text:
1) We had "Grant & Mama Day" last Friday and spent a really great day together at fun museum followed by wonderfully large snow cones!
2) Sunday we had a little cookout at the house with the in-laws. Grant was a big help in the kitchen with the macaroni & cheese (he loved all the compliments he got). And for dessert we had a cake made from ice cream sandwiches. YUM!
3) Completely forgetting how warm and muggy it was outside, I went for a bike ride Monday during Grant's nap (a time I usually use for sitting on my butt watching TV). I imagine that to the old man who rode by me on his bike, clearly out for a joy ride and not struggling at all, I probably looked about to die. But it felt good to get out for some exercise...and then I went home and watched TV :)
4) Grant and I played some baseball in the yard. He loves to try to hit without his tee...and is surprisingly good at it when he's focused. He also likes to run a lap around the house like he's running the bases if he gets a hit. Oh to have that energy!
|Also I skipped yesterday...
|It's an Oreo bar...and it was worth every single calorie.
|Happy Friday!
Have a great weekend!


text:
Thread Rating:
Cave Painting Book Get specialized in your art
Get inserted into the world of art show your art to the world with cave painting book. From childhood we all are found of painting some of them have designed to do painting as a subject in school but some of them where found of doing it. Painting can be a to express your thoughts and experience to other.
Cave painting is among the paintings which are painted on cave or stones walls and roof. Its an extremely special and artwork to express your feelings and show your expertise and thought with other. This painting is usually dating to ancient times and even it's the same and much importance available in the market.
Cave painting book is the greatest way to comprehend deeply and to learn more in regards to the cave painting. Cave painting book is helpful and informative for beginner as-well as the specialists that may help them to be much more innovative in their work and ready to sown their fine art to the entire world.
To make your company in just about any submitted its important to have a good base, cave painting book aids and guides you to make your base well identify. Cave painting book are extremely useful for the beginner as this book has guidance in detailed.
Cave painting books are easily obtainable in the market and you can also find it online several painting web sites offer online sales so you can get it from there you dont have to escape your home to look for.
Begin your art life with cave painting book to make your bright company and to express your feelings and ideas to the planet.
Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having connection with a long time writing news releases and articles on various subjects such as pet health, automobile and social problems. For another perspective, we recommend people take a gander at: ftp sharefile. I discovered needs by browsing Yahoo. She even offers great curiosity about poetry and pictures, therefore she wants to write o-n these topics as-well. Currently writing with this site Painting Book.. Click here success to learn why to mull over this concept. For additional information please contact at email@example.com.
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
View Phone Number
(210) 254-8502
View Phone Number
(830) 947-4747
Crosspoint Realty, LLC
P.O. Box 597Stockdale, TX 78160
This form is intended for the use of clients or personal contacts. It is not to be used for the solicitation of services or to send unwanted spam.
Click "Send" to deliver your message.
Click "Cancel" to exit without sending.


text:
Known for seamlessly fusing east-and-west flavours, Bacchanalia's food is inventive and harmonious. The tapas-portioned, artfully-plated food should have been an unwelcome assault on my finely-tuned pretentious sensor, but the warm amiable staff and relaxed congenial vibe of the gorgeous restaurant were the very antithesis of what should have been a stuffy, formal dinner affair.
As aforementioned, service was faultless, the lovely staff were attentive but unobtrusive. They'd taken care to eliminate all parsley/coriander/cilantro from all dishes, and explained every single dish in detail. I particularly liked that the chef made periodic appearances to personally elaborate on his creations.
Because parking is so limited, I'd suggest getting your car valeted; it's only $10, and it saves a lot of hassle (and time) going round in circles finding a viable, non-fine-able lot.
A great way to sample Bacchanalia's signatures is to order either of the 2
the set meal options. Because there were 3 of us in the dinner party, we opted
for the 7-Course Set ($190 which is sufficient to feed 2), and supplemented with a handful of dishes from the ala carte menu.
From the ala carte menu, the Mushroom Fantasia ($18), a medley of 4 mushroom variants: cordyceps, portobello, shimeiji and oyster, was cooked 4 ways, paired with a sweet corn veloute and mint for contrast.
A must-try, the Calamari Grenobloise ($34) of squid grilled to a smoky perfection, was married with chayote squash, capers, artichoke puree, sauce grenobloise, and hasselback potatoes.
The Chicken & Cheese ($34) was about the moistest chicken breast ever. This was heaped with a bunch of fresh grassy herbs, mountain yam puree, tarragon-infused whey, and blanketed in melted cheese.
The first course off the 7-course set was a soup-like Cauliflower Gratin ($18 ala carte price), chunked up with deep fried breaded cauliflower florets, and layered with white truffle and cheese foam. Because I'd asked to hold off any parsley, mine was sans gremolata.
Coming up second was the Thai-inspired Rice & Coconut ($26 ala carte price), a sumptuous confluence of creamy coconut risotto, chilli paste, ginger strips and fermented coconut.
The refreshingly clear Hamachi Carambola ($28 ala carte price), of citrus-cured hamachi sashimi was dressed with pickled starfruit and garlic, and walnut praline.A most pleasantly palate-cleansing middle course.
The succulent grilled Norwegian Hand-Dived Scallops ($37 ala carte price) were set stop baked borlotti beans, kalix caviar, and dusted with cacao powder.
The Steak & Sauce Rossini ($38 ala carte price), medium-grilled 1 year grain-fed petit tender was drizzled with a luxurious red wine jus thickened by melted foie gras. Sauteed cauliflower mushrooms, kailan, and celeriac, rode alongside potato crisps.
The scrumptious melty Foie Gras Satay ($35 ala carte price), done sous vide, was balanced with a bright lemongrass & tamarind fluid jam, and topped with grated chestnuts and peanut satay sauce.
Rounding off the superb set was the White Chocolate & Cherry Tart ($17 ala carte price), filled with a white chocolate & almond ganache and cherry jam, while a tart morello cherry sorbet lent contrast.
23A Coleman Street
The Masonic Lodge
Tel: 6509 1453
Open Mondays to Thursdays from 12noon to 3pm for lunch; 6pm to 12midnight for dinner;
Fridays from 12noon to 3pm for lunch; 6pm to 2am for dinner;
Saturdays from 6pm to 2am for dinner;
Closed on Sundays
Website: www.bacchanalia.asia
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
BONAC, a startup specializing in pharmaceuticals development located in Kurume City, has finalized a patent license agreement with Toray for the development of a treatment for the difficult to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Both companies are expected to begin clinical trials in one or two years.
For more details, click here.
BONAC Finalizes Patent License Agreement with Toray


text:
Lago Vista, TX 78645
Excellent value in 3 bed 2 bath unit with hard floors throughout. Close to middle school, convenient for stores and park. With two car garage, this property is ready for immediate occupancy.
Clive Rutherford with 1431 Real Estate
2019 29 West Realty. All rights reserved. © Collaborative Home Search by RealSavvy
Based on information from the Austin Board of REALTORS® for the period through [see date below]. All listing information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, ACTRIS and their affiliates provide the MLS and all content therein "AS IS" and without any warranty, express or implied. Listing information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing


text:
By continuing to browse this site, you agree to the use of cookies for the purpose of analyzing and measuring audience, traffic and navigation, defining services and offers adapted to your interests and personalized interests, and sharing or redirecting from third party sites. For more information and settings, click on
learn more
Obtain a detailed understanding of the key terms, definitions and requirements of ISO 9001:2015 and how the standard can help your organization to meet customer and Interested party needs and expectations.
You will be able to define or understand the internal audit strategy, define or understand the internal audit program, plan an internal audit, conduct and follow-up an internal audit, and close the loop of continuous improvement.
LEAD from Bureau Veritas offers you a complete kit of tools that will aid your understanding of and transition to ISO 45001:2018.
This online cours allows you to train your team to the new automotive standard any time, identify key requirements and prepare your organization to fulfill them, and identify what needs to be revised in your Quality Management System.
Bureau Veritas Certification Aerospace Team has developed a complete e-learning tool so you can transition to the new standard IAQG 9100:2016 content effectively.
ISO 45001 is a unique opportunity for ensuring your organisation is perfectly aligned with an OHS management system. Check our free Infographic to understand the main differences between ISO 45001:2018 and OHSAS 18001.


text:
Thursday, September 11, 2014
quick update....
Latest blood work came back improved! My white cell count had been hovering between 17 and 18 thousand (so super high! which is an effect the Hodgkin's has) and the last blood work showed it down to just above 15 thousand. Also, all the nodes in my neck - including the one that was the largest and the most annoying - have SHRUNK! My oncologist was thrilled when she did my exam, and made sure that I got my blood work results right away. I think every time I walk in there she is surprised and thrilled. I know she has her skepticism, but she definitely is glad that I'm doing well.
So - status is no longer stable - status is IMPROVEMENT! LOVE THIS!
I'll update more later - Tong Ren, Tui Na, Homeopathy, etc... all good things :)
11 comments:
- AnonymousSeptember 13, 2014 at 7:34 AM
So glad to hear there's improvement! Thanks for the update! Keep up the good fight!!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 15, 2014 at 7:43 AM
Very happy for you and your family.ReplyDelete
Im glad you are improving Good news! Keep us updatedReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 14, 2014 at 7:18 AM
I wish you all the best.Hope you are feeling well. MelissaReplyDelete
Thrilled to hear this good news (even though I am delayed!). I pray things are still going well!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 14, 2014 at 8:46 AM
Hope you are well. Keeping you and yours in my prayers. Blessings.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 29, 2014 at 6:04 AM
Great article in the Boston Globe. I sure hope you win CareAline is a wonderful product!!! Blessings.ReplyDelete
Hope all is well! Happy New Year!ReplyDelete
Hi Kezia! I have been following your blog for many years........noticed there has not been a post in a long time. I hope you and your beautiful family are doing well. Sending positive, healing, supportive thoughts your way every day. KrissReplyDelete
PS Random question.......how do you pronounce your name???
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2015 at 8:25 AM
Kezia, we would love an update on how you are doing! I hope all is well!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 6, 2015 at 2:44 PM
Thinking of you. Sending warm, positive thoughts your way.ReplyDelete


text:
Rice Financial's Taxable Fixed Income Group (TFIG) offers municipal clients fixed income debt securities for their investment needs. The firm's relationships with the GSEs (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Federal Home Loan Bank and Farmer Mac) allow us to structure and provide competitive investments for our clients. Notably, this group often sells municipal securities to other municipalities for investment purposes, providing a completely new investor segment for many of our clients.
In 2017, Rice Financial sold $10 billion in fixed income securities to state and local governments. Virtually all of this business was done on a competitive basis. Our daily presence in the money markets and relationships with the GSEs allow us to create discount note maturities via "reverse inquiry," giving our customers greater short-term investment flexibility.


text:
Persimmons, with their colorful orange fruit and their interesting bark, are lovely trees. If you want to plant a persimmon tree in hopes of getting fruit, make sure you have a male and female tree planted in your yard for cross pollination. Also, most persimmon trees are hardy for USDA zones six through ten. There are many varieties of persimmon, from American to Asian. Japanese varieties like Fuyu or Hachiya are some of the most popular for home gardeners.
Choose a place to plant your persimmon trees. Persimmons like full sun, but they can handle partial shade if the temperatures get high in the summer.
Test your soil's PH. Persimmon trees favor a PH of about 7. Add lime to your soil if it is too acidic. Work the lime in to a depth of about four or five feet before you plant your persimmon trees.
Plant your persimmon trees. Dig a hole one foot deeper than the planter the trees came in, usually about three or four feet deep and four feet in diameter. Place the persimmon trees in the hole, and cover them with soil. Water immediately for five to ten minutes to allow the water to soak down to the roots. Persimmons have a deep root system and need a head start to grow properly.
Water your persimmon trees once or twice a week in spring and summer, depending on the climate in which you live. Water more for hot or dry climates and less for wet climates. Water for ten minutes each time. Water once every two to three weeks in the fall and winter.
Fertilize your persimmon tree once a year with one cup of 10-10-10 applied to the base of the tree. Water the tree after you apply the fertilizer to allow it to soak to the roots.
Prune your persimmon trees once a year. Trim any over-reaching branches and cut all but one lead at the trunk of the tree. Leave only the strongest branches with about a foot of space between each branch. Remove any dead or damaged branches as they occur.
Harvest your persimmons in fall or winter, depending on the variety. Persimmons are ready to harvest when they are fully colored. They will continue to ripen after being picked. Persimmon trees take between five and seven years to bear fruit.


text:
Here's my race report. . .
This is what was hanging on the refrigerator door for twelve weeks--my Hal Higdon Half Marathon Training Schedule. Every box is now officially crossed off!
We always build a "running man" the night before the race. This ensures that you have the essentials. . . socks, shoes, Garmin, SpiBelt, shades, iPod, headphones, etc. It's hard to think clearly when the alarm goes off at 4am.
|Tricia's "Running Man"
|Drew, Tricia and Cliff
|Isn't it beautiful?
1. Achieve a PR (Personal Record) time of less than 2:07:54.
2. Run the whole thing.
3. Run, but walk through the water stations.
4. Finish.
5. Live to tell about it.
|Pretending to feel awesome at Mile 11
|Coming in for the finish!
|Look at that COOL medal!
|My running pals: Cliff, Drew and Todd
Next up, it'll be time to print my half marathon photos and make them a part of that permanent record. And that's where Club Scrap's fun Marathon Collection comes in. I love the prints because they have a framework where you can fill in your finish time with digital numbers. Way cool. 2:14:54.
|Fill in the numbers to record the chip time. Nifty.


text:
Isn't a white picket fence the epitome of Americana? I don't know who voted that the American dream included a white picket fence... my dream house either has no fences, or a giant wall where my neighbors can't see over lol. I am trying to sneak in a couple more wears on this top before it's too warm. This top is 100% cashmere; anything over 75 degrees, and it's sweaty pit city (that's should be the name of a band). I layered it over this Forever 21 dress, which has a sheer panel over the collar bone, but that's a whole other post ;) Recently, I have been trying really hard to rework my closet. Whenever I am feeling bored with my wardrobe, I start layering items that I wouldn't normally think to wear together. It's a great way to find new combinations you never even knew you had!
You can also find My Thrifty Chic on Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin' and Instagram
Link Ups: Stylelixir / #YOLO / GFC Collective


text:
Long Branch, NJ
June 26-July 1, 2019
Foxwoods Resort, CT
June 30-July 5, 2019
Ocean City, MD
July 8-13, 2019
INTERMEDIATE ROUTINES INCLUDED IN THE DANCE BATTLE! – stay tuned for more information!
- The top scoring group routines at Nationals will have the chance to battle it out for the title of NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPION
- 4 National Grand Champions (Jr Groups/ Sr Groups/ Jr Lines & Productions/ Sr Lines & Productions) will be announced!
- $4,000 will be given away at each Dance Battle location! (National Grand Champion receives $1,000.00 CASH, in all 4 categories!)
- The National Grand Champion also will get to take home a Huge Battle Trophy , be listed on our Hall of Fame and have their picture taken with our battle judges!
- The dance battle will be held at the finale of nationals and will be opened up by live performances by your convention teachers and, in select locations, by your Turn It Up National Dance Team!
- This will be a high energy show you will not want to miss.
- The runner up and winner in each age division at nationals for small groups, large groups, lines, and productions will be eligible to move on to compete in the dance battle.
- If there is a Tie for runner up or winner, both groups will move on to the Turn It Up Dance Battle- If runner up and winner in an age group is from the same studio, the next routine will be selected. Any one studio may not win more than once in an age group.
- If a studio sweeps a category, their 1st place routine will be the only invited in that category.
- Routines selected for the Dance Battle will be announced at the last awards ceremony at Nationals.
- The Dance Battle will have Two Age Groups: JUNIORS (11 & under) and SENIORS (12 & up)
- Only routines entered into the competitive level are eligible.
- Each routine must have received a High Gold or better to be selected
- Does not include solos, duo/trios. It DOES include Lines and Productions which will have its own category and will receive their own cash prizes!
- There is NO cost to participate or view the dance battle
- Call or Email our offices at firstname.lastname@example.com or 617-283-8811 for further inquiries.
WILDCARD selection!
- If you place 3rd in group overalls, you are in the running to be a wildcard performer in the Dance Battle!
- If 1st place and 2nd place are the same studio, 3rd place will be invited to the dance battle and 4th place would be the wildcard contender.
- The judges will select 1 wildcard performance out of all the 3rd place contenders.
Turn It Up Dance Challenge judges will select outstanding routines from each of our regional competitions. Any dancer who is in the selected routine is invited onto our Turn It Up National Dance Team! for that year. The dance team team will consist of both a Junior and a Senior level.
This is your chance to…
- Learn from new and most professional choreographers!
- Build your dance resume
- Score exclusive Dance Team apparel
- Receive custom made costumes by and that you can keep!
- Make new friends!
- A chance to be featured on our website or in brochures!
- It is an experience to remember!!
Remember: If you are selected for the Turn It Up National Dance Team you MUST accept your invitation by May 25, 2018 ! See your certificate for more details.
As a member of the dance team you will get to do the following:
- You will have the chance to work with top industry dance professionals who are exclusive to the dance team.
- You will participate in a one day intensive designed specifically for the dance team. Here you will learn your routine that will be showcased during our National competition!
- At your 1 day intensive you will receive a complementary lunch!
- You will be provided with a custom designed dance team costume that is yours to keep!
- You will score exclusive Turn It Up Dance Challenge apparel, custom designed dance team bags and more!
*Please email our office at email@example.com for more information.
Turn It Up National Dance Team sponsored by:
Every year at each Nationals competition, Turn It Up Dance Challenge gives dancers the opportunity to take classes from top industry professionals! Classes are optional and are included for all registered dancers. They are broken up according to ability. They will be offered on the last day of each Nationals competition. During the convention, our Master Teachers will be selecting outstanding participants to receive Scholarships good towards future Turn It Up events!
In years past our participants have had the chance to take class withSo You Think You Can Dance stars such as tWitch, Allison Holker, Kent Boyd, Lil C, Jordan Casanova, Alex Wong, Brandon Bryant, Lauren Froderman, Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer and more! If you loved these teachers you are going to LOVE who we have this year! Keep posted for more updates! Make sure to register early for classes as they WILL sell out!
*Email our offices at email@example.com for more information
Here is your chance to get an autograph and picture with your favorite teachers. This will be held on the last day of nationals normally immediately after the National Convention!
Turn It Up Dance Challenge has the hottest new apparel as well as the BEST prices. Make sure to purchase your favorite item and have it autographed for a long lasting memory!
Join us mid-week at Nationals to kick back, celebrate, and have fun with other studios and dancers! Get ready to Turn It Up with the Turn It Up MC's! There will be raffles, treats, and fun in all three locations. You do not want to miss this!


text:
There is now a way to create a flashable ZIP of your favorite Android apps, and you can flash it to install all apps on your device in one go. Here is how you can do it.
Android ROM Series: How to Flash a Custom Recovery on Your Android Device – Part 2
There are hundreds of custom ROMs available on the Internet, and the most efficient way to get them installed on your device is to use a custom recovery.


text:
Can I Recommend Anything Else?
This article examines how companies are targeting clients and predicting their behavior through the use of analytics. Here are the companies we have selected.
1. Amazon
Amazon has about 89 million active users. They track the following:
• Purchases of the customers in the past.
• Items rated and liked by customers.
• Comparison of the purchases of customers.
• Items located in the virtual shopping carts of customers.
These information are tracked in order to make future product recommendations.
2. NetFlix
This company has about 36 million streaming subscribers. Netflix tracks the ratings of users on movies and television shows. These ratings are used in the production of subsequent movies and in making some recommendations.
3. OkCupid
This company has about 7.3 million unique monthly users. Okcupid tracks the following:
• Answers to personal questions.
• User ratings.
• Keywords used in personal profiles.
These ratings are used to determine the percentage of match with other compatible singles.
4. Pandora
Pandora has over 70 million active users. It uses the ratings of users to make recommendations for new music.
5. Twitter
Twitter has over 200 million active users. This company tracks the connection of users, websites visited by users, tweets and other activities of users. It uses these data to make new recommendation.
This practice enables customers to transform their brand experience by making informed decision. This type of personalization enforces brand loyalty leading to success of companies because they are able to predict with a high level of accuracy, the needs of the customers, thereby eliminating the need for the customers to go elsewhere.


text:
I'm going to miss a lot of good stuff about my home country like bread, ice cream in Italian Gelaterias, beer gardens. Certain dishes even tasted nice out of season - prepared by my aunt for me knowing I would love the white asparagus, which is not available after 21 June. She also had a winter specialty, kale, prepared and frozen for me in a manner only available in the north of Germany.
Sign up with a reputable agency which has numerous members in as many countries as possible. There is also an agency for seniors only. This means you're dealing with couples, not families with children. Maybe that will take your angst away about the safety of your home. By the same token they are likely to have smaller homes. Many have downsized. If you fall into that category, that company is ideal for you. I found out that many of them are looking for long-term stays as they have no job obligations and time constraints anymore.
On the other hand, invitations make come in at the last minute also as happened this year with our Dutch partners. Don't hesitate to be proactive. Contact exchanges that you wold fancy instead of waiting around. Allow me to compare it again to dating on line. You're not committed until you have a contract with them.
Set up an owner's closet, even a separate room with a lock to safeguard your valuables or personal belongings; just for your own peace of mind in case you still have reservations. An umbrella insurance is also a good idea to cover yourself against possible liabilities.
If you have the time, line up two or even more swaps. Once you're overseas, it's easy to move around in Europe with all these cheap air carriers or by train. A flight from London, Dublin or Paris to Berlin for example will only set you back by about $100.
Once you've tried home swapping, you'll want to repeat this great experience. We can't wait to start the selection process for next year. While waiting for our connection flight in Atlanta, a very tempting offer came in from Sweden. With home swapping the world is your oyster! Good luck and happy travels!


text:
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Bits and bytes
She had that diagnosis confirmed in the states, and they wanted to amputate. She told me that relative of hers had had stage four lung cancer, started taking this compound and the cancer was gone in a short time.
Now you know me folks, I was more than a little skeptical. But she started giving him the supplement and the next time I saw him a few months later, the one tumour had disappeared. He got a little worse again later on because he's a big dog and she couldn't force him to take it every day. At one point she had him at the vet for a week getting it via intravenous. Now she has a big syringe and just shoots it down his throat twice a day.
OK, here's the miracle part- Jasper is absolutely fine, running around like the puppy he is. OK, that's it, here's the supplement, it's inexpensive and I just figure everyone should know about it because it's worth a shot if someone you know has cancer:
Carl and I had our first beach day yesterday, what fun! Our new canopy is perfect, goes up easily, is strong and lightweight and withstands a pretty good wind.
Osvaldo has been working on our place all week. He covered up the AC ducting, has patched and painted holes and cracks on the house, took off all the screens and cleaned them and the windows, put an access door in the back of the house where the tub plumbing is, & took off the front door and painted it (Boy, did it need it!!)
Now the place is ready for Wayne and Jen, who arrive next Saturday!!
While we were on the beach, we saw this guy go back and forth a few times, he follows the pack of horses that walk the beach with thier owners selling rides.
My photo project theme last week was chaos. I picked the center one below, but I like all three.
4 comments:
- AnonymousAugust 1, 2011 at 7:16 AM
Looks like the beach is really crowded!!!!!!!!! Love your canopy and everything under it. Looks like you could spend the whole day there. Does it sound like I'm a little envious. Love to you both.ReplyDelete
Thanks, Shirl! It was our first beach day together this summer, and it was wonderful! There were two other people within seeing and hearing range, but you know, it was the weekend, it's bound to be crowded. ;-)ReplyDelete
Yay for Jasper!!! I wish I'd known about that supplement back when our beautiful Shanda could've used it.ReplyDelete
You picked the right picture for "Chaos", although the birds are pretty cool too. Save the tires in case we do "eyesore". Yuck!
Looking forward to camping out under your new canopy. (104 days from now...)
104 days... brr it will be cold by then!ReplyDelete


text:
with a single set of kitty
Louise Richardson
in your life this
My new header and last photo was created from bottles and items
I received and made as Christmas gifts. For more creations made over
my break ~ visit my studio blog. I will be adding more pictures on it soon.
An apology to all my blog friends during my long absence from the blogsphere.
I have been living life outside of my computer. I plan to visit and catch up with all
of you during this snowy cold day away from school.


text:
Karachi Stocks Up 101.53 Points:
KARACHI, Nov 29: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 16525.56, up 101.53 points.
KARACHI, Nov 29: At the close of trading, the KSE-100 index was at 16525.56, up 101.53 points.
(Today Market is 99.43 Up @ 10.55 am)
November 29, 2012
UniLever Pak
Rs 509.25
Mithchell's Fruit
Rs (16.00)
Unilever Food
Rs 210.00
Exide Pak
Rs (15.14)
Colgate Palmolive
Rs 65.00
Sunrays Textile
Rs (9.05)
Island Textile
Rs 42.85
Sapphire Fibre
Rs (8.69)
Sapphire Textile
Rs 10.01
Philip Morris
Rs (4.37)
Stocks settle above 16,500-levelKARACHI, Nov 29: Stocks raised to yet another record high on Thursday as the banking sector came into the limelight led by MCB Bank, which is expected to benefit from the delisting of Unilever, dealers said.
The KSE 100-share index ended 0.63 per cent, or 103.05 points, higher to record closing high of 16,527.08 points. It also hit a fresh all-time high at 16,556.29 points.
Turnover decreased to 255.98 million shares, compared with 312.7 million shares traded on Wednesday, as some investors were cautious and preferred to stay on the sidelines as the index breached its previous all-time high. Trading value also fell to Rs6.56 billion from the previous day's value of Rs7.62 billion but market capitalisation rose to Rs4.15 trillion, compared with Rs4.13 trillion on Wednesday.
"The stock market closed at yet another high led by banking and some other blue-chips amid hopes for cut in the SBP policy rate due early next month," said Ahsan Mehanti from Arif Habib Ltd.
Intention of one of the largest consumer goods company, Unilever Pakistan with market cap of $1.4bn, to de-list from the country's three bourses was announced yesterday.
Unilever Overseas Holding Ltd, which currently holds 75.07 per cent of the issued capital of Unilever Pakistan, said it intends to acquire all of the issued ordinary shares held by other shareholders at Rs9,700 per share.
Unilever was the once again the biggest gainer, for the second consecutive day, as it increased by Rs509.25 to Rs10,694.25, followed by Unilever Food which was up Rs210 to Rs4,410.
Besides few local and foreign shareholders, this may bode well for selected listed firms like Adamjee Insurance (AICL) and MCB Bank (MCB) who are old minority shareholders of Unilever Pakistan, Topline said in a note.
"In case the price remain as mentioned in the announcement at Rs9,700, the AICL EPS will inch up by Rs1.8 and MCB by Rs0.3 assuming both willing to sell at the agreed price after considering capital gain tax and cost of purchase," the note added.MCB Bank gained Rs1.82 to Rs189.90 and AICL closed Rs2.54 higher at Rs73.77.
However profit taking was witnessed in the cement stocks as they had been increasing in the past few trading sessions.Foreign investors bought equities in the net sum of $2.24 million, compared with $2.6 million on Wednesday, taking the current month portfolio investment to $34.54 million. Among the local participants, banks were the major buyers as they bought shares worth a net $4.6 million.
The KSE-30 index ended 0.60 per cent, or 80.20 points, higher at 13,381.21 and out of the 382 companies traded, the value of 173 increased, 182 decreased while 27 remained unchanged.
Among the 10-top traded stocks, Jahangir Siddiqui Co charged from the front with volume of 28.09 million shares, up 97 paisa to Rs16.65, DG Khan Cement fell 94 paisa to Rs54.20 on 19.39 million shares and Fauji Cement shed 10 paisa to Rs6.84 on 18.84 million shares.
Maple Leaf Cement ended 87 paisa lower at Rs15.22 on 18.81 million shares, Byco Petroleum rose 31 paisa to Rs10.62 on 9.89 million shares and Engro Foods Ltd increased by Rs2.41 to Rs87.07 on 9.8 million shares.
The monopoly utility provider KESC saw turnover of 9.69 million shares, up by 31 paisa to Rs6.93, Azgard Nine gained 6 paisa to Rs8.60 on 8.2 million shares but Dewan Cement ended 23 paisa lower at Rs5.25 on 6.26 million shares.
Colony Mills Ltd rose 54 paisa to Rs6.57 on 5.97 million shares.
Cement export to India via rail hits snagsLAHORE, Nov 29: Cement export to India through rail has come to a halt owing to the alleged narcotics smuggling from Pakistan via Wagha border.
Seizure of narcotics from freight trains carrying Pakistani goods to India through Wagha during the past four months has forced cement manufacturers to send their dispatches through road, said a Pakistan Railways official on Thursday.
In the first week of October, Indian customs authorities found 105 kilogrammes of heroin from a freight train (its Bogey No 66,938) at Amritsar Railway Station while unloading Pakistani cement.
The seal of the wagon was intact till it reached Atari but was found broken on arrival at Amritsar. This fact was acknowledged by the Indian officials during preliminary investigations, said the railway official.
"Recovery of 105 kg of heroin at Amritsar cannot be blamed on Pakistan as the freight wagon from which the narcotics were seized was sealed after it crossed over to India. The seal was broken inside India and the responsibility lies with them," he said.
A leading exporter told Dawn that at present, cement was being exported to India through trucks only. Indian authorities allow limited number of trucks carrying cement to cross over, resulting in declining export dispatches.
Cement exports to India declined by 37.51 per cent to 0.158 million tons in October this year. Cement dispatches declined by 5.87 per cent mainly due to a drastic decline of 20.59 per cent in the commodity export to Afghanistan, India and other destinations.
The exporter said that recovery of narcotics a number of times during the last four months from Pakistani cement dispatches has adversely affected exports to India.
The All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) approached Pakistani customs and railways authorities who agreed to increase vigilance and take more stringent measures to eliminate the chances of narcotics going into India through Wagha.
"Pakistani authorities did take some measures immediately after the meeting but perhaps owing to lack of staff, the arrangements fizzled out after some time" said the exporter on the condition of anonymity.
He said instead of risking suspension of total cement exports they decided to limit exports through road only as clearance of trucks at the Indian border post at Wagha has been very slow. "One freight wagon of the railways carries more cement across the border than 10 trucks," he informed.
The exporter said that since cement exports were already on decline, the trend proved to be a big blow not only to the manufacturing sector but also to bilateral trade between India and Pakistan. "Perhaps, it can derail the trade liberalisation process," he said.
After opening of land route and rail link, it was expected that the industry would be able to export more than five million tons of cement to India, but that never happened. Still, more NTBs from India along with allegations of smuggling of narcotics, is making this option highly unfavorable to Pakistan's cement industry," said the exporter.


text:
Critical Linking: September 18th, 2013
Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys.
And not use coordinating conjunctions.
A story is powerful when it gives us a way to name something that was difficult to describe before. Having that name can change the future. It gives us a way to explain, quickly, what it is that we are fighting to prevent. Or what we are fighting to bring into being.
Soma. Big Brother. Androids. Science fiction does have a way of naming that which we fear.
The imprint is planning to publish 13 of the authors works, including Giovanni's Room and Go Tell It On the Mountain, in e-book on September 17. The release will mark the first time Baldwin's titles will be available in digital format. All e-books will be priced at $9.99.
James Baldwin is seriously under-read these days. Maybe this will help.
A handpicked archive inspired by Radiolab podcasts.
The nerdiest, wonkiest book tumblr of all time? Maybe. May. Be.
Sign up for our newsletter to have the best of Book Riot delivered straight to your inbox every week. No spam. We promise.
To keep up with Book Riot on a daily basis, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, , and subscribe to the Book Riot podcast in iTunes or via RSS. So much bookish goodness–all day, every day.


text:
Complete Record - Heirs of Hippocrates No. 1571
JOHN DIX FISHER (1797-1850). Description of the distinct confluent, and inoculated small pox, varioloid disease, cow pox, and chicken pox. 2nd ed. Boston: Published by Lilly, Wait, 1834. iv, 73 pp., 13 col. plates. 33.3 cm. Original quarter cloth, uncut.
Fisher graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1825 and went to Paris where he spent the next two years studying under Laennec, Andral, and Velpeau. He was among those present at Massachusetts General Hospital when ether was introduced into surgery and was one of the first to use it during childbirth. Fisher founded the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston, was its physician, and was a proponent of education for the blind. This work first appeared at Boston in 1829 but the plates and many unsold copies were destroyed by fire. The paintings from which the plates were engraved were made when Fisher was studying at Paris in 1825 and were available for this edition. The delicately colored plates, drawn from life, illustrate the various forms and stages of pox and varioloid disease as recognized by the author. Six vaccination needles are inserted into the margins of two of the pages, indicating that the book may have been used as a handy reference in the treatment room.
Cited references Cushing F160 (1st ed., 1829); Wellcome III, p. 29 (1st ed.)
Gift of John Martin, M.D.
xfRC183 .A2F58 1834


text:
Location: cnr Guise Rd and 329 Aparima Rd, Otautau
Phone: Alison +64 27 224 2724
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Directions: From Invercargill take the Great North Road SH6, through to Winton, turn left onto Winton Wreys Bush Highway SH96; turn left at Otautau Wreys Bush Road; turn right at Hundred Line Road West
Note: The grounds are not regularly visited by members. Please phone prior to your visit.
Nearest Services: Dairy/Grocery, Garage, Petrol & LPG Refill 10km.
Local Attractions: The grounds provide a perfect base to explore the best part of the mainland. Lake Te Anau and its glow worm caves, Hump Ridge Track; Deep Cove Power Station, Doubtful Sound, The Percy Burn Viaduct; Riverton, site of the first white settlement; Bluff, at the end of SH1, and Stewart Island are all within two hours of Aparima. Milford Sound is only three hours away.
Features: Miniten court; swimming pool, powered sites, old school clubhouse, basic cabin accommodation.
Aparima is approximately 10 km from Otautau, in Western Southland. Southern Naturally is the southern most Sun Club in the world, yes it does snow in winter but summers are hot and sunny.
The Club has made a home in the old school grounds there. The school itself has been converted into a clubhouse with kitchen attached. A two-roomed cabin that sleeps nine has been added to the site, plus a Miniten court, swimming pool, ablutions block, plus tent and caravan sites with power. The hearth from the old Masters house now serves as a BBQ / Spit roaster.
If you are a traveling nudist or wish to join Southern Naturally, arrange a visit to their peaceful and relaxed setting or just indulge in the local scenery on day trips.
Website for Southern Naturally


text:
The Ehrenfest Paradox is the single (arguably) remaining unresolved paradox in Einstein's Special Relativity Theory. It proposes that relativistic Lorentz contraction around the circumference of a rotating disc or cylinder will alter the value of π.
Einstein's 1905 Special Relativity Theory (SRT) holds that an observer in any sort of inertial motion will measure a fixed speed of light, 'c'. This immediately produces three effects for observers in different inertial reference frames.
- Time will appear slowed down in the other frame – time dilation.
- Mass in the other frame will appear increased.
- Length in the other frame will appear shortened in the direction of travel – Lorentz contraction.
Further examination of momentum and energy produces Einstein's signature equation, E=mc².
Both time dilation and mass increase are observed in particle accelerators. Lorentz contraction has yet to be demonstrated, since anything large enough to have a measurable length at relativistic speeds is too heavy to accelerate that fast. Mathematically, though, it follows from the two observed effects.
In 1909, Paul Ehrenfest proposed a paradox that has physicists tied in knots to this day. Einstein found one solution that led him to consider non-Euclidean geometry, curved space, which led him on to General Relativity (GRT) in 1916.
Briefly, then, here is the paradox –
If the circumference of a rotating disc travels at a relativistic speed, the circumferential length should contract in the direction of travel. The radius of the disc travels sideways, not in the direction of its length, so its length should be unchanged. π (Greek letter pi) is the circumference divided by twice the radius, but circumference here has contracted, therefore the value of π has decreased, and varies with the rim speed.
That was Einstein's conclusion, but here's another take on the paradox: Measuring rods placed around the moving rim will contract, requiring more of them to go all the way around. Thus the circumference now increases, and the value of π also increases.
Opposite results, equally viable. A cynical take would be that the contraction of the rods equals the contraction of the rim, therefore the value of π remains the same.
We'll take a different approach here, looking at the nature of contraction itself.


text:
Roberson, Brian 08/09/2000 Black
Since I have already said all I need to say to all my loved ones, I'm not going to say anything to y'all at this time. Y'all know I love you and y'all know where we're at. I will see y'all when you get there. So this is my statement. To all of the racist white folks in America that hate black folks and to all of the black folks in America that hate themselves: the infamous words of my famous legendary brother, Matt Turner, "Y'all kiss my black ass." Let's do it.
Foster, Richard 05/24/2000 White
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me. So for the life for which I live now in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I love you, Annie. You have been the best friend I have ever had in the world. I'll see you when you get there, okay?
I am ready, Warden.
Brooks, Jr. Charlie 12/07/1982 Black
I, at this very moment, have absolutely no fear of what may happen to this body. My fear is for Allah, God only, who has at this moment the only power to determine if I should live or die...As a devout Muslim, I am taught and believe that this material life is only for the express purpose of preparing oneself for the real life that is to come...Since becoming Muslim, I have tried to live as Allah wanted me to live.
Yes, I do.
I love you.
Asdadu an la ilah illa Allah,
Asdadu an la ilah illa Allah,
Asdadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah,
Asdadu anna Muhammadan Rasul Allah.
I bear witness that there is no God but Allah.
I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
Inna li-Allah wa-inna ilayhi rajiun.
Verily unto Allah do we belong, Verily unto him do we return.
Be strong.
Behringer, Earl 06/11/1997 White
It's a good day to die. I walked in here like a man and I am leaving here like a man. I had a good life. I have known the love of a good woman, my wife. I have a good family. My grandmother is the pillar of the community. I love and cherish my friends and family. Thank you for your love.
To the Hancock family, I am sorry for the pain I caused you. If my death gives you any peace, so be it.
I want my friends to know it is not the way to die, but I belong to Jesus Christ. I confess my sins. I have…
Massey, Jason 04/03/2001 White
Yes, first I would like to speak to the victims' family. First of all, I would like to say that I do not know any of y'all and that is unfortunate, because I would like to apologize to each and every one of you individually. I can't imagine what I have taken from y'all, but I do want to apologize and I want to let you know that I did do it. You guys know that I am guilty and I am sorry for what I have done. I apologize and I know that you may not be able to forgive me and I know that may not be able to forgive me in this life and in this world, but I hope sometime in the future you will be able to find it in you to forgive me. And I want you to know that Christina, she did not suffer as much as you think she did. I promise you that. I give you my word. I know you guys want to know where the rest of her remains are. I put her remains in the Trinity River. I have said that since I have come to death row. I want to apologize to you again. I hope sometime in the future you can forgive me.
Okay, now I want to speak to my mom and my family...
If I lie here today where I lie, I can say in the face of death, Jesus is Lord. He has changed my life and I know that when I leave this body, I am going home to be with the Lord forever. That is all I want to say. I love y'all and I won't say goodbye, I will say I will see you again. I love you,
Tonight I dance on the streets of gold. Let those without sin cast the first stone.
Kelly, Carl 08/20/1993 Black
I'm an African warrior, born to breathe, and born to die.
From the Texas Department of Criminal Justice website. It's a really good site, with lots of information
about death row, inmates recored, rap sheets etc. http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/
Sign up
Need help? firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
A false colour image of Mars as imaged by the OSIRIS instrument in 2007. In this image the UV channel has been enhanced, which brings out the atmospheric cloud. Our research program here at PVL often leads us into ultra-violet territory, as Dr. Christina Smith details below!
(Image Credit: ESA & MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA)
(Image Credit: ESA & MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA)
by Dr. Christina Smith
Last year I attended the 47th Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference (LPSC) in Texas for the first time. It was a very different conference to those I had previously attended. It is an enormous conference, around 1700 people attend each year, and covers many different facets of planetary sciences from dust and grains, comets and asteroids, moons, minor and major planets, and everything in-between. I really enjoy the variety of science that gets presented at this conference. In the morning you could be attending a series of talks about the Martian atmosphere and then in the afternoon you could be listening to talks about the giant planets' moons or about the surface of Pluto! It's impossible to get to see everything you'd like to see because there are 4 different sessions held simultaneously at most points of the conference, but by jumping in and out of the sessions you can get to most things!
This year I will be attending again, and I will be presenting a scientific poster of my work. Presenting your work to the community is an important part of scientific research, both for work that is in-progress and work that is completed and published. For work in the latter category, presenting your research allows you to publicize your work and get it "out there" in the community, which can only ever be a good thing. In the former case, presenting in-progress research allows you to get feedback from the community on the work you're doing at a stage where it can influence the direction that you take it in. For example, if you've encountered an issue with your analysis, if you've found something usual or you're looking for opinions or advice, presenting your work, especially in poster-format, is a great way of getting feedback, advice, having discussions and networking with other experts in the field.
Scientific poster presentations are a little different from the classic standing-up-in-front-of-an-audience-style presentation with slides. With posters you are actually there standing by your poster and people come around and talk to you about it. Although its important to have enough information on the poster (and your contact details in case of questions) so that people can understand what you're researching, the real benefit is that you are able to interact with your audience. The poster is often used as more of a talking point, with images, graphs, figures and tables that you can refer to and point to whilst giving your "spiel". They also require a little more initiative and assertiveness in talking to people as you don't automatically have the floor and the captivated audience, you kind of have to generate your own! It's a skill that takes a bit of practice!
So what is the work I'm going to be presenting actually about? It's essentially looking at the amount of ultraviolet radiation that hits the surface of Mars. The atmosphere of Mars absorbs less UV radiation that Earth's atmosphere does because there is much less ozone present and the Martian atmosphere has a much lower pressure than that of the Earth. Why is this interesting and important to study? Well, UV radiation has a big effect on habitability (too much UV radiation and any biological materials would be sterilized) but it can also effect the chemistry that goes on on the surface - for example, UV radiation can make certain chemicals degrade. There has be previous work done looking at what happens to the amount of UV that reaches the surface when there are rock features like outcrops or overhangs creating shadows and lower UV regions, but the effect of shadowing and reflection from a spacecraft that's been stuck on the surface hasn't been investigated before, so that is what I'm doing. In close proximity to the spacecraft there will be some areas with reduced amounts of UV radiation, due to the shadowing, and other areas where the amount of radiation is increased due to the reflections.
So how have I actually gone about doing this? I've been using simulations. First I put together a simulated Martian atmosphere, containing the right levels of gas and dust (which are seasonally dependent on Mars), and find all the necessary parameters to allow my code to accurately simulate this. This model assumes that the ground is completely flat, with no features, and that the atmosphere (also flat) is made up of two different layers of gas and dust - we call this a plane-parallel code, and its an approximation that is often used for atmospheres.
The image above (taken from http://aty.sdsu.edu/~aty/explain/atmos_refr/models/flat.html) shows the Earth's atmosphere drawn approximately to scale so you can see it looks almost flat if you're looking at a reasonably small region of atmosphere.
Before I could get into running my simulations to look at the ground radiation, I had to test that the code actually recreated what we see on Mars. I did this in a couple of different ways. The first was by generating a model with different amounts of dust in the atmosphere and looking at the total power received by a 1 square meter section of ground. I then compared these results to that of published and well-tested work and they agreed very well. I also tested my model against data that was collected on the surface and is publicly available and again, my model recreated this well. This gives me confidence that my model is accurately representing the Martian atmosphere!
So, onto my simulations! By running this code over the entire Martian year and inserting different shaped objects with different amounts of reflection into it, I can create maps of the amount of UV radiation that hits the ground in that area. An example of a flat, rectangular plate placed vertically from the ground is shown in the image below. The colour tells you the amount of radiation that is hitting the ground, with blue being the least and red being the most. This is a precursor to the simulations with other shaped objects like boxes, which I can float off the ground to imitate rovers or other spacecraft. Ultimately I want to do this with a whole variety of different shaped objects with different amounts of reflection over the whole year so I can combine them into more realistic spacecraft! If you want to know more, my abstract is here: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2017/pdf/1623.pdf. Or if you'll be at LPSC 48, come say hello!


text:
National retailer fined for mice infestation
Published Tuesday, 14 April 2015
99p Stores have been ordered to pay out more than £8,000 in fines and costs after Enfield Council found packets of food for sale which had been urinated on and gnawed by mice just days before Christmas.
The owners of the store in London Road, Enfield, were fined £7,000 ordered to pay costs of £1,861.12 and a £120 victim surcharge after pleading guilty to two offences under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations, 2006 at Tottenham Magistrates' Court on 2 April.
The court heard that the shop was visited by Enfield Council's Environmental Health Officers on 23 December 2013 after a member of the public complained that they had spotted rodent damaged biscuits on sale in the shop.
Officers found packets of biscuits which had been gnawed by mice, a pack of Cadburys Turkish Delight with chew marks from a mouse on it and more packets of food which smelled of urine, there were also mouse droppings under the shelves of the biscuit, pretzels, cake, cereal and crisp aisles. Droppings were also found in the food storage area on the first floor of the building.
The court heard that remedial action taken by 99p Stores meant that a full clean and disinfect of the affected areas had been completed by 24 December 2013 and no further sign of mouse infestation had been found.
Enfield Council's Cabinet Member for Environment & Community Safety, Cllr Chris Bond, said: "These hygiene failings posed a serious risk to the health of the general public and we had no option other than to prosecute for what were significant failings to control an infestation of mice.
"While I'm pleased that the company took swift action to address the problems we identified, I find it difficult to understand why a national retailer would allow urine stained packets of food to be sold to customers in the run up to Christmas. It is completely unacceptable and I hope the level of fine imposed encourages all retailers to take food hygiene seriously."
More articles in the news archive.


text:
Cyndi Lauper image , view more Cyndi Lauper pictures Report
Picture of Cyndi Lauper
15 Views No comments
People who voted for this also voted for
Favorite Kristy McNichol Films
Favorite Female Fronted Rock Bands
Androgynous style suits you so well...
how "cute" is a button? - 2
♫ Metal Church Discography ♫ (HM)
I Can't Decide! (Poll)
Inside Out Babes Magazine (IOB)
Naturally Beautiful Women
Favorite Kristy McNichol Television Series


text:
As reported by Censor.NET, this was said by lawyer Vitalii Pohosian at a press conference on May 16.
Relatives of the deceased troopers and crew members insist that the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) headquarters created by Muzhenko is not legitimate since the ATO must be conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and be run by chief of the SBU regional directorate under the law.
"What is the current status of the ATO head? We have a law on combating terrorism, which clearly states that the ATO must be run by the person in charge of the SBU in the region. So how did the Armed Forces of Ukraine take over the authority to conduct the anti-terrorist operation?" the lawyer said.
Therefore, according to Pohosian, neither Muzhenko nor his subordinates had the right to order to involve military units without the introduction of martial law or declaration of war.
"In 2014, they were giving orders to the military who eventually fulfilled them. However, they said in court that there was no law allowing them to give such orders.... They said in court that we had no adversary then. But listen to what they say on television: Muzhenko says that he had a plan that he was not allowed to implement, but if he had implemented it, the war would have ended. So did we have an adversary or not after all? Do we have a war or an ATO?... If there were no discrepancies between the testimonies in court and statements for the media, this lawsuit (against Muzhenko - Ed.) would be never filed," Pohosian said.
He believes that the case of the downed Il-76 can be solved in two possible ways, namely, by holding the suspects accountable either for negligence or abuse of power.
"If both General Muzhenko and General Nazarov said during the court hearing that there was no corresponding legislation, but we have ongoing ATO without military adversary, it turns out that they abused power when gave orders. But if we were at war and had an enemy, this would mean negligence in Nazarov's actions. That is, there are two ways out of this situation: we seek a sentence under one of two articles of the Criminal Code," he said.
Sister of a killed trooper Iliana Haiduk said that the relatives of the deceased were asked to file this lawsuit in order to figure out who was responsible for this tragedy: "Accused General Nazarov says that our country is at war when it suits him. When it suits him to say that we have ATO, he says that he acted within the framework of the anti-terrorist operation.
"We urge our state to decide whether we have a war or an ATO, and under which articles the generals acted, because neither Muzhenko nor Nazarov want to take responsibility for that flight. We even heard statements that when the plane has taken off, some people bear responsibility for it, and when it has landed, the others are in charge of it, while no one at all is responsible for it en-route. All of this worries and frustrates us because they are just dodging the responsibility," Haiduk said.
Related materials: Sentence on Nazarov
Court to continue trial of Maj. Gen. Nazarov charged with IL-76 tragedy
Su-25 deceased pilot was Senior Lieut. Yehor Bolshakov from Simferopol, - General Staff. PHOTO
Ukraine's Air Force scheduled training flights suspended after Su-25 tragedy, - General Staff
Jet was fault-free, pilot properly trained, - General Staff comments on Su-25 crash near Zaporizhia


text:
We provide full service of arranging weddings and wedding receptions in the most beautiful places of Poland…
Is there a special place in Poland which you are particularly attracted to? Are you looking for an alternative to a traditional wedding reception? Do you wish to get married in the beauty of the Tatra mountains, in the old town of Krakow or in a romantic scenery of Polish seacoast? In such case the yurt wedding is your best choice. Together we can make that day very special, when you are closer to each other and to nature.
We offer our time and our space for your unforgettable celebration
We will provide you with a complex wedding service, including choice of different open air venues.
We will deliver a luxury wedding yurt so that all your guests feel comfortable and content. We will prepare a wooden dance floor to party and cosy areas to rest and socialise. We will bring your civil wedding into the nature or we will organise an alternative wedding ceremony. We will take care of all the wedding arrangements, including transport for your guests, setting up a great party, providing delicious Polish cuisines, arranging life music and finding the best accommodation in specially chosen charming hotels nearby the venue. Your guests will love our beautiful surroundings and the very well known Polish hospitality!


text:
Tomorrow, on 5th May 2005,(Today, May 6 2005,) the results of the UK General Election will be known: this may lead to either the return or replacement of Members of Parliament, and Parliament will sit on 11th May solely for the swearing-in of new MPs. Whatever the outcome, as soon as Parliament resumes, as many as possible of the ME community are urged to contact their MP and to insist on their seeking and obtaining from the Minister of State for Health acceptable answers to a few straightforward questions:
Russell Viner Deborah Christie, consultant clinical psychologist
Middlesex Adolescent Unit, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London.
A 'Rapid Response' to the above article in the British Medical Journal
As a sadly frequent occurrence, we are faced here with yet another article where the neurological nature of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ICD-10 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (WHO ICD-10) is ignored, in favour of a vaguely written psychiatric paradigm (Kennedy, 2005) in which a serious, sometimes severely disabling disease with specific signs and symptoms of Central Nervous System Dysfunction (Hyde, 1992, 2003) is subsumed under generalisations of �fatigue and other somatic symptoms�, in which (according to the author�s beliefs but not supported by evidence) �de- conditioning� and �psycho-social factors� are claimed as causes.
Simon Wessely may claim (according to Duprey, another RR contributor) that �it is simplistic to cast the medical care of humanity solely in psychosocial or biological paradigms�. But, as he has stated there is no such thing as ME, and has been critiqued for his own and colleague�s overemphasis on the psycho-social, at the expense of the biological, and for his prejudicial descriptions of ME/CFS sufferers (Hooper et al, 2004, Marshall and Williams, 1999, Kennedy, 2005), it would appear to be a case of �practice what you preach�.
Proponents of the psychiatric paradigm- which, with the greatest of respect, Viner and Christie appear to be (unfortunately there is little evidence to suggest otherwise, and here their �bio-psychosocial approach� lays far too much emphasis on the �psychosocial�, to the detriment of the biological, a frequent occurrence)- consistently fail to discuss the problem of the issue of �fatigue� as applies to ME/CFS sufferers, thereby incorrectly presenting �fatigue� as merely �tiredness�, despite the evidence that the word �fatigue� is inadequate to describe the physical abnormalities (both signs and symptoms) that occur in ME/CFS. In the same context, they fail to acknowledge that �fatigue� (which might mean tiredness, drowsiness, exhaustion, disturbed level of consciousness, weakness, paralysis, or feelings of malaise, depending on how certain illnesses are experienced or linguistically constructed by individuals) is present in MOST organic illnesses, acute and chronic. Indeed: �Fatigue is both a normal and a pathological feature of everyday life� (Hyde 1992: 11).
Proponents of the psychiatric paradigm, in their literature, tend to associate �fatigue� with a psychological state, ignoring the physiological reasons that may contribute to the bodily symptoms in ME/CFS, with the effect that these become generalised, and often trivialised, as �fatigue�. As Hyde also points out, to place such an emphasis on such a generalised, unspecific, indefinable and immeasurable term as �fatigue�, present in both healthy patients and those with both organic and psychological illness, the elimination of hundreds of other diseases are necessitated. This logistical flaw results in only the most limited investigation being encouraged for ME/CFS patients, and NOT in areas that might yield definitive results, such as certain brain scans (as discussed and referenced in Hyde et al, 1992, Marshall et al, 2001, Carruthers et al, 2003).
Particularly relevant to ME/CFS sufferers also is the problem also identified by Hyde (1992: 11-12):
��taking the fatigue as the flagship symptoms of a disease not only bestows the disease with a certain Rip Van Winkle humour, but removes the urgency of the fact that most ME/CFS symptoms are in effect CNS symptoms.�
In this context the ramifications of such serious, disabling symptoms as found in ME/CFS are both trivialised and ignored. The problem is compounded by the frequent tendency, by proponents of the psychiatric paradigm themselves and taken up uncritically by others, to use, incorrectly, the term �chronic fatigue� instead of and interchangeably with �chronic fatigue syndrome�, even though both terms denote completely different diseases. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is described in the WHO ICD- 10 as synonymous with (therefore merely another name for) the neurological disease ME, while chronic fatigue is assigned a different category of illness in the ICD-10 (Psychiatric). This incorrect practice of using the terms �chronic fatigue� and �chronic fatigues syndrome� interchangeably and confusingly has a direct relationship to various design flaws in research and the inadequate or dangerous treatment of and perjorative and prejudicial attitudes towards ME/CFS sufferers. Sadly, the Viner et al article is yet another example of this problem.
In this paper Viner and Christie claim that Randomised clinical trials in adults have shown that cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise programmes are helpful in most patients. This implies that ME/CFS sufferers are to be treated in such a way.
As the RCT�s themselves are very small in number, and most research in this area has been criticised for the high drop out rate of patient samples, and the patients excluded from such trials (Carruthers et al, 2003, Kennedy and Bryant, 2004). In promoting GET or GAT for ME/CFS, proponents of the psychiatric paradigm continue to ignore the documented harmful effects and therefore potential dangers of �Graded Exercise/�Activity� for ME/CFS sufferers, for example as demonstrated in Van de Sande (2004) Carruthers et al (2003) 25% Group (2004) Shepherd (2001) Action for ME (2001), as well as the documented bio-medical evidence of, for example, specific cardiac problems in ME/CFS sufferers that provide explanations regarding the post-exertional malaise that leads to such risks (for example, Peckerman et al, 2003). In this context, the claims made by Viner and Christie are untenable. They are also potentially dangerous. At the very least this article should have included an acknowledgement of such risks, for doctors� protection as practitioners as well as patients� health.
Furthermore, proponents of the psychiatric paradigm of ME/CFS promote the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, NOT as a strategy of coping with one�s illness, but as a �cure� for ME/CFS, (which, it must be remembered, has been both classified and consistently demonstrated as a neurological illness) believing that the multi-system physiological abnormalities (manifesting as symptoms) can be improved to the point of �recovery�, merely by challenging the illness beliefs and behaviour of the sufferer (see for example, Sharpe,1996: 248, Stulemeijer et al, 2004). Their rationale for the use of CBT is as a �cure� for a neurological illness that they do not even recognise, an illogical position unheard of in regard to medical approaches to any other neurological or other organic illness.
Viner and Christie therefore appear to be promoting CBT/GET as treatments that will improve ME/CFS sufferers, without considering the evidence showing the major problems of such an approach.
In her Rapid Response, Duprey believes kudos is due to Viner and Christie for �spotlighting critical differences in the study of �chronic fatigue syndrome� versus the much broader category of �fatigue disorders� thus providing a forum for further clarification and progress�. Sadly, there is little evidence of this at all in this article. The major problem with this article, and one which causes enormous risks to patients and serious problems to doctors looking for guidance to treat such patients, is the continued failure to delineate adequately the difference between ME/CFS and idiopathic chronic fatigue, ie, the failure to discuss the problem of differential diagnosis. As this issue is well represented in the literature, a peer review process should have identified this problem, and Viner and Christie themselves should not be ignoring the literature on this issue in the first place. Where was their acknowledgement of the Canadian ME/CFS Case Definition and Treatment protocols (Carruthers et al, 2003)? Where was their acknowledgement of the Jason et article showing how the Canadian Guidelines can improve the differential diagnosis of ME/CFS against other forms of �chronic fatigue�? At the very least one would have expected a nod to these important references in an overview article.
This continued lack of understanding of the neurological illness ME/CFS is fast becoming inexcusable among those claiming expertise in �chronic fatigue syndrome�, and represents a severe abrogation of duty to such patients. Both patients, and doctors seeking guidance on how to care for such patients, deserve better.
25% ME Group, 'Severely Affected ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) Analysis Report on Questionnaire issued January 2004'� March 2004.
Action for ME, �Severely Neglected - M.E. in the UK� (2001).
Carruthers, B. et al (2003) �Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols� Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vol. 11(1), pp 7 - 115.
Hooper, M. et al �The Mental Health Movement: Persecution of Patients?� (2004) Available on the One Click Website: http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk/documents/ME- CFS_docs/The%20Mental%20Health%20Movement%20- %20Persecution%20of%20Patients.pdf
Hyde, B. Bastien, S. Jain, A. The Clinical and Scientific Basis of ME/CFS (1992) Nightingale Research Foundation, Canada.
Hyde, B, Jain, A. �Clinical Observations of Central Nervous System Dysfunction in Post-Infectious, Acute Onset, ME/CFS� in Hyde et al, 1992.
Hyde, B. �The Complexities of Diagnosis� in Jason et al (2003) the Handbook of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Wiley and Sons, New Jersey.
Jason L.A. Torres-Harding S.R. Jurgens, A. Helgerson, J. "Comparing the Fukuda et al. Criteria and the Canadian Case Definition for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 12(1):37- 52, 2004.
(a) Kennedy A. �When Doctors say �psychosomatic�, what do they mean?� April 2004. Published in Quest (Newsletter of the National ME/FM Action Network) number 66, Fall 2004. Also available on the One Click Group Website (ME/CFS Documents) http://www.theoneclickgroup.co
Kennedy, A. (2004) A SHORT SUMMARY OF THE PSYCHIATRIC PARADIGM OF ME/CFS. Available on the One Click Group Website: http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk
Kennedy, A. Bryant, J. �A Summary of the Inherent Theoretical, Methodological and Ethical Flaws in the PACE Trial� 21 October 2004. Available on the One Click Website Home page http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk
Marshall, E. Williams, M. �Denigration by Design? A Review, with References, of the Role of Dr Simon Wessely in the Perception of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, 1987 - 1996� September 1996, and Marshall, E. Williams, M. �Denigration by Design: 1999 Update� 1999. Available at: http://www.btinternet.com/~severeme.group/introduction.htm
Peckerman A, LaManca JJ, Dahl KA, Chemitiganti R, Qureishi B, Natelson BH. "Abnormal impedance cardiography predicts symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome." The American Journal of the Medical Sciences: 2003:326:(2):55-60).
Arnold Peckerman, Rahul Chemitiganti, Caixia Zhao, Kristina Dahl, Benjamin H. Natelson, Lionel Zuckier, Nasrin Ghesani, Samuel Wang, Karen Quigley and S. Sultan Ahmed. "Left Ventricular Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Data From Nuclear Ventriculography Studiesof Response to Exercise and Postural Stress," Findings presented at the American Physiological Society conference, Experimental Biology 2003, April 11-15, 2003, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
Sharpe, M. C. in Demitrack, M.A. Abbey, S. E (eds.) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (1996) Guildford Press, New York. Shepherd C. Pacing and exercise in chronic fatigue syndrome. Physiother 2001 Aug;87(8):395-396.
Stulemeijer, M. de Jong, L.W.A.M. Fiselier, T.J.W. Hoogveld, SW.B. Bleijenberg, G. 'Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Adolescents with Chronic Fatigue syndrome: A Randomised Controlled Trial� BMJ.com (online) 7th December 2004.
Van De Sande, M. �ME/CFS Post-Exertional Malaise / Fatigue and Exercise� Quest (Newsletter of the National ME/FM Action Network) #60, June/July, 2003. Also available on: http://www.mefmaction.net/default.aspx?Page=selectedarticlesmedical
Wessely , S. "Microbes, Mental Illness, the Media and ME: the Construction of Disease" Eliot Slater Memorial Lecture, 12 May 1994. Available with comment by Margaret Williams: http://www.meactionuk.org.uk/wessely_speech_120594.htm
Competing interests: Carer of young woman with ME/CFS; Social Sciences lecturer and researcher; Director of the One Click Group, a political pressure group advocacting for people with ME/CFS.
It is noted that the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) Media Relations Office appears to have provided official confirmation that "CFS" (chronic fatigue syndrome) is not the same disorder as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) / ICD-classified chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) --- "CFS" here being synonymous with "ME" as classified in the International Classification of Diseases at ICD-10 G93.3. This clarification has been reported via the US Newswire (see Co-Cure, 26th April 2005).
This confirmation would seem to be an important breakthrough in the confusion that surrounds the heterogeneous label "CFS".
The CDC release states unequivocally: "First identified in the 1980s, CFS is characterized by a severe and debilitating fatigue that does not improve with rest."
If the disorder "CFS" was "first identified in the 1980s" (as opposed to being a new name given by Holmes et al of the CDC to the existing disorder myalgic encephalomyelitis), then "CFS" cannot possibly be the same disorder as Ramsay-described ME, since the latter has been documented in the medical literature since at least 1938 and was identified 50 years before "CFS" and was recognised by The Royal Society of Medicine in 1978.
This means that, as has been pointed out many times in the last fifteen years, the term "CFS" means different things to different people, and that the term "CFS/ME" that was constructed by the psychiatric lobby does not equate with "ME", despite the two terms "ME" and "CFS" being synonymous in the ICD-10 that was published in 1992.
Is this confirmation by the CDC that "CFS" was first identified only in the 1980s a careless mistake, or is it the first step in overcoming the constructed confusion perpetrated by the psychiatric lobby that is intent on claiming all "fatigue states" as behavioural and on classifying "CFS" (into which it has assiduously subsumed ME) as a somatisation disorder in the next revision of the ICD?
If it is not a mistake by the CDC, then it means that the MRC PACE and FINE trials and the new UK Government-funded Centres cannot possibly be looking at Ramsay-described, ICD-classified ME (which in any event is automatically excluded by virtue of using the Oxford case definition as the entry criteria, despite denial by the MRC), therefore when they appear, the results of the PACE and FINE trials cannot credibly be taken to apply to those with ME even though the trial purports to be studying what it calls "CFS/ME".
Once the outcome of the UK General Election is determined, Members of Parliament are invited to take note and act accordingly in the best interests of their constituents with ME.
Note: This does not just apply to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers.
If you have any information to share on UNUM's Long Term Disability malfeasance, please consider sending the information, which will be held CONFIDENTIALLY, to Jim Mooney at: email@example.com
A nationally influential law firm that has been very supportive of victims is going to present evidence of Unum's criminal malefaction to Elliot Spitzer.
They need a dozen or so representative cases to present.
If you want your case presented, send me your name, address, and phone number, along with a short and understandable synopsis of your case, to my email address at firstname.lastname@example.com
This is not a legal action, but a criminal presentation, so you cannot necessarily expect any remediation. Although if it succeeds it may be helpful to your case down the road.
If you have been gagged, this is exempt since a gag order cannot apply to criminal acts. Nor can a gag order made under duress be legal, if such a gag was forced out of you.
These cases should preferably be in the First or Second Circuit, comprising New York, New Jersey and New England, or nearby, since they are closer to Attorney General Spitzer's venue. However, the more evidentiary and supportive cases the better, even if in other districts, since Spitzer has been prosecuting criminal insurers on a nationwide basis. (Something our corrupt Federal govt. is trying to stop, so the sooner this is filed the better.)
If you want to do this, please put "Spitzer" in the title of your email so I can file it - then send it to my usual email address - firstname.lastname@example.com
Also, if you know of other Unum victims who want to get involved, or who may not be reading this newsletter, please have them do so. Even if you are not a Unum victim you may know those who are. I will cull through the cases I have received.
Also, please pass this announcement along to any relevant victim news or discussion groups. All contact information will be kept in strictest confidence and only go to this law firm. They will not go on the site or newsletter. Anyone who wants that will have to do it separately at some other time to avoid confusion. I won't be replying, but you can mark your email for reply confirmation so you know I got it. Please do not reply to this appeal or ask questions unless you are sending a case. It will be hard enough to sort through them as it is. I'll explain things in the newsletter at a later time.
Remember, we need name, address, phone number, and an understandable synopsis of your case. (It would help to include your email address in the body of the letter so I don't have to copy it in, since I will just send the body copy after collating them all.)
Email to email@example.com with "Spitzer" in the title. Please don't send non-case queries or discussions with that name in the title at this time. I only want case synopses and contact information.
Thanks. Let's get some action on this. I would like at least thirty or forty casesynopses from the two named circuits within a day or so, along with supportive cases from other circuits in the nation. I am in the middle of moving and will be shutting down here shortly so we need to get this done quickly. If you get a duplicate of this email or it doesn't seem relevant, I'm just going to run through a huge number of victim or related addresses I have in various places, so my apologies if this is sent in error ;').
Next Page


text:
Hella abstract, undanceable IDM. Sounds like someone dropped an acid techno record in a bathtub of salt water.
Cranky footnote: IDM was a wack name for a subgenre because a) most of it made for awful dance music and b) it implied that other forms of electronic music were UNintelligent. That being said, that's what stuff like this was called back in the day, so that's what it is.
Track listing:
1. Culk
2. Late Surface
3. Caniton Web
4. Abscence
5. Blot
6. Vent
7. Anti Zok
8. Sectors
9. Unres
10. Relocation
11. Namme
Elastic speakers
If you like this, check out:
|Mr. Oizo -
Analog Worms Attack (2000)
|Luke Vibert -
Lover's Acid (2005)


text:
We start with the two pictures we have coloured and painted in the previous blog.
I found this lovely sheet of 12" x 12" patterned cardstock that goes beautifully with the theme of the butterflies as well as with the palette I've used.
I divide the page in half so that I now have two pieces, each measuring 6" x 12".
I fold these in half so that I have two cards, each measuring 6" x 6".
All of the paper pieces in the project are glued to each other by using double-sided tape.
I measure the size of my designs and find them to be 12 cm x 8,5 cm each.
I cut coordinating paperstock to matt the designs on. These are cut to measure 13 cm x 9,5 cm each.
The designs are then matted onto the backing paper.
These, in turn, are then stuck down on the cards.
I find some ready-made die-cut wording and slogans to use on the cards.
These are mounted on the card with 3D double-sided tape and 3D double-sided squares.
Even though I follow similar steps and use similar embellishments, I vary things ever so slightly to keep the cards similar without being identical.
The one pattern of flowers.
The other pattern of flowers.
A completed card.
A second completed card.
A set of two cards.
Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy my books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.
Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
You can follow Miekie's daily Bible Study blog, Bybel Legkaart, here in English & Afrikaans.
You may prefer to follow the traveling blog, A Pretty Tourist.
For more crafty ideas and great product reviews, visit A Pretty Talent on Facebook.
If you are in a literary mood, follow Miekie's musings, stories and poetry on A Pretty Author - Miekie.
Remember to keep nurturing your TALENT for making life PRETTY.
You can subscribe to any of these blogs and receive regular updates by email. Simply register your email address at the top of the applicable blog.


text:
I know its a little early for Christmas but when the holidays are the best time for your business, I begin the holiday inventory in the summer. Its no wonder why I stopped decorating the house for the holidays. I've been making decorations since August! The picture above is a mountain of of softie ornaments I'm currently making. I've added 5 new designs to my existing ornament collection. I didn't realize I was making so many but after stuffing them all, I have well over a 100. I'll be glad to finish these up and pack them away for my upcoming shows.
Last year sales were kinda of slow. As a result of that I've tripled the amount of shows I'm doing this year. I'm looking forward to the new craft shows this holiday season. My work will be on display at the Textile Center for there annual holiday sale. I was also asked to be involved with Peggy's Holiday Boutique. This will be Peggy's 33rd year featuring the work of over 150 artists. I've never been there so it should be interesting. Lastly I'll be at HandmadeMN 1st annual holiday market. Don't you love the graphics for the event! Check show info for specific detail on all events.


text:
A 55-year old mother of seven, Mrs Oluchukwu Nkwazoma has been arrested and charged before Isolo Magistrate's court for hiding another woman's husband, Alloy Benson Njoku in her house in Lagos.
The incident happened in her house at 16, Panada Street, Isolo, Lagos where Oluchukwu resides.
She was charged with conspiracy and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace under the Criminal Code.
Trouble started after Alloy who resides at Mushin Road in the same Isolo community informed his wife, Chizoba that he was traveling to Abuja for a business transaction and asked her to manage a stipend until he comes back with money.
While the obedient mother of two wished her hubby safe journey unknown to her he moved into Oluchukwu's house where he hibernated for several days before the wife ran into her husband and the other woman on the road.
P.M. EXPRESS gathered that both Alloy and Oluchukwu from Imo State, had known each other before they met again and then rekindled their relationship.
While they are separately married and attend same church, angry Chizoba alleged that she didn't know that their relationship continued after Oluchukwu had separated from her own husband.
When Chizoba met her husband and Oluchukwu strolling on the street, she immediately raised an alarm, accused her husband of betrayal and asked him to follow her back to their house. But Oluchukwu stopped him but asked Alloy rather to follow her back to her house.
An embittered Chizoba followed them and continued to protest that the other woman forced out her husband from the house.
This angered Oluchukwu who then ordered her grown up children to beat up Chizoba in the presence of her husband who did nothing.
The matter was reported to the police at Aswani division who initially arrested all the parties involved in the matter, but then discovered the cause of the fight.
Oluckukwu was later charged to the court with the alleged offence.
She pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs A.K Shonubi granted her bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety in like sum.
Oluchukwu was remanded in prison custody pending when she will perfect her bail condition.
The matter was adjourned till 6 Febuary 2017


text:
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Product Description
Snug City Handmade Chesterfield Sofa, Give your room a luxury make over with this British Icon, Made In England Hand crafted furniture, features a Hardwood frame, Hand Studded, Foam cushions, Upholstered and Buttoned by Quality Craftsmen, Finished in Real Wood feet.
Length 78" Depth 36" Height 31" Approx Crushed Velvet, Manufactured in the UK Made to Order 28 Days Lead Time
Additional Information
Additional Information
|Free Shipping


text:
Forgot password?
31 January 2012
According to sources at the FT, Rank Group, the European gaming business that includes bingo and casinos in its operations, was linked to a possible takeover of Gala Coral. Gala Coral is the UK-based gambling company that covers bookmaking, bingo and casinos both on the high street and online. It is no stranger to deals, having been subject to two buy-outs in 2000 and 2003 and then a re-structuring acquisition by its mezzanine lenders in mid- 2010, at which point its PE backers Candover, Cinven and Permira divested their holdings in the company.
Rank Group itself was the subject of a battle for control in 2011, when Guoco Group, the Malaysian investment group increased its stake from 40% to 100% for just under £350m. Despite the board of Rank believing that the offer significantly undervalued the company, it was recommended to the shareholders, who duly accepted the offer.
If the deal proceeds, and as usual insiders are suggesting that the deal is at very preliminary stages, then this would see Gala – the last company in the UK that covers all aspects of leisure gambling – possibly taken into foreign ownership.
Filed under: gaming, PE, dealmaking
Posted by Lisa Wright at 11:39AM
Zephyr director Lisa Wright shares her analysis and opinion on news and trends in M&A, private equity, venture capital and IPOs. Lisa's insight and experience comes from 15 years of working with products that track deal activity.
Follow me by clicking the RSS icon above.
Follow us on Twitter | © 2012 Bureau van Dijk | Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Sitemap | bvdinfo.com


text:
All week I had so many things I wanted to say, but again...it was one of those weeks were things don't go as planned. I am wondering if there is a message in all of this some where?
I did manage to finish Bean's Christmas present, which I will try to post a picture of tomorrow. It is from the Fall 2010 Stitch Magazine. (Then I will have to tell the small people NO PEEKING at Mamma's blog until after Christmas!)
I also managed to score well at the thrift store this week and got a few sweaters to felt for some mitten projects Moo and I have been working on from here. It is so great to be able to teach them that presents don't have to be the newest gadget on TV...they can be made with love by your own crafty little hands!
However, speaking of gadgets....there is another GO! give away at Lavender Ridge. I would really like a GO! but so does everyone else in quilt blog land!!! I am not dismayed though because visiting all these sites has really given me a great opportunity to see new ideas and meet great new people so all is not lost! I have been visiting so many peoples' sites though my sewing machine is getting lonely and I have not had time to put together a proper post!


text:
Equity investors are in the constant quest for a sector that will fetch them extraordinary returns. The trouble is, only one or two such sectors are born in a decade, and the great returns from them go unmistakably to the private market first. The private market referred here being private equity or venture funds.
By the time promising companies from a sector get listed, their valuations are already in the stratosphere that the chances of a retail investor holding a multibagger from a new sector is rather low. When too much money chases a new stock, that builds up long-term risks for those holding the scrip.
To illustrate, e-commerce is now seen as a sunrise sector, but no retail investors has got a chance to hold a leading e-comm share in the last five years, though the valuations are already in the billion dollar terrain.
Similarly, internet security and quick service restaurants are also being touted as the next big things. There is hardly a listed opportunity in those sectors, but for the exception of those quoting at high-risk valuations.
In such a setup. instead of looking for new stories to invest, investors can have a re-look at existing sectors where the macro-structure is changing and a re-rating of the whole sector is expected. Only that the sector should have a good number of choices to diversify portfolio risk.
One doesn't need to go through complex analyses to spot structural changes happening in a sector. A simpler way is to look for a change in the factors that created trouble for that sector. This could be for any reason, like government policy change or internal dynamics leading to a shakeout—where weak players are absorbed by large players with cleaner balance sheets.
Another factor to look at is whether the news flow about the sector is negative. When the general view about a sector is negative, the stocks in that space become cheap. In contrast, if the market is bullish about a sector, the stocks tend to be expensive. Careful bottom fishing tends to give superior returns.
At this point, probably two sectors are undergoing macro-structural changes that are not fully appreciated by the market. There could be reasons for this, like investors lost money in the past on false alarms about positive changes or the pace of structural changes is slow to match a bull phase of the market. The Street tends to ignore such cases, when faster short-term returns are available elsewhere. But outsized returns come only when an investor take an intelligent risk.
The two sectors meant here are, real estate and PSU banking. The real estate sector has been at the receiving end of the market for years now. But finally, things are changing for the sector. It is now mandatory for all states to set up a Real Estate Regulatory Authority to oversee the sector. The presence of a regulator generally improves the sector's profile, though there would be short-term pain. Over a period, the sector becomes cleaner and bigger.
Just look at the way the stock market developed after it got Sebi as a regulator in 1992. In 25 years, the size and reach of the Indian capital market has grown 100 times or more.
With real estate getting a regulator, fly by night operators in this market would find it tough to operate. All those who have graduated from being property dealer to real estate developers are probably going to become dealers again. Only companies with a reasonable size of balance sheet will now be able to float new projects. Many troubled players and projects will move into the hands of large companies. Already, many unorganised players have started approaching big players for joint development of projects.
No doubt, the sector will emerge stronger from the current pain but it won't happen overnight. Since this structural changes are market-driven, they will take time to show up in company bottom lines. So, investors will have to be patient after making an extremely careful choice. Only players who are not over-leveraged and have a reputation for on-time project delivery should be looked at.
The second and a more critical sector undergoing structural changes is PSU banking. More capital is set to flow into public sector banks, which will now have more disciplined borrowers than before. Going forward, no promoters will take a bank loan for granted. So, PSU banks, which will remain focussed on corporate lending, will witness a sea-change in their operating environment a few quarters down the line.
Massive provisions made in the past will come back as higher income and earnings in their balance sheets. The sudden flush of money will also lower the cost of funds for the banks. Plus, the sector will see a phase of consolidation, which would give large banks with solid macro-structure a much higher valuation than now.
Though PSU banks are unlikely to make greater inroads into the retail space, the mammoth corporate lending space alone is good enough for these banks to grow their loan books at a decent pace.
Let the bad news pour in, but savvy investors will ignore it and stay focussed on companies and stocks where growth would multiply when good times return. After all, a stock won't become a multi-bagger in a year or two. It's a patient game.
(Rajiv Nagpal is consulting editor, Financial Chronicle)


text:
Standardize Memory Cards Finally In The Works
How many memory cards do you have? Chances are, multiple ones, one for your cell phone, one for your camera, anything else that's memory-hogging–and they aren't compatible across electronics because each one requires a different type.
Hopefully by 2009, that will change, as recently announced: Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson are teaming up to push for the joint venture, which also is supported by some big name memory manufacturers like Texas Instruments. Check out the comments of the Engadget article if you're interested in the multiple sides of this issue.
– Image from Engadget.
Published: Sep 14, 2007