text:
Who's ready to spin the compass in Greece?
All aboard! Get ready to navigate through awe-inspiring islands. Then, sail between cities steeped in history, mythology and legend. Then, your last mission of the day (should you choose to accept) is to laze on board and catch those rays.
Whether you're Aegean sunseeking or Greek Island chasing, get your dose of vitamin sea (see what we did there?) and start planning the adventure of a lifetime.
Sounds amazing, right? Psst… our floating digs have had an upgrade. Think: an en-suite cabin on a motorised boat - happy sailing!
Check out our incredible Greek Sailing trips below.
Terms & conditions apply:
10% off is valid on newly made and deposited bookings of 2018 departures of the Aegean Sunseeker or the Greek Island Chaser trips. Valid for bookings made from 3 - 31 July 2018. Not combinable with any other offer. Normal booking conditions apply. Promo code GREEKSALE must be mentioned at time of booking. All offers subject to availability. Passengers must be aged 18-39 at time of travel. Discounts apply to trip price only and do not apply to any pre & post accommodation. Pricing based on low season departures with applicable discounts. Topdeck reserves the right to amend or withdraw this offer at any time. For full terms and conditions see www.topdeck.travel/terms-and-conditions


text:
Video Part II: If you wish, you may listen to my story (if you haven't already).
You may also contact us to share your story in this space.
Prayer for LGBT Catholics
You gather me up, hold me close, and feed me.
You strengthen me when I am weak, heal me when I am sick, and bind up all my wounds.
Lord, you are my shepherd, the one who refreshes my soul, invites me to the table, and welcomes me to dwell in your house.
I am your homosexual child, baptized into your flock, O Lord.
My family and I cry out to you for shepherds here on earth—your church and among ourselves—who like you know us, feed us, care for us, and invite us to your table.
Parent's Prayer
Catechism of the Catholic Church http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
The Trevor Suicide Prevention Hotline (866) 488-7386: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
For parents and Ministers: To download the USCCB document "Always Our Children" http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/homosexuality/always-our-children.cfm
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) http://www.usccb.org/
San Francisco State University research project "Family Acceptance Project" https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/ OR to download booklet https://familyproject.sfsu.edu/publications
American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org
Check out Father James Martin's upcoming book "Building a Bridge", to be published in summer 2017. This book includes spiritual and biblical resources for LGBT people and their families, friends, for ministers in the Church, etc http://jamesmartin.hc.com/
America Media: "We need to build a bridge between LGBT community and the Catholic Church" http://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2016/10/30/james-martin-sj-we-need-build-bridge-between-lgbt-community-and-catholic-church
American Media: "Necesitamos construir un puente entre la comunidad LGBT y la Iglesia Católica" http://www.americamagazine.org/espanol/2016/10/30/james-martin-sj-necesitamos-construir-un-puente-entre-la-comunidad-lgbt-y-la

subset: commoncrawl


text: Founder Chris McArthur conceived Patriot Coffee after 9 years of owning and operating a coffee house and dealing with the frustrating void created by the lack of a local roaster. He began by roasting on his back porch and selling at farmer's markets, but has recently launched Lakeland's first coffee roastery in the blossoming Dixieland neighborhood. In name Patriot is a nod to the armed service men and women who McArthur served with, as well as a call to action for present and future generations to embrace the pioneering spirit of our country's founders. Patriot's mission is to source top tier coffees, which are roasted with an obsessive attention to detail, in order to provide the best possible experience for their customers.


text:
Smartphones have become such an important part of our lives, that we cannot afford to make the wrong choice. Nowadays, almost every major Smartphone covers all the necessary features and more.
Lasting till bedtime with an exceptionally well battery life, these handsets are your walking diaries, tickets, cameras apart from the essentials of course that is texts, calls and social media. Therefore, you cannot afford to go wrong in this and trust me, you won't go wrong in this as we are there to guide you in every way possible.
So here is a list of top 10 smartphones which would lure you to order one right away:
The HTC 10 is an amazingly well-built device, with highest standards of horsepower and a 'pleasure to use' software. Termed as an "All Rounder" by many, this phone offers a lovely build with a strong set of software features. The phone comes in silver, gold and black with a shiny glaze, which would make your heart skip a beat by just looking at them.
This sexy beast would never fail to amaze you in your entire phone journey. Packed with marvelous features,camera and edge, the phone is so easy to use that you will fall in love with it instantly. Put all you need on the edge and get a cleaner home screen. After all it's good to look at a nice wallpaper and not the icons of the app blocking the view.
If you are an "Once an Apple, always an Apple", type of person, then this is the best phone for you. Some of the features are 3D imaging, 12 MP camera with flash, 5.5 inches of screen (probably the biggest in iphone history) and 16GB inbuilt memory (compromisable because of an amazing picture quality it has).
With excellent camera and screen graphics, it might feel a little fragile in the hand but is very comfortable. It can survive few drops without the cover also so nothing to worry about the fragility too. With your own individual phone pen, this phone is totally worth your money.
With an exceptionally fast charging capability, Samsung Galaxy S6 would cure you from your phone buying addiction. It is fast, reliable with an excellent camera and display. It has a durable body which can endure a few drops with no dents or scratches.
After giving a sensational One Plus One, the company is back with One Plus Two. If you need an excellent phone with awesome features but has that little pocket to watch, buy the phone in a second.A "Quality in budget" phone would not fail to surprise you in your entire phone journey.
With a leather back,it has an amazing design. The display is worth appreciating. This phone would provide you a wholesome experience with an awesome camera, speed and a decent battery life. The phone's quick charging capability makes it a choice of many.
Slim and easy to handle, the phone has amazing charging capability. With a 12 MP camera, you can click excellent pictures but only upto 32 GB as it does not support a memory card. Some people complain of the heating problem, but in my usage span, I did not face any problem at all.
Sony Xperia Z5 would offer you high picture quality with better colours and sharpness. Although, the sound is not as good as it's other brothers, it offers a great battery life, camera, display and playing games.
With a 2.2 GHz processor, it is an excellent phone for gaming. Again a budget phone, this phone is for heavy gamers. Non stop gaming gives a battery life of 4 hours which is pretty decent.
Whatever smartphone you buy, it should ultimately serve the purpose you want it for. After going through such a tempted list, I am sure you are on the verge of buying your very own best smartphone.


text:
The match fixing scandal has been affecting the quality of sport over the years and the cricket organizations are taking great measures to make sure that the sport is not affected by it and to eradicate fixing completely from cricket. Though these steps and measures have reduced the incidents of fixing, it has not been able to completely eradicate it and it continues to cause hindrance to the growth of the sport.
According to the reports in the Hindustan times, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) at Ahmedabad, after a thorough investigation, revealed that the broadcast lag, stolen feed on the internet, and ball by ball updates over the phone from inside the stadium have been the most easiest ways that the bookies have been using for their purpose.
An ED officer explained that a representative of the bookie is inside the stadium giving ball by ball commentary of the game which helps the bookies run their business successfully. He explained that there is usually 12 second lag between the live event and its telecast on the television and that the delay is used by the bookies as they usually get information from inside the ground about the live event even before it is telecasted on the TV. He said that the bookies were able to accumulate a lot of black money by knowing what is going to happen even before it is on TV.
The ED also takes care of the issues of money-laundering and investigation of foreign exchange violations. The officer from ED said that they were trying to establish a link to the proxy networks used by the bookies in placing online bets on the matches. He added that they were also investigating as to how they were able to get live uplink feed of the IPL online even before it is telecasted.
The Business head of Sony the IPL Broadcaster however said that the lag in telecast is quite common. He explained the feed from the stadium goes through a lot of intermediated stages before reaching the final audience via the satellite and that a few second delay is quite common across the industry.


text:
Foyle coaches and Serenity House are organising a trip to Sligo on Wednesday 29th of July including a visit to Lissadell House, Glencar waterfall, Sligo town and a visit to the beautiful Mullaghmore, Evening meal will be provided on return journey. For more information please contact 0749382945.
Moville Port Sea Scouts are holding a fundraising Baby Boot (car boot) and cake sale for anyone to sell unwanted baby and kids clothes toys, books, bikes etc. on Saturday 11 July from 10am to 2pm in the Den-Masonic Hall, Sea Front, Moville. Cake donations welcome. Please text 0872813753 to book your table as tables filling fast.
A new Step on It programme will commence on Tuesday, 21 July at 11am for two weeks and will recommence in September. Individual are encouraged to bring their wet gear and walks go ahead even in the rain, good walking techniques are taught and chat is encouraged along the way
Paddy J McLaughlin will be launching his CD Life is A River next Friday, 17 July in The Corner Bar, Moville from 10pm. All proceeds are in aid of the Cancer Care Bus. The CD is also available to purchase in many shops around Inishowen.
The Cairn Theatre Group presents 'The Light of other Days' in The Cairn, Greencastle every Tuesday evening at 8pm (July to end of September) The highs and lows of life in the Irish countryside with popular songs, drama and dance Enquiries: Tel: 9381104.
Ata recent meeting of the Moville Care of the Aged Committee six committee members were presented with long service awards. Awards were presented to Mary McGonagle, Peggy Crumlish, Nuala McLaughlin (all of whom had over 20 years' service) and Nan McCarron (over 45 years' service). A special award was given to Tommy Doherty, Terryrone who had over 50 years' service as well as being a founder member of the committee.
The annual blessing of the graves will take place r on Sunday, 12 July in Ballincrae at/after 10.30am Mass and in Ballybrack at 2pm.
The Greencastle Community Centre will be holding a couple of Summer Camps in July in association with Left for Love Craft and Creations and also Terry's Youth Connection. For dates for Left for Love contact Bebhinn on 0864089481 and for Terry's Youth Connection contact Terry on 0861082110.
Kids' Summer dance workshops take place in Glencrow Hall, on Tuesdays 14 and 21 July and Thursdays 16 and 23 July form 10.30am to 11.30am (4-7 years) and 12 to 1pm (8-12 years). Four workshops for 20 euro or 6 euro on the day. Details from Chloe McGregor 0868693207 or email@example.com.
A bus trip to Knock will take place on Sunday 19 July leaving Moville via Gleneely and Carndonagh at 7am. Cost is 40 euro which includes two meals. To book contact Tommy on 9382709 or Eileen on 9382442.
There were no winners of this week's Moville Celtic lotto jackpot. Numbers drawn were - 16, 17, 21, 23. 20 euro draw winners. 1. Danny McLaughlin, 2. Aoife Cavanagh, 3. Peggy Coyle. Next week's jackpot will be 2,900 euro. The draw will take place in Maguire's on Monday 13. Don't forget Sports Day at the Bayfield next Sunday 12.


text:
Here are my ramblings from my time in Cambodia…After creeping through the mountains that held me from food and sleep, I rode around struggling to find a bike friendly guest house. I stopped at the service station and just layed down in a garden bed. I couldn't find the Sunday guest house to save me as they rang ahead for me in case I could get a bed.
The next day I put a solid recovery day in at the beach. It was my first trip back to the beach after 5 weeks. I may have grown up in the bush but the beach and the waves are soothing.
I put in another solid recovery day at the beach the next day. It was nice to have time to start my plans for Kampot, Kep and Phonm Pehn and return to Vietnam at the start of my visa.
On a whim after meeting people and having a real nice time, I decide to go to Koh Rong Island and do a scuba course for fun. That was a great idea. Taking some time off of the bike on a tropical island was much needed. However, being that the pace of the island, the atmosphere and the people were relaxed, it brought about a change.
I was staying in a place where there is a mosquito net and 15-20 mm gaps between the timbers that provide privacy but they allow the breeze in. No power from 1:00am until 8:00am and limited water for showers was a change of pace, but the people were so relaxed and happy which made me feel the same.
The staff at the Koh Rong Dive Centre were friendly and helpful and let me catch up with the world since it had been a while. I had "Zuzu" as my instructor and we hit it off straight away. He is real friendly but when its instructing time its business time, which was great. Scuba was fantastic, spending time with him was great, then came the question…
"Slow down, where are you rushing to?"
It was in response to my constant need to get somewhere, either in or out of the water. He was right, I needed to slow down. Not just under the water where I was kicking too much, too hard, going too fast, to quickly try to get to the next place.
I stayed on and relaxed, burnt thru my allotted travel time to Kampot and Kep, but I met some interesting people.
The main girl at the main night spot (which is a open air restaurant called CoCos) was Hillary. She also instructed yoga classes every morning. She is a lovely girl and over the next 10 days we got to know each other. People everywhere are traveling for different reasons, and those reasons change. My reasons were opportunity driven by painful times. One evening she gave me her opinion of me, I listen better now. Its time to get back up.
One of the most memorable days was a trek to the other side of the island to Long Beach, what a beautiful place.
They were shooting Survivor Bulgaria on the other end of the island, so I couldn't do explore the entire coast. I was deep in thought when I saw a drift wood humpy with a spanish girl, Ana, tending her fire. We talked and I ended up seeing out the rest of the day with her. The clear water and warm sun was feeling fresh. I meet her again after she got a job at Cocos. I practiced my spanish with her which consisted of ordering cold beer and hot dogs.
Now I must return to the real world and get back on my bike. I'm behind my schedule, but this is a trip of no hard plans. I have decided to head straight to Vietnam now. Ho Chi Ming City here I come.
Bikepacking is fun on and off the bike !


text:
Nature within nature where all living beings,
surroundings, its animate and inanimate forms blends
into harmony is the dream of Vasthukam
Feed Back
Contact Us
The bombarding rate at which the graph of construction industry is shooting up in Kerala is alarmingly a massive threat on the environment. In the economically rich and middle class world building construction is becoming a non-essential luxury. The God's own greenery of Kerala is giving way to concrete sky scrapers. The demand for more buildings is only increasing forgetting the fact that the exploitation of our precious resources costs us the earth.
The environmentalists today are fighting a hard but losing battle against the massive exploitation of green fields, ponds, hills, woods, metal, sand and stone that is being constantly sacrificed on the alter of construction boom. The craving for burgeoning building culture is becoming uncontrollable. The growing exploitation of natural resources threatens our very existence. The environmentally unsound luxury of cement, bricks and steel gives a dead look to houses where the solid walls won't breath and the need foe breaking the walls to get a whiff of fresh air arises. It is high time we are anxious about the way we design our houses, flats, offices etc. Is it not possible to put a full stop to the so called blueprints that serve as a top polluter of the country's natural resources?
The concept of eco-friendly begins with our understanding of its relation with space allocation. How much of space do we use up to make our homes, how many resources do we exploit and how much energy is consumed all led up to this answer. Like Gandhiji said: "The earth has enough to satisfy every man's need but not his greed". Therefore a green home is defined as one that uses less natural resources, water and energy and thereby reducing environmental impacts and a green home is an environmentally sensitive home.
A building should be a biotic form. It should breathe life and exhale energy to the inmates who move around under the roof. It can be achieved only through sustainable construction solutions where a house becomes an inevitable part of nature and the people feel the splurge of nature both inside and outside. This intellectual pursuit takes us to the fusion of aesthetic sense, economic sense and common sense. There is a clear and vehement answer to those people who are still worried about the way they build houses. The answer is "Go back to the Nature and recapture the green we are losing day by day."
Listen, the mud earth will tell the story. Vasthukam-the organic architecture run by Mr. P K Sreenivasan is under the pursuit of bringing back the green earth. He had his greatest building experiences while working under the master craftsman and the chief architect of Cost Ford, Mr. Laurie Baker. That was the beginning of his journey seeking the answer how far a building can be cost-effective and eco friendly fulfilling the dreams of layman. He has experimented with various materials like country brick, laterite and mud. He was one of the main engineers who brought forward the exposed laterite buildings in the year 1992. But still he was concentrating on the importance of making a house more eco friendly and greener. Taking into consideration the fact that construction is the main resource intensive sector today the need for getting attuned to nature intensifies
How far is it possible? The unfriendly and anti eco materials used in the construction give the house a certain sense of aloofness from nature. A sensible analysis of this barrenness of new buildings forced the engineer return, to take a ride back to the traditional mud houses of Kerala where antique glow held its head high. His frequent visits were followed by a detailed study on the traditional mud houses, their merits and demerits. Art always take its steps from nature to the infinite. Mr. Sreenivasan was lucky to build his first Mud guest house of 5300 sq.ft at Aadisakti a prestigious theatre campus based in Pondichery
Save the River
It was Sreenivasan who first introduced the technique of smooth plastering of the walls using mud. This technique helps to reduce the use of fifty percent of sand that is needed while plastering the walls. This technique also helps to avoid painting the walls and the unhealthy consequences of breathing toxins. Taking the long view, thepainted walls are blockages in the natural flow of life and wasteful needing recurrent yearly paintings.
Here, the ethnic feeling of mud walls scores high. The organic feel of the smoothly plastered mud walls complete the smoothness of Grecian urns. A questionnaire survey conducted among the proud owners of mud houses repeatedly assures that they simply could not resist feeling the richness and smoothness of their walls. We may appreciate a decoratively painted wall from a distance without taking it into our hearts. The combination of chemical colors may make sense for a short time but in the long run it may be pushing us to tip toe into unsound respiratory problems. Needless to say, the unpolluted mud walls plastered with smoothened mud is ever hugging and its texture is tempting. Those who visit the mud houses designed by Sreenivasan are struck by the smoothness of the mud walls which can not be ignored.
"The walls of different mud houses are in different shades" says the proud engineer. Deep red, soft yellow, yellow ochre, chrome yellow, muted brownish gold that may provide a perfect background for antique rose wood furniture or teak window frames. This is one of the main achievements he has found out while exploring the possibilities of mud. Using different types of mud, or mixing different textures of mud, a variety of natural colors could be made possible. The colors thus derived from the Mother Nature are capable of challenging the artificial color industry. These natural walls offer a flow of space and freshness of air
Nature within nature where all living beings, surroundings, its animate and inanimate forms blends into harmony is the dream of Vasthukam.
2nd floor, revathy complex Civil lane, west fort, thrissur 680004 Tel: 0487 2382490 Mob: 9447379946
E-mail: email@example.com
: firstname.lastname@example.com
Feed Back
Contact Us


text:
Superheroes Swooping In
By Jeannine Heinecke, Law Enforcement Technology Magazine
Download the PDF.
Swoop! Zoom!
These action words may conjure images of comic book heroes. Instead, they are part of the everyday language of real-life heroes — bicycle patrol officers.
Contrary to the more common image of a bicycle officer handing out trading cards to small children are images of bicycles used in undercover surveillance, drug interdiction and riot control. Bicycle officers use their stealth mobility to swoop in on a drug deal or isolate an agitator in the middle of a demonstrating crowd.
Working the shadows
Open almost any modern comic book and the pages are covered in shadows. Perhaps the villains are conspiring in an alleyway, or the hero is hiding in the shadows, waiting to pounce. Police cyclists working surveillance and drug interdiction use the shadows in parking garages, stairwells and alleyways to their advantage.
"We will set up in a parking garage where you can see a known drug area," explains Lt. Roy Waldhelm of the San Antonio (Texas) Police Department Downtown Foot and Bike Patrol. "We have officers on street level ready whenever the spotter sees a deal going down. He will notify the other officers, and they will swoop in on the bikes so fast, from two or three different directions, and make the arrest."
The Seattle (Washington) Police Department has taken this type of surveillance one step further with the use of cameras. Various cameras are positioned throughout downtown in known drug areas. According to Sgt. Ashley Price, Seattle PD Bicycle Patrol, while one officer monitors the cameras, others hide in the alleys. "Then when the officer watching the cameras sees a narcotics transaction go down, other team members zoom in on the bikes," explains Price.
With this quick strike tactic, the goal is to get the dealer out of the area as soon as possible so local residents and shoppers do not get scared and other drug dealers in the area do not see the activity. "If drug dealers see the police come in and swoop, they know we have to do paperwork. So, they will typically come right back out," explains Price. "If we can go quickly enough, maybe the dealer a half-block over won't even see it happen." Then the patrol can be even more effective.
Sometimes just the stealth nature of the bike makes it possible to bust drug dealers and users without the cover of shadows. Officers can often ride up behind people without them noticing. "They will be smoking marijuana or making a heroin deal without ever realizing you're there," says Waldhelm.
Price has had the same experience. On one occasion, she saw a man take out a crack pipe, put a rock in it and begin to smoke. Price rode up to the man, and in a state of panic, he put the entire pipe in his mouth and began to chew. "He was getting ready to swallow it until we ordered him not to," she explains. "It is just a panic thing. All of a sudden the officer is there, and they don't have that 'spot the patrol car and stomp something out' or 'drop it and run' opportunity.
"Bicycles are definitely a highly effective tool in enforcing narcotics."
Although bike patrols are very effective at making arrests, they are not the ideal mode of transportation following the arrest. In Seattle, the bike patrol has an assigned transport, but still calls for a patrol vehicle when that transport is not available. Officers with the Ann Arbor (Michigan) Police Department Mountain Bike Patrol, who work outside downtown, drive patrol cars equipped with bicycle racks. At the time of arrest, one officer will stay with the suspect while the other returns to the car, picks up the detainee and transports him to the station.
The element of disguise
Batman has Bruce Wayne. Superman has Clark Kent. Dual identities can work to a super hero's advantage. In the case of police cyclists, undercover operations are an option for drug enforcement and other surveillance needs — if equipment issues can be remedied.
The Ann Arbor PD has run plain-clothes operations in the University of Michigan Ann Arbor student housing areas to decrease the number of break-ins during the holiday season. When conducting a plain-clothes operation, a lot of questions are raised about the storage and accessibility of gear and which bike to use — Where will an officer carry his radio, firearm, handcuffs, etc.? How will he covertly press the talk button on his radio?
"Basically, your pockets are really loaded down," warns Officer Kathleen Vonk of the Ann Arbor PD Bike Patrol. "There is no carrying case." Fortunately, because of the university setting, bike officers were able to wear student backpacks to contain the gear.
Another significant issue is how to disguise a police bike or whether to use a property room bike instead. When using a property room bike, it is highly recommended that it be examined by a mechanic and given a complete overhaul. Even after the overhaul, Vonk says, "We really don't advise using property room bikes because you don't know the history of the bicycle or what mechanical problems are going to arise."
Maintaining order
In cases of large crowds or areas with potential for problems, Super¬man can monitor from above the crowd. When problems arise, he can rush to the emergency and provide a barrier between the villains and the public. Using his super speed, he can swoop in and extract villains "faster than a speeding bullet!"
During peaceful demonstrations, police cyclists can monitor the crowd from the slight elevation of the bicycle. But when demonstrations turn violent or chaotic, bicycles are especially advantageous for speed and maneuverability in deploying conventional crowd control equipment.
One of the primary tasks of the Seattle PD bike patrol is maintaining order at all demonstrations, protests and marches in the downtown area. Bicycle use in crowd management can be separated into static and moving maneuvers. Static maneuvers include creating fence lines, barriers and gates — maneuvers in which the officer is not riding the bike but using it as a directional, defensive device.
When patrolling the crowd or arresting or rescuing people in the crowd, the Seattle PD uses moving maneuvers, such as the Crossbow Movement. According to Price, riding into the crowd in two lines, they use 10 bikes to make the perimeter of the arrest. The two lead bikes will grab the arrestee while the remaining team members encircle the arrestee in a fence line facing the crowd. The bikes are used to hold back the crowd as the lead cyclists remove the suspect from the situation. In order for this technique to work, the team must work quickly so the crowd does not have time to react.
Besides bicycle maneuvers, the Seattle bike patrol is allowed to use riot control agents, such as OC, in crowd control situations. But, Price cautions, "Those are deployed not to move crowds but to get people in compliance, effect an arrest or aid someone in immediate danger." When moving the crowd, it relies on its rapid response tactics.
Crimes that don't make the headlines
When Spiderman finally defeated the Green Goblin, his arch nemesis, it made huge headlines. When he stopped a purse-snatcher, it didn't. Although it may not be as exciting as swooping in on a drug deal or controlling an unruly crowd, traffic enforcement is a large part of the bicycle patrol officer's daily routine.
Bicycle patrols are ideal for traffic enforcement in downtown, congested traffic areas. Under these conditions, traffic is moving at speeds at which the bike can compete.
Officers can move ahead of traffic by utilizing sidewalks, bike lanes or the ability to weave through gridlocked vehicles.
Two- or four-man teams are very useful in traffic enforcement. When using battery-operated radars, one officer can position himself at one end of the street, sometimes in an obscured location, and radio the other officer located at the opposite end with vehicle information and the speed of the violation.
When cracking down on stop sign enforcement, Vonk recommends using teams of four officers. As she explains, "If it is a four-way stop, you can have officers half a block down on every side and have one officer watching the stop." The observer will then call the officer in the appropriate direction with a description of the vehicle that ran the stop sign.
Cruising, a problem in the streets of San Antonio on Friday and Saturday nights, is another traffic violation that can be curbed through the use of bicycle patrols. To help with this problem, officers "set up fixed posts to keep traffic moving and prevent cruisers from making little turns that allow them to keep looping around the downtown area," says Waldhelm.
Most super heroes have a signature gadget. Daredevil has his multipurpose cane, and Batman has a cave full of gadget-rich vehicles. Bicycle officers also carry some useful, crime-fighting gadgets, and ride the most important one. When it comes to gadgets, police cyclists are limited to what they can carry on their person — firearm, baton, pepper spray, handcuffs, ticketing materials, etc. But, they can also use their bicycles as offensive or defensive weapons.
A technique used in riot control is the Bicycle Fence Line — a maneuver that utilizes the bicycle as a defensive tool. As Price describes, the officers line up the bikes, chain-side out, and stand behind them. "If people start to rush the bikes, we then have an approved tactic where we pick the bikes up and take a giant step forward," explains Price. "We will say, 'Move back!' and use that to move crowds."
Bicycles also can be used in one-on-one situations. "We recommend that if an officer is working alone, and he makes contact with a suspect, to use the bike as a barrier between the officer and the suspect," says Vonk. If the suspect initiates contact, the officer should try to clear the bicycle first, and fast.
If the officer is already off the bike and a suspect advances, one maneuver Vonk recommends is to hit the rear brake and pull the front tire into the air so it is between the suspect and the officer while the officer stabilizes the bike on the rear tire. "It is a distraction to give the suspect something to negotiate," she says. While distracted, the officer can dismount the bike and move to another force option.
Generally, it is not recommended that officers make physical contact with suspects while riding the bicycle. If possible, officers should try to drop the bike 10 to 15 feet away and then move into the situation on foot. Even though the bike can be a handy gadget for the officer, at times it also can be a detriment. "If you are on the bicycle, you're a police cyclist," says Vonk. "But once you're off, you're a police officer. Keep the bike out of the way because it can be an obstacle to the officer as well as the suspect."
Under the cloak of darkness
More often than not, super heroes work beneath the night's sky. Most time spent on bike patrols is during the daylight hours, so evening patrols provide challenges not only in equipment and lighting needs, but also the type of criminal encounters. Intox¬ication, drunk driving and gang activities are just a few of the suspect trends that occur more frequently at night.
When riding at night, officers are encouraged to stay out of the street because of poor visibility and drunk drivers. When it is necessary to ride in the road, officers must have proper rear lighting, even when riding stealth (without a headlight). In fact, according to Vonk, most night patrol is done without the headlight activated. With an average of one to three lighting hours on a rechargeable unit, a police cyclist would not be able to utilize the lamp for an entire shift anyway. But headlights, besides being required by law, also are useful in lighting a path or controlling a suspect.
For officers who conduct frequent low-light patrols, or for any officer looking to improve riding skills, Vonk recommends off-road riding at night. "In darkness, all you have is your headlight, and you can only see what the rider ahead of you is doing," she says. "You have to react a lot faster to what is coming, and there isn't a lot of room for planning. It really improves technical skills and decision making."
Using a firearm has special considerations in low-light situations. Assuming the officer dismounts his bicycle and then shoots, if the headlight is on, there may be sighting problems. "If there is a light behind you, it might hit the rear sights and shade the front sights," explains Vonk. Flashing or multicolored lights to the rear of the officer create even more issues.
There when you need them
All super heroes have a knack of fighting off the villain just in the nick of time to save the victim, often in front of the awestruck and adoring community.
The San Antonio Foot and Bike Patrol has such a good rapport with its community, as well as quick response times to back it up, that downtown residents have turned to calling the police substation direct rather than 911 dispatch. "Many of the businesses and residents downtown, instead of calling 911 or the regular dispatch center when they have a problem, they call us directly," explains Waldhelm. "They know that if they call us directly, they are going to get a quicker response."
Being visible in the community is a huge advantage for bicycle patrols. There is no way to maintain statistics on how many crimes have been prevented just because of visibility, but as Price says, "Perception is far more than half the equation. If people see us, they think things are okay."
New villains, new opportunities
As each villain is vanquished, comic book writers create a new obstacle for the super hero. In the real world, writers aren't needed to create new villains — they create themselves. With each new crime development, bike patrols have the opportunity to adapt their skills and meet new challenges.
One recent development for bicycle patrols is homeland security and disaster relief. On September 11, 2001, bicycle messengers, though not members of public service agencies, added to the relief effort by running messages, blood, first aid equipment and other supplies to and from Ground Zero. "Mountain bicycles can be used in natural or man-made disasters when normal transportation and communications systems are not operating," says Maureen Becker, executive director of the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA). "The versatility and mobility of a bicycle can help overcome some of these obstacles."
Other areas bicycle patrols are expanding into include search and rescue, private security and airport security. The National Association of Search and Rescue (NASAR) has created a joint training program with IPMBA on the use of bicycles in search and rescue operations. According to Vonk, utilizing GPS equipment and enhanced radio systems, bicycles allow first responders to quickly access emergency routes, locate and provide first aid to victims, and either guide the people back to safety or move them to a location where motorized transport can pick them up.
Private security cyclists are becoming more prevalent at shopping malls, businesses, sports facilities, amusement parks and more. Bicycles are advantageous at these locations because they can transverse parking lots rather than following the typical traffic flow.
"I think it is important for administrators and departments to realize a bicycle is an extremely versatile tool for law enforcement," says Becker. "It is not strictly a mode of transportation, and is far beyond a public relations tool. When opportunities arise to address certain crimes, they should not overlook the bicycle; rather, they should enable the bike officers to devise solutions themselves."
Look out Superman and Batman, there is a new super hero on the streets, and he is swooping into your neighborhood.
(c) 2004 Cygnus Media Group. This article appeared in the July 2004 issue of Law Enforcement Technology magazine.


text:
Well, elephants enjoy bobbing for apples, too!
Baylor and Duncan.
the elephants or the folks watching!
It was a lovely evening,
a wonderful dinner,
fun time with the Asian elephants
and with friends.
A wonderful break from all Harvey wrought.
Back to the real world.
Wishing YOU well and much joy!
Mosaic Monday


text:
SFA Classes for Homeschoolers
Sancta Familia Academy uses a block schedule making it possible for home educated students to enroll in one or more classes at the Academy. Both academic and enrichment classes are open to homeschoolers.
Sancta Familia Co-op - a Complete Homeschool Solution
Sancta Familia Academy seeks to partner with Christian, home educating parents in the Melbourne, FL area to add structure, fellowship, and academic excellence to their home schools. Together, we can give our children the best education possible.
The co-op meets for classes 1 or 2 times per week at Sancta Familia Academy in Melbourne, FL. Our classes provide accountability, social contact, and expertise in all areas of study. SFA is a lay-run Catholic organization and is not affiliated with any particular church.
Academic Classes
Students meet primarily on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 32 weeks out of the school year for rigorous, college prep classes. We offer comprehensive courses in all core academic subjects for grades K-12, taught from a Christian perspective. Parents provide mid-week accountability to students as they complete their assignments.
Enrichment Classes
Enrichment Classes are offered primarily on Wednesdays and Fridays for two 12 week semesters per school year and provide professional instruction in non-core subjects such as athletics, fine arts, life skills, and performing arts. We also hold fun, hands-on courses in science, history, and language arts that are meant to enrich what you are teaching at home.


text:
About Cyber Safety Pasifika
Cyber Safety Pasifika is a program that helps everyone in our community learn about technology and how to stay safe. We're all in this together – let's look out for ourselves, our family and friends, so that we all stay safe online.
Top tips for staying safe
Only talk to people on the internet that you know and trust.
Personal information shouldn't be shared on the internet.
Set up secure privacy settings on all of your accounts.
Use a strong password, keep it private and change it regularly.
Don't open emails from people you don't know.
Cyber Safety Pasifika Newsletter April 2018
The second edition of the Cyber Safety Pasifika Newsletter has been published. In this edition of the newsletter we welcome an additional 30 trainers to the CSP Awareness Trainers family as well as updates from Cook Islands, Nauru and Vanuatu
Cyber Safety Pasifika Newsletter
The first edition of the Cyber Safety Pasifika Newsletter has been published. This has also been provided to the Commissioners and Chiefs from Pacific Police Organisations to provide an update on the work being undertaken across the region by the Cyber Safety Pasifika Trainers.


text:
The USA's TOP WINTER DESTINATION for
Snowbirds, Winter Texans and Canadians
Every year hundreds of thousands of folks who are tired of dealing with snow, ice and frigid temperatures migrate to the sun belt of the USA. They come from all walks of life and every corner of the world to enjoy the sunny warm weather and relaxed lifestyle of the Texas Tropics.
For many decades these winter weary travelers have been referred to as "snowbirds"; a term that probably started out innocently enough referring to the fact that they were moving from a cold area to a warmer climate.
Over time the term "snowbird" has taken on a darker connotation conjuring up visions of elderly citizens who seem to be there to make life in general less enjoyable. One Floridian posts on a blog site "As a full-time resident of the Sunshine State, I am heavily-medicated to tolerate your presence for four to five months out of each and every year." read entire post . . . . . For more examples take a look at what you find when you "google" I hate snowbirds. Be advised some of what you will read there is not very nice. What you will notice about all of these comments is that none of them are coming from South Texas Rio Grande Valley residents!
Here in the Magic Valley at the southern most tip of Texas;
In fact we appreciate you so much that we give you the honorary title of "WINTER TEXANS"
We hang huge "WELCOME HOME" banners all over the place and we have celebrations in honor of your return each and every year.
So why would you make the choice to go somewhere you are not welcomed?
Come to the Rio Grande Valley and enjoy our hospitality and warm friendship!
Here is an article from The Blog for Lifestyle and Travel, with some further insight regarding Winter Visitors
30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Snowbirds
Now just the fact that we are nice folks and we appreciate it when you come to visit may not be enough reason to choose to winter in the RGV. So ... Here are some other things to consider:
The Rio Grande Valley has been a popular winter vacation destination and retirement area since the 1950s when Midwesterners began coming in ever increasing numbers and local landowners began developing RV resort parks to accommodate them. As more and more of these Winter Texans decided to permanently retire here, these resorts added mobile homes and park models to create a desirable and affordable place for them to live.
Now you can choose from over 200 resorts and campgrounds with a wide variety of amenities and price ranges. Stay in a high end resort or a mom and pop campground, whatever fits your lifestyle the best!
The Rio Grande Valley has a rich historical and cultural past for you to explore. There are many first class museums and art galleries to enjoy. You can get a taste of the local "Tejano" culture at many festivals and events. And, don't forget to try the local cuisine, the most authentic Mexican food around!
For the more active visitors, we have excellent nature trails for hiking and biking. We are recognized as one of the world's best birding sites. South Padre Island, Texas' best beach is at the eastern edge of the Valley. Here you will find sandy beaches, safe and fun nightlife, year round water sports, saltwater fishing, boating and lots of other active things to enjoy.
Let's not forget the weather here!
It snows once every 105 years. The last measurable snowfall was in 2004. On Christmas Eve the snow began falling at about 10pm. Christmas morning revealed about an inch of snow blanketing the ground, by noon it was just a memory. This was the only snow on the ground seen by several generations of locals. So, dealing with the cold, ice, slush and snow is not going to be an issue here. At least not for 90 years or so.
Average temperatures in the Fall and Winter are around the 60° - 70° mark. Occasionally we get a "Canadian Cold Front" that sweeps down from the north and temps plummet to 40°. I do have to admit that once in a while we see near freezing temperatures, however, they do not last more than a day or two. Overall, you will not find a more tropical climate anywhere in the continental US. Where else can you pick vine ripened tomatoes from your own garden in December?
Well, If this has not been enough to convince you that there is no better winter vacation destination in the USA than the Rio Grande Valley; all I can say is
If I can be of any assistance to you as you plan your trip, give me a call or email me and I will be more than happy to help.
Rod Graham


text:
Monique's Salon is a special place. Not only is Monique a hair replacement and wig specialists, she also gives back to the community through her own nonprofit and Candlelighters by providing gorgeous wigs to children in need of them. Honored as the recipient of the Award of Execellence for Medium Business from the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, Monique's is a vital business in the Spokane Valley. The new building is gorgeous and if you haven't seen it, you must check it out.
Whether you are interested in revitalizing your appearance, re-energizing your body or need the best options for fine thin hair, Monique's Salon offers a wide range of services to fit your needs. Monique's has an innovative new process created to restore and straighten damaged hair without changing its texture. This product can be applied on ANY type of hair including damaged, relaxed or chemically treated. your hair will be shiny, silky and frizz free for as long as 12-16 weeks. Call 509-926-6429 to book an appointment! 10 N Evergreen Rd Spokane Valley, WA.
Filed under: Beauty, Nosey Parker News | Tagged: Moniques_Salon, noseyparker.net, noseyparkerinw, shop spokane, spokane events, visit spokane |


text:
The GodthumbReviewing: Dolby Dvd O Entertainment | Rating:
The Thumbs series reaches its conclusion with The Godthumb, an obvious parody of the popular Godfather movie trilogy. Come into the seedy underworld of the thumbs as two families are at each other's throats over one not providing financial backing for a ridiculous project involving cubes of meat.
Unfortunately, the movie is kind of a pain to follow if you're not famliar with the source material. I found myself constantly scratching my head wondering what was going on. Still, the movie is about at the same humor level as Frankenthumb, perhaps a little funnier.
Special features are almost at an all time high, save for the lack of an audio commentary this time around. We have the usual storyboards and trailers (though no "coming attractions, " as the series is clearly finished at this point), plus hilarious outtakes, interviews, and a "sneak peek" at Electro Robo-Boogie II. Nothing specacular, but neat nonetheless.
The Thumb series goes out with a bang and a whimper. This filmette is decent enough, but still bogged down by a lack of humor and comprehensive plot.


text:
I've read a handful of Easter blogs and they were so good I wanted to share some excerpts here.
Enjoy - Christ is Risen! Христос воскрес! De Heer is opgestaan!
Marilyn from A Life Overseas
Teanna from Across Cultures
Katie Davis in Uganda: On Earth as it is in Heaven
Like this post and want to receive updates of new entries? Please consider subscribing to my blog via this link!
Enjoy - Christ is Risen! Христос воскрес! De Heer is opgestaan!
|Garden Tomb, Jerusalem, 2010
It's this I think about today – for today is Good Friday. The day in the Christian faith where all of life stopped and the world darkened, a curtain in a temple torn from top to bottom. The day when Jesus, God incarnate, was condemned to the death of a criminal and bore our broken world on his shoulders. And today I set aside time to remember that day and focus on the view from above.
That glorious, breath-taking, conversation stopping view. That view that sees the broken world that Jesus died for, the world that Jesus loves, knowing that each day that we fight this fight is worth it.
Because once upon a time, the Garden birthed Life from death and the shadows were broken, the snake was crushed, and ONE powerful force walked through Hell resurrected.
He crossed a threshold back into our shadow world with scars from our shovels. He broke that death-snake, flinging it as far as the East is from the West, to show us that what's dead is dead and the Garden is still there waiting for our return. And He stayed with us for a while, so that we could pitch our fingers into the nail holes and dance with Him.
|Coptic Christians (?), Jerusalem, 2010
We tremble. Because who wouldn't tremble at the feet of the Savior? At just a glimpse of all He might have planned? But as we trust, we fill with joy and peace, we overflow with hope, just as it is promised. We know all He has done for us, and we know all that He has yet to do when He brings us into His kingdom. And my prayer today is that we might not be afraid. Friend, whatever it is you are facing, do not be afraid. Whatever it is He is calling you to in obedience, rest assured – you will see Him! Go and tell the world of what He has done for us, for you! We can trust Him. And today, every day, we REJOICE in Him!
How do you say "Christ is risen" in your own language?
How does Christ's resurrection give you hope?
Like this post and want to receive updates of new entries? Please consider subscribing to my blog via this link!


text:
[quote="RSD"]I think there are a handful of reasons that make a pretty solid rationale for locating or re-locating to a biotech hub.
1. Access to venture capital. VC money is concentrated, so companies go to where the money is. Real estate costs and even cost of living/salary costs don't make up that much of a biotech's budget.
2. Access to talent. Biotech hubs tend to have lots of academic research centers and big pharma, which means access to both entry level and experienced talent. If I take a job at the only biotech in Omaha and it fails, I have to relocate again. If my startup in Boston fails there is a significant job market for me.
3. Culture. This ties in with competition for talent. In places where there are no alternative workplaces and relatively few candidates (compared to a Boston or SF), the culture can get stale. I think a bit of turnover and competition makes for a more innovative, driven to succeed culture as opposed to the punch the clock/I've gotten comfortable here and there is no place else in town culture. I think local networking opportunities with other biotech and pharma companies, employees, and academics also helps.[/quote]
RSD, you made a valid point that clearly tell why we have hub cities and how it works. Really great thread. Thanks.


text:
Thanks Pat. I will try to get to it soon.
TimOn Wed, Dec 1, 2010 at 10:30 PM, Pat Suwalski <pat suwalski net> wrote:
So, I've tried out the latest in TagLib fixes, and it definitely helps for the sample as attached in bugzilla. However, as I noted in the bug, it still chokes in a similar way on other files. I've updated the bug with details.
On 10-11-16 04:20 PM, Tim Howard wrote:
Here's a patch for a different bug (by number but I think they're the
same) that Ruben just made. It's untested at the moment but may solve
your problem:
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=629766 (bug reference)
(TagLib# commit)
On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 1:45 PM, Heiner <list heinrich-muenz de<mailto:list heinrich-muenz de>> wrote:
If there's anything to be tested with a Canon EOS 1000D, i gladly would
do it and post the results - unless it won't brick my camera.
Am Dienstag, den 16.11.2010, 10:05 -0500 schrieb Tim Howard:
> It's possible that it's not the only thing going on. Unfortunately I
> don't have a way to test the other bit. Perhaps I can simulate it
if I
> put it on a card and use a reader but I don't have the camera.
> There is clearly something going wrong right now when trying to
> this CR2. I won't consider the bug fixed even if I get this
> straightened out.
> tim
f-spot-list mailing list
f-spot-list gnome org
f-spot-list mailing list
f-spot-list gnome org


text:
Researches have confirmed that people who set goals before a task more much more likely to achieve than people who don't. Goal setting is thus very important, not only to fitness, but to our everyday lives.
So how do you set your goals for your Jawbone Up Fitness Band?
Jawbone Up Band Goals
There are basically 2 goals for you to meet daily:
- Sleep Goal
- Move goal
Move goal tracks the number of steps you move daily. Pretty straight forward.
By default, your Band's goals are set to:
- Sleep - 8 hours
- Move - 10,000 steps
How To Change Your Goals for Jawbone Up Band
First of all, go to Home from your Up App. You can either click on the + icon on Top Right Hand Corner, or simply just swipe to left to view your Goals.
Just tap on Goals and you'll be able to change to your personal goals.
Slide the slider to change your Sleep or Move goals. For me, I've set to 7 hours of sleep, and 10,000 steps daily. Remember to Save after that.
Your goals are set! Now it's your responsibility to hit your daily goals. Are you able to hit them every day? Let me know in the comments below.


text:
I awoke rather too early the other day and suddenly felt a little homesick. These past few weeks have felt like one long holiday and I think it's possible that ever so slowly the realisation of what we have done may be setting in. It's to be expected that settling down, making friends and forming a new life will take time, I do know that. But I guess we've been so busy telling this to the children that it hadn't occurred to us we may feel the same.
Onwards and upwards, though, I made a friend this week. I met up with Krista from Poppyprint, you may know her through her passion for quilting. We met up in a fabric shop and then had lunch, a good chat and made plans to meet up again. She is so much fun!
My latest knitting project has been less than successful. I hate to admit it but after burning the midnight hour on one too many occasions I finally called it a day with my 'quick' cowl. After several attempts to get it sorted at the LYS, I never seemed to get it back on track and it seems lace patterns and I have a way to go, which is a shame as I also have this one on the go. Aside from the sheer frustration, I also decided that my yarn was not the greatest of choices anyway, the constant unknitting was making it extremely fuzzy and then once I started unravelling, it quickly became a tangled mass of fibres. I'm not going to let it beat me though, I'm changing that yarn and starting again, so watch this space!
We've been making great use out of our local library and are complete converts now. The crafting selection is second to none, although I think I may have cleaned them out of the best stuff for the time being! I also hired The Little House on the Prairie on DVD. Did you love those books when you were smaller? The Model is currently reading them at bedtime and I was more than keen to get watching those sweet little programmes all over again, snuggled together under a blanket on the sofa. The moment that play button was clicked it all came flooding back and I could remember everything as though it was yesterday. The Waltons up next and then I shall be really happy.
Happy weekend.


text:
Amid a growing corruption scandal, Fifa has another crisis on its hands: deciding whether or not to expel Israel from the world footballing body.
Israeli officials met Fifa officials on 28 May to offer concessions to stall a vote on 29 May on a proposal by Palestine to oust it from the organisation.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, despite Israel's efforts, the vote is expected to move ahead. On 27 May, Jabril Rajoub, the chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, said Palestine would withdraw its proposal if the United Nations issued a ruling on the status of five Israeli football teams in the occupied West Bank.
A Haaretz source said Israel offered four major concessions in its proposal: granting Palestinian players and coaches special documents to ease travel from Gaza to the West Bank and abroad; easing restrictions by Israel and promoting soccer-related projects in the West Bank; covering the costs of tax and customs for sports equipment imported by Palestine to the West Bank through Israel; and forming a joint committee comprised of Israeli, Palestinian and Fifa authorities to meet monthly and discuss any issues that could come up.
While Fifa president Sepp Blatter seemed open to Israel's proposal, he said he would need Rajoub's approval before removing Friday's vote.
The Palestinian chairman previously told reporters that nothing would persuade him from removing his proposal. "I am going to end the suffering and the humiliation of the Palestinian footballers," he told the BBC. "It is our right."
Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to collapse Fifa
However, Rajoub allegedly agreed but demanded that Fifa ask UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon to issue a decision on the Israeli teams within three months. Blatter appeared to lean towards accepting the new demand to avoid expelling Israel, the source told Haaretz.
According to Haaretz, Fifa rules state that teams not in Israeli territory require consent from Palestine to participate in Israel's leagues. The UN does not include the West Bank as a part of Israel, forcing the Israeli football association to either expel the teams or risk violating Fifa regulations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to fight a suspension from Fifa, threatening to destroy the sporting organisation.
"It would be a blatant politicisation of sport and the result will be Fifa's collapse," the prime minister told reporters. "The Athenian Assembly thousands of years ago collapsed when they started ousting people. They cancelled its universality. The same will happen with Fifa. We'll fight against it."


text:
Town Hall with Robin Linden
Topic: Upcoming Changes and Such
You = Haney Linden
Robin Linden: Philip held a meeting last night and answered a lot of questions.
Robin Linden: You may have more and I'll do my best to answer them
Robin Linden: Please just IM your questions to Haney and he'll post them so those with repeaters can hear them
Robin Linden: then I'll answer
You: YasmineTara Fatale: In light of what has occured with There.com, does LL not see what an advirse effect these changes will make? And what are club owners like myself suppose to do? Sit back and watch our dreams fall to pieces? I just dont understand, learn from There.com..
Robin Linden: OK - I'm not sure what relationship there is to what we're doing and There
Robin Linden: I believe there was a reduction in support by developers
Robin Linden: That's not what we're doing. We reducing the amount of money that goes into the system in an effort to keep the economy stable
Robin Linden: Without going into a discussion about There, I don't think that any problems they may be having
Robin Linden: resulted from changes in how they supported events.
Robin Linden: They made a change in business priority
Robin Linden: More likely that's why events were no longer supported, not the other way around
You: Vehn Suavage: I have a couple: First, with the change in the rating fee but no changes to current rating numbers, how does LL see that as really being effective? I mean, to be completely reformative, don't you need to change the currently existing #'s as well?
Robin Linden: In the long run we'd like to get rid of the rating system altogether and replace it with two separate, but related systems
Robin Linden: First one that supports the vendors and merchants in SL, much like the review system on eBay or Amazon
Robin Linden: Second a reputation system that is based more on how people relate to each other.
Robin Linden: More behaviorally based.
Robin Linden: For now we wanted to increase the cost to rate as a step toward
Robin Linden: minimizing the gaming of the rating system
Robin Linden: We've had several people ask about wiping the current ratings and there is a debate going on about that on the forum
Robin Linden: I encourage you to join the debate or else email us your thoughts about the best way to do that
You: Theremes Langdon: How is this going to improve the economy? If people are making less money then less will be spent so club owners, designers everyone is going to loose.
Robin Linden: There are several ways that money goes into the system.
Robin Linden: Event support is one source, and it's actually a small source - about 5%
Robin Linden: There will still be a lot of L$ in circulation.
Robin Linden: By slightly reducing the total supply however, the remaining L$ have more value.
Robin Linden: Alucard - I expect you'll find there are other ways to make money
Robin Linden: Nuit - over the last several months there has been a steady trend down in the exchange rate of the L$, as measured by the trades on GOM
Robin Linden: At the same time a lot of new money was going into the system with the influx of new players.
Robin Linden: We felt we needed to reduce the amount of money going into the system
You: Craig Altman: Hi, am I to understand all support for events(other than educational) is being stopped completely, host fees and prize mony?
Robin Linden: Yes.
You: YasmineTara Fatale: And what about those of us who own land, LL is dropping everything else why not make our land fees lesser? Oh wait then LL would lose money not make it silly question
Robin Linden: the goal is to have fewer L$ in circulation.
Robin Linden: Changing your land fees wouldn't impact that
You: Elle Pollack: Q: Remind me what happens to money that comes from "sinks" (ratings, texture uploads, etc)...is it burned or recycled?
Robin Linden: I guess in effect it's 'burned'
Robin Linden: It comes out of circulation
You: Craig Altman: If event fees are not a huge part of money going into the system why not just reduce them?
Robin Linden: Because it wouldn't make enough difference to the economy.
Robin Linden: The money sources are these:
Robin Linden: 1. event support
Robin Linden: 2. rating bonus
Robin Linden: 3. weekly stipend
Robin Linden: 4. dwell
Robin Linden: We have to choose from one of these sources to reduce the money
You: Alucard Otis: I was gonna get a sim with friends, start a club, and other stuff on the sim, but due to a lot of changes we cant... how does it actually help SL?
Robin Linden: I'm not sure how reducing event support will get in the way of your plans
You: Pupuce Blanc: could you go in to more detail of the new rating system that you are thinking of putting in place....
Robin Linden: We don't have a final design yet. On the forums there's a *really* long thread where we've been discussing a changed rating system for several months
Robin Linden: We're getting a lot of ideas from there, as well as from what we can learn more generally about how reputation systems work
Robin Linden: And as I said, we also want to have a way that people can comment on their experiences with merchants in SL
You: Dominik Bauer: why did the changes come with such short notice? people could have adjusted a bit better if there was a form of early "warning"? or is that a part of the experiment?
Robin Linden: We gave a week notice. How much notice do you think would have been preferable?
Dominik Bauer: a month
Robin Linden: Well a month might be better, but it would also allow the economic trend downward to continue that much longer.
Robin Linden: And the value of the L$ to decline which hurts the entire community in the long run.
You: Jeri Zuma: if you didn't take these corrective steps, what would be the impact, if the Linden was allowed to fall against the dollar even more? What's the worst case scenario, if things were left as they were?
Robin Linden: That's a tough one to predict
Robin Linden: It's like the real economy - you have to watch it daily and course-correct when it seems advisable
Robin Linden: You'll continue to see us make this type of change.
Robin Linden: Adding to or reducing the amount of money in circulation is necessary to have a healthy economy
You: Zonax Delorean: how much inflation is in SL? with a yearly period? or maybe a 3 month period?
Robin Linden: We've seen very little inflation until recently.
You: Ravenelle Zugzwang: How is the economy effecting the population of SL, are people leaving because of it?
Robin Linden: I haven't seen a significant change in membership. Over the long term it has grown fairly steadily
Robin Linden: Sometimes as much as 20% in a month, sometimes a little less, but always up
Robin Linden: Over the last week the numbers have been fairly consistent with the past trends
You: Vehn Suavage: When will the guidelines for what's LL sponsored, event wise, going to be posted and where?
Robin Linden: They should go up today
Robin Linden: Ahh - I'm told it's already posted in the announcements section of the forum
YasmineTara Fatale: thats due to us, the members tho...so b/c we are enabling growth don't you think we should have some say as to what happens with our money, our community and our SL?
Robin Linden: Yasmine - I absolutely do
Robin Linden: We try to stay open to feedback from the users as much as we can
Robin Linden: through the forums, email, IMs, you name it
Robin Linden: but sometimes we have to make unpopular decisions for the long term benefit of the community
Robin Linden: IRC.. yes!
You: Theremes Langdon: How exactly is the economy falling? When I joined in October L$ at GOM was going for $1.25 now it is up to $4.00 correct me if I am wrong but that seems a rise to me!.
Robin Linden: A couple of months ago GOM changed the way the sell, so the started selling in blocks of 1000 L$ instead of 250. That essentially changed the base of calculation
Robin Linden: So instead of 1.25 it was 1.00
You: Ava Eldritch: Does it occur to anyone that newer residents with limited access to lindens may become discouraged and simply leave? What is the incentive to stay? With no hope of success. The ratings stipend was a cushion and encouraged growth and creativity
Robin Linden: hang on I'm losing track of the questions
Robin Linden: OK - Ava - every new player that comes into SL approaches things differently
Robin Linden: some make money, buy land, build huge projects
Robin Linden: some party and never spend a dime
Robin Linden: some hire others to help them out
Robin Linden: some find jobs
Robin Linden: the fact is that there is no single way to be in SL, and that's what makes it special
Robin Linden: but if you're looking for a steady path up to some sort of goal that is preset, you may be in the wrong place
You: Catfart Grayson: Question for Robin, Would you consider allowing the commercial sponsorship of events?
Robin Linden: if someone wants to hold an event, and someone else wants to sponsor it, then sure
You: Theremes Langdon: So what about the people whose jobs were to host events? They are now unemployed....some of us don't know anything about educational stuff.
Robin Linden: I'm not sure why you assume that the event hosting jobs are gone
Robin Linden: Club owners will still want to have people in their clubs
Robin Linden: They'll still get dwell for that traffic
Robin Linden: The difference is their margins will change because they're not relying on Linden to pay you
You: Tad Moseley: does sl have any plans to bring in new or better alternative way to make money in the future
Robin Linden: We're always looking at ways to improve the economy and to make SL more fun
Robin Linden: I would guess that more jobs will show up as more people try new ideas and new ways of doing things
Robin Linden: the jobs are generally user created, not created by Linden
You: Ravenelle Zugzwang: What will be the "definition" of an educational event? is it limited to Linden approved definition? for example, Hooking 101, would that be supported?
Robin Linden: I don't think Hooking 101 will get Linden support. Sorry.
Robin Linden: The definition is posted on the forums. I'll try to get a notecard by the end of the Town Hall so we can get it to you here.
You: Zalandria Zaius: Are SL based classes going to be the only ones sponsored, or can we teach stuff like C#, C++, Pearl Scripting?
Robin Linden: Ooh, that's a cool idea. I'd love to see that.
You: Dominik Bauer: now Linden labs supports only educational events. why not cut all event support if the economy is in such a bad state?
Robin Linden: First of all the economy isn't in a bad state. This is a small adjustment to the economy. I know for individuals it seems large, but overall it's relatively small.
Robin Linden: We'd like to make sure there are events that help people learn how to do more in SL.
Robin Linden: For those who think they aren't creative, for example. A class might teach them something new they never thought they could do before.
Robin Linden: I've heard so many people say, wow I never thought I was creative, and look what I did! It's actually quite exciting
You: Ava Eldritch: So what you're saying to me is that its too much to ask that there is a safeguard for new players. You are on your own and out of luck. Is that what you're saying? I don't want employment as a dancer. Will you give me employment?
Robin Linden: Ava - I'm not sure what you mean by a safeguard. There is a weekly stipend. You'll still get a rating bonus, although it will be smaller (and the ratings will be harder to get, but I hope more meaningful).
Robin Linden: There are other ways to earn money. I would guess that there will still be casino games and lotteries, if you're willing to take the risk.
You: Theremes Langdon: To be creative...such as to compete with fantastic clothing designers you have to have photoshop and such...do you really think everyone has the money to buy that kind of program so they can make money in a GAME?
Robin Linden: There's a program called GIMP that can be used, which is free I believe.
Robin Linden: It takes time to learn how to design clothing.
Robin Linden: But taking the time to learn that, or something else might be very rewarding.
Robin Linden: And if you earn money doing it, you can offset your other costs.
You: Nuit Divine: Ratings are a social aspect of SL, not just for stipend bloat - making them so expensive removes a useful channel of communication. Did LL consider this aspect?
Robin Linden: Yes - very much. Too frequently the rating system has been gamed. A higher cost to rate makes them more meaningful I think.
Robin Linden: So you may have fewer, but there will be some genuine thought behind them.
You: Araiya Bomazi: Why the jump to L$25 for ratings? Why not a slightly smaller amount, such as L$10 or L$15?
Robin Linden: Recently we started charging L$ for the partner program. L$10 to set up a partnership.
Robin Linden: The reaction was that was not very much.
Robin Linden: So L$25 didn't seem like a huge amount.
Robin Linden: But one suggestion that has come up is to use a sliding scale for rating
Robin Linden: so the first one is maybe L$10, the second one is L$25 and so on.
Robin Linden: Maybe that would address the problem in a different way.
Robin Linden: We'll keep looking at the cost, and at the overall system.
You: Mihai Caldera: A solution for LL to remove some of the currency from the game would be to develop objects / animations / scripts that could sell in the world and so part of the currency will return to LL ...are there any plans to have this kind of solution applied?
Robin Linden: Mihai - I'm not sure what you mean. Develop objects and such that would sell what?
Mihai Caldera: animations ... I've got rich from them ... LL could do the same ... though return some of the currency from the game
Robin Linden: We're not trying to earn L$. But we could certainly look for other sinks.
Mihai, it would definitely be a new sink. I'm not sure though, that we want to go into competition with the users
You: Anthea Thereian: Are they going to wipe existing ratings.. and if so will everyone be credited the monies they have already spent on ratings?
Robin Linden: Anthea - we're discussing whether or not to wipe ratings. I don't think there would be a credit though.
You: Govindira Galatea: all of the current measures are source affects. What is being done to affect the sinks (demand side)?
Robin Linden: No price changes at the moment Govindira. Robin Linden: Soren Romulus is offline
You: Elle Pollack: Can you clarify the use of the words "dwell" and "traffic"? I initially thought that traffic would replace "dwell" completely but now it seems that "traffic" is the point system and "dwell" is the L$ received from it.
Robin Linden: Dwell is what you get when people spend time on your land. It's a complicated calculation, and we were trying to come up with a way to talk about it that might make more sense....
Robin Linden: So we thought about visitors, but it measures more than unique visitors
Robin Linden: So we decided on traffic, which suggests to most people a measure of how many people came by.
Robin Linden: There's no change to the calculation though, or to the amount of L$ allocated to dwell payments
You: Tad Moseley: now i have been on linden side of stick so i understand where they are coming and it wasn't a wake up one morning decision but why did they feel it was crucial to implement these changes in one big batch instead of one at a time to see how
each would benefit the economy individually.....
Robin Linden: It might have been better that way. We were concerned that if we made the changes sequentially, though, it would feel like a steady stream of hits.
Robin Linden: The net of the changes - eliminating event payments and reducing rate bonuses is about a 20% changed to the amount of L$ going into the system each month. Offset by the addition of new users.
You: Ok, thank you all, we need to go.
You: Thanks especially to those doing repeater events
Robin Linden: Thanks everyone for listening. Please feel free to contact me or other Lindens if you have more questions
Robin Linden: Try to understand the long term view
Robin Linden: it's world building, not just gaming


text:
We love supporting this great community we serve in Alaska. We take a portion of the proceeds from every loan we close and use those funds to do fun and important things for those in need in our community.
We are huge supporters of Armed Services YMCA of Alaska through our VA Home Advantage Program.
Here are some examples of the goodness we have shared in our community recently:
Purchased new bicycles and helmets for the Fairview Rec Center Bike Rodeo. We also purchased a dozen cases of Gatorade and donated them to the Houston Fire Department to help with their efforts in fighting the Sockeye Fire.
Spent with the friendly folks at Keller Williams for Red Day: planting flowers, cooking food, and helping kids decorate flower pots at Fairview Rec Center.
Adopted four families through the Salvation Army and provided some Christmas joy for them.


text:
Today, the postman delivered a very nice surprise: three books, sent to me by a visitor of my website to thanks me.
Shortly after, another package was delivered: the Dell Vostro 200 Slim Tower with Free DOS I ordered over a week ago. I had expected the computer to arrive tomorrow, and was very happy it arrived one day earlier, despite being very busy with a SEO project and hence no time to have a look at it.
I hope to have more time soon, so I can install Ubuntu on the Dell Vostro 200, which, after a week of emailing and chatting with Dell, I was able to buy Windows tax free.


text:
I just returned from yet another dealer conference, this one in Vegas. Like many conferences, this one featured several panel discussions by dealers. One of the panels was discussing "best practices" in building sales volume. A dealer announced that one of the most successful things he had done to increase sales was to pay $200 for every referral that resulted in a sale.
Since that practice, paying what is commonly called a "bird-dog" fee, violates state law in a number of states, I woke up. It also got me to my feet, with my hand in the air, to make the point that a "best practice" in State A might just get you fined, or worse, in State B.
Now, I didn't know what the situation for this particular dealer was. The possibilities were (1) the dealer had done his homework before engaging in the bird-dog fee program, maybe even calling his friendly local lawyer to make sure that it was legit, and had determined that the practice was legal in his state; (2) the dealer hadn't done any due diligence, but had lucked out, and was located in a state in which the program was not prohibited or regulated; or (3) the dealer hadn't done any due diligence, was located in a state where the practice was banned, and just hadn't been caught yet.
It wasn't really important what the particular circumstances of the dealer with the suggestion were, but it was important that the dealers in the audience get the point that state laws on a lot of auto sales, finance and lease issues vary, and that just because someone who is in a position of apparent knowledge, like a panelist at a national convention, says that a particular program or business tactic is a "best practice," it doesn't make it so.
The other side of the coin is an obvious one. A dealer might learn that a particular practice is illegal in his or her state, sit in a 20-group meeting and state authoritatively that such-and-such a practice is illegal, unaware that the same practice might be perfectly legal in the adjacent state. The other 19 dealers might conclude, erroneously, that the practice also violates their state laws and miss out on an opportunity.
When dealers from many jurisdictions meet, as they do at industry meetings and 20 groups, they swap stories and business tips and often come back with wonderful little pearls of wisdom that can improve their dealerships. Those dealers who implement those little pearls of wisdom without bothering to do the legal due diligence necessary to make sure they aren't illegal run the risk that a best practice can be a quick trip to the big house.
Vol. 8, Issue 7


text:
Your Pets' Vacation Destination
Knightdale Pet Resort and Spa is veterinarian owned and staffed with people who love animals and are committed to the total well-being of your pet.
We also offer full professional dog and cat grooming and day care services.
Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sunday (Pick Ups Only - Must be Scheduled) 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Closed Daily from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM for NAPTIME!!


text:
Paper Products
Paper is still an essential office supplies product with notebooks sitting on most office desks, labels being used to address envelopes and documents being printed out daily. At Euroffice we have a great range of paper stationery of all sizes, at incredibly low prices, from A4 copier paper and address labels to diaries and notepads. So whether you're printing, writing, drawing or making something with paper we've got you sorted.


text:
All of my family lives on the east side of Oklahoma City, so that would be my preferred area, but will consider anywhere within 45 min to an hour of the city. I am firm on this distance though since my husband needs to be within that commuting distance too. I am preparing to move around spring 2018, but possibly as late as summertime. This should be enough time to find just the right swap and get all our paperwork processed before the trade actually happens.
My route is currently a 45K, with an LLV assigned. My office has 14 routes, 2 AUX routes and a lot of growth. All full routes have LLVs and AUX routes use Promaster or POV. Office is currently using a formula for days off and my route has Fridays off. Currently, we have 1 PTF, 11 RCA's and 3 ARC's. My route is 99% businesses and I'm done by 1430 every day except Monday. We will have 3 retirements prior to Christmas this year and I am planning to bid, so hopefully I will have an all residential route. I will update my post if this happens. I do currently own a RHD vehicle so I don't mind trading with an office or route that needs a POV. We work out of a DCU right now, but we're apparently "on the list" for a new facility in the years to come.
Happy to answer questions via email, text or this forum
tabitha at whichwaydoigo.com
503- nine five three -2324
Update info:
My K day is now Monday.
Our 3 retirements have happened, but only 1 of the 3 routes has been put up for bid. The other 2 should be up for bid in January.
Still looking to trade spring/summer 2018. email contact is best...thanks for reading
We're you still looking for OKC?
Yes, I still want OKC to be with my family. If I can't find anyone to trade with there, I would also like Boise. Either location is acceptable for my husband's work.
If there's anyone in those locations that want Denver then I may have a 4 way trade.
mutual transfer with Dumcan, OK currently in progress. Probably complete around August.
|Powered by Social Strata


text:
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Guest Designer Sasayaki Glitter
There are so many things to be thankful for on my part, one of which is guest designing for Sasayaki Glitter. Me?! Can you believe that? Me, I am still having a hard time believing it.
I chose this image and the date to guest design to coincide with my Inang's birthday. My eldest son, Rudy, helped me choose this image.
I printed the image on Strathmore Bristol paper. I colored the flowers with Tim Holtz Distress Crayons. I would have used the same medium in coloring the boy if I have the neutral colored set of these crayons. Since I don't, I colored the boy image using Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers, Akashiya Sai Watercolor Brush pens, and Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens.
I die cut the paper using a Pretty Pink Posh Scallop Frames die. I thought the image will have a scalloped edge. I kind of forgot that this die cuts the frame as the positive cut. Instead of wasting all the coloring efforts, I colored the frame in a rainbow order. I am going to inlay the watercolored panel to this frame.
For the card base, I utilized some of my washi tape stash. I adhered washi tapes to the edges of the card front. I adhered the panel and the frame to this.
I embellished the flowers by adhering a variety of sequins to the flowers. I also poured some seed beads to the flower centers where I had some Ranger Multi Matte squirted to.
For the sentiment, I die cut a blue vellum using an old Hero Arts alphabet die & a Simon Says Stamp sentiment die. I adhered the vellum to a double sided tape before die cutting it.
Thank you Sasayaki Glitter for featuring me, my work and my blog. Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a blessed & brilliant day!
Maria Giselle
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Samuel Creations' Clemence Cuingnet is the winner of the 2013 Young Interior Designer of the Year award.
Given to the most promising commercial interior designer, under the age of 30, currently working in the Middle East, Cuingnet was selected for her outstanding choice of fixtures, sculptural enclosures and keen eye for detail.
Judges also acknowledged her strong communication skills, calling them an "asset for any project". They also felt that her background as an architect gives her real insight and advantage in the design world.
"I am so honoured and excited. This is a very happy moment!" said Cuingnet, when she picked up her award.
She added: "I try to mix a little bit of everything and see with architect eyes first, and then zoom in more and more. I like to create specific ambiances, and i try my best to match the brief and add something extra."
Cuingnet was able to beat off stiff competition from Eileen Jaffary, U+A Architects; Emma Stinson, founder of Studio EM; Laila Al Yousuf, Pringle Brandon Perkins + Will; and Maysoun Abou Houly, GAJ Architects.


text:
How To Make The Perfect Cup Of Coffee?
Coffee is the brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. The origin of coffee is thought to be somewhere in Ethiopia in the 11th century, but after that coffee spread its fragrance to the countries like Istanbul, Yemen, and gradually most of the public around the world become addicted to coffee, Coffee culture soon becomes the important part of society and rapidly coffee houses acquire all the spaces in the cities. These coffee houses serve varieties of coffee of like cappuccino, Americano, espresso, Mocha, Latte etc. There are more than 22 types of coffee in the world and preparing every coffee with the french press is art in itself.
Coffee is the sign of good hospitality coffee is perfect serving for every guest whether you guest is unexpected or invited for dinner. Everyone has the different opinion for the coffee some like it strong some like it a bit light some prefer coffee hot, on the other flips some demands for the cold one. Coffee is not only the energy drink but it also important for your health as it cures many health-related issues. Coffee is best recognized by its aroma, one can easily feel the aroma of coffee even he or she is far from the place. People love drinking coffee but creating a lovely sip of coffee is a bit tricky.
Firstly, you have to collect the ingredients which are used to create perfect sip of this drink this include Coffee beans or coffee powder, Milk or cream, water, sugar, Chocó powder
Now follow the below points to start with your coffee:
- Try grinding your own coffee beans, coffee once open start losing it's freshness so you can grind your own coffee beans when required, you can grind your coffee according to your taste you can grind it extra coarse or medium coarse as required.
- Use good water, fill water in a kettle and boil the water, mix the ground coffee in water and heat till the boiling point, remove the kettle from the flame once it reaches the boiling point.
- Pour coffee water in your coffee mug, add milk in it. Use real milk or you can also opt for fresh thick cream if you want your coffee texture thick.
- Now add sugar crystals or sugar powder as per your taste stir the coffee well at the end sprinkle some Chocó powder on your coffee.
Alternate Method To Make Coffee:
In a cup take a ground coffee powder as required quantity adds sugar in the cup, add one tablespoon milk in the mixture. Now, after adding all the ingredients, whisk the solution vigorously with the help of a spoon, gradually on whisking this solution becomes creamy in texture, Now add hot milk in this solution add chocolate powder as final dressing and get ready to enjoy your morning with a cup of perfect coffee in your hand.…


text:
Loading site please wait...
Iconic designs, stylishly classic, for the lady or man in your life...
This seasons collecton for leading Ladies is available at C.H. Brown...
Come and experience these contemporary classics, ideal for gifts ...
Synonimous with country & outdoor pursuits, our hand picked range is dapper and extensive.
We stock an impressive range of popular and saught after styles...
We hold continually progressing stock from Whitby, Leatherman, Opinal and Zippo.
Canes, walking sticks and seat sticks; stylish but gentle support & assistance ...
Waterproof/Breathable, a comprehensive range for all pursuits...
We stock a large selection of popular equine care products.
Classically country or stylish cosmopolitan, either in or out of town...
Classic and Contempary ranges available at C.H.Brown & Son.
Welcome to C.H. Brown. & Son, the home of country outoor collections, high quality riding accesories and fine leather goods in Oxford. Impeccably stylish is our middle name! Established in 1890, we have been a local, family run business in Oxford for 125 years. We are all very much involved in both equine and country pursuits and remarkably, between us we have over 100 years of high quality equine and outdoor experience.
Our retail shop is unique in the fact that very few saddlers have managed to remain with such a strong and defining presence in a city centre location such as Oxford for so many years. Both the diversity and quality of products and the skills and knowledge of our team have no doubt been the secret of our survival for such a distinguished number of years.
Our other division "The Saddle Doctors" are based at a separate Oxford location, which features a fully equipped workshop and saddle showroom with more than 300 saddles and 20 different makes being available for visitors (by appointment only) You can visit their website by clicking here The Saddle Doctors
We hold a range of Country and Outdoor Clothing from high quality brands including Jackets, Wax Jackets, t-shirts, and gilets,
and if we don't have what you are after we will do our very best to source it for you. We also complement this with our collection of country outdoor boots
and accessories range; consisting of wellington boots, hats, scarfs, and belts.
We hold a selection of outdoor knives and multitools, perfect gifts for a man who has everything. Should you need gentle assistance our high quality British crafted walking sticks / canes will make your pursuits that little bit more comfortable, and when you need to rest & relax our wide range of seat sticks are "just the job!"
Our truly extensive Leather goods range remains very much unrivalled in both Central Oxford and the wider Oxfordshire area. We work in very close partnership with all the well known high quality and reliable brands,
holding in stock a diversity of Leather Wallets,
Leather Purses,
Leather Handbags,
Leather Rucksacks,
Leather Briefcases,
Leather messenger bags.
Aside from the plethora of colours and sizes we hold in stock, any colour or size that is available from the manufacturer can be ordered and dispatched directly to you by secure courier service for a typically competitive fee. Alternatively if you wish you can also collect from us in store 6 days a week, but Sunday is a day of rest!
As our family are heavily involved in country and equine pursuits we have in depth knowledge of our riding range. We stock the basic riding
accessories, including riding hats & riding whips,
jodhpur's riding boots and chaps
, plus an array of saddle, leather and horse care products.
Anything we may unfortunately not have in stock is only a telephone call or delivery journey away.
Our spectacular glove range are particularly well suited to horse riding, driving, shooting and the great British weather. We stock a wide range of materials, styles, and colours, and as with our other product ranges in the unlikely event of our not having what you wish for we will happily order for you within a typical timeframe.
By using our website your agree to adhere to our terms of use of this website below.
We do not record or retain any private data resulting from your visit to this website.
We do not use tracking cookies, or any other cookie. We use analytics software to measure visitors to our site, anonymously.
By using the contact form on this website you agree your details will be securely transmitted to us in an email. You agree that we will then act upon that data, retaining it for a legally reasonable amount of time in order to contact you, and market our services to you electronically or by telephone; should you become a customer you agree we can retain it for contact, marketing and legal records, and for as long as we deem necessary under data protection law.
We will not sell or pass your data to any other third party.×


text:
President Obama's second book is titled The Audacity of Hope. In it he recounts his upbringing and the insights that his culturally diverse background instilled in him. His message is that our country has the potential to offer "hope" to everyone regardless of their background or experiences. And yet, in order to guarantee equal opportunity for all, a number of legislative changes must be put in place.
This week I welcomed my first refugee family. I greeted and shook hands with a mother, a father and their 10-year-old son outside of a CVS in West Palm Beach, Florida. They told us they had been waiting for eight years to come to the U.S. and between the three of them they had only the clothes on their backs and one small suitcase. I could sense that I was witnessing a dream fulfilled — this was moment they had been waiting for and imagining — and yet I couldn't help but think about the mountain of challenges that invariably lie ahead.
Each year on June 20th we are invited to commemorate World Refugee Day. This commemoration is audacious. It is bold to affirm the strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee from persecution, conflict and violence, to insist on bearing witness to tragedy, while having the courage to movebeyond tragedy.
In a country seemingly overwhelmed by xenophobia, racism and ethno-centrism, it takes guts to celebrate the human community as one community. To proclaim the dignity and value of all God's people, to affirm our commonalities, and be enlightened by our differences.
And yet, at its core, the audacity of World Refugee Day is a powerful reminder of how far we, as a society, have to go in order to grant equal opportunity to all. It is a reminder that we do not treat newcomers with the same rights and privileges that we want to claim for ourselves. It is a reminder that silence can only be interpreted as complacency if we do not oppose the detention and deportation of our brothers and sisters and policies that tear families apart.
Let's be audacious and advocate for the dignity of refugees and immigrants! Let's be bold and demand a pathway to citizenship for all, and not second class status for some! Let's have the guts to reach out and involve more people, and congregations, in this transformative and vital ministry of welcome.
Learn more about World Refugee Day at www.cwsglobal.org/wrd13
Joya Colon-Berezin, Ecumenical Relations Coordinator, Immigration and Refugee Program, CWS


text:
Board of Adjustment:
Shari Keathley, Chairman
Paul Greek, Vice Chairman
Steve Murtha
Larry Hengst
Gina Wilson
The Board of Adjustment consists of five members who are residents of the City of Jenks, Oklahoma. Board of Adjustment meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month or at the call of the chairman. All meetings, deliberations, and voting of the Board are open to the public. The Board renders a decision on each application within 90 days after filing with the City of Jenks.
The Board has the power to hear appeals regarding the determinations of the building inspector in enforcing the zoning code, to grant special exceptions, to grant variances, and to make interpretations of the zoning map and text, in accordance with the substantive and procedural standards set forth in the Jenks Zoning Code.