a a business based around our passion.
The recent USA Today article, "How to make money on YouTube: Insider tips on starting a channel" (1) shows one way that modern technology can help us turn our dreams into reality.
The article says: Unlike Facebook and Twitter, which hold onto the lion's share of the ad revenues and don't share with the people who upload content, Google takes a different approach, in splitting the YouTube ad revenues with video creators.
That means the millions of people are profiting from their relationship with YouTube by making videos and pulling in either extra income or actually making a living from their YouTube revenues.
According to Forbes, 8-year-old Ryan Kaji from Ryan's World toys review channel earned a cool $26 million in 2019 from his YouTube ad revenues and sponsorship deals.
The article is worth reading as it contains seven tips for creating a Youtube business.
Three of the tips fit nicely into the 7Ps that we teach our Self Publishing subscribers to use to generate revenue through publishing.
#1: Follow your passion, and when you start your channel devoted to your special interest go small.
#2 :Interact with your audience
#3: Be consistent.
Know, your passion. Pursue it for income. Use every benefit modern technology can bring. Follow the 7Ps described below.
Add friendliness, compassion and happiness throughout the process and you can beat austerity making your life truly rich.
Seven P Secrets of Self PublishingWhen you write, you can work anywhere.
Here I am working poolside in the winter, at our Florida farm.
Here I am with our hound Ma, working during the summer at our North Carolina farm.
Learn how to earn everywhere, while living anywhere you choose. I have been able to earn by writing in Hong Kong, England, the Isle of Man, Dominican Republic and Ecuador to name a few of the places I have lived. Anywhere I am, I am able to work.
All I need is my laptop.
That's all you need too… a laptop to be free!
Before computers, a pencil and pad did the job.
Freedom is just one benefit you can gain from a laptop business.
Another benefit is income. Writing has brought me both our farms in Florida and North carolina, free and clear… plus a lot more.
Another good example of earning potential is my friend Hugh Howey. He was working for $10 an hour in a book store when he self published his novel Wool, typing in a storage room during his lunch breaks.
Soon he was earning over $100,000 a month on Amazon.com. This helped secure a six-figure book deal from Simon & Schuster, and an option for film by Ridley Scott, director of Blade Runner and Alien.
That's what he's doing now.
Hugh and I playing chess (he beats me badly).
Writers like Hugh are great inspirations.
A couple of years ago Hugh left Florida, and moved to South Africa. He had a sailing catamaran built for him and now can sail the world while he continues to write.
Hugh explained it like this: And that's the miracle of working as a writer: I can do it from anywhere and everywhere. The past few years, I've done a lot of writing from airplanes and airports while on business trips abroad. SAND was entirely written overseas while traveling through seven different countries; I think it's a better story because of those inspirations. In upcoming years, I may be writing near your home port.
Hugh's a super star writer and his success could not happen to a more deserving and talented person. He pours enormous energy into being worthy of his readership. But you do not have to be a million dollar a year earner or a traveler to benefit from writing.
The good news is… you do not need a huge success to have a rich and fulfilled lifestyle. Self Publishing can bring you a life that most people only dream of, as a journeyman writer, instead of a super star.
May I hastily add that the path to stardom begins as a journeyman… so the journeyman's path brings success without stardom… but can also lead to stardom.
What most success stories like Hugh's rarely explain is the many hours of writing that was devoted before their self published book sales soared. Hugh, like most writers were journeymen first. Stardom came later.
Here are sevens secrets that can help you become a journeyman writer.
The secrets are a writer's armory of tools that allows almost anyone to create successful publications for income, freedom and fulfillment.
Take Merri's and my publishing business as an example.
Merri and I are not writing stars. We are journeymen who have for more than 40 years, year in and year out, earned solid income writing and self publishing dozens of publications about multiple subjects.
Some years that income has been more than solid… over a million dollars. Yet in terms of stardom, we are hardly known.
In a moment you'll see why that's fine for us and probably will be for you too.
First some history.
Merri became involved in self publishing over 40 years ago… first helping a veterinarian publish a book on a very specific market… animal acupuncture. Then she showed a needle point artist how to sell more books to an even more specific audience… "needle point enthusiasts" about her needle point work to an audience larger than the population of the city she lived in. This led Merri to eventually become Executive Editor of an award winning magazine in Florida.
My story allowed Merri and me to work and live from Hong Kong to London to Europe to Eastern Europe, then the Caribbean and then Ecuador… making millions in the process of following our adventures… having fun… while helping a large readership adapt to a rapidly changing world.
That's what self publishing can bring, profit, adventure and fulfillment, a great feeling of worth and wonder.
Self Publishing has created exactly the lifestyle we desire allowing us to span the world and work with meaning and purpose.
Self Publishing has become a new business art form.
The seven secrets can help you start your own self publishing business now.
Everything in publishing is new and exciting and changing. Publishing is being recreated by the wonderful power of destructive technology.
Everything is new… except the seven secrets.
Change in the publishing industry is disturbing many. We love this evolution due to these seven secrets we call the 7Ps. The 7 Ps are so fundamental to writing and publishing that new technology enhances rather than reduces their power.
The First P is Passion.
Whatever your passion, you can immerse yourself in it AND create income with self publishing. This can be your direct ticket to the kind of fulfillment you've always wanted.
Whether you want to travel the world or live as a recluse, work 12 hours a day or not work much at all, you can set your schedule to succeed, if you're willing to learn these seven secrets.
You can start part-time with any dream, passion, and budget. Once you've created a product, you'll enjoy the "multiple effect" of producing profits over and over again.
So the question is… What do you love to do?
What's Your Passion: An example is that thirty years ago, a client of Merri's had a passion to help people who were in pain? He published a series of pamphlets explaining various chiropractic disorders in very simple terms. For example: "What Is Whiplash?"
The pamphlets contained solid information, but were simple 5″ x 7″ brochures with drawings and explanations. He sold them with a rack to chiropractors, who put them in their offices for patients to read. These little self-published items sold year in and year out for decades.
There are thousands of ideas of this sort that can lead to big business. It's just a matter of defining and then acting on your passion.
Although I can work when I please and go where I wish, for me the most important reason for being a publisher is the satisfaction it brings.
I love the projects I take on, so work doesn't feel like, well… work.
What do you love? If you love golf, then you can write and sell publications about golf. Love travel, fishing, dogs, dolls, or art? Write and sell publications in these fields.
Are you concerned about crime, war, poverty or environmental issues? You can publish information products that help reduce these concerns.
Would you like to help the world be a more spiritual place? Publish a newsletter, write a book (or hire someone to write it for you), record a tape… publish something that enlightens people.
Whatever your passion, you can immerse yourself in it and earn income by publishing for ereaders, print on demand, CDs, lists, bound books, or any format you choose.
Be immersed in your passion and get paid well for it.
This is why stardom is not the main goal for most writers and self publishers. Extra income, more freedom and fulfillment are usually more than enough enough.
The seven Ps are:
#1: Passion
#2: Problem
#3: Person
#4: Profitably Priced Product
#5: Prospecting Pathway
#6: Promise
#7: Presentation
The first time I exposed others to the secrets in Self Publishing was in a weekend "Writer's Camp" seminar. We offered the camp for $1,500. 80 delegates enrolled. People from all walks of life attended—chiropractors, businessmen, investors, doctors, realtors, inventors, airline pilots, engineers, and housewives.
Merri and I were so overwhelmed by the response, we decided to make it available to a larger audience. We created a written course based on our current self publishing activity called "Self Fulfilled – How to be a Self Publisher." Then we recorded the weekend "Writer's Camp" seminar.
Thousands have used the course as it has evolved over the decades.
You can receive both the written course and the recorded weekend seminar, in an MP3 file, in a special "Live Well and Free Anywhere" program I am making available to you. The normal fee is $299 for the written course and $299 for the recorded workshop. I'll send you both the course and the recorded workshop and my course on how to expand the profits of what you write called "Eventful Business" (also $299) all for $299. You save $598.
We are so confident that you'll gain from this offer that if you are not fully satisfied, simply email us within 60 days for a full refund .
These courses are not theoretical. They describe, step-by-step, how Merri and I built a million-dollar international business and how we are running this self publishing business right now. We use the 7Ps today just as we did four decades ago to create a strong annual income.
This correspondence course is for those who would like their own international self publishing micro business for fun and profit. If you want fun, freedom, extra income and fulfillment with your own full or part time writing or want to build your existing business, by writing to sell you can profit from this course. The course can help who want their own business or who want to have a business together or a family business. This is the perfect course for those who can no longer find employment, who are looking for ways to earn abroad and who wish to retire and supplement their income.
Whether you are retired, an investor, chiropractor, doctor, dentist, professional or already own your own business, this offers another way to make money, to turn your passion into profit. We guarantee that we have shared all we know to help you start and run your own international business. Enjoy and live a life of following your Passion to Profit… through writing.
Here is a special offer.
Whatever your passion, however you do business, chances are you'll be writing either to create a product or to sell a product.
You save more than $598 because you also receive a recorded webinar conducted by our webmaster David Cross (at no extra cost).
David Cross
David has been our webmaster since our website began in the 1990s. He is Merri's and my business partner. We could not run our business as we do without him.
Learn the tactics we use in our web business that condenses 27 years of practical experience about search engine optimization, and writing for search engines.
For the last 27 years David has worked with companies large and small – IBM, Agora Publishing, AstraZeneca and many small business owners. He has worked in 22 countries, and lived in six of them.
David's clients span the globe and represent companies and charities both large and small. From corporate giants to small, one-woman businesses and everything from finance, healthcare, publishing, technology, real estate, veterinarians, alternative health centers and everything in between.
David is an essential part of our web based business.
Myles Norin, CEO of Agora, Inc. wrote: "I have found David's knowledge and experience unmatched in the industry. Without David's expertise and guidance for the past 7 years, we would not be nearly as successful as we are."
As Senior Internet Consultant to Agora Inc. in Baltimore, MD, he worked closely with Agora's publishers and marketers and – over a 7-year period – helped to propel Agora's online revenues from around $20 million to well over $300 million.
David's webinar will help you gain benefits in your micro business that large internet marketing companies use. In this practical recorded workshop you will learn valuable skills to help your micro business.
There has never been a time when the opportunity for small businesses abroad has been so outstanding. Expand your borders now! Increase your economic security freedom, independence and success.
If you are not fully satisfied that this offers you enormous value simply email us for a full refund within 60 days. You can keep all three courses as our thanks for giving our courses a try.
You also receive a report "How to use Relaxed Concentration to Brainstorm Business Ideas" and a recorded workshop "How to Become and Remain Rich With Relaxed Concentration" at no additional cost.
Plus you get more in the program.
You receive regular writing and self publishing updates for a year. Businesses usually need to evolve. Merri and I continue to publish and have our independent businesses. Some basics have remained for decades, but new strategies occur all the time throughout the year. We'll be sending along updates that share our most recent experiences as we learn and continue to grow our international micro business from Smalltown USA.
My special offer to you in this "Live Well and Free Anywhere Program", is that you receive:
- "Self Fulfilled – How to Write to Sell" course
- Video Workshop by our webmaster David Cross,
- The entire weekend "Writer's Camp" in MP3,
- MP3 Workshop "How to Gain Added Success With Relaxed Concentration"
- The business course "Eventful Business"
- Any updates to any of the courses, workshops, reports or recordings for a year
We are so confident that you'll gain from this offer that if you are not fully satisfied, simply email us within the first three months for a full refund.
Order "Self Fulfilled – How to Publish to Sell" and a full year of update lessons $299. Click Here.
See success stories from Self Publishers and a few who have attended the "Writer's Camp" that you will receive on MP3.
(1) www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/02/13/youtube-channel-make-money-become-famous-guide-tips/4718490002/


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Purchase Orders
A purchase order (PO / LPO) is a commercial document and first official offer issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services. Acceptance of a purchase order by a seller forms a contract between the buyer and seller, so no contract exists until the purchase order is accepted. It is used to control the purchasing of products and services from external suppliers.
Companies use purchase orders for several reasons:
- Purchase orders allow buyers to clearly and explicitly communicate their intentions to sellers
- Sellers are protected in case of a buyer's refusal to pay for goods or services
- Purchase orders help a purchasing agent to manage incoming orders and pending orders
- Purchase orders provide economies in that they streamline the purchasing process to a standard procedure
Here are some of the features of Vivaio CRM's Purchase Orders Module:
- Track Delivery Dates
- Assign to a user or a group of users
- Simply add products, quantities and prices from the Inventory Module
- Approve and Print from the system on a pre-designed Letter Head
- Auto-generated Purchase Orders IDs for additional control over your POs


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Even the most dedicated DIY home improver will reach appoint where just having the skills possessed by an expert commercial and residential electrician in Montclair NJ like O'Hara is capable of getting the job done. Our expert electricians are capable of handling a broad variety of projects which are not merely important but are potentially capable of being dangerous when not performed correctly. This is capable of ranging from a complete upgrade of your home to installing landscape lighting and light fixtures, and even dealing with extreme electrical emergencies. This is the reason having a dependable electrician such as O'Hara Electric on your side is essential for each and every homeowner. Our highly skilled professionals are ready and able to improve the safety, comfort, and function of your house. A lot of people find themselves tempted to perform their own attic fan installation or 200 amp service upgrading. However, it's capable of doing more damage than good in the event you're not trained properly. When it comes to electrical work, save yourself the hassle and the risk. Just call O'Hara Electric right away if you've been in need of residential electricians in New Providence NJ.
Electrician New Providence NJ
Obtaining an electrical inspection from a qualified residential electrician in Montclair NJ before purchasing your home is a smart idea many individuals neglect to think about. It is basic protocol to receive a general home inspection. On the other hand, a professional from O'Hara Electric will be able to give your electrical systems considerably more focus than you'll receive from a general home inspector. You will have the ability to know if your home is truly up to code by simply hiring an electrician to perform a thorough inspection. Any possible problems which will need to be fixed prior to the sale is finalized is going to additionally be able to be flagged at this time. An experienced electrician will be able to tell right away if there are any major issues you are facing. Older homes that have faulty wiring are capable of being very unsafe and aren't going to meet the current electrical codes. Unfortunately, this problem can mean that a complete rewiring of your property could be required. Having a trusted residential electrician on your side can be a great benefit because of this. Replacement of knob and tube wiring for major projects is still affordable and budget-friendly when you make us your top choice. Make O'Hara your top choice for an electrician in New Providence NJ for any kind of major electrical work to help your home meet current electrical codes.
Commercial Electrician New Providence NJ
Some homeowners are interested in performing the majority of electrical work themselves to save money instead of contacting a professional electrician in Montclair NJ. Although there are homeowners that are capable of performing their own attic fan installation, getting in touch with a professional is simply wiser. This is particularly true if the job is substantially bigger than that. This is why you need to have a qualified electrician from O'Hara Electric make sure the work is performed the right way the very first time. As it pertains to jobs such as attic fan installation for example, the amperage of the circuit and wattage of the new fixture are essential things that have to be taken into account by an experienced professional. They will be capable of running an additional wire from the circuit breaker if the amperage isn't high enough to handle the wattage of the light. Generally, it's wise to call a professional to handle this kind of project. A great deal of time, hassle and money will be saved in the long term, along with the fact that it is an option which is significantly safer for you. As an elite lighting fixture installations contractor, O'Hara specializes in a range of jobs ranging from something as small as smoke detector installation to electrical work for large commercial spaces. Get in touch with us today whatever your requirements are from a residential or commercial electrician in New Providence NJ.


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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he's not running for president, but a recent nationwide tour has been stoking speculation.
In the past few months, Zuckerberg has visited military bases, dined with "folks" in Ohio, and has even been photographed working on the assembly line of a Ford factory — stuff people usually do when they're starting a political campaign.
So, he's running, right? Not so fast, says Nathan Hubbard, former CEO of Ticketmaster. In a widely shared tweetstorm over the weekend, he laid out another possible reason why Zuckerberg is criss-crossing the country and looking like a political candidate.
Basically, Hubbard says, Zuckerberg is acting like the product-focused CEO he is. Hubbard believes Zuckerberg initially didn't understand Facebook's role in last year's election and the political discourse, and now he's trying to understand — as a product guy — how Facebook may have contributed to President Donald Trump's election.
Hubbard has a lot of respect for Zuckerberg and Facebook, at one point calling some of Facebook's moves "probably the greatest biz execution of our generation."
Zuckerberg's staff on this tour is largely composed of former political operatives, Business Insider previously reported, and one of his favourite topics with people he meets is how they use Facebook.
Hubbard makes several interesting points, and it speaks to how the role of a tech CEO with billions of users now tends to look a lot like a statesman or a politician. He closes out his tweetstorm with "#sheryl2020," joking that Zuckerberg's second in command, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, might end up being a better presidential candidate.
Here's Hubbard's argument in paragraph form:
"Zuck isn't running for President. He's trying to understand the role the product he created played in getting this one elected. Facebook has undergone two major evolutionary events in its history, both of which were driven by what Zuck saw as existential threats. The incredible revenue growth in mobile (probably the greatest biz execution of our generation) helped Facebook survive a platform shift. And the fearless acquisitive streak of Instagram, WhatsApp and others helped Facebook survive a shift in how we communicate and organise.
"Zuck woke up on Nov 9th acutely aware that FB had facilitated a new shift he didn't foresee or understand; that's terrifying to a founder. He's the head of product. So he's ventured out into the world beyond his bubble to do field research and inform how FB will evolve again. Yes, these pictures we are seeing of Zuck meeting people look like outtakes from Forrest Gump meets The 40 Year Old Virgin…
"And for those reasons it's silly to assign him Presidential aspirations. He has very few of the skills we've just seen it takes to win. He does, however, have a ruthless survival instinct combined with a boundless desire to learn. That's how he got here, folks. We have rightly vilified founders of late who could not personally learn, grow and evolve to lead their companies and products forward. So I admire a founder who, however Machiavellian, cares enough to understand the people using the platform he created. #Sheryl2020"
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Lund – Malmö quadruple tracking contract
Prime Minister inaugurates Napoli Afragola station
ÖBB starts Pyhrnstrecke station upgrading
Weekly LCL service widens appeal of China-Europe rail route
Siemens to buy planning software company HaCon
Hupac orders eight multisystem locomotives
Montecargo privatisation cancelled
IONX and Ermewa agree telematics partnership
High-value chemicals travel from China to Europe by rail
DB Regio selected for Rhein-Neckar operating contract
Trenitalia subsidiary Serfer Servizi Ferroviari has ordered five EffiShunter 1000 locomotives from CZ Loko, with an option for five more. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in February 2018.
The TSI-compliant locomotives for shunting and main line duties will have a maximum speed of 100 km/h. They will be equipped with Caterpillar C32 engines rated at 895 kW, AC/DC transmission and the Italian BL3 train protection system as well as ETCS.
Since 2015 CZ Loko has supplied seven diesel shunters to Italian operators Dinazzano Po (two), Terminali Italia (two), SerFer (one) and Francesco Ventura Costruzioni Ferroviarie (two). All locos are maintained through CZ Loko's Italia subsidiary.
This article first appeared on www.railwaygazette.com
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The Nobel Prize is the word's most famous prize. It is awarded every year to persons with most outstanding contribution to physics, chemistry, literature, physiology or medicine, peace, and economics. This Nobel Prize was founded by Alfred Bernhard Nobel who was the founder of the science of destruction.
Nobel was born on 21st October 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. His father Immanuel Nobel, came from a poor peasant background and worked his way to fame as a military engineer. Nobel learned the fundamentals of engineering from his father and he had an inborn talent for invention. Like his brothers, Alfred Nobel was schooled at home by private tutors.
Young Nobel was a competent chemist at 16 and was fluent in English, French, German, Russian and Swedish languages, whereas our children drawback to learning any other language than their own mother tung. He left Russia in 1850 and studied chemistry in Paris. He went to the United States and worked under John Ericsson, the builder of the ironclad warship "Monitor".
Together with his father in Sweden Alfred Nobel began to experiment with explosives. One day in 1864 an accident occurred in their workshop, where they were researching to produce Nitroglycerine, his younger brother and four others were killed. At that time Nobel was branded as "Mad Scientist"
As Nobel's father fell sick badly, Nobel started his researches alone. He began to set up factories in Norway and Germany, but this nitroglycerine remained dangerous. Mishaps occurred in Germany, San Francisco, New York, and Australia and in a ship off Panama. Most of the countries restricted their use.
In 1866 he discovered that some nitroglycerine had leaked from its cask which was packed in an absorbent substance. Alfred noticed that nitroglycerine was much safer to handle in that condition. That is if was absorbed into absorbent substance it would not explode from shocks. Nobel called this discovery "Dynamite"
Thereafter Alfred Nobel's factories grew rapidly and made his fortune from selling dynamite. In 1887 he invented Smokeless nitroglycerine Powder that most countries soon began to use as gun powder. Nobel secured more than 100 patents on his inventions.
When he died in 1898, he left 19 million dollars in Swiss Bank and according to his will from the interest, it should be distributed as prizes as mentioned.


text: In the presence of attractive women, men take more risks, find it easier to run, consume more calories, donate more money and are more talkative How Do You Think, Is This factE True or False? True False Hit True or False and SHARE Your Answer With Friends! FB 0 Tumblr 1 Pin 1 Google+ 0 Twitter 0 Reddit 0 Similar factE Cards Leave a Comment (0)


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BEIJING (REUTERS) - China will prosecute a former senior judge from its highest court on suspicion of corruption after accusing him of crimes including illegally accepting public funds, Beijing's anti-graft watchdog said on Tuesday (Sept 29).
Xi Xiaoming, the former vice president of the Supreme People's Court, came under investigation in July for "serious violations of discipline and laws", the terminology China usually uses for corruption.
He is one of the most senior judicial officials to be ousted by President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign since the downfall of Zhou Yongkang, the former domestic security chief whose brief included law enforcement and courts.
Xi Xiaoming had been a member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party for 40 years but has been accused of abusing his position to help his relatives obtain benefits for their business activities, the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in statements on its website.
Other charges include illegally accepting public funds, breaching confidentiality rules, and leaking secrets related to judicial work.
His case has been transferred to legal authorities, the watchdog said, meaning that he will face prosecution. He has also been expelled from the party.
It was not possible to reach Xi Xiaoming for comment and it was not clear if he has a lawyer.
China's leaders have pledged to continue combating graft, seen as crucial to the party's survival, and have vowed to go after "tigers" in senior positions as well as lowly "flies".
Zhou was sentenced to life in jail in June after he was found guilty at a secret trial of bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power, in China's most sensational graft scandal in 70 years.
Xi Xiaoming, 61, was the number four official in the Supreme People's Court, where he specialized in economic law cases.
A native of eastern Jiangsu province, he rose from working as a policeman in the northern city of Shenyang in the 1970s to the highest echelon of China's judiciary, where he was also a member of the court's leading Party members' group.


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[Endarterectomy for cervical internal carotid artery stenosis accompanied with severe aortic valve stenosis--case report].
- Authors
- Type
- Published Article
- Journal
- Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyū no shinpo
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2007
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1377–1381
- Identifiers
- Source
- Medline
- License
- Unknown
A 75-year-old man, who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft and repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm, suffered from angina pectoris due to severe aortic valve stenosis complicated with asymptomatic bilateral cervical internal carotid artery stenoses. Brain perfusion imaging revealed reduced cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity to acetazolamide in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres. First, the patient underwent left carotid endarterectomy, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Postoperative brain perfusion imaging showed improvement of cerebrovascular reactivity to acetazolamide in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres. Seven weeks later, the patient underwent aortic valve replacement, and his postoperative course was uneventful. Carotid endarterectomy rather than carotid artery stenting should be preceded for cervical carotid stenosis complicated with severe aortic valve stenosis.


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Holocaust Perpetrators of the German Police Battalions: The Mass Murder of Jewish Civilians, 1940-1942 by Ian Rich – Published May 3rd 2018 by Bloomsbury Academic
No Polokaust Negationism: Nazi German Attitudes To Poles and Jews Were Very Similar. Nazi Killers Reject Religion: Do Not Blame Christianity For the Holocaust
This work is largely Judeocentric, and its primary focus is the Holocaust by Bullets. However, there are other interesting details, and these are the subject of my review.
In the western world, we have the mystification of the Holocaust, and the Polokaust is barely even mentioned. We sometimes hear the Holocaust supremacist talking point that, whereas the Jews were killed simply because they were Jews, the Poles had to "do something" before the Nazis would kill them. In contrast to such negationist nonsense, scholar Ian Rich realizes that:
"The German soldiers, policemen and civilian administrators that entered Poland in 1939 and 1940 had long been exposed to historical stereotypes of Poland as a 'backward', 'hostile' place in habited by racial inferiors." (pp. 75-76).
In a face-to-face victimhood competition, Poles may perhaps not quite measure up to the Jews in terms of being racial enemies of the Third Reich, but they are close. Smith comments, "Connected to the portrayals of 'backwardness', Poles and Jews were couched as racial 'others', as natural and dangerous enemies of the VOLKSGEMEINSCHAFT." (p. 76).
Author Ian Rich described the rank and file of German Battalions 304 and 314, and the attendant near-incompatibility of their service with religion, as follows, "The majority of the sample, 66 per cent, described themselves as being GOTTGLAUBIG (God-believing). As Herbert Ziegler also found in his study of SS personnel files, most of these men who listed themselves as God-believing left the church they had been born into just before joining the SS and police knowing that, although NOMINAL church membership was tolerated in the SS, it could be a disadvantage professionally. These young men were clearly mindful of a future career in the SS when they joined the police in 1939 and 1941." (p. 42; Emphasis added).
This is ironic to the usual attempt to blame Christianity for the Holocaust. We instead see that not only did the Nazis fail to promote Christianity, but that even nominal Christianity was barely compatible with being a serious Nazi!
The fact that 34% of the SS personnel lacked even a nominal belief in God raises other questions. Were atheists in the SS, at 34%, relatively more common than in German society as a whole?
Furthermore, the Nazi view of Christianity was almost identical to that of the militant atheist. Author Ian Rich cites the notes of Lochbrunner, who was one of the participants in the Jew-killing battalions, as he comments, "On his copy of the learning materials Lochbrunner marked this passage in the margin as particularly notable: 'National Socialism is founded on the notion of honor, Christianity on the concept of fear, Marxism on the notion of envy.'" (p. 59).
For nearly the first two years of WWII, the Germans were content to murder Jews on a sporadic basis. Then came the Nazi German invasion of its erstwhile Soviet Communist ally. Author Ian Smith realizes that the mass shootings of Jews on the new Eastern Front were, for the first six weeks or so, limited to Jewish men of military or reproductive age: Not until August 27, 1941, were they expanded to target all Jews regardless of age or gender. (p. 123). Because of this, most Holocaust scholars now believe that no predetermined plan to kill all Jews had existed before the start of Operation Barbarossa, but only developed sometime later. (p. 201).
Thus, the case for the functionalist, as opposed to intentionalist, interpretation of the origins of the Shoah, keeps getting stronger. It also reinforces the fact that, just as Nazi policies against Jews could radicalize with time, they could also have radicalized against Poles, given more time.
The death toll of the Holocaust by Bullets is as follows. Ian Smith cites Alexander Kruglov, who estimated 2.7 million Jews living in Ukraine, of whom 900,000 fled with the retreating Red Army, 1.6 million who were murdered by the Germans, and 100,000 that had locally survived. (p. 93).
Jan Peczkis
- Source: GoodReads.com , February 14, 2019
Published with the author's permission.
– More reviews by Jan Peczkis on PCO ….. .
- Title image: "Holocaust Perpetrators of the German Police Battalions: The Mass Murder of Jewish Civilians, 1940-1942" by Ian Rich part of the cover / selected by wg.pco
, 2019.02.21.


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New servers, hooraaaay! More bandwidth, more power.
I completely agree with mac, sgvaibhav and nitcompIGCSE is a much more sophisticated form of education. The standard of English in CBSE cannot even be compared with that of IGCSE. For CIE IGCSE Literature we have to write four essays with open books while CBSE students 'fill in the blanks' and give one-word answers, trying their best to recall all the information in their books.IGCSE focuses not only on knowledge but also on the applications of knowledge to things in real life.For example, you can take French, a subject CBSE gives little importance to. IGCSE covers all aspects of French including Speaking and Listening. This is actually has practical use rather that mugging up tons of words and phrases.
For those who think IGCSE Maths is 'childplay', check out IGCSE Additional Mathematics (CIE 0600).
true nidcbse math is mind blowing...look at rd sharmas and rs agarwals booksigcse questions are way too easy compared to cbsebut english and eco is not given a lot of importance..


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Travel with style! Beautiful leather passport cover.
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*drumrolllllll* as promised I have put together 9 of my favourite Kettlebell Exercises for one killer workout 😊 Not only will these exercises get your heart pumping, they work to effectively strengthen the muscles and improve endurance.
These compact weights are also great for functional workouts…these are the workouts that (over time) make daily activities easier!
Before exercising please remember to warm up properly and consult with your doctor before starting a new fitness plan.


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National Relaxation Day (August 15) is a time dedicated to unwinding and taking a break from the stress of everyday life. Yet for hardworking small business owners who deserve it most, the holiday may not seem realistic. Running a spa
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Cobalt Iron Inc., today announced the extension for its Compass™ enterprise SaaS backup platform that offers advanced protection for network-attached storage (NAS) data. Compass delivers the industry's most efficient and comprehensive approach to NAS backup and recovery via a powerful proxy capability called the Compass NAS Agent.
"In today's enterprises, tremendous amounts of business-critical data are held in NAS systems. The amount of stored NAS data and the urgency to protect it is constantly growing; however, NAS backup and recovery techniques haven't improved much over the years," said Greg Tevis, vice president of Global Strategy at Cobalt Iron. "Compared to traditional NAS schemes such as NDMP, which can be operationally challenging and often results in massive amounts of data being stored for backups, our NAS data protection extension offers a new and modern approach. Using the Compass NAS Agent, Compass is a faster, more efficient, and easier-to-manage solution for backing up billions of files and providing unified protection of critical NAS data."


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Anyway, this is just a quick (second) post before I go and see nan. Or try to. The other post's just a fic request update thing.
The tilers are done. It looks nice. Thank fuck there's no more workmen for weeks.
Now that they are, I can actually start moving stuff around from tomorrow.
Tonight I should have money for Tuesday. I hope.
FUCK OFF SPIDERS! They are all evil and where the shit are they coming from? Seriously. Ugh. I hate them.
I'm gonna try and update my profile over the weekend.
I strated work on fic last night, but hit a block and got too tired to finish it. It's the sequel to the BMTH fic with them in their superhero outfits that I did. I might be able to finish it tonight if I get past the block with it.
Anyway. Of I go, even though I'm too tired really.


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| Improvised Collective | pioneer group of performance and research in Contemporary Improvisation of Unicamp, formed in 2013 for specific projects.
| Coordinated | by Manuel Falleiros, PhD in Creative Processes by Eca / USP, career researcher PQ-UNICAMP.
| Free Improvisation | is the search for the new at every moment, intensifying the present. Free Improvisation need not be restricted to the appropriateness of style as in idiomatic improvisations. Collective improvisation is developed through an interactive construction, such as a conversation or a game with sounds.
Quatro Obras para Improvisadores [A. Faraco] – 2019
Propostas Entreabertas – 2018
Aus den Sieben Tagen (Stockhausen) 2018
Performed integrally by Improvised Collective on 06/22/2018 at the Casa do Lago – UNICAMP
The year 2017 is completed 10 years after the death of the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, with many innovative and controversial works. This concert celebrated the 50th anniversary of the iconic work 'Aus Den Sieben Tagen' (From the Seven Days) that inaugurated the concept of intuitive music, coined by the composer and still not widespread. The 15 poems that make up the work, written under the influence of Eastern philosophy, explore a particular interpretation of free improvisation. Searching for musical thematic songs and randomness and finding possibilities that do not refer to free jazz, Stockson bases his intuitive music concept under the premise of a music that flows to the media of musical genres and towards sonorities still unknown.
Members: Arthur Faraco (acoustic bass), Carlos do Santos (percussion), Edu Hebling (bass), Fred Tavares (sax), Helder Pinheiro (ac. guitar), Ivan Barasnevicius (el. guitar), Lula Fidalgo(guitar), Mário Marques (clarone), Rafael Santana (trumpet) and PhD Prof. Manuel Falleiros (general coordination, winds), Cássio Moreira (translation, percussions), Paulo Souza (technical staff).
Propostas (2017)
Proposals made by the group members themselves, cultivating the seeds of the avant-garde 1968: graphic, textual scores, improvisation proposals.
Soon, download the sheet music here.
Famas – 2017
FAMA (phêmê), winged mythological figure. The one in charge of spreading all the news, from the gods or from men. Wielding a trumpet, allows no murmurs, listens to the world in its resonant bronze palace, sees with its many eyes as mouths to proclaim. Its wings allow it to be anywhere to ascertain events. Nothing will be hidden under your domain. Conception and performance: Manuel Falleiros, Daiane Correa, Ana Clara Ferraz.
O Tratado Completo: A música de Cornelius Cardew (2016)
The work of British composer Cornelius Cardew (1936-1981) brings together a diversity of geometric figures, numbers, lines and some musical symbols written between 1963 and 1967. The composer never left specific instructions for the work, but suggested that each performer or group build his own interpretation, seeking to explore the limits of musical notation and music itself.
Performers: Alberto Ferreira (piano), Nando Penteado (extended guitar), Carlos Roberto (vibraphone), Cássio Moreira (percussion), Diego Assis (guitar), Paulo Flores (flute and classical), Marcelo Pereira (baritone saxophone), Ronalde Monezzi (tenor saxophone) and ManuelFalleiros (direction and saxophone),
Technical Team: Carolina Carvalho (Produção), Fabiana Benini (bibliotecária CIDDIC), Maria do Rosário Zullo – tratamento gráfico, Vinicius Cintra – digitalização, José Santana – Partitura Gráfica, Caio Polesi (Peripécia Filmes) animação em vídeo.
Moriana (2015)
Starting from the idea contained in Italo Calvino's homonymous text (from the book "The Invisible Cities") – to describe a city that shelters the forms of subjectivity – the members of the collective composed their own city, Moriana itself, by the agglutination and treatment of fragments. of videos that each member found significant. Improvisation follows with the video, but not with the idea of soundtrack, but of interaction with the images and other sounds. They are sounds and images interacting not simply with question-answer or figurative sonoplastic sound symbols, but rather with the idea of construction and deconstruction, front and back, ruin and work, tragically present in Calvin's text.
18/03/14 Circuito de Improvisação Livre – Trackers – São Paulo/SP
Orquestra Errante e Coletivo Improvisado, Unicamp – 2013
Invitation folder "Coletivo Improvisado".
Unicamp, 2013.
Projeto ESTRATÉGIAS – 2012


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Sonday – {The Tree of Life}
September 29, 2013 by 2 Comments
The trees are beautiful Angie …
I take it that it is looking and feeling much like Fall there. Bet you are getting in the mood to do more Fall decorating.
We are still very warm here and using the a/c. Hoping for a cold front to cool things off.
Thanks for sharing your pretty colored leaves.
Audrye Z.
Beautiful images, Angie and beautiful verses to accompany it. Beautiful! xo Diana


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Savannah and Joseline Hernandez had a heated exchange on a past episode of LHHATL and the two haven't been on the best of terms for a long time.
This confrontation on the show led to Savannah being escorted away from the set to prevent things from getting physical.
Joseline also has an on-going beef with LHHATL creator Mona Scott Young and K. Michelle. So it seems like Joseline really has many enemies from the show.
However, Savanah apparently believes that her beef with Joseline is the reason why Joseline didn't take stage at the reunion.
Savannah was quite subtle with this reveal on social media.
Check out the following liked tweet.
15 Comments
Wrong, Joseline in no way scared of Stevie's daughter. Joseline loves Steve and beating his daughters a-s might mess that relationship up.
Girl please. She was just in Miami with Stevie, why didn't she run up on Joseline then? ?
Joseline punched Stevie in the face on camera and Erica said she hit her in the jaw when they fought. I doubt she's afraid of an 18 year old child. Security stepped in to protect Savannah. Not the other way around. She needs to stop letting these Twitter clowns hype her up.
Yeah no. I know Joseline isn't invincible but she was really unbothered when Savannah stood up. She's not afraid of Savannah. Like at all.
She's delusional.
Not in this lifetime dear.
Girl please only reason why I think Joseline won't lay hands on her is because the backlash. That would be a real bad look to put hands on Stevie's child even if she is grown she is still viewed as a child.
The internet really make people hard. Joseline beefing with mona why the hell would she do the reunion
I don't like this little girl. She has been playing victim the whole time but she's messy as f-ck and old enough to get her a-s whooped.
LOL. Someone's ego is on swole now.
LMBO! Why do they keep lying to her?
lol and y'all are really defending Joseline when she got a restraining order against Tommie and called the police lol. Joseline is a nobody trash bag druggie that got drug at all the nightclubs in Miami. Y'all really think this trash bag can actually fight she's all bark, if you meet her outside the club she WILL run and call popo.. remember when Alexa drug you out that club on South Beach Joseline??
Or is it still Shenellica
Hell yea I seen her in action at one of the reunions and she put that restraining order on Tommie cause she was protecting her unborn baby, I don't have a problem with coming outside to play with anybody but not when a dumb b-tch tells me she is going to shoot me and my unborn baby hell yea that's the right thing to do. I live in the A and trust me Joseline is not no punk.


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Finite Sum
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg44511] Finite Sum
- From: Ratna Bandila <choppalaks at yahoo.com>
- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 02:27:02 -0500 (EST)
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Hi, Kindly help if anyone has come across the Finite Sum expression and has found the closed-form formula for Sum[(2*(n-m))!/(m!^2*(n-m)!^4),{m,0,n}] Thanks Ratna __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree


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Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural substance found inside the human body. It's key properties are to keep the skin hydrated whilst adding plumpness. HA naturally breaks down in the body during metabolism and is then replaced. However as we get older and our metabolism slows down, replacement of HA is less often which results in less hydrated skin and less volume in the skin.
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'Out-of-body experience': Immersive art installations on display downtown
Thu., May 21, 2015
In a small apartment above the Bartlett on West Sprague Avenue, I'm hooked up to a sensor that will monitor my breathing patterns. I'm handed a pair of ear buds and an Oculus headset, and when I put it on I'm transported to a nondescript room facing a window.
This is all part of "The Introspection Game," a new immersive art experience designed by New York-based artists Yang Wang and Zhenzhen Qi that premieres tonight at Laboratory Art Space at 301 W. Main St. It's a 3-D virtual reality experience that lasts about 10 minutes and adapts to an individual's physical and emotional responses.
"Depending on the physiological response you have while you're playing," Qi said, "some of the video and audio effects that you experience will be manifested by your own body."
For example, the final stage of the game drops you onto an island, and everything about the place – the intensity of the ocean waves, the color and shape of the light source, the topography of the island itself – all correspond to the signals your body sends out.
As the game unfolds through the Oculus lenses, Qi stands to my left. Through the ambient noises pumping through the ear buds, I can hear her directing me to take a long, deep breath. I do, and the virtual room, designed to resemble the actual Laboratory art space, slowly darkens.
Suddenly I'm somewhere else, in some kind of blank void. Shapes resembling telephone poles and staircases slowly start to tumble past me. I look down and I see grey boxes floating up at me. I'm descending through infinite space, Qi tells me.
"We've created this world that represents your body, and we're encouraging people to think more about the relationship between the mind and the body," Wang said.
Wang and Qi are both from China, and they married in 2013. This is the third of such installments they have collaborated on, and they're both concerned with how thoughts and feelings can affect an environment. Qi's approach to the piece is mostly psychological – she was inspired by studying her own mother's mental state as she struggled with depression – while Wang's is more philosophical, which he attributes to the Buddhism and meditation he's been exposed to since he was a child.
"We wanted to shock people a bit with a slightly shifted alternate reality," Qi said, "and we hope people walk away asking some questions they haven't asked about themselves before."
After trying out "Introspection Game," I head down a few flights of stairs where Brazilian artist Sabrina Barrios has set up an exhibition she calls "Zero," which is so titled because navigating it takes you in a complete circle.
Standing in a room bathed in natural light, Barrios holds out a plastic container filled with orange earplugs, which she says are designed to isolate my senses and hone my focus. We walk through a black curtain and into the neighboring room, where a large, complex geometric structure composed of white string and fishing wire glows softly in the darkness.
I walk around the piece, observing it, and through the earplugs I can hear some muffled instructions: I can actually walk through the installation. There are four pathways that light up as you pass through them – they occasionally veer off in unexpected directions or double back on themselves – and Barrios says walking through the piece is meant to imitate the process of navigating life and the choices we're forced to make along the way.
The next room, which has yet to be set up, will feature a screen that allows you to see yourself walking through the sculpture just moments ago. Barrios calls this part of the installation "the afterlife," describing it as an "out-of-body experience." Like Qi and Wang's piece, "Zero" is all about visualizing our thoughts and feelings and showing us how they can change in real time.
All three artists, who have been in Spokane for a little over a month, are living in the artists' residency quarters above the Bartlett. These apartments have housed several interactive artists since last year, and Alan Chatham, who oversees the residency program, says Laboratory is one of the only programs of its kind dedicated exclusively to interactive art.
"Interactive is a really interesting discipline because it's still super young," he said. "Our mission at Laboratory is to support the development of interactive as a fine art medium, and the best way to do that is by connecting people with engineers and technology and giving them the space and time and money to make cool stuff."
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