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By By Francis Mukuzunga
December2010/January 2011
Eating Out
MOST people who prefer dining out think that Nice Restaurant is only meant for "those with big bucks".
You will be forgiven to find out that besides the place being upmarket; one can still come and grab a less expensive meal at any time of the day while listening to some good music. Theo's @ Nice is the new name of the former Nice Bar.
There is also a new dining facility around the bar counter where all forms of drink can be ordered. The two venues still complement each other at the cleverly designed building within Windhoek West's environs near the Polytechnic of Namibia.
According to Stephan Brueckner, Managing Director of the restaurant, Theo's offers a new dimension to the restaurant, offering value-for-money and yet affordable quick meals with a hint for sophistication for the trendy diners who may not have time to make their own meals at home.
Theo's @ Nice is a separate entity to the Nice restaurant and is individually branded as a place to visit even without having dinner at the Nice restaurant. Complementing a wide selection of the finest South African handpicked wines, Theo's offers a delicious pub grub menu, which is not easy to pass by.
The menu at Theo's comprises of nibbles (or platters), Carpaccio (cold stuff), a good pizza or pasta range, the popular Theo's Burger, spare ribs, sea foods, chicken dishes and desserts and even fish and chips. The menu may seem very light and budget conscious but the restaurant will serve the dishes in a particular manner that will tantalise the taste buds. Trainee chefs and staff from the Nice help to bring a life of good hospitality into the new venue.
Adding to this, some fresh herbs and vegetables to complement the succulent dishes at both Nice Restaurant and Theo's @ Nice are picked from a garden at the back of the building. The professionally designed garden will always make available the greens that may be needed in the kitchen at any time of the year.
"After doing research a few months ago we found out that there is a reasonable market for a quick meal or a drink with friends after a hectic day at work. The meals are generally single course and less sophisticated. That's what one finds in the main restaurant. The best time that we are earmarking during the day is from sunset up to about 21h30 after which customers can enjoy themselves at the bar. Of course, one can eat even up to midnight, depending on which day of the week has less congestion," says Brueckner.
Although situated right next to Nice Restaurant, Theo's @ Nice has its own branding characterised by the green padded chairs, lots of outside and inside seating areas, a lounge, bar and speakers that can be used on Fridays, Saturday or some Sundays when the restaurant hosts a DJ or a live band.
"We are going to put a canvas roofing, stage and high quality sound system in the courtyard in the next few weeks so that people can enjoy live music. Already, on Saturday nights we have popular DJ Kenny Adams and every first Sunday of the month we have the Sunday Jazz Brunch in collaboration with Tafel Lager as sponsors. This is proving very popular. Very soon, a new concept called Nice Friday will be introduced to cater for those who want to start their weekend in style while enjoying nice dance music."
However, Brueckner states that Theo's will still cater for the mature and integrated audience. Therefore, smart casual dress code is enforced. He adds that Theo's would be an ideal place for those who like to integrate with people from other parts of the country and tourists can visit without fear of being harassed in "nightclub style".
The Nice Tafel Lager Music Festival kicked off on September 18 2010 and lasted until 18 December 2010. Already a number of artists have performed on some Saturdays and Sundays, to a much appreciative crowd, says Ernst Herma, who is promoting the shows` together with the sponsors.
Mojo Electric Blues Band, a five- piece outfit that has Piet Stoman on vocals, Thomas Bokemueller on guitar & Hu De San on saxophone & blues harp kicked off the first unplugged show.
Songbird Tequila, the African sounds of Mpho Heita and Blossom have also graced the restaurant, while revellers dined.
The Sunday jazz brunch show kicked off on October 3 with the Fu Jazz All Stars Band, a group of professional musicians from different walks of life who have three things in common – supreme craftsmanship, total freedom of improvisation and an insatiable lust for Jazz.
On October 9, Omidi D'Afrique, a popular reggae outfit featuring Ras Fari and female vocalist Oye presented a potpourri of covers from Kassave to Peter Tosh and Bob Marley as well as original Omidi-hits like 'Oshifima Evanda'.
More shows will be lined up with such musicians as Erna Chimu, Penilane, acappela group Vocal Motion 6 (VM6), jazz songstress Sharon Van Rooi, guitarist Elemotho , Small Town Tramp featuring Tania, Formula Band featuring Panduleni, Afro-pop maestro Big Ben, Patricia Ochurus & the Heritage Band, Zimbabwean mbira player Onai and many other supporting and surprise artists will grace the stage offering a brand new and unique flavour to the Namibian entertainment scene on alternating Saturdays and Sundays till Christmas time.
Should Theo's hold its own, Windhoek West could become an intercultural melting pot for those who just want to have a nice time, have a nice conversation and listen to nice music and of course, grab a nice quick meal. PF
Stories in This Category [Eating Out]
Ekipa's INDIAN THURSDAYs
November 2012
[read more]
Nicely fresh at Nice
October 2012
[read more]
Amazed, amazing!
September 2012
[read more]
From Portugal to China
August 2012
[read more]
KUBATA Windhoek's little Portugal
July 2012
[read more]
Fresh and Wild
June 2012
[read more]
Kalahari Sands goes raw
May 2012
[read more]
Wieners runs this town!
April 2012
[read more]
Tornado; classy, simple
March 2012
[read more]
Eating out
February 2012
[read more]
Other Stories
Haufiku cracks whip at medical practitioners
September 2016
[read more]
Helene Vosloo: crafting her own destiny through ICT
July 2016
[read more]
The new B-Class, in A-Class of it's own
May 2012
[read more]
February 2014
[read more]
Success lies in quality, tradition
July 2012
[read more]
FNB – so much more than just banking
April 2014
[read more]
Nothing works without research!
May 2012
[read more]
Monika Shikongo - In the line of duty
October 2010
[read more]
Society and the PK
June 2012
[read more]
Fashion industry develops
December 2016 & January 2017
[read more]
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If you've heard of one program on this list, it's probably Slack (slack.com). Beyond just messaging, Slack's potential as a productivity tool is rooted in its incredible customization features. You can set up a Slack server or "team" for your office and create sub-servers or "channels" for any job or project requiring multiple people. These channels become an instant open line of communication between team members with support for not just messaging, but file sharing, voice and video calls, and screen sharing, as well as a range of (free!) feature-rich plugins. More advanced users can even build custom programs directly into the software.
Slack supports being a part of multiple teams, and creating a basic team is free. In addition to having a team for your firm, you could set up basic teams with priority clients and the staff assigned to them, creating an additional point of contact with many of the same features as the paid version.
Every firm has some method for tracking outstanding work along with client and IRS deadlines. For many smaller firms, it is often an outdated system that might be painful to overhaul, but it is usually the area with the most room for improvement.
Aero's (aeroworkflow.com) task management, scheduling, staff assignment and time tracking features are custom-built for accountancy, but where it really shines is with Aero Templates. Not only does Aero make it easy to record and share best practices and procedures, but the Aero Library, a constantly updated collection of procedures ranging from reconciling a bank statement to filing your clients' 1099-MISCs, is also available.
Citrix's ShareFile (sharefile.com) is a cloud-based data services solution, similar to Dropbox or OneDrive, but with a focus on client-facing tools and enterprise-level encryption. One of the true standout features of the software is the secure client portal, an easy-to-use web service that can be custom branded to match your firm's image. You can direct clients here to upload files or create a free account and share synchronized folders.
Workflows enable you to build dynamic request lists, with line items that can be directly uploaded by clients, allowing you to easily track documents as they come in. It also features RightSignature, an e-signature tool in compliance with IRS guidance, excellent for quick turnaround on Forms 8878 and 8879. Finally, ShareFile can integrate directly into email programs such as Outlook, providing a more secure way to send sensitive documents over email.
While QuickBooks is likely to remain the gold standard in bookkeeping, there are a number of reasons for smaller clients to consider other options. In many cases, a client may not have a dedicated bookkeeper, requiring an easier-to-use solution they can handle themselves. Furthermore, the licensing fees often leave small businesses paying for features they don't need.
Among the handful of upstart cloud bookkeeping programs, Wave (waveapps.com) appeals on all counts, especially cost. Wave's accounting software is totally free, with their business model centered around cross-selling payroll and merchant services. It has many of the features of QuickBooks Online, including online banking integration, invoice design, receipt and statement scanning with text recognition, and a robust mobile app. While you likely will not be advocating the switch for clients who already send you a QuickBooks accountant's copy, Wave is a great pitch for the client who sends you a spreadsheet and a stack of marked-up bank statements.
This article appeared in the November/December 2017 issue of New Jersey CPA magazine. Read the full issue.
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Virtually anything that touches an application can affect performance. The network is commonly the first point of blame; however, there are a multitude of common culprits— application code, application architecture, user endpoints, and more. IT organizations typically build their performance management capabilities around point solutions that only give a view into certain aspect of application performance, with no end-to-end performance monitoring perspective. Without a centralized view of your network and applications, planning for the future will be left to estimations and guesswork.
Riverbed® SteelCentral is changing the way your team can manage performance. It delivers powerful performance management technologies in a single console to help you improve visibility into your application delivery infrastructure and identify and correct problems before they impact end users and business performance.
Get the complete picture with end-to-end visibility and analytics, integrated troubleshooting capabilities, planning and configuration management, and visibility into the end-user and application experience.
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Aggregate all NPM and APM metrics into role-relevant dashboards providing a single source of performance truth.
Click each customer logo to see how Riverbed's end-to-end performance monitoring solution delivers the application performance and lower operational costs that customers need.
Travis Perkins plc uses Riverbed for end-user experience monitoring to deliver a superior customer experience and improve application performance.
We have insights into the performance of our applications that we never had before. This is incredibly valuable, because it can improve our users' productivity, and remove problems for customers in branches that can directly impact revenue.Terence Thomas, Monitoring Specialist, Travis Perkins plc
Allianz, with more than 148,000 employees in 70+ countries, is the 31st largest company in the world, offering insurance and other services to 83 million clients. "Long page load times and slow application speeds affected our productivity," says Neval Bircaner, IT Governance Supervisor for Allianz Turkey. "Whenever an application performance issue occurred, it was often difficult to pinpoint the root cause. It was hard to determine whether the application performance issues were due to the applications, the network, or our database. We were also interested in ensuring that our external partners were satisfied with our systems."
It is now much easier to identify issues with the network or application themselves. In some cases, problems that took a long time to solve can now be fixed in minutes. Following the deployment of SteelCentral solutions, our customers have seen a significant improvement in performance. Riverbed has made a positive impact for us by helping us to considerably improve the customer experience.Neval Bircaner, IT Governance Supervisor, Allianz
Hemit is a Norwegian IT service provider for the healthcare industry. Their systems are not just business-critical but life-critical and they needed the ability to analyze, diagnose and resolve performance issues before any impact to the end-user experience.
There's no doubt that Riverbed is one of the best investments we've made and we use it constantly to monitor response times, so we know what we are delivering. Staff and patients have benefited from a more responsive service and that is because we are now acting on data rather than emotionDagfinn Krog, Service Operation Manager , Hemit
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Contact us for more info or find out how to buy. We're here to help you get ahead.
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From Lake Worth, Florida;
The homeowner said he saw [Christopher] Mouassite holding a flashlight on the second floor of his home. He then shot Mouassite to defend himself as well as his wife and daughter, a deputy wrote in the report.
When deputies arrived, the homeowner was chasing Mouassite behind his home, according to a sheriffs office report. Deputies arrested Mouassite when spontaneously he said Its all a mistake, I went into the wrong house, a deputy wrote.
Mouassite had a gunshot wound to his right arm and was taken to JFK Medical Center for treatment. He later was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail and is being held on $30,000 bond.
Deputies said in the report the homeowner was in well-founded fear that Mouassite was inside his home to commit a crime or hurt his family.
Court records show Mouassite was out on bond from a March arrest on drug-related charges.
From Altamonte Springs, Florida;The victim said she was on her way to her car just before the intrusion, but she turned around when she noticed that she had left her phone at home. She said her 13-year-old son and a female relative were the only ones in the house at the time.
Afraid for her safety, the unarmed victim said she wrestled with one of the men until he dropped the firearm. They eventually ran out of the house, with one firing shots, but missing on his way out. No injuries were reported.
I noticed that the guy started getting nervous his fingers getting crazy on the trigger. And I just disarmed it. I just completely took out the magazine from the AK, the woman said. They just didnt know I was going to fight back. Thats what they didnt know.
Police in Altamonte Springs, located about 10 miles north of Orlando, arrested Angel Delgado Santiago, 30, and Jorge Montanez, 17, on robbery charges in connection with the invasion, according to WFTV.
From Miami, Florida;
Authorities say a Florida man was fatally shot while trying to rob three people.
The Miami Herald reports that the shooting occurred Saturday night.
Miami police say 24-year-old Francisco Martinez Jr. managed to drive about two blocks away from the scene of the confrontation before losing control and ending up in a yard.
Miami Fire Rescue took Martinez to a nearby trauma center, where he was eventually pronounced dead.
From Springdale, Arkansas because Florida cant get all of the attention;
Police arrived to find a 21-year-old lying on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the release. The man was transported to Northwest Medical Center, where he died from his injuries, authorities said.
The person who initially called police about a burglary said he heard someone beating on the door of his apartment and didnt get an answer when he asked who was there. A male and female then kicked in the door and entered the home, prompting the resident to fire a handgun he was armed with, the release states.
The male collapsed on the sidewalk, while the female reportedly fled in a silver passenger car.


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Local Moving Hints
When you move your various household items within 100 miles from the start of origin to the end of destination within the same state, then it is know as local move. If your move is over 99 miles but within same state, then it is known as intrastate moves. The moves which are spanning across the state are called interstate move.
Billing for local moves is done on hourly basis whereas for the inter-state and intra-state, billing is done on the basis of the weight of the freight.
Various packers and local movers are in market nowadays. They assist you in preparing an estimate for transportation of the household items.
You must be clear with the size of transportation needed, and number of movers needed to transport your freight.
Its best if you ask the local moving company to partially pack some of the goods and the remaining you can pack yourself. This will reduce your cost. You must carefully select the day and time as this can prove to be very crucial in your move.


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MAINTAIN A FULL CHARGE on your farm equipment with battery chargers from John Deere. The farm equipment manufacturer's new line of chargers includes six different models.
The Speed-Smart charges batteries up to two times faster than conventional chargers do. It is equipped with a built-in sensing unit to monitor charging so the batteries are charged at maximum rates without gassing and overheating. Price: $144.
A battery jump starter with DC power will start up to 30 vehicles without recharging. Price: $140.
A wheeled battery charger/engine starter with voltmeter is equipped with a cooling fan and deeply louvered ventilation. The manual battery charger with engine start and timer provides high output for 6v and 12v batteries. Price: $280.
Other new battery chargers range from $49.50 to $174. Contact your local John Deere dealer, visit www.JohnDeere.com or www.freeproductinfo.net/fin, or circle 194.


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Although I am using only a modest station setup (FT857/100Watts) with G5RV antenna, it will be easy to work into EU an NA with good signals.
An entry into the IARU HF Championsship contest is planned as single operator/Low Power CW.
QSL is available via eQSL, LOTW and buro to my homecall.
Hope to work you as EA8/DL3FCG this year !


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Not much to report, mainly just plodding along with my inprogress ones.
Watched "American in Paris" starring Gene Kelly off of my top 25 musicals list, I quite enjoyed it but a bit too much dancing for me.
Ive finshed reading "Perfume" by Patrick Stuskind. Its a very good book, would never have picked it up usually. I am finding that a lot with this list.
The cake I baked for the month was for the Birthday of my good friend and sons godfather, it looked quite nice and tasted yummy.


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You are invited to meet with Hult for a personal one-to-one consultation.
Learn more about Hult, our unique Global Campus Rotation program and application requirements.
Get a full profile review and suggestions on how to maximize your chances of being accepted into a business degree program.
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Register below and we'll be in touch shortly to confirm your appointment time. We look forward to meeting you in person.
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Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis says Mississippi can be an example for the rest of the country of how to handle race relations. The representative, who was once arrested during a protest in Jackson, spoke briefly to MPB's Jeffrey Hess.
Congressman Lewis was in town speaking at the annual Champions of Justice event sponsored by the Mississippi Center for Justice. He says Mississippi has changed a lot since that first visit over 50 years ago.
Half of Mississippi's 151 school districts saw an unofficial drop in their annual accountability rating from the state department of education. However, due to the state's transition to new educational standards, schools will NOT be required to accept the lower grade, and can instead keep the higher rating from last year. Superintendent of Education Carey Wright says the decline in grades was expected.
Rachel Canter is Executive Director of the education policy organization, Mississippi First. She talks with MPB's Paul Boger about why schools need a year before having the new scoring system count against them.
Metastatic - or Stage Four breast cancer currently affects between 150,000 and 250,000 people in the United States. Amid all the talk every October about early detection, and the well-deserved celebration of cancer survivors, some women living with metastatic cancer can feel lost in the shuffle. A new initiative from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer is called "Breast Cancer: A Story Half-Told." We'll hear from Shirley Merts, who is living with the disease. First, author Hollye Jacobs.
previous post
Mississippi Edition: Thursday, Oct. 16th
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Mississippi Edition: Monday, Oct. 27th


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HLB Sheehan Quinn provide quality accountancy services and business advice to entrepreneurial and owner managed businesses. The firm, based in Dublin, was formed in 1976 and continues to grow its client base and services.
A comprehensive range of Accountancy, Taxation and Business Services


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2017 Southwestern Women's Track & Field Roster
|Jalynn Ashley
|Year: Fr.
|Event(s): Sprints, Jumps, Relay
|Hometown: Huntsville, Texas
|High School: Huntsville HS
|Hannah Bruce
|Year: Fr.
|Event(s): Throws
|Hometown: Friendswood, Texas
|High School: Friendswood HS
|Tori Carraway
|Year: So.
|Event(s): Hurdles, Jumps, Relay
|Hometown: College Station, Texas
|High School: A&M Consolidated HS
|Sara Cowan
|Year: Jr.
|Event(s): Long Sprints/Hurdles/Relay
|Hometown: Buckholts, Texas
|High School: Buckholts HS
|Bridgette Famiglietti
|Year: Fr.
|Event(s): Sprints
|Hometown: McAllen, Texas
|High School: Sharyland Pioneer HS
|Kelsey Faykus
|Year: So.
|Event(s): Throws
|Hometown: Taylor, Texas
|High School: Thrall HS
|Morgan Gilpin
|Year: Fr.
|Event(s): 400/200
|Hometown: Laredo, Texas
|High School: Alexander HS
|Trinh Ha
|Year: So.
|Event(s): Middle Distance
|Hometown: Austin, Texas
|High School: Ann Richards School
|Marissa Morin
|Year: So.
|Event(s): Long Sprints/Jumps/Relay
|Hometown: Grapevine, Texas
|High School: Grapevine HS
|Veronica Pardo
|Year: Jr.
|Event(s): Long Sprints/800/Relay
|Hometown: Cedar Park, Texas
|High School: Cedar Park HS
|Shine Trabucco
|Year: So.
|Event(s): Sprints
|Hometown: Floresville, Texas
|High School: Floresville HS


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Six Brevard School Principals Earn Outstanding Grades
By Ed Pierce // June 8, 2012
Honored By Teachers
BREVARD COUNTY • ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA – Results of the annual school principal survey conducted by the Brevard Federation of Teachers have been tabulated and this year six administrators have drawn record praise for their work.
"Something wonderful is happening at six local schools," said Richard Smith, president of the Brevard Federation of Teachers.
"Mims and Sea Park Elementary Schools, DeLaura and Kennedy Middle Schools, Heritage High School and West Shore Jr./Sr. High School all have something in common. They are the best according to the teachers in their faculties."
Smith said the surveys were sent to all teachers in every Brevard Public School in March.
Results were scored and will be shared with the superintendent's office.
"We collected 7,787 evaluations rating 211 school administrators throughout the county, Smith said.
"This is an annual project of the union and is the only evaluation done anonymously. We believe it to be a true measure of the professional relationships on each of the campuses."
Top Principals
For elementary school principals, scoring at the top were Mims Elementary School's Shari Tressler and Sea Park Elementary School's Carmen Elliot.
At the middle school level, Richard Myers of Kennedy Middle School and DeLaura assistant principal Tina Susin received outstanding marks.
High school principals receiving top recognition this year were Heritage High School principal John Tuttle and West Shore Jr./Sr. High School assistant principal Jackie Ingratta.
"The survey was meant to be an opportunity to engage the district in a collaborative discussion to improve the most important individual at a school," Smith said.
"The principal affects the children, the teachers, the parents and the community."
He said principals at the top of the surveys were praised for their ability to lead schools in an inspiring way while communicating goals effectively and demonstrating concern and empathy for all school employees while meeting district objectives.
"They are fair, ethical and objective and truly define what a principal should strive to become," Smith said.
Survey comments
He shared some of the typical comments made in the surveys about some of the principals who earned high marks this year.
"Mrs. Tressler is always willing to listen to others' opinions. She is consistent and supportive of all our faculty and students."
Another one read, "Ms. Susin is a supportive administrator who always is there for you. In addition, she is a pleasant person with a willing, listening ear."
Also, "Richard Myers is the very essence of a professional. His attention to detail is only exceeded by his compassion for the students, parents and teachers of this school. If I could only have one principal in my career, I would want it to be him."


text: The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon Strong's Number: 08619 Browse Lexicon Original WordWord Origin[wqtfrom (08628) (in the musical sense)Transliterated WordTDNT EntryTaqowa`TWOT - 2541bPhonetic SpellingParts of Speechtaw-ko'-ah Noun Masculine Definition a blast-(wind)-instrument, trumpet King James Word Usage - Total: 1trumpet 1 KJV Verse Count Ezekiel1Total1The Hebrew lexicon is Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon; this is keyed to the "Theological Word Book of the Old Testament." These files are considered public domain.Bibliography Information Brown, Driver, Briggs and Gesenius. "Hebrew Lexicon entry for Taqowa`". "The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon". .


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As the session begins, it is just after sunset in the farming village of Furden. It is a warm and windy evening, and the party stands on the bridge at the edge of town. Luhluh has just finished disabling the bear traps that were placed all along the bridge, when the party hears screaming and yelling coming from the center of town.
Presumably, what are known as Merrows (the aquatic ogre-like creatures Trosk told us about last time) come running out of the village towards the river followed by a horde of angry villagers. One particularly strong looking Merrow is leading the way, followed by others of its kind, a few of which are carrying villagers.
Brinn rides up to scene and tells the largest ogre to drop the tavern wench he has slung over his shoulder. The ogre-like creature complies, though not in the way Brinn had intended, by hurling the woman across the river, and then turning to face his challenger. The large monster takes a distinctly defensive stance while the others attempt to make their way to the water behind him. Brinn enters melee with the leader with LuhLuh assisting him from afar by using the trusty divine rod of many wondrous things. Faust moves into position along the bridge where he can have a full view of the battle, and does the magics of missiles and fire from afar to the merrows attempting to scurry into the river. Zamaia creeps up from behind one of the buildings in an attempt to pluck off some of the smaller ones. Sir Didymus rides to the other side of the river to check on the tossed tavern wench.
The battle erupts into chaos. Brinn and the merrow duke it out- both taking damage. The aquaitc ogre manages to do damage to himself at some point. LuhLuh makes the mighty one do an interpretive dance with the rod, which assists Brinn greatly. She also summons an elephant that is trapped 200 feet in the air, but is excellent at imaging things- such as coconuts that do real damage, so it still manages to be effective. She also summons the Adventuring Center upon several of the smaller merrows and a townsperson. The merrows get smushed nicely, but thankfully, the villager gets stuck upon the rooftop. The center springing into existence manages to disrupt a wasps' nest and they angrily swarm above the building- near the villager. Zamaia uses her crazy tongue attack against them, and LuhLuh smashes a single wasp with a coconut…which rolls off and lands into the pit trap the villagers fell into. Speaking of which, the villagers were all magically healed while in the hole- thanks to the rod. Of course, the villagers don't know about the rod, so rumor has it a new religion is starting around that magical pit trap. Faust continues to pick at the merrows which are now escaping into the river. The tavern wench has hopped back into the river and is wailing on the Merrows, and Sir Didymus has run around the river to the other side. Sir Didymus arrives at Brinn's side just in time to see the defeat of the powerful Merrow and then they leap into the river and back out again to track down the Merrows that escaped (and the villagers they stole).
The party has no time to recoup from the ordeal as they quickly realize the town has been set on fire. Brinn and Sir Didymus organize the villagers into bucket brigades and continue to rally them to victory, while LuhLuh, Faust and Zamaia used their skills and magics to identify and target specific areas of the fire. One section of the village is lost, but the villagers are grateful not more was lost.
After a bit of investigation, the party determines that the Merrows planned this attack. They probably scouted out the area first. After taking out the guard, they constructed traps along their escape route to the river. They then backtracked and entered the town from the opposite side, rushing toward the river- grabbing food, humans, and whatever interesting bits they wanted along the way. The last few to run through the town tossed burning homemade torches to set the town on fire as a distraction. The plan would have been successful if our heroes hadn't intervened. The party finds a magic bag that was obviously owned by a wizard (probably eaten by the Merrows) containing a lot of interesting stuff.
The party joins the villagers in the local tavern where they are gifted a variety of items. Since the village sells corn, a grain not yet on the trading schedule, the party invites the village to join the trade route. Earlier in the day, the party had made some key observations about the tavern wench: a) she knew how to fight; b) she was likely military-trained; and c) her accent and appearance indicated she was from Pel Brolenon. Brinn engages the tavern wench in conversation, and eventually learns her name (Avil Olita Stron) and that she was born and raised in Pel Brolenon- in the capital city. She hated it there, and escaped years ago after the passing of her grandmother. Brinn concludes that she'd likely be a useful source of information in the future, should the conflict with the Overlord become more pronounced.
The party retired to the conjured adventuring center whereupon they found their interesting evening was not yet over. Immediately, they noticed the center seemed a bit nicer on the inside- more spacious, but also cozier. Two new doorways had appeared. Next, they noticed with some surprise that customers of the tavern comprised of several of their friends- the Brownie couple, Cardor, Sparkboom and shipman Gary. They chatted with their friends, all of which assumed they were dreaming, while enjoying delicious food and drink from the new, more varied, tavern menu. After eating, they explored the remainder of the center. One doorway led to a small room filled with cases containing magical items. It was apparent these items were carefully curated and maintained by a bespectacled gnome sitting on a stack of books and reading yet another. The other doorway led to what could be considered a mail room. It had numerous small wooden boxes. Each box had a member of the party's name engraved upon it. Inside the room was also a fully-stocked writing desk and a wooden box labeled "outgoing mail". The party gave it a test run by mailing various things to their friends. Upstairs, they discovered a new room. The outside of the room had a strong lock, but was unlocked with the key hanging from the handle. Inside, there were reinforced wooden chests with locks. Each chest was labeled with the name of a party member. Inside the chests, there was only a key. The party went to bed.


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We can capture the top local Brentwood, and Essex searches on Google for your business. So you – not your competition – are found first when people are searching for your business online. This will increase the amount of targeted enquiries from Essex residents you receive. It is very important for your business to be visible on the search engines. Personalised market research and SEO is included as part of our web design service.
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More than a dozen people suspected of being involved in an attack that left a teenage asylum seeker scarred for life are feared to be at large, police have said.
Kurdish Iranian student Reker Ahmed, 17, was waiting at a bus stop in Croydon, south London, with two friends when they were assaulted at around 11.40pm on Friday.
The Metropolitan Police believes more than 30 people may have been involved in the hate crime. Scotland Yard confirmed on Tuesday that six more people, aged between 15 and 22, have been charged over the attack.
Detectives are also trying to trace the driver and the occupants of a white hatchback with a black roof that stopped at the scene during the frenzy.
Neighbours described how punches and kicks rained down on Reker, who was left in intensive care with a fractured skull and a blood clot on his brain following the assault.
Sixteen people have been arrested in connection with the incident, on suspicion of offences including attempted murder and violent disorder.
Five people charged over the attack appeared before magistrates on Monday afternoon, although police have appealed for information to trace others believed to have been involved.
Two more will appear in court on Tuesday, the Press Association reported.
Addressing journalists at the scene, detective superintendent Jane Corrigan said: "This was a hate crime; there were three individuals who were waiting at a bus (stop) and were viciously attacked."
She added: "I think this was probably confidence by numbers.
"It started off with this smaller group of people who were joined by between 20 to 30 and they just viciously attacked these individuals because they were asylum seekers.
"We are still seeking the family of the 17-year-old who's been injured in the attack, but we are providing support to him, his friends and obviously the people who he is in the care of.
"We are also speaking to the school that he attends to see if there's anything we can offer them by way of support."
She said Reker, who was identified in court as the main victim, along with friends Dilshad Mohammed and Hamo Mustafa, was being moved out of intensive care after "starting to make a recovery".
Describing the teenager's condition, Corrigan said: "Obviously he is going to be scarred for life as a result of the beating he sustained.
"But he is being moved from the intensive care unit into a mainstream ward hopefully later on today.
"His face did receive some significant injuries, that was the main focus of the attack.
"But what I can say is that without a doubt this will leave lasting scars."
She said police were also investigating whether the attackers had been drinking in a pub near Shrublands Avenue, where the violence took place, an assault she denied was pre-planned.
In an appeal to others caught up in the attack, Corrigan said: "I would prefer the people outstanding in relation to this investigation to make themselves known to us now instead of us making ourselves known to them.
"I am very confident that with the investigation, and the speed with which it has progressed over the weekend, that we will catch all of those involved in this case."
'Absolutely despicable'
The assault was condemned as "absolutely despicable" by a visibly angry Theresa May, who spoke to reporters on arrival in Jordan on Monday.
The Prime Minister echoed the comments of local Tory MP Gavin Barwell, who branded the attackers "cowardly and despicable scum".
Speaking to reporters during a flight to Jordan at the start of a three-day Middle East visit, she said: "This was an absolutely abominable attack, completely unacceptable.
"I absolutely agree with the sentiments of Gavin Barwell when he commented on this and I just hope that anybody who has any information about this will give that information to the police."


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Ocean County College's "Opening Pathways to Education Now" (O.P.E.N.) program is an initiative that seeks to increase awareness of affordability of obtaining a post-secondary education. To achieve this task, we have established a series of workshops beginning January, 2016 to assist students in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to also use the FAFSA4caster to help parents and students project what aid might be available when they are able to attend college.
FAFSA Workshops
(These sessions are designed to assist with the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov) which includes interaction with a financial aid specialist.
Due to limited seating - registration is required.
Students and parents (if student is unmarried and under 24 years of age) must bring completed copies of their 2015 Federal Tax Returns (including schedules) and W-2s. If you have not yet filed, bring your 2014 tax return. This information is required in order to answer income questions on either the FAFSA or FAFSA4caster worksheets. If this information is not available by the date of your scheduled workshop, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 732.255.0400, Ext. 2019 to receive guidance on alternative documentation that may be used to estimate information.
You will need to create or login to your Ocean County College Student Profile to register for upcoming events and workshops. Listed below are the O.P.E.N. FAFSA Workshop dates currently offered.
View our flyer for more detailed information.
Click here to register now!
Spring 2017 February 25
March 11, March 25
April 8, April 29
Summer 2017 TBA Fall 2017 TBA
In order to complete the FAFSA you are required to sign the application using a PIN number (students who are unmarried and under 24 years of age also require parents PIN number). You may obtain a PIN number at Apply for a Pin. You are not required to have a PIN number before attending and we will assist you with obtaining one at the workshop if you do not already have one.
We encourage all potential students who are unmarried and under 24 years of age to attend with a parent or guardian however, you can attend the workshop on your own but you must have copies of your parent's 2015 Federal Tax Return and W-2s. If your parent cannot accompany you, they will need to electronically sign your FAFSA from home or we will print a paper signature page and provide instructions on how to mail this.


text: Mods. If this is should be placed over in the "Polls" feel free to move it. I really do not think it is a poll. Fellow Creatures, The celebration of 30K here at the Wilders and the very kind give away of prizes just gets me to thinking. All of the buzz could create a lot of traffic here at the Wilders Forest come the 14th of April. I would like to have a little fun (sorry no prizes). I would like members and guests to post here their guess as to the following: 1. The highest number of guests on the 14th (Currently Active Users). 2. The highest number of members on the 14th (Currently Active Users). As shown in the bottom banner where this count is done. Let's see who can guess the closest. I think we will break a record.


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Published By : 18 May 2016 | Published By : QYRESEARCH
The growing requirement for increasing the crop yield by utilizing minimal water and the increasing shortage of water globally are amongst the prime factors fuelling the market for micro irrigation systems. In addition, the increasing backing from governments in various nations for micro irrigation systems will also stimulate the growth of the market in the coming years.
Major findings in the market are as follows:
The prime players dominant in the market for micro irrigation systems are Eurodrip SA, Rain Bird Corporation, Hunter Industries, Inc., Lindsay Corporation, Rivulis Plastro Ltd., Sistema Azud SA, T-L Irrigation Company, Elgo Irrigation Ltd., Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc., Valmont Industries, Inc., and The Toro Company Netafim Ltd., among others.


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So it's an awful situation for a nurse to be.in. a surgeon admits a teen who had an appy a few months ago.. turns out she has an ovarian cyst.. GYN is consulted and wants to wait to treat.. the surgeon comes by in the early afternoon and sees the girl is in pain..instead of giving more pain med and waiting, he whisks her off to the OR and ends up removing her ovary..
The next morning GYN is upset that the ovary was not saved and says she will probably have trouble in the future getting pregnant because of the way the surgery was done..
The Family thinks the surgeon is the hero because the pain is gone..and won't talk with gyn in the morning... I know that the surgeon made a bad decision but the patient probably wont realize it until 10-15 years from now..
What would you all do?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Doctor Patient Relationship Dilema
Posted by Pedi RN with a Vision at 5:30 PM
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Shorten & hem a vintage dress…
I recently brought this dress from my local vintage store for £3.00, I thought it would be perfect in the summer and couldn't pass it up! The only problem was the length, I chose to shorten it and show you how to do so in the process (well hopefully). Heres my very first step by step guild to shortening and hemming a dress, I hope you like it and find it useful.
What you will need –
Scissors, thread, measuring tape, pins, un-picker (incase you need it),
Firstly try the dress on and pin in place to the desired length, then lay the dress down flat and measure to the pin. Using the measurement repeat at least three times across the width of the dress and pin to desired length each time, don't for get to add 1-2 cm's to the length for hemming.
Pin front and back of dress together along the original hem line, this will help while cutting.
Cut along pin line of desired length. Once cut measure from the waist to the hem across the dress to make sure the middle and sides are all cut to the same length.
Thread up bobbin and sewing machine.
If you have an overlocker great, sadly I don't so I set my machine a setting which is most like an over locker. You can also use a zig zag setting.
Using the overlocker like stitch, sew the raw cut edge all the way around the bottom of the dress. This will stop the fabric from fraying.
Fold over stitched edge and measure 1-2 cm's (depending which amount you left for hemming). Pin all the way around the dress and keep measuring the hem to check its the same width all the way around.
Finally using a straight line stitch, sew the folded/pinned area, keeping as close lose edge and taking out the pins as you get close to them.
The all you have left to do is try it on and check your happy with the length and how it looks!
Hope you found this little tutorial helpful. Let me know what you think.


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Stu Laundy has opened up about what he thinks Sophie Monk would be like as a stepmum to his four daughters, and obviously, he had nothing but good things to say!
Not only is Publican Stu Laundy a fan-favourite on The Bachelorette, he's also been rumoured to win Sophie's heart from before he had even intruded on the boys in the mansion!
Being such a strong contender to win over Australia's beloved Soph, we have a lot of time for pretty much anything and everything that comes out of his mouth.
The 44-year-old, who is the very proud father of four daughters, has made it clear on the show that they're his number one priority - meaning, that if a stepmum was to ever come into the works (AKA, ol' Monko), the pressure would be on.
Speaking to Woman's Day, Stu shared his thoughts on how Sophie would handle life as a stepmum.
"She'd make a great stepmum. She's open about wanting kids and mine are pretty amazing."
According to the Publican, his daughters have also given him and Sophie's relationship their blessing.
"They know my heart is in the right place," he said.
Be sure to watch The Bachelorette tonight at 7.30pm on Channel 10!


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The first step for children at school is to learn to read.Once they have achieved this goal they are expected to read in order to learn.
If children who are dyslexic are not given sufficient support at an early stage with literacy and do not become proficient in reading then they will encounter difficulties at school later on.They can fall behind their peers due to their poor reading skills.
In Turkey children are expected to learn to read with 3 or 4 months of starting school. In some cases children have already learnt to read when they start school. Since 2006 Turkish children are taught to read by the "Sound based sentence method" (ses temelli cumle yöntem).Sounds are learnt initially.After these sounds are combined to form syllables,later on syllables are made to form words and finally words to form sentences.
As children progress with reading they learn to recognize and say the word as a whole, although longer more difficult words may be broken down into syllables. Dyslexic readers find it difficult to automatically recognize words. Whereas an average child will need to see a word 4- 10 times for automatic recognition – a child who is dyslexia may need to come across that word more than 40 times. For this reason constant practice is essential.
In the school settting all children generally often get insufficient reading practice, apart from reading their text books.Also nowadays at home because of the lures of the TV, internet and playstations children tend to read less and less ! For this reason parents need to play an active role to encourage child to read and to improve their reading skills.This is specially crucial for a dyslexic child in order that they can catch up with their peers.
How to Choose an Appropriate Book
First impressions
The books should look attractive
Subject choice
Don't go for books, which are easy to read, but whose stories are babyish and boring. Choose an exciting story . Consider your childs interests - for example if he is interested in football choose a book connected to this theme.Don't limit yourself to just books – but comics,magazines, anything your child might want to read.
Font Size
The writing should not be too small or too big.
Avoid books where the vocabulary is too complicated.
Style – keep it simple!
Look for a simple and direct style.Avoid books with long complicated sentence structures full of sub- clauses.Read several books written by the same author with him as it's easier to guess what's coming next if the style is a familiar one.
Keep it short!
Your child may have a short concentration span for this reason choose books that are short, exciting and satisfying and that match the interests of your child. Short stories can be more rewarding for dyslexic readers, who will gain confidence from finishing a book. Also choose books with short chapters.
Eye – catching, age-appropriate illustrations will help to encourage young readers to read the book. It will also help to explain difficult words and identify characters.
The book should be not too hard for your child to read
How can I tell if a book is too hard ?
The Five Finger Test
Encourage your child to test a page of any book before reading it. Let your child put a finger on each word he cannot read. If more that five fingers are used on any one page,he will not be able to read it without help.
Tips to help your child
Read to your child on a regular basis,sharing the enjoyment of a good story. This is important because it introduces him to a much wider vocabulary and also you can act as a good role model for reading.
Visit libraries and bookshops with your child. Encourage your child to like books.
Set aside a time for reading each day when you can be alone and undisturbed with your child.
Remember dyslexic kids have good days and bad days. You may find that their reading ability can fluctuate a lot.
Summer holidays are very long in Turkey – so make sure you maintain reading practice during this period.
Keep a record of the books your child reads – make bookmarks,prepare a blog, take photos.. This helps to show what your child has achieved.
Once your child can read by himself , each day your child should practice a minimum of 10 minutes reading out loud and 10 mins of silent reading.
Read aloud reading
This exercise is designed to make the child aware of both the sound and sight of the words; and their flow, as it stores both together in your memory.
When your child is reading out loud and he makes a mistake – immediately give him the correct word – don't make him struggle sounding the word out – as it will interrupt the flow of the reading.
Silent Reading
It is more difficult to know what's going on when your child is reading silently. You will have to ask questions to monitor his comprehension after he has read silently. For your child to be successful explain the most important words or any new vocabulary prior to his reading silently. Do some reading yourself to encourage him while he's reading silently !!!
NB Your child will have better comprehension when he reads silently
Use a pointer- such as a pencil or your index finger, and move it along the line you are reading. Sometimes find it difficult to keep their place and also this can help to speed up their reading.
Alternative Reading Techniques you can try with your child:
Echo Reading- involves you reading one line of a story and your child repeating the same line after you have read. Increase the number of lines read at one time as the child's reading improves. Ask your child to follow the story with their finger to be sure he/she is looking at the words. Let your child read first with easy materials.
Choral Reading- involves a story that your child has read before or that is easy for him/her to read. Read the text together. Lead the reading by using expression and appropriate pacing.
Reader's Theatre is a read-aloud activity. Roles are distributed and each person reads when his/her character speaks. This should be done with easy reading materials for your child that includes conversation..
Partner Reading involves sharing reading. You read a sentence or half the page, and ask your child to read one sentence or half the page. As reading improves each partner can read an entire page or section.
Taped Stories provide good samples for listening to fluent reading. Parents could tape themselves as they read a book to their child. When using a taped story have the child follow the text with his/her finger or read along to help with fluency. Have children tape their own stories and evaluate their reading for fluency.
Repeated Reading involves your child in reading the same books or stories more than once in the same week.
One minute reading. You could find a short simple passage for your child to read (preferably one that doesn't contain conversation).Get your child to read this passage for 1 minute (3 times ).
Please note : before your child reads the passage out loud - ask them to read it silently.
Afterwards you can count how words your child read in 1 minute (minus the number of mistakes). . The number of words read results can be put on a graph to show progress.
You could also tape record your child reading orally,before and after you begin this activity – to demonstrate progress made.
Paired Reading
You and your child read the words our loud together. Make your speed as fast or as slow as your child's. Your child must read every word. If your child struggles with a word and then gets it right, show that you are pleased. Never let your child struggle for more than 5 seconds.If your child struggles for too long or gets a word wrong, then:
Just say the right word yourself, and
Make sure that your child repeats it properly.
When you are reading together your child may want to read a bit alone. You should agree on a signal for your child to tell you to be quiet. This could be a knock on the book, a wave of the hand.When your child struggles for more than 5 seconds, or struggles and gets it wrong, you say the right word for your child. Make sure that your child says it right as well.Then you both go on reading together, until your child feels good enough to read on alone again, and asks you to be quiet. You must always remember to go back to reading together when your child has had problems with a word.
Remember reading difficulties may be a challenge, but they are not a disaster ,there is a lot a parent can do to help their child !!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Posted by Betul / Ann at 12:11 AM
Labels: Reading
1 comment:
- hayesatlbch said...
I have added new links to my listing of free dyslexia help products and programs you might like. The newest is from the ADA and has 1500 worksheets that can be downloaded that are broken down into specific dyslexic problem areas.
The address is http://dyslexiaglasses.com/links.html
- October 30, 2009 at 8:34 PM
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Click Stars To Rate
TITLE: Ōgiya hanaōgiTITLE TRANSLATION: The lady Hanaōgi of the house of Ōgi. CALL NUMBER: FP 2 - JPD, no. 1463 (C size) [P&P]Restricted access; material extremely fragile; please use online digital image. REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-DIG-jpd-01644 (digital file from original print) RIGHTS INFORMATION: No known restrictions on publication. SUMMARY: Print shows Hanaōgi, a lady, full-length portrait, standing beneath a tree, facing left. MEDIUM: 1 print : woodcut, color ; 62.4 x 11.6 cm. CREATED/PUBLISHED: [between 1794 and 1796] CREATOR: Hosoda, Eishi, 1756-1829, artist. NOTES: Title and other descriptive information compiled by Nichibunken-sponsored Edo print specialists in 2005-06. Format: Hashirae Nishikie. Forms part of: Japanese prints and drawings (Library of Congress). SUBJECTS: Women--Clothing & dress--Japan--1790-1800. ladys--Japan--1790-1800. FORMAT: Pillar prints 1790-1800.Ukiyo-e Japanese Color 1790-1800.Woodcuts Japanese Color 1790-1800. REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print DIGITAL ID: (digital file from original print) jpd 01644 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/jpd.01644 CONTROL #: 2008660188
Clker.com is owned by Rolera LLC, 2270 Route 30, Oswego, IL 60543 support\at\clker\dot\com


text:
Greenwood: Oz tour easiest for Lions
WILL Greenwood has labelled the tour of Australia as the easiest the British & Irish Lions could face - but warns they must still overcome a 'huge challenge' if they are to claim a first series win in 16 years.
Dropped England duo still get clubs ticking, says Will Greenwood
Two England outcasts will play pivotal roles in Saturday's potentially decisive clash between Premiership leaders Harlequins and second-placed Leicester, predicts former British Lion Will Greenwood.
Greenwood hails Lions' quality
Will Greenwood believes the British and Irish Lions will travel to South Africa with "six or seven World XV players".
Quins will find it tough in France, warns Greenwood
Harlequins are one of the form teams in English rugby this season but former Stoop favourite Will Greenwood reckons they still have it all to do in tomorrow's Heineken Cup clash with Stade Francais in Paris.
Greenwood willing to be have-a-go hero
Will Greenwood insists the veteran all-stars lining up for Saturday's Help For Heroes clash will be desperate to prove they can still cut it when the going gets tough.
Greenwood backs Ospreys for Heineken Cup
Will Greenwood believes the smart money is on the Ospreys to win the Heineken Cup - and he wasted no time in hunting down the nearest bookies after the quarter-final draw was made.


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We have a large number of items available for purchase in our gift shop. Prices below do not include tax and shipping (if applicable). To purchase these items, stop by or contact us at 717-264-1667 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
NEW! Sheriff t-shirt/polo shirt $15.00/$30.00
Various local posters/maps $5.00 and up
Postcards, bookmarks, photos and other small souvenirs
Children's books, games, and toys
Tote bags, throw blankets, mouse pads and other branded merchandise
We have a large number of books available but these are our most popular. We have books on many different local subjects and interests. We also have used books. Contact us for a complete inventory!
Various volumes of The Kittochtinny Papers $5.00-$18.00
1843 Tax Records by Cell $25.00
Civil War Damage Claims by FCHS $20.00
Cumberland Valley-Postcard History Series by Ann Hull/FCHS $21.99
Cumberland Valley Barns by Clemens-Heim/Schaff $23.58
Duty Calls edited by Burg, et. al $16.99
Early Homes of Antrim Twp./Montgomery Twp./Path Valley Tour/etc. $2.50
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Historical Reminiscences of the War by Hoke $20.00
John Brown in Chambersburg by Stake, 2nd ed. $20.00
John Brown's Last Journey $15.95
Recollections of Chambersburg by Cooper, paperback $15.00
Some Chambersburg Roots by Ruffin, paperback $20.00
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NEW! We have Mumper Photography Studio images from 1923-1947 available for purchase. These images have been recently digitized by volunteers and are indexed by last name. Call or email email@example.com and we can search for your relatives. Prints, copies, scans, and CDs are available.


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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Damselfly and Mud Turtle
Over the weekend, I decided to shoot closer to home and woke up early to photograph dragonflies along the edge of the pond just behind our place.
Although the pond is always frequented by a number of species, I often have difficulty finding specimens to photograph in the a.m. unlike some of the other ponds that I shoot at. Saturday morning was no exception. I have a suspicion that, because the pond is surrounded by fairly thick woods, the dragonflies forgo the low-lying vegetation and rest in the trees during the night. However, as it usually goes in nature, it wasn't long before I caught a glimpse of something else moving in the stream that feeds into the pond.
As it turned out, a little 'mud turtle' –still unidentified–was making its way into the open water. This was the first chance that I've had in two years to actually put my hands on one of the aquatic turtles living here. It had a beautiful ebony carapace with a fairly small plastron. I also noticed that it was missing all of its toes and some of its right foot. It is a tough life out there in the wild.
After making a few images of the turtle, I slowly worked my way up the stream looking for anything of interest. After about thirty minutes I came to a fairly sunny spot that was attracting several, fluttering electric-blue damselflies. I've photographed this species many times before and almost dismissed the scene when I noticed that a couple were opening up their wings a bit more than usual when they landed. The light behind them was nice and soft so I added a 27.5mm extension tube to my 80-200mm zoom, opened up to around f 5.6 and worked my way into a position where I could photograph the dainty insects without obstructing vegetation. As soon as I looked through the lens, I knew that I had something. I immediately began to fire off as many exposures as I could; knowing that at any moment it would fly away. As luck would have it, just after I made the best of the series a yellow-jacket –who seem to be in plague numbers this year– swooped down and scared the damsel from its perch. I suppose it pays to be ready.
Labels: clay bolt macro photography, electric-blue damselfly, mud turtle, photographing close to home
2 comments:
Awesome pic of the damselfly--it's one of my shamanic power "animals." This one is an Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly, calopteryx maculata (which means "beautiful wing.") This pic is of a male... the females are iridescent bronze and have a white spot at the tip of each wing.
- November 19, 2008 at 6:06 AM
Oh... and there's an easy way to tell the difference between a "true" dragonfly and a damselfly (though indeed, they are very close cousins).
The dragons, at rest, hold their wings out to the sides. The damsels, at rest, hold their wings upright over their backs.
- November 19, 2008 at 6:09 AM
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Modern Art Oxford is a leading organisation in the UK for the presentation of contemporary art. The gallery has a strong national and international reputation established during 48 years of influential exhibition-making.
The Council of Management is now seeking to appoint a creative and dynamic director to lead Modern Art Oxford during a key phase in its history. The successful candidate will be required to shape the future direction of the organisation, and to ensure the continuation of its vital role in the development and understanding of contemporary art.
e-flux » Announcements
// From our friends at E-Flux


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Website Worth and Statistics for Domain: letro.co.kr
Last update: Dec 27, 2014
Find the best content from letro.co.kr right here. Direct fast access to letro.co.kr. Our network of dedicated servers connects via a fast connection to any website. We do not host any files on our server. Visit letro.co.kr. This website contains information about letro.co.kr and www.letro.co.kr. The data come from various sources. letro.co.kr is not affiliated with us in any way. We offer statistics, hosting information, server information, google pagerank information. Google pagerank of this site can be found below.
There are 8,741,767 sites with a better three-month global Alexa traffic rank than Letro.co.kr.
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By Gabby Vachon
For the last decade, The Disney Channel has successfully launched the careers of the most popular teen superstars. But are these young Hollywood starlets getting thinner, and what message does that send young viewers?
I was perusing Tumblr when I found this picture of the three "generations" of Disney stars.
Now, the composition was clearly a shout-out to the children of the 1990s, but it led my thoughts in a completely different direction.
Are the Disney stars getting thinner and thinner?
I decided to research a little further into this hypothesis and the results are, to say the least, alarming.
The first row featured what they consider first generation (in this case my own), with stars like Raven Symone and Hilary Duff. I didn't perfectly remember their body shapes and sizes, nor do I think I consciously noticed them at the time (ah, the innocent eyes of a child not yet warped by society), so I Google-Image searched them in their TV show heyday. Let me tell you, I was pleasantly surprised. These starlets were curvy, healthy girls, which is not to say that being thin is unhealthy. However, with the images kids are presented nowadays, featuring a girl who is still happy and beautiful without being a size 0 is refreshing. Hats off to you, early 2000s Disney!
Might I also point out that both these actresses left the teen spotlight in a completely elegant DUI-free manner? Healthy bodies lead to healthy minds, perhaps?
The next row is the second generation, the recently grown-up Disney darlings: Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato. We all know what they look like now, but just for argument's sake, here's a refresher of their Disney prime-time bodies. Granted, they certainly didn't resemble their Disney predecessors, but their small physiques weren't turning heads.
However, we know the pressure to be thin was omnipresent; take Demi Lovato, who combatted an eating disorder for several years. You might not think the disparity in size is so dramatic, and I concur that it isn't greatly noticeable. But compare this next group of girls to the first and you will be singing a different tune.
The third generation, currently lighting up the preteen small screen, is composed of Bella Thorne, Zendaya and China Anne McClain. I don't know much about them, and they DO seem a tad bit younger, so I can obviously forgive the lack of curves, but my lord some of them are thin.
I'm not trying to say that their weight is unhealthy. I don't know their metabolism, genetics, natural build, what have you. But I will say that comparing Hilary Duff to China Anne McClain, two girls not so far apart in age at the time catering to the same adoring demographic, worries me.
Disney Channel original shows are targeted towards 9 to 14 year old girls. Within that age range, girls are no longer children; their bodies start changing and they become conscious of the societal pressure to be thin. However, they are not yet fully mature enough to separate the media's images from reality, leading to unhealthy comparisons. "A 1996 study found that the amount of time an adolescent watches soaps, movies and music videos is associated with their degree of body dissatisfaction and desire to be thin." The research doesn't lie; these homogenous role models are dangerous.
This also would not be the first time the Disney Channel gets in trouble for their body negative outlook. Episodes from two different sitcoms, Shake It Up and So Random!, have been pulled off the air after the backlash they received, mainly by their former star Demi Lovato, because of an eating disorder joke. Indeed, on Shake It Up, one of the characters said: "I could just eat you up, well, if I ate." Making light of a mental illness is something the Disney Channel should know better than to do!
When my friends and I flipped through our pre-teen magazines in elementary school, we thought Hilary Duff was the most beautiful person in the world. We wanted to dress like her, wear our hair like her, everything she did was FLAW-LESS. But when I imagine young girls thinking the same way about this new batch of actresses, it irks me a little.
The young actresses of today seem to dress more "grown up" then their predecessors, especially on the red carpet. On the shows, they wear more makeup, have romantic relationships earlier, and somehow always have perfectly styled hair. Fourteen-year-olds just don't look and act 14 years old anymore. But for a young teen? If she wants to look and act her TV idols that is what she must look like. These two pictures show Hilary and Zendaya on the red carpet. Can you believe that at the time their picture was taken, they were both 16?
And let's not forget the obvious growing sexualization of young women in the media. A study by Psych Central evaluated the sexualization of women on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, a publication that frequently displays teen idols such as Taylor Swift and Britney Spears. "In the 1960s, they found that 11 percent of men and 44 percent of women on the covers of Rolling Stone were sexualized. In the 2000s, 17 percent of men were sexualized (an increase of 55 percent from the 1960s), and 83 percent of women were sexualized (an increase of 89 percent)."
In addition, the American Psychological Association researched the sexualization of children in advertising. They "coded the ads over a 40-year period in five magazines targeted to men, women or a general adult readership. Although relatively few (1.5 percent) of the ads portrayed children in a sexualized manner, of those that did, 85 percent sexualized girls rather than boys. Furthermore, the percentage of sexualizing ads increased over time."
These studies clearly demonstrate the emergence of both women's and young girls' sexualization, thus the proliferation of the idea of a woman's perfect body. Clearly this problem goes beyond the realms of young TV actresses. It is a general societal issue we are facing in the 21st century.
You may not think that TV stars affect us or our vision of the human body and its aesthetic. And perhaps you're right, it may not affect you. But children are still learning about the world that surrounds them, making them more vulnerable to the messages sent by the people they look up to. If the superstars they plaster on their walls look a certain way, do they have to look that way too? These are important questions that need to be addressed with individual children, but kid's TV programs have a share of the responsibility as well.
There is still a lot of good left in the world, and progress is being made to rectify the situation. In France, for example, beauty pageants for young girls were recently banned. Certain groups in America recoiled at this "breach of freedom." According to them, sending toddlers down a runway squeezed into tight dresses and high heels to be judged by a panel of strangers isn't exploitative; it's just another extracurricular activity.
But countries like France, and hopefully many others in the near future, are realizing that judging a child solely based on his or her looks just isn't healthy. Hopefully, this step will stimulate conversations around the world about the environment in which children of the 21st century are developing, and what we can do to improve body positivity.
Gabby Vachon blogs at The Fudge Perfection Project, a "delicious piece of self-love cake" dedicated to helping teens embrace body positivity and challenge notions of perfectionism. FPP also gives conferences, speeches, meetings, and workshops at elementary and high schools, as well as maintaining a YouTube channel. To find out how you can get involved with her work, check here.
Related Content:
Childhood, Selfhood, and the American Girl
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things: Body Acceptance in YA Literature


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Any.do Task List & To-do List v3.3.14
Category: Free Apps, Apps, Productivity
Author: AHED KHALIL
Added: 16-04-2015, 02:50 PM
Current version: 3.3.14
Viewed: 1 363
Any.do To do list is a MUST HAVE APP (NY Times, TechCrunch, PCMAG & More!)
Millions use Any.do to capture ideas, make check lists and keep track of everything they need & want to do. With Any.do to do list you can easily share your check lists & tasks with anyone to get more done, faster.
➜ Any.do to do list top features:
✓ Seamless cloud sync between your mobile, desktop, web and tablet
✓ Reminders - Set time and location based reminders for your tasks
✓ To do list Widget - Add a widget to keep your to do list on the home screen
✓ Calendar Integration to keep your agenda always up to date
✓ Assign tasks & Share lists - get everyone on the same page
✓ Add Sub-tasks, notes & file attachments to supercharge your to do list
✓ Speak your mind with built-in speech recognition
✓ Add Sub-tasks, notes & file attachments to supercharge your to do list
✓ Drag and drop your tasks to plan your agenda
✓ Simple gestures support Designed for mobile
➜ Not enough for a Tasker like yourself? Here's more:
✓ Clean and smart design that keeps you focused on your goals for the day
✓ Keep updating your grocery list, shopping list, errand, chores, and calendar in real-time with your spouse and family
✓ Set recurring tasks for regularly scheduled to do list items on your Any.do to do list
✓ Moment is your daily agenda planner allowing you do the right things on your to do list
✓ Intuitive drag and drop of tasks, swipe to mark tasks as complete, and shake your android to remove them from your list.
✓ Make Any.do the best planner for organizing tasks faster
✓ Use voice entry to speak your tasks into a list, or type with our powerful auto-suggest feature
➜ Still not enough?
✓ Add a to do list item to the app by email by forwarding [email protected]
✓ Make your daily to do list even more useful by uploading files, sound recordings and photos to your tasks from your computer, Dropbox, or Google Drive
✓ Print, Export and share your lists & tasks for groceries, errands, & more
✓ Remember to call family or friends the same day they called with Any.do's missed call feature
And much, much more...
✓ Syncs with many Google services like Google Calendar, Gmail & Chrome to help you manage your day with productivity
Bottom line: Getting things done (GTD) has never been easier with Any.do: the best to do list app for managing your personal home life, work life, and everything in between. Why download 10 different apps when you can get all of their functionalities in just 1 Any.do?!
Any.do is a calendar, a notepad, a board for post its or sticky notes, a project management tool for small teams, your daily scheduler, and overall the simplest and most useful organizer you will ever have. Best of all – it's free for basic use!
Any.do is also great when you're planning to go shopping at the grocery store. Right there with your to do's is a handy shopping list that's editable as you go and remember more things you need. Forget to buy post it notes? Throw it on the list and add it to your shopping cart if you must, but you won't need to, since Any.do is your new post it note with alarms for time sensitive reminders that come with you wherever you take your phone!
Planning and organizing collaborative work projects has never been easier. Just like you can share tasks between family members, you can also share checklists and much more with everybody on your team at work. Any.do will help you and the rest of your team stay on schedule so that you can go home at night relaxed, knowing that you had a productive day where you crossed many tasks off of your check list.
Note: If the download link does not work, please contact us
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The StarID is a username that is used across the Minnesota State system to access information technology systems and services. As systems are configured to use StarID, the number of usernames and passwords students and employees will need to remember and use will be reduced. Ideally, a single username can be used to log into any system and that will be StarID.
Tutorial for StarID [ PDF ]
If you are unable to activate your StarID or run in to problems then please contact IT Help Desk staff for assistance email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 218.477.2603.
The StarID is a username with the goal of replacing many login IDs with one ID, one password, everywhere. Once you activate it, you can use your StarID and password anywhere that accepts StarID. It is unique across the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, so you can use it at more than one school. Change your password in one place — starid.minnstate.edu — and it will change everywhere.
All students, faculty, and staff of the Minnesota State system have StarIDs and can activate theirs now. Colleges and universities are introducing students to StarID as they convert systems to use it.
Each college and university can choose to use StarID for different IT systems. The most common of these include:
A number of systemwide IT services accept StarID login wherever the service is used. Here are a few of these services:


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What is the meaning of the Chinese Zodiac (animal) 'Rooster'?
What is the meaning of the Chinese Zodiac (animal) 'Rooster'?
Discover the characteristics of your signs in Chinese Astrology
Chinese Astrology
The complete description and characteristics of the Chinese Zodiac (animal) Rooster in Chinese Astrology are only available in the full report.
The Perfectionist
The Rooster is hard working and definite about their decisions....
So, would you like to know more about your Chinese Zodiac (animal) and discover the meaning of the other astrological signs and spiritual symbols? You can get a full and personal spiritual report today for just a small fee!
Just fill in the details below, complete the payment process and the full report will be sent by email within 48 hours!
Please Note: The full profile will be valid for 12 months. The email address you provide will not be displayed on mySpiritualProfile. Your full spiritual report will not be made public, so it will only be accessible by logging in with the email address and the date of birth provided. From the login area you will be able to download the full spiritual report as a PDF onto your computer.


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After Brussels was linked to terror plots, the international media portrayed the city as a war zone.
How is it really?
Posted in EU, Events, Media Bias, tagged Belgium, Brussels, Maelbeek, Zaventem on March 22, 2016| 1 Comment »
After Brussels was linked to terror plots, the international media portrayed the city as a war zone.
Posted in Media Bias, Rule of Law, Spiritual R3VOLUTION, tagged Kent State, Liberty for All, OathKeepers, Sam Wilson, Washington State Patrol on March 11, 2015| 5 Comments »
By Sam Wilson
In these days of social media, that saturate the internet with the latest case of real (or imagined) police brutality, and countless stories of government employees with badges and guns killing pets, closing children's lemonade stands, and dropping grenades into children's cribs, it is far too easy to vilify ALL government employees who wear a badge and carry a gun.
We do this at our own peril. (more…)
Posted in Candidates and Campaigns, Media Bias, tagged Bob Williams, Evergreen Freedom Foundation, Freedom Foundation, Jim McDermott, Michael Medved, Ron Bemis on October 31, 2012| 8 Comments »
Ron Bemis is the challenger to long-time 7th District Stalinist Democrat Jim McDermott. McDermott has consistently refused to debate Bemis and the reason is very, very clear. It might tend to give the voters a choice. McDermott made the mistake of appearing side by side with Bemis in October on KUOW and Bemis – how should I put this? – Bemis broke McDermott into little pieces intellectually and then ground the pieces into a fine powder. [You can hear it (and the extraordinary KUOW left wing bias) here.] No problem in Soviet King County, however.
There is a controlled press.
The Seattle Times has literally refused to cover the Bemis candidacy (!!!). They couldn't let word get out about a candidate that brilliant. To counteract the Times' bias against him (they are, after all, just another wing of the Democrat Party), the Bemis campaign purchased a quarter page ad in the Times Sunday October 28 edition. [Why shouldn't the local propaganda rag profit from its own misdeeds? (and thanks, McCain-Feingold)]
And why should our anointed Congressman-for-life, while taking advantage of franking privileges and the prerogatives of media-bequeathed eternal incumbency, have to give up the limelight of a debate just because he (technically) has an opponent for the office? What to do?
On Thursday, November 1, 2012 the Freedom Foundation [formerly the Evergreen Freedom Foundation], through its offspring, the Student Freedom Project (SFP) will host a McDermott "Debate."
But to Save Dr. McDermott* the indignity of having to face his opponent, Ron Bemis will not be invited.
*(Dr.? Yes, Martha, he's a psychiatrist – just look at that picture).
Posted in 2012 Presidential Race, Lies and Fraud, Media Bias, Ron Paul on December 31, 2011| Leave a Comment »
One of the greatest disappointements of the 21st Century, so far, has been the demise of Fox News as an objective major news network. Fox emerged as the first major network that was not blatantly Far-Left in outlook and coverage in the '90s, and became the top rated TV news network by 2004.
Simply being somewhat neutral aroused charges on the left that they were "conservative." Not hardly. (more…)
Posted in 2012 Presidential Race, Lies and Fraud, Media Bias, Ron Paul, tagged Michael Medved on December 29, 2011| 2 Comments »
Dear Congressman Paul:
Your Presidential campaign has drawn the enthusiastic support of an imposing collection of Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists, Holocaust Deniers, 9/11 "Truthers" and other paranoid and discredited conspiracists."
~ Michael Medved, Oct. 26, 2007
Posted in 2012 Presidential Race, Media Bias, Ron Paul, Those Pesky Truth Tellers! on December 20, 2011| 13 Comments »
With the mainstream media foaming at the mouth every time they say the words "Ron Paul" (when they deign to mention him at all), one of the more amusing and relevant things coming out of his Presidential candidacy will be watching the pundits' gyrations when Ron Paul, the "unelectable one who can't win" actually wins Iowa.
The lamestream media has spent years being completely out of touch with everyday Americans, and has worked hard to vilify any group that challenges the status quo in any meaningful way. But the American people are beginning to see that they have been lied to by their media. They are seeking alternative news sources on the Internet. The big newspapers are dying, the big networks are losing viewers. Their hold on the American psyche is beginning to disintegrate. (more…)
Posted in 2012 Presidential Race, Media Bias, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry on August 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Interviewed by the Maniacally Socialist National Broadcasting Company, Jennifer Donahue, after examining Mitt Romney's catatonic body politic, has declared his condition terminal:
N.H. Political Analyst: "It Is Over For Mitt Romney".
So it once was ordained for Algore.
Nevertheless, for the sake of the land of the proud and the strong and the brave, as Mike Huckabee's favorite author once wrote (I believe it was in "The Cat in the Hat"), "But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all…" (more…)


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The Garden Photographic Society is a club for members who share a common interest in and enjoy a wide range of photography. Working together, we build friendships, enjoy member's images, share ideas, and participate in activities that encourage members to advance their skills, or learn new photographic techniques. We are also part of the The Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association.
GPS meets twice per month on Thursdays at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, IL 60022. Please see our calendar for more information on dates and times.
Like us on and stay updated with the latest news!


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Risk aversion in the fire service: report released today
Published: 29 March, 2012
The 2008 Galston Mine Incident report provides an independent assessment of the circumstances surrounding the death of Alison Hume who fell down a disused mine shaft in Galston on 26 July 2008.
The Galston mine incident inquiry report has been submitted to Scottish Fire Ministers, setting out to review the manner in which Strathclyde Fire and Rescue is now carrying out its functions in relation to the issues raised in Sheriff Leslie's report; to review whether appropriate steps have been taken, or require to be taken, by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue and across the Scottish fire and rescue services to address the findings of the report, thereby minimising the likelihood of this kind of tragedy happening again.
Fatal accident inquiry
The starting point of this latest report was the Determination made by Sheriff Leslie at the conclusion of the Fatal Accident Inquiry in November 2011.
Sheriff Leslie wrote, "…I was not directed to any legislation, or protocol, which allows me to accept the views expressed by Group Commander X, or Assistant Chief Fire Officer Y, that the type of rescue they would have required to undertake with Mrs Hume, was not within the parameters of their engagement… I found the evidence of Group Commander X, and Group Commander Z, to be focussed on self-justification for the action or non-action taken… I found their evidence to be bullish, if not arrogant, in their determination to justify the subservience of the need to carry out a rescue to the need to fulfil to the letter [their] Fire and Rescue Service 'Brigade' policy… Mr X, in particular, considered that the rescue operation was 'a success'. In his view he had adhered to the policies and procedures set out by [their] Fire and Rescue Service… There had been no casualties other than the one to whom the Service was called upon to rescue..."
"Unfortunately this was not a successful operation: a woman died who had not only sustained survivable though life threatening injuries… I consider that the views expressed by Mr X and Mr Z were of a fundamentalist adherence to [their] Fire and Rescue Service policy. They rigidly stood by their operational guidelines… Assistant Chief Fire Officer Y conceded that the powers given to [their] Fire and Rescue Service under s13 and s14 of The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 allowed a measure of flexibility to perform a rescue but only in suitable and reasonable circumstances… That statutory licence would have provided the mandate to the fire fighters who were anxious to deploy and adapt the equipment available to them to attempt a rescue…"
Latest report
In the Galston Mine Incident Inquiry Report author Steven Torrie, QFSM HM Chief Inspector of Fire and Rescue Authorities, writes: "Out of this tragedy, there is an opportunity to address the growing risk aversion across the fire and rescue service, to properly support emergency responders who are faced with difficult challenges and to build a first class planning and response to specialist rescue incidents across the country."
Mr Torrie says: "Alison Hume's successful rescue was never guaranteed. However, the very long time she spent before being removed from the shaft greatly decreased her chances of survival. There was an inexplicable lack of focus on Alison's medical condition, the risk she faced of hypothermia and the consequent time pressure for a rescue. The Inquiry was structured to consider the factors which influenced that timescale."
Mr Torrie then said: "From my discussions with Alison's family they feel a strong sense of grievance over the explanation of events they were given shortly after the incident. They believe that they only achieved a proper understanding through evidence which came out during the Fatal Accident Inquiry process. They are equally critical of the quality of operational command decisions taken by fire and rescue commanders."
Growing cautiousness in the fire service
Mr Torrie remarked that fire and rescue services were increasingly being challenged and charged with failures and offences. "This is influencing the way in which the Services are operating.
"Amongst other things, this influence is creating a growing cautiousness within the Service. It is causing the Service to question whether it should be responding to unusual and hard to define incidents and whether it is appropriate to adapt and improvise in such circumstances. It is placing a growing pressure on individual officers who know that they may be held to account for often difficult command decisions. The scrutiny of operational incidents and command decisions which are made by managers, prosecuting authorities, Fatal Accident Inquiries and Inquiries such as this are of course intended, amongst other things, to act as an opportunity to reflect and learn. It is also the case that the outcomes of this scrutiny are causing a growing cautiousness in decisions made by fire and rescue services and operational commanders."
Legal basis
The legal basis for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue responding to an incident of this type is unclear, said Mr Torrie: "Neither Strathclyde Fire and Rescue nor, to the best of my knowledge, any other fire and rescue service has made provision to deal with a Mines rescue. Setting aside absolute definitions of incident types – which might actually be contributing to the complexity in operational decision making for fire and rescue services – Strathclyde Fire and Rescue had specifically ruled out providing specialist line rescue and had chosen to defer to other organisations."
Ongoing Development of Rescue Functions: The Fire and Rescue Framework published by Scottish Ministers should set out an expectation that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service acts as a champion and coordinator of specialist rescue.
Learning Organisation: The Fire and Rescue Framework published by Scottish Ministers should set out an expectation that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service behaves as a learning organisation.
Legal Definition of Duty: The Fire and Rescue Framework published by Scottish Ministers should direct the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to define the parameters of its operational functions, and should explicitly recognise the need to adapt and improvise in unusual and difficult to define circumstances. All of this should fall within the scope of the community risk planning which fire and rescue services undertake.
Operational Command: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service should carry out an audit of operational command training examining, in particular, risk critical decision making in unusual and hard to define circumstances. As part of the reform agenda, the Service should review operational command roles and implement the simplest possible structure for operational command.
You can download the full report below.


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My mother believed that chocolate made everything better and at times, I also believe this to be true. Moreover, when she first tasted really good chocolate, there was no going back to the less expensive brands. I have inherited those same taste buds and when we moved to the Pacific Northwest, I discovered Fran's Chocolates, a chocolatier founded in Seattle, who makes really good chocolates! As Fran Bigelow states in her book, Pure Chocolate, "A few lucky people are born to chocolate. Others, like myself, fall into it later in life and spend the rest of their lives mastering its magic." That also describes my mother and this cookie I create today is in her honor of teaching me the appreciation of good chocolate, with a twist from Fran Bigelow, who got me hooked on chocolate salted caramels.
Thumbprint cookies have been one of my favorite cookies to bake each year during the holidays. Normally, I do the buttery, shortbread dough, rolled in finely ground nuts, then, add my homemade raspberry, strawberry, or peach jam to the centers. My family loves them and they will be part of my cookie boxes for gifts as usual. However, this chocolate version is my way of adding something new and keeping them on their toes ;-)!
I've included, once more, my recipe for Homemade Caramel, which is very easy to make, but, keep in mind, you can also use a store bought brand, or even melt wrapped caramels with about 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to fill the centers. I understand with time flying by, shortcuts may be necessary, so don't feel guilty. If you make your own caramel, there will be about a cup or more left over. I will be placing my leftover in a sterilized 8oz jam jar, sealed, and shipped to my daughter, Erin. She loves caramel over ice cream and since she's unable to travel this holiday, it will be a special homemade treat.
Homemade Caramel
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
|I use C & H's Baker's Sugar, which is an ultrafine pure cane sugar, much like caster sugar
1 cup Light Karo Syrup
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
4 T unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
In a 2 quart sauce pan, combine the sugar and Karo syrup together, stirring to blend well, however, once you place the pan over heat, DO NOT STIR!
Place sauce pan over medium heat. When the mixture turns a golden brown (this takes about 7 minutes, but don't go away or get distracted doing something else), remove pan immediately from the heat and add the butter. The mixture will bubble up and at this time, you can stir to incorporate the butter. Now, slowly add the heavy cream--the mixture will not only bubble, but release steam. For safety reasons, you can use a hot pad to pour the cream to protect your hands. Don't panic if a "lump" of caramel forms; trust me, the mixture is still hot enough that you will be able to stir that lump away. Finally, add the vanilla and stir once more.
The mixture will be quite thin, but as it cools, it will thicken up. (You could also pour this mixture into a square pan, brushed with butter and it will set so you can make your own soft caramels as gifts.) I transferred the mixture to a heat-proof bowl to cool while I started the bittersweet thumbprint cookies, stirring occasionally to speed up the cooling.
Bittersweet Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, set at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
Additional: Coarse Sea Salt
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted bittersweet chocolate and vanilla and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (the last five listed) and use a whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed just to combine.
Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to measure out the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake 10-11 minutes, until the tops look dry and cracked. Remove from the oven and immediately use the small end of a pastry tamper or the rounded end of a large wooden spoon to create a "well" in the center of the cookie. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Use about 1/2 teaspoon of caramel to fill the wells.
Sprinkle with a few grains of coarse sea salt to finish off the cookie.
Allow the cookie to set at least an hour before storing in a airtight container in a cool, dry place.
My friends know me all too well...and for my birthday this year, I received not one, but two boxes of Fran's Chocolates. These cookies, with the deep, dark chocolate taste and combined with the salted caramel pay tribute to two women who have inspired me to find the magic. Enjoy!