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The Western Australian Government has claimed success in improving emergency communications at three of the state's regional towns, with more to come in future.
The $1.2 million Community Emergency Mobile Communications Project formed part of a wider $120 million state government project, first flagged in September last year and aimed at eliminating mobile phone blackspots and overhauling emergency communications networks. Other projects in the initiative included the $39.2 million Regional Mobile Communications Project, geared at improving highway and town-to-town mobile coverage in regional, rural and remote communities, and the $80.3 million Community Safety Network Project.
The emergency communications project last week took out the regional award at the WA Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards (WAITTA), while the regional mobile blackspot program was similarly awarded by the Australian Telecommunications Users Group National at its annual Broadband Awards.
The project has already been rolled out to regional towns Balingup, Kukerin and Quongup, with more to come in future.
The Department of Commerce's economist and project manager, Joachim Tan, told Computerworld Australia the project had been a win for both the government and locals living in regional areas.
"The government [realised it] could save money by investing in regional infrastructure, and that has not only extended coverage in these areas but it also extends to emergency services," Tan said. "Emergency services have to be everywhere, and a lack of mobile coverage would have seriously impinged on this."
The department partnered with Telstra for the project, which was designed to complement the rollout of the National Broadband Network.
"Broadband is essential to the social and economic fabric of regional communities. Our project was [designed in a way] so we wouldn't be duplicating infrastructure – we saw the NBN as inevitably coming, so focusing on mobile was a way to compliment it."
Tan said the project was focused more on the infrastructure than the technology of the project during the rollout.
Prior to the rollout of the project, Tan said there was limited mobile phone reception in regional areas of the state – a factor that was making the lives of WA emergency services personnel harder and was identified in a state telecoms needs assessment in 2008.
"It's about bridging the gap between the state needs and the community needs – in the future, there will be services for this community rather than being left behind."
Other big winners at the Western Australian IT awards included Greensense View, which picked up the award for the product of the year for its carbon reducing technology.
Follow Lisa Banks on Twitter: @CapricaStar
Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU


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Urban beekeeping in New Mexico's largest city.
Hi All, I am also looking for bees. I am in the apprentice program and finally got my hive bear proofed. I am also interested in learning to catch swarms if anyone needs help, text me 377-9813. Thanks!
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While I enjoy using Tarot for guidance and advice, I do sometimes look into aspects of the future, and what happens when the future doesn't look very bright? I think the key is in understanding that you can handle it, and come out on top in the end. Things will be alright. No, it's not nice to see a bleak-looking outcome, but anticipation is far worse than reality. You actually can roll with the punches, and there's a good chance that not all aspects of your life will be painful. Joy is never entirely absent, even when it seems harder to find at the time. If you focus on the good in your life, it really provides very healing energy that helps weather the challenges.
It also brings to mind the very important point that if you inquire about potential future courses of events, you must be willing to accept the news you receive. I was really depressed to see the Tower as my weekly draw. If I had pulled that card for a client, I probably would have felt really bad about passing that message along, and some people hope desperately for wonderful news, and are down-trodden when a potentially "negative" card arises in their future. So if you want to see where the future is going, be prepared for anything, or else don't ask. (I myself struggle with that - do I really want to see what my month ahead holds in store??).
Don't forget there are many positives to all readings. What are the positives of my Tower week? Well, the car has a new battery, and it didn't cost nearly as much as it might have. Thankfully it was only the battery and not something more serious. What if the car died when we were on vacation, far from home? Thankfully it happened when we were right here and could easily take care of things.
And the truth is that despite those incidents I had a pretty good week with a lot of laughs, and plenty of positive energy flowing through it all.


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Book the Campsite
Our campsite is available all year round for hire and offers a versatile and cost-effective holiday experience ideal for schools and community groups. Use our wonderful preferred caterer The Fudge Fairy, or self-cater in our commercial kitchen.
Bookings are secured by the payment of a deposit and can be made up to two years in advance of your camp. To make an enquiry or obtain a copy of our booking form, please enter your details below and our team will get back to you as soon as possible. For urgent enquiries, please call the office on 08 8443 8076.
Our CAMPSITE
54 Waggon Road
Victor Harbor, South Australia, 5211


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Children's Season | Batik Painting in the Tropical Garden
The June holidays are here and last Saturday, NUS Museum launched the first of our Children's Seasons programmes with Batik-Making in the Tropical Garden! 30 kiddies and their parents made their way to the museum to learn more about the art of Batik and the artist Ng Eng Teng, whose mural Asian Symphony was the inspiration for the batik piece. Guided by artist-instructor, Kamal Dollah, the kiddies worked hard all morning together to fill up the 5m long canvas with colour paints. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, their parents also tried their hand at painting and waxing the canvas. Thanks to everyone for their enthusiastic participation in the session, we could not have completed the batik without everyone's contributions!
Michelle Kuek (NUS Museum)


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Is one of the central themes of David Cameron's conference speech – that the Tories are better equipped than Labour to fight poverty – built on shaky ground?
In the angriest part of his speech, the Conservative leader said:
Labour still have the arrogance to think that they are the ones who will fight poverty and deprivation. On Monday, when we announced our plan to Get Britain Working you know what Labour called it? "Callous." Excuse me? Who made the poorest poorer? Who left youth unemployment higher? Who made inequality greater? No, not the wicked Tories – you, Labour: you're the ones that did this to our society. So don't you dare lecture us about poverty. You have failed and it falls to us, the modern Conservative party, to fight for the poorest who you have let down.
Cameron illustrated this by highlighting the way in which people on low earnings, whose pay is topped up by tax credits, have little incentive to earn more. He said:
In Gordon Brown's Britain if you're a single mother with two kids earning £150 a week the withdrawal of benefits and the additional taxes mean that for every extra pound you earn, you keep just four pence.
What kind of incentive is that? Thirty years ago this party won an election fighting against 98% tax rates on the richest. Today I want us to show even more anger about 96% tax rates on the poorest.
Cameron then singled out Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader who has championed the vulnerable since he lost the party leadership in 2003. He said:
In that fight, there's one person this party can rely on. He's the man who has dedicated himself to the cause of social justice and shown great courage in standing up for those least able to stand up for themselves. Iain Duncan Smith. And I am proud to announce today that if we win the election he will be responsible in government for bringing together all our work to help mend the broken society.
Duncan Smith recently published a detailed report in which the main recommendation was how to tackle the so called "marginal tax rate" condemned by Cameron. This is what Duncan Smith said:
For claimants in part-time employment who are seeking to work more, the marginal tax rate (MTR) – a measurement of what proportion of a small rise in earnings would be lost to taxation and benefits withdrawal – can be as high as 80% or 90% for every additional pound earned, fuelling such high MTRs are some of Europe's highest benefit withdrawal rates – up to 100% for every additional pound earned in some cases.
Government has, over a number of years, produced a complex system which, rather than moving people to financial independence, instead entrenches economic dependency and ensures claimants remain net receivers in society rather than contributors.
This review marks a watershed for Britain's benefits system ... We believe the group's success in devising a system which smooths out the participation and marginal tax rates so that there is no financial disincentive to work should be taken seriously by members of every political party.
And what was Cameron's response to this report? His aides produced a short typewritten note on a blank piece of paper the day before it was published – no Conservative headed notepaper to ensure there were no fingerprints – in effect rejecting the scheme.
It said: "Any changes need intense and careful scrutiny." The Tories took fright because the scheme would cost £2.7bn a year. It will eventually save £3.4bn after one to two years – a net saving for the taxpayer of £700m. But that would be some way down the line.
So expect fun and games if Duncan Smith chairs a cabinet committee coordinating a Tory government's work on dealing with Broken Britain.


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Talking Clean Water and Industrial Agriculture with Kelly Hunter Foster
Meet Kelly Hunter Foster, senior attorney at Waterkeeper Alliance. Kelly manages several campaigns, including Clean Water Act-related legal actions against the government and polluters. Read on to learn what Kelly thinks can be done to hold agribusiness more accountable - and what inspires her.


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Free shipping in the USA (lower 48) when your order is over $89 (excluding gift certificates and sales tax, if applicable).
In Stock. This beautiful vocal duet is a favorite of country music and pop fans alike. Legendary singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood join together in a song which celebrates all aspects of love. This late elementary level arrangement will appeal to both pianists and teachers.
� 2019 Music44. All rights reserved.


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Family Friendly Halloween Movies - Horror Movies for Adults and Kids
It can hard to find some family friendly Halloween movies, especially for adults who plan to actually be entertained. "Horror" movies for kids are often sappy, ugly, and worst of all, not scary! For the adult Connoisseur of monster movies, here are some family friendly Halloween and horror movies to show the kids without making you want to blow your brains out.
A word of advice, though: every parents knows what's best for their kids, but I would hold off on a family viewing night for any of these selections until the child is around seven years old. Otherwise, horror movies for children and adult are a great way to enjoy yourself this October.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Don't get confused like my father was: Tim Burton's stop-motion masterpiece is not for Christmas. The Nightmare Before Christmas is a perfect childrens movie for Halloween. Bordering the fine line between child-like whimsy and genuine creepiness, this is the perfect scary movie for kids that parents can enjoy, too.
Featuring some gross-out imagery sure to get some giggles from the preteen crowd. But this film also features surprising song and dance numbers written and composed by Danny Elfman. You wouldn't think it, but the spontaneous singing never does anything to detract form the spooky feel of the film. Kids will love gross monsters and weird plot while adults will appreciate the beautiful animation and clever writing.
Sugessted for: Kids 8+
Rleated Topics
- 6 Terrifying (and Scarring) Children's Movies
Your parents screwed you up. These movies were just one of the dozens of ways they inadvertently terrified you and corrupted your mind.
- Inappropriate Children's Shows - Violent, Gross, and Unsettling Kid's TV
Although it might seem like an an easy way for children to while away the hours, there's plenty of inappropriate and violent kid's TV shows out there.
One of the first horror film's I ever saw as a kid, Poltergeist is a great horror movie for families. All of the scares are "otherworldly" in nature, so there are no slashers, murderers, or knife wielding monsters to worry about.
Which is not to say it is for everyone: there are some disturbing moments in the film, including a man who has his flesh ripped off to become a skeleton (which isn't as graphic as you might think), a terrifying clown doll, and a few other adult scares. However, older children should be able to handle it and the film is a downright classic.
Nominally helmed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Tobe Hooper, the common Hollywood rumor is that it was ghost directed by producer Steven Spielberg. If he did have a hand in the direction, it certainly shows. In spite of some serious scares, the film has plenty of warmth and humor in it as well. At its heart, Poltergeist is about a family coming together to face the unknown, making it a great horror movie for families.
Sugessted For: Kids 10+
More of a comedy than a horror film, Ghostbusters is a great choice for a family Halloween movie night. One of the most popular films of the '80s, it should be legally required to share this film with the next generation. Not exactly a kids movie, but children will enjoy it all the same.
Featuring ghosts that range from the silly (Slimer the green hot dog gobbling apparition) to the terrifying (Rick Morranis the murder-dog) to somewhere in between (The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man shouldn't be scary but...), Ghostbusters is just as likely to scare the underage crowd as it is to make them laugh.
Written as a comedy, most of the humor in the film is aimed at adults. However, Bill Murray's lecherous attempts to win over the women in his life are likely to go over the heads of most kids. Scary (but not too scary), funny, and a favorite for adults and children, Ghostbusters is a great horror movie for kids.
Suggested: Kids 8+
Something Wicked This Way Come
Based on the classic novel by Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes has a unique quality missing from most horror movie's for kids: intelligence. The movie is incredibly scary and features some interesting adult themes and concepts, but the content is perfectly suited for children.
The story deals with the arrival of a mysterious and frightening circus comes to town. Throughout the film, the main characters (along with a helpful father figure) battle against evil. Something Wicked This Way Comes isn't just a horror movie, it is a coming of age film. Younger kids might find themselves bored due to too few wacky antics, but this literary classic has made a great jump to the silver screen.
Suggested: Kids 8+
The Worst Witch
Save this one for after mom and dad have had a few (dozen) glasses of wine. Be aware that this is not actually a good movie. The Worst Witch is a family friendly Halloween movie that might inspire some love from Halloween loving tykes. Young kids will enjoy this elementary school wizardry romp. The adults will love it for its kitschy humor.
Set in a school for witches, The Worst Witch is an inoffensive and low budget romp. Adults with a campy sense of humor will love the (extremely extended) Tim Curry music video at the end. Far from the best film, but a uniquely fun family friendly horror movie.
Suggested: Kids 3-8, parents who watch bad movies for fun
Tim Curry Rocks out a little too hard in The Worst Witch
Then again, maybe they'd rather just go out...
What's type of horror movies are right for kids really depends on the individual child. Don't let their age be the only guideline. I saw the original Alien at seven and turned out all right (mostly). You know your kid: use your best judgment. Happy Halloween!
Thanks for sharing
The Nightmare before Christmas is one of my favorite movies to this day. Stopmotion just has a special appeal and is good for movies of the horror genre.
I am a great Horror Movie fan. Love them all. I found that the Goosebumps series are great for the whole family.
For adults only: Evil Dead and a must see (based on a true story in Australia) Wolf Creek. You gotta see it.
i think hocus pocus is a great family halloween movie me and my kids love it
Good Hub.
Actually almost all classic Universal would be considered family friendly nowadays. No gore, some scares. Although the monster-ramas "House Of Frankenstein," and "House of Dracula" aren't among the best of the series, they can be good introductions to the genre for crumb crunchers.
Great idea for a hub but I have to say I don't think Poltergeist is very child friendly, I watched it when i was very little and i had nightmares for days. and where is Gremlins??? Now that's fun for the whole family
Good suggestions! I have to check out The Worst Witch now, b/c my husband and I enjoy really bad movies and Tim Curry is amazing in a scary way


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Artists who inspire me……
I've been thinking about what is involved with documenting the whole artistic process. For years, I've kept an art diary (old discipline I kept up from highschool art) so I find blogging really annoying.
I've always considered myself a fine artist as opposed to an animator having studied sculpture, ceramics and painting at tafe for a few years. So out of interest for this new area I'm exploring, I've been trying to do some research into digital artists. But alas, not many strike my fancy. A lot of digital art I've seen fall under the fantasy genre. As I was describing to a friend the other day, I find it is all showy and impressive but lacking finer subtlety- Shoshtakovich as opposed to Mozart.
Anyway, one of the pre-production group members did turn out a digital artist that I really like…..here is her link
And this is a link to an illustrator that I've always liked….
Above is an example of a picture from a children's book called The Red Tree. It reminds me of a surrealist art piece. The colours are lovely subtle ochres. Very charming without any of that flashy stuff!
These days most of my ideas draw from my favourite painting era -impressionaist, post=impressionist and early twentienth centure (Cubism and Surrealism)
Above is an example of one of my favourite artist George Seurat. I was lucky enough to see this piece 'A Sunday Afternoon on the island of la Grande Jatte' up close at Musee De Orsay in Paris. I put this example in because it is an excellent example of pointillism. It always reminds me of pixelated digital art or those photomosaic images. One big image made up of thousands of little images……
It is an effect that I think can be imitated easily in Photoshop to give this lovely design aesthetic.
Blog address for Pre-production group
Its a little late but our pre-production group have been posting everything up on a new blog"-
Yes I cannot spell
Photoshop tutorial on painting mouth and eyes
And the lessons on how to paint in photoshop keep on coming! This pre-production project has really brought to light how little I know about photoshop!
Lighting effects in photoshop
AND more photoshop today- in fact it will probably be all about cheating in photoshop for the next couple of weeks while I finish up this pre-production assignment.
I found two good tutorials today.
This one is on lighting -specifically spot lighting but it can be applied to all sorts of lighting.
This ones a general information page on lighting…
More photoshop tutorials on creating wood
Okay, our colonial Australia setting is requiring a lot of wood textures at the moment so i'm spending a lot of time looking for the best way to make a wood texture.
here are some other tutorials which are useful…..
The Robber Bridegroom
Our group decided to do The Robber Bridegroom, one of the more disturbing tales from the brother Grimms.
Below is a link the fairytale:-
After spending a couple of weeks researching, we finally decided to do a breakdown of the fairytale. We broke it down into storybeats, characters, props and invented a back story. This really helped give direction to our work.
Our new approach was to choose a story beat each. As we drew the storybeat, we designed the props and characters and backgrounds that needed to go with each storybeat.
The miller's home 1
-front room
– the ore mill attached to the side of the house
-Period kitchen utensils, pots and pans, fireplace
The dark forest 1
-Path of ashes
-Bride spends almost the whole day walking through it
The middle of the forest 1
-Darkest part of the forest
-Contains a solitary house which the bride doesn't like "for it looked so dark and dismal"
Inside the derelict house
-The most absolute stillness reigns, entirely empty
-Various rooms (whole house needs to be designed) –especially the kitchen/ eating area and cella
-Stairs (to cellar)
Dining Room
-Empty birdcage
– various weapons –guns, axe, knives, rifles etc
-rocking chair for the crazy old lady?
– mining equipment hung up on the walls
-hooks for hanging things
-table to throw the prostitute onto
-wine glasses –red, yellow and white wine
-whore's finger with gold ring
Candle/ gas lantern
-cleeping draught
-cutlery, pots and pans
The cellar
-Stairs (from house)
-Hogshead (large barrel/cask)
-How many victims have been killed and eaten here?
-How have they been killed?
-Where is the hogshead from? A former owner of the house, or has the gang brought it in?
-Where is the wine from? Is there a wine rack?
-How tidy do the gang keep the cellar? Do they clean up after meals?
-Do they usually sleep in the cellar? Do they have anything to sleep on/in?
-What do the gang do with the torn clothes? The victim's other belongings?
The middle of the forest 2
-Moonlit –silvery ghost eucalyptus trees
-Still contains a solitary house which the bride doesn't like "for it looked so dark and dismal"
-Peas and lentils have sprouted and show the way out of the forest
Horsies with saddles and riders…..
The good characters or victims
The Miller – James Edwards –a stupid but good natured man who wants his daughter to be taken care of.
The Bride – Elizabeth Edwards, simple peasant girl, keeps house for her brother and father. Relunctant to marry Artemis Crowley
Peter Edwards – Elizabeth's brother, helps out at the mill
The Bird – annoying and prophetic
Old Woman Crowley –neither good nor evil. Mother of Artemis Crowley, warns Elizabeth against the murderer but she still loves her son and will not dob him in.
Mob at the wedding who lynches the evil men:-
-2 jackaroos
-a buffed, bible preaching priest
The back story
Artemis Crowley, a sociopath and con-man had to leave England quickly because he 'resembled' a convicted murderer by the name of 'Bartemus Rowley', wanted for the murder of a prostitute. He uses his money to buy some land and employs the 'Godless crew' to work for him –farming, mining for gold ( as it was gold rush time) and odd jobs around the place.
However, times were rough and everyone was poor and hungry
One day little Billy has a farming accident. As he was going to die anyway, he begs the rest of them to eat his body to sustain themselves. Which they do. Afterwards, Susasanah (the house help) freaks out and threatens to report them to the authorities. They have a fight which results in Susannah's accidental death. As she was dead anyway and they HAD to dispose of her body and they weren't hungry anymore, a scheme was devised by Artemis to cut off the meat and sell it to the increasing Chinese population who had arrrived in droves to Engles Bird to make their fortunes in the mine. Hence began their notorious careers.
Artemis Crowley – ringleader, bridegroom, sociopath who was methodical and clever, wants to kill in an organised manner by luring out young virgins to his hovel.
Angus McTassel – large, burly man, impulsive and violent, drags victims in from the streets, challenges Artemis for leadership occasionally with his impulsive actions
Babbit –unknown character????
Maddox- chinese, name translates to pile of shit, the interpreter and mediator for the gang to sell the meat to the chinese, the other gang members treat him like a second rate citizen an always makes racist jokes against him
- Artemis Crawley pulls up in his carriage outside James Edwards mill. As he discusses business with James, he sees Elizabeth in the kitchen stirring crud on an 19th century stovetop . He makes an offer of marriage. Elizabeth is unenthusiastic. Artemis leans on the door and points to the hills.
'My house is in the forest. Come and visit and I shall strewn ashes onto the ground to show you the way.'
- Elizabeth walks through the forest strewing beans.
- Kookaburra warns 'Beware'
- In the cella, old woman Crawley warns 'Beware!'
- Artemis, Angus and Gang returns home dragging with them a whore with a heart-of-gold. They throw her on the table, feed her wines of 3 different colours, rip of her clothes, kill her and cut off her meat.
- Angus cuts off the finger which flies through the air and into Beth's tits.
- Old Woman Crawley calls up from the cellar ,'Bed time boys, look for the severed finger tomorrow.'
- Old Woman Crawley sneakily pours a sleeping draught in to their wines and drug them.
- When they are asleep, Beth sneaks up from the cellar stepping over their bodies as she makes her way outside
- Once outside, Beth sees the trail of beans which have sprouted up and follow them home
- Wedding banquet. Beth makes a toast retelling her 'dream' She ends by pulling out the severed finger.
- The 'mob' lynches the evil gang.
Engels Bird
– Frontier town/ shanty town
– No authorities, lawless society
– Brothels, grog/ sly houses, some basic businesses such as mining supplies store
– Makeshift homes of scrap wood and metal
The Billabong
– Where the wedding banquet takes place
The Gold Fields
– Props for mining
– Horses
– Loads of chinese/ immigrants in makeshit tents
Another photoshop tutorial
At present we are doing pre-production art for a Grimm's brother fairytale. It has really motivated me to improve my photoshop painting skills.
Here is a cheats way for making a wood texture….
Some easy photoshop tutorials
Here are a couple of photoshop tutorials I found which were helpful. Probably very easy for most people. I'm doing a wedding invitation design for a friend who specifically requested hearts and roses despite the advice of interested people.
So I did a few preliminary sketches and decided the least tacky way to incorporate hearts was to do it like a swinging chunky pendulum and make it like a metal locket.
So I had to find a tutorial on making objects look metallic. This provided one way of doing it which could be tweaked and played with to get many different effects….
And I found this tut while I was at it…..
Godfather script
I watched the Godfather for the first time last week….AND THEN RE-WATCHED IT A WEEK LATER JUST TO ANALYSE THE STORYBOARDS. Damn pre-production. I've never re-watched anything in my life! My movie watching experience has been completely changed (mutter, mutter, grumble)
Then I went to http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Godfather.html and grabbed the opening segment of the script.
godfather script -opening sequence
So here is a rough broken down storyboard of The Godfather opening sequence. I probably should have used the storyboards provided in class. Oh well, if good intentions count, I intend to analyse a storyboard a fortnight. Its actually very helpful. I wish I'd done it BEFORE i handed in the animatic.
The drawings are very rough but I see how the director has set up the whole scene in his head beforehand and then just staged cameras at different locations to slowly, slowly reveal the entire scene.
More character designs for stupid alien script
So here are some more character and costume designs for the alien script…..
It turned out to be a good idea to do profile, 3/4, front on and back view for the main characters. I ended up cutting them up in photoshop and pasting them directly onto the storyboard. It was a good way to work out which characters need to go where to balance the shot and to create a more interesting design.


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Kate Gibb, 'The End?'
The latest edition of Granta magazine entitled Exit Strategies, arrived at the studio today.
Browsing through a couple of illustrations really caught my eye. Closer inspection revealed the artistic perpetrator as Grantas own Art Director, Michael Salu.
Michael Salu, 'America'.
As if he isn't busy enough, Michael has started the Granta blog. Documenting their varied creative pursuits it offers you a chance to sample them individually. Look for yourself here & worth keeping in check with for sure.


text: Complementing the online directory of businesses situated close by the W&OD Trail that serve craft beer on premises, bikeablebrews.com has released a directory of craft brew venues located within a mile of the Custis Trail in north Arlington. The Custis Trail provides a link between the W&OD Trail and the Mount Vernon Trail or Georgetown; it extends 4 miles from mile marker 4 of the W&OD to the foot of Key Bridge in Rosslyn, and along the way passes within a mile of some 20 bars and restaurants whose menus offer an array of craft beers. These places focus on products of local area breweries and other small breweries around the country. The directory presents business names and addresses along with maps and directions from the trail. The ultimate mission of Bikeablebrews is to create craft brew directories for handy reference by cyclists and hikers on all the major northern Virginia trails.


text: I just bought a new powerbook 15" (MY FIRST MAC EVER!) and i'm wondering if anyone can suggest a good bag so i'm able to tote this thing around with me. I am a student so i really need a lot of extra space for my books and such. I've come across a couple of shoulder bags on Apple's website, but it's hard to tell much from a picture. Anyone ever used an STM or Timbuk2 shoulder bag with their laptop? How's the durability, storage capacity, etc. One other question - how well do the Kensington notebook locks work? I'm always away from home with my laptop and have never worried about it being out of my sight while out in public (because it's an old piece of crap Toshiba). With my powerbook i will be much less inclined to just leave it lying around out in public. Any suggestions?


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Northern Ireland Personal Current Account Order 2008 review
The CMA reviewed the Northern Ireland Personal Current Account (PCA) Banking Market Investigation Order 2008.
Case timetable
|August 2016
|Final decision and notice of intention to revoke the order published
|17 May 2016
|Provisional decision published
|18 September 2015
|Deadline for parties' submissions on the invitation to comment following the opening of the review of the order
|28 August 2015
|Northern Ireland PCA Order review opened
Email: email@example.com
Final decision
Articles 1 to 3, 7.1 to 7.3, 9 to 10 and Schedules 1, 2 and 3 remain in force.
- (23.5.18)
- (14.10.16)
- (10.8.16)
- (9.8.16)
Responses to provisional decision
Combined responses to the NI PCA Order and SME undertakings can be found on the SME undertakings case page.
- (15.6.16)
Provisional decision
- (17.5.16)
Review of order group appointed
28 August 2015: The CMA has appointed the group for the review of the order.
Alasdair Smith (Chair), Tom Hoehn, Philip Marsden, Jill May, and Ed Smith.
- (28.8.15)
Decision to undertake review
28 August 2015: Following consultation and having taken into account the submissions of a number of parties 1, the CMA has decided to review the Northern Ireland Personal Current Account (PCA) Order. The review will consider whether there has been any change of circumstances such that any of the provisions of the order should be varied or revoked.
- (28.8.15)
- Review of Northern Ireland PCA consultation (20.5.15)
The CMA is also investigating the supply of personal current accounts (PCAs) and of banking services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and reviewing the 2002 SME undertakings.
This review will be conducted alongside the PCA and SME market investigation by the same group of panel members conducting the market investigation.
Invitation to comment: closes on 18 September 2015
The CMA invites parties and those interested in the order to submit any evidence and views on whether the order should remain, or be varied or revoked.
The CMA will use the evidence received and carry out its own analysis, and a provisional decision will be made by the appointed group members.
Please send written representations on the above issues by email by 5pm on 18 September 2015 to email@example.com.
We received submissions from AIB Group (UK) plc (trading as First Trust Bank), Bacs Payment Schemes Limited, Bank of Ireland (UK) plc, Barclays Bank plc, the Consumer Council of Northern Ireland, Northern Bank Limited (trading as Danske Bank), HSBC Bank plc, Lloyds Banking Group plc, Santander UK plc, Tesco Personal Finance plc (trading as Tesco Bank) and Ulster Bank Ltd. ↩
Last updated 23 May 2018 + show all updates
- Notice of revocation order published.
- Notice of revocation of the order published.
- Notice of intention to revoke the order published.
- Final decision published.
- Response to provisional decision published.
- Provisional decision published.
- Timetable updated.
- First published.


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IAESTE Graz - Sprachtest
IAESTE Graz
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM (CET)
Event Details
The language test is an oral test with a max. duration of 15 min. A native english speaker will ask you some questions in order to grade your english level. The test costs 10 Euro.
Please make sure that you will attend the test when you apply for it, if you can not come then cancel the appointment so other students can do the language test.
When & Where
Graz University of Technology
Inffeldgasse 10, 2. OG
8010 Graz
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM (CET)
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IAESTE Graz
IAESTE is a international organisation who organizes paid internships in more than 80 countries all over the world. Those internships are for regular students in technical field of studies.


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Traditionally the Windows Phone 8 system provides the necessary mechanisms to play a sound for each and every action performed. These actions can range from small actions like a key press to significantly higher methods like camera shutter, or other notifications from respective applications. Therefore providing the sound to the user is a beneficial utility with respect to notifying the individual about the respective phenomenon. But over a period of time, this can get irritating in various instances. It is irksome that the phone will play a sound on every time the user presses a key. This can also result in draining the battery. Hence described below is a sequential procedure to disable these sounds for your own good.
- At the beginning, go to the app list & choose Settings by simply swiping to the left of the screen.
- After you enter the Settings section, next you should select the "ringtones + sounds" option. This is present at the top of the screen.
- Thereafter you can view several options that you can enable or disable. This can be found at the bottom of ringtones + sounds section and it is present under "Play a sound for". Usually all the elements are predefined to provide notifications to the user. Thus the individual is notified by sound for all the elements like Reminders, Key press, Lock and unlock, Camera shutter. Here you will have to uncheck the options which you want to mute.
- After you uncheck the respective options, you have completed your motive. However at a later point of time if you wish to re-enable any sound elements again, then you will have to repeat the aforementioned steps.


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June H. Jacoby of Medford passed away Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at Samaritan Hospice, Mount Holly. She was 86.
Beloved wife of the late Joseph Jacoby, she is survived by a daughter, Marcie Jacoby; a son and daughter-in-law, Thomas J. and Amy M. Jacoby; her grandson and granddaughter-in-law, Joseph T. and Alyssa Jacoby; two nephews, Timothy and Thomas Howard; three nieces, Mary Harris, Nancy Howard, and Christine Seaver; as well as other relatives and friends.
Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the Corpus Christi R.C. Church, 11 South Sunset Road, Willingboro. Relatives and friends please meet directly at the church. Interment will be in Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, N.J.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to Samaritan Hospice, 5 Eves Dr., Suite 300, Marlton, NJ 08053 in her memory. Goes-Scolieri Funeral Home,
212 Levitt Pkwy.,


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Spot the Difference and you're a winner in this hard-to-resist puzzle game. Compete collectively or individually in fast paced photo fun, using just one DS cartridge for up to four players! Over 200 themed photographic puzzles means hours of fun for players of all ages! Own the game that everyone already loves! Foto Frenzy!


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Best Friend Quotes Favorite
20 Caring Sister Quotes
Friendship Poems about Betrayal by Teens
Rape Poems - Poems about Rape
Best Friend Quotes / Our favorite photos and quotes about having a
Janet Gurtler- YA Addict: Best Friends With (Your Fave Authors)
best quotes the best quotes the best quotes the best quotes the best
best quotes, the best love quotes, quotes about love, quotes on love
Short Love Poems - Short Poems about Love
Inspirational Quotes About Life: Best Friends PreDesigned Script
Poems about the Death of an Uncle
you. Best friends are like viagra, lift you up when you are down
Posted by Fabulously Fashionable at 8:03 AM
home poems friendship poems friends i m sorry poems friends i m sorry
Best Mom Rhyming Quotes. QuotesGram
thank you all for the treasure of your friendship faith quote
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Best Friend Day


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ZeroTolerance writes:
"With Dangerous Hunts 2009 the formula receives yet another change; instead of simply giving you weapons, an environment to hunt in and an objective the team has actually attempted to compose a story into the mix. The results are a mixed bag, but credit has to be given to the developers for trying to stray from the norm.
Everything in the game is laid out like a traditional FPS and even encourages you to adopt the run-and-gun attitude due to the time restraint set on each level. When you begin a level you have a set of objectives, some are side missions and can be completed or left alone depending on if you are going for those coveted Achievements. Usually you are hunting a specific animal and along your course of action will be introduced to several other species that you can simply blast away."
+ Wide assortment of weapons
+ New concept shows promise
+ Solid visuals
- Never feels challenging
- Poor sound
- Suffers from archaic problems found in most games of this type
Who the hell keeps buying these games?!!
Th series doesn't die out.Its insane


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Media Options
Media Options
Goodman speaks with NIgerian author and playwright Wole Soyinka, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986. Soyinka, in exile in America, will be speaking in Washington, while the UN discusses possible sanctions against the military dictatorship in Democracy.
Soyinka discusses his life-long political activism, his imprisonment in the 1960s, and his current opposition to Nigerian dictator General Sani Abacha.
- Wole Soyinka, writer and professor at Emory University
The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.


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The J.D. Byrider Advantage
At J.D. Byrider, we are a buy here pay here dealership, and that means we finance you not your credit. If you have been turned down by other dealerships before, the team at J.D. Byrider could still put you behind the wheel of a great reliable car today. J.D. Byrider has helped over 1 million customers with our no haggle pricing, low payments, and amazing customer service, and we can't wait to help you next!
If you've been turned down before, J.D. Byrider could put you in a reliable used car today. We have a simple approval process and personalized low payments. PLUS our no-haggle pricing, low initial payments and better customer service have helped over 1 million customers.
J.D. Byrider in Easton serves many communities in Eastern Pennsylvania. We encourage you to come visit us or browse through our website and get approved online today!
In addition to our financing services, we offer three separate service contracts, like our **24-month, 24,000-mile contract, to those who purchase a vehicle! To learn the details, be sure to contact us!
*Does not include tax, title or fees. Limited offer with approved credit on select vehicles at participating dealers. See participating dealer for full details and down payment required. Your down payment may vary. Sample deal: 40 monthly payments of $34.97 per $1000 financed at 21% APR. Vehicle subject to availability.
**Limited offer with approved credit on select vehicles.
At participating dealers. Programs, pricing, and services may vary. See dealer for details. Each J.D. Byrider location is independently owned and operated.
**J.D. Byrider is not authorized to make safety recall repairs, so vehicles may be subject to open recalls. Visit www.safecar.gov for more information about recalls.


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About Us
We differentiate ourselves through the use of technology. We utilize laser measuring tools and flooring software which result in better seam layout, less waste and more accurate estimates and invoices.
We also provide technology for our customers based on customer feedback. Our customers can access invoices online within 48-72 hours. For those that wish to go paperless, they may review, approve and forward invoices online. Property personnel can use our online settlement calculator for SODA closeouts, access our budgeting tools to track all expenses and create owner reports for fee-managed properties.
Contractor's State License Board number: #884057


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Bijolias Indian, has emerged as a restaurant, which strives to exceed its own expectations through persistance and determination. Our efforts are based upon the fundamental foundations of immaculate customer service.
Through an amalgamation of an exquisite cuisine and intricate presentations, our staff and chef prioritize each individual as if they were our first.
Bijolias Indian has been a Seaforth diner for 10 years, with Head Chef Ajay Mathur running the culinary show, and Neeta Mathur playing the charming host.
Ajay began his professional career in the kitchens of prestigious 5-star Indian hotels, and brought his talent over to Sydney Hotels.
Creating masterful innovative Indian food, along with bringing Neeta's 25 years of customer service experience, this duo pride themselves on providing their customers with a unique culinary experience. This is modern Indian at its best!
Shop 5/540, Sydney Road
(opposite Commonwealth Bank)
Seaforth, NSW 2092
02 99493641
EMAIL ID : firstname.lastname@example.com


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Locums Pulmonology/Critical Care Physician Needed in Wisconsin - WBY# JOB-2401622
- Employer
- Weatherby Healthcare
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Posted
- May 17, 2018
- Ref
- Specialty
- Pulmonary Disease
- Position Type
- Locum Tenens
A Wisconsin-based medical facility seeks pulmonary/critical care physician to assist with locum tenens coverage. The shift times are from 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Locums physician will see four to eight critical care patients per day. The ideal candidate will be board certified and have an active, unrestricted Wisconsin medical license and immediate availability. Assistance with hospital privileges will be provided. Weatherby Healthcare covers malpractice, travel, and housing while on assignment. To learn more, give us a call today and speak with an expert consultant for details.
- Inpatient with ICU
- 24-hour shifts
- Adult patients only
- Board certification preferred
- No sleep medicine
- Paid malpractice insurance
- Pre-paid travel and housing expenses
- Competitive compensation
- 24-hour access to your Weatherby Healthcare consultant
- Charter member of NALTO


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OK class, today we're going to explore some of the myths and facts about Health Care Reform and Insurance in America.
There is quite a lot of rhetoric and lying going on by Republicans and Insurance industry-backed "Tea Partiers." These lies and distortions rely on an important fact of life in America: No one understands their own health insurance.
It's true, most of the people with health insurance in America fumble blindly in the dark hoping they hit the right combination of paperwork to make the Insurance slot machine pay that bill.
So, let's look at the lies and the realities of having insurance in America, shall we?
First, please locate your insurance card from your wallet or purse. Now, look carefully at that card because we're going to be looking for some key terms on it.
Myth: Health Care Reform will mean that you will be assigned a doctor and will no longer be able to choose what doctor you wish to see. In America, we are free to choose any doctor we want!
Fact: Refer to your insurance card. Do you see two different "co-pays" listed for "in network" and "out of network"? Do you see the magic letters "HMO" or "PPO"? If so, you are not free to choose any doctor you wish. You probably received a list of "network" doctors when you signed up. You may have even been required to choose a doctor at that time as your "primary care" doctor from that list. You will not be able to see "any" doctor you want unless you're willing to pay out of pocket. The same holds true for hospitals, pharmacies, and even durable medical equipment suppliers.
If you change employers or if your employer changes insurance you will be provided with a different Preferred Provider list. If your current doctor, hospital or pharmacy isn't on it then you'll be forced by your INSURANCE COMPANY to change. You will not get to say "No, I don't want to change." unless you're willing to pay higher fees or forgo insurance reimbursement completely.
Real life horror story:
On February 7, 2008 our family was shattered when we lost our one and only son Clinton Ron Walker at the age of 17.For over a year, Clinton had suffered strange seizures that would rack his body and cause him to run, jump and moan for over 2 or 3 minutes. He went to the pediatrician who wanted to send him to a special clinic but my insurance AETNA denied our request.After months of visiting several doctors, and receiving a misdiagnoses of panic attacks, our pediatrician found a new neurologist who was set to take on Clinton's case using my husbands' insurance plan.The week that he was schedule to see the new doctor Clinton died.We later learned he had a heart defect that caused his seizures. Had our insurance allowed us to take him to the special clinic where there was a cardiologist on staff we believe he could have been saved and alive today. Please help us get insurance companies to let us see a variety of health care providers for our children. -- Candace Walker, Newnan GA
Myth: Health Care Reform will put in bureaucrat in charge of your healthcare and he/she will tell your doctor what drugs they can prescribe and what treatments are necessary. Health Insurers would never dabble in the Patient-Doctor relationship.
Fact: If you have insurance your doctor has very little latitude in his treatment options. Again, did you receive a "formulary" when you got your health insurance documents from your employer? That is the list of all the acceptable drugs your insurance company allows your doctor to prescribe. If your doctor wants to prescribe a drug that isn't on the list you will have to file an "appeal" and wait weeks or months for the insurance company to (usually) deny it or you will have to pay for the medication out of your own pocket regardless of cost. Even if the drug is covered, it might be a "Tier 1" or a "Tier 2" or a "Tier 3" drug. Depending on that classification you will have to pay more for the drug. Often the highest priced drugs are the most vital for the preservation of life. These drugs are often not covered by insurance or are covered at markedly reduced rates making them impossible for ordinary patients to afford.
In addition, the insurer often decides exactly what treatment is "appropriate" for your illness based on their own bottom line. What you and your doctor may feel is appropriate, your insurer might think is inappropriate, particularly if it is expensive. This is particularly true of alternative therapies and adjunctive therapies that are never covered by health insurance.
Real life horror story:
Blue Shield of California is denying me life-saving and life-prolonging treatments. I am 36 years old and have Blue Shield HMO health insurance coverage through my employer.
In January 2009, I was diagnosed with metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer. When discovered, it had already spread to my bones, lungs, liver, and brain. My doctors prescribed a medication that targets and removes the cancer throughout the body like a "smart bomb"; however Blue Shield of California denied coverage of my doctors' recommended treatment. Blue Shield also denied a radiation procedure that would target and remove the two lesions in my brain.
In both cases, Blue Shield denied the original requests and subsequent appeals I filed on the grounds that the treatments are not a medical necessity. I have learned that insurance companies will use "medical necessity" as an excuse to not cover treatment when it appears that the patient is "too sick" (read: not worth it). -- Megan Jones Altadena, CA
Myth: Insurance is readily available as long as you're willing to work. If you are unemployed then you're covered by Medicaid.
Fact: That's one of the biggest lies spread by heartless and ignorant people. In fact, it's a lie I heard just the other week from an old friend in nursing who should know better. Although she's a great nurse, hearing her say this has made me question whether I would ever want her to give me or a loved one care because it showed amazing hubris.
The reality is that even if you have insurance with your employer, there is no guarantee you will be able to get insurance if you change employers should you have a "pre-existing condition." Likewise, in many states, if you are unemployed you are not eligible for Medicaid unless you have children or are disabled. This means that someone who loses their job because of an illness also loses their insurance. Once they lose their insurance the illness can no longer be treated and worsens.
My real life horror story:
This was exactly what happened to me before my liver transplant. I began having strange symptoms that eventually caused me to have to take a leave of absence from work. When I returned to work it was only part time and my insurance premiums tripled. In fact, I was paying all but $5 of my weekly wages for insurance! After a few weeks it was obvious I would not be able to continue working and had to leave my job completely or be fired. I lost my insurance.For months I could not see a doctor about my worsening symptoms because we could not afford the cost of visits and the numerous tests. It was not until I was in complete liver failure and taken to a hospital that I was diagnosed with liver disease. It was only through the efforts of a social worker and medicaid specialist on staff that I finally was listed as disabled and placed on Medicaid so I could get a transplant. That process took almost 3 months.Now, I am stuck in limbo. If I return to work full time I will not be covered by insurance for my check-ups and frequent lab tests to make sure I am not rejecting my liver. I will not be provided with the hugely expensive drugs I must take every day to prevent rejection of the organ. I will not be able to get surgery to treat incisional hernias that seem to develop like clockwork because of the poor state of my abdominal muscles before my transplant.
Myth: Health Care Reform will cause huge "waiting lists" for vital procedures. With private insurance corporations, there is never a wait. You just go to the doctor and get what you need!
Fact: Insurance companies thrive on the delay of care. Does your insurance packet mention you must be "pre-approved" for certain tests, medications, procedures, or surgeries? If so, welcome to the waiting list for care!
A pre-approval straddles the gulf between rationing care and insurance clerks prescribing care. In the pre-approval process, the insurance company wants to do two things. First, they want to put you off getting whatever treatment is needed as long as possible. After all, maybe you'll decide not to have it or maybe you'll die. Either way, it helps the bottom line. Second, they want every opportunity to deny expensive treatments. This means that your "pre-approval" is likely to be denied. Even if it is not, you can expect them to delay as long as possible with various forms required from your already overworked doctor. These forms will then be "reviewed" by a board who will decide if your own doctor knows what he's doing. Sound like the nightmare spun by the Insurance Company Tea Partiers yet? It's an old tactic called transference. They are actually telling you what they do as corporate policy but pretending it will be what happens under a government-sponsored public option!
Real life horror story:
For profit healthcare killed my wife. On my birthday, August 5, 2008, my wife and I went to see a cardiologist. She was told that she would have to wait seven days to get approval from her insurance company to proceed with testing. Stress testing and radioactive imaging were performed. Despite her family history and risk factors no additional test were run. On September 7, 2008 Becky passed away from Sudden Cardiac Arrest Syndrome. - John, Nashville TN
Myth: If you work, you get health insurance from your company. So don't worry about it, you don't need a government option.
Fact: In Arizona alone, 60% of small businesses do not offer any health insurance coverage for their employees. This means that the "backbone of the economy" (to quote Republicans) is made up of uninsured lower-wage workers who cannot afford to purchase health insurance on their own and whose employers refuse to provide help for them.
Tax credits or rebates are not helpful for lower income people because it requires that they still pay out of pocket and wait for a reimbursement at some point in the future. This means that if they don't have an extra few thousand to buy a policy in the first place, they won't be able to get the credit down the road. A convenient oversight for rich Republicans to whom a few thousand is something spent on lunch.
Even in cases where plans are available through employers, there are often minimum hour requirements meaning those employees who fall even an hour short of the cut-off are not eligible.
Real life horror story:
I have not had healthcare in over 3 years I am a temp at my job and they do not provide benefits. However, they say I am not eligible for Medicaid. In no way can I afford to pay for healthcare at the prices they charge.
I am a 35 year old woman with health issues who cannot even see a doctor. I was diagnosed with Fibroids after suffering a miscarriage I had to stay in the hospital and have a D&C performed with no insurance the bill was about 5k.
I can't afford to pay so now I'm in collections. On top of that never have been able to have a follow up to see if my condition has progressed. I have so many aches and pains and yet I have to choose between my health and paying my rent of feeding my kids.
I have worked hard all my life and due to the economy and rough times am stuck in a job that will not provide me benefits but I need to work to support my family. There is a history of ovarian cancer in my family but I can't even afford to get a check-up. It scares me because my family depends on me and if something happen I wouldn't know until its too late. I hope and pray every day for affordable healthcare just so I can take care of myself. - Lissette, NY
I urge you to visit the Health Care Action Center and read the hundreds of stories about our broken system and how corporate insurance is grinding up our citizens for profit. The stories on the site are stunning and heartbreaking. In fact, I think the answer to the Insurance Company Teabaggers' screaming would be to read those stories one after the other and ignore their screams. After all, are they getting employer-based coverage from the insurance companies paying them to protest in the streets?
Class dismissed.


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I'd never seen one before, but I knew the bird people were all over the old city. I'd seen their flimsy, scaffolded towers rising out of the slums across a five mile stretch of Islamic Cairo, and I'd seen the big flags waving across the crumbling skyline, swung by unseen hands for unknown reasons. I knew the towers were for birds and that the people who climbed them were bird people, and that was all.
Wandering a dead and dilapidated stretch of homes, tombs and garbage dumps, I spotted a silhouetted body in a nearby tower. It leaned against a fence enclosing the top of the tower, twenty meters above the dusty alley where I stood. Another body came into view as I climbed the brick wall behind me. They were both just boys. The second one had a red flag swinging from his wrist over the fence. A flock of pigeons shot into view over the tower and began circling over the alley. The closer of the boys turned towards the fence and looked in my direction. I waved his attention and pointed to the tower. He gave a friendly wave back, motioning to a grungy stairwell around the corner.
After a dark climb up three flights of stairs I saw the boy's face, opening a hatch in the roof and holding out a hand to shake. He introduced himself as Tarek and we both climbed the wooden ladder to the top of the tower. His brother was just as happy to meet me, and just as happy as I was to meet real bird people in an actual bird tower. Islamic Cairo spread beneath us in the dusk light, with the enormous Sultan Hassan Mosque silhouetted to the southwest. The boys got back to work, ignoring me as I paced around the platform.
The bird people were small, as I'd imagined. Tarik was 16 while his brother looked about 12. He said they'd been bird-handlers since their earliest memories, and that the same went for their fathers and their fathers' fathers. Perhaps even much further back in time, considering pigeon has been an Egyptian treat since the Pharaohs. Tarik explained that their jobs, at least as boys, were picked out for them long before they were born. Lucky for them, they both felt passionately about birds.
As the younger one busied himself with the flag, Tarek began opening a series of small hatches that lined the tower. Pigeons scurried out from their feeding cells and shot into the air just as fast as he opened them, one by one, until they were all empty and the two boys stood tracing the circling flock with affectionate eyes, whistling and pointing out familiar birds as if they knew them all by name.
When I emerged from the stairwell I continued up towards Sultan Hassan in the fading light. I'd put a face to the bird people but there remained something mysterious about the things they did in their fragile, stilted towers. Dozens of other towers and red flags across the old city now competed with Tarek's, and strange whistles followed me down to the mosque.


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International Journal of Antennas and Propagation
Volume 2014, Article ID 578792, 9 pages
Property Analysis of MIMO-Based Missile-Borne Forward-Looking SAR
National Laboratory of Radar Signal Processing, Xidian University, Xi'an 710071, China
Received 28 February 2014; Revised 18 June 2014; Accepted 27 June 2014; Published 14 July 2014
Academic Editor: Wei Xu
Copyright © 2014 Yachao Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
As a special multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar networking mode, missile-borne forward-looking synthetic aperture radar (MFL-SAR) has many potential applications. This paper describes and analyzes properties of this new configuration. Range history and Doppler history are analyzed and derived using the designed geometric configuration. Then the expressions of range and Doppler resolution are determined based on the validity of two-dimensional (2D) resolution imaging capability. To help to design the proper system and motion parameters of this configuration, key parameters affecting the imaging ability are found out. Due to high velocities and accelerations of both transmitter and receiver, high-order terms in the slant range equation should be kept to reduce the approximation error. The range resolution and Doppler resolution of MFL-SAR are both space-variant and time-variant owing to the complexity of this configuration. The tiny changes of 2D resolution during the synthetic aperture time should be considered when designing the imaging algorithm of MFL-SAR.


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I was recently out to dinner and saw a beautiful woman dining with her husband and grown children. I was smitten with her sense of style and commented to a friend that she looked chic, classic, and age appropriate. I know I am often guilty of buying pieces that are trendy and "of the moment". I love wearing them once or twice but often regret seeing them in my closet the next season. Following trends is fun but as I head into my 40s I am really working on creating a wardrobe that is simple, classic and ladylike. Below is my take on a classic summer combo – quite similar to what this elegant lady had on the other night. Clothes worth the investment.
{Equipment Blouse, Velvet Toni Skinny Jeans, Hermes Oran Slides, Gold Cuff, Tassel Bracelet, Screw Cuff}


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Does Modi's 'hung UP Assembly' remark show BJP is getting nervous?
The statement may be some sort of clever strategy best known to a wily politician like him, but it is definitely defeatist.
- Total Shares
Something remarkable has happened in the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, which completed five of its seven phases of voting on February 27.
Or else, how do you interpret Bharatiya Janata Party's star campaigner Prime Minister Narendra Modi voicing apprehensions of a hung Assembly in the state in the middle of the campaign?
How often have you seen a top leader of a ruling party at the Centre who also happens to be the prime minister of the country talking about the spectre of a hung Assembly for a prime state which is yet to have two more rounds of polling?
This is precisely what Modi has done at an election rally in Mau, UP, on February 27. At this election rally, during his hour-long speech, he came out with guns blazing against the BJP's two main rivals, the Samajwadi Party (which is contesting the elections in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress) and the Bahujan Samaj Party which is going solo.
Modi spoke of the dangers of a hung house in UP and launched a new attack on the SP and the BSP. So far, so good. But the problem is that he talked of a hung house. Why?
Is it Modi's nervousness that his party is losing the electoral plot or an admission that rival parties are better placed than his BJP?
One doesn't know. Probably nobody knows. But Modi being the prime minister has the entire state apparatus to afford him a sneak peek or a bit of crystal ball gazing which other parties cannot.
But first see the operative portion of the Modi-speak at the Mau rally. This is what he said: "You (SP, BSP) might be thinking that in case of a hung House, you will get a chance to bargain but the people of UP have shown you in the Lok Sabha polls, by ensuring a full majority to BJP, and in these elections, they will ensure that BJP wins with a huge margin."
This is amazing; almost unbelievable that a prime minister in the middle of an election campaign in an-all crucial state like UP chooses to make such a remark!A low voter turnout does not have happy portents for the BJP. Photo: PTI
The confusion gets confounded when one considers the fact that the fifth phase of polling produced a low voter turnout of just 57.36 per cent. The first four phases of UP polls saw voter turnouts of 64 per cent, 65 per cent, 61.16 per cent and 61 per cent, respectively.
A low voter turnout does not have happy portents for the BJP. In the scenario of a BJP wave, one would have seen a high voter turnout. But that has not happened.
Is this what is worrying PM Modi? Is this the reason behind his hung Assembly remark? Nobody knows for sure but this is definitely a valid question.
Modi loves one thing the most: delivering high-decibel, rhetorical speeches, preferably at public rallies - whether in the country or abroad. He is premium gold and betters his very best if he is addressing rallies. And why not, because he single-handedly piloted his party to unprecedented victory in the April-June May 2014 general elections on the strength of his rhetoric, making mincemeat of the entire Opposition in the process.
He is unfazed about the Opposition's sarcasm that he is full of himself and is nothing but "I, me and myself". He cares two hoots as long he is delivering for his party. Now, 33 months after his current prime ministerial tenure, he is still going strong - even after losing Bihar more than a year ago.
Talking about a hung Assembly scenario in the middle of the election campaign may be some sort of clever strategy best known to a wily politician like Modi, but it is definitely a defeatist kind of remark.
Modi is not known to make defeatist remarks. In the past half of his tenure he has never made such defeatist remarks in state Assembly elections. There have been many state elections and Modi has won most of them hands down for his party.
But this time, the UP elections seem to be different.
Also read: Will Ayodhya return to BJP this UP election?


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Regarding Mike Boehm's review of Wayne Newton at the Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim (Calendar, July 18):
... If (Boehm) was really at that show, he must have reviewed it from the parking lot. It doesn't appear that he saw or heard the same thing that Mr. Newton's sellout crowd heard: a man with a voice that seems to make all hang on to every word, the talent to play many different instruments, and so much enthusiasm that he had his audience on their feet clapping and yelling several times.
After living in Reno for many years, I've seen a large number of entertainers, both cabaret and headliners, and never have I seen anyone who puts more into a show than Mr. Newton.
I heard opinions from 15 different people who attended Saturday's show. . . . They had only praise for the entire show, unlike your reviewer who had not one good thing to say.


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Brazil's - ITORORO Eco-Lodge
ITORORO Eco-Lodge - The New Serra dos Tucanos!
Saturday 6th May – Saturday 13th May 2017
Set amidst the Atlantic rainforest near the Tres Picos State Park, Serra dos Tucanos was almost a birdwatcher's paradise. The only problem was the nearby road that took away the peace and quiet which birders and wildlife enthusiast so crave! Taking this on board Andy has moved to a wonderful new location and a superb lodge that guarentees not only fabulous birding around the grounds but also tranquility and peace. This superb lodge called Itororo Eco-Lodge provides the perfect combination of easy, relaxed birding with the guarantee of an exceptionally high species list! With streams and a pool, together with large landscaped gardens, with an array of flowering and fruiting trees and plants the grounds alone attract a wealth of bird species. Surrounded by rainforest at an altitude of 1200m and tucked away in its own private valley of 50 acres, the property is located within the 58.790ha Tres Picos State Park. The lodge offers comfortable accommodation together with great birding opportunities and easy access to a whole host of other birding sites within the local area. With Andy's 15 years of experience leading tours in this bird rich part of Brazil you will not be in better hands. Join us at the new Itororo Eco-Lodge and discover Atlantic rainforest Birding at its best.
Day 1 Arrive Rio de Janeiro - Itororo Eco-Lodge - 06th May
We plan on a morning arrival in Rio de Janeiro where we will then transfer 2.5hrs to our wonderful new accommodation. Upon arrival at the lodge we will quickly settle in and spend the remainder of the day birding around the lodges grounds and trails. Species we hope to see include Black Hawk-Eagle, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Scale-throated Hermit, Plovercrest, Violet-capped Woodnymph, White-throated Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby, Black-throated trogon, Spot-billed Toucanet, Yellow-browed Woodpecker, Pallid Spinetail, White-collared Foliage-gleaner, White-throated Woodcreeper, Scaled Woodcreeper, Black-billed Scythebill, Bertoni's Antbird, Ochre-rumped Antbird, Brazilian Antthrush, Blue Manakin, Pin-tailed Manakin, White-rimmed Warbler, Fawn-breasted, Golden-chevroned, Azure shouldered, Ruby-crowned and Brassy-breasted Tanagers, Uniform Finch and Green-winged Saltator.
Day 2 Pico de Caladonia - 07th May
This full day excursion is aimed at seeing the small number of endemics that exist above 1500 metres. Our day begins with a 20 minute drive to get as high as possible towards 2000 metres in altitude. Using 4x4 vehicles will enable to avoid the strenuous walk up and to start our birding at the top and work our way down! By arriving early we stand a good chance of seeing the rare and endemic Grey-winged Cotinga, plus Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Swallow-tailed Cotinga and Black-and-Gold Cotinga and near the summit we hope to encounter the rare and endemic Itatiaia Thistletail. As we walk slowly down the steep road we will see a change in habitat to small stunted trees surrounded by bamboo and other low vegetation. Along the way we will try for Brazilian Antthrush and Mouse-colored Tapaculo, while further down we hope to see Bay-chested Warbling Finch, Diademed Tanager, Blue-billed Black Tyrant and Rufous-tailed Antbird.
Day 3 Portao Azul - 08th May
After a 30 minute drive we arrive at the beginning of this fantastic trail. We shall leave the minibus to walk a trail for the remainder of the day. What makes this trail so good is the mixture of habitats that this area offers, it is also a stronghold for the endemic Half-collared Sparrow, sometimes difficult to see in other areas this species is abundant here. Other birds that we expect to see during the morning include Dusky-legged Guan, Scale-throated Hermit, Glittering-bellied Emerald, White-throated Hummingbird, Saffron Toucanet, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Grey-bellied Spinetail, Pallid Spinetail, White-collared Foliage Gleaner, Black-billed Scythebill, Giant Antshrike, White-bearded Antshrike, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Bertonis Antbird, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Gilt-edged Tanager, Buffy-fronted Seedeater and Uniform Finch.
Day 4 Wetlands and Lowland Forest - 09th May
Today we will take a drive of just over an hour to the Reserva Ecologica de Guapi Acu where we will spend a full day exploring the wetland areas together with the lowland forest. Species we expect to see here amongst others include Whistling and Capped Heron, Brazilian Teal, Masked Duck, Grey-headed Kite, Savanna Hawk, Limpkin, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, Yellowish Pipit and Chestnut-capped Blackbird. Surrounding the wetland is lowland forest, a habitat very difficult to encounter as much of this habitat has been destroyed in the past, we venture into this forest in the hope of finding species such as Reddish Hermit, White-chinned Sapphire, Rufous-capped Motmot, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, White-flanked Antwren, Unicolored Antwren, Brazilian Laniisoma (Shrike-like Cotinga) and Long-billed Wren.
Day 5 Three-toed Jacamar and Open Country - 10th May
Many birders who visit south-east Brazil go in search of the endemic Three-toed Jacamar. On this full day excursion we visit several sites where this bird is regularly found. Along the way we pass through a variety of habitats and cover a fair distance (140 km) stopping regularly en-route to look for other species. Our target bird is the Three-toed Jacamar (!), however... other birds we could encounter include Whistling and Capped Heron, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Savanna Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Laughing Falcon, Aplomado Falcon, Red-legged Seriema, Blue-winged Macaw, White-eyed Parakeet, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Striped Cuckoo, Planalto Hermit, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Amethyst Woodstar, White-eared Puffbird, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Black-necked Aracari, White Woodpecker, Band-tailed Hornero, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher, Gray and White-rumped Monjita, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Long-tailed Tyrant, White-rumped and Tawny-headed Swallow, Black-capped Donacobius, Curl-crested Jay, Magpie, Hooded, Hepatic, Brazilian and Gilt-edged Tanagers and Hooded Siskin.
Day 6 Theodoro Trail and Lodge Grounds - 11th May
After a 20 minute drive from the lodge we arrive at the beginning of the Theodoro Trail. Commencing at 1100m asl, this path offers superb birding. The entire length of this gradually descending trail used to be part of the old Cachoeiras - Nova Friburgo railway line and in places still remains surfaced with asphalt. Birds that can be seen include Brown Tinamou, Mantled Hawk, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, Plain Parakeet, Scale-throated Hermit, White-throated Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby, Black-throated and Surucua Trogon, Spot-billed Toucanet, White-barred Piculet, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Yellow-browed Woodpecker, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Streaked Xenops, White-browed Foliage Gleaner, Buff-fronted Foliage Gleaner, Black-capped Foliage Gleaner, White-eyed Foliage Gleaner, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, White-throated Woodcreeper, Lesser Woodcreeper, Scaled Woodcreeper, Variable Antshrike, Star-throated Antwren, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Slaty Bristlefront, Brazilian Antthrush, Variegated Antpitta, Bare-throated Bellbird, Sharpbill, Blue and Pin-tailed Manakin, Gray-hooded Atilla, Greenish Schiffornis and Brassy-breasted Tanager.We return to the lodge in time for lunch. The afternoon will be spent birding the lodge grounds.
Day 7 Serra dos Orgaos National Park - 12th May
The drive to this National Park in Teresopolis takes approximately 1.5 hours. The National Park is split into two sections, the lower and upper. We begin at the lower park where we will spend a couple of hours where we hope to see White-necked Hawk, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Rufous-capped Motmot, Spot-billed Toucanet, Yellow-fronted, Yellow-eared and Yellow-throated Woodpeckers, Pale-browed Treehunter, Buff-fronted Foliage-Gleaner, White-eyed Foliage-Gleaner, White-throated Woodcreeper, Plain and Spot-breasted Antvireo, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Blue Manakin, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Gray-hooded Atilla, Rufous-headed, Yellow-backed, Olive-green, Flame-crested and Golden-chevroned Tanagers and Red-rumped Cacique. We then return back to the vehicle and drive for a further 20 minutes to the upper section of the park. We will spend the rest of the day birding along a fantastic boardwalk. The boardwalk is a solid fixed structure (in other words it doesn't sway from side to side!), some parts of it are at canopy level and other parts run through some great patches of bamboo. Some of the birds we aim to see include Brown Tinamou, Mantled Hawk, Dusky-legged Guan, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Plumbeous Pigeon, White-throated Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby, Surucua and Black-throated Trogon, Saffron Toucanet, Yellow-eared and Yellow-browed Woodpecker, Pallid Spinetail, Sharp-billed Treehunter, Lesser and Scaled Woodcreeper, Black-billed Scythebill, Giant and Tufted Antshrike, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Bertonis and Ochre-rumped Antbird, Rufous-tailed Antthrush, Rufous Gnateater, Mouse-colored Tapaculo, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Black and Gold Cotinga, Hooded Berryeater, Bare-throated Bellbird, Blue and Pin-tailed Manakin, Rufous-crowned Greenlet, White-rimmed Warbler, Azure-shouldered, Fawn-breasted and Brassy-breasted Tanagers and Green-winged Saltator.
Day 8 Lodge and Departure - Saturday 13th May
This morning depending on flight times we may have time to bird the lodges grounds and trails in search of any new species before departure back to Rio de Janeiro and end of our tour.
Leaders: Andy Foster
Airfare: £650.00 - £750.00(Approx) - UK / UK Zoothera tour prices explained
Double en-suite room used as a single en-suite - £270.00
Group size: Maximum 10.
Included in cost: Accommodation in twin rooms en-suite, transfer to/from Rio airport, ground transport throughout, all entrance fees to national parks and nature reserves, all meals from dinner on 06th to breakfast on 13th and services of leaders.
Not included: International airfare, insurance, drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature.
Accommodation: All lodges are of a good standard and offer en-suite rooms.
Tour Code: This tour is a standard birding tours with regular birding walks along roads and well marked trails. Most days see us depart after breakfast and return just before dinner, taking picnic lunch during the day. The weather is unpredictable and you need to allow for all weathers. It can rain as we are in a rain forest habitat. Be prepared for all eventualities.
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Getting Personal: Emotional Brand Experiences
A growing number of brands are offering degrees of personalisation, offering something that is just for you. Going the extra mile can pay dividends for brands who strike the right balance of consumer involvement versus product uniqueness when delivering a bespoke brand experience.
So what do we mean by personalisation?
It works at a number of levels, from minor product tweaks to truly bespoke products and experiences that might require higher levels of user involvement.
First, products that appear personal, by creating a new emotional interaction between the brand and consumer. Take for example the recent digitally enabled online offerings from Nutella and Marmite. The brands have followed in the footsteps of the Coca-Cola sensation in 2014, who featured a wide variety of people's names on their packaging. Whilst this might feel like a brand simply calling consumers by their names, they are making an emotional connection (beyond the label) that calls out to you.
Second, services that make products personal, where brands enable you to specify your personal preference of elements that are combined to create a personalised product. Take for example your hair type. With an enormous number of variables, imagine being able to tailor your very own product to suit your individual needs. Function of Beauty enable consumers to input their hair profile and a personalised product is sent to your door. Nike ID have offered a bespoke footwear service for several years, allowing people to express their individuality through their own personal footwear design. Once the elements of the shoe are selected, your bespoke set of trainers are then made for you.
Third, experiences that feel personal, where you are invited to engage and participate in the creation of your very own product. Adnams Brewery and Distillery have ventured into this space, opening their doors to invite you to experience how to make your own gin. With an expert gin maker you are guided through the distilling process: selecting your own botanicals, adding a name and label to your personal bottle. Magnum's Pleasure Stores have boomed in the last year, with people queueing to take part in developing their personal ice cream combination. People are willing to pay a premium for the experience and opportunity to create their own bespoke combination. Why? It's a memorable experience you share with others, and you can tailor it to your very own preference in that moment.
Lastly, an emerging level that is intelligently personal, where product, service, and experience combined are customised into unique brand experiences just for you. Adidas Knit For You is an example of how digital technology is taking personalisation to the next level, with a pop-up store in Berlin. Patterns are projected onto you; which you can amend and alter. You can then opt for the perfect fit with a body scan. Then finally, you're invited to tweak the design with smart swatches, before a state-of-the-art machine knits the merino wool sweater. Within a few hours it is finished, washed and dried by hand. Olay's Skin Advisor platform is a service that uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to help people identify skin care products matched to their needs. By downloading the Olay Skin Advisor app, and taking a photograph of yourself, the platform will determine which specific Olay range of products are suited to your skin. Avoiding the need to navigate hundreds of products on shelf when in-store. This model challenges the idea that personalisation means a mass of personalised products. It uses an intelligent algorithm to help you find what's already out there, improving your overall brand experience.
Brands have never had so much opportunity to orchestrate such engaging memorable moments. Whilst immersive in-store experiences can be extremely engaging, there are a mass of digital opportunities that are enabling brands to differentiate by offering personalisation. The challenge for brands is how to fully realise the potential to personalise future experiences and secure our loyalty. Personalisation creates an opportunity for brands to create a deeper connection with their audience.
The layers outlined above call on several characteristics from businesses. In some cases, flexibility and agility from supply chains to create bespoke products and services. In other cases, a high level of courage and entrepreneurial spirit to explore and experiment with new business models and value propositions.
Considering the personalisation layers outlined above, how might your brand offer something personal and meaningful to your consumers? How might you create an offer that is engaging and of value to consumers that really builds on the purpose of your brand? If you would like to consider how your brand might offer a layer of personalisation to your consumers, then please get in touch. We'd love to talk.


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Gene Loves Jezebel's new album, Dance Underwater, is out today.
You can find it on various sites. Buy the CD from Plastichead, or Amazon; download from the likes of iTunes; or stream through Spotify. For those who pledged at pledgemusic.com, the CD has been despatched.
The vinyl version of the album will be released on 29 September.
Furthermore, also through Plastichead, previous GLJ albums are available: Heavenly Bodies (with bonus tracks), VII and The Thornfield Sessions.