I was pleasantly surprised when I took my new BloqUV 24/7 long-sleeved shirt on a recent nine-day backpacking trip. BloqUV touts its clothing’s design for activities like boating, golf, tennis, and swimming, so I was doubtful of the shirt’s utility in the backcountry during cold weather. The shirt proved itself over the course of the trip and it is now my go-to base layer for hiking and jogging.
BloqUV markets their clothing for its sun protection. The 27/4 is made from a fabric that according to the company blocks 98 percent of the sun’s rays and offers the equivalent of SPF 50 protection. This protection is not provided by chemical additives, so its lasts the life of the shirt. While many of us associate cancer-causing ultra-violet radiation with the hot summer sun and water, winter activities can also lead to high levels of UV exposure. Snow reflects about 80 percent of UV radiation. The backs of the hands are a common location for melanoma and this shirt design includes elongated sleeves with thumb holes to cover the back of the hands.
It is great to have base layer that provides UV protection because in the winter I like to exercise with as few layers as possible. However, my real question wasn’t the top’s protective abilities but how well it would function in the backwoods.
Out of the box, I was a bit disappointed in the shirt. It had a slight chemical smell. The shirt is designed to be form-fitting and felt a little tight around my upper arms. The fabric itself felt a little strange, not necessarily uncomfortable, just unusual. I followed the garment’s instructions, machine washing the shirt in cold water and laying it out flat to dry. The next morning I was impressed to find it was no longer wet.
On my first day out backpacking, I wore the shirt over a polypropylene T-shirt. It was a cold, clear day and I found that the combination of the two layers was slightly more warmth than I needed while I was hiking. By the second day I had adjusted to the feel of the fabric and found it very comfortable. The shirt had stretched out a little bit from use, making the fit better. I tend to hike hot and found that the shirt was great for regulating temperature. If I was cold, I would wear the shirt with my thumbs through the holes.
As I warmed up, I’d push up the sleeves and the cold air across my forearms would cool my whole body. Even though I was frequently sweating, I was amazed at how dry the shirt stayed. If sweat marks were visible, they were always very light. I hiked for several days in the rain and drizzle, often without putting on my rain jacket, and the shirt always dried quickly. I also loved how the extended sleeve interfaced with my gloves. The fabric is thin enough that my gloves fit comfortably over the shirt and there was no exposed skin gap between fabrics.
When I layered up during breaks or wore my raincoat while hiking, the 24/7 continued to perform well.
The shirt did start to smell after several days of hiking, but any of my other shirts also would have. The 24/7 held up well during my nine-day trip, showing no significant wear or damage, even where the backpack and straps rubbed against it. The shirt also has a pocket for a media device on the left sleeve. I never used it on the hike, but found that my small cell phone fit securely inside.
Overall, I would highly recommend the shirt, even to someone who is not worried about sun exposure. I’ll be taking the shirt on adventures all year-long. In retrospect I would order one size up, but even with a tight-fitted shirt, I can still pull it over a T-shirt or tank top.
For more information about BloqUV and their line of clothing check out: http://www.bloquv.com


A report published by the Scottish Government this week has painted a bleak picture for Orkney as one of the areas worst hit by Brexit.
The Local Level Brexit Vulnerabilities in Scotland Report found that rural areas, especially those in Orkney have significant populations at risk from the fallout of leaving the EU – with or without a trade deal.
Check out the: Brexit Vulnerability Index Map
The analysis considers access to services, working age population, income deprivation, workers in Brexit-sensitive industries, EU worker migration and how many EU payments are received.
A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), also published this week, found the UK is already £60 billion worse off as a result of Brexit before we have even left the EU – with the UK economy 2.5-3% smaller than it otherwise would have been.
Commenting on the report, local MSP Maree Todd,SNP, said:
“We always knew that Brexit would be damaging to Scotland but this new analysis really hits home the devastating impact that Brexit will have here in The Highlands & Islands
“Families across Orkney will feel the impact of Brexit, with up to 34% of the local population most vulnerable to the potential economic shock.
“Scotland never voted for Brexit and certainly not for the reckless extreme version now pursued by the UK government. It’s essential that we stop Brexit and go back to the people.”
Orkney voted 62.3% Remain (7,189 votes) 36.8% Leave (4,193 votes)in the EU Referendum in 2016
Although the Scottish Parliament passed the Continuity Bill which would have prevented the worse effects of Brexit by allowing a ‘bridging’ time after leaving, this legislation was successfully challenged by the UK Government reasserting its control over the Scottish Parliament and was never enacted. Dark Day for Devolution
Here are the Key Findings of the Report from RESAS (Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services) 9th October 2019
• The risks presented by Brexit are anticipated to have significant social and economic consequences for all areas of Scotland.
• Many of the areas most vulnerable to Brexit are in rural locations, in particular on the Scottish islands. Around half of communities in Shetland Islands, Na hEileanan Siar, Argyle & Bute and Dumfries and Galloway are amongst the most vulnerable communities in Scotland (20% most vulnerable datazones).
• On Na h-Eileanan Siar there are nearly 14,000 people in the most vulnerable datazones in Scotland. Likewise, on the Shetland Islands there are more than 11,000 people in the most vulnerable datazones.
• A smaller proportion of areas within cities and large urban areas are found to be in the most vulnerable 20% of datazones in Scotland. However, because the urban population is substantially larger than the rural one, there are still high numbers of people in urban and suburban areas who live in such locations. For example, there are 186,000 people in Glasgow alone and nearly 170,000 people in Fife, North and South Lanarkshire and Edinburgh combined who are living within the most vulnerable datazones in Scotland.
The 34% of the population of Orkney who will be most adversely affected by the impact of leaving the EU, especially if it is a sudden No Deal departure, equates to 8,835 people.
For our fellow islanders in Shetland at 50% of the population that is 11,376 people and for Na h-Eileanan Siar at 53% of the population or 13,961 people.
Sectors in the islands which will be hardest hit by the UK leaving the EU will be fishing and agriculture. Across the whole of Scotland there will be different levels of impact as organisations such as the University/Research Sectors and NHS Scotland which relies on medical staff from EU nations, will also be affected.
Reporter: Fiona Grahame


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In 1977, my obsessions were a pastiche of art, punk rock, conservationism, Yippie politicsand Roxy Music. When I was an art student I was arrested along with 1413 people. We occupied the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant and were arrested en masse.
I refused to post one hundred dollars bail and remained locked up in the Dover NH Armory for 14 days until they released those of us remaining and threw the case out of court. That’s me in the photograph in the white tee shirtthe space between NO and Nukes.
I am still committed to environmental ecology and see The Kula Art Project as a meditation on what we keep and what we throw away. I am excited about the development of a new art form based upon the ideas contained in the book: The Thing Itself by Richard Todd, and Proust’s Overcoat by Lorenza Foschini. Of course my biggest influence for this project is John Updike for his visual acuity and appreciation of the inherent power of ordinary objects and everyday life.
The artist brings something into the world that didnt exist before, and he does it without destroying something else. -John Updike

domain: artistic


As the chief of staff for new Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, Dean Rice regularly deals with people and issues making news headlines.
With his hobby of photography, however, he enjoys focusing on people and places out of the spotlight.
"It gives me a chance to get out and collect my thoughts," said Rice, 41. "And I like going places where things are different around me than where I live and trying to capture the daily lives of the people."
Whether with the people in lands faraway or scenic areas nearby, Rice has apparently become as skilled at seizing a moment behind his camera as a chief of staff needs to be behind closed doors.
Arts & Culture Alliance Executive Director Liza Zenni recently noticed Rice's pictures on his Facebook page and invited him to show some of them at an upcoming exhibit at the Emporium Center balcony on South Gay Street.
The exhibit, titled "Another Way of Life: Photographs by Dean Rice" and featuring pictures taken during a recent trip to China, will open with a reception 5-9 p.m. Friday as part of downtown Knoxville's First Friday activities.
Running until Feb. 25, the show - the first for Rice - features photographs of the ethnic Miao and Dong people in the remote Guizhou and Guangxi provinces of Southern China, just north of Vietnam.
Rice traveled there this past Thanksgiving and said the rolling hills and mountainous area were not that much different from Tennessee geographically.
"Driving around, you kept expecting to go around the curve and see a log cabin," he said with a laugh.
Culturally and socially, however, he said, the people are much different - at least from the modern people of Appalachia. "You can look at them and look back at photos of Appalachia 100 years ago and see similarities," he said. "They are isolated areas rich in music and arts and crafts."
Rice - who has worked for former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, U.S. Rep. John J. "Jimmy" Duncan Jr. and the presidential election campaign of former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole - has traveled extensively over the years to places including Poland, Western Europe, Indonesia, Thailand, the Caribbean and East Germany.
Some trips have been related to his former government jobs, while others were simply pleasure or goodwill trips.
When he was in East Germany in the 1980s before communism fell, he had the film in his camera seized. But most of the time people do not mind having their pictures taken, he said.
Rice, who graduated from Christian Academy of Knoxville, became interested in taking pictures while a student at the University of Tennessee, even though he had first experienced being a cultural photographer during a high school trip to Haiti. Since then, he has steadily developed his skills.
"I certainly don't have any great talent," he said. "I enjoy taking pictures. I love going back and seeing how I captured somebody's eyes, for example."
He uses a Nikon D300S - plus all the lenses that go with it - and says light is the most important aspect of a picture.
Besides taking pictures on international trips, he finds beauty and other eye-catching scenes nearby. He enjoys going to places like Middleprong Creek or Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to take pictures, or even finding an interesting or pretty scene off a main road in Knoxville during a changing season.
Rice, who usually finds about one weekend day a month to take pictures when not traveling, also has started taking something else along besides his camera equipment - his and wife Laura's 8-year-old twin daughters, Sarah and Rachel, who are budding photographers.
"I love watching them look for the right shot," he said. "It's neat to watch them begin to have an enjoyment as well."
Rice added that he never takes his camera to work to capture someone like Mayor Burchett in a contemplative, decision-making moment, as a White House official photographer might.
After all, that might be mixing work and pleasure. And for him, photography is simply an escape from the daily stress of a professional job.
"I love the chance to get out," he said. "It allows me to try to capture a moment."
John Shearer is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.


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Updated: 12/30/2013 10:37 PM
Created: 12/30/2013 3:00 PM WDIO.com
A judge has set bail at $1 million for a man accused of killing his parents in Iron River.
Jim Crain, 44, made his first court appearance via video link Monday afternoon. Crain is accused of killing his father and mother, 79-year-old Jim Crain and 76-year-old Eunice Crain, in an attack in the couple's Iron River apartment on Dec. 7.
Prosecutors argued he is a flight risk because he has no other family members in the area, has no job and has a prior conviction for bail jumping.
"First of all, Mr. Crain was living with his parents who are obviously now deceased," Prosecuting Attorney Roy Korte said. "He has no other family members in the area. He has no other real ties to the community that I'm aware of."
The defense did not object to the bond amount.
"Mr. Crain is with little to no means," Defense Attorney Aaron Marcoux said. "To be honest, even if we set this bail at $1,000, Mr. Crain would not be able to meet it. These are severe allegations so we understand the significant cash is appropriate in this instance."
The judge, court personnel, and members of the media were the only people physically present in the courtroom for Monday's hearing. Crain and his attorney appeared via video link from the jail while the prosecutor appeared via phone.
The prosecuting attorney is from the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office. The Bayfield District Attorney said he had a conflict of interest because he represented the suspect back in 2007 in a criminal case involving the suspect's father.
Crain's next court appearance was set for January 14.
Duluth Council OKs $230K Loan for Seaway Hotel Purchase
A Duluth City Council decision made Monday night could open the door to revitalization in the Lincoln Park Business District. They voted 8-1 to approve a loan allowing the Housing and Redevelopment Authority to buy the Seaway Hotel. The $230,000 loan is from the Duluth Economic Development Authority. Once the HRA buys the building, hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state will be used to make repairs, resulting in about 70 rehabilitated low-income units.
Ice Breaking Begins for US Coast Guard Cutter Alder
Northlanders could feel the thaw on Monday, but Lake Superior was still locked beneath feet of ice in the Twin Ports.The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Alder started breaking a path with the start of the shipping season just weeks away.
Superior Woman Sentenced for Helping Throw Molotovs into Ex-Husband's Home
A Superior woman has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for helping set her ex-husbands house on fire. Amy Pionk was charged last April with being party to the crime of arson after helping her boyfriend send Molotov cocktails into her ex-husband's basement.
Warm Weather Brings Out Anglers, Mopeds and Shorts
If you listened closely, you could hear spring coming Monday. Kids were on the playground and cars splashed through puddles. It was a welcome change to cure the winter blues.
Despite Warm Weather, Roof Woes Continue
The Northland saw its warmest day in four months Monday, making for many happy people. A few days of warm temperatures, however, doesn't take the worry away from homeowners who are still dealing with loads of snow on their roofs, and now running water.

domain: news


text:
Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
Today my pick is Here There Are Monsters by Amelinda Bérubé, out August 1 from Sourcebooks Fire:
The Blair Witch Project meets Imaginary Girls in this story of codependent sisterhood, the struggle to claim one’s own space, and the power of secrets
Sixteen-year-old Skye is done playing the knight in shining armor for her insufferable younger sister, Deirdre. Moving across the country seems like the perfect chance to start over.
In their isolated new neighborhood, Skye manages to fit in, but Deirdre withdraws from everyone, becoming fixated on the swampy woods behind their house and building monstrous sculptures out of sticks and bones.
Then Deirdre disappears.
And when something awful comes scratching at Skye’s window in the middle of the night, claiming she’s the only one who can save Deirdre, Skye knows she will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.
This sounds so good and creepy! I have an e-ARC of this one and I’m definitely excited to read it soon!
What are you waiting on this week?

domain: literature


text:
Jun 19, 2018
How do I get the loan risk amount refunded after repaying my loan fully?
Why is it that nowadays it takes long for loan repayments to reflect on the app?
Noord Brabant, Netherlands
Jun 21, 2018
If you need a refund of credit risk payment/refund then you need to create a support ticket using the help menu (www.zidisha.org/borrower/help). More info about this subject can be found here. www.zidisha.org/faq#faq-65
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domain: finance


text:
Tax Resolution In Cambridge, MA
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With over 40 years of experience in the Tax Resolution field, DeFranceschi & Klemm, P.C. knows what it takes to be successful. We work with our clients in Cambridge to come up with a service that is right for them.
Tax Resolution services from DeFranceschi & Klemm, P.C. are guaranteed to get the job done. We have spent over 40 years perfecting the way we do these Tax Resolution services, and our Cambridge clients will see that when they work with us.
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text:
Book of Hours were prayer books designed for the laity, but modeled on the Divine Office, a cycle of daily devotions, prayers and readings, performed by members of religious orders and the clergy. Its central text is the Hours of the Virgin. There are eight hours (times for prayer ): Matins, Lauds. Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline. During the Middle Ages, the leaves making up a Book of Hours were written by hand on expensive parchment and beautifully illuminated with jewel-like pigments and gold leaf. These illuminated manuscripts combined the collaborative efforts of an array of highly skilled craftspeople; requiring the joint labors of the parchmenter, professional scribes to write the text in Gothic script, artists to illuminate the pages with decorations, and masterful binders to complete the process.
This buttery vellum leaf is from a small book of hours with text written in brown ink and illuminated initials in red, blue and burnished gold. Two of the initials on verso have additional pen work in the margins. The text is from Psalm 41, and beginning with the first illuminated initial on recto, translates in part as:
My tears have been any bread day and night, whilst it is said to me daily: Where is thy God?
These things I remembered, and poured out my soul in me: for I shall go over into the place of the wonderful tabernacle, even to the house of God: With the voice of joy and praise; the noise of one feasting.
Why art thou sad, O my soul? and why dost thou trouble me? Hope in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance,
and my God. My soul is troubled within myself: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan and Hermoniim, from the little hill.

domain: library


text:
Acidification processes in soils, freshwaters, and oceans are natural processes in geological time frames. However, anthropogenic activities on planet Earth have considerably accelerated acidification by enhancing natural processes as well as by changing dynamics, balances, and pathways.
Acidifying substances can have ecosystem external natural sources such as volcanism, dimethyl sulfide (C2H6S) emissions from oceans, or, to a minor extent, sulfide emissions from freshwater wetlands. However, most important are anthropogenic emission sources, mainly fossil fuel combustion processes (e.g., public power plants, industry, and traffic) and agriculture. Emissions of SO2 and NOx to the atmosphere increase the natural acidity of rainwater due to the formation of H2SO4 and HNO3, both being strong acids. Furthermore,
NH 3 emissions mainly from agricultural activity (volatilization from fertilizers and animal liquid manure) trigger acidification processes in soils. After deposition to ecosystems the conversion of NH^ to either amino acids or to NO^ in soils is connected to the production of acidifying H+ ions.
Since the end of the nineteenth century, industrialized regions of the world have been confronted with the consequences of acidic atmospheric deposition, 'acid rain'. There was, and still is, substantial concern about the environmental impacts of air pollution at the local, regional, and global scale. 'Acid rain' has threatened vegetation, wildlife, soil biology, and human health, caused damage to materials, and changed the chemistry of soils and waters.
Anthropogenic land-use changes and use of fossil fuels have further led to dramatically increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations worldwide. CO2 is absorbed by oceans and reacts with seawater to form H2CO3. Acidification of oceans has adverse effects on marine organisms using CaCO3 in seawater to construct their shells and skeletons (e.g., corals and calcareous phytoplankton).
Acidifying compounds can be carried by winds over long distances and affect ecosystems in pristine areas located hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from pollutant sources. Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems affected by acidification are usually located in regions where precipitation inputs exceed evapotranspiration, that is, where water percolates through the soil and bedrock.
Acidification is the result of a sensitive (un-)balance between ecosystem internal and external H+ sources and internal H+ sinks of different capacities and reaction rates. Acidification processes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems can have natural and/or anthropogenic causes; natural internal or external activities can drive these processes in the ecosystem. These processes and their consequences are discussed in this article.
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Your Alternative Fuel Solution for Saving Money, Reducing Oil Dependency, and Helping the Planet. Ethanol is an alternative to gasoline. The use of ethanol has been demonstrated to reduce greenhouse emissions slightly as compared to gasoline. Through this ebook, you are going to learn what you will need to know why choosing an alternative fuel may benefit you and your future.

domain: chemistry


The Cabarrus Arts Council will hold its second free Family Day on Saturday, February 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The event will feature fun and creative activities in both The Galleries and the Davis Theatre. It also is an opportunity for anyone interested to see The Galleries’ Convergence exhibition on a Saturday.
In The Galleries, children may see Convergence, which features art made of found objects by 12 artists. They will be able to try exhibition-related activities, including the “I Spy” artwork scavenger hunt and “Think About It” guided questionnaire. Three “Creation Stations” will give them the opportunity to make their own recycled artworks. Activities in The Galleries will be available throughout the event, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
In the Davis Theatre, dancer and educator Edie Barnhardt will lead movement activities on the stage, 11 a.m.- noon. The Old Courthouse Theatre’s CabCo Pretenders will present an interactive children’s performance at 1 p.m.
Thanks to Trashed Studio for helping with Family Day.
Family Day is designed for preschool through elementary age. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, call 704-920-2787.
Americana band Mountain Heart, known for revolutionizing the way acoustic music can be played, will perform at the Davis Theatre on Friday, Feb. 19.
The show will be at 8 p.m. in the theatre located in the Historic Cabarrus Courthouse at 65 Union St. S, Concord. Tickets are $36 and may be purchased online 24 hours a day aand Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the box office in person or via telephone, 704-920-2753.
Mountain Heart combines elements of rock, jam band, country, blues, jazz, folk and bluegrass into a high-energy sound that has earned it more than 130 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry stage and a boatload of awards and nominations. The band has won multiple International Bluegrass Music Association awards and it or individual members have been nominated for the Grammy, Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association awards. They have shared the stage with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Brad Paisley, Alison Kraus, Tony Rice, The Avett Brothers, The Punch Brothers, Levon Helm and John Fogarty.
The band is made up of five all-star musicians: Josh Shilling, Aaron Ramsey, Seth Taylor, Jeff Partin and Molly Cherryholmes.
Shilling is a versatile singer-songwriter who plays piano and guitar and contributes robust vocals to Mountain Heart. He embraces many musical genres and has toured with The Avett Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Traveling McCourys, The Embers and Tower of Power. He graduated from high school a year early so he could begin touring.
Ramsey started playing mandolin at 12 and by the time he was 13 he was touring with his dad’s gospel band, Damascus Road. When he was 17, he won the mandolin competition at MerleFest. As a member of The Lites, he contributed his mandolin playing to the 2006 IBMA Album of the Year. He tours with Tony Rice, as time allows.
Taylor started playing guitar when he was 3 and learned banjo and other stringed instruments by the time he was 8. Competitions were a big part of his life; he won 14 in just five years, including the 2008 MerleFest guitar competition. He began playing in local bluegrass bands when he was 12 and touring with bluegrass/gospel band Pine Mountain Railroad when he was 15. He was a founding member of the acoustic band Monroeville.
Mountain Heart’s mandolin player, Partin, began singing with his family’s gospel group when he was 2 and has toured with them ever since. He began playing bass at age 3, mandolin at 8 and dobro at 10. He was 12 the first time he appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. He also is a member of the bluegrass group, Volume 5.
Cherryholmes was a five-time Grammy nominee as fiddler with her family’s bluegrass band, Cherryholmes. The youngest member of the family and group, she took the stage at age 7, just four months after beginning fiddle lessons with her mother. As a member of Cherryholmes, she traveled more than a million miles, playing venues ranging from Lincoln Center to the Grand Ole Opry to the Bonnaroo festival.
Convergence, an exhibition featuring artworks that demonstrate where found materials meet fine art, will be on display at The Galleries through March 12.
The exhibition will include works by 12 artists: Pinky/MM Bass, Doug Baulos, Marygrace Bianco, Carolyn DeMeritt, Edelweiss De Guzman, Bryant Holsenbeck, Flavia Lovatelli, Olena Nebuchadnezzar, Chuck Waldroup, Joe Waldrop, Naomi White and Aggie Zed.
Internationally known blues artist Eric Bibb will play at the Davis Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 16.
The performance will be at 8 p.m. in the theatre located in the Historic Cabarrus Courthouse at 65 Union St. S, Concord. Tickets are $34 and may be purchased online 24 hours a day and Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the box office in person or via telephone, 704-920-2753. Hint: if you have a blues fan in your life, tickets to this show would make a really good gift!
A career spanning five decades, 36 albums, countless radio and television appearances and nonstop touring have made Bibb one of the leading bluesmen of his generation. He is a fiery singer with soul, gospel and folk roots, and his blues are honest and powerful. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award and for nine Blues Music Awards.
Born in New York City, Bibb is the son of Leon Bibb, a senior figure on the New York folk scene of the 1960s. His godfather was actor/singer and activist Paul Robeson and his uncle was the composer and jazz pianist John Lewis, founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet. His parents’ house was a center of artistic life where he was profoundly affected by the opportunity to meet people like Rev. Gary Davis, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins and Odetta.
At 19 he left the United States for Paris where he met American guitarist Mickey Baker and began focusing on blues guitar. A few years later he moved to Sweden and settled in Stockholm, where he found a creative environment that, oddly enough, reminded him of his teenage days in Greenwich Village. He made a handful of albums, starting in 1972, and began meeting and playing with local musicians, as well as other American expatriates. His breakthrough album, Spirt and the Blues, was released in 1994 and led to that modern wandering songster/troubadour embarking on tours of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, Sweden and Germany.
Bibb has played with on stage and recorded with a who’s who of music, including his idol Taj Mahal and Pops and Mavis Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, Guy Davis, Hubert Sumlin, Rory Block, Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, Mamadou Diabate, Toumani Diabate, Djelimady Tounkara, Amar Sundy, Glen Scott, Staffan Astner, Chuck and Darick Campbell, Dirk Powell, Solo Cissokho, Cedric Watson, Larry Crockett, Andre De Lange, Jerry Douglas and Habib Koite.
This is a rare opportunity to see a performer that Elwood Blues (a.k.a. Dan Aykroyd) called “what the blues in the new century should be about.” For more information and to see video of him playing, visit his website.
Bluegrass icon Claire Lynch is bringing her band to the Davis Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 5, for what promises to be an incredible holiday show.
The show will be at 8 p.m. Tickets are $36 and may be purchased 24 hours a day online, by calling 704-920-2753 or visiting the box office, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. All seats are reserved.
The Davis Theatre show will draw heavily on the band’s newest release, a seasonal project called Holiday! It includes familiar favorites, such as “We Three Kings” and “White Christmas”; a couple originals, Lynch and Steven Sheehan’s “Heaven’s Light” and Henry Hipkins’ “Snow Day”; and a rendition of “In the Window,” a traditional Chanukah song.
Long recognized and praised as a creative force in acoustic music, Lynch is a pioneer who continually pushes the boundaries of the bluegrass genre. She was the 2013, 2010 and 1997 Female Vocalist of the Year for the International Bluegrass Music Association and has twice been nominated for a Grammy. She won two IBMA awards in 2014, “Song of the Year” for the title track on her CD, “Dear Sister,” and “Recorded Event of the Year” for vocals on a tribute to John Denver.
Blazing her own trail in the mid 70’s when there were few role models for a young woman in the genre, Claire Lynch made history when she led the Front Porch String Band. She formed her own Claire Lynch Band in 2005 and has since consistently been a top pick of prestigious publications, critics and audiences across the United States and beyond.
In 2014, Digital Journal.com listed Claire as “One of the 10 Best Angelic Voices of Our Time.” She shared that honor with such luminaries as Judy Collins, Alison Krauss, Sarah McLachlan, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.
With like-minded musicians blending tradition and innovation, the Claire Lynch Band has the innate ability to perfectly interpret the beauty, subtlety and genre-defying sophistication of Lynch’s music. They are Mark Schatz, two-time IBMA-winning bassist-clawhammer banjo player-dancer-percussionist; Jarrod Walker, soulful mandolinist-guitarist; and Bryan McDowell, a young string wizard who at 18, earned an unprecedented triple win at the Winfield, Kansas National Flatpicking Championship.
Read more and listen to her at ClaireLynch.com.
There are great opportunities this week to start off the holiday season at the Cabarrus Arts Council! There’s an Ugly Sweater Party and contest, a screening of the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and the biggest Art Walk of the year, which is held in conjunction with the City of Concord’s tree lighting festivities.
The festivities will begin Thursday, Nov. 19. Art on Tap, the arts council’s membership group for young adults, invites you to dig out your most festive and tackiest holiday garb and come to the Ugly Sweater Party at 6 p.m. in The Galleries. There will be eggnog, Christmas cookies to decorate, the sweater contest with prizes and the opportunity to quote Clark Griswold all night. Speaking of Clark, a screening of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation will follow at 8 p.m. in the Davis Theatre.
The party is free to Art on Tap members and $20 for nonmembers. Year-long memberships in the group are $40 per person or $75 for a couple.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was chosen by Art on Tap members to be part of the arts council’s Flicks at the Davis series. The classic 1989 comedy is about the Griswold family’s plans for a big family Christmas that predictably turn into a disaster. The film stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall and Randy Quaid and is rated PG. Admission to the movie is $5 at the door.
The next night, Friday, Nov. 20, Art Walk will bring visual art displays and entertainment all over downtown Concord. A highlight will be the opening reception for Clay at The Galleries, 65 Union St. S. A celebration of North Carolina pottery, Clay includes more than 600 pieces by 20 North Carolina potters – something for everyone on your list! Art Walk is free.
The City of Concord will also sponsor its annual tree lighting festivities beginning at 6 p.m. and culminating at 8 p.m. with fireworks. Included are children’s activities, performances, trolley and carriage rides and the opportunity to meet Santa.
The arts council also has several other holiday events planned. Come to The Galleries on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 3-5 p.m., and enjoy After-School Cookies with Santa. The event is free, and guests should bring their cameras.
The Davis Theatre will host the Claire Lynch Band Holiday Show on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. Long recognized and praised as a creative force in acoustic music, Lynch is a pioneer who continually pushes the boundaries of the bluegrass genre. She was the 2013, 2010 and 1997 Female Vocalist of the Year for the International Bluegrass Music Association and has twice been nominated for a Grammy. Tickets are $36 and available at online and at the box office, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in person or via telephone, 704-920-2753.
There also will be a holiday theme in The Listening Room on Thursday, Dec. 10, 7:30-9 p.m. The Davis Theatre’s version of an open mic night, the show features a wide variety of entertainment, and tickets are just $5 at the door.
Not only has Shana Tucker given her unique genre its own name, “ChamberSoul,” but she has even trademarked it!
A singer, songwriter and cellist, she credits the development of ChamberSoul to her jazz and classical roots blended with 1980s and 1990s pop music, movie sound tracks and world music.
Tucker will be joined by three other musicians for an evening of ChamberSoul, cello and songs Saturday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. at the Davis Theatre, 65 Union St. S, Concord. Tickets are $34 and may be purchased 24 hours a day online.
Tucker’s style and sound as been described as a mash-up of Dianne Reeves, Joni Mitchell, and Tracy Chapman, with an efficient complexity that is reminiscent of Bill Withers.
“I’m intrinsically drawn to “real” instruments, with resonance, tone and depth that can sound without amplification,” she said. “Whenever and however possible, I always try to set a tone of acoustic intimacy with my colleagues on stage, and also with the audience, so that the music, performers and audience feel close and tangible, no matter the size the venue.”
A native of Long Island, NY, Tucker began piano lessons with her great-grandmother, discovered the violin in fourth grade and switched to cello in junior high. Her cello talents earned her a scholarship to Howard University where she was introduced to jazz. While at Howard, Shana initiated her improvisation chops and honed her songwriting skills as a member of HUE, a singing piano trio that received critical acclaim within the DC music scene in the mid-1990’s, and later on, in New York City, where she completed her cello studies at CUNY-Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music before moving to North Carolina to raise her son.
She established a network of musicians and fans and a name for herself in the Triangle area of North Carolina. With the help of her dedicated fan base, she successfully launched a crowd-funded campaign to finance the independent recording and release of her debut CD, SHiNE, in 2011. Due to its broad appeal and genre-defying nature, SHiNE was picked up in 2015 by Boston-based jazz label and distribution team, The Jazz Urbane Recordings / SUGO Music Group to be remastered and reissued as one of their premiere projects.
An interview on NPR after the release of SHiNE caught the ear of a Cirque du Soleil talent recruiter, who invited her to Las Vegas to join the world-class theatrical production company as cellist and mezzo-soprano for KÀ, their unprecedented, gravity-defying production at the MGM Grand Hotel.
She divides her time among her role in KÀ, mainstage performances like that at the Davis and opening for internationally acclaimed artists including Norah Jones, Sweet Honey in the Rock, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Indigo Girls. Click to read more about her and listen to her music.
Eight local stars will be Dancing For the Arts on Saturday, Nov. 14!
The event, which is sponsored by Positively Ballroom, is modeled loosely on the Dancing with the Stars television program. It is both a spectacular arts event and a fundraiser for the Cabarrus Arts Council. Local celebrities paired with professional dancers have been honing their skills and will perform in the Davis Theatre. The star who gets the most votes wins the grand prize which will be awarded at the Nov. 14 soirée. You do not have to attend the event or wait until Nov. 14 to support the Cabarrus Arts Council by voting for your favorite star. Voting is under way now!
To vote for your favorite(s) and support the arts council, click, call 704-920-2787 or come to the offices at 65 Union St. S, Concord. You can see some of the dancers in action on the website or the Cabarrus Arts Council Facebook page. One dollar equals one vote. Voting will continue until all the dancers have performed on the Davis Theatre stage.
The Dancing for the Arts Soirée will be filled with fun and entertainment. Here’s the schedule:
- 6 p.m., nosh and sip beneath the chandeliers in an elegant, heated tent
- 8 p.m., stars strut their stuff on the Davis stage culminating with the announcement of the grand prize
- 10 p.m., the party continues with Dancing Under the Stars for everyone, both stars and event guests
Tickets for the black tie optional event are $150 for the first three center rows and $100 for all other seats. Purchase tickets online, via telephone at 704-920-2753 or in person at the arts council offices, 65 Union St. S, Concord.
Our stars are:
- Donna Carpenter – Donna has been president and CEO of the Cabarrus County CVB since 2009. She has served on many local and state boards, including NC Travel and Tourism, the UNCC Advisory Board and the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce. She danced for Dixon Dance Studio from ages 5 to 12 and leads the Friday morning dance parties at the CVB. She can do a “herkie” cheerleading jump and sometimes makes appearances as RevPar, the CVB mascot and her alter ego. She is dancing with Ryan Knight.
- McKenzie Faggart – McKenzie is a former Miss Cabarrus County and current Miss Queen City who was first runner up in the 2014 Miss North Carolina pageant. Her pageant platform is anti-bullying and her talent is dance. She is a rising junior at UNC Charlotte where she is on the dance team. Her secret dream is to be Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.
- George C.D. Griffith – George is co-founder and chief strategy officer of ConneXion360, Supernova Health and M2 Communications. He has been dancing pretty much all his life! His mother founded Griffith School of Dance in Kannapolis, now Dance Dreams, before he was born. He started dancing in fourth grade to regain leg strength and balance after being hit by a car and spending four months in the hospital and five months in a body cast. He likes to embarrass his children by singing and dancing in front of their friends. He is dancing with Wendy Irvin.
- Sarah Dayvault Morrison – Sarah is co-owner of MB Property Management and realtor with the Love/Morrison Team at Re/Max Leading Edge. She also is a board member for the NorthEast Foundation and a member of the Historic Concord Preservation Trust. She loves to dance … in the front row to any live band, while watching Dancing with the Stars on TV, to the accompaniment of her own singing and to any dance her 6-year-old teaches her. She is dancing with Ryan Knight.
- Scott Padgett – Scott was principal of Beverly Hills Elementary School and is the longest sitting mayor of Concord, in office since 2001. He has served on all sorts of boards, including the Cabarrus Boys and Girls Club and Concord Rotary Club, and been honored with the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine and the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award. He likes to WATCH people dance – now you get to see him! He is dancing with Holly Cagle.
- Richard Humphrey (aka Dick) Snyder – Dick, retired headmaster of Cannon School, is on the United Way and Red Cross Boards of Directors. Dick claims to have taken remedial Arthur Murray dance and admits that he dipped and then dropped Dianne during their wedding reception dance, which isn’t going to happen to his Positively Ballroom partner, who is Mary Knight.
- Phyllis A. Wingate – Phyllis is division president of Carolinas HealthCare System NorthEast and owner of Irongate Antiques and Art Company. She serves on several boards of directors including the Cabarrus Health Alliance, Cabarrus Economic Development Corporation and North Carolina Hospital Association. She did a little jazz dancing in college and is ready to take it to the next level with Dancing for the Arts! Her partner is Jason Stein.
- Diane Young – Diane is executive director of Concord Downtown Development Corporation. As a licensed general contractor, she has renovated commercial buildings in several cities. She is married to Michael, and they have two young adult children, Lewis and Emalee. Diane and Michael love their weekend road trips visiting wineries in our region, exploring other downtowns and driving the backroads to discover new communities. She danced in elementary, middle and high school and even performed with the Charlotte City Ballet. More recently, she’s been honing her skills doing contra-dancing. Her dance partner will be Ryan Knight.
Local favorite Jeff Whittington will be bringing his bluegrass band back to the Davis Theatre three times during the 2015-16 season!
The first show will be on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the theatre located at 65 Union St. S, Concord, in the Historic Cabarrus County Courthouse. Tickets are $16 and are available online and Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the box office in person or via telephone, 704-920-2753. All seats are reserved.
The Jeff Whittington Bluegrass Show is an evening of traditional bluegrass featuring a quintet of outstanding musicians: Whittington, Pete Corum, John Culbreath, Mike Wood and Jason Wood.
Whittington performed on the Grand Ole Opry stage and was a staff musician with the Arthur Smith Show. He has been featured on commercials and movie soundtracks. A former North Carolina Banjo Champion, he plays banjo, pedal steel, Dobro, and guitar with the Brand New Opry.
Culbreath has performed with such bluegrass greats as Vassar Clements and Mac Wiseman, as well as being a former SC State Banjo Champion. He plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and banjo.
Corum toured with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt’s Nashville Grass, playing at the Grand Ole Opry, on television and all over the United States and Canada, and appeared Off Broadway and in the movie Cotton Patch Gospel. He plays bass and sings.
Mike Wood began his career at the age of 14 as guitar player for his father and renowned banjoist, Al Wood and the Smokey Mountain Boys. His first major show was Bill Monroe’s world famous bluegrass festival in Bean Blossom, Indiana. In the 1980s, he joined with mandolinist Herschel Sizemore to form the Country Grass. He also sings bluegrass-gospel with his wife and family band, The Wood Family Tradition.
Jason Wood, Mike Wood’s son, began playing guitar when he was 7, began playing bass with his grandfather’s band when he was 13 and took up his main instrument, the left-handed mandolin, at 17. He toured with Constant Change and recorded “The Song of the Mountain” with bluegrass legend Curly Seckler. He also has played with Audie Blaylock and Redline and The Band.
On performance night, the doors to the Historic Cabarrus Courthouse will open at 6:30 p.m. to give patrons the opportunity to see the Clay exhibition and sale of North Carolina pottery and buy concessions. The Davis Theatre will open at 7 p.m.
Tickets also are on sale for the other Jeff Whittington Bluegrass Shows on Thursdays, Jan. 21 and April 28, 2016.
The 2015-16 On Stage at the Davis series will kick off Friday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m. with probably the biggest performer the theatre has presented in its eight-year history: singer-songwriter Paula Cole.
Tickets are $44 and may be purchased 24 hours a day at online and Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the box office, in person or via telephone, 704-920-2753.
Grammy winner Cole is best known for her Billboard top 10 hit song, “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” Her song “I Don’t Want to Wait” was used as the theme for the television show Dawson’s Creek. She won a Grammy for Best New Artist and has been nominated for six others, including Best Producer, the first woman solely nominated.
Her songs have also been used in several other television shows, ranging from Charmed to Big Brother to The Simpsons. Movie credits include Sweet November, August Rush, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Scary Movie.
Cole is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee School of Music where she is now a voice professor. She got a record contract offer from a jazz label at the beginning of her career but turned it down in favor of continuing to write her own songs. Her touring and collaboration with Peter Gabriel on his “Secret World Live” put her on the music map, and then she gave up the spotlight to stay home and raise her daughter for seven years. Now she performs concerts on the weekends, then goes home to be mom.
She has recorded seven studio albums, including “7,” which was released earlier this year. . “Intuitively I feel I’m not going to be doing the same thing now,” she said. “I’m moving into a different time of my life, standing on a mountaintop with some wisdom; looking down at my life as a whole. There are songs here that were crystallized by my past – but there are songs that reflect my future – a glimpse that I’m headed on an unknown road to my unknown fate.
Cole’s music is difficult to categorize. She is known for complex music rooted in jazz, rock and soul combined with superior musicianship as well as a close relationship with her fans and exceptional live shows. Find out more about her and listen to her beautiful songs at PaulaCole.com.


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Islamic Shari'a in Indonesia: The Struggle between Sacrality and Profanity
This article elaborates on the application of Islamic law in Indonesia, which always invites polemics. The root of the problem turns out to not only lead to epistemological issues, but also social and political issues. The author argues that Islamic law that gains legitimacy and justification in the Indonesian legal system must meet the epistemological and social-political criteria. Epistemologically, it is only natural that there is no single view of the Shari'a model that is intended to be applied whereas sociologically political Islamic law must consider more social, political and historical variables that influence the formation of the Indonesian Islamic legal system. The latter fact is a necessity given the fact that the appearance of Islamic law itself in various Islamic countries is not uniform. Changes that occur in the substantive plains of Islamic law are the result of the interaction between the ulama as legal formulators and the socio-political factors that surround them, including the political configuration of the state.

domain: law


Hounds Town USA opens first dog daycare in Georgia
STONE MOUNTAIN, GA – Michelle Eason always dreamed of running her own business, but it wasn’t always a pet daycare.
Eason, a longtime resident of Metro Atlanta and a former student of Shiloh High School, spent 26 years in the insurance industry – even opening his own insurance company – before deciding to pursue her dream of open up a space for dog lovers like her.
“While I was confident I kept thinking about what it would be a dream to work with animals. I love dogs, I love cats and so it was a calling for me. I kept having that craving, ”Eason told Patch. “I was ready to move on to the next chapter of my life and do something that I am passionate about.”
The mum-of-three bitch – Bradley, Penny, and Gypsy, who you can see trotting through downtown – opened Hounds Town USA’s first location in the state on June 26, hoping to help alleviate the separation anxiety and entertaining pets – especially so much on the subway Atlanta’s workforce returns to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic kept people home full time with our friends furry.
The 6,000 square foot location offers simple prices, luxury suites for overnight boarding, expansive play areas, dog grooming services, a dog day spa, and even a pet taxi service. pet, where a Hounds Town employee will pick up or drop off your pet. if you live less than 5 miles from the center.
Hounds Town also offers overnight cat boarding at their multi-level cat apartments, which they aptly named “Purrington Villas” – a small representation of the fun they are having in Hounds Town, Eason said.
“In the corporate world it’s very regulated and routine, and things are done a certain way. It wasn’t always a fun environment,” Eason said. “But here we don’t take ourselves too seriously – the only thing we take seriously is the safety of the dogs and cats that are here with us.”
Hounds Town not only offers straightforward pricing options and a pack environment for our four-legged friends, but the company also doesn’t discriminate against specific breeds, sizes or disabilities – all dogs are welcome.
“I have a lot of friends who have pit bulls and they are gentle dogs with a good temperament, but a lot of places stereotype them,” Eason said. “We have a lot of people who called and said, ‘Hey I called so and so on the street and they won’t take me because my dog is a lab mix’ or ‘I have you got a dog. of 90 pounds, will you take it? “The non-discrimination policy in Hounds Town was so important to me.”
Hounds Town was opened in 2000 in Port Jefferson, New York by founding member of the New York Police Department’s Canine Unit, Mike Gould, and his wife Jackie Bondanza.
Gould spent over 40 years in dog management with the department before opening the Port Jefferson site in Hounds Town, which now operates more than 30 sites across the country. Eason said that once she met Gould and Bondanza, she was deeply into the business.
“The knowledge [Gould] had about dogs and dog behavior is exactly what Hounds Town is. We let the dogs come here and we want the dogs to be dogs – they play, they run, they jump, they do whatever dogs do in a pack. And with Jackie’s business acumen, I knew they had the knowledge to help me succeed, ”Eason said.
Hounds Town United States is located at 1899 Parker Court in Stone Mountain. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday 6 am to 7 pm; Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lobby is closed Monday to Saturday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for a siesta.


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12 Hip-Hop Couples Who Went Through Breakups This Year
But with the news of Future and Ciara calling off their engagement just months after the birth of their baby boy, Future Zahir—and this following on the heels of yesterday's news of Tyga and Blac Chyna's breakup—it seems like Love And Hip-Hop is just a reality show after all. With love no longer in the air, here are nine hip-hop relationships that came to an end this year. Don't forget to send roses.
Previously: Amber Rose Is Divorcing Wiz Khalifa
A Timeline Of The Rumors Of Jay Z And Beyonce’s Breakups
Master P Loses Custody Of His Four Kids
Future And Ciara Break Up
T.I. Responds To Floyd Mayweather’s Claim That He Slept With Tiny

domain: entertainment


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Thomas Cook is switching summer capacity from Spain to the eastern Mediterranean due to “margin pressure” at its UK operating arm.
The disclosure came today from chief executive Peter Fankhauser as the company reported bookings up 4% from the UK with 6% better pricing.
However, Thomas Cook said: “We continue to experience margin pressure as a result of currency impact and hotel bed cost inflation in a competitive market environment.
“Strong growth to higher-margin destinations in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as higher web and ancillary sales, are helping to mitigate this impact.”
The UK tour operating business suffered £8 million deeper winter losses at £77 million despite increased sales with good levels of demand especially for Turkey and Egypt.
Margins continued to come under pressure particularly in the second quarter.
The business was principally impacted by softer margins to the Canary Islands, Cook’s largest winter destination, caused by strong hotel cost inflation, together with a weaker sterling and increased levels of market competition.
As a consequence, while customer demand remains strong, “our UK business has not fully passed on these significant inflationary cost increases through higher selling prices”.
Thomas Cook added: “In this environment, we are implementing a set of actions, in order to help mitigate these market pressures.
“We have continued to rebalance our destination mix towards more profitable, fast-growing destinations such as Turkey and Egypt, and to target further operating efficiencies.
“In addition, we grew sales of differentiated holidays significantly in the first half, by 31% for holidays to own-brand hotels, and by 18% for sales to selected partner hotels, helping to improve the competitiveness of our product offering.
“We reduced the size of our retail store network by a further 10% to around 600 stores, while at the same time growing online sales on a booked basis by 33%, with mobile performing particularly well.
“We expect that continued implementation of these actions will, together, help to return the business to profitable growth.”
The group is seeing strong summer demand for Turkey, Greece and Egypt plus bookings growth to smaller destinations such as Croatia, Italy and Tunisia, which has made a “positive start” after bookings to the north African country re-opened in the UK in February.
Overall group bookings for the summer are up 13% against this time last year with the programme 59% sold.
Online revenue is up by 18% across the group, with particular progress in the UK, which is up 33% year on year, according to the operator.
Overall, mobile bookings have grown by 55%, showing improvement across all source markets.
This came as Thomas Cook closed a further 63 stores in the UK in the half year to March 31 “as customers continue the shift online”.
“We have also accelerated the rebranding of our shops, as we move to a single high-street brand following the end of our joint venture with The Co-operative Travel,” the company added.
Thomas Cook reported that traditional winter pre-tax losses were cut from £314 million to £303 million as revenue for the six month period rose by 5% to £3.2 billion year-on-year driven by growth to Egypt and long-haul destinations.
Fankhauser said: “Thomas Cook has had a good first six months of the year, delivering improved financial results combined with tangible strategic progress.
“The work we’ve done in the past two years to improve customers’ experience of our flights and our holidays is bearing fruit with revenue growth of 5%, and a positive booking position for the summer.
“The improvements in customer satisfaction have come from our focus on fewer, better hotels and our holiday programme for summer 2018 is in great shape.
“Two-thirds of our customers tell us they want to personalise their holidays and we are innovating to satisfy this demand.
“This includes the successful introduction of ‘Choose Your Room’ across 300 hotels for the summer and, more recently, ‘Choose Your Favourite Sunbed’ which we are rolling out to 50 hotels.
“Customer demand for this summer is good in all our markets, particularly in our Nordic region.”
But he added: “We continue to experience margin pressure in the UK tour operator due to a combination of hotel cost inflation in Spain, currency impact and capacity increases in the market.
“We have taken action to help mitigate this pressure, including taking out holiday capacity from Spain and moving it to the eastern Mediterranean.”
Fankhauser continued: “Our group airline performed particularly well in the first half.
“Condor delivered a strong turnaround, and has benefitted from our ability to provide a reliable and high-quality service during a period of disruption and consolidation in the German aviation sector.
“Our booking position for the summer is strong, and bookings are well in line with our capacity growth of 10% to an expanded range of destinations, including 70 new routes across the group.
“The launch of our hotel investment fund with LMEY in March will allow us to accelerate the growth of our own-brand hotel portfolio where we can deliver better quality and higher returns.
“With three new hotel projects underway in as many months, in addition to our first Casa Cook in Spain, we’re excited about the opportunity the fund provides.
“We also have high hopes for our new hotel brand, Cook’s Club, which we plan to roll out at scale for summer 2019 to attract a new generation of design-conscious holidaymakers to Thomas Cook at great value prices.
“In addition, our new partnerships in our complementary business are beginning to kick in: the transfer to Webjet has delivered a five-fold growth in bookings on last year, helping fuel a 51% increase in overall bedbank bookings, in line with our strategy to increase automation in this part of our business.
“Meanwhile, we expect to launch Expedia in Belgium and the UK this summer, paving the way for further improvements in the online customer experience.
“As we enter our busiest period, I see positive momentum across all of our markets to deliver the best possible holidays for our customers.
“Our continued progress on strategy to transform the business, together with the clear desire among customers for our modern, personalised package holidays and flights, mean we are on track to deliver a performance in line with current expectations for the full year, on a constant currency basis.”
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domain: geography


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BENGALURU: Often I wonder what our lives would be without plastic. Is it possible to eliminate it from our lives for good?
So this week I decided to put the used sticky wrap to use, by using it as stuffing for a felt pin cushion.
■ What you need as basics is of course used sticky wrapping plastic, and a piece of felt. Among the other materials you need are a pair of scissors, a needle, embroidery skeins of - the felt sheet colour, decorative fabric rolls - or saree borders that are easily available, a ruler and any embellishments like cloth flowers or sequins
■ Take a decorative roll, and stitch up one end of it to the rear one of the felt pieces.
■ You will need to use a hemming stitch, and preferably thread that matches the edge of your ribbon or roll. After securing the ribbon on the rear of the felt pieces, hem the roll on to the front and finish it by stitching it into the felt on the other end.
■ Once this gets done, it is about choosing betweeen adding more embellishments to decorate, or leave the beautiful design to shine through.
■ The next step is to knot the embroidery skein’s piece at one end. Pick a colour that would work as an accented bit to match the ribbon design. Use all the six strands on the embroidery skein for the stitching.
■ After this, it is about how good you are with the stitching of edges, using the button stitch. You will need to use the button stitch on three sides to form a pouch.
■ The next step, is to fill this pouch. Roll the sticky roll on to your fingers and make mini-lemon sized balls that you can stuff in. Be gentle when you fill, and look for gaps. If you do not have sticky wrap, leftover plastic bags can be used.
■ After filling the pouch, seal the fourth side with another round of button stitch and close with a neat knot. Your felt pin cushion is ready.
■ Use this to fix ball pins on your desk, or when you want to stitch, as a needle rest. You can also use it as a doll house floor cushion, or simply as a pillow for child’s doll.

domain: design


Russian aerospace forces had a busy day, conducting strikes in support of exercises, intercepting enemy air attacks, engaging in various opposing force scenarios and working in conjunction with ground-based air defense. This seemed to be a finale day for exercises in Belarus, with the focus on Obuz-Lesnovsky, exercises featuring defense with artillery and air support, counteroffensives, heliborne operations with VDV troops to recapture a settlement. Tank and attack helicopter based exercises at Mulino, heavy day for various armor drills, and a fair bit of rotary aviation employed. Baltic Fleet conducted a large amphibious landing, simulating both amphibious attack and coastal defense. Northern Fleet practiced anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare with SSGNs, and a large coastal defense exercise led by 14th Army Corps on the Kola peninsula.
Special thanks to Konrad Muzyka for helping me put a number of these together. We were worried with less media coverage there would not be as much to write about, but that seems to have been less of a problem than earlier imagined. Apologize for any awkward sentences, there’s a lot to cover and not much time for good editing to be had here.
VKS Aerospace Forces – Air defense units and Western MD tactical aviation repelled an enemy air attack, the exercise involved 10 different tactical episodes where units trained in intercepting air targets, attacking ground forces, and bombing fortified positions. Enemy forces were played by Su-35S, Su-34, Mi-8, Mi-28N, Mi-35, Ka-52. Su-30SM and Mig-31BMs in the role of interceptors, destroying enemy air targets which were attempting to conduct a massed aviation strike (MRAU). A total of 40 aerodynamic targets were destroyed, imitating enemy cruise missiles and aircraft. The way this is written I think the MoD release got a few items mixed in terms of the size of OPFOR. If the OPFOR is composed of real aircraft then naturally they use simulated electronic launches (except in that rare occasion when a pilot accidentally arms his 30mm in a training dogfight, like back in Kavkaz-2020).
In a different set of exercises Su-35S crews intercepted Su-30SMs at about 10,000 meters. Su-30SMs played the role of opposing forces. Each enemy aircraft had to be detected by radar, presumably ground based since no mention of AWACS, and this is a combined exercise with air defense components of VKS. Su-35s sortied from Ryazan, simulating electronic launches at beyond visual range 100km+
Near Smolensk, there were a series of strikes by Su-34s and Tu-22M3s, which appeared different than the exercise in Belarus discussed later in this post. They dropped bombs from relatively low altitudes of 1000m against underground command centers, cement bunkers, and other types of ground targets. Su-30SMs provided fighter cover. Approximately 20 aircraft belonging to tactical and long range aviation employed in this event.
At Ruzhansky – (210th Air Force and Air Defense Forces Aviation Range)
Reconnaissance discovered a large grouping of opposing forces along with their airfield with aircraft. Air support was called in to destroy it. Altogether 20 Russian and Belarusian aircraft flew in and dropped 50 bombs, launched 130 unguided missiles, firing 850 30mm rounds. The first to appear were Belarusian Su-30SM fighters, which carried out additional reconnaissance over the area and established air control. Then bombers and combat helicopters arrived to destroy the enemy. The strike package included Belarusian Yak-130s, Mi-24s, but also Russian long-range aviation’s Tu-22M3s. An image of a Su-24 with fuel tanks deploying flares was published by the Belarusian MoD, which confirms that Russia deployed these in support. A CSAR mission was also conducted after a helicopter was presumed to have “crashed.” A pair of Mi-24s provided air cover for combat search and rescue.
At/around Domanovsky in Brest – (174th Air Force and Air Defense Forces Training Range)
Subunits of the Belarusian 147th Air Defense Regiment (equipped with Osa-AKM air defence system) conducted two tactical episodes at the range. They provided anti-aircraft cover for ground troops, shielded them from air attacks of a simulated enemy. The second episode involved a live-fire exercise with missiles engaging high-speed small-sized and low-altitude air targets. The regiment deployed two batteries to the range with each battery assigned three targets. The first one simulated a high-speed target (200-400 m/s) flying at an altitude of 1-4 km. The second and third targets simulated OPFOR fire support helicopters hovering at a low altitude.
An air assault battalion from the 38th Air Assault Brigade made a march from Domanovo to Brest training range. During the march, they crossed be Mukhovets River east of Brest. Their objective was to flank opposing forces and cut off potential escape routes. The 38th riverine operations seem to have been linked to the one conducted the previous day by the Russian company from the 15th MRR. They too crossed Mukhovets and flanked the opposing force from an unexpected direction, occupying the necessary area and blocking escape routes. Not clear if this took place on the 12th or 13th of September.
During the night of 12/13 September Belarusian, Russian, and Kazakh paras did a night jump from Il-76s over the Brest range. First Russian were dropped to secure the landing site. The second wave followed with Belarusian and Kazakh subunits. The drop included elements of the 38th Airborne Assault Brigade (Belarus), 76th Airborne Division (Russia), and the 35th Airborne Assault Brigade (Kazakhstan).
At Obuz-Lesnovsky (230th Combined Arms Training Range)
On the last day of the defensive phase of Zapad, Lukashenko paid a visit to this training ground, while Russia sent deputy minister of defense Evkurov. Officially, Belarus has stood up a motor rifle battalion as a part of force generation activities in support of Zapad. They might be staggering final events, having the big joint activity with Belarus on Day 3 at this range, and then the Russian one at Mulino on Day 4.
On the ground, units subordinated to the regional grouping of forces (RGF), which included elements of the Russian 4th Tank Division, 76th Air Airborne Division, Kazakh 35th Airborne Assault Brigade as well as Belarusian mechanized formations (and a newly stood up Belarusian motor rifle battalion) conducted an air assault. The scenario was first a joint force repulsing an enemy attack, setting the conditions for an effective counteroffensive, and defeated the enemy. This seemed like a fairly set-piece scenario for the regional grouping of forces, but it was a big show day for 4th Tank division and its T-80U counterattack, supported by Belarusian forces. Also they lit the range pretty well with all sorts of towed artillery, SPA, and MLRS. More than 100 pieces of artillery were used, including 2S1 Gvozdika, 2S5 Giatsint-S, and MSTA-S, BM-21 Grad and BM-27 Uragan MLRS.
OPFOR tried to conduct a counterattack with armored vehicles, but was stopped in part by a 400-meteter multi-row firewall. This is essentially engineer-sapper units (1st GTA) blowing up a ton of flammable liquid in an anti-tank trench. Engineer units then used UR-77 and UR-83P demining vehicles to clear a path for a counteroffensive. Counteroffensive followed with what seems to be all ground units deployed. Artillery, TOS-1As thermobaric weapon systems, VDV forces and elements of the 4th Tank Division, and T-72B3, T-80U. Also media claiming something called a T-90UBKh, but I think this a typo. The counter offensive was naturally a success, restoring the forces original positions.
Another part of this day’s events featured heliborne operations, lifting units into a captured settlement. The mock settlement was kind of a village, basically a set of rural looking dwellings. Airborne units surrounded the settlement with BMD-4s, then troops rappelled from Mi-8 helicopters (seem they can simultaneously deploy 5 soldiers from a helicopter via rope systems). Ka-52s supported the airborne operation, while soldiers cleared the village.
Aviation was also busy. This included Mi-24s from 50th Mixed Aviation Base Belarus and Ka-52s from Russian army aviation. Russia also deployed Tu-22M3s and Su-34s, flying from homebased airfields. The latter (4x Su-34) conducted SEAD missions against enemy air defense and traditional bombing missions. Belarusians also deployed their Su-25s and Yak-130s for ground support roles.
Since the start of Zapad, an EW group from 1st GTA has been busy suppressing radio signals of opposing forces using active jamming stations: R-934BVM “Borisoglebsk-2”, R-330Zh “Zhitel”, R-378BVM. EW units conducted a radio-electronic strike against enemy lines of communication (radio), and suppressed about 100 enemy targets which were capable of radio-electronic effects (translation a bit rough here).
Back in Russia
Luzhskiy – Approximately 30 tank and artillery crews from elements of the 6th CAA fired at targets out of direct line of sight ~6km, from established firing positions, while conducting reconnaissance at night. A couple of battle drills mentioned: tank carousel, roving tank, and tank-scout. Tank carousel is well known from Syria, where tanks cycle through a firing position in order to sustain fire on a target at a sustained rate. Roving, or maybe nomadic tank is a better term for it, (shrug on translation here) is when a tank shifts between several firing positions to confuse a force as to the actual disposition of the defenders and where they’re concentrated. The tank fires from each spot moving along a route to make it seem like there is a much larger armored unit there. Tank-scout I’m unsure about. At Luzhskiy there are about 2000 troops and more than 500 pieces of equipment, including 4 aircraft and 10 helicopters.
Over what appeared to be a Mulino training ground, Mi-35s and Mi-24s helicopters provided air support and cover for ground units. They delivered strikes against manpower and armored vehicles. Attack helicopter crews employed Shturm-V and Ataka-M ATGMs and S-8 unguided rockets. The mode of attack was based on a ‘helicopter carousel’: helicopters created a circle style battle formation, which allowed for continuous delivery of fire on opposing forces’ positions. With that approach, they engaged communications, command posts and communication routes. Also, possibly during the same event at Mulino, Mi-28N, Ka-52, Mi-35 and Mi-24 attack helicopters conducted aerial reconnaissance, launching rocket strikes against ground targets, while providing air cover for ground forces. This could be a description of the abovementioned exercise. Helicopter crews arrayed themselves into pairs, and squadrons, employing terrain masking at low altitude flight.
Elements of the 4th Tank Division (possibly a BTG) conducted an ambush, thwarting an enemy offensive. Separated from the main forces, camouflaged T-80 tanks opened volley fire at the advancing enemy columns (opposing forces were represented by moving targets). Tank crews worked out hitting targets at distances from 700m to 2.2km, and then deployed smokescreens to displace from their positions.
An NBC subunit cleaned up a mock chemical attack. According to the exercise plan, two crews of the RHM-6 CBRN reconnaissance vehicles found a “contaminated” area, determined the type of contamination, and the substance used. Terrain samples were then transferred to a headquarters. All the equipment in the contaminated zone was disinfected by ARS-14KM vehicles. The NBC unit also created an aerosol curtain to camouflage friendly forces. The thermobaric detachment used RPO-A Shmel thermobaric grenade launchers to destroy enemy forticications.
Air defence units belonging to the 44th Air Defence Division, together with the Baltic Sea Fleet’s ships and naval aviation component repelled an enemy airstrike. Combat crews deployed to areas from which they were supposed to provide air cover, readying S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems. There they sought to detect and destroy air and ballistic targets represented by real airframes. The air situation was complicated by massed ‘raids’ conducted by Su-30SM and Su-24s and the presence of an An-26 military transport aircraft. These aircraft imitated an enemy air force across a range of altitudes and speeds. The exercise simulated Russian air defense systems operating in an EW-contested environment.
During the exercise, the simulated enemy force delivered cruise missile strikes with a density of up to seven targets hit per minute. The Fleet’s Su-27s took to the skies in order to intercept enemy cruise missiles, together with air defense systems (launches simulated electronically of course). The interesting part here is that each year you see more air crews training in cruise missile interception. The Baltic Fleet ships involved in this drill also made electronic launches at air targets. In total, more than 10 aircraft were involved in the exercise. The grouping of naval and ground forces was represented by four air defence battalions, and seven ships of the Baltic Fleet. On the whole it doesn’t sound like OPFOR was particularly large, but interesting to see greater integration with naval forces performing AD missions.
At Pravdinsky Training Range
Attack of OPFOR was stopped by elements of the 11th Army Corps with air support. Fighters achieved air superiority. Su-34s aircraft struck the positions of the “enemy”, its command posts, and weapons and logistics depots. Mi-24s, Su-24s and Su-30s were also involved in ground support operations. Concurrently, artillery delivered concentrated mass fires on targets and destroyed tanks and armored vehicles.
Consequently, favorable conditions were created for the transition from defense to offense. The enemy was struck by a tank subunit using the “tank carousel” technique. On top of that, the use of artillery and frontal aviation effectively defeated the identified “enemy.” Elements of the 76th Airborne Division are at Pravdinsky as well, but unsure what role they fulfil.
At Khmelevka, Baltic Fleet (336th) and Northern Fleet (61st) naval infantry units conducted an amphibious landing. Chief of the Russian Navy, Nikolai Evmenov, was present at this event personally. NF naval infantry had to seize a platsdarm and then enable the rest of the forces and equipment to land. BF naval infantry played the defenders in this scenario. First, supporting ships conducted artillery strikes along the coast to suppress defending fire positions. Then Su-30SMs and Su-24s from the Baltic Fleet provided strike support for the landing. Looks like first Raptor high-speed patrol boats unloaded groups of combat engineers to help clear a path through supposed mines on the beachhead, and set signals to designate the landing area for arriving forces. Looks like 4x Rapucha-class LSTs then unloaded naval infantry, more than 40x BTR-80 in total. This is a sizable amphibious landing for Russian forces. Along with the LSTs deployed two large aircushion landing craft (LCACs), the Zubr-class ships (Pomornik) Mordoviya and Evgeniy Kocheshkov. Looks like LCACs delivered the support units, 2s9 Nona mortars and a R-149 command vehicle.
SF and BF naval infantry then practiced their respective tasks, assault vs coastal defense. BF units were raised on alert, deployed to the area where they detected an incoming amphibious landing and began to setup positions. They defended the coast with Nona mortar systems, BM-21 Grad, and their BTR-82A APCs. Photos suggest Shilkas used on the beach as well. Altogether, about 10 ships involved in this event, more than 200 pieces of equipment, and approximately 2000 troops.
Project 1131M small anti-submarine ships Kabardino-Balkaria and Aleksin in conjunction with Ka-27PL ASW helicopters searched for a supposed enemy submarine in the Baltic Sea. Working on detection, classification, etc. they eventually found and sunk a hypothetical enemy submarine using a mix of RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers and torpedoes. Crews also practiced in live fire artillery exercises against small sea going and aerial targets.
14th Army Corps held a sizable exercise at Pechenga, simulating a defense against enemy forces on the Kola peninsula. Approximately 300 pieces of equipment including T-80BVMs, 2S1 Gvozdika and 2S3 Akatsiya SPA, venerable MT-LBs, ATGM units, and various air defense systems belonging to PVO-SV like Tunguska. They also had drones and naval aviation supporting. Su-24s from the fleet’s mixed aviation regiment joined in to conduct bombing runs against enemy forces. The exercise included practicing how to camouflage forces, better known by everyone as the dreaded maskirovka. Also electronic warfare, jamming and creating false targets. The exercise helped test signals and communications equipment, in total involving about 2000 troops from the Northern Fleet.
Northern Fleet surface combatants formed a surface search and strike group, essentially a surface action group whose primary mission is anti-submarine warfare. Seems these were small anti-submarine warfare ships, (project 1124M Grisha-class corvettes) Snezhgorsk and Yunga, working with Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft, and Ka-27PL ASW helicopters to search for enemy submarines with sonar buoys.
Meanwhile the Northern Fleet’s SSGN that had sortied on 11th September, an Oscar-II class submarine K-266 Orel, conducted a live fire exercise using P-700 Granit. The submarine fired submerged against a target imitating a large surface combatant at over 100km from its own position.
Military transport aviation (VTA) prepared to deploy airborne forces, a total of 60 crews including Il-76 and An-26. They began loading VDV units at airfields.
VDV units at Strugi Krasnyie trained with indirect fire from BMD-4M, seemed like they were talking about firing airburst fragmentation munitions using predetermined coordinates from Orlan-10 drones.
Klyazma River – Western MD engineering units built a floating brigade across the Klyazma River in the Vladimir Region. OPFOR destroyed ground lines of communication, which forced the engineering units to restore a crossing over a river using heavy mechanized bridges TMM-3M2. Mi-28Ns provided air cover.
Some media adds here


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Moose Jaw in Moose Jaw No. 161, Saskatchewan — The Prairie Region
Central Fire Station
At the time of its opening, the main floor housed the chief's buggy, ten horse stalls and four fire rigs which included a chemical engine, hose wagon and ladder truck. The second floor provided sleeping accommodations for the firemen and an apartment for the fire chief. A gymnasium was located on the top floor.
In 1912, the fire department ceased to be a volunteer brigade and now had 27 full-time, paid firefighters. Moose Jaw boasted that its fire department was “equal to any in western Canada.” Motorization came in 1914.
The building served for 80 years as the city's central fire hall.
[Caption] Rice #9 Central Fire Station.
Moose Jaw Art Museum, National Exhibition Centre
Community Tourism Assistance Program
Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee
Tourism Moose Jaw
Public Library Archives
Text by: Leith Knight
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1910.
Location. 50° 23.562′ N, 105° 32.286′ W. Marker is in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in Moose Jaw No. 161. Marker is on Fairford Street West just west of 1st Avenue NW, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 136 Fairford St W, Moose Jaw SK S6H S6H, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fire Hall 1909-10 (here, next to this marker); City Hall 1912-14 (about 210 meters away, measured in a direct line); Main Street from CPR Station, c. 1908 (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); Private George Lawrence Price (approx. half a kilometer away); Public Library 1912-13 (approx. half a kilometer away).
Also see . . .
1. Moose Jaw Fire Hall. Canadian Register of Historic Places listing for the fire hall, which was designated in 1982. (HistoricPlaces.ca) (Submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Moose Jaw Fire Station. Description, heritage value and defining characteristics of the historic fire hall. (City of Moose Jaw) (Submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 41 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 30, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

domain: history


text:
PERFECT MIX OF FUN & RELAXATION Double Room Ocean Front
- MAX. OCCUPANCY 2 pax
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Our Ocean Front Double Rooms provide an unparalleled tropical experience, featuring a luxurious double bed, refrigerator, comfortable amenities and a patio/terrace that opens onto the pristine coastline. These elegantly designed rooms present an idyllic sanctuary for guests to truly unwind, accommodating up to 2 people with the addition of an extra bed. The en-suite bathroom boasts a walk-in shower and complimentary toiletries, ensuring complete regeneration.
Let your senses be captivated by our oceanfront setting and create long-lasting memories during your stay.

domain: travel


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This is really strange! A pop singer died at the age of about 50 and a hype was there in forum.. Gangubai Hanagal.. A legendary singer passed away and there is nothing much on forum.. Are we aware of our culture?
She died on 21st july.she was singer with deep and power ful voice of indian classic music of khayal genre.
definately most of all have no interest in classic music and more indian know/heard about MJ than gangubai.
Your vote on this answer has already been received
If we are proud of our culture we would not imitate west blindly. who need indian classical music. Even if we donno the meaning and feeling of MJs song, we will try to show the we are enjoying since MJ is from USA. When Gangu bhai passed away it was a small caption in news paper. Abt MJ media sais worls is wheeping. it just mean that am (Kurian) is not in this world as i didnt feel anything abt Pop kings death.


Open-source slinger Red Hat has bulked up its cloud storage arsenal by buying Inktank, the main developer of Ceph for about $175m in cash. The acquisition of Inktank was announced on Wednesday, and means the Linux distro maker will field two distributed storage systems in the form of Ceph (block and object) and GlusterFS (file …
This poor little article seemed quite lonely having no comments so I thought I had best cheer it up.
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Play your ukulele with other ukulele fanatics at this year’s Ukulele Fiesta on the Sunshine Coast! Presented by Ukulele Festival 2018, Ukulele Fiesta is 4 marvellous days of live ukulele performances, ukulele workshops, and ukulele jamming on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. Harness and improve your ukulele playing, learn new ukulele songs, meet fellow ukulele players, and celebrate one of the most fun instruments there is!
Ukulele Fiesta is great fun for the whole family - even if you don’t play! Come along and absorb the lively atmosphere, enjoy the live music, and try the good food whilst you’re at it. A fantastic lineup of live ukulele performances is set to take place for Ukulele Fiesta, including Ukus in Fabula, The Nukes, Nicky Bomba, The Loveys, Mama Juju and the Jam Tarts, The Wild Women of Armidale, Pineapple Crush, and Georgie Taylor - all renowned ukulele artists from all over the globe! As you enjoy the music and atmosphere don’t ignore the wide selection of food vans and stalls scattered around the event, including fantastic catering from The Good Food Fellas, Jungle Oven Catering, and gourmet coffee from Dave and his Extreme Beans. On top of the live music and good food, make sure to explore the marquees selling lots of ukuleles and ukulele gear, festival-themed clothes, and other exciting festival merchandise!
For the ukulele players, don’t forget to bring your ukulele along for fun ukulele jamming, ukulele workshops, and more. Ukulele Fiesta will also host another songwriting competition this year with a number of prizes up for grabs - ukulele players start preparing your entry today!
Ukulele Fiesta a must-attend this April for ukulele fanatics and music lovers. Don’t miss this unique event taking place on the Sunshine Coast in Kenilworth, from the 19th of April to the 22nd of April - that’s 4 days of nonstop ukulele fun that’s not to be missed!
Find the Ukulele Fiesta in Kenilworth this April just moments from Aegean Mooloolaba Apartments. We offer affordable Sunshine Coast accommodation in a central location that’s surrounded in fantastic tourist attractions and situated just footsteps away from the famous Mooloolaba Beach. Our one and two bedroom holiday apartments cater to both couples and families, offering the perfect beach break this Autumn.
For more information on Aegean Apartments just visit : http://book.resonline.com.au/make-booking?ap=280552
Image Source : Sunshine Coast Ukulele Festival

domain: hobby


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Graham made the assertion on Monday, and after that told “Hannity” Wednesday he will move a measure to reject the reprimand request on the off chance that it makes it to the U.S. Senate.
“What they’re attempting to do is drive the president’s survey numbers down, reprimand survey numbers up by utilizing essentially Star Chamber strategies,” he said.
“This is a political move by Democrats that will crush the administration later on. It’s ill-conceived. I will censure it. I trust each Republican will join my goals encouraging the House to accomplish for President Trump what Newt Gingrich accomplished for President Clinton.”
Furthermore, Graham guaranteed the American individuals are just getting one side of the story because of breaks from the Democratic side of the passageway.
He said the releases offer the media part of the declaration of witnesses called by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., – and that those releases appear to just contain data “negative to the president.”
Indicating the shut entryway declaration of Acting U.S. Represetative to Ukraine Bill Taylor, Graham said the negotiator’s opening explanation was spilled, yet then again, reports Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, barbecued Taylor regarding the matter have been left to recycled comments GOP officials.
“How did John Ratcliffe do when it came to interrogating Bill Taylor?” the South Carolina administrator inquired.
Furthermore, Graham reacted to previous National Security Adviser Susan Rice, who alluded to him as a “bit of s – ” during a digital recording meeting.


text: Rectangle Shareables Gallery If you are sharing to Facebook or Instagram, you may want to use our square Shareables. Square Search for Shareables by choosing a category or by words in the descriptions. Share directly from the gallery to several social media platforms or right mouse click and save to your device. First source of nicotineYouth experiment with vaping and smoking. If youth experiment with vaping first then they are 20 times less likely to become a smoker compared to if they experiment with cigarettes first. Vaping is interrupting the next generation of smokers!Less than 1% of TLVUnlike 100 years ago when smoking came around, science has analyzed thousands of chemicals. All of those chemicals have been tested for safety to establish Threshold Limit Values (TLV). Vapour was compared to TLV and passed with flying colours.No popcorn lungRemember all of the headlines saying that vaping causes popcorn lung? It was a lie. Do you feel deceived? You should. You can trust VAEP for accurate information on vaping. Our resources are referenced and easy to understand!Canada youth smoking vs vapingIn 2018, the term "youth vaping epidemic" was declared by the FDA. Based on 2017 stats, the number of youth that were smoking was the same as the number that were vaping. Yet, authority said nothing about a youth smoking epidemic.Youth are in it for the highOf the 20,000 high school students surveyed that reported they had ever tried vaping, 1 out of 3 admitted they used cannabis in a vaping device. Youth are abusing drugs which isn't a reason to oppress harm reduction for smokers by banning flavours.Youth do stupid thingsCommercial industries aren't responsible to the stupid stuff teens do. Teens abuse alcohol & drugs. Breweries & BigPharma aren't responsible for teen alcohol & drug abuse. They also abuse vaping. Vape shops aren't responsible for teen vaping abuse.Who promotes harm reduction?When authority describes a product, the public believe it's accurate because they trust authority. When you compare the definition of an e-cigarette from a dictionary vs the CDC, it's very clear that the CDC (authority) has distorted the definition.Who are vaping?The data shows us that SMOKERS are vaping and not nonsmokers. 15.5% of current smokers are using vaping to quit. 11.7% of former smokers are using vaping to stay quit. The 0.4% of vapers that never smoked could have become smokers without vaping.Vaping normalizes quitting smokingIn a study, it was explained to children that vaping helped smokers quit and the children became supportive of vaping despite the action looked similar to smoking. Children support the concept of tobacco harm reduction, so, why don't health authorities?Vaping is an NRT only betterNicotine replacement therapy is safe, because nicotine has very few side effects. Smokers are experts at self-dosing nicotine through inhalation. Vaping allows the smoker to continue to get nicotine through inhaling without the toxins found in smoke.Vaping is less harmfulCitizens have a right to life which means they have a right to all the information to make informed decisions about preserving health. They also should have access to and be able to utilize harm reduction to protect health such as condoms and vaping.Vaping is a small fraction of the riskSmoking has over 7000 chemicals; 1500 of them we know cause diseases and 69 cause cancer. Vapour has very few constituents and all of the disease/cancer causing chemicals are virtually eliminated. This is why vaping is a fraction the risk of smoking.Vaping increases success by 300%Everyone knows that quitting smoking is hard but because vaping mimics the behavour, it increases the smoker's chance of quitting smoking. 42% of smokers who vaped & smoked for 2 years, quit smoking. Only 15% of those who didn't use a vape quit.Vaping improves chronic diseaseSmoking is a risk factor for many chronic diseases because of the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke. Switching to vaping virtually eliminates these harmful chemicals & chronic diseases improve for many. Which means they needed less pharmaceuticals.Vapers want to keep flavoursYoung people are being recruited to push the flavour ban. These young people are not made aware of the importance of flavoured eliquid for adult smokers like their parents. Vaping may also be preventing their friends from becoming smokers.Using illneses to ban harm reductionThe 2019 vaping-related lung illnesses were from illegal drugs. Why would politicians use the illnesses to "hammer all e-cigarette makers" yet e-cigs are nicotine & help smokers quit? BigPharma profits from smoking diseases and they lobby politicians.USA youth ever vaped vs smokedIn 2018, based on 2017 stats, the term "youth vaping epidemic" was declared by the FDA. But in 2017, the number of youth that were smoking was pretty much the same as the number that were vaping. Yet, they said nothing about a youth smoking epidemic.US reduced youth smoking uptakeSince vaping has been mainstream, naturally, youth are experimenting with it because they try all adult taboos. As a result, US youth smoking rates are dropping faster than ever before! Looks like vaping is interrupting the next generation of smokers.US youth daily smokersWhen youth started experimenting with vaping, their smoking rates dropped dramatically. To become a smoker, the person has to smoke up to 100 cigarettes to become addicted and a lifelong customer. Is vaping interrupting that process?

domain: health


When Syracuse tabbed Dino Babers as its new head football coach, Eric Dungey may have been the happiest man in Central New York. Running the head honcho‚Äôs fast-paced, quick-hitting system, the quarterback appears to have a golden opportunity to rack up huge numbers in his sophomore campaign. After working under Scott Shafer and Tim Lester, whose offense was heavily predicated on the run, Dungey must be chomping at the bit to toss the pigskin all over the Carrier Dome.
Someone has to be on the receiving end of those passes, and the odds-on favorite to emerge as the Orange‚Äôs number one target is junior Steve Ishmael. When he came out of high school in 2014, the 6-foot-2 wideout from southern Florida received offers from Miami, West Virginia, and Cincinnati, and also attracted attention from Oregon, Louisville, and Nebraska. No one will ever doubt the guy‚Äôs talent. The prolific statistics simply haven‚Äôt followed ‚Äî yet.
If you‚Äôre looking for an indictment of the previous coaching staff‚Äôs offense, here it is: Ishmael gained 570 receiving yards last season, and that was nearly twice as many as the next-best pass-catcher (Brisley Estime had 293). As a team, SU threw for 1,881 yards, good for 118th in the country (out of 128 teams). With Babers calling the shots, Bowling Green chewed up 5,135 ‚Äî second-most in the nation.
Roger Lewis was the receiver for 1,544 of those yards, the second-highest total in the country. He pulled down 85 balls at a gaudy average rate of 18.16 yards per reception; the next-highest figure among players with at least 75 catches was 17.06. The 6-foot sophomore also found the end zone 16 times, half of which came from at least 45 yards out, despite his average speed and ball skills. Gehrig Dieter, the Falcons‚Äô number two receiver, caught 94 passes (ninth-most in the country), and, with 10 touchdowns of his own, made BGSU one of only three Division I teams to feature two wideouts with double-digit scores.
It‚Äôs reasonable ‚Äî and, honestly, conservative ‚Äî to expect Syracuse‚Äôs new-look offense to exceed 3,000 yards through the air. The receiving corps is experienced, with eight of last year‚Äôs top nine wideouts returning, but Ishmael is the headliner. Erv Phillips, a short, quick running back-receiver hybrid, should man the slot, with Brisley Estime opposite Ishmael on the perimeter. That leaves No. 8 as the clear-cut top option¬†on the outside.
Only three SU receivers have eclipsed 1,000 yards in a single season. Ishmael could become the fourth.
Last September, the Fizz posted this article. We were a year too early. Now, Ishmael appears ready to live up to the hype.