text:
The Calvert County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's assistance in identifying the person or person responsible for destruction of property to residential areas.
On October 6, 2017, deputies with the Calvert County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to numerous locations on Nicole Drive, off William's Wharf Rd in St Leonard, Maryland and numerous locations on Hance Rd and Forest Lane, off Broomes Island Rd Port Republic, Maryland for destruction of property calls. Residents reported mailboxes were broken off their support posts. Mailboxes, homes and vehicles were spray-painted. In some cases, vulgar language and racial comments were spray-painted on buildings and stop signs.
If anyone has any information, please contact the Calvert County Sheriff's Office at 410-535-2800.


text:
American architect and watercolorist Steven Holl was inspired by Jackson Pollock's 1949 'Seven in Eight' paintings when designing this stunning property. Called the 'Writing With Light House', it stands near the former abstract expressionist painter's studio on Long Island and features wide-open interiors brightened with natural light. Boasting a striking linear wooden skin that lets the elements filter through, the power of this design can be best appreciated when the light lines inside play with the spaces throughout the day.
Learn more about this playful wooden house

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- KarateFunAsked on January 19, 2014 at 06:07 PM
I cannot find the config options on the installations section of myWorldPay account. Please advise as I cannot add the callback URL.
- JotForm SupportWelvinAnswered on January 20, 2014 at 04:27 AM
I'm trying to setup a sandbox account from WorldPay, but my application is still under approval. If possible, contact WorldPay Support about this matter: http://www.worldpay.com/content.php?page=contact&c=UK. I am sure they can help us about this matter.


text:
We enjoy taking the kids for strolls around our neighborhood now and then after dinner. It is a time to talk, discover nature, and bond as a family. Each season brings new delights for the senses. Spring brings the colors and perfume of flowers in bloom, summer sees fruit growing on trees, fall blankets the sidewalks in a rainbow of leaves, and in winter our boots crunch over the packed snow. Though we can find much beauty on our little urban hikes, there is a downside. I am referring to seeing litter everywhere. We've turned some of our evening walks into opportunities to clean up our block. It amazes me how quickly we fill bags with trash. The kids are eager to help and, in doing so, have gained an awareness about the responsibility we all have to take care of our environment. We don't always have the forethought to bring trash bags on our walks (and honestly don't have many to bring), but it has become a habit for us to at least notice trash when we see it. Praising a gained awareness for litter may sound insignificant, but I believe too many people have become so used to seeing discarded bottles and cigarette butts on the ground that it no longer seems out-of-place to them. Imagine if one family a week cleaned up their block. Not only would that beautify our neighborhoods, but it would be a wonderful teaching opportunity for our children.
Recent Posts


text:
The most memorable moments of New York Fashion Week
By: Catherine Deal, Editor in Chief
- See Now Buy Now: Burberry, Tom Ford, Alexander Wang, and Topshop Unique all implemented a new idea that allows the items shown in the fashion show to be bought that day or the next. Generally, the items modeled during fashion week are not sold until six months later, after they've been made, photographed, and stocked in stores. This is an amazing concept because it allows the Fall 2016 collections to be purchased and worn in Fall 2016 instead of next fall. This caters to newer generations because they expect things in an instant and at the tips of their fingers.
TommyxGigi Collection: Gigi Hadid partnered with Tommy Hilfiger to co-design a line that was reflective of Hadid and Hilfiger's styles combined. The fashion show was held at Pier 16 in New York City, it featured carnival rides, temporary tattoos, and cotton candy machines. Doutzen Kroes, Kris Jenner, and Taylor Swift were all there to support Hadid as she modeled her line. Pieces of the collection included: sailor jackets, leather pants, fringe scarves, oversized hoodies, and thigh-high stockings. All of these items are available for purchase at usa.tommy.com
Marc Jacobs: The Marc Jacobs runway featured big name models on repeat. Karlie Kloss, Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima, Jourdan Dunn, as well as Bella and Gigi Hadid.
They wore pastel dreadlocks twisted into top knots, chunky platform heels, and lots of shimmer. It was a refreshing reminder that fashion is about having fun and that there are no rules.
Yeezy Season 4: It's an understatement to say that Kanye West's fashion show was a disaster. The show was held on the grounds of an old smallpox hospital and attendees were shuttled there on buses. Unfortunately, the show was pushed back two hours from its original start time because West got caught in a fender bender. So, models and attendees were forced to wait in the boiling sun; one model fainted. After he arrived models teetered and stumbled down the runway due to terribly made stilettos.


text:
Need help with your office search?
Contact one of our property experts for a no obligation consultation.
Call: 020 3053 3882 | Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | Web: www.officebroker.com
A great location, a beautiful exterior and charmingly creative décor, this stunning new work space is now available, offering private offices for up to 14 people. Sitting within a gorgeous 5 storey townhouse, this provider offers 3 floors of office options for a variety of businesses. Break out areas have been considered with equal care to the work spaces within this building ensuring that all parts of their client's day is of the best standard. The lounging area is a quirky and unique space with a vintage feel to it. The large green sofa is complimented by the green and white wallpaper which features sketches of London's scenery and distinctive mirrors and picture frames complete the look. The rooftop terrace is bright and relaxing, allowing an alternative workspace or an inviting meeting as well as there being an industrial style communal kitchen available on site. Meeting rooms also display creative and memorable interiors including a library theme, ensuring your guests leave with a great impression of your office. Further facilities include; a manned reception, broadband and WI-FI access, on site IT support and an onsite car park.


text:
Hurricane Harvey: Where to Give and How to Help »
In the wake of a disaster, communities outside the affected area want to know how to help. A variety of reputable organizations ha…
YP - The Real Yellow PagesSM - helps you find the right local businesses to meet your specific needs. Search results are sorted by a combination of factors to give you a set of choices in response to your search criteria. These factors are similar to those you might use to determine which business to select from a local Yellow Pages directory, including proximity to where you are searching, expertise in the specific services or products you need, and comprehensive business information to help evaluate a business's suitability for you. "Preferred" listings, or those with featured website buttons, indicate YP advertisers who directly provide information about their businesses to help consumers make more informed buying decisions. YP advertisers receive higher placement in the default ordering of search results and may appear in sponsored listings on the top, side, or bottom of the search results page.
1548 Sheridan DrLancaster, OH 43130
Dr. Morgan is great. Just when I was sure all the real doctors were in Columbus I found her, and she is wonderful with my kids. The receptionists …
135 N Ewing StLancaster, OH 43130
1800 Granville PikeLancaster, OH 43130
1955 Lancaster Newark Rd NELancaster, OH 43130
From Business: We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and promise to give the best care possible in a courteous, efficient and professional manner. Our goals are to not onl…
117 E 6th AveLancaster, OH 43130
For detailed work and the best that a product line has to offer, you can't beat the quality of service at Focus On Image.
1781 Countryside DrLancaster, OH 43130
If it wasn't for Dr. Alley my children would be without there mommy, Everyone thought I just had laryngitis and a bad cold to go with it. I went to …
216 Trace DrLancaster, OH 43130
It took forever for them to write referrals. They refused to deal with half of my known conditions and then refused to write the scripts for the med…
784 E Main StLancaster, OH 43130
1155 E Main StLancaster, OH 43130
1155 E Main StLancaster, OH 43130
1155 E Main StLancaster, OH 43130
401 N Ewing StLancaster, OH 43130
1800 Granville PikeLancaster, OH 43130
1548 Sheridan DrLancaster, OH 43130
1550 Sheridan Dr Ste 202Lancaster, OH 43130
2318 E Main StLancaster, OH 43130
2405 N Columbus St Ste 200Lancaster, OH 43130
2405 N Columbus St Ste 200Lancaster, OH 43130
2405 N Columbus St Ste 200Lancaster, OH 43130
1781 Countryside DrLancaster, OH 43130
1203 River Valley BlvdLancaster, OH 43130
Dr. Raya has been concerned and caring for my well being. I have all the confidence in his abilities and trust him in making decisions about my he…
2405 N Columbus St Ste 250Lancaster, OH 43130
Very amazing dr he does rush to get u out and he listens and answers your question I recommend him 100%
1155 E Main StLancaster, OH 43130
Ok this woman musta got her Medical License out of a cracker jack box. I got Diabetes and heart trouble too. When I seen Dr. Merk he had me taking…
1981 Granville PikeLancaster, OH 43130
Left after sitting in an empty waiting room for 20 minutes. Understaffed and dropping f bombs left and right - very very unprofessional.
135 N Ewing St Ste 301Lancaster, OH 43130
I have MS and she told me there is nothing she could do for me so I might as well go home and go to bed...I found a great Neuro and I am doing good.…
2405 N Columbus St Ste 210Lancaster, OH 43130
I came in with shooting pain down my arm and stiffness in neck and shoulder which I had been experiencing for over a year and was getting much worse…
135 N Ewing St Ste 202Lancaster, OH 43130
From Business: We provide a full range of plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
401 N Ewing StLancaster, OH 43130
From Business: Fairfield Medical Center is a regional medical center offering a wide range of medical specialties, from emergency and maternity care to orthopedic care, cancer c…
135 N Ewing St Ste 205Lancaster, OH 43130
110 N Ewing StLancaster, OH 43130
In the wake of a disaster, communities outside the affected area want to know how to help. A variety of reputable organizations ha…
One out of every seven Americans will face a substance addiction. Here are some resources to help you help a loved one, and notice…
The holiday festivities are over, but January doesn't have to be a drag. It's actually the best time to finish projects and organize your life – all while having a little fun.
It took forever for them to write referrals. They refused to deal with half of my known conditions and then refused to write the scripts for the medication I needed just because it would cause more paperwork for them.
My doctors have switched there so often, I'm not sure who my doctor is. I called because my blood pressure was high, I left a message. I'm already on medication. They called me back the next, told me my doctor was out of town but they would check with the sub doctor Monday (it was Friday). If my symptom worsen, I should go to the emergency room. I was calling to keep from getting any symptoms, but I guess what choice did I have. Why have a doctor if they are not around to help you. Anyway, it's Thursday and still not a word. Sadly, either my doctor doesn't care, or the staff is incompetent.
I've been a patient for a couple years there. My doctor has left because the office was over taken by Fairfield medical. The office is poorly run. Doctors coming and going. I'm a patient and they tell me they can't make my six month appointment (thyroid issues) but later when I do call for my check up, I can't get in for almost 5 months. That's 3 months past when my prescription is out. I have another issue, the doctor I'm seeing can't help, so I have to make another appointment, that doctor wants me to see another doctor, all the while I'm paying for these worthless visits. The office is suppose to call me with the info in a day or two. It's been 8 months. I need a doctor who can handle MY HEALTH! When I'm sick, my prescription etc. I also don't understand why a current patient has to wait 5 months for an appointment. Hope I don't die before then I guess. Clearly poor management on Fairfield Medicals part and poor staffing at Hunter Trace.
Actual number is(740) 277-7570He comes to me. Three other docs have dropped me because I was unable to make appointments so being able to see a doctor without the additional pain and exhaustion of travel is a very big deal.
Physicians and surgeons help to keep people - from infants to the elderly - as healthy as possible. These individuals provide diagnoses and treatments for a wide variety of ailments, and preventative care and early detection for more serious illnesses. Whether you love or hate going to the doctor, the fact is your physician is there to listen to your health concerns, take preventative measures against diseases and advise you on your options for staying in tip-top shape.
In 2013, there were more than 1 million doctors of medicine in the U.S., over 854,000 of which were active. Additionally, in 2012, there were about 18,000 active general surgeons in the country. It's important to know which type of physician or surgeon you need, how to choose the best one, and account for other considerations in order to stay healthy.
Patients can choose from a wide variety of physicians depending on doctor specialty and what problems they are experiencing. Here are a few of the most common types of physicians that you may see in your lifetime:
General Practitioner
Your GP is the doctor that you go to for regular checkups, vaccines and to identify health issues. GPs can treat many different illnesses and injuries, from the common cold to a broken arm. If your health requires a second opinion or expert care, the GP will refer you to a specialist who has the skills to focus in on the issue.
Heart attacks and heart disease are some of the most common afflictions seen across the country, making cardiologists important to your long-term health. These physicians specialize in studying and treating the heart and related diseases.
Other than a GP, the dentist is likely the most common physician you'll ever see. These professionals work with the human mouth, ensuring that your teeth and gum health are up to par. Patients typically go to the dentist twice a year.
Dermatologists are focused on skin-related issues and diseases, from skin cancers, to acute acne, eczema, psoriasis, and general cosmetic concerns like aging and scars. Most will also perform annual or semi-annual mole checks to screen for any signs of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.
If you have a number of sinus infections or have had your tonsils taken out, you've likely seen an ENT specialist. ENTs handle ailments related to the ear, nose and throat, often related to taking out tonsils and treating hearing issues.
For many women, their gynecologist and obstetrician are the same person. These professionals work with the female reproductive system to focus on reproductive health, fertility issues, prenatal care, options for new and expectant mothers, neonatal care and childbirth. OB/GYNs can also help in the early detection of breast or cervical cancer.
There are obviously a number of physicians that you can choose from, but how do you know if they're the best choice for you? Here are a few considerations to help you pick a physician:
Look at Your Insurance
Before you get down to the details, you need to verify which doctors are covered by your insurance and whether they are in or out of your carrier's network. Rates may be cheaper if the doc is in network – a doctor can be covered by your insurance but not necessarily in network. Out of network is typically more expensive. Doctors often add and drop plans, so it's important to ensure that your options are compatible with your insurance plan. Doing your homework will help you avoid unexpected expenses.
Check for Board Certification
Your physician should be certified through the American Board of Medical Specialties. Doctors must earn a medical degree from a qualified school, complete three to seven years of residency training, be licensed by a state medical board and pass one or more ABMS exams to be certified.
Examine the Reviews
Reviews of a doctor can reveal a lot about what your experience may be like. People may grade on staff friendliness, availability and effectiveness of treatment. Looking at these evaluations and getting recommendations from family and friends can direct you toward a physician for your needs.
Surgeons can literally hold your life in their hands, and it's important to find the best one that can put you at ease and treat you effectively
Compatibility Factor
You need to feel comfortable with your surgeon. It's important to communicate your concerns and that your surgeon can respond adequately. Surgeons should be willing to go over the details of your procedure and answer any questions that you may have. They must take the time to discuss and address your worries.
Expertise Level
If you're going in for surgery, you want someone that knows what they're doing and has a high success rate. Ask how often the surgeon performs this surgery and try to find one that regularly does it. This will give you peace of mind that you're in capable hands.
Your decision on a physician or surgeon can be majorly affected by the insurance plan you have. You may have insurance through employment, your spouse, your parents if you're under 26, or the marketplace if the previous options don't apply to you. It's important to understand how your insurance works to have the full picture of what you'll need to pay for.
Your insurance will have a deductible, which is the amount that you're responsible to pay for covered medical expenses. Some plans have coinsurances, where you must pay a certain percentage of the bill, and insurance will cover the rest. Co-pays state a flat rate for certain services, like paying $20 when you visit your GP or a $100 co-pay for an emergency room visit. Once you reach your out-of-pocket maximum, which will differ if you're an individual or within a family plan, your insurance may pay for 100 percent of covered medical expenses for the rest of the plan year.
If you plan to go to the doctor, need medication or have been recommended for surgery, call your insurance provider or go online to see what your plan covers. You can choose the best doctor for your needs, understand your options and prevent yourself from being blindsided by medical expenses.
Most doctors require a phone call for an appointment, although some may provide online scheduling as well. Be sure to have your insurance card with you when you set an appointment, and to bring it with you to the actual appointment. They need the ID numbers to verify your coverage, and will usually make a copy of the card for their files so you don't have to show it again unless your insurance changes.
When you call, let them know if you're a new patient, as this will require you to complete some paperwork for your first visit. Tell them the reason for your visit, such as your symptoms if you're feeling sick. It's also important to inform them if you have Medicaid and to find out if you need to bring anything to the visit, like current medications or medical records.
From here, the receptionist will likely ask what dates and times work best for you. During your call, it's important to be honest about your symptoms and the reason for your visit. This information will help the doctor treat you and give him or her an idea of what to expect. Your appointment may progress faster as a result, and the doctor can come prepared with a list of options to better care for you.
Doctors see a number of patients in a day, sometimes in 15-minute increments in areas where the physicians are in high demand. This can leave little time for doctors to perform thorough examinations, and they can end up missing certain problem indicators. While some problems, like a cold or flu, can be diagnosed in this time, more complex ailments require attention, which takes up time. Reviews can illuminate which doctors actively spend the necessary time with their patients and which ones are pressed against the clock to meet demand.
Surgery has some more dire risks attached to it, so be sure to talk to your surgeon about the potential issues that can come up as a result of your procedure. If a patient has a reaction to anesthesia, it can cause very serious complications, but this is an uncommon occurrence. Blood clots can be a significant problem after surgery, often caused by inactivity during recovery. Infections, numbness, scarring, swelling and death are all possible, but the likelihood of these issues will vary depending on the type of surgery you're undergoing. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and your risk potential.
Surgery affects people in different ways, but as you begin to emerge from anesthesia, you'll want to alert your nurse to any issues you may have. The nurse will tell you how the procedure went, what effect it will have on your condition, what to expect when you get home and how long it will take to get back to normal. If you start feeling pain, the nurse may give you medication to stop it from getting worse. When possible, it's also advised to move around to avoid blood clots from developing in your legs. This can be as simple as occasionally flexing your knee or rotating your foot.
Some surgeries are outpatient procedures, where people are released the same day. For major surgeries, patients may stay at the hospital for a few days to be monitored and address any concerns before being sent home. Discuss with your surgeon the projected length of the hospital stay and what you need to bring.
Your recovery time and follow-up expectations will vary depending on your procedure. For example, you can be expected to be on your feet within a few days of having your wisdom teeth taken out, but it may be weeks before you have fully recovered from a broken foot or heart-valve surgery. Your surgeon will give you a list of things that you'll need to do during this time, including what medications to take and when you'll be able to get back to work and other activities.
Every surgery will have a follow-up call or appointment to discuss your recovery and allow you to ask any questions about unusual symptoms or changes in your overall health. If you have a major operation, like heart surgery, it's important to make regular checkups with your doctor or a specialist to ensure that everything is normal. Visiting a doctor will help deter infection and verify that everything is healing as expected. These appointments will give you peace of mind about your state of health and ensure that any issues are caught early on.


text:
Earn 60 Together Rewards points on this item
Portrait of a Murderer
Format: Hardback Author: Anne Meredith
Delivery options
FREE - Standard Delivery (£2.99 on orders under £20)3-5 working days
Next Day Delivery - £4.99 (£2 on orders over £20)Delivered Tuesday 19th February
FREE - Click & CollectCheck stock availability in your local storeChange store
This product is fulfilled by Gardners.
Product Information
Hardback edition with an additional essay by President of the Detection Club, Martin Edwards. Adrian Gray was born in May 1862 and met his death through violence, at the hands of one of his own children, at Christmas, 1931. This fascinating and unusual novel tells the story of what happened that dark Christmas night; and what the murderer did next.
Stress-Free Returns
Subject to exceptions, we are happy to exchange or refund your purchase within 28 days of delivery. You can return items by post or to one of our stores.Go to full returns information
Together Rewards
5 points for every pound you spend
Rewards Points PLUS Great Prices - YES! We're proud to give even more back to you and reward all Together Rewards Card members with 5 points for every £1 spent, along with exclusive offers, bonus points promotions, member exclusive gifts and more! Interested? Order a card with your purchase and once you've registered and linked your Card, you'll receive 50 FREE points (worth 50p) and you'll receive Reward Vouchers every 3 months to spend on anything you like in-store and online! Click here to find out how to get your Together Card.


text:
Equipment Mend Service – The Fundamental Concept
|There are diverse kinds of appliances that are utilized in our everyday daily life. The appliances go out of get and they are to be repaired from Dryer repair Newport Beach to time. If it is inside the warranty time period, then there is nothing to fear. The organization both replaces the spare elements or gives totally free services, if the equipment goes out of purchase. Upkeep of home appliance or appliance repair service is needed as there is constantly a necessity to repair the equipment, at moments of want, when it goes out of purchase or it will not doing work.
Ahead of being aware of about the equipment mend companies, one particular need to have an idea about the equipment. What is this equipment all about? Sure, it is a unit that is used to carry out specified jobs. They are used to complete house routines like cooking, slicing, slicing, mixing, washing, drying, heating as effectively as cooling. They are obtainable in a extensive quantity of spots i.e. our property, business workplaces, worker desks, conference rooms, and so on. Their existence is not limited at residence, but in the place of work also. People appliances are very much connected with our daily daily life.
Next will come the fact of restoring. Fixing really indicates to pair something with each other so that it gets a whole item after once again. Whether or not it is a fridge restoring or lower price dryer restore service, repairing the appliance implies to rectify the technological difficulty so that it gets to be functioning when again. Restoring the appliances indicate to rectify the mistake that reduces the overall performance of the device and make it up and working.
The previous but not the the very least is the expression 'service'. What is this all about? To support anything is to do a favor or fulfill the requirements of the consumers. Folks doing the servicing are skilled in their occupation and they know how to fulfill the shopper. They are specialist in carrying out so. People, who are mechanics, support the consumers by correcting their automobiles, putting in as effectively as inspecting the auto parts. The character of the support varies and that changes according to the nature of the industry.
Servicing does not imply to fulfill the need of a person, but it is also the delivery of specific talent that is needed by the consumer. Hence, as a matter of truth, an appliance restore service is essential to correct the units and rectify the problems the two at the place of work as nicely at house that has gone out of buy.


text:
Monday June 09, 2014
poems are like 'food and drink nourishment for soul'. His discourse
oscillates between practical and mysterious. He looks at a rose and
learns a lasting lesson. A short-lived luminous candle becomes a
multi-layered metaphor for him, of melting body and migrating soul."
Tulsidas Mishra
In last few years, Rumi - the thirteenth century theologian -
has witnessed a remarkable revival. For once, the new generation
does not discard something medieval outright, calling it
regressive. On the contrary, Rumi's writings are read,
researched, discussed and debated with great enthusiasm. Be it
corporate cubicle, office canteen, college campus or weekend
hangout, the medieval mystic is cited and quoted everywhere.
Some read him following the fashion and some other pursue him
with passion.
But any spiritual indulgence in a gross material age is welcome.
Because oscillating between extremes like unemployment and
overwork, external noise and internal desolation, modern man
leads a miserable life.
And in such a depressing scenario, Rumi's lines work magic. They
inspire the soul, rejuvenate the spirit and show simple and
practical ways to fight the sweeping fatigue.
Rumi was born Jalaluddin Balkhi, on September 30,1207, in Balkh,
Afghanistan. 'Rumi' means 'from Roman Anatolia'. He got his name Rumi in
Konya, Turkey. His family emigrated there sometime between 1215 and
1220. Rumi's father Bahauddin Walad was a theologian and jurist. At his
death, Rumi took over the position of sheikh in the dervish learning
community in Konya.
Rumi's poems lead the reader to a 'blank state of knowing nothing'.
There is no harm, if at times ambition is kept on hold, while man lives
life 'free of purpose, free of time and space, in a kind of pure
sailing.' Circumventing all cyclic patterns, man should come out once in
a while and indulge in the 'simplicity of just taking in sunlight, no
pretext, no excuse, empty in the present moment' advises Rumi.
What is there in this
philosopher, so far off in time, that fascinates today's tech-savvy
youth so much? Surfing several intervening centuries, undoing numerous
other equally famous thinkers on the way, why the gen-next wants to
re-explore his text. To retrieve what?
According to some, Rumi's poems are like 'food and drink nourishment for
soul'. His discourse oscillates between practical and mysterious. He
looks at a rose and learns a lasting lesson. 'The patience of a rose,
close to the thorn keeps it fragrant' he writes. A short-lived luminous
candle becomes a multi-layered metaphor for him. Of melting body and
migrating soul. 'A candle is made to become entirely flame. In that
annihilating moment, it has no shadow' he reflects.
His lines keep shifting
focus from everyday to esoteric. 'An invisible bird flies over, but
casts a quick shadow' muses Rumi, trying to comprehend the mystery in
something mundane.
'Your actions mean
nothing, the sex and war that you do. You are holding part of your pants
and prancing around'. Rumi wrote these futuristic lines eight centuries
back. Can there be a better description of today's war-torn Islamic
countries? They are going nowhere because of external interference,
internal feud and sectarian violence.
But Rumi does not brood
over the irony of life always. Sitting in the Tavern, he tries to
imagine the immensity of ocean in a wine cup. 'Look at this cup that can
hold the ocean' he muses. But when the crowd and congestion of the wine
house stifle him, he comes out saying--'Why do you stay in prison, when
the door is so wide open? Then he looks up and indulges in some
irreverent wit. 'Last night the moon came dropping its clothes in the
street' he quips. On a different occasion, the moon causes some sort of
abstract craving in him. 'Thirst drove me down to the water, where I
drank the moon's reflection' writes Rumi. All too often, Rumi's simple
statements have a symbolic tone. His mundane images cast a metaphysical
shadow. Long and hard.
'I am so tired of what
I have been doing'. Does not this line sound like the melancholic cry of
a modern man, stuck in a sorry Sisyphean cycle, pathetically
predictable? 'You were young once and content. Now you think about money
all the time' adds Rumi to rub some more salt and then suggests to break
free and enjoy the 'freedom of madness'.
Rumi reposes great
faith on divine grace. 'For one moment, quit being sad. Hear, blessings
dropping their blossoms around you' he exhorts. But pragmatic that he
is, he does not deny the inherent pain of day to day struggle. 'These
pains that you feel are messengers. Listen to them. Turn them to
sweetness. The night is almost over' he sums up.
'Patience polishes and purifies' writes
Rumi highlighting the virtue of patience. 'Feeling lonely and ignoble
indicates that you have not been patient' he rues. 'Brother, stand the
pain. The sky will bow to your beauty' he elaborates. 'Let us wait and
trust the waiting' he concludes giving hope.
But then he is not against any display of
grief or grievances. He calls God a 'nursing mother' and the Universe a
'reasonable father'. 'Cry out! Don't be stolid and silent with your
pain. Lament!' he tells all. 'The child cries, and then the mother's
milk flows' he points out. In Nature's complicacy he sees the latent
compassion. 'Whatever comes, comes from a need, a sore distress, a
hurting want.' he concludes.
'A Sufi is the child of this moment' says
Rumi and advocates austerity along the way. 'The foundation and walls of
the spiritual life are made of self-denials and disciplines' he says
favouring a frugal living. 'There is a hidden sweetness in the stomach's
emptiness.' he adds.
'Speech is silver, silence is golden' said
William Shakespeare. And like his forerunner Rumi remarks-- 'Silence is
an ocean. Speech is a river'. 'The soul lives there in the silent
breath' he elaborates.
'A wall standing alone is useless'
cautions Rumi. He puts great emphasis on bonding and companionship.
'When ink joins with the pen, then the blank paper can say something' he
In the late fall of
1244 Rumi met Shams of Tabriz, a wandering dervish. And both became
inseparable like ink and pen. It is believed that, with the arrival of
Shams of Tabriz began Rumi's transformation into a mystical artist. But
their friendship was a short lived one, which ended, when Shams
disappeared, on the night of December 5, 1248.
Separation from Shams
had a great impact on Rumi. But thankfully the calamity also led to
great creativity. Rumi called the huge collection of his ghazals(odes)
and 'rubaiyat'(quatrains),Divani Shamsi Tabriz(The works
of Shams of Tabriz).
'Charaiveti, Charaiveti' (keep walking)
exhorted the Hindu sages, calling life on this planet, a long journey.
'We are all returning' echoes the Quran. 'Notice how everyone has just
arrived here from a journey' repeats Rumi. 'Your real 'country' is
where you're heading, not where you are' he adds, clearing the
confusion. But then he feels lost along the way. 'The ocean takes care
of each wave' sings the minstrel on the move, underlining his faith on
God's grace.
According to Rumi, someone who is curled
up and constricted does not qualify for the 'healing elixir'. 'Stay out
in the open like a date palm, lifting its arms' he advises. Because then
only one can take 'sips of rainwater'.
When it comes to modes and methods of
worship, like other saintly souls, Rumi too prefers essential devotion
to superfluous rituals. If one is humble inside, even his 'sweet
blasphemy' will have the impact of 'true devotion'. 'Inside Kaaba, it
doesn't matter which direction you point your prayer rug!' he
Your action will be your best friend' says
Rumi. But cautions all against bad 'karma'. 'No matter how fast you run,
your shadow more than keeps up. Sometimes, it is in front!' he warns.
'Move into the sun. You're wrapped in
fantasy and inner mumbling.' says Rumi, advising all to be active and
pragmatic. For him many humble house hold chores are actually simple
ways to gain wisdom. 'There is great wisdom in washing the bedclothes.
Wash them.' he advises. 'No longer subject to fortune, you could be
'luck' itself.' he observes, expecting all to sculpt their own destiny.
Poetry and music mean a whole lot to him.
'We rarely hear the inward music, but we're all dancing to it
nevertheless.' he claims. 'A true seeker must be completely empty like a
lute to make the sweet music' relates Rumi.
According to many
Rumi's poetry is 'a salt breeze from the ocean of 'ilm' (divine
luminous wisdom), travelling inland.' Rumi is a bridge between religions
and cultures. A dissolver of boundaries. He is the ocean that
acknowledges oneness over the multiplicity of waves. Rumi's poems are
like firecrackers on a funeral pyre. They point us away from misery. He
is a letter to everyone. You open it. It says--'Live'.
'Every morning we glow and in the evening
we glow again' reflects Rumi. Evening descended on this messianic mystic
on December 17, 1273. 'A great mutual embrace' must have happened then,
between him and God, as he had visualized.
'A rider
goes by, but his dust of passing hangs in the air'. Who knows, a great
humanist that he was, Rumi's soul must be somewhere around, wrapped in
'pure absence'. 'A sweet breathing emptiness'. 'Quiet as moonlight'.
Showering blessings like a rain cloud. Because he believed in 'love with
no object'. For Rumi, the human being in spite of all his follies is
like a 'wished for song'. 'Never think that you are worthless. God has
paid an enormous amount for you' he remarked, evaluating the worth.
Anywhere you put your foot, feel me in the
firmness under you' Rumi said once, expressing his humble wish.
(Author is an alumnus of FTII, Pune and is active in Film and Television
sector for last twenty years. He has shouldered varied relevant
responsibilities in Mumbai and Hyderabad. Presently he is based in
If you look at issues from the
perspective of common man
want to share your ideas with our readers across the globe
submit your article
(at least 800 words)
Orissa experiences the wrath of Climate Change in India
Mahatma Gandhi wanted an end to untouchability only, but not to caste
system - John Dayal
Victim of Mining - Sukinda fast converts into a death trap
Sea level rise and inundation of Coastal India
The communal face of Indian Maoists
Violence in Orissa's Kandhamal - Social conflict and Economic gap led to
Communal hatred
Orissa's Lake Chilka faces danger of submergence
River Ganges faces the wrath of Global Warming
Orissa in a globalised economy - Challenges ahead
Crime Reporting in India - Publicising criminals than condemning Crimes
Hirakud Dam needs a proper management system to realise its objectives
Kalahandi - Cursed with Industries
Turtle Cry - Less safety for Turtles, more troubles for Fishing
Vedanta University project - A Real Estate Deal in disguise
Development Goals (MDGs) and the NGO movement in India
Agriculture Vs Industrialisation: Indian Economy pushed to a jump-shift
Awareness of water-quality
Politics of Regional Nationality
Coal Bed Methane (CBM) - A natural resource base Orissa should Explore
Onion Farming can stop labour migration in most part of Orissa
Sun Temple of Konark - Heritage in freezes
Female Foeticide in India - Medieval mindset rules over Indian society
Television Journalism in India - Money and Sensationalism overpower
ethics and principles
Indian History Needs to be Reinterpreted and Re-written
A Teacher not allowed into the School - Another sign of caste
discrimination in Orissa


text:
Thursday night saw London Food Fight put on a spectacular battle of the burgers, when 12 of the cities finest purveyors of patties went head to head to be crowned champion of them all. The setting for the food fight was at Borough Market's Jubilee Place, a great little space that was soon full to the brim with burger fans and incredible flavours filling the air.
The line up was packed full with some huge names and we were here to try every single one! That's right, 12 sliders in one night! However, by the time I made it to Brigade, I was too late and they had already started packing up so I managed 11. Probably a blessing for the waistline if I'm honest, as some of the so called "sliders" were huge and the meat sweats soon descended haha!
All competitors were deserved of high praise, as the standard of burgers were so high. After all had been said and the last patty had been flipped, the champion was announced to the crowd as Mother Flipper, who seem to be going from strength to strength lately. They did produce a great little slider, in fact they produced three styles! Slight bending of the rules, but their cheeseburger was delicious.
For me though Bleecker Street Burger was the number one burger of the night. It was super simple but their meat never ceases to make me smile as you take your first bite. The seasoning is perfect and it was served super rare, just how I love it!
Patty & Bun's 'Mr Miyagi' burger came a very close second for me and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will soon be added to their shop menu, as I really want to try it again on an empty stomach.
Third was too hard to pick between Opera Tavern, Elliot's, Honest and Mother Flipper. They were all so good!
Photos From The Night
The Champion Mother Flipper !
Hats off to London Food Fight, the night was a gigantic success. Allowing the public to try every single one of the patties without any extra cost added to the ticket price was a real treat. I can not wait to see where they take the next battle to, fingers are crossed for London's greatest pizza parlours! Keep your eyes locked to our LDN Latest page for all the information on London's biggest openings and up and coming events, we will keep you in the know!
We The Food Snobs x


text:
Vegan Banana Strawberry breadMarch 9, 2009 at 3:36 pm | Posted in Allergies, Baking, Vegan baking | 2 Comments
Oh my goodness, soooo yummmmy!
I took the Betty Crocker recipe I use to make banana bread, added strawberry's and changed it to be vegan.
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup Crisco
3 tsp egg replacer
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup strawberry puree
1/3 cup water
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla (or as much as you prefer)
1 tsp apple cider vinager or white vinegar
Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom of loaf pan. Mix sugar and Crisco together in a medium bowl. Stir in egg replacer. Add fruit purees and water; mix until combined. Siff in flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; mix until almost combined. Add vanilla and vinegar (this would be the time to add nuts if you want; walnuts or pecans) at this point; mix until just combined. Pour into pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes. Let cool. I think it's better completely cooled.
My previous attempts at vegan banana bread were way to dense. I think this receipe is exactly like a receipe with eggs in it!
Picture to be added later. — Oops, I forgot to take a picture before it disappeared. I guess I'll have to make it again.
Photo's of the weekMarch 9, 2009 at 2:21 pm | Posted in Pictures | Comments Off on Photo's of the week
Sunday: Abby jump jump jumping!
Monday: This is what we woke up to.
Tuesday: My crafts.
Wednesday: Abby's class field trip to Port Discovery.
Thursday: Tony's "work in progress" play table.
Friday: Family portrait. My favorite place to be, behind the camera.
Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.


text:
Haymitch is back in District Twelve, and has just been assigned his house. They tell him that a team of domestics has been getting it ready, but he only sees one maid... who turns out to be Digger.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I cling to Digger for a long time without speaking. She doesn't seem to mind.
She presses her hand against the back of my head and kisses me, then gently pulls away. "I'm glad you're home," she says.
I nod. "Are you… are you staying?"
She shakes her head and sighs. "I really am here with the domestic team. Sae's daughter got me on board so I could be here. But they'll check. I guess it matters in Victors' Village whether I'm legal family or not."
I squeeze her hands. "We'll take care of that as soon as they let me breathe. Okay?"
"Very much okay."
"You both need permission for that until you're eighteen," Mom says.
I look at her. She sighs, shakes her head, and relents.
"Let me show around," Digger says. "I've had a chance to see the place while we've been getting it ready."
She leads the way. We stop first in the living room, which has a huge picture window that looks out on the forest. I can't see much at this hour, though the gardens are lit up. I can see the fence at the back, but beyond it, there's darkness. On the wall, there's a huge television. Shelves stretch out to either side of it, full of shiny new books. I'll have to look through them later, but I'm sure they're all thoroughly Capitol-approved. One I can see is a glowing biography of Snow. Should make good kindling if I get cold. The rest might even entertain me for a while.
I want some of the atlases I saw in the Capitol. There's even a big desk in the study off the living room, where I could open them up and look at the maps more completely than I had a chance to in the library. There's a second fireplace in here as well, and a cabinet full of office supplies, all marked from Herk Donner's shop. Maysilee's voice comes into my mind, talking about how she liked the smell of paper. My legs lose their strength, and I sit down hard on a velvet chair.
"Haymitch?" Mom says.
I point at the pile of office supplies. On top is a brand new journal, in better shape than the old one she once wanted to give me.
"Oh." She takes the pile and puts it into one of the desk drawers.
Digger puts her hand on my shoulder, and leans over to kiss my cheek. I grab her hand and squeeze it.
Once I've gotten myself back together, she continues the tour. Off the study, there's a downstairs bathroom that's larger than Mom's bedroom at home. Digger says this is properly called "half-bath," since it doesn't have a tub. There's a large kitchen, with a fully stocked refrigerator and a set of fine china. Glasses gleam in the cupboards. Someone has taken the trouble to stock a bar for me. Mom glares at it as though it might bite.
Beyond the kitchen, there's a room with square machines I don't recognize. Digger tells me -- looking amazed at such a thing -- that they are for washing and drying clothes. There's even special soap for them. No washboard, no tub, no scrub brush. There are as many settings as there are on a Capitol shower, and all for my clothes.
"But I don't even have clothes yet," I say.
"Sure you do," Digger tells me. "Come on upstairs."
We go up the grand staircase near the door -- it has rich, wine-colored carpeting and a dark wood railing -- and into the first of the bedrooms.
"You can switch them around, of course," Digger says, "But I thought this one would be good for Lacklen. It looks out on the green." She goes to a door at the end of the room that I think must lead to another room, but it's actually a personal closet. It's been stocked with clothes that I'd guess are Lacklen's size.
"Wow," Lacklen says. "This is… they gave me stuff?"
"Well, you'll have to wear something tomorrow, won't you?" Digger grins.
Lacklen goes to his closet and starts looking at shirts. He looks back over his shoulder. "This is great!"
"Told you that you'd have a use for those laundry washing things." She looks over at Mom, who is sagging a little after coming up the stairs. "Oh, Rhona, this isn't going to work, is it?"
"It'll work fine after I get her to the Capitol to get new lungs," I say. "Caesar's trying to get you on the list."
"That's kind of him," she says, but I can see the rest in her face: It's too late.
I refuse to accept that. "Well, it could take a while," I say. "But you're warm and dry here, and until we get you better, why don't we make that study into your bedroom, so you don't have to climb the stairs? You'll even have your own bathroom."
"Don't be silly," she says. "That's a lot of trouble, and besides, I haven't looked out an upstairs window in my own place for a long time. I can handle the stairs."
"I'll put in an elevator," I say.
She smiles fondly.
Digger goes over to her and takes her hand, turning herself into a sort of living cane. "Why don't we see your room next, then?" she suggests.
She leads us up the hall to a large room that looks out toward town. Mom goes to the window and smiles. "Oh, this is lovely!"
"You have clothes, too," Digger says, and opens the closet, which is big enough to actually walk into, and has a floor to ceiling mirror at the end. Mom doesn't have as many clothes in there as Lacklen does. All of us notice it, and all of us, I think, suspect the same reason: The Capitol assumes she won't need them for long.
"They're so lovely," Mom whispers, touching the sleeve of a forest green suit. "I've never had anything so pretty."
"I think you should wear that one tomorrow," Digger says. "It'll be nice and warm, and you'll look great in it!"
Mom's eyes light up, and she nods. "Let's see Haymitch's," she says.
Digger takes us past the full bathroom first. It's the size of my room at the training center, and has a big, circular tub in the middle of the room. There's a shower as well, and I can see the buttons on it, just like the Capitol showers. Lacklen will have fun trying to figure it out, but I better warn Mom about the more alarming settings. The whole thing is fixed up in the same dark wood as the bannister, and the fixtures are practically gleaming. The knobs on the sink are actually crystal. I have no idea why I need a bathroom that looks like Capitol day spa, but I guess it's okay.
Finally, we come to the end of the hall, and a room that stretches across most of the back of the house. It's the master bedroom, and it has a giant bed in it, and a little study area, and a walk-in closet bigger than my old house, I think. The closet has been stocked with all the clothes they gave me in the Capitol (except the ridiculous parade outfit, thankfully), and many more besides. There are racks of shoes, and ties that I have no idea how to wear. I'll need to call Gia on that… which will be easy, since there's a phone downstairs in the study, which has a private staircase directly to this room. I didn't notice that before. I guess it would be a little weird for Mom to sleep there.
Again, there's a huge picture window looking out on the back garden and the fence and the woods. I can see further here, since I'm higher up. The moon is high in the sky, lighting up the tops of the trees, and picking up a standing rock somewhere out beyond the fence.
I have never been in a bedroom this grand, even when I was staying in the Capitol. Even the grander rooms I was in aren't as likeable, because they were for banquets and entertaining, and were always too crowded.
This place might as well be made for me, and in a way, I'm sure it was. I've given them plenty of time during my recovery to fill it up.
I hate it.
I love what the people here have done to try and make it mine, but I can't look at all this and not think of Sigh Tomby's face melting in the poison water, or Gilla's arm lying at a distance from her body, or Maysilee, thrashing to death on the windy hillside.
I don't know how I'm going to live here. But it's sturdy and it's warm and it's dry. I can keep Mom well. Lacklen will have clothes, and I can keep him in glasses. And Digger will come, as soon as we take care of the legal issues. She'll be in this big room with me, and I'll buy her every pretty red dress in the Capitol to hang in our closet.
I can do this.
I turn away from the window and smile at them. "Well?" I say. "You like it?"
None of them seem fooled by my smile. Mom's eyes are deep and full of something that might come close to understanding. Digger slips her arms around my waist and holds me.
Lacklen looks around and says, "I'd rather you hadn't had to go to the Games." He smiles slyly. "But as long as you did… I like my clothes."
I laugh. "You're officially in charge of making sure I don't take myself too seriously."
"Was I ever not?"
The four of us laugh together, and the strangeness of the new place starts to fade as we bring some of who we are into it. Digger takes us back downstairs (I carry Mom, though she objects at first), and we settle in the kitchen. We're all too full to eat anything, but Digger pours us some sweet orange juice to drink. Lacklen has never had it, and samples it carefully before gulping it down and asking for more.
We sit awkwardly for a long time, because there's a huge topic of conversation that I think we all feel hanging around us, and no one wants to bring up.
Finally, I say, "What have you guys been doing? I mean, anything that doesn't have to do with the Games. I'll talk about that later. Sometime. Maybe."
They all nod solemnly, and I see them searching for something to say. I hate this.
"Mom went on a date," Lacklen says.
Mom's jaw drops, a little too theatrically. "It was not a date, Lacklen Abernathy. It was just dinner with Mr. Burk, from the mines."
Lacklen forces a laugh. "Which he paid for at Sullivan's Inn."
"The mine foreman?" I make myself smile. "I knew he was sweet on you."
She puts her hand to her face. She's actually blushing, which makes me feel good. "He's not sweet on me, and it wasn't a date. Dates would be… well, a bit pointless." She winces. "Sorry."
"Did you have fun?" I ask.
"No." She sighs. "I've been worried sick about you, and having fun wasn't on the agenda. Mostly we talked about that. He almost lost his little girl last winter from the pneumonia, and he understood. But if he asks me again, I just might see about having a little fun."
I look down. "I'm sorry you were worried."
"That is not your fault. You are not the one who owes me an apology."
We fall into an awkward silence again. I look at Digger. "Mom says you and Lacklen have been helping at the Donners' shop." I make myself say this in an even tone. I make myself not think about the fact that it was because the Donners are in mourning. I remember Maysilee saying that there was no reason Gilla couldn't be a shopkeeper, and she herself was strong enough to be a miner. "Do you like being a merchant?"
Digger blinks a few times, not sure what to do with this, since it's obviously connected to the Games. Finally she says, "Well… I'm actually kind of good at it. A bunch of us have been taking turns watching the counter. Your friend Danny taught us to work the register. And you always have to smile." She shrugs. "I'm good at smiling."
"I thought they'd close," Mom says. "But they have to pay every day, even if they don't sell anything. They don't even get time for -- " She stops before saying "mourning," but I hear it anyway.
I sigh. I guess there's no talking about anything without talking about the Games.
Lacklen looks around anxiously, then says, "Well, as long as we're bringing stuff up, can I ask about Caesar Flickerman? We talked on the phone and he sent his very own eye doctor out with the camera crews, but it's not the same. What's he like?"
I latch onto this. Caesar Flickerman is a safe topic. I tell them about the tour of the Capitol, all the things that weren't on television… except for the baby named for Maysilee. I don't think I'll talk about that for a while. They want me to describe the library and the museum. I tell them about how "Abernathy" is from a place called Scotland, and am surprised that Mom already knows that.
"Your daddy looked that sort of thing up. I think he even wrote it down in his dictionary. My folk were Coburns, which is Scottish, too. At least that's what Daddy said."
"What's it mean, though?"
"What was in the museum?"
I shrug. "Men going to war in skirts."
Lacklen bursts out laughing.
"Hey!" I say. "They were tough-looking skirts."
Mom and Digger start laughing, too, and after a while, I get going. It hurts my gut, but I don't care. I can't seem to stop. After everything that's happened, laughing myself to death doesn't seem like a bad way to go.
We're still laughing when the Peacekeepers come and tell Digger that her work hours are over, and she is here long past the Victors' Village curfew. She kisses me goodnight, and I promise her that we'll get the paperwork taken care of just as soon as they're done with the festivities. I watch her leave under armed escort. The giggles dry up.
The pain in my gut doesn't.
I head for the bar, but a look from Mom stops me. She sits me down and makes me some kind of herbal tea that Ruth's been giving her.
I don't like that she's been in enough pain that's she's actually told Ruth about it.
I want to stay up longer, keep Mom and Lacklen in sight, but I'm about ready to fold as it is, and when Mom suggests that we all make our way to our fine new rooms to sleep, I don't argue. Lacklen and I help her up the stairs. We all hold onto each other for a few minutes when we get to her door. None of us says anything about this.
Then, we go to our separate places. Mom claps and cries out, with some real delight, that they've given her a real nightgown. "It's silk!"
I grin. I guess I can live with something that makes her happy enough to actually clap.
I check my dresser and find that they've given me pajamas as well -- a few pairs, actually. I pick some lightweight ones out and go to bed. There are cool silk sheets here, and the bed is big enough for about ten people -- there are probably families on the Seam that sleep more people in less space -- but I'm in it alone. It seems strange, but I'm too tired to worry about long thoughts.
I dream about Maysilee. It's not a nightmare. We are just sitting in the back garden, and she wants to know how everything has turned out. I tell her how awkward it is to talk to everyone, and she tells me to get over it. She's glad that her parents' shop is open. She thinks Digger is adorable in her maid's uniform and tells me I ought to have her keep it for "special occasions."
"I sure wish you were here," I say. "You could live next door. I bet that house is nice, too."
"I imagine it is."
"It'd be nice to have someone I could actually talk to."
"You have people. You need to trust them."
"No. It's not smart."
She touches my face, the way Mom did up on the stage, and says, "Not everything's about being smart, Haymitch."
Something starts buzzing, and suddenly, we're back in the arena. There's a swarm of mutts. Maysilee gets out her blowgun to chase them down. I tell her not to. I try to run after her but I'm tangled up in something.
I struggle until I wake up and find myself twisted in my silk sheets. The clock beside the be reads seven-thirty. The holiday won't start until people are up in the Capitol to watch it on television, and they're two hours behind us, so I have a little while, I hope. Outside the window, I see a thin merchant boy in the back garden, doing something to the shrubbery. He looks familiar, like everyone around here does, but I don't think I know him.
I get up and dress in black pants and a soft sweater. It may be the same sweater I was wearing my first night in the Capitol, when I drank too much wine with dinner, but I'm not sure. That was a very long time ago.
I peek in the door of Mom's room. She's sleeping peacefully in her big bed. There's blood on her pillow from her coughing in the night, but the fit seems to have passed. I watch her until I'm sure I see her chest moving up and down, then close the door again. Lacklen didn't bother closing his door. It looks like he didn't go right to sleep. There are several piles of books beside him on the bed, probably taken from the shelves downstairs. One of them is open beside his head, and I guess he finally drifted off to sleep reading. I turn off his light and let him sleep.
The buzzing is still going on in back. It's too early.
It takes me a few tries to find the back door, which turns out to be off the laundry room. It goes out onto a porch that's quite high up, since the land slopes a little bit. The merchant boy is trimming the already perfectly shaped shrubs, pausing to sweep away the detritus now and then.
I go down into my garden. In the daylight, I can see that it's mostly the shaped shrubs here, but there are also flower patches and a little fountain with…
I wrinkle my nose. It's the fountain from the little meadow, the one shaped like the Cornucopia. This thing is going to leave as soon as the Capitol film crews go home. I consider befouling it now, but the boy with the hedge trimmer has already noticed me.
He turns off the buzzing tool and raises a hand in greeting. "Hi, there," he says, coming over. "Sorry it's so early, but they wanted the grounds cleaned up before the tour."
I grind my teeth. I forgot that they were coming here before the holiday. "What time?"
"I guess ten. I still have to do the green and the other houses."
I sigh. "Okay."
He holds out his hand. "I'm Merle Undersee. My dad has the garden shop."
"We have a garden shop?"
He smiles. "All sorts of supplies. And I guess once they're done filming, you'll be keeping your own garden, so you might want to come by."
"Can I hire you to do it? I mean… later in the day than this?"
He laughs. "Sure. We'll talk about it. I could come up after school."
"We're not in class together, are we?"
"No. I'm a year behind you."
"Good. I mean, it wouldn't have been good if I just forgot."
Merle keeps smiling. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say to him. He seems friendly enough, but what do you say to someone you never met before, whose trimming shrubs in garden you've never set foot in until now, and who wants a job. I don't even know when my salary will start coming. Or how I get to the money. I hope someone will show me that stuff. I've never had any reason to know about it.
He ends up suggesting that I take a walk around the green and see the Village in the daylight. "I come up here to do the caretaking a lot," he says. "It's real pretty."
It better be, I think, considering what it costs to live here. But I don't say it. Merle Undersee is a total stranger.
I go around to the front of the house. There are roses planted along the sides. I stop at the end of the path to door and look up. It's a fine house. No doubt about it.
I turn away from it and head up the carefully tended path along the green. The house next door stands coolly empty, and the one after that, as well. I stop looking at them after that. It's sort of creepy to stare at their blank eyes.
I do turn and look when I pass Duronda Carson's house. I don't know what I expect to see, and in fact, I don't see anything, except that tree, waving in the wind. She raised a child out here alone (there's not even a solid rumor about who the father was). Her daughter, Sheba, lives on the Seam now, with her husband. There's no inheriting a victor's house, in case we need a reminder that it doesn't really belong to us. She probably wouldn't want it, anyway, not after losing her little boy to the Games. I wonder if I should talk to her. Find out more about Duronda.
I decide not to. Everyone saw Sheba when her boy's body came home. She accused Duronda of getting her child killed. I guess it probably wouldn't be a great conversation.
I stop cold.
That will be my job now. Getting tributes killed every year. Even if I somehow have a winner every year, there'll still be one coming home in a long cargo box. And it'll most likely be two.
I look at the tree behind Duronda's house and a chill comes over me. I don't know why no one has cut that thing down.
I make myself keep walking, around the green, past the empty houses on the far side. It is pretty; Merle was right about that. It's also cold and empty.
I sit on one of the little benches for a while and try to appreciate the pretty part, but a squirrel scurries down the side of a tree and startles me. I reach for my knife, but I didn't bring it with me. Careless.
I go back to my house, though it takes me two tries to find it, since Merle has moved on to the next house and I try to go there first.
Mom is up now, and has made it downstairs on her own. She's fussing around in the kitchen, making breakfast. We have to work together to figure out the fancy stove. By the time she has some flapjacks going, Lacklen is up. We eat together, and I tell them about the green. I tell Lacklen he can have his friends over to play whatever games he feels like out there. We all stumble a little over the word "games," but I decide to just force it out. There are games that don't end up with corpses.
We've barely finished eating when the camera crews arrive for their tour.


text:
You must figure out precisely how the affiliate marketer will keep track of the revenue you generate.You could possibly drop a lot of commission rates if requests you forwarded to the corporation will not be connectedc to the Identification amount.
When taking a possibility on affiliate internet marketing, it is best to join with an affiliate program that gives products or services that you love selling. Becoming a member of a number of different affiliate marketer group gives you a number of streams of income. Research online marketers and merely agree to the people you may be comfortable with.
You ought to be honest when practicing internet affiliate marketing tactics. Your loyal site visitors will often be motivated that will help you when they are stored knowledgeable of the motives for website marketing.
An unsatisfactory practice of affiliate marketers press too much to be "super" affiliates. They attempt to juggle lots of items and find yourself losing every one of them. Take into account that there's no reduce around the effects are not real.Locate the best for yourself.
You need to choose an associate that gives several ways to access your commission fees.
Affiliate programs enable you to more effectively promote your organization. Affiliate programs generally drive better levels of traffic than inactive approaches such as banner ad adverts and network. When you set out to pick what affiliate program works for you, ensure you think about the quantity of your referrer bounties, how straightforward it is actually to browse through, and just how well-liked its goods are.
If an individual is visiting a athletics oriented internet site, they then assume your site's articles to get about sports. Only link to affiliate marketing internet site. Your prospects will in all probability to click a hyperlink which is related to the details on your web site.
There are several affiliate products from which to choose. Each one of these is different in it's merchandise choices and quantities of overall flexibility.
You must know internet marketing to make a lot of income. You needdc to obtain your blog site or site as up high the major search engines outcomes pages as you can. This allows you to acquire far more trustworthy affiliate marketing backlinks and earnings progress.
One particular successful tip is to produce a timeline to have an affiliate item. If site visitors think that time is working out, clients may truly feel more inclined to acquire it. This really is a time tested and proven method to maximize the volume level and effectiveness of sales.
Life commission fees are receiving increasingly more exceptional between online marketing. Internet affiliate businesses shell out percentage to website owners when products making product sales. Generally, you will only obtain a payment if your buyer that has filtered through your system creates a purchase in a distinct length of time. This function makes them extremely popular in the marketplace.
Being familiar with your client base is essential to build accomplishment in constructing affiliate marketing online success. You need to try to meet the requirements of your followers. Try to find out why you have them go to your internet site. Just what are your visitors trying to find on the web?
A couple of vendors can do their very best at scamming you to definitely utilize an invalid checking program. Prevent this challenge by generally picking a respected process all by yourself.
You should make sure there are lots of links leading potential clients to the affiliate marketing content, but usually do not make use of them deceptively. A visitor who clicks on an "HP pc tablet" link is not really considering don't take them to your web page offering Apple inc goods should they be hunting for a Computer. It might seem this is a great path to take but it may look deceptive.
Only market goods that you could support. Your ideas will have an impact on how you and the organization. You are going to continue to keep these buyers if you advertise quality products at decent rates.
Don't overload your website with way too many banner adverts. Ad banners detract through the beauty of your web site and may even actually make you shed organization. Ensure your internet site has enough content to compliment the banners are placed appropriately and balanced out with lots of solid information.
Don't just think completely commission plans are ripoffs. Some organizations are going to pay one hundred percent payment on in the beginning sales when keeping the registration revenue at a later time. Take a decision it's possible that this may really be a moneymaking undertaking for yourself.
You have to have an internet site simply for your affiliate marketers. Employing good Search engine optimisation strategies could also draw in online marketers who will not be acquainted with you.
Building a website particularly for your affiliate marketers may help increase product sales. Employing great Search engine optimization strategies may also draw in affiliate marketers who happen to be not familiar with your product or service.
Affiliate marketers who reside in Cal are already fixed so accounts stopped this year are now able to change the links they shed on their internet site. Legal requirements that manufactured Amazon online drop their CA customers is edited so that they can take part again. Make sure to sign-up if it impacted you.
It might get time to know which advertisements are the most useful to your target audience. Dependant upon your clients you may want to utilize a diverse form of marketing and advertising. You should pick advertising which fits the wants and desires of audience you may have when constructing advertisements.
You should try to enhance your Search engines As well as followers as quickly as possible to obtain the hop on your competitors. On Twitter and Facebook, also reveal your customer label together with your social websites fans.Give folks high quality articles so they wish to visit your site.
Verify if any online marketing recommendation programs. When you beloved this informative article along with you want to receive details regarding Market Clickbank i implore you to check out cbproads.com/sf.asp. Some companies will offer you recommendation incentives for directing new refferals. A number of them can even provide you with a a number of commission in the revenue for the referenced company.
Take into account entering a niche market market to enhance your income by way of internet marketing options. It is possible to right away see revenue in specialty niches rather than principal stream goods that usually takes lengthier to view earnings.
You should consider social media marketing internet sites for the affiliate marketer requires in the same way google does. They may create search results with mass media tremendously in mind. Social media sites like Fb and LinkedIn consist of listings that link up the web page with each other.
The reason why they employ these techniques is that they are successful at attracting customers. Your job is to apply these strategies to your small business.


text:
Parker Solar Probe heads toward sun after morning liftoff
The Parker Solar Probe's second launch attempt in a mission to touch the sun was successful early Sunday.
The Parker Solar Probe's second launch attempt in a mission to touch the sun was successful early Sunday.
The Florida Supreme Court on Friday stayed the execution of a man who killed a 63-year-old woman 26 years ago.
Rookie wide receiver Deon Cain of the Indianapolis Colts will miss the 2018 season because of a torn ACL sustained during Thursday night's preseason opener.
The San Francisco 49ers won their preseason opener on Thursday night, but they came up short in an area that is of great importance to the coaching staff.
The NFL's new helmet rule claimed its first casualty on Thursday night during the Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks preseason game.
The Arizona Cardinals signed cornerback Tim Scott to a one-year contract, the team announced Friday.
Gary Woodland set a tournament record before storms suspended play during the second round of the 2018 PGA Championship Friday in St. Louis.
Jeremy Foley, former athletic director at Florida, has declined to say what former Gators head coach Urban Meyer told him about assistant coach Zach Smith.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed three players on Friday, including cornerbacks Amari Coleman and Aaron Davis and tight end Colin Jeter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves will be sidelined with a groin injury suffered in Thursday's preseason opener versus the Miami Dolphins.


text:
Shanghai Masters snooker LIVE stream: How to watch Ronnie O'Sullivan on TV and online
SHANGHAI Masters snooker LIVE stream - here's how to watch the tournament on TV and online.
The Shanghai Masters gets underway this week with 24 players competing in the newly revamped tournament in China.
For the first time since its launch in 2007 it is being played as an invitational rather than a ranking event with a huge £725,000 prize fund.
The 24 players competing, feature the top 16 in the world rankings list, the next four highest ranked Chinese competitors, and an additional quartet of wildcards from the home nation.
Round one of the new event will see players ranked 9-16 take on the eight Chinese amateurs and professionals with the winners taking on the top 8 professional players in Round two.
All eyes will be on Ronnie O'Sullivan as he makes his maiden bow of the 2018/19 campaign.
O'Sullivan won the title in 2017, beating Judd Trump 10-3 in the final.
Already the richest invitation event in snooker history, a new five-year agreement between World Snooker, promoter Juss Sports and the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association will see prize money increase to £750,000 in 2019, £775,000 in 2020, £800,000 in 2021 and £825,000 in 2022.
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said: "We are delighted to come to this agreement to secure the long-term future of the Shanghai Masters. With four major ranking events being held in China each year, the market is ready for a new concept event which rewards the top players. Creating a unique 24-man invitation event will give the tournament an exclusive identity. A true "Shanghai Masters".
Shanghai Masters snooker LIVE stream: Will Ronnie O'Sullivan retain his crown?
"I am looking forward to the 'Race to Shanghai' when it reaches its home straight next year. Who will be in the top 16 to qualify? Will we find a new superstar from the Amateur Masters series? I can't wait to see the young Chinese professionals battling with each other for one of the four extra invitations.
"Snooker continues to grow at a rapid rate in China and our portfolio of major events provides great opportunity for the players, fantastic viewing for the fans and keeps our sport's momentum going at grassroots level."
Express Sport will be on hand to bring you all the live scores throughout the tournament and here's how you can watch the action.
Shanghai Masters snooker LIVE stream: Ronnie O'Sullivan beat Judd Trump in the final last year
Shanghai Masters snooker LIVE stream: World champion Mark Williams is one of the favourites to win
Shanghai Masters snooker LIVE stream and TV channel
Eurosport 1 & Eurosport 2 will be sharing coverage throughout the tournament.
That means you can watch online if you have Sky Sports.
All the action can be followed on your desktop or laptop via the Sky Go app, which if you're an existing customer, is also available on iOS and Android smartphone and tablet devices.
Sky Go is also available on a number of platforms including Amazon Fire devices, iPad, Mac computers and laptops, Playstation 3, PS4 and Xbox One.
The Sky Sports app, available to download on iOS and Android devices, will also be providing live text coverage and updates.
If you're not currently a Sky Sports customer but can't stand to miss out on the action, you can add the channels to your box via a NOW TV subscription.
Day passes, which let you add Sky Sports channels for 24 hours, start at £7.99 a day, with a weekly pass starting from £10.99, and no locking in to a contract.
NOW TV doesn't even require a typical television to use, as it is also available on a NOW TV Box, Chromecast, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Roku, LG Smart TV, PC or Mac, and selected mobile and tablet devices.
Some betting sites are also showing the action although you will be required to make a minimum deposit to open an account in order to watch.
Shanghai Masters snooker odds (Betfair)
3/1 Ronnie OSullivan, 9/2 Mark Williams, 9/2 Mark Selby, 13/2 John Higgins, 13/2 Ding Junhui, 7/1 Kyren Wilson, 11/1 Barry Hawkins, 14/1 Neil Robertson, 16/1 Stuart Bingham, 33/1 Ryan Day


text:
EAP Committee Openings for Council 35 SFO
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a support service provided by Flight Attendants for Flight Attendants, their families, and partners. EAP peer representatives are trained to provide three distinct, but interrelated, service that includes assessment, support, and referral services, professional standards, and critical incident response.
Committee representatives offer emotional support and assistance to Flight Attendants, their partners, and families, whether the issues are of a professional or personal nature. Peer counselors provide assessment support and referral services for a wide range of issues such as domestic abuse, depression, and work-related stress.
The selection of candidates for this position in SFO is the responsibility of the Local Council Officers and the Master Executive Council (MEC) EAP Chairperson. To expedite the process, the selection of volunteers will begin prior to the election and final candidates will be approved by the LEC Officers shortly after the election is complete. Council 35 will need approximately 8 committee members for SFO.
Guidelines for becoming an EAP committee member:
2) Ability to maintain strict confidentiality
3) Agree to submit necessary EAP documentation within timelines
4) Flexibility to respond to routine and emergency EAP situations at various hours
5) Be in good standing with the company
6) Be an AFA member in good standing (dues up-to-date)
7) Willingness to actively participate in all EAP activities for at least one (1) year
Training for new EAP volunteers will be held Aug 14-15 in SFO.
For more information about EAP:


text:
A new major mechanic is being introduced to MCDrugs: Drug Muling
Have you ever realized that you have too many drugs to sell on your own? Want to maximize your profits during a drug price booster? Don't have any drugs to sell, but really good at getting past the cops? Drug muling offers a solution to these situations.
Drug muling is now available to all players on the server at the rank Mule or above.
With drug muling, you will be able to either be a supplier or a mule:
The supplier is able to remotely have their drugs sold from anywhere. They place the drugs they want to have sold up to be muled, using the command /mule sell <cut> (the cut is the percent of the total profit the mule receives). If a mule whose reputation isn't high enough to automatically take the job sends a request to mule the supplier's drug, they must accept/deny it. Once accepted, the mule has 10 minutes to sell the drugs and if successful, the profits are automatically split between the supplier and the mule.
The mules are the ones on the streets at spawn, selling the drugs. They go on duty (similar to police duty) with /mule duty. This command gives them a whole different inventory to mule with. Keep in mind that while on mule duty, you can not move drug items around in your inventory, so plan your inventory items/potion effects accordingly. Once a mule is ready to take a job, they view the listing of jobs with /mule jobs. From here, they can see who is supplying, what the drugs are, and what the cut would be. When they find a suitable job, they click it. If they have high enough reputation to auto-accept the job, or the supplier accepts their request, they are teleported to spawn and given the drugs. From here they must make it to any of the drug selling NPCs at spawn. The profits of the sale increase for both the supplier and the mule based on what the NPC sells the drugs for, so a mule that can sell at the MVP+ NPC is more valuable than one who can only sell at the normal NPC. Drug price boosters also affect the profits.
There's a reputation system, too. Every time a mule successfully completes a job, their rep goes up. Likewise, their rep goes down when they fail. Mules can go on "rep streaks" for subsequent successes, earning up to 5 rep per successful job. There's also failure streaks, so if a mule fails 3 times in a row, their rep will have gone down by 6. Once a mule hits 50 reputation, they no longer need to be approved by suppliers and can automatically take jobs.
Some disclaimers/warnings about muling:
- The mule inventory is seperate from the normal inventory, but does not save. Do not keep valuable items in your mule inventory. If you leave mule duty, any items you still have in your mule inventory will be lost.
- If you die on mule duty, you will drop your normal inventory items. This is to prevent exploits of the system using a seperate inventory. You can, however, wear armour while in mule duty to avoid dying, but keep in mind the above point.
- If you are jailed while on a mule job, the job will still be active. You can either wait for the 10 minutes to run out, or do /mule duty to automatically fail the job.
- It is recommended that you do not keep valuable items in your normal inventory when going on duty. The system does store your inventory items, but there may be unforseen issues that cause you to lose items from your normal inventory. We will not be compensating for lost items.
- Abuse of the reputation system or intentionally failing mule jobs will result in a ban and your ability to mule/make jobs being revoked.
Dismiss Notice
Please feel free to join our website today! We're happy to help with anything, or maybe just to have a discussion or introduce yourself!
Drug Muling
Discussion in 'News' started by Dakotaa, Dec 9, 2017.
Discussion in 'News' started by Dakotaa, Dec 9, 2017.
- Thread Status:
- Not open for further replies.
- Thread Status:
- Not open for further replies.


text:
The news from Images For Crafts by BestPeople.ca
size of that beautiful blue background with white snowflakes is 12x12 inch and
perfect for scrapbooking page. Or you can make a nice looking Christmas
messages, cards, tags. Feel free to download the background from Exclusive PNG Collection
Images For Crafts by BestPeople.ca
Welcome to the Digital Crafts Portal. The one stop place for craftspeople who create handmade things with graphics inside. We offer digital printable images designed to perfect fit to your crafting projects; Professionaly designed digital photo templates for pendants, buttons, etc; Online tool to make your own digital collage sheet.
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Christmas blue background with snowflakes
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Multiple measures offered for consideration in the South Dakota Legislature are intended to help ease a shortage of available dollars for the state's highway trust fund. The fund pays for roadwork and the state Highway Patrol.
Gov. Mike Rounds submitted a plan to support the Highway Patrol by increasing certain fees on cars and trucks. The governor's proposal – SB32 – would use the additional revenue to reduce the amount of state general funds that are now paying for operations of the Highway Patrol and for driver licensing and vehicle licensing services.
Among the changes included in the bill would be the fee for commercial driver's licenses and renewals. The fee would increase from $15 to $25. Each CDL endorsement knowledge test would cost $10 – up from $5. The cost for duplicate licenses, name changes, or address changes would be raised from $6 to $10.
Fees are routed into the state motor vehicle fund.
The fee for personal driver's licenses and renewals also would be increased from $8 to $20. Out of every fee for personal driver's licenses and renewals $5 would be routed to the Highway Patrol. The rest of the money would continue to be deposited into the state motor vehicle fund.
The Highway Patrol also would benefit from a separate provision in the bill that would add $1 to the fee on commercial and noncommercial vehicles registered in South Dakota. About 1.7 million motor vehicles are registered in the state, The Aberdeen American News reported.
SB32 is in the Legislature's Appropriations Committee.
Confronted with a potential $90 million shortfall for highway needs in 2009, legislators are pursuing other measures to trim the funding gap.
Another bill would increase certain license fees for noncommercial vehicles by $10. Vehicles weighing 2,000 pounds or less would pay $40; vehicles between 2,001 and 4,000 pounds would pay $52; vehicles between 4,001 and 6,000 pounds would pay $65; and vehicles weighing in excess of 6,000 pounds would pay $75.
Separate fee increases also would apply for motor homes.
The bill – HB1007 – is in the House Transportation Committee.
A separate bill – SB11 – that is awaiting assignment to committee would eliminate the discount of motor vehicle license fees for certain older vehicles. State law now allows commercial motor vehicles that are at least 5 years old on Jan. 1 of the year for which a license fee is required to pay 90 percent of the fee ordinarily imposed. The discount for noncommercial vehicles is 70 percent.
Advocates say that eliminating the discount would give the state another $12 million annually. The money could be used by counties for road projects, they say.
Critics say drivers already put a lot of money into roads in the state through other taxes and fees. Instead, they say the state should make better use of its existing funds.
That sentiment is the idea behind another bill that would create the Highway Finance Task Force to study long-term highway needs. The panel also would be responsible for studying reforms to the method of financing highways in the state.
The House Transportation Committee voted unanimously to advance the bill – HB1006 – to the House floor.
To view other legislative activities of interest for South Dakota in 2009, click here.
– By Keith Goble, state legislative editor
Editor's Note: Please share your thoughts with us about the legislation included in this story. Comments may be sent to email@example.com.


text:
Availability: Sporadic - all year.
Source: United States.
Handling Tips: 45-55° F. Do not chill. Sprinkle lightly for display
General Information: These eggplant showcase their clean, bright colors capped off by a star shaped stem. Both are thin-skinned with a firm, dry meat within. Prepare by steaming, grilling, frying or a gentle saute. Be aware - the eggplant will absorb outer juices and oils, so cook quickly to avoid waterlogged eggplants. High in fiber.
Recipes: 0


text:
Hide Forgot
From Bugzilla Helper:
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.4.1) Gecko/20031009
Description of problem:
Cannot use the font replacement table to change the GUI font to match the rest
of the system. This spoils the look-and-feel integration with the rest of the
gnome desktop.
Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
How reproducible:
Steps to Reproduce:
1. Start any OO application
2. Go to Tools -> Options -> OppenOffice.org -> Fonts
3. Check 'Apply Replacement Table'
4. Add a mapping from 'Interface User' to 'Luxi Serif' and select 'Always' and
5. Click OK and restart the application.
Actual Results: GUI font is still Bitstream Vera Sans.
Expected Results: GUI font should be Luxi Sans
Additional info:
same here with 'Interface User -> Bitstream Vera Sans'.
Tried also with 'Andale Sans UI -> Bitstream Vera Sans' as suggested on
Hmm, works for me with 1.1.0-2 on Fedora updated from rawhide. When launched
there was 1 existing remapping, from Andale Sans UI -> Luxi Sans. Changing that
from Luxi Sans to Courier and clicking OK made the interface look like ass, but
it did do the replacement. Did either of you have anything in your replacement
table before you tried changing it?
It might be an issue with upgraded 1.0.2 versions -> 1.1.0, did either of you
install OOo 1.1.0 over top of 1.0.2?
I did a clean install of test3 from the isos (10/10/03) on a spare partition.
I'll try to map Andale Sans when I get home. I'll also try openoffice from
Rawhide, see if that makes a difference.
> It might be an issue with upgraded 1.0.2 versions -> 1.1.0, did either of you
> install OOo 1.1.0 over top of 1.0.2?
Clean install here too, so the issue is the opposite i think.
Ok, I had a play and I think I know what the problem is. On a clean install of
OpenOffice no default mapping exists from Andale Sans UI to Luxi Sans, in fact
Andale Sans UI doesn't appear in the drop down list any more, so it appears
openoffice falls back to Bitstream Vera Sans for the GUI. You can, however, type
'Andale Sans UI' manually into the first box and map this to 'Luxi Sans'. This
appears to work fine. Mapping to the font 'Interface User' is still broken.
Heh, I was in the belief that I'm looking at Luxi Sans fonts.
Of course I saw no difference When I mapped 'Andale Sans UI'
to 'Bitstream Vera Sans' :)
Can you test this again iwth 1.1.0-6? Instead of Andale Sans UI
though, the default font for UI is now Luxi Sans, unless you are
Russion in which case it is Nimbus Sans L.
"Luxi Sans -> Anything" works, the user interface font changes
immediately. However I would still rather expect "Interface User ->
Something else" as the real solution to change the user interface
font. BTW wouldn't it be more user friendly to call that font "User
Interface" instead?
Yep, I agree with the above. Bit of a pain if you change your theme
font, you can no longer use Luxi Sans in your docs. Shouldn't OO just
pick up the font from the current theme the same way as it picks up
the colours? Just a thought.
Technically, yes, OOo _does_ pick up the current font when you check
Tools->Options->Accessibility->"Use system font". The problem here is
interaction with Fontconfig. Because it doesn't interface very well
(if at all) with fontconfig right now, OOo has no idea of the current
system font in some situations.
For example, what's your current system default font? On a vanilla
isntall of Fedora, its "Sans". Well, guess what? There _is_ no Sans
font anywhere, because Sans is a fontconfig meta-font that may be a
couple of different fonts for different character ranges. Its not a
single font file somewhere, like OOo expects. You can enable the Use
System Font option, but your mileage may vary...
That said, I hope to integrate the Ximian fontconfig patches sometime
soon, and then some of this pain will go away, but not all of it...
Cool, didn't know about the "Use system font" option. Seems to work
fine (unless, as you say, the system font is 'Sans').
Many thanks.


text:
VANDAWALKER, JOHN LEONARD. - Among the younger business men of Springfield is John Leonard Van Da Walker, formerly of the Hummer Manufacturing Company, but now holding a responsible position with the Illinois Watch Company, having sold his business in January, 1912. He is an expert mechanic, who has always had a natural taste for mechanics and inventions. The firm with which he was recently connected had been in existence since April, 1910, and had established a good trade and reputation. Mr. Van Da Walker was born in Springfield July 6, 1875, son of Charles H. and Anna Barbara (Dentel) Van Da Walker, the former born in Utica, N.Y., and the latter in Saxe-Coburg, Germany. The father is a retired locomotive engineer and lives at No. 1121 South Eighth Street, Springfield. He and his wife were married at Lulu, Mich., June 12, 1859, and came direct to Springfield, where they remained three years, and there had one son born. They then lived about five years in Ida, Mich., where they became parents of two daughters, then returned to Springfield and settled at their present home, where in June, 1909, they celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. On his return to Springfield Mr. Van Da Walker began working for the Wabash Railroad Company, and reached the position of engineer, in which he spent twenty-five years, then retired from active live. He and his wife had three sons and six daughters. Two sons and a daughter are deceased and others are married and have families.
The Van Da Walkers originally came from Holland and settled in New York, becoming identified with its early history. Many of them still reside in that State. The Dentel family came from thrifty and prosperous German farmer stock. The parents of Mrs. Van Da Walker came to America in a sailing vessel, spending fourteen weeks on the voyage, the boat being overtaken by heavy storms. They lost their course and did not expect to be able to reach land before they perished, but finally drifted safely to harbor.
John Leonard Van Da Walker graduated from the common schools of Springfield and spent one year in the high school, attending the latter at night. He completed a course in mechanical drawing and nearly finished one in mechanical engineering through the International Correspondence School, of Scranton, Pa. He made rapid progress in these studies and was also proficient in music. Upon leaving school, he became an apprentice in the machine shops of the Wabash Railroad Company and remained in their employ nine and one-half years, then worked eight and one-half years as tool, die and model maker, for the Illinois Watch Company. In October, 1905, he moved to Denver, Colo., to become partner in the Thompson Balance Company, but three years later returned to Springfield, on account of his wife's health, and again began working for the Illinois Watch Company, which he continued until identifying himself with the Hummer Manufacturing Company, later becoming sole proprietor. The firm was manufacturing small, high class machinery and tools, such as dies, models, etc. Mr. Van Da Walker is a man of excellent habits, has never been addicted to the use of tobacco, alcoholic beverages or drugs of any kind, and in his daily life endeavors to live up to the ideal man and be true to his Maker. He is honest and reliable in his dealings with his fellow men, and his relations with his associates are mutually pleasant and agreeable.
Mr. Van Da Walker was married in Springfield, August 25, 1897, to Martha Jane Rankin, who was born October 9, 1875, daughter of John H. and Adelaide (Smith) Rankin, her father a native of Piqua, O., and her mother of Bainbridge, N.Y. Mrs. Van Da Walker graduated from high school in Springfield in 1894, after which she worked three years as expert bookkeeper. Her father was an army photographer during the Civil War and took pictures of Generals Grant, Logan, Lee and other leading officers who participated in the war, besides many scenes of warfare. Two children have blessed the union of Mr. Van Da Walker and wife, namely: Adelaide Anna, born October 11, 1906, and John L., Jr., December 22, 1909.
Both Mr. Van Da Walker and his wife are now members of the United Brethren Church. He entered the Sunday School of the old First Methodist episcopal Church at Monroe and Fifth Streets, which was located on the present site of the Franklin Life Building, and helped in a small way, as he felt able, toward the building of the new edifice at Fifth and Capitol Avenue, remaining a member until removing to Denver in 1905. In Denver, he and his wife attended the Third Congregational Church. In national politics, he is generally an adherent of the Republican party, but is always opposed to the saloon and is the friend of good government, using his influence to promote the best interests of the people. In fraternal circles he is well known, being affiliated with Capital Tent No. 1, Knights of the Maccabees of the World, to which he has belonged fifteen years; for six years has been a member of Springfield Tent No. 222 Royal League, and has held all the offices therein. He was a member of the Smith's Springfield Zouaves, a local organization, now disbanded.


text:
Create eye-catching feature walls with 3D Wall Decor Panels
Have you ever seen it : 3d wall decor panels? Be the first to install them in your interior and be modern! 3D wall deco can be painted and repainted so you will never get bored with them!
WallArt has unveiled a new range for 3d wall decorpanels or 3d wall-cover especially for those eco conscious home owners who want each and everything inside their homes to be environmentally friendly.
Do you want to give your store an ultra hip look the easy way? Then all you need are one or more 3D wall panels from WallArt! They are easy to install, surprisingly affordable and also very durable. The embossed wallpanels and 3d wall decor panels can be easily pasted on a smooth surface using tile glue or an alternative eco-friendly glue. If you're not sure about the white color, the wall can be painted over after installation
Each 3d wall exists of a number of square wall tiles with an embossed effect. At the moment you can pick and choose from up to 20 different textures. Each of 3d board model guarantees a classy and striking store appearance!
So click through on our website, explore what your favorite 3D-wall decorpanels from WallArt is and treat your customers on a real surprise!


text:
In the wake of the events in Charlottesville, Va., ESPN decided to pull one of its announcers from calling a University of Virginia football game — because his name is Robert Lee. Lee, an Asian-American sportscaster who started with the network in 2016, was moved to a different game "simply because of the coincidence of his name," ESPN said, referencing the Confederate general Robert E. Lee. ESPN, which has faced accusations of liberal bias that some observers believe has led to a downtick in viewership, said it moved its announcer to the Youngstown State game at Pittsburgh. The network's full statement: "We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name. In that moment it felt right to all parties. It's a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play-by-play for a football game has become an issue." ESPN notes that assignments are switched all the time.
No, this is NOT the Onion.. You really can't make this stuff up, folks. No wonder ESPN's subscriber membership is WAY down.. Unreal..