Hyundai India has launched its first ever crossover, the i20 Active at Rs 6.38 lac (Ex-Showroom, Delhi). The vehicle is based on carmaker’s last-year introduced Elite i20, and goes up against the likes of Fiat Avventura, Toyota Etios Cross and Volkswagen Cross Polo.
Like any other crossover available currently, the Active also looks like a beefier version of its hatch counterpart with some noticeable changes on it. The car gets full-body black plastic cladding, redesigned bumpers incorporating hexagonal grille and large circular fog lamps, new skid plate, roof rails and projector head-lamps with daytime running lamps. Additionally, the new 16’ inch diamond cut alloy wheels complements the overall rugged design well.
On the inside, the dashboard and other bits are identical to the Elite, except an option to choose between the interiors with a blue accent or with orange inserts, both which look absolutely funky. Also, you get a cooled glovebox, auto headlamps, sporty aluminum pedals and 8 speaker music system with USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity.
Hyundai has altered the ride height of the Active and raised it by 20 mm over the Elite i20 to give it a ground clearance figure of 190mm. Though engine options have been retained and features the same poweplants as its hatchback sibling. The petrol variants are powered by the same 1.2-litre Dual VTVT Kappa unit that puts out a maximum power of 82 bhp along with peak torque of 115 Nm. While the more-selling diesel trims will be powered by the trusted 1.4-litre U2 CRDi mill, good for 89 bhp and 220Nm peak torque.
To know more about Hyundai i20 Active, read our comprehensive first drive report. Click here
Source : CarDekho


The Princess Cardigan has a right side, back and almost a full left side. I'm having some trouble knitting this cute little sweater, not because of issues with the pattern or the stitch being difficult... but because of the boring white yarn. I should have dyed the yarn before I knit the sweater.
Good Lord, all that white yarn is boring. I've been knitting and watching The Office on Netflix. How is it possible that I'd never seen The Office before? It just may be my new favorite TV show. I may even like it more than Buffy. Except, that I haven't been knitting and watching The Office. I've been avoiding knitting by eating while watching The Office. Good Lord! I think I've probably gained ten pounds since I started knitting this small little sweater. I reached new heights of procrastination today when I caught myself washing a load of laundry even though I still have clean underwear in my underwear drawer. It's a sad state of affairs when I'm choosing laundry over knitting.
In an effort to procrastinate just a tiny moment longer, let's talk #ChristmasCountdown.
The Advent candles have always been one of my absolute favorite parts of Christmas. What's your favorite?


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The reading level for this article is Moderate
So you find yourself with poor credit in a bad circumstance looking for a credit loan. If you have bad or poor credit due to immense debt, it is not all hopeless. In some cases, the banks and credit institutions are still looking to lend money and make bad credit loans to chosen individuals or companies. How does the business of lending money to individuals with poor credit benefit them in the first place? The poor credit loan is usually meant to help people pay off mortgages with soaring interest rates or with the simple wish to refinance. The bad credit loans can also be used to help with home improvements, get one through payday, for their home equity, or perhaps just a simple personal loan. The loans for bad or poor credit are not widely frowned upon, and doing your research and talking with the respective borrowers will only improve your chances of receiving a bad credit loan. Everyone deserves a second chance regardless of bad credit.
Sometimes lifeâ€™s expenses soar and there are no other options other than taking on immense debt. If an individual with bad credit is in need of a personal loan, it is up to the banks and credit institutions to research the individualâ€™s ability to repay the poor credit loan. If the borrower does not believe the individual can fulfill the financial obligations set forth in the loan agreement, then there is simply no hope. However, if they do agree to the bad credit loan, then the terms are usually outrageous and focused on one goal: profit. The banks are fully capable of setting forth-high interest and penalties to individuals with bad credit simply because of the minutest details on paper.
Everyone deserves the chance to receive a reasonable loan even if their bad credit has blemished them in the past. One of the best reasons for bad credit loans is to help individual repay high credit or to receive some freedom from credit cards. And like the banks and other institutions, credit cards rely on peopleâ€™s financial irresponsibility to make a small fortune.

domain: economics


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Mr. John Maples (Stratford-on-Avon): What the Secretary of State has not told us is what very bad news elected regional assemblies would be for rural areas. Is it not inevitable that a regional assembly in the west midlands would be dominated by the interests, agenda and representatives of the Birmingham conurbation, and would suck in cash and powers from the rural areas? Whatever value county councils have, at least they provide some voice for rural areas in local government, which the right hon. Gentleman is proposing to abolish. Will this not inevitably be another advance in the interests of our great cities at the expense of our countryside and market towns?
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: It appears that this debate will continue as it startedby reflecting the hypocrisy of the Opposition. I will take no lectures from Tories on what happens in rural areas. The facts are clear to see from their 18 years in government. Since then, we have begun to make improvements. For the first time, we have produced a rural White Paper to consider precisely how we might improve the quality of services. At least we guarantee rural areas the advance in services that has occurred in urban areas.
Mr. Derek Foster (Bishop Auckland): Is my right hon. Friend aware that for those of us who, like himself, campaigned for more than 25 years for regional government, the publication of the White Paper is a cause of huge celebration? It represents a great leap forward in establishing a vigorous authentic voice for the north-east. Is my right hon. Friend also aware that we know that the White Paper would not have been published without his tenacity over the past 20 years?
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: Of course I am grateful for my right hon. Friend's candid remarks. He has campaigned on this issue for a long time and, indeed, we have worked together on such campaigns. It is a special day for us because we belong to a Government who are introducing a White Paper on regional government. It is a great leap forward, as my right hon. Friend says. It will allow each region to develop a special voice, especially in the north-east. We have the opportunity to go out and sell the case and to show that there can be a more democratic way of working, which is what the White Paper does.
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: I assure the hon. Gentleman that if the people do not choose to take the route of an elected regional assembly, the present local government structure will remain as it is. However, if the region that includes the Isle of Wight wishes to go for a directly elected assembly, the local authority structure will be considered by the boundary commission and included in the proposals for a referendum. It is a choice for the people in the Isle of Wight and the south-east region.
Jeff Ennis (Barnsley, East and Mexborough): I welcome today's announcement, particularly in view of the fact that I represent a constituency in the middle of an objective 1 area which has the lowest gross domestic product per capita in the United Kingdom. Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree that the future establishment of regional assemblies can only assist and enhance the future economic regeneration of neglected places such as Barnsley and Doncaster?
The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State: I have no doubt that that will help areas such as Barnsley, but we should also take into account Government measures before the White Paper, not least the £350 million coalfield community fund, which we introduced to help mining areas that had been destroyed, particularly by the vicious policy pursued by the previous Administration.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Mr. Stephen Byers): With permission, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a statement about Martin Sixsmith in response to[Interruption.]
On 26 February, I made a statement to the House concerning Martin Sixsmith. In that statement, I briefly described events that took place on 15 February. I said explicitly that the details of the events of that day were set out in the public statement made by my permanent secretary on 25 February. Both statements made it clear that discussions aimed at resolving the terms of Martin Sixsmith's departure were continuing. Those discussions were conducted without ministerial involvement. A resolution has been arrived at under which Martin Sixsmith is compensated in accordance with his employment rights, and an agreed statement was published on Tuesday of this week.
Also on Tuesday, a copy of the agreed statement was placed in the Library and reported to the Select Committee on Public Administration, which had asked my Department to clarify the position of Martin Sixsmith as part of an inquiry that it was conducting. I want to take this opportunity to explain to the House how the settlement that was reached with Martin Sixsmith and the agreed statement published on Tuesday relate to my oral statement in the House on 26 February. In particular, I want to address the concern that paragraph 2 of the agreed statement is in conflict with my statement in the House on 26 February and, as some have said, shows that I misled the House. That is simply not the case, and I want to explain why to the House.
My permanent secretary's statement of 25 February describes in detail two conversations that he had with Martin Sixsmith on Friday 15 February, which led him to inform me that Martin Sixsmith had agreed to resign. His statement also outlined how the announcement was made before it was possible to agree the detailed terms of Martin Sixsmith's resignation, and described his further meeting with Martin Sixsmith on the evening of 15 February, in which Martin Sixsmith argued that he had not resigned.
It is to precisely that sequence of events that the agreed statement refers when it says that the Department, while acting in good faith, announced that Martin Sixsmith had resigned on what turned out to be an incorrect understanding of earlier discussions that day between Martin Sixsmith and the permanent secretary. There is therefore nothing new here, and indeed nothing that was not a matter of record at the time of my statement on 26 February, which explicitly referred back to my permanent secretary's account.
Mr. Byers: I have not misled the House, as some have alleged. All my statements to the House have been based on the information available to me. That is precisely why the agreed statement with Mr. Sixsmith explicitly says that any misunderstanding over his resignation was in good faith.
While these discussions about the employment status of an individual civil servant have been taking place, Ministers in my Department have not been diverted from the real tasks that face us and the people of our country. Those tasks are to rebuild communities[Interruption.]

domain: news


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CIL won Best Enterprise Award HONOR
New Delhi: Coal India Ltd. has won the 'Best Enterprise Award' in the Maharatna category at the 29th Annual Day Celebration of Forum of Women in Public Sector (WIPS) in Delhi. Shri Anil Kumar Jha, Chairman, CIL received the award from Smt. Najma Heptulla, Governor of Manipur and Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia.
Posted Date : 12-02-19
Categories : HONOR


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found a new home!
Plenty of my friends are looking
for one too. Find a pet to adopt.
My name is Female in Houston!
Facts about Female in Houston
- Breed: Jack Russell Terrier Mix
- Color: White - With Brown Or Chocolate
- Age: Adult
- Size: Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less
- Sex: Female
Female in Houston's Info...
currectly at BARC, timid little girl, found as a stray.

domain: pet


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After dinner Ann chose the "choo-choo train" cake. I have a cake pan with train car molds and then you decorate it like this:
Our friends John and Mary were coming to visit Saturday night, so we made rainbow cupcakes....our favorite St. Patty's Day treat! I had lots of help.
And it wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without one of these, right?
I am on official junk food overload! But it sure was fun.

domain: food


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We’ve been on the road fighting for Medicare physician payment reform for well over a decade, and the system remains on an unsustainable path. Temporary patches and ongoing cuts to the Medicare physician payment system have left physician practices and patient access to care at serious risk. Payment cuts, freezes and redistributions have further exacerbated the challenge, yet Congress and the administration are still not focused on fixing the root of the problem—the payment system itself. But it’s time for that to change. It's essential that leaders in Washington work with the physician community on immediate, preventative measures, as well as long-term solutions that will reform the payment model once and for all.
For years, the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula’s threats of payment cuts resulted in instability for both practices and patients. While the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) offered some progress in response, it lacked key components such as an annual inflationary update and adequate support for small and rural practices. Today, physicians are the only Medicare providers who do not receive an annual inflationary update. In fact, since 2001, Medicare physician payments have lagged 30% behind the rate of inflation growth. More than two decades of stagnant payment rates is unacceptable. Practice costs and consumer prices have increased while Medicare physician pay has declined.
More recently, in 2021 many physicians faced Medicare cuts due to payment redistributions caused by policy changes implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These cuts would have severely threatened patient access to care and further strained physician practices working to stay open during a global pandemic. While the AMA was able to successfully work with Congress on legislation that delayed and phased in those cuts, history repeated itself in 2022 and 2023 as physicians faced another round of cuts from still more payment redistributions. As the phase-in continues, physicians are experiencing a 3.37% cut in Medicare payments in 2024.
Cuts, temporary measures and partial fixes to the Medicare physician payment system are not sustainable. They hinder physicians’ ability to adequately pay staff, purchase new equipment and invest in their practices.
Without long-term reform, physicians could be forced to close their doors for good, leaving Medicare patients without access to high-quality care.
The Medicare physician payment system needs reform to better meet the needs of patients and physicians. The right solutions will encourage innovation, while enabling small and large practices across rural and urban areas to thrive. The AMA and the Federation of Medicine developed a set of principles to guide advocacy efforts on Medicare physician payment reform. Overall, a rational Medicare payment system would:
- Ensure financial stability and predictability.
- Promote value-based care.
- Safeguard access to high-quality care.
CMS approved a 3.37% cut to Medicare physician payments that went into effect on January 1, 2024. If the latest cut is left in place, patient access to care will remain at risk.
Further inaction is not an option. Contact your members of Congress and demand they reverse these devastating cuts as part of the upcoming 2024 appropriations package. Click the button below to take action!


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This free vintage knitting pattern from zilredloh site features a Next to nothing undergarment to knit.
The pattern is from No. 40 edition of Stitchcraft from December 1935.
You can either view the pattern directly on the site or download it in PDF format for easy printing.
Click on the following link to download the pattern as a pdf: Next to Nothings Pattern.

domain: hobby


In its conviction, the court stated that it believed husband Amiram’s confession, even if he had been tortured prior to giving the police his statement.
By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News
Orian Ben Uliel, wife of the man who was convicted Monday of killing several members of an Arab family in a firebombing in 2015, protested her husband’s innocence in an interview with the religious Srugim website Tuesday.
“He did not do it,” Orian said.
“My husband was with me in the house that whole night… We also brought witnesses [but] the court simply ignored it. The police also ignored it at the time. They refused to interrogate me even though our lawyer requested it, since we had no way of coordinating [the testimonies], we didn’t see him, he was isolated and couldn’t meet a lawyer.”
Orian dismissed the fact that Amiram had confessed to the crime, because of the torture he had undergone while in custody of the Shin Bet security agency.
“He underwent hundreds of hours of interrogation, for 17 days they didn’t let him sleep, they just questioned him,” she explained.
“He experienced inhuman torture. They tied him with his head down and back twisted, with his hands and legs handcuffed beneath his chair, while beating him fiercely over a seven-hour period, until he could no longer stand it… and confessed.
“They threatened that the second he refused to cooperate, he’d be taken back to the torture chamber. He couldn’t stand this hell, he was helpless, he couldn’t even speak to a lawyer. To this day he has nightmares,” Orian said.
Part of Ben Uliel’s confession regarding the attack on the Dawabshe family home in the village of Duma was thrown out in 2018.
The judges decided he had spoken during or immediately after suffering the extreme methods used by the “Jewish Department” of Israel’s security service. In their decision, however, they said that statements he made days after undergoing “enhanced interrogation” could be used against him.
Ben Uliel’s lawyers contended that those statements should be dismissed as well, because his ongoing fear of being tortured again led him to falsely admit culpability.
Ben Uliel had run-ins with the authorities before, while living in Shiloh. He was convicted of violating an administrative order barring him from the region and of scuffling with security forces when they came to forcefully evacuate Jewish residents from an outpost.
Orian says that they’ll appeal the conviction to the Supreme Court, though she said she has doubts whether they will find justice there.
“Unfortunately, my confidence in the court really went down,” she said. “I was sure today that he would be acquitted. I was in shock that it’s possible to convict an innocent person. I hope that there, justice will prevail.”
The Lod District Court convicted Amiram on a total of three counts of murder and two counts each of attempted murder and arson. He was acquitted of the charge of membership in a terrorist organization.


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Rating: 7 stars
Seen 1 time
Seen on: 05/09/2010
Private Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.
Rated NR | Length 116 minutes
John Ridgely | Elisha Cook Jr. | Humphrey Bogart | Lauren Bacall | Dorothy Malone | Martha Vickers | Charles Waldron | Charles D. Brown | Peggy Knudsen | Louis Jean Heydt | Regis Toomey | Emmett Vogan | Tom Fadden | Bob Steele | Joseph Crehan | Ben Welden | Theodore von Eltz | Tanis Chandler | Trevor Bardette | Jack Chefe | Bess Flowers | Sonia Darrin | Stuart Hall | Wally Walker | Forbes Murray | Jeffrey Sayre | Lorraine Miller | Max Barwyn | Jack Perry | Jack Deery | Kenner G. Kemp | William H. O'Brien | James Conaty | Deannie Best | Kenneth Gibson | Jay Eaton | Suzanne Ridgeway | Joe Gilbert | Shep Houghton | Tommy Rafferty | Waclaw Rekwart | Edward Rickard | Joy Barlow | Dan Wallace | Carole Douglas | Pete Kooy | Shelby Payne | Paul Weber
I finished the Howard Hawks noir The Big Sleep (1946), which I had started days ago. Bogey & Bacall. Period. Fantastic little film and another case where all the women are simply gorgeous. At least there’s also a great crime thriller to keep it going.

domain: entertainment


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The high-key look, the model's pose, the full-frame composition, the focus points and the hair, make-up and clothing all combine to give an air of innocence and simplicity to this image.
I am not 100% sure it needs the grain in the shot but that may be a result of camera settings rather than aesthetic choice and - of course - my personal taste. There are no rules.
I also feel that there is not a huge amount of story in this picture. That's fine - not everything needs a ton of story in it after all, some things are just beautiful to look at - but I feel that the opportunity was there. Perhaps it is all in her look which is genuinely complex (congratulations to your model as well as to you for that
) - and, of course, beauty and story are both always in the eye and mind of the beholder of a photograph. As the photographer you can reach out, fill the shot with your intention and have it fly over the head of the person viewing, for no reason at all.
So, in summary, this is a lovely piece of work, well executed and effective. It's a simple piece and none the worse for that - excellent stuff!

domain: artistic


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2 Timothy 3:16-17
2 Timothy 3:16-17 ERV
All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.
Free Reading Plans and Devotionals related to 2 Timothy 3:16-17

domain: literature


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4 Extra Debut. After a violent incident on the Randall Plantation, Caesar asks Cora to run north with him. Read by Clarke Peters.
"What if the underground railroad was a literal railroad? And what if each state, as a runaway slave was going north, was a different state of American possibility, an alternative America?"
Colson Whitehead's inventive novel follows Cora and Caesar as they escape from a Georgia slave plantation and run north in pursuit of freedom, aided by the stationmasters and conductors of the Underground Railroad.
This brilliant and at times brutal novel about the history of slavery and racism in America, which won the US National Book Award for Fiction in 2016.
Read by Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme)
Abridged in ten parts by Sara Davies
Producer: Mair Bosworth
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2017.
You are at the first episode

domain: library


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An influential north-east business body has said members are divided over the proposed devolution of business rates to local councils.
Holyrood presently has control over how much businesses pay in tax for their premises, but new legislation making its way through parliament could give local authorities the power to set rates.
Opposition parties last month amended the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Bill in order to abolish Scottish ministers’ ability to fix national relief rates, and hand more power to councils.
The ruling Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent council administration have long called for the devolution of the levy to local authority level, arguing that local knowledge means they are “best placed” to take control.
The city, and wider north-east, was hit hard by a rates revaluation in 2017 where firms were hammered by extreme increases which traders argued failed to take into account the adverse impact of the oil and gas downturn.
The region accounted for half the rise in rateable values – which determines how much the government takes in tax – across the whole of Scotland.
And last night the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce said that, while opinion was “far from unanimous”, more local control could lead to economic benefits.
Shane Taylor, research and policy manager, said: “The chamber remains supportive of the devolution of powers to city regions in principle, where we believe it can drive economic growth and command the support of firms in the north-east.
“On business rates, although the view is far from unanimous, our discussions with members suggest that a level of support exists for exploring where local flexibility could make the rates system more responsive to local circumstances – such as the challenges faced by the region throughout the downturn.”
The body’s comments follow a letter sent to the government from chambers across Scotland, which said opinion was “divided” on the issue.
Public finance minister Kate Forbes replied to the letter.
She wrote: “Non-domestic rates play an integrated role in the current wider local government finance arrangements by providing certainty and protection to local government funding, whilst also ensuring certainty for ratepayers across Scotland.
“For the Scottish Government’s part, I can reassure you all that we will not be supporting any amendments that continue to threaten the uniform business rate, jeopardise the Scottish Government’s ability to set reliefs in subordinate legislation or undermine local government funding mechanisms.”

domain: finance


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What is Foreign Currency Non-resident Bank Deposits : FCNR-B Accounts ?
NRIs can avoid Risk of Foreign Exchange fluctuations by keeping their overseas money in Foreign Currency Non Resident Bank Deposits (FCNR-B) and you can convert back money to the foreign currency. The account should be opened by the non-resident account holder. FCNR-B enable NRIs to earn good returns on their foreign currency earnings.
Key Features of FCNR-B (Foreign Currency Non Resident Bank Deposits) accounts
- FCNR(B) accounts are maintained in Foreign currency only
- No need to worry forex rate fluctuation risk as the accounts are always maintained in the foreign currency
- Source of funds to FCNR-B accounts should be from abroad(can be from NRE or FCNR accounts)
- USD, GBP, EUR, JPY, CAD and AUD are allowed to maintained in this account
- Remittances in other Currencies will be converted into any of the currencies named above at the option of the depositor
- Interest will be made in the same foreign currency
- Interest income earned on the money in a FCNR account is non-taxable in India
- No gift tax on Gifts made out of balances
- No wealth tax on balances held
- FCNR-B is maintained only in term deposit
- Period of deposits range from 1 year to maximum 5 years.
FCNR-B deposits can be closed before the due date(penalty apply)
NRIs can appoint Power of Attorney Holder to residents in India for operating their FCNR(B) accounts in India
- You can have joint account with other NRIs ( Resident Indians cannot be joint account holders in NRE accounts)
NOTE: Acceptance of deposits under 2 earlier schemes namely Foreign currency Non resident Accounts (FCNR) and Foreign currency (Ordinary Non repatriable) (FCONR) deposit scheme were discontinued in w.e.f. 15/08/94. Deposits already accepted are however, allowed to continue till their maturity and thereafter no renewals would be permitted.


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Before I forget, Sue McQ. commented on how much she liked the collages I made for the girls. She thought she might give it a try. (in the last post)
Yes Yes Yes! Do that Sue! Fabric scraps in "I Spy" packs, grab bags, leftovers, etc, can be found on Etsy, and Ebay, of course, maybe even your local shops. Put out a call on your blog, ask friends if they have a thing or 2 they can stuff into a regular envelope. I will be happy to share some of my treasures too.
I started with random scraps I lay out on a base fabric, wrong side up. That way I had a 'boundary' to keep me from going....on forever really. I started with the square and rectangle shapes, and then started filling in the gaps. I fussy cut quite a few things, added some that meet the personality of each girl, like Meg who isn't afraid of spiders!!! Go Meg!!! Anyway, she got a couple of spiders on hers, that the other girls did not get.
I hand stitched all of mine, but you don't have to, machine stitching would be just as good.
Then I thought about beads....so those got added, since this wouldn't be a 'usable' quilt-let.
To think it all started with a random idea to embroider words that stand for a color, for each of the girls first letter in their names. And to use the color of thread that sorta matched that word. BTW, "Dragonite" is an orange color in the Crayola Pokemon crayon set. So, that went on Devyn's collage, in an orange color of course.
And....for some odd reason unknown to me, 2 of the collages won't let you click-to-enlarge them. Weird. I know.


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Stunning 3-bed lake house in the Staffordshire countrysideBrewood
Wireless internet connection
Coffee / Tea maker
ALTIDO is delighted to welcome you to The Lakeside Mill Barn, a lakeside barn conversion situated near the town of Brewood in Staffordshire. Attractions nearby include Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre, Lower Drayton Farm and The Chase Golf & Country Club. Set across 2 floors, the property offers 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a dining area, a conservatory and a private back garden. Sleeps up to 6 guests. Essentials, linen, towels, TV & WiFi are provided. Parking is available onsite.
LIVING ROOM & CONSERVATORY
The living room is bright & airy, flooded with natural daylight and adorned with stylish interiors. The room is furnished with a sofa, 2 armchairs, a coffee table, a woodburner and a flat-screen TV. The adjacent conservatory is furnished with comfortable seating and offers stunning views of the grounds and lake.
KITCHEN & DINING
The separate kitchen is fully-equipped and includes a coffee machine, a fridge/freezer, a microwave, a kettle, a toaster, a dishwasher, an oven and gas hobs. The adjacent dining area can seat up to 6 guests.
BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS
The master bedroom is furnished with a double bed and offers an en-suite bathroom. The second and third bedrooms are each furnished with a double bed. There is a second bathroom at your disposal. Linen, towels and bathroom essentials are provided.
The property is set amidst open fields and farmland, with beautifully laid out gardens and an adjoining 1.85 acre lake. Alfresco dining facilities are available onsite.
This home is managed by ALTIDO. We are proud to offer our guests a wide selection of top-quality properties across Europe. ALTIDO is pleased to offer hotel-standard hospitality services and provide hotel-quality linen & towels, bathroom essentials and professional cleaning services.
Guests will have access to the entire property and onsite facilities.
Upon arrival, you will be met by the caretaker who will welcome you to the property and provide you with a quick tour of the grounds. If there is anything that has been missed out or if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to get in touch. All feedback is appreciated.
The property is located near the town of Brewood in Staffordshire. The area offers a wide range of pubs, cafes and restaurants to enjoy throughout your stay. For self-catering, there is a local supermarket just a 5 minute drive away. Attractions nearby include the South Staffordshire Railway Walk, Sherbrook Valley, Cannock Chase Forest, Pendeford Public Nature Walk and The Shropshire Union Canal. In addition, nearby highlights include Drayton Manor, Gentleshaw Wildlife Centre, Lower Drayton Farm and Chillington Hall & Estate. For golf enthusiasts, make sure to checkout The Chase Golf & Country Club, Ledene Golf Centre and Perton Park Golf Club.
Kindly note that you will need a car to get around given the remote location of the barn. Parking is available onsite.
Check-in: 15:00 - 22:00
Standard occupancy: 6
Max occupancy: 6

domain: travel


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Sustainable Business Alliance
The Sustainable Business Alliance is a membership organization for companies committed to greater environmental and socially responsible business practices. Our members are a diverse community of over 100 sustainable businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. We strengthen our businesses through networking, education, and partnership opportunities. We learn from and support each other through strong community and collaboration.
Our mission is to promote sustainable business practices, nurture the environmentally-committed business sector, advocate the environmentally progressive policies, and improve the environmental profile of economic activity in the East Bay.
If you are already implementing sustainable practices in your business, or would like to learn more about greening your business, consider membership in our growing network of eco conscious entrepreneurs.
Available by appointment only
How to Liberate America from Wall Street Rule
The dominant story of the current political debate is that the government is broke. We can’t afford to pay for public services, put people to work, or service the public debt. Yet as a nation, we are awash in money. A defective system of money, banking, and finance just puts it in the wrong places.
Raising taxes on the rich and implementing financial reforms are essential elements of the solution to our seemingly intractable fiscal and economic crisis. Yet proposals currently on the table fall far short of the need.
A newly released report of the New Economy Working Group, coordinated by the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, goes beyond the current debate to call for a deep restructuring of the institutions to which we as a society give the power to create and allocate money. How to Liberate America from Wall Street Rule spells out the steps required to rebuild a system of community-based and accountable institutions devoted to financing productive activities that create good jobs for Americans and generate real community wealth.
Please click on the link to read the whole article:

domain: politics


UPDATE: The Idaho Falls Aquatic Center will reopen Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m.
Aerobic classes for Tuesday, January 23 have been canceled.
The Idaho Falls Aquatic Center is currently closed for the rest of the evening because the Idaho Falls Police Department is advising motorists to stay off the roads.
Public Swim, Swim Team and Aerobics have been canceled for the night.
Officials said the Aquatic Center should be open with regular hours Tuesday morning.


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BY MARCIA NEGRI
FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrived in Port Moresby yesterday accompanied by a 15-men delegation as part of his Oceania tour of the OFC associated countries.
As part of his visit he was allowed the honor of cutting the ribbon to the plaque that declared the headquarters of PNGFA be moved from Lae to Port Moresby.
According to President John Kapi Natto, Lae has been the headquarters for PNGFA for the past 20 years.
“Today we are gathered together on this date to inaugurate this football stadium as the new headquarter and home of football PNG.
Our former headquarters used to be in Lae, Morobe Province, but our executive members decided in 2019 that our new office has to be in Port Moresby, as it is the capital city as well as it holds the entrance to the world,” Kapi Natto explained.
Kapi Natto said he will have to travel back to Lae to thank the people for being the caretaker of the initial football association headquarter for the last 20 years.
Minister for Sports Don Polye who was also present was proud to tell the visiting FIFA president that he is happy that the ‘go rural to go global’ is a strategy that they have maintained since its launch early this year.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said their responsibility is to care for the people especially the young girls and boys of not only Port Moresby but the rural areas as well of PNG.
“Because we have to give every talent in this country a chance and to give every talent a chance, we have to start by allowing her or him to dream and they can dream if we do our job properly,” Infantino said.
Infantino said the collaboration between the PNG Government, PNGFA, FIFA and OFC is exactly the key to give this dream to the whole country.
“From rural to go global is really a project that I commend you for, and it goes as well in line with bringing the headquarters of the federation to Port Moresby, which has the door to the world,” Infantino said.
He said the inauguration of the stadium and headquarters is more than just a symbol as it is a dream coming through.
Infantino extended his gratitude saying that football would not have existed in the country without the commitment, passion and hours of the people.
After the ribbon cutting, Infantino and his visiting delegates were taken on a tour through the PNG Football Stadium that is currently undergoing a facelift.


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I’d say I have about 10 unread books on my shelf at home (not many as there are nearly 150 in my collection). These are all books that intrigue me, but I just can’t bring myself to read them. So how do you overcome this?
Sometimes, as someone who reads an extortionate amount, you get a little bit bored with it. Of course it’s still your reason for getting up in the morning, but you just feel a little bit ‘same old, same old’. I’m gonna try and help myself and you to overcome this.
I decided the only way I can read them is if I challenge myself. So, as a challenge I will not buy any new books until I’ve finished reading at least 5 of these unread books, and that is big motivation for me because I love buying books! (New books are just… Ugh so good).
I suppose my advice to you if you are in the same situation is that you find your motivation. It doesn’t need to be like going to the gym where you dread it, after all, the books were bought because you liked the sound of them at the time.
Not the best blog post, but this is a journey we will do together, so grab an unread book and let’s try it. In a few weeks time I will make an update on how well my challenge has gone so far, I expect to hear from you guys too!
Have a great day!
If you liked this post be sure to give it a like, or tweet me over on Twitter at: @CharBennett_
Photo credit: impublications.com


Machine of War
Hi I'm Michael Martel I'm currently trying to experiment with 3D concepting and mixing the skillsets of both concept artists and production artists. Here is an alternate Sd.Kfz. 251 variant designed for a WW1/WW2/Dieselpunk like world.
"Broken Treaties, Unreliable Alliances, Unfaltering Nationalism. No one can be trusted. Only the machine.... Only the machine can give us victory. Humanity will never learn. War, War is Eternal!"
The concept is for a form of alternate WW1/WW2/Dieselpunk Era world where war is constant and humanity has failed to learn from its mistakes.
The Idea of this was "What would an alternate form of a German Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track look like?"
The Sd.Kfz. 251 was a multi-purpose military vehicle that would often be modified with a variety of different modifications so it could be used in most scenarios. My goal was to design a different form of this half-track so it could be used for short-range artillery or anti-vehicle purposes on the move.
So I gave it a modified grate at the front so it can get more air to the radiator which could be closed if in combat. Attached a modified small artillery cannon in the rear. The idea was it's big enough to damage armor but not so big the vehicle needs to stop to fire. Mixed a variety of different Sd.Kfz. 251 frames so it could support the modifications, along with small advancements to the tires, tracks, and Lights.
To build the damage for the vehicle I rendered out multiple passes for exposed steel, rust, and base paint. I then made masks for the damage using brushes that look like metal scratches then skewed them so they fit the perspective of the vehicle. From here it's just finessing where I felt rust and scratches should belong based on where that damage would logically collect.
3D Model used for Render in Keyshot


"Hide your kids Hide your wife" lol. But seriously Fresh Boi calls all of you out to this showcase presented by #PowerCircle215 . This is about to simply just have a great evening, hear some great tones from phenomenal artists, networking & building a stronger genre in the city of Philadelphia.
GREAT MUSIC FROM THE BEST INDIE ARTIST IN THE TRI STATE!!!! CIROC OPEN BAR FROM 9 TO 10PM!!!!!! UNCLAIM DIAMONDS FREE GIVEAWAY FOR THE LADIES UP TOO $350!!!!!! COMEDY, DANCING, AND ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD!!!! WAT ELSE CAN I DO!!!! LOL SEE YALL THERE
Sounds Like: Maroon 5, La Roux, Janelle Monáe, Nikki Minaj, Drake
Bio: Since she started writing music, creating songs, and recording records at the young age of 13, Vixion has considered music to be her hobby. Four years later, she decided to take that hobby she started as teen growing up between Brooklyn and Philadelphia, and turn it into a craft that she took ser...See Full Bio
: I added a video to a @YouTube playlist http://t.co/y3yPEauDYL Positive Affirmations- 20 Min Guided Meditation with Singing Bowls in
“Its also great to hear a new up and coming artist who knows exactly who they are artistically. That is the first thought when me and Be Eazy heard Vixion Allures music. She is defined by any genre, she just jumps from whatever genre that best suits her artistic expression on that given song. She sings, raps and rocks out and I dig it and will definitely will be sharing more of the Brooklyn natives music. Give it a listen.”


text: Hi Everybody, I need to know if there is anyone else who has purchased a puppy from Keaton's Kennel aka: Trisha & Steve Slack that has gotten sick. These people sell English & French Bulldog Puppies, Yorkies & Poodles our of their home in Lake Elsinore, CA. Animal control in Lake Elsinore had a temporary quarantine on her home as of Saturday and we need all the help we can get to keep her doors closed permanently. If you can help us out, we would really appreciate it. You can email me at email@example.com. Thank You!


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It's hard to be a mom on a diet. But you can succeed in eat sano reconciling the needs of the whole family. Here we take for example a typical family; mum, sporty (and hungry) husband, 2 children including a child who doesn't like vegetables and a teenager who can't resist sweets, but wants to be careful not to get fat. How to combine portions, scales and everyone's health? "It can be exploited, in an intelligent way, a balanced menu
and healthy, from Mediterranean diet, that everyone agrees, helping each other with some cunning », explains the doctor Carla Lertola, historical dietician of Healthyroyale.
The basic rules for the whole family
Whether you are on a diet or not, whether you prefer one food to another, Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate Rule applies to healthy family eating, created by the prestigious University of the same name. «For each meal, a quota of cereali (better whole and ancient grains of the paeseni), healthy proteins (fish, white meat and legumes), vegetables and fruit ”explains Carla Lertola.
«Nothing is forbidden but red meat, cured meats, eggs and sweets, in a week, must be "played" only once. We concentrate the playful moments, appetizer included in the weekend, without exaggerating but also without giving up a glass of wine or two pastries, with due distinctions for each member of the family ».
For the mother who has to lose weight fruit instead of sweets
La most delicate position of the family it is that of the hostess who has to do the shopping, cook for everyone and lose those 4-5 kilos. "Let's say straight away that the pantry and the kitchen remain the same for everyone," explains the dietician.
«For you, with beneficial effects for others too, we will work on small tricks. The first is the type of cooking: fried food is good once for partying (To vegetables, so we get the child used to knowing them in the greediest version), while I recommend exploring the vasocottura, comfortable and that maintains the flavors ".
It is essential to drink enough, also for the sense of satiety. "Adult women tend to do it less, thanks to the irreplaceable mask, which does not make the gesture of reaching out over the mineral bottle automatic as in normal conditions », explains Lertola. «The minimum daily dose is 6-8 glasses».
For breakfast, semi-skimmed milk (to contain fat) or a Greek yogurt, which is nice and creamy. "The only limitation is the Sunday desserts, allowed to all the others », explains the dietician. "You have to resist using fruit as you like: it is the least caloric "sweet" there is and is also good as a snack. Instead the pizza, once every 15 days, it fits: homemade with a dough without oil and vegetables ».
The sporty dad can become a motivator
Our dad is one who loves to move. For him, no restrictions on his portions and some food support for physical activity. "When he walks he should start to involve mom and daughter, which must burn more », Lertola recommends.
«Same involvement when it does freshly squeezed fruit juices or smoothies, however, aimed at the male, to entice him to consume the citrus fruits: dad cuts and the son squeezes or blends, and then we drink together. There banana it is the fruit of sportsmen: after exertion it will guarantee the necessary potassium.
Another moment as a family motivator: the aperitif for everyone. A glass of wine for adults and a centrifuged for children with the flavors they prefer and ... green light to toasted bread with tomato and mozzarella».
How to get your children to eat fruit and vegetables
It seems an impossible mission to make certain children eat fruit and vegetables, but the trick is there and ... you can't see it. "Because you have to partly disguise it»Suggests the dietician.
"In the meantime ask yourself if he does not touch these foods only at home while at school or with friends eating them, at least every now and then. I say this because this “no this no” is often a priori and even excludes tasting: too frequently the parents wave the white flag right away, in the face of these positions taken.
We must insist, but slyly. For example, always bringing a nice meal to the table fresh pinzimonio waiting for the spaghetti: it will be easier to make him reach out. And then harness the power of the tomato: there are few children who do not like red sauce. So why not blend other vegetables in it? They will mix with the main flavor and he will eat, without realizing it, even 4 together. The zucchini? Inside the omelette. Fruit of the season? Chunks in yogurt. Alternating it with the dry one, which is tastier and is good for you. Finally, to give him more variety in the choice of vegetables, ok with those too frozen».
This is how the war of sweets is won
The girl, now a teenager and in full growth, loves sweets. A nice cat to peel? “No, if you offer them the right alternatives and you reward it once a week, ”explains the expert.
«Sorbets instead of ice cream (two balls allowed on Sundays), fruit cakes made by mom limiting eggs, flour and sugars, strategic sprinkles of cocoa here and there (even on ricotta). In the end, once a week, two pastries fit, especially if the girl has started accompanying mum and dad on some walks ». Attention: the cow's milk always at breakfast, for her and her brother.
In the gallery below the indications for the father, for the children and the weekly frequency of food consumption for all
For the sporty dad
• Go ahead for a plate of pasta or bread for lunch or dinner
• After sport, fruit can be taken in the form of a juice or centrifuge. Well a banana with its potassium
• For breakfast, a glass of milk or yogurt, followed by a free choice of baked goods
• Vegetables should be eaten at every meal (two punches), alternating cooked and raw;
• As an alternative to fruit in general (3 servings a day), ok with walnuts and almonds.
For the child who does not eat vegetables
• Try vegetables by putting them in omelettes
• Most kids like tomato sauce. “Hide them” inside, specially blended, carrots, courgettes and peppers (4 vegetables in one dish!). Add oregano and any flavorings he likes best
• Focus on seasonal vegetables but also use frozen ones to offer them many alternatives
• Anything you can squeeze or spin will prefer it to "solid"
• Alternate the more delicious dried fruit with the fresh one
• Add chopped fruit (or blueberries) or nuts to your yogurt
• Always bring to the table a pinzimonio of fresh vegetables to leave in plain sight. Sooner or later he will taste them
For the teenage daughter
• Do you love sweets? Offer her alternatives to the classic ones. Any type of frozen fruit becomes a sugar-free sorbet
• Cow's milk or yogurt (for its growth) should not be missing for breakfast. Also applies to the brother
• Prepare an apple pie together where you will put a little flour, eggs and sugar (just to bind the fruit)
• As a snack, buns, pizzas or chips are prohibited. Better a banana sprinkled with cocoa and accompanied by two light dry biscuits
• The girls, thanks to the mask, drink little. Let's remember 6-8 glasses a day!
• A lemon peel with cinnamon and vanilla can be the light dessert on Sunday, but every now and then it's ok with two pastries or scoops of ice cream
Here is how many times (in principle) to consume food in 7 days. The meal plan for all family members should be divided into breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.
3 Meat: 2 times white and 1 red
3 Fresh or frozen fish, crustaceans and molluscs
1 Lean or degreasable cured meats
14 Pasta, bread, grain or ground cereals, potatoes
14 Vegetables at every meal
14 Fruit to snacks
7 Bakery products
7 Milk, yogurt, vegetable drinks


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Black Rose Wars expands its line with four types of familiars, Black Rose Wars Familiars, awaiting their new owners in the Lodge!
Every set of Familiars includes 3 different specimens with unique skills and statistics. If you decide to use one or more types of pets in your games you will have to replace one of the original rooms of the color corresponding to the lair of the type of Familiar selected.
Once the game has started, a Mage who will activate the power of a lair can choose from the 3 available specimens and add it to his Evocations (the Familiar will occupy one of the spaces designated for Evocation).
Familiars are limited and unique. As long as a Familiar has a Master, it cannot be chosen by any other Mage, so if a second Magister activates the same lair he can only choose between the two remaining specimens, and so on.
This expansion introduces Hydra Familiars: using this set you will be able to summon up to 3 hatchlings of Hydra (Tiamat, Lerna, Cocca), emerging from the depths of the Lodge to wreak havoc in the Rooms.
Each hatchling has generic abilities common to all Familiars, as well as unique ones linked to the mythological race to which it belongs: for example, these three-headed hatchlings have the ability to transfer Instability between the Rooms they pass through.
3 Hydra miniatures
3 Spell cards
3 Evocation cards
3 Action tokens
1 Room tile
1 Activation token
This expansion requires a copy of Black Rose Wars.
PLAYER COUNT: 2-6
RECOMMENDED AGES: 14+
PLAY TIME: 90 mins
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domain: game


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LAST UPDATED : Jul 17, 2017, 05:00 PM IST
Veteran musician Carlos Santana said he hopes to see a positive side of US President Donald Trump's personality.
MEXICO-VIOLENCE/JOURNALISTS (CORRECTED, UPDATE 2, PIX, TV):REFILE-UPDATE 2-Separate attacks kill renowned Mexican reporter, wound local magazine executive
Moving within one victory of their first World Series title since 1948, the Cleveland Indians have long-suffering Chicago Cubs supporters on the verge of more misery and another heart-breaking failure.
Copyright © 2017 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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- Total number of rooms - 14
- Free breakfast
- Fitness facilities
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free on-street parking
We are superbly located on the corner of Lake Road and The Heads just a few minutes' walk from Derwentwater and The Theatre By The Lake, and very close to the shops, restaurants and pubs of Keswick town centre.
Lakeside House has been completely restored, redecorated and refurnished, to offer luxurious, contemporary guest accommodation for visitors seeking a special bed and breakfast stay in Keswick.
The building has been completely remodelled and now offers fourteen spacious bedrooms, including twin and family rooms, all en-suite, and most bedrooms have spectacular views of the Lake District mountains.
Nearby Points of Interest
The preferred airport for LakeSide House - Guest house is Newcastle (NCL-Newcastle Intl.) - 103.7 km / 64.4 mi.
Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property's location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance.
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometre.
Nearest Major Airport:
Lake District: Home to England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, the Lake District is a National Park of astonishing beauty and a huge draw for nature lovers and hikers. The multitude of lakes and tarns give the park a stunningly unique landscape, which visitors can take in during a slow ramble or whilst enjoying one of the area's many recreational facilities. Coniston Boating Centre offers boat and bike hire.


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MD - Pediatrics, MBBS
Medical Registration Verified
Dr. Venkat Pusala is a Pediatrician in Chilakaluripet, Guntur and has an experience of 4 years in this field. Dr. Venkat Pusala practices at Renuka Childrens Hospital in Chilakaluripet, Guntur. He completed MD - Pediatrics from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences Andhra Pradesh in 2018 and MBBS from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences Andhra Pradesh in 2015. He is a member of Indian Association of Pediatrics. Some of the services provided by the doctor are: Development Assessment,New Born Care,Health Checkup (Pediatric),Viral Fever Treatment and Congenital Disorders Evaluation / Treatment etc.
Q: Where does Dr. Venkat Pusala practice?
A: Dr. Venkat Pusala practices at Renuka Childrens Hospital - Chilakaluripet.
Q: Why do patients visit Dr. Venkat Pusala?
A: Patients frequently visit Dr. Venkat Pusala for Development Assessment, New Born Care, Health Checkup (Pediatric). To see more reasons visit the doctor's profile on Practo.
Q: What is Dr. Venkat Pusala's education qualification?
A: Dr. Venkat Pusala has the following qualifications - MD - Pediatrics, MBBS.
Q: What does Dr. Venkat Pusala specialises in ?
A: Dr. Venkat Pusala specialises as Pediatrician.
Q: How many years of experience does Dr. Venkat Pusala have?
A: Dr. Venkat Pusala has an overall experience of 4 years. View where has Dr. Venkat Pusala practiced in the past.

domain: medical


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Respectfully Submitted by Lawrence E. Rafferty (rafflaw)- Weekend Contributor
We have seen and heard the claims from Donald Rumsfeld and others that the leaked Senate torture report is off base because the enhanced interrogation techniques were not only legal according to the Office of Legal Counsel, but they also produced results. Putting aside the idea that just because an allegedly illegal act is claimed to have been successful in producing actionable intelligence, does not make it any more legal or illegal, is there a reason why we should listen to the participants who authorized the waterboarding and other torture procedures when they claim that all is well?
Now it seems that Donald Rumsfeld has company. “In an uncompromising and wide-ranging interview with the Guardian, his first public remarks since he was linked to the program in 2007, James Mitchell was dismissive of a Senate intelligence committee report on CIA torture in which he features, and which is currently at the heart of an intense row between legislators and the agency.
The committee’s report found that the interrogation techniques devised by Mitchell, a retired air force psychologist, were far more brutal than disclosed at the time, and did not yield useful intelligence. These included waterboarding, stress positions, sleep deprivation for days at a time, confinement in a box and being slammed into walls.
But Mitchell, who was reported to have personally waterboarded accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, remains unrepentant. “The people on the ground did the best they could with the way they understood the law at the time,” he said. “You can’t ask someone to put their life on the line and think and make a decision without the benefit of hindsight and then eviscerate them in the press 10 years later.” ‘ Reader Supported News Continue Reading »
Posted in Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, International, Justice, Lawyering, Military, Politics, Supreme Court, Uncategorized | Tagged CIA, Donald Rumsfeld, Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, Jose Rodriguez, torture | 22 Comments »
Submitted by Charlton (Chuck) Stanley, Weekend Contributor
This piece could easily have been titled, Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis (below, left) discovers the Streisand Effect.
Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis
The same might be said of Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard. Sometime in February or early March, the Twitter account @Peoriamayor was created, with a picture and fake bio of Mayor Ardis. On or about March 10, the account was labeled a parody, clarifying that it was not really Jim Ardis’ account. That did not deter Ardis, who appears to be as thin-skinned as any politician we have seen recently. He recruited Police Chief Settingsgaard to track down whoever was behind the parody Twitter account.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Justice, Media | Tagged Jim Ardis, Peoria, Steve Settingsgaard | 70 Comments »
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Weekend Contributor
First, there was Citizens United. Now, we have the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the McCutcheon case. It does appear that our country’s campaign finance laws may have been “eviscerated”—as noted by Justice Breyer when he wrote that, taken together with Citizens United, McCutcheon “eviscerates our Nation’s campaign finance laws, leaving a remnant incapable of dealing with the grave problems of democratic legitimacy that those laws were intended to resolve.”
Corporations are people…money is speech. The more money one has to spend…the more “speech” one can afford to buy—especially where political campaigns are concerned.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Constitutional Law, Courts, Free Speech, Politics, Supreme Court, Uncategorized | Tagged Chief Justice Roberts, McCutcheon v. FEC | 65 Comments »
Happy Easter to all of our bloggers and readers that are celebrating today. Our little fluffy friend made it to the Turleys and left baskets overflowing with chocolates and candies. The poor overworked bunny forced to work a bit later by a questionnaire from Madie.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Society | 20 Comments »
Submitted by Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Restaurant chain Lunchbox Laboratory caused a bit of a stir when it presented its annual 4/20 sale offering a thirteen dollar Burger of the Gods in a “Buy one get one free” special. 4/20 is celebrated in the cannabis subculture as a national holiday of sorts and the numbers refer to California Senate Bill 420 which authorized medical marijuana in that state. Events during this day are celebrated in many areas of the United States.
For the year 2014, April 20th coincides with Easter. In a melding of the two holidays Lunchbox Laboratory sought a new way to generate business.
The restaurant e-Mailed the advertisement to 13,000 subscribers with the add featuring a burger toting, joint toking Jesus who laments: “When I Get Back, All I Want is the Burger of the Gods.”
Continue Reading »
Posted in Bizarre, Free Speech, Religion | Tagged 4/20, Christianity, Easter, Lunchbox Laboratory, Marijuana, religion, Seattle | 110 Comments »
By Mark Esposito, Weekend Contributor
Want that Sir Walter Raleigh look to entice the opposite (or even the same) sex and alleviate your morning shaving bump ritual? Well, you can avoid the shaving but your attractiveness to the object of your affections might depend more on the frequency of your biological competitor’s facial hair than your own or so says a new study out of Australia. Evolutionary biologist Zinnia Janif wanted to know if sexual attractiveness was enhanced by facial hair and if so to what degree. Her researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, showed photographs of 36 men who volunteered to grow facial hair for a month to 1453 women and 223 men. The photographs were filmed at identical angles and with exactly similar lighting conditions and depicted the subjects at four stages of growth: clean-shaven, light stubble (5 days), heavy stubble (10 days), and full hipster beard (4 weeks). The female viewers were either heterosexual or bisexual and the male viewers were all heterosexual.
Janif’s premise was that evolutionary biological traits might depend on the frequency of the trait among a given population to decide its advantage or disadvantage. Biologists have long known that some traits don’t depend on the frequency of their occurrence to provide an evolutionary advantage. Things like stronger wings or longer leg bones always provide an advantage for predators in chasing down prey but studies of color variations in guppies suggested that oddball colors were only an advantage to this aquatic prey if the frequency was small. Predators, it seems, get better at deciding what to eat if the differently colored guppies aren’t too numerous. So the advantage of the rare coloration begins to disappear as the trait becomes more common. Continue Reading »
Posted in Science, Society | 34 Comments »
There have been a long list of studies and articles on the problem of false testimony by police officers. Most officers that I have met or represented would not testify falsely. However, there is cultural pressure to hold “the thin blue line” to support other officers. That appears what is occurring in a recent scandal out of Chicago. In a Skokie courthouse, five officers (three from Chicago and two from Glenview) took the stand and lied about what occurred in a drug arrest. What is relatively rare is that the prosecutors appear to be seriously considering criminal charges.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Criminal law, Lawyering | 41 Comments »


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Crowe RCA Benchmarking Reports
In recent years, commercial payers’ lack of physician review of medical records has at times resulted in denied services. These instances have frustrated patients and hospitals alike when it comes to securing authorization for necessary clinical services. Such situations highlight the unclear practices that many commercial payers use for approving or denying services.
The Crowe Revenue Cycle Analytics (Crowe RCA) solution was invented by Derek Bang of Crowe Horwath LLP. The Crowe RCA solution is covered by U.S. Patent number 8,301,519.


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A taste of creativity, fun and the great outdoors for the whole family awaits at Sunflowerfest 2016, a three day music and arts festival at Tubby’s Farm.
As well as the fabulous line up of both local and international music acts, families can enjoy a full and exciting programme of family entertainment at this year’s festival at Tubby’s Farm, Hillsborough, which runs from August 5-7.
The theme this year is ‘Vikings’ so step back in time and capture young imaginations in the traditional Viking camp with all the ancient crafts, activities and battle re-enactments with Magnus Vikings.
In the dedicated KidsZone there will be a range of free family activities including art and craft workshops, circus skills, bubble trouble, willow sculptures and much more.
Families can enjoy the free interactive performances of Beauty and the Beast in the Enchanted Glade, watch some children’s films in the outdoor cinema; plant some wild seeds or enjoy the nature trails and foraging walks; indulge in some children’s yoga or laughter yoga and enjoy a family-friendly chill out space in the NI Year of Food & Drink tent where you can partake in some cooking demonstrations and tastings or try your hands at crepe making or rolling pizzas with The Big Lunch NI.
This year’s Sunflowerfest is certainly shaping up to be an unmissable family experience.
A spokesperson for the festival said: “Sunflowerfest prides itself on being a festival for everyone.
“Our festival offers the whole family an opportunity to escape for the weekend and enjoy an all-inclusive festival filled with the very best music, arts, crafts and entertainment that Northern Ireland has to offer and we look forward to supporting our new charity partner this year, RSPB Northern Ireland.”
RSPB NI’s Community Manager, Tim McCann, commented: “We are delighted to team up with Sunflowerfest this year to give festival goers an amazing experience and raise money to help nature in Northern Ireland at the same time.
“Surveys show that Tubby’s Farm is home to at least 25 different bird species so nature walks, foraging tours and a bit of beginners’ bird-spotting are just some of the activities visitors will be able to enjoy.”
As always, the music line up at this year’s Sunflowerfest covers all genres with a wide range of local and international acts confirmed for the festival’s six diverse stages.
Weekend tickets are currently priced from £59.50 per adult and each adult ticket admits two children aged 15 and younger free.
For further information or to purchase tickets visit www.sunflowerfest.co.uk


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Facing US$ 630m Fine, Pakistan’s Biggest Bank to Shut US Branch
Pakistan’s largest bank will shutter its only branch in the United States after regulators there announced they were seeking a US$ 630 million fine for failure to follow anti-money laundering measures, Reuters reported Monday.
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) said it was seeking the penalty against Pakistan’s Habib Bank Limited (HBL) for more than a decade of “grave” compliance breaches.
The DFS found that HBL held a US account with Saudi Arabia’s largest private lender, Al Rajhi, which has been cited by media reports and the US Senate as linked to the Islamist terrorist group Al Qaeda and extremist financing.
It further identified instances of so-called “wire stripping,” where the bank excised information on payers and beneficiaries. One case was found to involve a Chinese weapons manufacturer that was subject to US non-proliferation sanctions.
HBL, which is majority-owned by the Pakistani government, is also accused of keeping customers and entities sanctioned by the US Treasury Department, including a Pakistani militant group and an international arms dealer, on a “good guy” list of low risk customers.
The bank said in a statement that it plans to “vigorously” contest the proposed fine in US courts.
“Despite HBL’s sincere and extensive remediation measures over the last two years, DFS is still not appreciating or recognizing the significant progress that HBL has made,” the bank said.


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"A vigorous cottage industry has established itself among conservatives in order to rhapsodize over this character type. Bill Bennett, Charles Murray, and Harvey Mansfield are among the legion of conservative pseudo-intellectuals who have used this model to condemn the failings of contemporary society; inevitably, it is liberalism’s fault that the model is no longer emulated and we now live amid perpetually adolescent girly-men. There seems to be a greater conservative demand for this sort of analysis than can be supplied from domestic sources: a newly popular import is the Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, whose stern admonitions to man up are laced with the inevitable Bible verses and platitudes against political correctness. There must be an alarming amount of gender panic among these folks."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Suppose you wanted to pass down twelves rules for life to future generations. Write your list, and compare to Jordan Peterson's. I can almost guarantee that your rules will be similar, because they're basic golden rule, chicken soup for the soul things: tell the truth, treat yourself as well as you treat other people, pet cats. So why are people buying his rules and not yours? Long story short, they are written for certain groups who feel in need of guidance, especially white people perturbed by changing times, who want to change them back. It is not a book of professional, let alone medical advice. It pushes Peterson's conservative, Christian values (in all but name; it isn't just coincidence that the majority of his references to ancient literature come from the Bible.) In his world, belief is truth, the female principal is "chaotic", and women should accept that men are better at leadership -- because there are legends and books that say that, okay? And atheists aren't real, unless they're murderers (chapter four). The rules have fancy wrappings: psychology, biology, history, philosophy and so on that sound profound, though are often factually dubious. This is a writer who came to prominence by misrepresenting Bill C-16, after all. Okay if you want a book like that, but readers should know going in it's C.S. Lewis for 2018.
Awful simplicity covered up with ridiculous garble.
If you enjoy Peterson's lectures, then you'll enjoy this book. Like Peterson's talks, they're richly layered and packed with references to history, myth, religion, literature, and popular culture. Much of this advice is about taking responsibility for one's own life and, as the Gospels put it, taking the beam out of your own eye before complaining about the speck in anyone else's.
i read the book. I understood it. It is similar to his lectures, no surprise there. i would reread it in the future. It has a lot of information that there is no way to remember all of it. its such a book about both fiction and non fiction, i had to read the inside covers trying to find out what genre it is. turns out it classifies under 'philosophy'.
no slouch ++
a most famous work in 2018
I started this book because I was curious about Peterson. Over the course of the week that I read the book I became a bit Peterson obsessed. I watched hours and hours of his lectures, interviews and talks and I have to say that I like this guy. I don't agree with him in all matters - that's for sure, but he makes a lot of excellent points and he is a smart, articulate man who can back up whatever he says without effort. I admired that, even when he occasionally made me cringe. I found his views on education really worth thinking about. His indoctrination verses education argument. However, all this aside, his book was not an easy or enjoyable read. Sections of it were dense and wordy and his biblical references were way overdone. I'm glad I read it but could not easily recommend it. Overall the whole book amounted to a huge exercise in critical thinking and I value it for that reason alone.
Relatively straightforward and sensible "rules " to live by supported by somewhat rambling and convoluted (and somewhat tedious for me) combinations of anecdotes, scientific "evidence", biblical references and opinion. This was not an easy read (a bit odd given that one of the rules is to be precise in your speech), and I left feeling not that I had been informed or offered advice so much as lectured to and sort of hectored.
I've read lots of "shelf-help" and this is like most. Read the contents and the introductory sections and skim the rest. The religious references don't add anything, and put off some readers, myself included. Could have been one-third the pages, with nothing lost. If you've nothing else to do, go ahead and read it, but for those on the lengthy wait list, find some other material in the meantime.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday invited the public to suggest a new name for monkeypox after a group of scientists said the current name suggests the disease is an African problem.
"WHO is holding an open consultation for a new disease name for monkeypox," said WHO spokesperson Fadela Chaib at a UN press conference noting that a final date for the renaming has not been set.
"Anyone from the public, academia, or civil society is welcome to propose new names. There is a platform on the WHO website where people can suggest names," she said, explaining that governments can make suggestions.
The link for making such proposals is https://icd.who.int/dev11.
Chaib said: "It's very important that we find a new name for monkeypox because this is best practice so as not to create an offense to any ethnic group, a region, a country, an animal, etc."
Last week, global experts convened by the World Health Organization agreed on new names for monkeypox virus variants to align the terms of disease, virus, and variants -- or clades "with current best practices."
The experts agreed to name the clades or variants using Roman numerals.
The former Congo Basin (Central African) monkeypox clade will now be known as Clade I and the former West African clade as Clade II.
Additionally, it was agreed that Clade II consists of two subclades, the WHO said.
"The monkeypox virus was named upon first discovery in 1958 before current best practices in naming diseases and viruses were adopted," said the WHO.
"Major variants were identified by the geographic regions where they were known to circulate."
At his last media briefing on July 27, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus spoke about monkeypox.
"Although 98% of cases so far are among men who have sex with men, anyone exposed can get monkeypox, which is why WHO recommends that countries take action to reduce the risk of transmission to other vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, and those who are immunosuppressed," he said.
“In addition to transmission through sexual contact, monkeypox can be spread in households through close contact between people, such as hugging and kissing, and on contaminated towels or bedding," Tedros added.


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The invitation-only event will be facilitated by Dr. Larry Ross, emeritus professor and former Anne and Bill France Distinguished Professor of Business in the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. The focus of this year's event is the Uniform System of Financial Reporting for Clubs. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the strengths and weaknesses, as well as, suggest changes and additions for the upcoming revised version.
"HFTP is excited to host this executive-level event for club professionals," said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe. "Designed with intent to explore pressing industry issues, the HFTP Club Forum will serve as another great networking and educational opportunity for its club attendees."
Attendees will be able to earn up to eight hours of continuing education credits at the HFTP Club Forum - a link for the CPE reporting will be provided at the conference.
Online registration is open for the HFTP Florida Regional Conference, which precedes the HFTP Club Forum. HFTP is no longer accepting applications to register to attend the HFTP Club Forum. In addition, HFTP has several upcoming events. The HFTP Annual Convention is October 24-26, 2018 at the Omni Louisville Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky USA. HITEC Dubai will take place December 5-6 at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE. And HITEC Europe is April 10-11, 2019 at Palau de Congressos in Palma (Mallorca) Spain. HITEC Minneapolis is June 17-20, 2019 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA.
For additional information about HFTP Club Forum, contact Linnet Baskett, director of club engagement & regionals at HFTP. For more information about HFTP's international events, visit www.hftp.org and www.hitec.org or contact the HFTP Meetings & Special Events Department at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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